God Intends

We all want things a certain way.  Some of us won’t let our food touch on our dinner plates while others swirl it together.  The examples here are endless, but the point is that we prefer things a certain way because we want specific results.  We are intentional beings.

The Bible teaches us that the reason we are so intentional is that we are a reflection of an intentional creator.  God designed things in specific ways so that there would be specific results, He is intentional.  Being made in His image we too have this inclination.  When we set out to do something we plan for things to function in a particular way and when things don’t go our way we get frustrated.

Sin is an act that is in direct opposition to God’s design.  When Adam & Eve committed the first sin their actions proved that they wanted a different result than what God wanted for them.  What they failed to realize is that God’s way would ensure that Adam & Eve remained in the Garden of Eden with no need of anything - God’s way was best for them.  Adam & Eve chose not to trust God’s intentions which led them down a path that resulted in wrong and evil - their way was the worst for them.

What we learn about God’s design in the pages of the Bible is that His plan for how we are to live doesn't hinder our lives in any way.  On the contrary, His plan ensures that we live our lives to the fullest, as God intended.  Time and time again while reading the Bible we see stories of people ignoring God’s plan for His creation resulting in His frustration and their misery.  When faced with the consequences of sin it becomes painfully clear that God’s ways are better than our ways.

We’re naturally prone to oppose God’s purposes because we don't think like him.  To steal the teaching of a biblical author by the name of Isaiah, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not like His ways.  We study the Bible to become more godly with our actions and motives.  It’s through a better understanding of God’s intentions that we’ll begin to gravitate towards this new way of thinking.  Living out this understanding of God’s design results in the praise of God as well as our fulfillment, it’s what we were made for.  By denying ourselves and trusting in His purposes we avoid the pitfalls of sin and feel the life altering affects of His amazing grace.

We are committed to God’s design at The Journey because we realize that left to our own desires like Adam & Eve we’ll just make a mess of things.  We want to renew our minds through the study of the Bible so that we would live in a manner that is pleasing to God.  We’ll strive to live as God intended us to because we believe that His plan for our lives is what is best for us.

Related Core Value sermon:  Core Values (Part 4) God's Design - (Chris Morris)