Rev Randy Barrington ; Oakley Macfarlane's Baptism

"STICK TO THE PLAN"
by Rev. Randy Barrington


ref : Exodus 1:8-14

I know that this message isn’t really about Joseph, but more about God’s plan or maybe even more about God’s promise.

Not a yesterday plan but a plan that was started long ago in Genesis.

God made a promise to Abraham; we know that God promised him that he would be the father of a great nation.

Well that was the first part of the plan, the second part was that He would give them a place to live (a land of their own) A land that flowed with milk and honey.

So how did they end up here in Egypt in the first place. We started this whole story with Joseph and looked at a lot of different things.

·       Son of Rachael.

·       Spoiled by Jacob.

·       Hated by his brothers.

·       A dreamer.

·       Sold into slavery.

·       Bought by Potiphar.

·       Placed in charge of the house.

·       Lied about by Photiphar’s wife.

·       Thrown into the Kings prison.

·       Places in charge of the prisoners.

·       Released by Pharaoh.

·       Placed in charge of the whole country of Egypt.

·       13 yrs of struggle to get to this point.

·       His brothers came to him out of need.

·       They did bow before him.

·       Joseph understood that even though man might think he is in charge. Even though man plans out of selfishness. God was making the real plans and he forgave his brothers and brought the whole family into Egypt where he could save and provide for them.

Genesis 50:20 (ESV) 

    As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

And so it was God’s plan to move His people where they would be safe.

Rules

1.    God has a plan.

2.    Sometimes Gods plan is hard to follow.

God had a two part promise.

1.    Many people.

2.    Land of their own.

He never made a promise that it would be easy and it wasn’t.

We started with V8 but because we are looking at God’s promise I want us to back up 2 verses.

V6-7

We see especially in V7 that the plan is still in effect. God didn’t bring through the famine so they could barely survive. No they flourished into the nation He promised.

When they came into Egypt they were 70 people.

Now it says that they filled the land. By the time they leave they will be a few million including 6000,000 fighting men.

God had a plan.

V8

Eventually every good thing must come to an end and a new ruler always brings changes.

Maybe though that’s what Israel needed. God made this promise of many people, but He also wanted them to live in Canaan.

Sadly it doesn’t look like anybody is in a big hurry to get there though. Looks like everyone is very happy where they are.

V9-10

I have always wondered if God didn’t put a bug in the ear of the new King.

Escape? Why would they need to escape, where they slaves and didn’t even know it?

I wonder what happened that would bring them from being free men saved by Egypt. To being so comfortable that they were like slaves to them? What compromises had they made to get there?

V11-13

It sounds to me that all this did was make it official and that they didn’t even argue about it, never mind putting up a fight. Remember V9 they outnumbered the Egyptians.

The harder they beat them and worked them the more they grew.

And now hard times have come to the nation as a whole. Was it because they were too happy with half way? I don’t know but I sure do wonder, was God allowing this? I don’t know if He wanted it but He sure wasn’t stopping it. I just keep thinking that maybe he wanted the Israelites to want something better. The whole promise.

Exodus 3:7 (ESV) 

    Then the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 

When they got good and fed up with Egypt they began to cry out to God and He heard them.

So my question for the week is this. Are we happy with where we are? Are we half way, is that enough?

I want God to bless me completely. Do I need a push to get there?

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) 

    For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Are we seeking God’s plan for our lives? All the plan, the whole plan, and nothing but the plan?

Let’s never settle for half a blessing.