God is involved in our lives much more than we know.  Let’s ask ourselves this question, “Why has God called us at this time?”  That’s a big question.  Why does He not call everybody now, or just wait and call everyone later at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment?  What does God expect of you and me right now?  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph had to begin pretty much from scratch learning about God and what He is doing.  They certainly did not have all the literature, history, doctrine that we have available to us today to go by.  And because Jesus has come, died, and sent His Spirit to motivate, guide and teach His Church that He raised up, we have so much more going for us today than they did.

We can see that many men in the Bible were called for special and unique responsibilities in the Plan of God, but why are we called now, at this time?  God has given us these immeasurable gifts for a purpose.  He expects great feats and accomplishments from us.  We have not been called now simply because He wants us to feed His flock and preach His Gospel.  There are people who need to be inspired and encouraged; there are lives that we need to make a difference in; there are areas where we need to let our light shine.

The entire Bible is a record of God’s interventions, but in today’s sermon we will look at Joseph – the son of Jacob/Israel – and see some of the many places where God intervened throughout Joseph’s life for an extremely important reason.

Genesis 37:3  Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.

What wonderful gifts God has given us: Since we have all the literature, history, doctrine, Bible and God’s Spirit, God must have given us these precious gifts for a most important reason – else He would have waited and shared them with all the world at a later time.  So much has been given to us – and Jesus says that because we’ve been called now and given so much – much shall be required of us (Luke 12:48).

Are we doing what God expects of us?  We assume that God’s direct intervention is action taken to guide and direct our lives in preparing the way for our entrance into the Kingdom of God.  That is true.  But what if God has bigger plans for us than we are taking into consideration?  It is an important question:  “What is God doing with us at this point?”

Possibly by looking at God’s many focused interventions in the life of Joseph we will be able to see how intricately God is involved in our lives.  Are we approved of God?  Are we the genuine Children of God?  Spiritually, how did we get to where we are today?  An incredible number of actions on God’s part have taken place in order for us to be the Christians we are today.  It is easy to believe that God is so engrossed in monumental activities that He is too involved to be mindful of us.  As a young man, that is what David wondered as he tended his father’s sheep by night.

Psalm 8:3-4  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visit him?

And yet, God is entirely mindful of man because His whole purpose is to bring His Children to Glory (Hebrews 2:10).  We are wrong to think that God is too far away and too busy to be concerned with the things that are happening in our lives.  It is good that we know that He is wise enough, and that He possesses the unlimited capacity to intervene in every aspect of our lives.  God intervenes in our lives and brings us out of the ways of this evil world.

He could raise up stones in our place – but that is not His way (Matthew 3:9).  In His love, He desires that we, His Children, overcome this world – and He gives us the mind and heart to do so.  He intercedes in our time of need.  He never lets down.  He answers our prayers.  He brings circumstances about that we are unaware of.  He creates, gives, and cares for us – in order to bring us into the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ, and make us into His image.  We know that God, through His Spirit, is guiding us into His truth.  Jesus said:

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth.

Brethren, what have you been called to do?

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Sermon:

"Coat of Many Colors"