Table of Contents for whole course
• Introduction
• section 01 What is God's Master Plan?
• section 02 How will God's Master Plan be realised?
• section 03 Why do we need God's Master Plan?
• section 04 What stops us from participating in God's Master Plan?
• section 05 Who is the key to the Master Plan?
• section 06 Who is the Master Planner?
• section 07 How can we participate in the Master Plan?
• section 08 How should citizens of God's Kingdom live?
• Conclusion
God's Master Plan is the central theme of the Bible. Understanding clearly God's plan and purpose with the earth gives meaning and context to so many parts of the Bible. This course has arisen out of a desire to set out in a simple manner the essential elements of God's Plan. Understanding this exciting Master Plan will help you see how in every detail God has been and is working for your salvation.
These notes can be used as an aid for group Bible seminars or as an introduction to those seeking to understand God's work with us now and in the future. Whatever the format, these notes are best read with a Bible in hand. To maintain clarity and be concise many supporting Bible references have not been quoted in full. Readers are encouraged to turn up all references in their Bible.
We have attempted to write this course in a straightforward and easy-to-read style. The essence of God's Master Plan is simple and easy-to- understand although there are so many aspects relating to this topic. The challenge has not been on what to include but rather on what to leave out.
We hope that you will find this course easy to read and interesting. Most of all we hope that it will encourage you to seek a life changing relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus and to read more actively and prayerfully the most important reference book of all, the Bible.
This booklet is intended as an introduction to the good news of God's Master Plan. The booklet explores the faith and obedience that God requires, and the help God provides to those wanting to share in His wonderful plan.
God's Master Plan is the central theme of the Bible. Our investigation into this plan will cover two important areas. The first area deals with the fundamental concepts of this plan. The Bible often refers to these fundamental concepts as the good news or the gospel. The second area focuses on the practical obedience required of those wanting to share in God's Master Plan Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians that we need to ensure that our understanding of the gospel is accompanied by obedience. "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ...." 2 Cor 9v13 This means that what we are reading here is not just about what we must believe but how we must behave. It's a belief that impacts our behaviour. It's a faith that will, if we let it, impact our life.
Quite simply God's Master Plan is Good News. Something we certainly need in our world. This is a book about this Good News - the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. "But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women." Acts 8v12 Pivotal to us living a life of obedience to our Heavenly Father is a lifesaving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. "Christ in You" is the secret to Godliness and God's gift of grace to reconcile us back to Him.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Rom 10:4
The objective of this section is to outline and explain the Master Plan of God as revealed in the Bible. In this section the Bible's answers to questions like, "Why was the earth formed?" and "What is the purpose of life?" will be discussed. These are really huge questions, yet God provides simple answers.
Firstly we will establish what plan God has for the earth and the people living on it. We will then explain in more detail exactly what this Master Plan means and how it involves you and me.
Does God Have a Master Plan?
This may seem like a foolish question - but many people in the world today feel that the earth and its people are heading nowhere. Some will tell us that planet earth is heading for total and utter destruction. But God has other plans. The Bible is a book about the earth - it starts with the story of the creation of the earth, it continues to describe the lives of men and women on the earth and concludes with a future vision of the earth. It therefore seems logical that God's Master Plan should focus on the earth. God does have a plan for the earth - He did not create the earth for it to be destroyed.
"For this is what the LORD says - He who created the heavens, He is God, He who fashioned and made the earth; He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45v18
What is God's Master Plan?
On a number of occasions God clearly tell of His plans for the earth. The words of Numbers 14v21 summarise God's plans. "But as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD" Numbers 14v21 Here God tells Moses that as truly as He is the living God, one day the whole earth will be filled with His glory. The prophet Habakkuk adds a little more to the description of the plan: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."Habakkuk 2v14 Just as there is no part of the sea where there is no water, in a similar way, one day there will be no place on the earth where God's glory is not found. What an exciting plan!
What does the Master Plan mean?
What exactly is involved in this plan that God has for the earth? It seems simple enough, but what is the 'glory of the LORD' that is to fill the earth? To understand the answer to this question we turn to the Bible to find a definition of the glory of God. Almost 3500 years ago, the prophet Moses, asked God to reveal his glory to him, Exodus 33v18. That's a bold thing to ask God, especially after Moses had seen amazing things such as all the plagues in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. Yet still Moses asks to see God's glory. Moses may have expected to see flashing lights, thunders or even visions of God's beautiful creation, but he saw nothing like that. Instead Moses heard a voice, which said: "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness and faithfulness." Exodus 34v6 This was God's glory. God was describing His character to Moses. His character is the very essence of who He is. God was telling Moses that His glory is revealed through His compassion, grace, patience, loving kindness and faithfulness.
Later in the New Testament John puts this even more simply. He says, "God is love" 1 John 4v8. Quite simply God's character - all these attributes together are love. In other words God showed Moses his glory, or his love. Having understood what is meant by "the glory of the LORD" we can now begin to understand the meaning of God's Master Plan. God wants to fill the earth with His character. In other words, it is God's plan to fill the earth with his characteristics such as compassion, grace, patience, loving kindness and faithfulness.
What have Humans got to do with the Plan?
Everything! Humans form an essential part of God's Master Plan. Humans provide the vehicle through which God will fill the earth with His glory. Strictly speaking it is only humans who can truly reveal the glory of the LORD. The mountains, stars and other items of God's natural creation, beautiful as they are, cannot fully reveal God's character. A tree cannot show kindness, a mountain cannot show grace - they all lack the essential characteristic that gives humans the capacity to reveal God's character - freewill. We all have the freedom to determine our behaviour and to allow God to work in our lives. We have the choice as to whether we want to reveal the many wonderful characteristics of God. We have the choice as to whether we want to allow God to work in us. God wants us to use our gift of choice to reveal His character in our lives. However, it is up to us. This is, in essence, the purpose of life John 17v22.
God plans to fill this earth with people that manifest His characteristics - such as compassion, grace, patience, loving kindness and faithfulness.
Yet, as we will see in this rest of this book, God is far greater and far more powerful than humankind. Even although there is so much evil in our world, God's plan cannot be stopped. In fact his plan is progressing powerfully, and faithful believers everywhere are becoming a part of his great Kingdom. "The good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it." Luke 16v16 The exciting part is that we can be a part of God's plan and be amongst those who are experiencing his power in their lives today, and a place in his eternal Kingdom in the future.
We have learnt that:
The following references provide additional support for the issues raised above:
Psalm 72v19, Isaiah 11v9, Isaiah 60v1-3