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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Michael Tuazon

When Failure Is Part of God’s Plan

Father in heaven, I reverently kneel before you, acknowledging my need, thanking you so much that you choose darkness to reflect light, thanking you so much that you choose sinners to tell creation's story.

Thanking you that you choose the weak to confuse the wise.

And Lord, I come before you asking that you would join us this morning, that you would speak to me and through me, that you would be with my sick and fragile voice, and that you would help me to be able to share what I've been studying.

All right, is failure part of God's plan?

If I were to have some sort of statement or thesis of this message, it would be, success is not defined by the result, but by the faithfulness through the journey.

And that's what we're gonna be studying today.

Let's delve right into the scriptures and go to Judges chapter 6, verse 12 and 13.

Again, we're learning when failure is part of God's plan.

We're going to the book of Judges chapter 6, verse 12 and 13.

If you'll pardon me, my voice isn't as strong today, but it gives me a chance to lean on the strength of God.

And before we read, I just have a small disclaimer that the intended audience for today's message is someone who is sincere in their walk with God.

Someone who has given their heart to God, who's sincerely following Him, and is experiencing failure and wondering why.

There are other times God grants us favor, failure, God gives us failure in our lives or trials, and it's because we're in stubborn rebellion that God allows us to go through those things.

But my intended audience today is for someone who has made a decision to follow God, they're sincere in the walk with Him, and they're experiencing failure, they're experiencing trials, and they're asking why.

Judges 6, verse 12 and 13, Gideon is asking that question.

The angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, the mighty man of valor.

He doesn't he doesn't he's not flattered by the Lord coming to him and calling him a mighty man of valor.

And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?

And where be all his miracles of which our fathers told us, saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?

But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Did you understand Gideon's sincere question?

Don't call me man of valor, and how is the Lord with us?

How is the Lord mighty when we're slaves?

I thought we were the apple of God's eye.

Gideon is asking a very sincere question.

The children of Israel of course would experience success but they would fall to their enemies over and over again.

I found this quote that hopefully would help us to answer this question.

Patriarchs and prophets says in page 437, and if they fail to endure the trial, he brings them again to the same point.

Have you ever experienced failure in your life and then you experience it again?

Or maybe you've gone through a trial, you know you failed, and then another year passes by and you're like, wait a minute, this looks familiar.

The prophet of the Lord is telling us that if you fail to endure the trial, guess what?

It says the second time the trial will come closer and be more severe than the preceding, this is continued until they bear the test, or if they are still rebellious, God withdraws his light from them and leaves them in darkness." In other words, if a trial comes your way, let me tell you what not to do.

Because if you do, guess what's coming back to you?

Some people, they think they can just run away from a trial.

They think they can just run away from things, but you don't understand, beloved, That trial is coming back to you and it says this time it will come closer and be more severe than the first 1.

The first 1, if we fail a test, God will bring you to that same trial.

Exodus chapter 3 Verse 14, very familiar passage.

This is the story of Moses and the burning bush.

God tells Moses, I am that I am in verse 14.

And he said, thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I am has sent me unto you.

Then of course, you know, Exodus chapter 4, Moses gives a few excuses as to why he's not qualified to lead God's people.

Now God convinces him by showing him miracle and telling him that he would be with him.

Go to Pharaoh and tell him, let my people go.

And if he doesn't Moses, here's the plan.

Now let me ask you the question, what is the result of Moses going to Pharaoh?

Now imagine this, God tells you, do this, you'll succeed.

And you go in front of Pharaoh, and you say, let my people go.

And you're like, I wasn't expecting that.

And then Pharaoh says, you know, and for you being so obnoxious, I'm gonna make their work a lot harder.

Wait, remember the burning bush and hand leprosy and my staff turning into a snake?

Exodus 5 verse 22, Moses returns unto the Lord and said, Lord, wherefore you have so evil entreated this people, why is it that you have sent me?

So he's asking him, why would you send me so that I could what?

Verse 23, for since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he hath done evil to this people, neither has he delivered your people at all.

Now, of course, we know what happens at the very end, hindsight is 20-20, But imagine you're going through this trial, God has told you, do this, you'll succeed, you do it, and you don't succeed.

Would you just give up somewhere in there?

By the way, if you haven't read Patriarchs and Prophets, it is a must read.

There is something about this book that gives just new insight to truths that are in there and you're just scratching your head.

Patriarchs and prophets and prophets and kings, those 2 just explain things so well.

Sometimes he trains his workers by bringing to them what?

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When Failure Is Part of God’s Plan

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