A Critic on a sermon by S. Samuel Roberts

God’s Plan

1. Isaiah 41:21-29  | 2. Ephesians 1:3-10 | 3. St. John 8:48-59

‘God’s plan’ is the topic for our meditation today. What was God’s plan when He created the universe? What was his plan when He created the earth, the flora and fauna and man in his image? How can man unravel the mystery behind God’s Plan in creating the universe, the earth, the galaxy and the nebulae With immeasurable vastness of space? Job states that he (God) stretch
out the north upon the empty place and the earth upon nothing, And in the same in Chapter 38 we note the questions of God concerning the mystery of God’s creation: “Where hast thou when l laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if than has understanding?” Such was the triviality of man of which the Psalmist sings in his Psalm 8, verse 4, ‘what is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visits him?” At the same time, he remembers that God had made man a little lower than angels and had crowned him with glory and honor. 

Coming to our topic, God had his plan for every thing he made. When God wanted a sanctuary for him to dwell among Israelites, He instructed Moses the pattern of the sanctuary to be built and we thus observe that there is a plan, a scheme, a design behind every thing God made and created. In the same manner, man also plans and designs before doing anything, and many times these plans are drawn or designed on the basis of, and in consistent with past events and experience and future requirements. In this context, the verses  read are consistent to note. There we find that to know the latter end of things, the former things are desired to be shown. 

Let them… shew us what shall happen ; let them shew the former things
 what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them;

In the second lesson we note the divine plan of God for salvation of man. According to this plan, God had chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him. This choice he had made according to the good pleasure of his will. God’s magnificent plan is recorded in verse 16 of the Gospel according to St. John. Chapter 3, with which we are all conversant.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have  etemal life.

It is God’s plan, that nobody should perish, but all should have eternal life. What that belief in him is explained by Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, and is narrated in the Gospel lesson in the following words:

If a man keep my saying he shall never see death. 

Accordingly we can understand that it is God’s plan to outwit the plan of Satan who had brought death to man by his tantalizing tentacles

It was not God and Satan alone, who had plans about man and man alone, who had plans about his future and more often than not, mans plans are likely to be tinged with covetousness and stand four square in contrast with those of God’s. Most striking illustration of this controversial  nature between man’s and God’s plans are illustrated in the Bible itself. The very first plan of man, as we observe from chapter 11 of the book of Genesis was to build a city and a tower to reach unto heaven. But it is God’s will too that man should reach heaven and abide there as his child but he had a different plan as we have noted in verse 16 of the Gospel according to St. John. Another plan of man’s imagination and how it stands opposed to God’s intention was figuratively expounded by our Lord Jesus Christ himself as recorded in Chapter 12 of the Gospel According to St. Luke. There the man thought to building new and larger barns to store his goods because he wanted to be merry by eating and drinking to the contentment of his soul. But God wanted that soul that very night. Then God questions, “Whose shall be those goods for uhich you wanted to build new and greater barns?”. 

We have therefore to remember Christ’s guiding instructions: “Take no thought of the morrow.” We have therefore to try to understand God’s plans, His will before we launch our plans and we should live subservient to God’s will. 

May God grant us the spirit to be alive always to the words in Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”.

A sermon by S. Samuel Roberts in Messages for Meditation

Critic of this sermon

1. This is more of an evangelical sermon than theological language.

2. No inclusive langue in this sermon, by addressing God as he or him.

3. God’s plan is the theme of this sermon which only concentrates on the God’s plan by totally showing that human’s plan as totally nothing and wrong. Thus drawing human’s plan is totally worthless.  This shows that the leader only concentrates on God’s plan by over romanticizing that.

4.  Two examples were given to show that human’s plan is a total failure like Genesis 11 and in john’s passage about saving the barns. But examples like Human’s plan sometimes even make God’s name praise and glorify.

5.  Instead of going three passages it would be good to concentrate on a particular passage by going deeper and extracting the truth of it.

6.  Of course, God’s plan is ultimate but there should always be a connection which connects transcendence and immanent which Jesus Christ’s ultimate plan is missing in this reflection.

7. Some of the issues which is relevant to today’s scenario is totally missing in this reflection.

8. Illustrations and stories were also missing.

9. This mediation totally focuses on God’s plan which is focused deeply on that topic without deviating into any other themes.

10. on the whole, this reflection lacks theological ideas but rich in evangelical ideas which is essential for typical Indian Christian Churches which is most needed in today’s church.