How does God work? What is the Divine Modus Operandi? What's God's M.O.? This is a lesson given at Saddleback Church's Irvine South Campus to the Men's Ministry. Check out the lesson on mp3 from my FREDTalks Podcast at http://fredtalks.libsyn.com/episode-028-how-god-works iTunes Subscription Link: http://cardoza.link/iTunesFREDTalksPodcast

1. How God Works
WHAT IS GOD’S M.O.?
(MODUS OPERANDI)

2. 1. There are Known Knowns
Things we know we know
2. There are Known Unknowns
Things we know we don’t know
3. There are Unknown Unknowns
Things we don’t know we don’t know

3. Our Human Understanding

4. Now our
knowledge is
partial and
incomplete
(1 Cor. 13:9)
1 Cor. 2: 7 But we impart
a secret and hidden
wisdom of God…10 these
things God has revealed
to us through the Spirit.
For the Spirit searches
everything, even the
depths of God. 13 And we
impart this in words not
taught by human wisdom
but taught by the Spirit,
interpreting spiritual truths
to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does
not accept the things of
the Spirit of God, for they
are folly to him, and he is
not able to understand
them because they are
spiritually discerned.

5. Paul’s Prayer/God’s Intent for Us
And this is my prayer: that your love may
abound more and more in knowledge and
depth of insight, so that you may be able
to discern what is best and may be pure
and blameless for the day of Christ.
Philippians 1:9-10

6. God’s Will for You
NOW FUTURE
Knowledge and Depth of Insight (Philippians 1:9)
Ignorance

8. Jeremiah 29:11‘For I know the plans that I have for
you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you
will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will
listen to you. 13‘You will seek Me and find Me when
you search for Me with all your heart.
God Has a Plan For You

9. Jeremiah 29:11‘For I know the plans that I have for
you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for
calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you
will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will
listen to you. 13‘You will seek Me and find Me when
you search for Me with all your heart.
God Has a Plan For You
1. There is a Plan (Existential Meaning & Purpose)
2. God has that Plan (Divine Sovereignty)
3. The Plan is Good, Not Bad (Omnibenevolent)
4. The Plan Continues Into the Future (Not Past Tense)
5. You Will Find God & His Plan If You Seek (Condition)

10. If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will
not hear (Psalm 66:18)
Sin Distorts Discernment of
God’s Voice/Will

11. If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will
not hear (Psalm 66:18)
Sin Distorts Discernment
1. Sin affects the mind/emotions (idolatry/mind off God)
2. Therefore, sin clouds the psyche (spiritual confusion)
3. This results in poor judgment and duplicity
4. Then we can’t establish a connection with God to
hear His Voice and to Learn His Will
5. This leave us estranged from God (quenches, Eph 4:30)

12. All the forces of darkness cannot stop what God
has ordained (Isa 14:27). cf., Rev. 2:5
Some of God’s Plans Are
Ordained/Absolute,
And Some are Conditional
(Depend on What We Do)

13. Some of God’s Plans are
Ordained/Absolute, And
Some are Conditional
(Depend on What We Do)
1. Some things are genuinely determined (ordained)
2. Not everything falls in that category– only those
things that represent His ultimate will or that
other important plans hinge on (an interconnected web)
3. God can accomplish His Will naturally (natural
law) & supernaturally (above nature), with equal
ease

14. I open a door that no man can shut (Rev. 3:8)
God’s Preferred Will Is Not
Always Done, But His Ultimate
Will Always Is

15. God’s Preferred Will Is Not
Always Done, But His Ultimate
Will is Never Thwarted or
Nullified By Our Human Actions
or Willful Disobedience
1. God has an Ultimate Will (Things that are pre-ordained,
determined in the heart of God, e.g., Jesus to cross, etc., & Eph 1)
2. Explain: It has been said that God has a Preferred
and a Permissive Will (I suggest we don’t imply that He has a
“perfect” will, because in a sinful world it doesn’t make much sense to
use that language)– and God gives us freedom/agency to act– though
we are affected by forces sometimes beyond our control

16. Story of Moses and Joshua
(Ex. 3:8; Num. 20:9-12; Josh 1:1-3)
If You Don’t Do What God
Wants, Someone Else Will– And
They Will Receive Blessings
Originally Intended For You

17. If You Don’t Do What God
Wants, Someone Else Will– And
They Will Receive Blessings
Originally Intended For You
1. Consider Moses and Joshua; Moses called to bring
them out of Egypt (ordained), but Disobedience
striking the rock led to not leading the people into
Promised Land– Joshua got that, though Moses
got to promised land at Transfigur
2. Parable of Talents: Matt 25 (he who has little,
even what they have; he with much, even more)

18. Stories of Samson, David, Moses, Abraham, Paul
God Can Use Us Greatly, In Spite
Of and Even “After” Our
Greatest Mistakes

19. God Can Use Us Greatly, In
Spite Of and Even “After” Our
Greatest Mistakes
1. God Can Use Us Greatly, In Spite of Mistakes On
Our Part, If We Cooperate–
2. And May Do His Greater Works After Our Greatest
Failures (sometimes not, likely depending on our
repentance and receiving forgiveness and
restoration from guilt/shame)
3. Think of Samson, David, Moses, Abraham

20. Eph 3:20
God Wants To Do More Through
Each of Us Than We Can
Possibly Imagine

21. Call to Action
• Focus on Your Adventure with God (“Life”)
• Deal with Past Baggage and Move On
• Live with Spiritual Abandon. Go for Broke.