I Have a Plan for You

Jeremy Elliott

Promises during covid • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Gods Plan

announcements

March 50th

Adopt a Senior on Fb, stay in Angelina county

Amy Mcginnis_ New York

God’s Plan and Direction

Pt.3 - I Have a Plan for You

I hate scheduling but I love strategic planning! My favorite part of building a new building - is the planning. I enjoy figuring out where rooms should go, or what walls we can move.

Recently I got to tell you about some major changes coming to our campus. We’ve been strategizing on this move for more than a year. 3 years on some aspects

I enjoy that kind of thinking.

I love planning for a big events or for a new series - praying, thinking, throwing out ideas and brainstorming ways to communicate a truth.

But, even with lots of planning, there’s still a degree of uncertainty:

· You look at blueprints, but you never really know what the final building will look like until you see it.

· You plan for a big day or service, but you don’t know exactly how it will turn out – someone could miss service, I cold say the wrong thing, or the Lord could direct us in an entirely different direction. The Lord always has the right to interrupt!

Sister Lena, Pastor Mandy are planners. They research things on line, talk to everyone they can, and carefully consider all options before making a final decision.

It’s awesome when a plan comes together - when everything works out perfectly. It’s a great feeling when all your hard work, thinking, praying, and studying produces a big victory.

It’s not so awesome when your plans don’t work out. I don’t enjoy failure. I don’t guess anyone does…

We’ve made some awesome mistakes over the years.

· Some things we thought would be really cool, weren’t.

· Some speakers we thought would be inspiring, were instead really boring.

· Some songs we thought would take a service over the top, flopped.

· Some rooms we thought would be absolutely perfect, weren’t perfect at all.

When an idea for a service doesn’t work, or a detail is missed on a building, it’s embarrassing and sad, but not a catastrophe. Mistakes happen. Not every plan works.

Our culture at LG and My personal Ministry all the way back to TC is we don’t try to hide mistakes. We acknowledge them openly. We say, “That didn’t work. We won’t do that again. Time for a new plan. And, we go on.

It’s not as easy when plans for life don’t work out - when everything you thought could be, should be and would be isn’t, won’t be and doesn’t look like it ever will be.

As a kid, or a student, you imagine what life will be like.

· What kind of job you will have, and how much money you will make

· Whether or not you will be married and how many kids you will have

· Where you will live and what you will drive.

You make plans. Your plans probably include things like:

· The kind of impact you will make on others - how you will make a difference

· Things you are going to do and things you will never do. You say things like:

o I’ll never be like my father.

o I’ll never be an addict.

o I’ll never overdose.

o I’ll never be an alcoholic.

o I’ll never be divorced.

o I’ll never cheat on my spouse

o I’ll never be homeless

o I’ll never go to prison

One of life’s biggest challenges is how you handle it and what you do when your plans don’t work out - when you aren’t where you thought you would be, you aren’t doing what you thought you would do.

It’s difficult to move forward you are not what you planned to be and instead seem to be everything you planned not to be.

When life doesn’t work out, many people lose heart. They walk away from God, walk away from church and walk away from people who love them and have their best interest at heart. Often, they even blame God. as It’s God’s fault their plans didn’t work.

Others have never been part of a church or had God in their life. They don’t understand why - why they hurt, why they fail, why their plans didn’t and don’t work out.

· You don’t plan to be a failure

· You don’t get married planning to be divorced

· You don’t plan to be an addict

· You don’t plan to be bitter and angry. No one plans that.

· You don’t plan to fail a class and lose your scholarship

· You don’t plan to get cancer

· You don’t plan to be alone

· You don’t plan for your kids to be messed up

· You don’t plan to be disappointed

· You don’t plan for your plans to fail. No one does.

That’s where the Israelites found themselves in the passage we look at today. Let me set it up for you.

The Israelites lost a battle and suffered many losses. The survivors were captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. They were defeated, disappointed and discouraged. Nothing they planned was working out.

It was a sad group of people. God gave them the Promised Land, now the land promised to them was in the hands of the enemy. They weren’t free and living in God’s blessings. Instead, they were captured slaves in another country. They were political prisoners, held by a cruel enemy who had no plan to ever let them return to their country.

To make it even worse, the reason God allowed them to be captured was their disobedience. The Israelites knew God and His power. They weren’t ignorant about His laws and His plan, but decided to do their own thing.

· They disobeyed God by worshipping idols.

· They made deals with the enemy.

· They entered pacts with kings and kingdoms to ensure their safety instead of trusting God for His protection.

The Israelites were warned by prophets on multiple occasions. They ignored them all and kept doing their own thing. Their plan didn’t work out because it was precisely that - their plan, not God’s plan.

Finally, God decided, “OK - if you want to do it your way, I’ll remove My hand of blessing and protection. I will let you experience the consequences of following your plan instead of My plan.”

Maybe you are in a similar situation. You knew right, but didn’t do right. You ignored all the warnings and decided on your plan instead of God’s plan. Now you realize, “All my choices and decisions have led me to a place where I’m not anywhere near God’s plan. My plan has ended up in something I never planned.”

That’s where the Israelites were. They realized, “Wow. What an epic failure. Our plan didn’t work out at all. Sure wish we had listened to God’s plan.”

They wondered, “Is there a way back? Will we be captives forever? Is there any hope? Is there still a place for us in God’s plan?”

You wonder the same thing:

· I’m so far off. Have I gone too far?

· Is there a way back? Is there any hope?

· Is there still a place for me in God’s plan?

· Does God still have any kind of plan for my life?”

The Israelites were hopeless, helpless, powerless and defeated. Their plan led to this. Then, the Israelites got a letter. They probably weren’t very excited when they heard it was from a prophet named Jeremiah . Jeremiah was called “The Weeping Prophet”. He was a gloomy guy who didn’t usually have many encouraging things to say. Jeremiah wasn’t the guy you wanted to get a letter from while held captive.

Like most of Jeremiah’s words, this letter doesn’t start out very happy. In verse ten, of Jeremiah 29, the prophet Jeremiah writes:

Jer. 29:10This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon…

Wait a second, 70 years? What’s going on? In seventy years, at least three generations of Israelites will be born. Some of the people reading the letter will be dead and gone. 70 years?

You read that and think, “Hold on Pastor. Is this going to go on for seventy years? Is that the price for disobedience? I won’t even be alive. Not much hope in that.”

Why seventy years? The Bible doesn’t make that clear. But, the Israelites were being judged for long-term, generational disobedience. That warranted a long term punishment.

Maybe that’s how long it took the Israelites to decide their plan was foolish and the only right path was to completely trust and rely on God. Maybe that’s how long it took for them to come to their senses.

I’ve got some advice for you - don’t wait seventy years! Don’t wait seven years! For that matter, don’t wait seven days. If your plan hasn’t worked to this point, it’s not all of a sudden going to start working. Your plan will only get you deeper and deeper into the mess. Decide right now, before I even finish this message, “OK God. I’m ready. I’m ready right now. I’m ready for your plan.”

“When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.

God was saying, “When the 70 years are up, your time in captivity will be over and you will return to Jerusalem.”

If you’ve been in church for a long time, this next verse, the promise we look at today is a familiar one. It’s probably not one you’ve studied in context, but you’ve heard the verse.

If you aren’t a church person, and you are suffering from following your plan, this promise is going to be huge for you!

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

There’s two great things there. First, God still has a plan for you.

No matter how far you have wandered off course, God still has a plan for your life.

Second, God knows the plan. He’s not making it up as He goes along. God has always had a plan and will always have a plan. The moment you decide, “I’m ready.”, He already has a place for you.

What takes you away from God’s plan in the first place? The same things that took the Israelites away.

Sin - You know what’s right, but choose to do wrong. You choose to violate God’s Word and instructions.

Disobedience - with sin, you do wrong. With disobedience, you don’t do right. You know the right thing to do, but choose not to do it. Then, you act surprised when you find yourself experiencing consequences.

· If you disobey God’s instructions regarding finances, expect consequences

· If you disobey God’s instructions regarding relationships, expect consequences.

· If you disobey God’s instructions regarding habits, expect consequences

· If you disobey God’s instructions about conflict resolution, expect consequences.

There’s a clear pattern in Scripture - sin and disobedience always lead to captivity.

I’m not saying you will be captured by an enemy, but you will be controlled by something other than yourself.

I think every addict understand what it means to be in captivity. They are ruled by the desire for the next drink or the next pill. They are captive to that desire.

· Others are captive to debt. Debt owns them.

· Some are held captive by an attitude or a way of thinking.

Satan’s agenda is for you to be trapped - held captive by sin. He doesn’t want you to experience the freedom God has for you.

Self-reliance takes you away from God’s plan. The Israelites decided “great and mighty Israel” could handle things just fine. They didn’t need God.

When you rely on yourself instead of on God, you get off plan. You will never accomplish God’s plan in your power.

You get away from God’s plan when you listen to the wrong people. The Israelites listened to other kings and advisors whose advice led to their defeat.

Students, that’s why your parents and pastors are so concerned about the people in your life, the people who you hang out with, your best friends. The apostle Paul wrote, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Paul was right.

You get away from God’s plan when you listen to the wrong people and when you ignore the right people. The Israelites ignored multiple warnings from God through His prophets.

When you ignore warnings and instructions from people who love you and have your best interests at heart, you’re heading off God’s plan - count on it.

We’re just like the Israelites, aren’t we? We do what we want, when we want, with who we want, and then are surprised when it doesn’t work out.

But being disciplined by God is not being abandoned by Him. In the middle of all the mess, God said:

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…

What you expect God to say is, “I know the plans I have for you, you miserable, disobedient, stubborn, foolish, know-it-all people. Here’s my plan for you - absolutely nothing! You ignored me and you disobeyed me. Why would I have a plan for you?”

Instead, God said

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you…

Isn’t that an awesome promise? This verse that is often taken out of context.

The situation is - this is what God said to a foolish, disobedient people who were far from His plan. “I still have a plan for you. This season won’t last forever. You will be free. You will be delivered. I’m still here.”

In the middle of difficult times, God still has a plan for you. That doesn’t mean your life will only be filled with good things. Your life may be challenging and tough – you may be going through an extremely difficult season, but God is good and He will never abandon you. He is on your side. Difficulty is not a sign that God is lost or confused or that God’s plan for you is over.

JALEN come on up and throw some RONA on It

God’s plan is to prosper you. Now, let me take just a moment and help you with that word. That’s been taken to mean, “God has a plan to make me rich.” People claim this promise to mean big homes, fancy cars, private jets and lavish shopping sprees.

But, the word God used wasn’t so much talking about money and possessions. The word interpreted “prosper” is “Shalom”, which is the Hebrew words for peace.

· Shalom is being at rest and peace in the middle of adversity.

· Shalom is God with you in times of trouble.

· Shalom is well-being and satisfaction.

You could read it more accurately this way: “I have a plan to be with you, give you peace, take care of you and watch out for you.”

God isn’t looking to punish you for the rest of your life or make you miserable for your sin and disobedience. God’s plan is to take care of you, not to harm you.

But, that’s not all.

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope...

God says, “My plans also include hope.”

Hope is “anticipation of a better tomorrow.” God says, “Better days are ahead. The end is in sight. You won’t always be in this condition. My plan offers hope!”

Listen to me. If you are currently way out of God’s plan, He still has a plan for you - not to harm you, but to take care of you. Get your hopes up! Things are going to get better! God gives hope.

The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”

The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean. We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back and responding to treatment. It’s as though he’s decided to live.”

Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”

I find it fascinating that people focus on plan and prosper but miss the hope and the future. There is very little more powerful than the power of hope.

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

For the Israelites, that was a key part of the promise. In captivity, it didn’t look like there was a future. They had missed it. God’s plan for Israel was over. The nation would cease to exist. Jeremiah said, “I have a word from God. You’ve got a future! It’s not over. God still has a plan for you.”

God not only gives you hope; God gives you a future. You can still be and do everything He ever planned for you to be and do.

His plan is not just to rescue you from your current situation. His plan is for you to make a difference, and to be used by Him.

It’s not over, even though it might look and feel over. You have a future that is greater than your past or your present. God has good plans for you that include a future!

Even if you have wandered away from God’s plan, this promise says: I have a plan for you. I still have a plan for you. I have always loved you, and I still love you.