God Has A Plan
Notes
Transcript
God Has A Plan
God Has A Plan
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
This morning will be a different kind of message. I have shared vision every year with the Annual Business Meeting and occasional throughout the year.
Today is kind of like Vision Sunday but more of 5 years goal. I met with my mentor and he strongly urged a 5 year plan. Everyone knows what kind of planner I am. I loved to have things planned out. But imaging a 5 year plan for the church seemed very difficult. Difficult because everything that happens is definitely a God-thing. Before we can consider some 5 year goals, we need to look at our past. Where God has brought us from. We need to remember.
It keeps us humble and dependent on God. So let us take a look at what the church was like in 2015.
Pre-2015
small bathroom shared with repair shop
present day nursery was the kitchen
present day bathrooms was the nursery
office was in the foyer
no spotlights on platform in the sanctuary
no lights working in the hallway
very rough room used for youth with plans for Kids Church
1. old office
2. old kitchen
3. old fellowship hall
2015
banner on outside of church
Rev Ellsworth brought a group out and drywalled the Kids Church and installed false ceiling brackets and wiring
nursery turned into men’s/women’s restroom
spotlights over platform in sanctuary installed
new soundboard donated to the church
2016
work day to paint ceiling tiles for Kids Church
moved office to the previous shop area which it the youth area right now
sanctuary doors installed
Fellowship Hall sign
cross and crown of thrones was built
2017
money for utility sink and faucet was donated
steel double doors were purchased at an unbelievable price and installed
2018
wall furnace in children’s church area installed
wall in foyer was taken down
hallway was electrified
kitchen cabinets were found and 2nd set of appliances were donated
sliding door installed by children’s area
Kids Church projector donated and installed
modular office equipment donated
2019
sewer line replaced
doorway opened to youth area
door installed to youth area
furnace /air conditioner in foyer installed 100% paid for by district and section
bump out in foyer built and painted
5 year plan
We know none of theses plans will come to pass unless it is God’s will. It is beyond us financially and corporately. But it is not beyond God. As we have looked over the past 5 years, we have seen God do the impossible. And we will see God do the impossible over the next 5 years.
“Make your dreams bigger than your memories.”
- Terri Savelle Foy
How do we make our dreams bigger than our memories? We start by looking at God’s map. Whenever we go on a trip, we plan out the route. We think about stops and how long it will take to get there. Is this a trip we can make in one day or do we need to reserve a hotel room? There is a lot going into planning a trip. We need to get a map and start looking at the trip. Well God has a map also. It is the Bible. The Bible contains God’s map. There is information for every obstacle we will face on the road of life.
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
We need to memorize all of God’s map. He makes it easy for us. He even sent the Holy Spirit to teach us and comfort us as we are on this journey. He makes it very plain.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We need to handle the Word of God correctly. If we do not, it could be disastrous. If we take a turn to go south because we think it is what God wants or it is what we want, without referencing the map, then we can go in the wrong direction. God may have wanted us to go West and because we took matters into our own hands, it ended up taking longer to get there and costing more fuel, food, and lodging, then first anticipated. We can not learn about the direction God wants us to go if we do not open the map and read it. The Bible covers every challenge we may face.
Have you been taking the long way around? Would you prefer a more direct route? This map is only available through Jesus Christ. Have you realized you are not even looking at the map? Are you just driving with no destination? Have you exhausted your time and your finances and you realize you want to buy the map and get on the right road? This map is not for sale, and even if is was, you could not afford it. Jesus Christ came and purchased this map and gives it freely as a gift if you would only accept the gift He offers. There are 3 steps to getting this map.
Acknowledge - Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Believe - Acts 16:31 “So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
Confess - Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”