Paul's Plan

Good morning and welcome to the Bridge Church. I am so glad that we could be together this morning.

The Plan

Over the years I thought that I have made a lot of plans. Now I am willing to bet that you have done the same. WE make plans each and every day of our lives. We plan out what we are going to do. What we might eat. Where we may go. Planning is a part of our lives no matter how much we might like to live in the moment.

One of the best things i learned in my time working retail was the importance of planning.

30/60/90

During our manger training they presented us with an idea called 30/60/90. It was a task of looking at our store from the perspective 30/60/90 days out. To plan accordingly and execute the plan to produce the best results for the store.

30 Days

This was the time to focus in on the immediate problems and tasks. Some examples of this might be sales that were going on. Projects that might need to be finished. Truck schedules. current sales figures. What did we need to change so we could be more effective in the right now.

60 Days

When we would talk about 60 days out we would be examining what events or holidays might be coming that we needed to make preparations. This was the time that more detail planning might take place to be ready for the coming month. It was in this time that we would start nailing down who was responsible for what and what needed to be done to execute those plans accordingly.

90 Days

This was looking to the future more than anything. three months out is a long time away. It was mostly design to just put things on our radar. Some events needed to begin planning but most did not. It was the time to be reminded and to draw from the past and to look how we might use it to help us do better this year. This was for all purposes basic level planning.

A good store would stick to this type of planning and be ready for any situation that might come up and be able to adjust quickly.

I think back on that time and i always remember Christmas.

Christmas Planning

Christmas planning in retail begins in the middle of the summer. I know everyone loves it when the stores start putting up holiday decorations in September but one of the truths is that a lot of reasons that this happens is because in order to receive all the products that are planned for the holidays in and on display by November they have to arrive by September. Contrary to popular belief there is not unlimited storage in most retail establishments. The Backroom is not a place of infinite storage.

One area that i was in charge of was supplies in the store. Every year i had to maintain the budget for the various supplies for the store. Every year I would plan the same way. I would start ordering supplies in September.

The truth is that i knew that if i didn’t start ordering supplies that come Christmas time we would be scrambling for supplies. Every month i would order every bit that i could. Sometimes i would go over budget knowing that i would not be ordering much in December.

Every year i would be challenged on this practice by my district manager because his job was to make sure we stayed on budget. Every year i would prepare the same e-mail explaining my plan. Every year we were the only store who never had problems with our supplies. In fact, sometimes we would have to send stuff to other stores because they were struggling.

I know this is thrilling stuff. Yet, the story here is about the fact that I knew i had to plan.

How do you plan?

That is the question we have to ask ourselves. In retail i focused on a plan that would allow me to be a successful store. In life i have to plan a lot differently. Each one of us no matter how old we are or young we might be we make a plan. In fact, we often get upset when the plan is messed up. Or we become unhappy with the plan.

When i was working retail i had a plan and i thought that i knew what was best in that plan. Than God had other plans.

It was this thinking that helped me with this mornings passage. As we continue to look at the stories of the early church this is a great example of how the plan doesn’t always go according to plan.

Acts 16:6–10 NIV

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Paul Had a Plan

Paul had a plan and well it didn’t go according to plan. Paul wanted to go and spread the word of God into the province of Asia. Yet, something happened that prevented them from going there.

Than Paul wanted to go to Bithynia, and the Spirit stopped them again.

Than finally a vision came to Paul of the Man in Macedonia and Paul knew where he was suppose to go.

I can only imagine how frustrating that had to be for Paul as they traveled along.

Let’s go to this place. Nope not going there.

Alright we will take this path and end of up here. Nah i don’t think so.

Fine we will go to this place. Glad you think that will work but i don’t think so.

Than finally the spirit shows up and shows him the way.

Our plans

I think that is one of the most frustrating thing that we face as believers at times. Figuring out what the plan is. Trying to figure out where we are going. What we are doing?

Have you ever spent time wondering about what you should do? Where you should go? It is those questions that often plague us as we struggle to figure out what is right for us.

These questions might range from

Should i change my job?

Should I move?

Should i date this person?

There are so many questions that we look for guidance in our lives. We want to receive direction and guidance on them.

Often when we have these questions we look to other humans for guidance. We look to friends and family to help us see the direction to go. We hope that their experience and their love for us will be able to give us the answer that we want to hear. Yet, unfortunately I have found that often when I do that it never seems to go the way that i Hope.

Either i don’t get the advice i want, because i am just looking for affirmation of what i think i should do.

Or i get advice that takes my thinking a whole new direction that i wasn’t planning on and now i have new things to think about.

Either way the advice never seems to land exactly where i want it to and it often fall short.

It had me thinking about life choices and where I go. Do i only seek the advice of friends and family or do i seek the advice of the Holy Spirit?

The Big Stuff

The truth is I know that i will go to God with the Big stuff. I am quick to ask his opinion when it comes to big decisions. One of the biggest examples of this in recent years is moving to Bloomington. It was a major decision that required a lot of prayer. I Had a good job. I was attending a church I cared about. My family was comfortable and happy. I also had plans.

Angie and I had been planning for awhile to move back to Pittsburgh. We wanted to be closer to family and I loved the idea of living in my home town. Being able to see my mom on a regular basis. It sounded like that was the place we were supposed to be. The Clock was ticking. We agreed that we would wait one more summer and than plan on moving. We wanted a change.

That reminded me of Paul. Paul wanted to go to Asia. that was the plan. He knew where he thought he was supposed to go spread the news of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit said Nope.

We went through a similar battle. We had our plans and than God showed us the path that he wanted for us.

Now i don’t dare compare myself to Paul because I could only begin to wish that i would have half of the ministry that Paul was but like him. The Holy Spirit called me somewhere i wasn’t expecting.

Knowing the Plan

I look at my change of direction and i look at Paul's and i realize that there is commonality that is really important for us this morning. We were both relying on the Holy Spirit to Guide us and direct us. It was the guidance of the Spirit that was able to help me make the choices that I did. IT was because of the Holy Spirit that i think my wife didn’t kill me for changing the plan.

Let me ask you. When you are trying to figure out the plan are you asking God to guide you?

Do you seek his input into the choices of your life?

Are you open to the paths that he might lead you down?

We need to be seeking the Holy Spirits guidance on a regular basis in our lives. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we gain access to the plan that God has for us.

Now this isn’t a promise that the plan is always crystal clear. Sometimes it is hard to know the right choices. The Spirit doesn’t always put up massive barriers to prevent you from a particular path. In my experience we have to be willing to see the guidance of the Holy Spirit as well. We often will ignore the signs that God is showing us and how he is leading us because we think we know what the plan should be.

This doesn’t only apply to the big things in life. This applies to most decisions in our lives. We need to return to an attitude of submission before God. Allowing him to work and move in us. To speak into our lives and guide the choices and decisions we make. Discerning the Spirit as we walk this life.

Be Ready

If we start allowing God to have control of the plan the story of Paul helps us see how things can get really interesting.

Acts 16:9–10 NIV

9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Be Ready

Paul was open to the leading of the Spirit. He was listening. He was engaged. God provided him with a clear path on where he wanted him to Go. Paul could have been stubborn and still tried to go to Asia or some other place but that isn’t what he did.

Paul was ready. Paul heard the guidance and direction of the Spirit and his action is so important for us this morning.

Read it again.

Acts 16:10 NIV

10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Paul and his party got ready at once. They didn’t wait. They didn’t delay. They didn’t try to figure out if they really wanted to go there. They responded to the call of God.

God may be calling you to something this morning.

God may be calling you to a new commitment in your walk with him.

God may be calling you right now to something more amazing than you can possibly imagine.

The question that we have to ask ourselves is are we willing to listen to the leading of the Spirit.

Are we ready to answer?

Let’s pray