God's Got A Plan

Intro.

* Ill.: Growing up in Illinois, we didn’t have $500 XBox’s or PlayStations. We had to come up with our own games, using the stuff around us. A Lot of times we used to play kickball or basketball or the like, to pass time

Of course, ’Someone. usually the best athletic among us, would come up with a play...a Plan...to help us score the next point or stop the other team from doing so. And, usually this Plan had them in the center of the action, being the ’All-Star’ or Hero of the game...leading the rest of us on to victory.

The problem is that today, many Christians are coming up with their own Playbook or Plan on how to defeat the devil...how to have a victorious Christian life...how to be an Overcomer. And when they do this they have to ignore the Word of God, which seeks to make Jesus the ’All-Star of God’s team.

· Isa. 55: 8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

·

I. I Plan To Bless You, Not Curse You, 11

A. His Blessings Are Targeted, ‘toward you’

i. Targeted In Response To Faith,

1. Mt. 9:23 (all things are possible…)

2. Mt. 8:13 (healing of man’s servant)

ii. Targeted In Response To Obedience, Gen. 22:16ff (Abram offering Isaac)

iii. Targeted In Response To Service, James 1:25

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

iv. Targeted In Response To Need,

1. Phil 4: 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2. Heb. 4: 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

B. His Blessings Are Expected, ‘expected end’

i. The Expected End Requires Faith, Ps. 42:1-5

ii. The Expected End Requires Strength, Hag. 2:4-5 “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.”

iii. The Expected End Requires Patience, Isa. 40:31 “They that wait upon the Lord…”

II. I Plan To Spend Time With You, 12-13

A. Time In Prayer, 12

i. Because Of Your Spiritual Need

ii. Because Of Your Physical Need

B. Time In Service, 13

i. This Service Is An Extension Of Christ

ii. This Service Is Exertion Of Self

III. I Plan To Restore You, 14

A. Restoration Must Acknowledge It’s Need, ‘turn away your captivity’

i. We must acknowledge we aren’t where God wants us to be

ii. We must acknowledge we aren’t who God wants us to be

iii. We must acknowledge we aren’t doing want God wants us to do

B. Restoration Must Acknowledge Sovereignty, ‘whither I have driven you’

i. God is Sovereign over Nature

1. He separates the light from the darkenss

2. He separates the waters from dry land

3. He measures the oceans in his hands

4. He weighs the mountains in his scale

5. He regard the nations as a drop in a bucket

6. He looks at the islands as dust

ii. God is Sovereign over Men

1. He turns the kings heart, as the rivers of waters

2. He ruleth over the kingdoms of men

iii. God is Sovereign over Angels

iv. God is Sovereign over Satan

v. God is Sovereign over Death, O death where is thy sting or grave where is thy victory