Off Course, Of Course

1. “He Leadeth Me”

2. Jeremiah 29:10-14

10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

• 50 Years of warning Judah to repent

• Babylonian Captivity and the letter of hope from Jeremiah

3. So often we plan our course and God changes our course – Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

4. Our heroes both in and out of the Bible, often began a journey only to be given a different path than they expected.

I. Bible Heroes Whom God Changed Their Course

A. Hebrews in Babylon – off course

B. Noah – Hebrews 11:7 (ESV) By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

C. Abraham – (Genesis 12:1-3) Hebrews 11:8 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

D. Moses – Exodus 3:1-4 (ESV) Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

E. David; Prophets; Saul of Tarsus; {aul and Silas in Philippi; Apostles . . .

II. Post-Bible Heroes Whom Changed Their Course – Common Factors – Great Commission; Blown Off Course

A. Vikings (About 1000 AD)

1. Leif Erikson and Priest sent to Greenland to teach natives

2. Blown off course – went to Nova Scotia and North America

B. Columbus (1492)

1. Did not know EXACTLY where he was going, not literally blown off course, but went by faith – Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2. Had a storm of Mutiny but persevered

3. “Off Course” because he thought he was in Orient

4. He felt the HS and scriptures were leading him in his venture

C. Pilgrims (1620)

1. Attempts at Freedom in England and Holland

2. Freedom of Religion/Advance Kingdom of God

3. N. VA – but blown off Course – to MA

4. Providential in preparation for the voyage, the voyage, the arrival; Squanto

D. John Wesley (1738, ff)

1. Wesley Brothers Attempted to teach Natives in GA, failed – God had other plans

2. Storm at sea with Moravians, who were unafraid, worshiped; learned from them; especially about the HS

3. Methodist Movement and Circuit Riders in USA

E. Restoration Movement (End of 18th into 19th Century)

1. Thomas Campbell in America thought he was going to be a Presbyterian Preacher – fired; discovered Restoration

2. A. Campbell and rest of family shipwrecked and stayed months in Scotland; learned concept of Restoration; came to America

1. Jesus was the Only One Perfectly on Course – (Galatians 4:4; John 7:8 (ESV) . . . my time has not yet fully come.)

2. Others had to be moved to where God wanted them

3. What about us?

a. How many of our plans have been changed?

b. David inquired of the LORD to obey Him, do we? Or do we plan and ask God to bless?

c. Ask God for direction – the 120 (Acts 1-2); Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12); Paul and Silas in Philippian Jail (Acts 16)