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Last week, we studied who the lost sheep are, and went over a little of God’s Plan. Now that we know who they are, we’re going to look at the importance of seeking God’s exact Plan for your life. Getting the details right is so incredibly important, we’ll spend two weeks talking about God’s Plan.
Let’s jump right into…
Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The word work in Greek is ergon and means deed, doing, labor, and work. It’s derived from the word meaning to work. Paul is telling us that God has created a work plan for your life that you have to walk out. We were all born with a divine purpose, a divine call, or as I like to say it, an assignment. It’s our job as Christians to pray and seek God about His Plan for our lives. It’s not just something that we should do, but something that is required of us, as we will see later in this study.
You may feel like you don’t know anything, you’re behind, and feel really bad about it. Don’t! People in the Bible were just like us, behind, missed it, and some never did anything at all. Let’s look at some stories in the Bible in the light of “God’s Plan,” or assignment and how they handled it.
Sampson.
We all know the story of Sampson, and how he had supernatural strength from God. I don’t want to read the whole story, but you can certainly read it this week at home. Let’s look at how he handled the Plan of God.
At Sampson’s wedding feast, he was talking to the Philistines…
Judges 14:12-13 NKJV
Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you.
Back up in verse 4, it’s revealed to us that the Lord had ordained this marriage to Timnah, a daughter of the Philistines, so that Sampson could move in on the Philistines. But Sampson wasn’t doing what he was supposed to do. He was posing riddles and making bets for clothing. This wasn’t his purpose or anointed call.
12…. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.”
As a result of this…
v. 15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire.
Sampson’s wife caved in and as a result, God had to change The Plan.
v. 19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
Sampson, in that moment, was supposed to be alert because he was in the enemy’s camp. He was supposed to be keeping a listening ear to the Holy Spirit as to what his next action should be, but he didn’t and everything got even worse from there…
Judges 15:1 NKJV
After a while, in the time of wheat harvest, it happened that Samson visited his wife
It wasn’t his wife anymore, but he still stopped by to see her as a husband. The father tells him no, and so…
v. 4 Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. 5 When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.
It’s kind of a humous response. Hopefully no foxes were harmed in the process. Anyway, they can’t just go to the store and buy a supply here. He did some major damage!
Standing grain refers to grain that hasn’t been harvested yet.
Shocks of grain refers to bundles of grain stalks that have been cut and gathered during the harvest.
Vineyards, it takes 3 years for a grape vine to begin to produce a little fruit, and 4 years to mature.
Olive groves, this is a big one. An olive tree takes at least 3 years from seed to produce olives, but once it does produce it’s just a very small amount. It takes an olive tree 10-12 years on average to fully mature.
Major damage: Sampson also burned up the seed that they were going to scatter next year from the standing grain and the shocks of grain. No food, no seed. By burning up the vineyards, he took their drinks. Yummy well water for everyone! And as for the olive groves, can you imagine uprooting a tree root with ancient farm equipment let alone an entire grove? Not to mention it was the main oil used at the time for rituals, eating, hygiene, medicinal; and the lesser quality for the poor, lamps, some cases their soap, cosmetics, etc. If they used flax oil or sesame oil, which were other possible oils used, Sampson burned that too!
The Philistines went to Israel, very angry, and tried to arrest them if they didn’t hand over Sampson. They handed him over, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he killed 1,000 Philistines with a jawbone of a donkey. This is what he was created to do, this was God’s Plan, fighting not gambling with riddles.
We don’t know what the original Plan of God was, but we can see the cause and effect of not following The Plan the way we’re supposed to follow it. We all function best when we do what we were created to do. Let’s jump to end where Sampson didn’t follow The Plan again…
Judges 16:1 NKJV
Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there…
Sampson liked the ladies. I think we can all see that. When the enemy found out he was there, they were waiting
to kill him. God has to save him again!
v. 3 And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
That wasn’t enough to stop him from doing Sampson’s plan again, because…
v. 4 Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Afterward, meaning right after, the next notable event. Sampson trained himself to tune the Holy Spirit out so many times he couldn’t see right through Delilah. Everything he told her; she promptly did it. How did he not know? How could he not see it coming? He wanted that relationship at all costs, he was living in a dream world.
v. 20 So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. 21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes…
He betrayed the Lord for the wrong relationship. It ended with his eyes being destroyed. How many people, and I’m probably included, would say, “God!!!! Why did YOU let his happen?? Why is this happening to ME?” Sometimes we’re so involved in our own plans that we miss God waving the red flag, bad things happen down the wrong road, and then we get upset when we meet them. We’re now under grace because of the blood of Jesus, thank You Jesus, and God can turn things around better for us when we’re repentant and we’re willing to follow His Plan.
We all know the end of the story, they brought Sampson out to preform for them, and he ended up pushing the pillars over that supported the temple. In the end the Bible records, “he killed at his death… more than he had killed in his life.”
It was never God’s Plan for him to fall into the hands of the enemy, lose his eyes, and die this way. When considering God’s Plan and reading this story, one thing we should note is God is willing to work with us and our mistakes until we completely shut Him out in betrayal. While we may not have Sampson’s fighting ability, some of us insist on marrying the wrong person, taking the wrong job, moving to the wrong place, following the wrong people, living a sinful life, and so on until we become completely deaf to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we find destruction down that path, we reflect, and often blame God. Ok, so… Moving on to a New Testament example of missing God’s Plan.
John the Baptist
Another popular Bible story, the man who preceded Jesus and prophesied about Him. John said of Jesus and himself in…
John 3:30 NKJV
He must increase, but I must decrease.
At the end of the previous verse, John said, “Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” Great, John prophesied his retirement. Oh, happy day! But instead of retiring…
Matthew 14:3-4 NKJV
3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Marching into Herod’s Court and openly saying his sin was not God’s Retirement Plan. This was NOT a decrease, but an increase for John to elevate himself to correct a ruler. Let’s look at why this wasn’t God’s Plan. Not only did John the Baptist prophesy his retirement, let’s see what was said of Jesus’ purpose…
John 3:17 NKJV
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John was outside of God’s Plan when he condemned Herod. John was probably supposed to retire until Pentecost and catch a second wind of ministry. That’s my guess! We may have had a book in the Bible of John the Baptist. God did make a Rescue Plan for John the Baptist. It was going well; Herod was listening to John. But, once he was in prison day after day not being released, let’s see how he lost his head…
Matthew 11:2-6 NKJV
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
John prophesied of Jesus, but now he’s stuck in prison for missing God, and probably very discouraged. We would probably be very upset too!! But John starts to doubt the deity of Jesus, doubting the prophesy that came through him to the point he becomes offended. He’s locked in an ancient prison, but Jesus is eating herbed lamb, fresh hummus with hearth baked pita bread, and olive salad, drinking grape drink, and having a good time. We know the end of his story, but here we see how he lost his head. He was offended, and no doubt angry as well. When we view John’s story in the light of God’s Plan, the lesson we should take away from this is that nothing will completely stop God’s Plan or Recovery Plan faster than offense. Once he was offended, if Jesus had him delivered from the prison, like he may have wanted, He would be a respecter of persons.
Gehazi
Most of you are probably like, who? I forget his name too, because he’s The Plan That Never Happened. Gehazi was Elisha’s assistant. He witnessed many miracles. God had never intended for Elijah’s mantle (his anointed call for the miraculous) to be dropped. It was passed to his assistant Elisha, with double portion, and intended for Gehazi. Instead of focusing on The Plan, Gehazi got greedy.
In the previous chapter of what we’re going to read, God through Elisha just raises the Shunammite’s son from the dead. Awesome miracle! God through Elisha purifies deadly poison in soup, and then multiples food for people to eat with leftovers. All great miracles to witness! Then a man named Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Syria, makes his way to Elisha to ask for healing from leprosy. Naaman gets mad because Elisha sent him a message, probably Gehazi delivered the message, and told him to dip seven times in the river. Eventually Naaman does it, and he’s healed. Now he’s back with gifts! Let’s pick up in….
2 Kings 5:20-27 NKJV
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ” 23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.” 26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.
Apparently, Elisha was often offered gifts. The reason He didn’t take them is because He wanted to magnify God; give God the glory. This isn’t to be confused with giving to a ministry. These items were personal gifts that he was refusing. He didn’t want above and beyond.
Back to Gehazi. Before he lies and steals in the name of Elisha, he says, “as the Lord lives.” No shame, he felt entitled and like he was right and Elisha was wrong in the matter of personal gifts. He completely derailed The Plan of God for his life over clothes that were probably still itchy fabric anyway, but the real prize was the two talents. Quoting Grand Rapid Coins, “It was a unit of measurement for weighing precious metals like silver and gold and weighed about 75 pounds. The Israelites used 29 talents of gold in the construction of their tabernacle.”
Figuring Talent Price:
Right now 75 pounds of silver is worth $118,308 USD. But according to history, a talent was worth anywhere from 16-20 years of an average work wage. Average income in the United States is $62k a year. That makes one talent $992,000 - $1,240,000. Two talents were $1,984,000 - $2,480,000, at a minimum!
Whatever the exact numbers, it’s clear Gehazi is setting himself and his family up for a very wealthy life. It’s interesting to point out here, how important this money was to him. The Bible says, “And he went out from his presence leprous.” He took the money and left. He didn’t ask for forgiveness. He didn’t apologize to Elisha for stealing in his name. He didn’t even try to return the money and clothing to reverse the curse. He just simply left. The money was far more important than the Plan of God to him.
This is my interpretation. You can’t prove me wrong or right, so it’s just an interesting thought to mediate on when reading the Bible and praying The Plan for your life. Gehazi was supposed to carry on Elisha’s mantle to the next generation. What if Gehazi could have asked for that mantle and another addition? There is no reason why not. Elisha operated out of this mantle roughly from 850BC – 800BC and they think he lived about 60-70 years. We don’t see another prophet recorded like Elijah and Elisha until the time of Jesus. We automatically think, “No God would have made another plan to have someone else come by and get it.” No, plans are lost all the time. Mantles in the Old Testament couldn’t be picked up as like the New Testament, because they didn’t have regenerated spirits like we do. That’s another reason God is so angry in Revelations about His prophets being killed. They didn’t finish His Plan.
Let’s look at what Jesus said, because here is where it gets really interesting…
Matthew 17:10-13 NKJV
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
Not even the disciples recognized John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. Jesus had to inform them, and also inform us.
Luke 1:17 NKJV
He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John the Baptist had his own mantle, and his own call. The prophesy was perfectly fulfilled. Don’t forget there was division in the times of Elijah with Baal worship and restoration came. I don’t want to get off track and open this study up, but what we’re looking at is this… John the Baptist wasn’t recognized, not because they were blind, but because Elijah’s mantle was missing. If Jesus didn’t say it to them, we would have to be told as well.
You might say to yourself, “No, no, no! God would have send someone else to do it.” Absolutely not. One man can do an epic job of wrecking The Plan. Ever reflect on Adam? One man who made an epic mess that wasn’t cleaned up until at least 8,000 years later, and some scholars believe much more time passed. Eve was deceived, not Adam. He could have stopped her. We have to stop thinking that if someone doesn’t do it or finish it, someone else will and it’s no big deal. We don’t have scripture stating God will just send someone else no big deal, or that we can casually pass on God’s Plan as a possible option for our life. Do you realize your backyard was just supposed to grow every kind of fruit and tend to itself, tropical to winter fruit? According to creationists, like Dr. Dino, the Earth wasn’t tilted until the flood? Next time you buy fruit or vegetables or grow them, it’s not “no big deal.” Everything a woman’s body goes through in the stages of life; it’s not “no big deal.” Every time a man gets sick, they’ll let you know it’s not “no big deal!”
Derailing The Plan happens a lot with people just marrying someone because they’re a Christian, or they said they were, without seeking God’s Plan first.
Romans 11:29 NKJV
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
When a long-term missionary woman marries the wrong man, a local pastor that she shouldn’t have; someone’s call has to be altered and will live an unfilled life. People just casually drop a, “Well, God will work it out.” According to scripture, that casual remark isn’t true. In a situation like that someone’s call is going to be diminished and not fully fulfilled. The pastor needs to marry the matching plan, pastor’s wife calling, to help shepherd the ladies in the church. The long-term missionary needs to marry a man with a long-term missionary call. The Lord has to replan and it consists of does he cut the long-term missionary’s journeys short or does he make the local pastor an assistant pastor of a larger church so he could visit his wife. Where do the kids go, mission field or home with dad? Now God has to call in a nanny type-person. The kids have to be graced, because they’re not called to that life. Regardless, the couple is going to be living a married life as single ministers; and while some are called to that life these two are not. We see Christians marry the wrong person all the time! The question is, “What do I do if I’m ministering to someone that knows they married the wrong person?” Same answer as us all, get a notebook and seek God’s Plan, repentance is always helpful in moving forward. The Plan won’t be Plan A, hopefully it’s just Rescue Plan B, because some are on their 5th spouse and Rescue Plan G. Amen! This is great information for someone else. Just say amen and look straight ahead. Following God’s Plan can bring a tremendous amount of peace into a household.
Everyone’s Plan must be prayed out, and we all have to check in with God regularly about The Plan no matter how many rescues you may or may not have needed. It doesn’t matter if you know what you’re called to or not, The Plan still must be prayed out. Last week we looked at how Jesus had to pray out the Plan of God.
We need specific details along the way so that we don’t walk forward and then stay in the same place year after year for 20 or 30 or 40 years. People know they’re called to start a business for evangelism. They do it, and then that’s it. They plan, they plan not God, on passing it to their children and raise the children that way. They never seek God for the next step or consider their children aren’t called to carry on the business. Doesn’t matter what it is, we all should be seeking God for His Devine Plan.
Some people casually say, “All things work together for those that love and serve the Lord.” Let’s look at that before we close the study this week…
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
To those who are the called according to His purpose. We have a call to carry out His purpose. Unless you’re working/laboring, as we read in the opening scripture, all things won’t work together for good. Believe it or not, your call is birthed out of love, God’s love for people. Why would you start a business to evangelize according to God’s call? Because you love the people like God loves the people.
People love to use these scriptures for securing their salvation doctrine, but that’s not what Paul is saying! Let’s look at verse 30…
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified:
Those predestined have a call, and are required to walk it out. Not just sitting on the couch watching comedies or sporting events eating cheese doodles, because you “said the prayer and believed.” In my opinion, it’s arrogant for people to teach other they’re going to Heaven, they’re justified, glorified, and blessed will all blessings in Christ Jesus just because… No! We are called to work!
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV
12 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Work in Greek is katergazomai and means perform, work (out). Work it out, or get to work. Verse 12 doesn’t mean just fear God, just because you could go to hell but aren’t, and continue watching TikTok videos munching snacks. Verse 12 means your salvation is in FOLLOWING Jesus with fear and trembling, not a casual “everything will work out no matter what I do.” Verse 13 is the explanation; God works in you to carry out His Will and His Good Pleasure, The Plan. The body of Christ, as a whole, is supposed to be mobile; growing, moving forward, and taking ground. Unless we walk in The Plans of God, that won’t happen.
Next week, we will continue the study on God’s Plan for your life. We’ll study more about the importance of God’s Plan, and how to get started on that plan. Until then, homework!
Homework
- Read all or at least some of Sampson’s story, starting in Judges 13. I want you to see God’s love and forgiveness for Sampson’s mistakes, so you never stop God’s Plan for your life saying how you messed up. He really messed up, and I’m sure there is a list of his ladies that aren’t mentioned.
- Continue to seek God’s plan for your life
- If you didn’t get a cheap notebook for yourself and your loved ones, please do so this week!
- Share with other Christians about what we studied, that God has a Plan for them and they are required to seek it for their life. Share your notes, but better yet invite them next week.
Prayer Points
- Father, I thank You for Your teaching, and giving us a new light to view scripture in, Your Plans
- Help us water the Word that we studied today and produce fruit for many years to come
- Give us names of specific people you would like us to share this study with so they aren’t lost sheep
- Give us a boldness to invite them to next week’s study
- Holy Spirit please keep reminding us to seek God for His Plan and Will for our lives. We don’t want to leave this Earth not fulfilling The Plan and miss out on the greater glory we’ve been called to walk in
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
