The Noble Man

• SLIDE #12

4. Noble plans and great dreams take time.

• We want it and we want it now! Great plans take time to work.

• If I wanted this church to grow to over 400 in the first year that I am here, that is not a great plan. Great dreams will take time to implement and will cost us something.

• SLIDE #13

5. Noble plans, great dreams force me to be dependent on God.

 When I worked in the Quality Engineering department, one of the things that I to do was to set my own goals for the year. I saw some make their goals too easy, and the others who were motivated would try to stretch themselves to do great things.

 If I set all my plans to do with my own strength, then the plans are not great.

 If you want to see a powerful God work in your life, make sure your plans are great enough that they need a Great God to help you accomplish them.

 I think that on our own efforts, we can grow this church to 200, but we will really need God’s help to go to 400.

 Father’s, our children need to see that we depend on a great God!

 SLIDE #14

If you want to make a difference…

III. STAND ON NOBLE PLANS.

 If you want to make a difference in the world, you need to be a noble person who makes noble plans. And the scripture says, “And by your noble plans (deeds) you stand.” Noble plans, noble dreams require noble deeds on our part.

 We all have different abilities and God expects us to use those abilities to the fullest.

 It is easy for us to get into a comfort zone, but noble deeds will require us to move out of that comfort zone. Noble deeds will cause us to sacrifice for the Lord.

 What is God doing through you? What risks are you taking? How are you moving out of your comfort zone? Have you given up when the times get tough. I see too many preachers quit the ministry because it got too tough for them.

 There are a few of you that are saying I’ve always wanted to do something significant. I’ve had this dream; I’ve had this idea for a ministry. I’ve had this idea for involvement. I wish our church were doing this, I wish I was involved in this.

 Some of you will step forward and take the risk and make an effort and make a difference in the world. There will be plenty of us who just sit back, and wait and watch and hope.

 Many times instead of getting involved in helping by using our gifts, our lives become a bunch of ‘would of beens’ and ‘could of beens’ and ‘should of beens’.

 But there are a few of you that God will use this year, to make a real difference in this church and in this community.

 I saw happening in my life and that scared me, it motivated me to get out of the comfort zone of the factory and do something for the Lord.

CONCLUSION

 I believe that it was the Marines who have said that they were looking for a few good men.

 God is looking for a few good men. Our wives and children are looking for a few good men.

 Fathers’, do you want to make a difference in the world, be a Noble man who makes noble plans and stands on noble deeds!