WEBVTT

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Bible and open with me to the book of Proverbs

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where we have been studying together through

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the fall God's wisdom for our world We have been

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hearing and reading a great deal about the work

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of the transition team for President -elect Clinton

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in putting together the new administration That

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will take office in just a few weeks As one hears

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of the complex details of putting this all together,

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one's mind is boggled with how many positions

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have to be filled and how many references have

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to be checked. Planning ahead is important in

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a government, and it seems as though we have

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a president -elect who is aware of what it means

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to plan. To fail to plan ahead, is to live by

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chance. It is not to live by faith, as some people

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think. I've heard people say, well, I don't plan

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anything. I live by faith. To fail to plan ahead

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is not to live by faith. Faith and planning are

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not mutually exclusive. Consider the fact that

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God Himself has left nothing to chance. but has

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established purposes and a plan which will be

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fully realized in the end. In the book of Proverbs,

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God counsels us to plan ahead. I invite you to

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look at several texts beginning in chapter 5,

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verses 6 through 8. God tells us to follow the

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example of the ant. Proverbs 5 verse 6, Go to

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the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and

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be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or

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ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer

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and gathers its food at harvest. And so we have

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this small little insect that plans ahead for

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its future. Perhaps you've heard of honey ants.

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Honey ants are remarkable in that they are able

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to survive in difficult times by their dependence

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upon certain members in their group with the

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assignment of becoming honey pots. While these

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particular ants in the colony are known for their

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social stomachs, what they actually do is to

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eat much more than they can possibly use until

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they become like little round berries. Kind of

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reminds you of after Christmas dinner, doesn't

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it? And they're hardly able to move. Then when

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the food and the water in the colony is nearly

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depleted, they sustain the whole colony by providing

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and dispensing out of their own stomachs what

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is needed for everyone else. Ants are amazing

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creatures. They plan ahead. God says that we

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ought to learn a lesson from them. Look in chapter

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11 now, and verse 14, where we have this instruction,

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for lack of guidance, a nation falls. But many

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advisors make victory sure. The word guidance

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here in the Hebrew language is steering, for

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lack of steering. a nation falls. You have the

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picture of the ship of state that needs to have

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someone at the helm and that pilot, that helmsman,

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then guides the ship of state to its destiny.

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In order to do that he has to be looking out

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in front and planning ahead. And so God tells

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us here that it's important in the affairs of

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a nation, of a state, to have leadership that

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plans ahead. Chapter 20 in verse 8. Excuse me,

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verse 18. Make plans by seeking advice if you

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wage war, obtain guidance. It is important in

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waging war to plan ahead. Victory, you see, depends

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not merely upon the strength or courage of the

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soldiers. but upon the strategy and the tactics

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that are outlined by the leadership. Leadership,

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the generals and so on must plan ahead. There

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was a great deal of planning that went into the

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exercise in Somalia which is accomplishing a

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wonderful deed of human good. Planning was necessary

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though. There were those who felt that the military

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ought to rush here or rush there. And yet they

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wisely stuck by the plan. They planned ahead.

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Whether it be a humanitarian effort or it be

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war itself, planning ahead is essential. Then

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chapter 24 verse 27 brings it more close to home.

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It says, finish your outdoor work and get your

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fields ready. After that, build your house. What

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he's saying is get your fields planted. Get all

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of your work done that needs to be done and then

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get married and start your family In an agricultural

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setting you can understand what that means in

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our setting today what it means simply is plan

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ahead Don't just run out and elope Now some of

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you are ready to do that today. I know if only

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you had someone to elope with but He says don't

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do that says you must plan ahead And once you

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have things prepared, once you're ready, then

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proceed to establish your family, your home.

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So in Proverbs, God counsels us to plan ahead.

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The wise person learns to do that knowing that

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God will guide ultimately to what is best. Now

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I want us to consider three lessons this morning

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from Proverbs. about planning ahead. The first

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one deals with planning ahead and its benefits.

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Planning ahead does produce benefits, and in

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Proverbs we see at least three of them that are

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called to our attention. The first one is found

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in chapter 21 and verse 5, where it says, The

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plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely

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as haste leads to poverty. You see the contrast.

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But he points out the fact that if we plan ahead

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it brings us profit or as the New American Standard

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puts it, advantage. One benefit of planning ahead

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is that the person who plans ahead has the advantage.

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Some of you like to play checkers or chess or

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other kinds of board games where strategy is

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important. And you know how significant it is

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when one person plans ahead and the other just

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moves wherever he desires at the moment. Inevitably

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the person who has a game plan, the person who

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thinks ahead a few moves at least will have the

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distinct advantage over the one who merely moves

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at a whim. And so the one who in the issues of

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life plans ahead has a definite advantage. over

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those who live life carelessly and without much

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thought. If you drop down a few verses to verse

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20, you'll see a second benefit to planning ahead.

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He says, in the house of the wise are stores

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of choice, food, and oil, but a foolish man devours

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all he has. Here we see that planning ahead brings

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the benefit of abundance. Security is due to

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ample preparations made in advance. Why does

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the wise man have food and oil? Because he plans

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ahead and he stores it up. I would suppose we

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could go to the food closet or shelf that some

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of you have in your homes or your apartments.

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And there we would see food stored up for this

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next week's menus, right? Or at least coupons

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for McDonald's and Burger King for the next week.

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You're planning ahead. But what happens when

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you plan ahead? Well, it tends to bring you abundance.

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Whereas the person who has no plan simply lives

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in what he has at the moment and everything runs

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through his fingers and he has nothing in the

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end. It pays to plan ahead, it brings us abundance.

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And then in verse 22, it says, a wise man attacks

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the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold

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in which they trust. What is the advantage here?

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What is the benefit of planning ahead? It brings

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accomplishment. Accomplishment. Here the man

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who is attacking the city plans ahead, he's wise,

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and the result is that he overcomes it. Now,

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we can see this in other military metaphors in

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the book of Proverbs, but we'll just let it rest

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at this point that victory, accomplishment, getting

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what you need, what you want, takes place when

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you plan ahead. So, planning ahead has its benefits.

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Learn that lesson and you will be wise. Secondly,

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we want to look at planning ahead and its steps.

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Planning ahead involves a certain process. And

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in the book of Proverbs we see most of these

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laid out for us. Look in Proverbs chapter 18

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and verse 13. The NIV puts it this way, casting

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the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents

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apart. Listen to the living Bible's paraphrase

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of this. It says, what a shame, yes, how stupid

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to decide before knowing the facts. You see,

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planning ahead has certain steps, the first one

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of which is getting the facts. I think I read

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the wrong verse, didn't I? Yes, I did. Verse

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13 says, he who answers before listening, that

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is his folly and his shame. Getting the facts

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is step number one in planning ahead. But getting

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the facts is hard work, but it's important. We

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have to research and pull together the pertinent

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information of whatever is before us. There are

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some people who say, my mind is made up, don't

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confuse me with facts. But folks, facts is where

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we have to begin. We have to get the information

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necessary so that we can plan getting the facts.

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The second step is seeking counsel. Chapter 15,

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verse 22. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but

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with many advisors they succeed. Chapter 20,

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verse 18, says a very similar thing. It is a

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wise thing to share your ideas, your facts, your

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plans with others. Get their counsel. We have

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had a family or two in our church who have made

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the decision without asking anybody else what

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they thought about it to relocate. And when they

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relocated, they found that they were a distinct

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disadvantage to certain things in their lives.

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Had they thought through the issues and sought

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the wisdom and counsel of others, they would

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not have perhaps not have made the decision they

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did. It is important to see what others think,

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trusted people, godly people. Bounce your ideas

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off of them. That's the second step in making

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your plan. The third step is to define the options.

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After you've got the information, you've bounced

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that information off of other people and gotten

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their ideas, you begin to write down your options.

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Option number one, option number two, option

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number three perhaps. And once you have defined

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the option, the fourth step is to make a decision.

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In light of all of the factors involved, in light

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of the counsel that you've received, in light

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of what God is saying within your heart, make

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a decision. For some people, that's the hardest

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part of the plan. Actually coming to the point

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of making a decision to do something. But it's

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essential. And then the fifth step is setting

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the goals. Once you've made a decision, you say,

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this is what I'm going to do, then you have to

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establish goals that will help you to get to

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that point. In our staff planning here at the

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church, we have four qualities that we try to

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put into our goals in planning ahead. First of

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all, the quality of being specific. It's not

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enough simply to say, we want to have more people

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in our small churches. It has to be more specific

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than that. We want to see our small churches

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grow by 10 % or 5 % or 50%, whatever. It needs

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to be specific. It's not enough to say, well,

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I would like to build another home and move.

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Well, make it a little more specific than that.

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What kind of a home do you want? What do you

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want in the place? How far do you want it to

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be from work from church from the place you shot?

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Be specific the second quality that we try to

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include our planning here is make it attainable

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Don't set it so far out there. You can't possibly

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attain it make it challenging But make it something

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that can be attained with hard work thirdly make

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it measurable Put into the the the goal that

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you're establishing some elements that will make

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it possible to measure. We will do so and so

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by March 1 of this year. Or by the end of the

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summer, we will be here or there. Make it measurable

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so you know how you're doing toward the goal.

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And finally, make it compatible with the mission

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of our church. Does this fit in with what we

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say we are as a church and what we want to do

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as a church? There are lots of things that we

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might do as a church, but we have to examine

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our goals in the light of is it compatible with

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the mission. And so we call these our SMAC. Our

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SMAC requirements for our goals. Specific, attainable,

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or measurable, attainable, and compatible. Now,

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you may want to use those or some other system,

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but in setting your goals, understand that you

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are acting by faith. You're not trying to run

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ahead of God. You're saying, God, these are the

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plans. These are the goals I believe you would

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want me to establish. And now I ask you to lead

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me, to guide me. Now, if we fail to plan ahead,

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It usually leads to failure and to shame. We

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can't simply say, God, you lead me today. I have

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no plans whatsoever. Or we can't say, I want

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to do this with my life. I want to become that.

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I want to reach this goal. There have to be plans

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made. The story is told about the city leaders

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of Edinburgh, Scotland who decided that they

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wanted to build a Parthenon in Edinburgh, similar

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to the one in Athens. And so they set out to

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build this modern day Acropolis there in the

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city of Edinburgh. They wanted to do something

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that would rival the beauty of ancient Greece,

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but the sad story is that the project has never

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yet been completed because the city ran out of

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money to do it. They had an idea, they set a

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goal, but you see they didn't plan how they were

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going to get there and the result is really failure

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on the part of the city. It's a shame to them

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rather than a glory. Planning ahead and its steps.

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Put these steps into your planning and you will

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see God bless you. That brings us to the third

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thing that we want to observe in Proverbs about

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planning ahead and that is planning ahead in

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God's part. in the whole thing. The Living Bible

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in Proverbs 19, 21 puts it this way, man proposes,

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but God disposes. I don't think that was original

00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:03.720
with the Living Bible. That statement's been

00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:06.960
around a long time, but it simply says man proposes,

00:18:07.140 --> 00:18:12.259
God disposes. And that's true. There are three

00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:15.839
realizations we need to make in our lives regarding

00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.910
God's part in our planning ahead. First, we must

00:18:19.910 --> 00:18:25.490
realize that our planning begins with God. Our

00:18:25.490 --> 00:18:29.230
planning begins with God. In Proverbs 16 and

00:18:29.230 --> 00:18:32.509
verse 3, it says, commit to the Lord whatever

00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:37.349
you do and your plans will succeed. This word

00:18:37.349 --> 00:18:42.869
commit in the Hebrew means to roll over or to

00:18:42.869 --> 00:18:47.599
roll onto. So what he's saying here is that we

00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:52.400
are to roll onto the Lord whatever we want to

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:57.759
do. We're to commit it to Him. And as we do that,

00:18:57.940 --> 00:19:03.099
then our plans will succeed. Dr. Robert Alden,

00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:05.940
a professor at Denver Seminary writes, a number

00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:08.839
of Proverbs teach how the Lord frustrates the

00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:12.789
plans of the wicked. In contrast to that, We

00:19:12.789 --> 00:19:15.990
see here how the Lord encourages the plans of

00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:18.750
the righteous. The crucial thing is choosing

00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:22.210
the right plan, one which God will sanction and

00:19:22.210 --> 00:19:25.509
bless. I know that there are people who say,

00:19:25.569 --> 00:19:28.029
well, we can't even count on tomorrow, so why

00:19:28.029 --> 00:19:30.990
should we plan? Doesn't Proverbs say somewhere

00:19:30.990 --> 00:19:34.130
that we can't even boast about tomorrow, we don't

00:19:34.130 --> 00:19:37.309
know what a day may bring forth? Yes. That's

00:19:37.309 --> 00:19:39.849
Proverbs 27 .1, and that's true. We can't boast

00:19:39.849 --> 00:19:44.460
in it. But God intends for us to plan for it.

00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:49.720
God wants us to commit our plans to Him. In the

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:53.400
most famous two verses probably of Proverbs,

00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:58.380
we read, Trust in the Lord. Lean not to your

00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:01.720
own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge

00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:04.220
Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs

00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:08.799
3, 5, and 6. It begins by saying, Trust in the

00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:12.700
Lord. and lean not to your own understanding.

00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:16.519
That is not a verse against planning. But it

00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:19.880
means simply don't rely solely upon your plans.

00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:23.460
Trust in the Lord. Realize that your planning

00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:28.980
must begin with Him. In all your ways, as you

00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:32.339
look ahead, as you plan for the future, in all

00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:36.400
your ways acknowledge Him. The word acknowledge

00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:41.819
there means be in fellowship with Him. Let those

00:20:41.819 --> 00:20:45.880
plans come out of that knowing of God in your

00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:51.940
life. He will direct your paths. He will make

00:20:51.940 --> 00:20:56.380
your paths straight. Well, I can hear someone

00:20:56.380 --> 00:21:00.000
say, yes, but doesn't James say that we're not

00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.680
to plan for the future somewhere? Well, let me

00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:08.400
show you a passage in James that is sometimes...

00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:14.380
used this way in James chapter 4, verse 13. Now

00:21:14.380 --> 00:21:18.579
listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will

00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:21.259
go to this or that city, spend a year there,

00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:26.319
carry on business and make money. Now James is

00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:31.380
quoting somebody who's planning ahead. And he's

00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:35.259
going to rebuke this person. This person is saying,

00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:38.140
We're going to go to the city. We're going to

00:21:38.140 --> 00:21:40.359
spend this amount of time there. You see it's

00:21:40.359 --> 00:21:44.180
rather specific We're going to carry on business,

00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:48.079
and we're going to make money Well, then James

00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:52.700
says why do you why? You do not even know what

00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:56.400
will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You're

00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:58.779
a mist that appears for a little while and then

00:21:58.779 --> 00:22:03.000
vanishes Instead you ought to say if it is the

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:07.690
Lord's will we will live or do this or that.

00:22:08.089 --> 00:22:11.190
As it is, you boast and brag all such boasting

00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:13.650
as evil. So you look carefully and you see what

00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:17.069
James is saying. He's saying that we can't boast

00:22:17.069 --> 00:22:21.049
or brag we're going to do this or that. We plan

00:22:21.049 --> 00:22:22.789
ahead and we say we're going to go to this church,

00:22:22.890 --> 00:22:24.150
we're going to live there for a year, we're going

00:22:24.150 --> 00:22:27.450
to do this or that and make money if the Lord

00:22:27.450 --> 00:22:32.190
wills. And that's the point I'm making. Our planning...

00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.779
must begin with God. Our planning must begin

00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:41.920
with Him. As we are in fellowship with God, we

00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.019
commit our plans to the Lord. We roll those plans

00:22:45.019 --> 00:22:48.400
onto Him and the Lord will bring success to those

00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.720
plans. There's a second realization that we must

00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.700
come to as we think about our planning ahead

00:22:55.700 --> 00:22:57.940
and God's part in it. We must realize that God

00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:02.039
is bigger than our plans. Not only that our plans

00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:05.740
begin with God, but God is bigger than our plans

00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:09.019
Going back to Proverbs again to the 16th chapter

00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:13.259
verse 9 It says in his heart a man plans his

00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:20.200
course, but the Lord determines his steps It's

00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:23.099
the Lord ultimately who will give prosperity

00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:27.680
to our plans Who will direct the actual steps

00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:31.670
we take? whatever we have laid out before us.

00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:37.769
Chapter 19 verse 21. Many are the plans in a

00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:41.190
man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that

00:23:41.190 --> 00:23:46.289
prevails. We need to realize that God is bigger

00:23:46.289 --> 00:23:51.890
than our plans. Chapter 21 verse 30. There is

00:23:51.890 --> 00:23:55.910
no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed

00:23:55.910 --> 00:24:01.009
against the Lord. Sometimes look at what God

00:24:01.009 --> 00:24:06.869
says in Isaiah 46 and verse 10. Or compare with

00:24:06.869 --> 00:24:10.529
that Psalm 33 verses 10 and 11. You see the same

00:24:10.529 --> 00:24:13.509
truth. God is bigger than what man plans. Now

00:24:13.509 --> 00:24:18.009
listen, that is not threatening. That's reassuring.

00:24:19.950 --> 00:24:23.349
Because it means that we may lay our plans out

00:24:23.349 --> 00:24:27.589
and we may, even in the most sincere of hearts,

00:24:27.750 --> 00:24:32.180
make a mistake. God is bigger than our plans.

00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:35.680
So we begin our planning with God, and then we

00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:37.980
know that God is bigger than whatever we've laid

00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:40.460
out, and if we've erred, God is going to direct

00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:47.099
us another way. We can trust Him. The third realization

00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:50.579
is that we must realize our plans succeed only

00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:56.519
with God. Chapter 21, verse 31. The horse is

00:24:56.519 --> 00:24:58.859
made ready for the day of battle, but victory

00:24:59.809 --> 00:25:04.009
rests with the Lord. You can plan ahead and get

00:25:04.009 --> 00:25:05.990
your horse all ready. You can get the armament

00:25:05.990 --> 00:25:08.190
on the horse. You can get your weaponry out.

00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:10.609
You can get ready to go into battle and plan

00:25:10.609 --> 00:25:14.230
ahead all you want, but victory rests with the

00:25:14.230 --> 00:25:18.390
Lord. So the third realization is that our plans

00:25:18.390 --> 00:25:21.930
succeed only with God. Our planning begins with

00:25:21.930 --> 00:25:25.380
God. We realize God is bigger than our plans

00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:28.559
and ultimately when they succeed it is only with

00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:32.420
God and that's good. Because then it means that

00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:35.660
God gets the glory for it. And I don't think

00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:38.220
we really want our plans to succeed without His

00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:43.400
blessing, do we? Indeed one of the more harsh

00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:46.039
judgments God can bring on us is to allow us

00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:51.440
to succeed without Him. To the children of Israel,

00:25:52.009 --> 00:25:55.190
of the children of Israel, it says in Psalm 106

00:25:55.190 --> 00:25:59.069
verse 15, so He gave them what they asked for,

00:25:59.589 --> 00:26:04.490
but sent leanness to their souls. Sometimes we

00:26:04.490 --> 00:26:08.269
ask God for some rather stupid things, and we

00:26:08.269 --> 00:26:10.490
think we really want them, and we lay plans for

00:26:10.490 --> 00:26:14.549
those things. If God allows us to have those,

00:26:14.650 --> 00:26:18.269
it's really judgment. And so it's reassuring

00:26:18.269 --> 00:26:21.640
to know that God is bigger than our plans, that

00:26:21.640 --> 00:26:26.779
they'll succeed only with His blessings. Right

00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:29.180
now, Grace Church Roosevelt is laying plans for

00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:35.339
the future. Change is in the offing for us. The

00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:38.859
first step has been one that's been in place

00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:41.099
now for a number of months. It really was kicked

00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:43.759
off about a year ago when we began with the survey

00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:47.940
of our church family, getting the facts. Where

00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:52.480
do our church families live? What is our strength

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.299
in our ministry? How does our church family feel

00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:59.380
about certain things? And we accumulate a great

00:26:59.380 --> 00:27:03.440
deal of information through that survey. There

00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.980
have been other facts that have been gathered

00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:10.599
over the recent months relating to various possibilities

00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:15.799
of our future. Getting of facts is going to continue.

00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:19.819
as we move into January and February as we organize

00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:22.019
some small group meetings in which everyone in

00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:24.200
the church will be invited to come and participate

00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:27.319
to give thoughts and ideas and share together

00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:31.640
and pray together. That will also be the part,

00:27:31.940 --> 00:27:34.680
the beginning of step two, which is seeking counsel

00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:38.680
as we seek the counsel of God's people and we

00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:40.779
seek the counsel of one another regarding what

00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:45.589
God wants for us in the future. Recently, The

00:27:45.589 --> 00:27:47.990
elders voted to hire an architect who is laying

00:27:47.990 --> 00:27:50.609
some groundwork of getting some facts out there

00:27:50.609 --> 00:27:53.430
and giving us counsel regarding his thinking

00:27:53.430 --> 00:27:58.230
about our future. Grace Church Roseville is seeking

00:27:58.230 --> 00:28:00.529
to put into practice what we've talked about

00:28:00.529 --> 00:28:05.750
this morning in planning ahead. But it's important

00:28:05.750 --> 00:28:07.769
not only for us as a church to do it, it's important

00:28:07.769 --> 00:28:11.869
for us as individuals to do it. We need to plan

00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:15.509
ahead, but marry our plans to God's purposes.

00:28:16.089 --> 00:28:19.029
When we do that, our plans will surely succeed

00:28:19.029 --> 00:28:23.309
in the end. They will surely succeed. We may

00:28:23.309 --> 00:28:26.190
not arrive just exactly where we thought we would,

00:28:26.549 --> 00:28:33.150
but it'll be a better place. Plans that are made

00:28:33.150 --> 00:28:36.349
with God's blessing will ultimately achieve God's

00:28:36.349 --> 00:28:40.329
best. What is it that you need to plan ahead

00:28:40.329 --> 00:28:45.789
about? Well, it's likely that some of us need

00:28:45.789 --> 00:28:48.329
to plan ahead regarding our financial future

00:28:48.329 --> 00:28:51.730
And I say that because it's probably the first

00:28:51.730 --> 00:28:55.109
one that comes to mind in our culture Because

00:28:55.109 --> 00:28:58.289
it is important. Are you planning ahead in your

00:28:58.289 --> 00:29:02.349
financial future? We have people in our church

00:29:02.349 --> 00:29:05.230
who are doing that for a living helping others

00:29:05.230 --> 00:29:08.730
plan ahead It's important for all of us to lay

00:29:08.730 --> 00:29:12.750
out a strategy and a plan for our financial future.

00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:15.970
But there are some things, frankly, more important

00:29:15.970 --> 00:29:21.109
than that. For example, how are we going to transmit

00:29:21.109 --> 00:29:26.670
our family values to our children? That doesn't

00:29:26.670 --> 00:29:29.230
just happen automatically. We have to have some

00:29:29.230 --> 00:29:31.930
kind of a plan to do that, some kind of a strategy

00:29:31.930 --> 00:29:35.890
that mom and dad agree on as to how that can

00:29:35.890 --> 00:29:40.920
happen. Maybe it's in the area of dreams and

00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:45.000
desires that you have for your future Where you

00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:49.539
want to go to college? Perhaps it's an anniversary

00:29:49.539 --> 00:29:52.000
trip that you and your wife are considering when

00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:57.240
you get to that big 25 or that 50 mark Perhaps

00:29:57.240 --> 00:30:00.740
it's starting a business in the next year or

00:30:00.740 --> 00:30:04.859
two you have dreams and desires that are bubbling

00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:11.269
inside of you These are all important things

00:30:11.269 --> 00:30:14.029
in which we need to plan ahead just like God

00:30:14.029 --> 00:30:20.369
tells us to in his word But probably the most

00:30:20.369 --> 00:30:25.230
important of all is that we plan ahead regarding

00:30:25.230 --> 00:30:32.549
our own demise Because you see someday all of

00:30:32.549 --> 00:30:37.200
us are going to leave this world We need to plan

00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:41.099
ahead for that. And if there's any aspect of

00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:45.119
life that our culture tends to ignore and try

00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:50.940
to pretend doesn't happen, it's that. What happens

00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:55.859
when this life is done? Well that can be approached

00:30:55.859 --> 00:30:59.500
in a number of different ways. There are some

00:30:59.500 --> 00:31:01.859
practical aspects, for example. Have you ever

00:31:01.859 --> 00:31:04.359
thought about your funeral and what you want

00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:07.200
to happen there? You say, oh, if I do that, it

00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:10.619
may happen sooner than it might otherwise. Oh,

00:31:10.619 --> 00:31:15.819
really? Well, who's in charge of that? Several

00:31:15.819 --> 00:31:20.039
years ago, someone gave me a form for planning

00:31:20.039 --> 00:31:23.039
a funeral ahead of time. And we've had a few

00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:24.900
people, only a few in our church, who've done

00:31:24.900 --> 00:31:27.279
that. If you'd like to have a copy of that, I'd

00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:30.240
be glad to give it to you. It simply helps you

00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:31.839
think through some of the things that you might

00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:35.329
like to see take place. at your funeral service

00:31:35.329 --> 00:31:39.789
so that you can say there what you want to have

00:31:39.789 --> 00:31:43.470
said. And people can participate that you want

00:31:43.470 --> 00:31:45.910
to have participate if they're still living.

00:31:48.009 --> 00:31:50.410
Have you ever thought about that? We have one

00:31:50.410 --> 00:31:52.250
lady in our church who's already gone over with

00:31:52.250 --> 00:31:54.410
me who she wants to sing and the songs she wants

00:31:54.410 --> 00:31:57.190
to have sung and so on. Now she did that several

00:31:57.190 --> 00:31:59.509
years ago, if that's any encouragement to you.

00:31:59.930 --> 00:32:06.900
It didn't seem to hasten her death. But of course

00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:10.299
the most important aspect of planning for our

00:32:10.299 --> 00:32:13.279
own demise is what happens to our soul after

00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:17.039
we die. Where we're going to spend eternity.

00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:21.559
Are you planning ahead about that? I say I don't

00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:23.519
think we can really know. We just kind of show

00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:26.119
up there at the gates and God is going to do

00:32:26.119 --> 00:32:29.920
with us what he wants to do. That's wrong. That's

00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:34.299
wrong. You see we prepare ahead of time for that.

00:32:35.879 --> 00:32:40.299
We have to plan ahead. Say, well, how do I do

00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:44.640
that? The only way to plan ahead is by doing

00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:48.539
it the way God says to do it. And that is by

00:32:48.539 --> 00:32:51.000
receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

00:32:52.740 --> 00:32:55.119
Because you see, that cares for the issues that

00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:58.640
now separate you and God. The issues of sin in

00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:01.720
your life, rebellion, hostility toward God, living

00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:04.319
self -sufficiently and independently of God.

00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:07.960
For when we receive Jesus Christ, we bow the

00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:10.599
knee and we recognize that our sin separates

00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:14.519
us. We recognize our independence is really wicked

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:22.279
and we acknowledge that we need Him. When we

00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:25.059
take that step, then we are preparing ourselves

00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:28.900
for then. That's the first step. There are steps

00:33:28.900 --> 00:33:32.400
after that. What kind of an entrance will we

00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:37.640
have in the heaven? Will it be an abundant entrance

00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:44.660
as Peter talks about? A glorious entrance? Or

00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:47.680
will we simply get there without much to show

00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:54.259
for our lives? I don't see Ruth Jordan here today,

00:33:54.299 --> 00:33:58.240
but Ruth comes to our church when she's home

00:33:58.240 --> 00:34:02.289
from ministry. She and her wife Jean have devoted

00:34:02.289 --> 00:34:05.210
their lives to missionary work through HCJB in

00:34:05.210 --> 00:34:08.969
Quito, Ecuador. And Ruth goes down there each

00:34:08.969 --> 00:34:11.570
winter. I can't imagine why. She leaves Minnesota

00:34:11.570 --> 00:34:16.130
to go to Ecuador each winter. She has a good

00:34:16.130 --> 00:34:19.050
purpose. She's serving the Lord there. She told

00:34:19.050 --> 00:34:20.869
me something a couple of weeks ago I never heard

00:34:20.869 --> 00:34:25.150
before regarding the five missionaries who were

00:34:25.150 --> 00:34:31.610
martyred in Ecuador back in 1956. Some of you

00:34:31.610 --> 00:34:33.650
remember the story of Jim Elliott, Nate Saint,

00:34:33.909 --> 00:34:37.590
and the other three men, Ed McCauley and so on,

00:34:37.869 --> 00:34:41.690
who laid down their lives on a sandy beach beside

00:34:41.690 --> 00:34:47.869
a river as they attempted to evangelize the Aukka

00:34:47.869 --> 00:34:52.989
Indians. And the story that Ruth heard just two

00:34:52.989 --> 00:34:55.550
years ago, and it came to her through Marge Saint,

00:34:55.889 --> 00:34:58.389
Nate Saint's sister, who has lived there all

00:34:58.389 --> 00:35:01.730
these years and worked with the Aukkas. The story

00:35:01.730 --> 00:35:04.530
finally came from the Oka people about what happened

00:35:04.530 --> 00:35:10.670
that day. As the men were down on the beach actually

00:35:10.670 --> 00:35:14.190
going through the process of killing the missionaries,

00:35:14.769 --> 00:35:17.550
the women of the tribe were standing on a ridge

00:35:17.550 --> 00:35:21.329
back up where they could see the action. And

00:35:21.329 --> 00:35:24.230
across the river, and on a ridge on the other

00:35:24.230 --> 00:35:29.469
side of the river, they saw a band of people

00:35:29.469 --> 00:35:35.039
appear. And these were very strong, powerful

00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:38.920
people that they saw. But they were singing.

00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:43.840
And they were playing instruments and making

00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:47.639
a great deal of noise. And the women were absolutely

00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:50.639
terrified of these people that they saw on the

00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:53.219
other side of the river. And once the men had

00:35:53.219 --> 00:35:57.280
been killed, all five of them, the band disappeared.

00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:02.579
So who were they? Well, a reception committee

00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:06.539
that God sent to welcome home the martyrs. They

00:36:06.539 --> 00:36:11.079
were angels who gave to these men an abundant

00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:13.980
entrance into the eternal kingdom of God because

00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:16.179
of their willingness to lay down there. Listen,

00:36:16.179 --> 00:36:20.460
they had plans made. They carefully laid their

00:36:20.460 --> 00:36:22.300
plans as to how they were going to approach the

00:36:22.300 --> 00:36:25.320
Indians, but in the end they said what the Lord

00:36:25.320 --> 00:36:29.079
wants. We're willing, if God wants, to lay down

00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:32.219
our lives to reach these Indians, and they did.

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:36.519
Their plans weren't fully realized as they had

00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:39.599
laid them out. God had something better in mind.

00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:43.500
God is bigger than our plans. And in the end,

00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:47.039
when God has His way, there's victory. There's

00:36:47.039 --> 00:36:50.719
success. There's accomplishment. And don't you

00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:53.219
think there was accomplishment in those men,

00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:56.550
in the way God brought their lives to a fruitful

00:36:56.550 --> 00:37:00.809
conclusion. Many lives in this room this morning

00:37:00.809 --> 00:37:02.889
undoubtedly have been touched in some way by

00:37:02.889 --> 00:37:06.110
it. Hundreds of people have gone to the mission

00:37:06.110 --> 00:37:08.329
field because of the testimony of those men.

00:37:08.769 --> 00:37:11.309
And that whole tribe has been evangelized in

00:37:11.309 --> 00:37:13.489
South America and they are sending people to

00:37:13.489 --> 00:37:20.710
other tribes. It pays to plan ahead. And when

00:37:20.710 --> 00:37:24.909
we plan to begin with God, and realize that God

00:37:24.909 --> 00:37:27.590
is bigger than our plans and to know that in

00:37:27.590 --> 00:37:32.909
the end God will bring our plans to success as

00:37:32.909 --> 00:37:39.210
we submit them to Him. Let's pray together. What

00:37:39.210 --> 00:37:43.929
do you need to be planning, my friend? Are you

00:37:43.929 --> 00:37:48.530
planning for your soul's eternal welfare? Have

00:37:48.530 --> 00:37:53.880
you trusted Christ as your Savior? If so, are

00:37:53.880 --> 00:37:57.519
you living for Christ? Are you in fellowship

00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:01.280
with God? Are you planning so that your life

00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:04.099
will be meaningful for God and for eternity?

00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:09.860
Perhaps there are other areas of your life where

00:38:09.860 --> 00:38:12.420
God has put his finger this morning reminding

00:38:12.420 --> 00:38:17.019
you that laying plans is important. Do it. Ask

00:38:17.019 --> 00:38:20.400
God's direction. Begin with God. Begin this week

00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:24.980
as you begin a new year. to lay out your plans

00:38:24.980 --> 00:38:31.239
and to seek God's face as you do it. Father,

00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:34.480
we thank you for your leadership in our lives.

00:38:36.219 --> 00:38:38.519
We've been reminded this morning that your leadership

00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:41.840
and your will does not preclude our responsibility

00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:47.579
of planning. May we be wise people. Teach us

00:38:47.579 --> 00:38:51.139
what it means to plan ahead. in all the areas

00:38:51.139 --> 00:38:55.280
of life, especially the spiritual. But teach

00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:58.760
us, too, that surrender to your will, to your

00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:03.280
lordship in our lives, is always best. That we

00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:09.320
can never lose or go wrong in doing that. So,

00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:11.340
Father, if there are areas of our lives where

00:39:11.340 --> 00:39:17.320
we need to surrender, then show that to us today.

00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:22.900
In this hour. that we might go out from here

00:39:22.900 --> 00:39:28.380
prepared to plan ahead and beginning with you

00:39:28.380 --> 00:39:33.400
as Lord of our lives. With our heads bowed and

00:39:33.400 --> 00:39:34.780
our eyes closed, I wonder