A. Introduction the way of man s plans

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1 Congregational handout; outline sermon text on following pages Sermon Notes & References Man s Plans, God s Plans Isaiah 29:15-24 February 21, 2010 A. Introduction the way of man s plans B. Man s Plans Defy God A... 29:15 C. Man s Plans Belittle God... 29:16 D. God s Plans Transform B... 29:17 E. God s Plans Convert C... 29:18 F. God s Plans Correct D...29: those suffering wrong A B C D E F 2. those inflicting wrong G. God s Plans Sanctify E...29: His people 2. His own Name H. Conclusion F Isaiah 30:1-2, Colossians 1:13 2 Kings 19:23 Isaiah 29:11-12, Acts 2:37 Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:10 John 1:12-13, Acts 4:12, Matthew 28:19-20 Jeremiah 29:11, James 4:13-15 Draft Overview of Processes Processes in Seeking a New Location Unless the LORD builds the house, They labour in vain who build it... Ps. 127:1 FFBCA A. Prayer for God s leading in its every aspect of the work for wisdom from the Father to deal with discernment and grace with the other parties as the seller, broker, town, &c for the Son to be exalted in how we conduct this affair for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see what God can do that God, in accordance with Ephesians 4, will give to the church the men and women having the needed gifts of prayer, time, encouragement, coordination, communication, negotiation, support, skill, and so on, for this work that the work of the ministry of the pastors may not suffer B. Phase 1: Preliminary Feasibility Evaluation of a Property 1. Informal assessment by a number of our men (and women if they can tolerate getting into some grungy places!) 2. Getting particulars on all the parameters of the property 3. To report & recommend to the congregation for a decision 4. Don t get discouraged if this phase gets repeated over & over! C. Phase 2: Acquisition initially involves 3 groups, each making a report and recommendation to the congregation for a decision. It will be necessary for these to share information with each other and the church so that all may function, & that there will be no wasted effort in the event of a roadblock (where God says, No! ) 1. Utilization: the church s needs vs. the property s possibilities a. Separating the need to have from the nice to have b. Identification and estimation of costs of (A) Suitably furbishing and furnishing (B) Divided into immediate and long-term c. Preliminary possibilities for lay-out, with pros and cons 2. Legal: evaluation of a. Specific requirements for public buildings b. Approach to any needed re-zoning c. Any costs not identified by Utilization group 3. Financial: evaluation a. Using model information by Utilization and Legal group b. Determine funds needed c. Estimate potential and sources for raising needed funds D. Phase 3: Implementation that s when the real work begins! It will depend upon the contributions from both men and women; young and old; those in our church and those outside; as God may lead.

2 {1}. Isaiah 29: Man s Plans, God s Plans A. Introduction 1. some of the plans we make are notoriously bad a. Have you ever asked yourself, Now why ever did I try that? b. but probably not as strongly as the man whose car got stuck in some mud in Paw Paw Michigan 4 years ago. The county Sheriff's Lieutenant, James McDonagh told the Kalamazoo TV station how this 29-year-old man tried to push out his car but found it impossible without somebody to push the gas pedal. So, he grabbed a toolbox from his trunk and put it on the gas pedal of his car. A couple of pushes later, the car popped out and sped off across a muddy field at speeds reaching 100 mph. The car even became airborne a couple times until it hit a tree head-on; the trunk of the tree ended up near the driver s seat. You will be happy to hear that the embarrassed man was not ticketed (or named!) {2}. 2. that s the way of man s plans a. in Isaiah 29:15-24, a great contrast is drawn between man s plans and God s plans b. these illustrate the truth of God s words: 8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) 3. we need to keep in mind that Israel was a Theocracy a. this meant that God ruled the nation through the king at the instruction of the priests and prophets. b. with the exile, the theocracy ceased: the throne of David was gone. Even after the return from exile, the Theocracy was not restored, but the nation was ruled in turn by the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans B. Man s Plans Defy God... 29:15 1. Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, Who sees us? or Who knows us? a. Judah was not simply disregarding God in a neutral fashion b. they were being deliberately antagonistic to God c. they not only plan as if God cannot see their plans, but actively try to hide their actions from God d. that is the reason for the strong words in Isaiah 30: 1-2: Woe to the rebellious children, declares the Lord, Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! 2. Unbelieving men and women still plan in defiance of God a. we are told that by salvation we are rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His

3 beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13) b. as long as we were in that dark domain, we obeyed the prince of that domain; Satan who defies God c. consciously or not, these people plan their lives in order to try and prove that God doesn t see them, He doesn t know d. thus, man s plans defy God C. Man s Plans Belittle God... 29:16 1. You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, He did not make me ; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, He has no understanding? a. how contrary were Judah s ways! how upside-down! b. the incredulous emphasis of this verse is on the clay: Clay, is the one working and forming you, the potter, to be reckoned as your equal! c. Judah, do you think that God is someone just like you! d. Judah, how can you deny that your very existence is not the handiwork of God?... how can you possibly consider that your self-made, self-centred plans are as good as His? 2. the world s plans still belittle God a. A ship-builder planned and built a ship according to the latest engineering knowledge and the strongest available materials. When a reporter asked if it was safe, he said: Not even God can sink it. That ship was the Titanic. {3}. b. Judah considered God but clay: in their language, attitude and actions, unsaved men treat God s holy Name as dirt; small wonder then that men s plans: his peace summits, his G7 financial summits, the Olympic games, all take place and relegate God to the spectators seats as if the Creator of all the earth did not matter man s plans belittle God D. God s Plans Transform... 29:17 1. Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest? a. while this proverb is a little unfamiliar to us, it becomes clear after a few moments consideration b. for many of us who have studied the Bible, the mention of Lebanon brings a picture of its great cedars, cedars that were used in the construction of the temple and Solomon s palace; but it is also a mountainous land c. the cedars grow on the slopes of those mountains d. this throws light upon King Sennacherib s boast in 2 Kings 19:23 (AV): With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees e. so these rocky, snowy mountains are to be a fertile field f. and, as for what are now fertile fields, in the plans of God, the will one day be considered as having been but rude forests, because of the transforming work of God

4 2. We live in a fallen creation a. yet if it is this beautiful in its fallen state, what will it be like when it is restored in the new heaven and new earth? b. in the same fashion that God s plans will transform this creation, so also God s plans the plan of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ will transform human lives c. Josh McDowell s father was the town drunk, abusive to his wife, and the butt of the jokes of Josh s schoolmates. Josh hated his father for all this. Then Josh came to salvation and the Lord transformed that hatred into love for his father. About six months later, after seeing the change in his son, he listened to Josh s testimony and he, too, accepted Christ as Saviour. The life of my father, says Josh, was changed right before my eyes.... A relationship with Jesus Christ changes lives. {4}. God s plans transform E. God s Plans Convert... 29:18 1. On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. a. God had just described the spiritual blindness of His people in verses 11-12: 11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, Please read this, he will say, I cannot, for it is sealed. 12 Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, Please read this. And he will say, I cannot read. b. it is a very forceful picture of their spiritual state (A) to those who should have understood the message given of Isaiah the priests, the prophets, the rulers it was as closed to their minds as a sealed book (B) and as a result the rest of the nation says, I cannot read the book, the message is of no interest to me 2. But, says God, all that will change a. when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem and the byways of Galilee, he made the blind to see, the deaf to hear b. but a greater opening of eyes and ears took place when God sent His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost c. and through the words given by Him to Peter, the eyes of the Jews who had been blind to the truth of Jesus Christ, the ears that had been shut to His message; those eyes saw and when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37) and 3,000 were saved d. to those spiritually blind, deaf and even dead God plan brings salvation God s plans convert F. God s Plans Correct...29: the Lord our God is a righteous God, a just God a. God plans to correct all wrongs because acting (A) on behalf of those who have been wronged (B) against those who have done the wronging

5 2. God s Plans Bring Justice to those Wronged 19 The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. a. as you read through the OT prophets you will repeatedly come across the theme of righting the wrong for those who have been afflicted as part of God s plan for His people b. for example, there are Hosea s words: He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) c. much of the teaching of Jesus Christ reflected the same, and perhaps, nowhere more so that in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10) d. and one day, God shall wipe away the tear from every eye 3. God s Plans Bring Judgement to those Wronging 20 For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; 21 Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments. a. the converse is also the case: those who have been doing the wronging, will receive their just deserts: punishment b. that word ruthless is illuminating: it can be translated as terrible one it means the one who inspires awe, or strikes terror in others, and with this word we learn a bit about the motivation of such people: they want to act as God! because it is God alone, as we find in verse 23, who is worthy of the proper awe and fear in the face of His great majesty, holiness and power. c. these people seek to usurp God s power in other ways: only God can declare what is right and what is wrong: but these, with a word, seek to condemn, to trap the person who is seeking justice, to take away the rights of the right 4. God s plans to correct all injustice G. God s Plans Sanctify...29: Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; 23 But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand in awe of the God of Israel. 24 Those who err in mind will know the truth, And those who criticize will accept instruction. 2. God s Plans Sanctify His People a. these plans were in place when He redeemed Abraham (A) Abraham, Isaac, Jacobs were wandering Aramaeans (B) but God had set them apart to found his special nation (C) for that nation, the house of Jacob, God still had plans

6 (D) Jacob will see his children, the work of God s hands (E) John 1:12-13 identifies those children: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. b. then Judah will stand in awe of the God of Israel 3. God s Plans Sanctify His Own Name a. the name of God is the revealed description of His nature b. sanctifying His name particularly sets Him apart as Saviour c. Peter said, And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) d. it is in that Name that we proclaim the gospel, for Jesus said: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) H. Conclusion 1. when we compare man s plans to God s plans a. there is a world of difference b. man s plans are self-centred and, anti-christ c. God s plans are gracious, that men may be saved d. God himself said to Judah: For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) 2. how do we, as a church, plan our future? a. it s tempting for churches to follow the ways of the world: making plans and strategies to achieve annual objectives b. which is fine if they do so in a biblical fashion c. On this matter Lisa Marzano has said: When you cling to your own agenda, you can miss God s gentle nudges. d. behind the bulletin insert in seeking a new location is the desire that we be sensitive to God s gentle nudges e. there will be times of disappointment in this process f. the plans of men will run contrary to the plans of God g. but we truly desire to be in God s will in this effort (A) that throughout, by the working of His Holy Spirit in this effort, we will act as God s sanctified people (B) to the end that the life-giving name of Jesus Christ that brings salvation will be sanctified in this community 3. how do you and I, as individuals, plan our future?

7 a. At almost age 85, Mrs. Wells decided it was time to give up her home in North Carolina to move to Miami. She was given the name of a Florida realtor. Enthusiastically he drove her all over Miami. He extolled the virtues of every apartment. (A) This one is a steal, he said, the investment of a lifetime. In ten years it s gonna be worth three times as much! (B) Sonny, interrupted Mrs. Wells, at my age I don t even buy green bananas. {5}. b. James gives this advice:13 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that. (James 4:13-15) c. let us individually and as a church always make sure that our plans are God s plans

8 by Garth Hutchinson, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church of Aurora (Ontario): may be distributed or quoted freely, only let this be done to the glory of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Except as noted otherwise, quotations are from the New American Standard (NAS) version of the Bible, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Various other English versions of the Holy Bible may be used in this sermon. Some (for example, the AV, ASV, and NAS) seek to be strictly translations, while others (and especially PHIL) contain paraphrasing which involves a certain amount of subjective interpretation. Nevertheless, there is little material difference in meaning among these. Some prove slightly clearer on some verses than others. Looking at more that one version sometimes sheds additional light on any particular verse. Explanatory additions to the Bible text are shown in {braces}. The versions are identified as: ASV American Standard Version of 1901 AV Authorized (King James) Version ERV The Revised Version of 1885 NAS New American Standard version 1960, 1995 The Lockman Foundation NIV New International Version 1984 by the International Bible Society NKJV New King James Version 1979 Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers NLT 1996 New Living Translation 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust NRSV New Revised Standard Version 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. PHIL New Testament Translation 1972 by J. B. Phillips RSV Revised Standard Version 1946, 1952 by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. WEY The New Testament in Modern Speech 1902, 1912 R. F. Weymouth Further sermons and illustrations may be found at the web-site, Materials in this sermon from Rev. David Holwick s database are identified by Kerux followed by a sermon or illustration number. 2. It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time, United Press International, Jan 10, 2006 Kerux illustrations # From Don t Mock God Kerux illustrations # From More Than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell, Living Books, 1977, pp She Doesn t Even Buy Green Bananas by Alan Smith Kerux illustrations #7599