April 26, 2015

Planning and the Will of God

Pastor: Jeff Bedwell Series: Get-R-Done: Walking with God; Accomplishing His Will Scripture: Nehemiah 2:1–2:10

Get-R-Done: Walking With God; Accomplishing His Will

Planning and the Will of God
Nehemiah 2:1-10

God honors plans made in His presence. We are to do all that we can do and leave to God the things only He can do.

Why Plan?

1. God does it

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:23)

2. God Commends It

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

3. It is good Stewardship

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15–17)

A Primer on Planning

1. Think it through (1)

What was going on during the 4 months between 1:1 and 2:1?

• God was preparing Nehemiah (Prayer and Planning)

• God was preparing the Circumstances

We must Make time for Think time!

“Nothing is more profitable than serous thinking, and nothing is more demanding.” Howard Hendricks

2. Prepare for opportunities (1b-4)

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

Vs. 2 – “Then I was very much afraid.”

Faith is not the Absence of fear; it is trusting and obeying God even in the presence of fear.

3. Establish a goal (5)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

“The great majority of people are “wandering generalities” rather than “meaningful specifics”. The fact is that you can't hit a target that you can't see. If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. You have to have goals.” Zig Ziglar

“Confusion Repels – Clarity Attracts”

4. Set a Deadline (6)

“A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” Dave Ramsey

5. Anticipate the problems (7)

“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” (Proverbs 22:3)

Expect the best – Prepare for the worst

6. Calculate the costs (8)

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28)

Everything in life has a price tag!

7. Don’t be afraid to Ask for help (8b-9)

The king granted Nehemiah permission, provision and protection because he was willing to ask.

The Harmony between God’s Part and Our Part (8)

1. God Provided all that He had guided Nehemiah to ask for (8b)

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

2. God provided More than Nehemiah asked for (9)

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

3. God was preparing Nehemiah for inevitable Opposition (10)

Just because the “good hand of God” is upon us does not mean that we will not experience opposition!

Question: What’s your plan?

God honors plans made in His presence. We are to do all that we can do and leave to God the things only He can do.