Series: The Importance of…
The Importance of Planning
INTRO: Continuing with the series. Planning. No one likes to plan certain things – our funeral – oh man not I! Right? But planning a vacation is not all that bad. Or planning to have a lot of money? Or a party? Well I think we need to plan for the things of God in our lives. What is more important than knowing and following God? Do you plan for things of God in your life?
What do you plan for in your life? Why?
What should you plan for in life? Why?
Let’s look at the Importance of Planning in our life.
Genesis 1:1-31(NKJV) 1In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.
3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the
light from the darkness.
5God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the
evening and the morning were the first day.
6Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
7Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and
it was so.
8And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning
were the second day.
9Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered
together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.
10And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering
together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that
yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to
its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields
seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is
in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13So the evening and the morning were the third day.
14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and
seasons, and for days and years;
15and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give
light on the earth”; and it was so.
16Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
17God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the
earth,
18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living
creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament
of the heavens.”
21So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that
moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every
winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature
according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each
according to its kind”; and it was so.
25And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle
according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its
kind. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of
the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.”
27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them.
28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.”
29And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields
seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit
yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
30Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and
to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I
have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
31Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was
very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
He knew exactly what should not be done
He did what He planned to do
Foreknew our fallen nature
Supremely planned for our salvation
Generously gave us His grace
Saved us from sin
Sent the perfect sacrifice for sin (to take our place)
Many simply want to wait (a little longer yet)
Many reject God
Luke 12:16-21(KJV) 16And he
spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought
forth plentifully:
17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I
have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build
greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for
many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast
provided?
21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not
rich toward God.
Luke 6:46-49(NKJV) 46“But why
do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will
show you whom he is like:
48He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the
foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently
against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house
on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
I think you get the idea. I want to look at some other things about planning.
He met Satan for a powerful victory – Matthew 4:1-11
He began His ministry in Galilee (by the sea) – Matthew 4:12-17
He began calling His disciples one by one – Matthew 4:19-22
He began to teach, preach, and heal those in need – Matthew 4:19, 23
He sent forth the twelve disciples – Matthew 10:5-7
He empowered them to do great things – Matthew 10:8
He announced His ministry – Luke 4:16-21
He warned of perilous times – Matthew 24:5-27
He entered the garden to pray – Matthew 26:36
He waited upon Judas to betray Him – Matthew 26:46
He took His place on the cross for us – Matthew 27:35
He died for you and I – Matthew 27:50
He did not have a lease on the tomb or grave – Matthew 28:6
He left the Holy Spirit for our help – Acts 1:1-8
His plan was good
Matthew
26:1-5(NKJV) 1Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these
sayings, that He said to His disciples,
2“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man
will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people
assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
5But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among
the people.”
He planned to follow the plan to betray Jesus
Matthew
26:14-16(NKJV) 14Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests
15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to
you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
16So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Matthew
26:47-49(NKJV) 47And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of
the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief
priests and elders of the people.
48Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss,
He is the One; seize Him.”
49Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and
kissed Him.
He regretted his plan
Matthew
27:1-5(NKJV) 1When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of
the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.
2And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to
Pontius Pilate the governor.
3Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was
remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders,
4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”And they said,
“What is that to us? You see to it!”
5Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed,
and went and hanged himself.
5 planned well and had oil for their lamps
5 planned poorly and they were shut out of the bridal party
We can learn…It pays to plan for the Lord
There is a parable in Matthew 25 of the talents
One with 5 planned well and made 5
Another received 2 talents
One with 2 planned well and made 2
And the last received 1 talent
One who failed to plan lost the one and it was given to the one who now had 10
Paul taught that if you don’t work, you don’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
We need to plan for eternal living
We need to plan to know God (today)
We need to plan to see God
Hebrews 2:9(KJV) 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 042510am