Point Counter-Point
God’s Plan
June 16, 2013
(SLIDE) We’re looking at popular beliefs and God’s response to those beliefs. Popular beliefs are easy
to buy into – we’re quick to take things at face value rather that doing our research. Critical thinking is a
much neglected human skill even when it comes to biblical issues. We’re also prone to holding on to a
popular belief because it’s what we want or desire to believe – or it’s something that a majority of people
believe – we don’t like being in a minority. All of this applies to what I discussed last week – the issue of
marriage that society is starting to re-define. In our politically correct world, a world of declining moral
standards, it’s easy to follow the crowd, but that doesn’t make something right just because a majority
supports it. One of my preacher friends posted these words on facebook last Sunday (SLIDE) “If you stand for something, you can count on opposition. Sometimes people will disagree
with you. Jesus lived a perfect life and yet experienced criticism, misunderstanding and finally death on
a cross. Why would it be easier on us?” (Sam Brumit)
I like his words – and those of you who are going to college or starting college – taking your first steps into
adulthood, I think those are great words to remember!
(SLIDE) We move on today to my next topic – God’s plan for our lives.
A pastor received a call from a church that offered him a salary four times what he was then receiving.
Being a devout man, he spent much time in prayer trying to discern what God wanted him to do. One day a
friend met the pastor’s young son on the street. “Do you know what your dad’s going to do?” he asked.
“Well,” replied the boy, “Dad’s praying, but Mom’s packing!”
To know the will of God in our lives is not as easy as we wish it would be. If you’ve ever struggled with knowing
what God wants you to do after school, knowing whom God wants you to marry, knowing if you should take that
job or this one, knowing what direction to take in your life, knowing what you want to say but not how or when to
say it, then you know how difficult it sometimes is to discern God’s will for your life. Though becoming a Christ
follower is certainly the best decision I ever made in my life – and was certainly what God wanted for me, it seems
like making future choices became so much more complicated. Suddenly it wasn’t just me making decisions for
my life – now I had to include God – so I faced the perplexing problem of trying to determine God’s will for my
life. That was based in part on the belief that God lays out a detailed plan – a “blueprint”, for our lives – and that’s
the popular belief that I’ll address today –
(SLIDE) POINT: GOD HAS A “BLUEPRINT” FOR MY LIFE.
It’s important to understand what the term “blueprint” means. Of course, “blueprint” is primarily used in the
construction business – it’s usually used in reference to an architectural plan. Blueprints are highly detailed and
specific – a builder relies on the blueprints to build the exact structure that an architect intended – it’s a plan of
action that is to be followed down to the smallest of details. For many believers, “blueprint” is the metaphor used
for God’s will – that God has a specific, detailed plan for my life – a blueprint – it’s important to follow that plan
exactly as God has laid it out. That thinking is probably driven by both examples we read in the Bible and a verse
or two that seem to suggest that’s how things work with God. Just consider Abraham, Moses, even Paul – many of
our Biblical heroes received specific instructions from God about what they were to do. And more than a few
homes or desks have been emblazoned with a favorite scripture verse – Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans
I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.”
I don’t dispute the fact that our God is a God of purpose, and He works His will through people – sometimes in
mysterious and powerful ways, but holding fast to “blueprint thinking” can be problematic – revolving around the
difficulty of determining God’s will (SLIDE) – blueprint thinking can lead to:
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Fear and Paralysis: Some folks with this blueprint mentality are fearful of not getting things right – of
making a mistake – making a choice that might not match God’s plan. If they can’t clearly discern God’s
will, they virtually become paralyzed – unable to make any kind of decision - unwilling to take any risk at
all – failing to step out in faith.
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Sign Dependence: In a desperate search for God’s will, some obsessively search for signs of confirmation
– some sign, some event or some indication that confirms the direction they should go. We’ve all done that
– I hear it frequently when folks are making career changes and such – they’re looking for that one sign
that will lead the way to following God’s blueprint. But what happens when that “sign” doesn’t happen –
never comes along? After all, the picture can be pretty clouded at times – we can easily find good signs,
bad signs; unclear signs are likely the norm for most of us. When I look back on my decision to come into
ministry, I have to admit there was a great deal of soul-searching and a quest for some kind of confirmation
– it was a big step. There were some things that I could have concluded were positive signs of God’s will,
but I had at least one big sign that made me think I was making a mistake.
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Blindness: That “sign dependence” can blind us to actually seeing opportunities – it can turn into a
misplaced focus. I’m reminded of that classic joke about the man whose home was flooded:
As the flood waters were rising, a man was on the stoop of his house, and another man in a row boat came
by. The man in the row boat told the man on the stoop to get in, and he'd save him. The man on the stoop
said, no, he had faith in God and would wait for God to save him. The flood waters kept rising, and the man
had to go to the second floor of his house. A man in a motor boat came by and told the man in the house to
get in because he had come to rescue him. The man in the house said no thank you. He had perfect faith in
God and would wait for God to save him. The flood waters kept rising. Pretty soon they were up to the
man's roof, and he got out on the roof. A helicopter then came by, lowered a rope, and the pilot shouted
down to the man in the house to climb up the rope because the helicopter had come to rescue him. The man
in the house wouldn't get in. He told the pilot that he had faith in God and would wait for God to rescue
him. The flood waters kept rising, and the man in the house drowned. When he got to heaven, he asked God
where he went wrong. He told God that he had perfect faith in God, but God had let him drown. "What
more do you want from me?" asked God. "I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
Sometimes God’s hand shows up in the ordinary things in life, but we’re looking for the “big sign”, we
don’t see the obvious things that can help us.
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Distorted images (of God and how He works): Taken to its logical conclusion, blueprint thinking – the
idea that somehow God has a specific set of detailed plans for each person – can lead to some difficult
places. We end up with the image of a deterministic God that undermines the whole concept of free will.
We’re puppets on God’s string – God has not only determined our steps – He’s forcing us into compliance
with His will. (Certain doctrines support this notion, but as you look at the whole of scripture, that’s a
tough concept to accept.)
So how would God respond – what is the counterpoint?
(SLIDE) COUNTER POINT - GOD HAS A “GAME PLAN” FOR MY LIFE.
Game plan is a metaphor author Larry Osborne uses – every football team going into a game has a game plan – a
strategy (set of plays) for a specific game. A quarterback tries to execute that plan and each play in the plan, but
knows that at any give moment the plan can go awry, so he has to adjust to the situation and circumstances –
perhaps implement Plan B or even Plan C if necessary. There are choices he has to make. Military units in
combat have to do the same thing. Businesses do so as well. The key here is the preparation – the more a sports
team, a military unit, or a business trains and equips their people, the more prepared they are to do the right thing
in the right moment – proper responses to changing circumstances become second nature. Same goes for God’s
game plan for us – He’s more interested in our preparation and equipping than He is in specific life decisions we
make – because when we prepare as we’re called to do in scripture, we’ll position ourselves to respond to everchanging life circumstances and conditions and make good choices.
So you really want to find God’s will? Just look in the Bible – it’s all there – in clear words – and it has a lot to do
with becoming the person God wants you to be.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 - 3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you
will control His own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not
know God and His ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for
the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives,
not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but
is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Peter 2:15-17 - 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish
people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
1 Peter 4:19 - 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful
Creator and continue to do good.
Then let’s go back to Romans 12:1-3 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to
offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do
not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
You see it’s God’s will for us to be obedient to His commands, to be holy, to do good, to sacrifice – and as we do
so, we come closer in relationship to Him; we’re not only living out His will for our lives, we’re able to better
discern His will. Even the passage from Jeremiah that is such a favorite – the plans God has in mind for the people
of Israel were couched in the understanding of the people being obedient to God.
(SLIDE) You see it’s not so much finding the right school, the right career, the right mate. It’s really all about
becoming the person God wants you to be – a reflection of His image and character – no matter what our
circumstances or where we find ourselves. When we do the things God wants us to do in terms of our character
and very being, we’re equipped to make the good choices, the right adjustments – to discern and live out God’s
will. God does have a plan for us, but it’s a game plan with lots of freedom, not a blueprint with every detail
spelled out! And our preparation – living the kind of lives we’re compelled to live by scripture – is God’s desire
and will – and gives us the capacity to make the right choices in life.