Faith demands a plan I'm not convinced that you are serious about living until I see your plan amen Christians are lazy people drifting along in life I was one of them but I found out something about God God does not plan for you God has a plan for you but he doesn't plan for you planning is the highest expression of faith in God write that down brother Randy preach that 500 times cuz we got to get that one in the church planning is the highest expression of faith if God tells you to do something if you don't document it and plan to do it you don't believe it amen if you believe something then you plan for it planning is the act of capturing God's will for your life capturing it planning gives definition to Faith planning pulls the promises out of Eternity into time there's stuff I got on paper that only me and God believes but it's on paper and what have I done I copied it and give it to thousands of people now they believe and everything that was just in my heart is now in their hearts and it's coming into being planning pulls the promises out of Eternity and puts them in the time planning documents Vision planning documents Vision planning documents Vision I'm not impressed by how great your ision is let me see the plan without a plan life has no definition without a plan life has no meaning without a vision the people perish the Bible says a plan is a captured Vision Without A Vision there is no self-control without a plan there is no goal control therefore understand that faith is expressed in planning therefore planning is Faith the Bible says but we know that faith without works is what dead so the reason why many plans do not come to pass is because many people do not follow through on the works in essence planning without works is failure God is the greatest example of a planner of Faith planning and working with God is a natural first of all God conceived The Plan of Redemption Ephesians 1:4 before the foundation of the world then he documented his plan his vision he wrote it in the Bible then God worked out his plan and still working it out he sent his son and Jesus Christ was pronounced and announced for 5,000 years God is a planner it is important to note that God's purposes created his plans and his plans produced his work and he worked his plan and his purpose was fulfilled if your plans for last year failed or were not realized imitate God what did God do when his plans failed he made new plans write this down if you cannot change a plan if if rather if you do not have a plan you cannot change a plan God will never change his purpose but he can change his plans plans are changeable but never your purpose God didn't panic when man fell he just had another plan let me make an important Point here not fulfill your plan or failing to fulfill your plan does not mean that you are out of God's will I want to repeat this cuz a lot of people think well if it ain't working then it ain't God that's not true do you know who's the first one to fail in the Bible God God never fails he did God took Adam put him in the garden and said this is my Apex of creation you rule this place dominate this place you are my man Adam messed up God plan failed God didn't Panic God just said to the devil well okay no problem the woman's going to have another seed and we're going to bruise your head I'm going to win man back and we'll get the garden back no problem I have another plan we can go the long way around but we can get man back in this Garden man going to be dominated in the earth one way or another we going to get this back together God is telling us if you keep your purpose clear your plans might change but don't be afraid to change your plans just keep your purpose and make it permanent I will accomplish this thing even though my plans have changed you know I've heard people say well I'm I'm divorced now things ain't going to work out anymore that's not true just make another plan marry a better person God bless you failure is an opportunity to say to start again don't quit until you win because you only lose when you quit Jesus stressed the need for planning in our lives and he insisted that we do it even in our decision to follow him Luke 14: 27 if anyone does not carry his cross and follow me he cannot what be my disciple verse 28 suppose one of you wants to build a tower he says and will he not first sit down and estimate the cost of it and see if he can finish it I have enough money to complete it Jesus said that verse 29 for if he lays the foundation not able to finish it and everyone who see him will ridicule him and laugh at him verse 33 in the same way any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple in other words if you're going to do something sit down and plan thus we must sit he said first most people don't sit we spend no time on our dreams no time on our vision we too busy making a living to find life turn the TV off spend three hours tonight with a blind piece of paper and say God I'm going to sit down and work out a 15-year plan for my life according to the vision in my heart it takes sitting down to do that and the first word Jesus said is first sit down that's tough to do then he says estimate it's okay to estimate how long is it going to take for me to do this what do I have to accomplish to get this done how much studies do I do to get what kind of of uh information I need to get this done you got to estimate what you need if you're going to be a successful Visionary then he says You must plan to give up all for the plan that means you must go after it with all your heart and everything you have be willing to die for what you're living for and then he says the mark of a good successful disciple is one who works his plan and then dies for his plan the first place in scripture planning is mentioned is by God himself it's found in Genesis 11:6 and the Lord said if one of these rather if this one people speaking the same thing if they begun to do this then nothing they plan to do will be impossible and he was talking about you know the Tower of Babel if people plan to do something God says and they committed to it nothing can stop them and that was so dangerous God himself had to get up and come down and he had to stop the project it stresses they're doing the planning they planned it and God got concerned when man plans something it makes Heaven tremble planning secondly is mentioned by pharaoh to Joseph Genesis 41:37 the plan seemed good to pharaoh and to all of his officials and the people who plan to be promoted and lifted up because it shows their Spirit of self-discipline and precision living they'll always be promoted I found know something Joseph had a plan for Pharaoh that's why he got promoted come on if you on a job and you want to move up in your job solve the next problem for your boss amen right amen amen come up with an alternative plan to make things go better in the department am guarantee you they put an eye on you because a planner will always be promoted amen I repeat it a planner will always be promoted because a planner is a Visionary and a Visionary is a self-motivated person and that's the kind of person that gets promoted Joseph planned and he was promoted God gave Moses a clear plan for the Tabernacle didn't he Moses came down with the Tabernacle on a piece of paper all drawn out clear and the Bible says Exodus 26:30 set up the Tabernacle according to the plan I have shown you on the mountain God gave Moses a plan not a building David States in Psalm 20:4 may he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans to succeed everybody say desire desire and desire is where in your heart David says get out your heart and your plans will succeed God doesn't get your desires to succeed he gets your plans to succeed a plan is a documented desire I hope you hear me tonight this is very practical when I come back next time I want to be able to to look at you and give me a package in my hand and say this is it this is the next 50 years of my life this is what I want to do you'll be amazed how that attracts the right people to you how it attracts the right resources to you Psalm 33:1 the plans of the Lord stand forever and the purposes of his heart throughout all generations Proverbs 12:5 the plans of the righteous are right but the advice of the wicked is deceitful God has a purpose for each of Our Lives we are all conceived and born for this reason but we must write that Recon on paper it must become a plan I want to close on a chapter that that really became my protection as a young man and still is today is found in Proverbs chapter 16 and tell your neighbor something's coming Proverbs chapter 16 I like for the ushers please to get the handout sheets and prepare to give them out for me please Proverbs chapter 16 now I want everyone to look at me what you are about to read is is God's instructions to you this will also explain why you're not successful to the point where you would like to be right now we're going to read verse one first verse one to man belongs the plans of the heart but from the Lord comes the answer of the toong now you sit there and you go I don't know what he's talking about all right first line to man belongs what the plans of the heart that means that means that are you getting the sheets huh don't read that yet please don't read it yet look at me very important to listen to what I'm saying first to man belongs what the plans of the heart God is saying the plans are your responsibility putting the plans on paper is your responsibility the next line but to God belong Ong the answer to of the Tom that means how it's going to be paid for is God's problem amen it's interesting Hebrew statement it says here to man belong the plant of the heart but God will give the answer of the toong that means god is the one who is responsible for explaining how it's going to be accomplished okay so God knows that the plan you're going to put on paper looks impossible am all these big things you have on your heart God said put them on paper Don't Be Afraid God said put the building on paper put all those things you got on your heart put them on paper he says now it looks like about three five maybe $2 million no problem put it on paper he says how is going to be done is none of your business amen that's my responsibility he says to man belong the plans of the heart but to God belongs the explanation of of how it's going to be done isn't that relieving so write it down don't be afraid of how much it cost I beg you because I've been through this I know how frightening it is some of you are dreaming some serious stuff God says put it on paper what do you see that's keeps coming back to you what is that dream that won't leave you alone what's the vision you have of the building or the or the the department or that that construction building what do you have that studio you own or that dress store or that manufacturing plan for for for school clothes or I don't know what it is what is it you're dreaming con I didn't ask you for the money I ask you for the plan I will explain he says how it's going to be done amen look at verse two all a man's ways seem innocent to him but the motives are weighed by the Lord when you put that plan on paper check your motives is it just for you to get rich that it ain't from God on God's plans are always related to helping people become better Hallelujah amen if your vision does not help Humanity it's from the devil all of God's purposes are to fulfill God's purpose your motives got to be checked verse three commit to the Lord whatever you do and your what plans will succeed God say you write them down commit them to me whatever you do will succeed amen W verse four the Lord works out everything for his own ends even the wicked is involved in the system right boy this gets me excited God says write your plan down I ain't going to work with you without a plan now when you get a plan a lot of folks going to come against you we just work them in the plan the banker tells you no God say no problem you work that no in you teach the banker a lesson the heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord the government policy says you can't build this here cuz the zoning is wrong God no problem we we work that problem into the system be patient I'm going to move the guy who's in power and change it next next year con I'm going to work every everything even the wicked will be a part of the process but first you got to do what write the plan down verse five the Lord detests all the proud of heart be sure of this they will not go unpunished God says even though he's working with the wicked don't make fun of them amen don't be proud in your success as he works through you verse six through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil that means principles keep your life on target with God's laws as the plans unfold number seven when a man's ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to live at peace with him why if you have a plan you can't have any enemies God to make your enemies your friends but you got to have what plan oh boy better is a little with righteousness than much with Injustice values don't do anything unjust on your way to your plan take your time it's better have a little right now start it off right don't rush it don't steal money don't sell drugs to get money don't get bribes to go to move ahead he says take it right move it right take your time keep your plan on schedule here's a big one in his heart a man makes his plans but the Lord directs his steps oh wow listen to it in his heart the man makes his plans but the Lord directs his steps for years as a Christian I was praying for God to lead me just like you're doing right now and you've been feeling God ain't leading me I don't hear the direction of God I don't see the direction of God where is God I need God God seems so far away pastor always say the Lord spoke to him he ain't speak to me brother M said the Lord led him God ain't led me these spiritual Giants oh they always get Lord leading them the Lord don't lead little Christians like me where is God I don't feel the presence of the Lord in my life I don't feel no leadership of the Lord in my life read the verse again the verse tells you what the problem is the verse says the heart of the man makes the plans and then the Lord directs the steps of the plan if you have no plan God has nothing to direct yeah so you praying for The Last 5 Years oh Lord help me help you do what I don't know but just help me oh Lord bless me bless you for what oh Lord guide me where now this is this is serious God says if you don't have any plans I have nothing to die direct if you ain't going in no direction I cannot steare you if you want the Lord to lead you attract him yeah make a plan as a Christian and a man a woman with a vision you've got had to put a plan on paper now we already heard today only about 30% are going to get it so I don't expect any more out of you 30% people then there's a 60% people some of you going to do it 60% you're going to quit but I got a dream for those 100% I believe that some of you heard this word very practical word tonight if you want God to lead you and guide you then you must you must have a plan on paper God will correct you if you have something to correct don't be afraid to commit yourself to paper because the Bible says the heart of a man makes the plans but the Lord directs the step