Ezra 1:1-11 | God's Planner 2024

This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

In South Africa, the practice from about December 1st is when you see somebody, you say Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year with the rolling R.

That's how they do it.

And so this morning I want to say to you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and our tradition back home.

And this morning we're going to talk about God's planner for 2024.

And I want to tell you a little story before we start.

About a student at our youth group in South Africa who really wanted to serve the Lord.

And she was facing two major decisions upon graduating high school and college.

The one was to become a missionary worker, and the other was to become a social worker.

So one a missionary, the other a social worker, and she asked us at the youth group to pray that God would make his will known to her.

Well, after some time she uh called me and excitedly shared that she was going to become a social worker.

I said, Well, I'm excited about that.

And tell me how you came to that conclusion.

And she said, Well, God made it very clear to me.

I said, How did that happen?

She said, Well, I was walking uh on the beach and I said out loud to God, God, if the waves come in and the breakers touch my toes, I will become a missionary.

But if the water falls short of my toes, I will become a social worker.

And hence, uh, there the decision was made by the water of the ocean.

And it somehow it reminds me of that song, I think Doris Day sang, K Sarah Sarah.

Whatever will be will be.

That was 1955, so uh maybe dated yourself here today.

We would say today, whatever happens is meant to be.

Whatever happens is meant to be, and somehow Kesarah Sarah.

Other people are a little more meticulous in the planning of the new year.

They spend great detail in carving out the plans for the new year, and the calendar already has much details.

The question is just how do we plan in such a way that we consider God's will in the matter?

How do we plan in such a way to leave room for God to accomplish his plans and not just we accomplishing our plans?

And so today's message, God's planner for 2024, I would like us to go look at God's planner of the year 539 BC.

I'm gonna take you to Ezra, and if you look in the Pew Bibles, it will be page 389, and we're gonna read this wonderful historic portion of Scripture, which is dated the year 539, the year 539.

Israel chapter 1, verse 1.

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing.

Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever is among you, all his people, may his God be with them, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuilt the house of the Lord, the God of Israel.

He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

And let each survivor in whatever place he sojourns be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods, and with beasts, besides free will offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

Then rose up the heads of the fathers of the house of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred up to go up to rebuilt the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.

And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, and with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem, placed them in the house of his gods.

Cyrus, king of Persia, brought out these items, charged them to Mithridath, the treasurer, who counted them out to Shesbazar, the prince of Judah.

And this was the number of them: 30 gold basins, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censors, 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels.

All the vessels of gold and silver were 5,400.

All these did Shiz Bazar bring up when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

A passage gives us a glimpse into God's planner for the year 539 BC.

It's the first year of King Cyrus, the king of Persia.

The Jews found themselves in Babylon.

They were brought there by King Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nebuchalasar, the Chaldean, and they hear 586.

And so they've been there for close to half a century.

Back home, Jerusalem was virtually destroyed.

It was laid in ruins by Nebuchadnezzar.

The city had been ransacked, the glorious temple of Solomon was raised to the ground, the population decimated, only the poor and the destitute and the sick were left behind.

And the city had now laid desolate for over a half a century.

The Jews, I think, have been in Babylon way too long.

There probably was now a second and maybe even a third generation of Jewish people living in Babylon.

They have become very acclimated to living in Babylon.

Life was good for them.

I wonder why the name of the prince of Judah is called Shesbazar.

It's a Persian name, which means this may the sun god protect the sun.

Who are you expecting a boy in 2024?

This is a wonderful name to give a Caleb.

Shaz Bazar already decided, okay, we'll leave that.

What is very amazing about God's plans for the year 539 BC is that the plans were already made in great detail some 70 years prior.

And it was prophesied through the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet.

If you look in verse 1, it says they now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord.

This is in fulfillment of God's word.

And it was spoken to Jeremiah some 70 years prior.

God planned the year 539 in very good details.

He planned for an awakening amongst the Jewish people, and their religion was rekindled.

But there was also a changeover in world politics.

Firstly, God had a plan for the Jewish people, and it was already foretold, like I said, some 70 years prior.

He said that the Jewish people will go into exile, and once the 70 years is up, they will return back to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 29, verse 10.

Jeremiah 29:10

For thus says the Lord, when 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my word, my good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

Whatever is happening here is an absolute fulfillment of what God already said.

But there's also a changeover in world politics and world rulers.

The new sheriff in town is Cyrus.

His Hebrew name was Koresh.

He's the new sheriff in town, and the new kids on the block are the Median Medo-Persian Empire.

Of 70 years planning things in great detail in advance.

But I think Isaiah's prophecy is even more astounding.

This is Isaiah's prophecy.

Look at the great detail here.

Now this is a century and a half ago.

A century and a half ago.

It is I who says, of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and he will perform all my desire.

And he declares of Jerusalem, she will be built, and of the temple your foundation will be laid.

Yes, V says, and he will perform all my purposes.

Isaiah names Cyrus.

Like I said, a century and a half prior to the man's birth.

And this is in the height of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

Nobody would have ever thought like the Persians?

Huh?

Who are they?

And God names this man Cyrus.

He unveils his plans and his purposes to the world and to the Jewish people.

He is my shepherd, Cyrus, by name.

He shall fulfill all my purpose.

The book of Ezra makes a very clear statement here about God's word and God's plans.

And everything here is in fulfillment to God's word.

And this is the first thing I think we need to think about.

When we start making plans, and if we want our plans to be in sync with God's plans, we need to think of the priority of God's word and his plans.

If we look at God's planner, his word is all over it.

God is amazing.

He plans things in advance, he tells us about it, and then he accomplishes it.

It shouldn't be a surprise to us.

Isaiah 55, 11 says, So will my word be, which goes forth from my mouth.

It will not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

God is very good at planning things well ahead of time, and he always tells what is on his mind, and then he checks the boxes.

We all love checking the boxes.

Oh, my plan for this year has been accomplished, accomplished, accomplished, accomplished.

But with God, it's 100% of the time.

God does not plan in pencil.

He never needs to make revisions to his calendar.

He never makes adjustments.

God is not man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent, meaning he doesn't need to change his mind.

He's like, yeah, I planned this and now I have to go do something else.

It's not the case.

Numbers 23, 19 says, has he said it and he will not do it?

Or has he?

He's saying there that it's absolutely impossible that God will go back on his word.

If God said it, that settles it.

Whether we believe it or not, doesn't make a plan make a difference.

But God never needs to make adjustments to his plans.

He never needs to write, cancel, or reschedule.

His plans are made well in advance, and God is even so daring to often reveal his plans through his word.

So many things in the Bible is a complete fulfillment of his word, even to the very day and hour.

Remember the time that Jesus was sitting in the synagogue and he was reading this passage that was speaking of him as the Messiah.

And this is what Luke 4.21 says.

Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

That very day, on the reading lectionary in the synagogue, Jesus read a prophecy about himself.

Today, this scripture has been fulfilled.

God is never late, he is seldom early, but he's always on time.

And that is in fulfillment to his word.

Listen to Acts 2.23.

Acts 2.23 says, This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed him by the hands of lawless men.

God raised him up, losing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

The crucifixion, the betrayal, the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross for the payment of our sins was an accordance to God's plan to the very day and hour and minute.

And Acts 3.18 says, but what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ will suffer, he thus fulfilled.

Here's a pattern that we got to see in Scripture is that if God says it, it's gonna happen.

There's no question about it.

Which says something.

I mean, I'm gonna make bold plans for 2024.

But the likelihood of those plans to be altered and changed is very big.

Not the case with God.

God makes long-range plans, he tells people about it, and then he makes it happen on the very hour.

Jesus did not die a minute early or a minute late on the cross for your sins, dear brothers and sisters.

He did not rise from the dead a minute early or a minute late.

It was exactly on God's plan, according to his word.

And so as we make plans for 2024, we need to learn from God as to the priority of his word in all events, past, present, and future.

Matthew 5, 18 says, For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished.

There's so many things in this word that is yet to be accomplished.

It's been said, and it will happen.

If we want to plan out here ahead, dear brothers and sisters, let's take some solace here, is that 2024 is a ready plan?

The good news too is if we consult God's word, we will be very much close to planning in the way that God thinks.

If God's word is not in your plans, dear brothers and sisters, how do we think we are gonna have our plans line up with his plans?

God's word is foundational to his plans, and therefore God's word must take priority in our planning.

Stay in tune with God's word, then we will stay true to his plans.

Now, in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Persia, in order to fill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom.

The next thing to consider here this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is the place of humans in God's plans, and especially human beings of great authority.

Cyrus became king.

He became one of the mightiest men in the year 539 BC.

He conquered the mighty Babylonians.

His empire now stretched up to India in the east, Egypt in the west, the Balkans in the north, and never has the world ever seen a man of his stature and power.

Nowhere in history have we seen an empire of this magnitude.

539 was indeed a critical moment in world history.

And this king, Cyrus Quoresh, makes a decree in verse 3.

It says that let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuilt the house of the Lord.

He is granting as a man of authority, he is writing legislation here or a bill in the British world, it's often called an act of the Parliament.

Here is a bill of some sort, a legislation that is granting new freedoms to the people in the empire.

This is known as the Cyrus Cylinder.

And if you ever find yourself in England, you go to the British Museum, to room 51, and there is the actual Cyrus Cylinder.

If you can read Acadian, you can like, whoa, this is amazing.

So this is real.

This is not fairy tales, okay?

He writes into law something that is so profound.

Nobody ever has done anything like this.

He grants autonomy to the nations that were in exile in the Persian Empire, or at least in Babylon.

And then he grants them unprecedented religious freedoms.

Nobody has ever done this.

No doubt the edict of Cyrus of 539 meant good news for some, but it certainly meant bad news for others.

But God's plans for 539 were cemented well in place 150 years prior.

And this, my dear brothers and sisters, whenever we do make plans, and I know some of us are meticulous planners, we got to look at the role that God Government plays in God's bigger plans.

You see, God placed this man, Cyrus, into a place of unprecedented power.

He placed princes, new princes in power, new governors in power.

But we need to understand that authority and people of great power is not a burden for God.

It is not something that derails God's plans.

And in fact, here it clearly shows that it is accomplishing God's plans and purposes.

Do I need to remind us of Romans 13, verse 1?

Romans 13:1

That says every person is to be subject to the governing authority, for there is no authority except from God.

And those which exist are established by God.

I think twenty twenty-four is gonna be an interesting year.

It's an election year.

I hear the rumbling here.

Who will be our new president?

Let me give you the answer.

The man God puts into power.

Because there's no authority, no position of power except for God putting that in place.

The election results are already available.

Talk to God.

God has put us as human beings in several levels of authority, several spheres of authority, rather.

You've got governmental authority, and that works out God's plans.

He has something called church authority.

Hebrews 13, 17, obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.

Let them do this with joy and not groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

God has placed church leaders in positions of authority, whether it's elders, pastors, ministry directors, and these are not to be a burden to God's people.

They are not to be a damper to God's plans, but rather to guide people into God's plans.

They are part of God's plan.

God has put authority figures within the family called fathers and mothers.

They are not a burden to you, dear children.

They are not there to flaunt God's plan, but rather they are there to guide children into understanding God's will and purposes.

Colossians 3.20.

Children be obedient to your parents in all things.

For this is well pleasing for the Lord.

And God has established so many spheres of authority as a means of ultimate good.

Whether we like the king or the president or the prince or the governor or we like them not.

And God has cemented them into places of authority.

They will make edicts, acts, bills, and other forms of legislation in the year to come.

And these will not always be convenient or pleasing to us as Christians, and we often, as Christians, we always feel like we've got the short end of the stick.

But these are never a surprise to God.

This is part of God's plans, and yet we as Christians are the first to complain.

As if God is like, whoa, yeah, I don't know what to do.

We got a new president, a VP, I just don't know how to deal with these.

They're gonna mess up my plans for 2024.

Have we forgotten something here, dear brothers and sisters, about Proverbs 21, verse 1?

Proverbs 21:1

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord.

He turns it wherever he wishes.

I will never forget my kids, they were about two years old, and uh how they can play with a hose pipe.

You just turn on the water.

Southern California, when it's like a hundred and something degrees, and they and that water comes out and they look in it and they spray it in their mouths, but they quickly figure out that they can adjust with their thumb the direction of the water.

Little two-year-old, oh, that square dad in the face.

Right?

This is what this verse says.

The king's desires, even a mighty man like Cyrus, his heart is like the spout of a hose pipe.

He's just like he directs it in any way.

He directs it in the way that will accomplish his plans and purposes.

Proverbs 1921 says, Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

What Proverbs 1921 says is we can have mighty men, have many mighty plans, good or bad, but ultimately God's purposes will be accomplished.

No legislation, no governor, no king, no president will enact any form of legislation that will flaunt or redirect God's plans.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, one thing we got to keep in mind when we plan for 2024, it's even hard to say, is to remember that God will have people of authority and then they will either give you permission to do something or where they will deny you to do something.

And it's important for us to understand that because these are not diametrically a cross crossing with with God's plans.

In fact, these are means of God accomplishing his plans and purposes.

Here's a third reality that we need to think about in uh in God's planner for 2024 is the passion he stirs up in the human heart.

I talked about it a little bit here is that the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord.

He turns it wherever he wishes.

Here's a reality about God's planner for the year 539, and here's a few things we must consider.

We must consider, firstly, God's desire, then consider God's sovereignty and his providence, and then thirdly, we must consider human desires and how human desires accomplish God's plans.

And I want to see if you pick up on this.

This is amazing.

It's kind of hidden there in the passage, but it should jump at you.

Look at verse 1.

Let's read about halfway through that.

That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the King.

Look at verse five.

Then rose up the heads of the father's houses of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God stirred up.

God, you are stirring up things here.

Everything was good and cozy here.

We've had a good life here in Babylon.

I mean, we all got a big screen TV since Cyrus is in power.

Life is good.

We're raising a second, third generation here.

We feel safe here.

Nobody's gonna mess with Cyrus.

No, you are stirring up things here, God.

That phrase there stirred up the spirit of men in verses 1 and 5, is often translated in the NIV and New King James Version as the Lord moved the heart.

God moved the heart.

This phrase is translated elsewhere in Ezra 622.

Look at 622, and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful.

The Lord had made them joyful.

And he had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them.

Huh?

God directed and redirected the heart of the next king.

After Cyrus was another man by the name of Arter Zerzis, also a very powerful man, and God has just takes his heart and he's like and he turns it.

Ezra 722.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart.

This is amazing.

These are pagan kings.

These are people you you you look at them wrongly.

They're like, chop your head off.

I mean, and yet they are incredibly kind and very, very sympathetic to God's plans.

God placed certain desires in the heart of Cyrus.

And then later on, Arta Xerxes.

Can you explain that?

Can you explain this?

I don't ever see something here of God putting a knife to Cyrus's throat.

I don't see God sending him a sign or a voice coming out of heaven or a dream.

There's no angelic appearance here, simply.

Cyrus wakes up one morning and he goes, What shall we do for 539?

Oh yeah, let's build God a temple.

Let me tell you.

Tomorrow morning our president can wake up and he can make amazing things happen, and we go, whoo, what happened to him?

But here's another thing here that I find pretty amazing.

Cyrus writes into legislation this permission, granting them permission to go up to Jerusalem.

You can go back if you want to.

He doesn't say you have to, he says you can if you want to.

You've got permission.

And you think people with big screen TVs and nice homes, nice sofas, now they're gonna go back to Jerusalem.

That's like a mess?

How many jackals and ostriches are running around?

It's a circus.

Why would I do that?

But verse 5 says, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred up to go.

And in fact, there were three periods of time that people returned to Jerusalem.

You had to accommodate the slowpokes who are like, yeah, okay, I guess I want to go.

But what is very true in this passage is that God ignites the passions, he stirs up the heart, and he moves it towards action.

Haggai 1.14, it speaks of a similar period of time here.

It says, so the Lord stirred up the spirit, maybe I got that.

Yeah.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, another good name for his boy, the son of Sheeltiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehoshadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.

And they came and they worked on the house of the Lord of hosts.

I see apathy to the things of God.

The church is in a unique period of apathy.

Not just this church, the church worldwide.

I just see apathy.

But I know an almighty God who can stir up the hearts of people and they can do mighty and amazing things, and they can do it willingly.

I mean, you do a work day in the spring at church, you know, like 20 people show up, and you know, they kind of fix things and clean up things.

But here, they came and they worked on the house of the Lord of hosts.

It's like, yeah, we're passionate, and they get the work done.

They're like, yeah, forget about the game on Saturday.

We're gonna work on the house of the Lord.

This is what Alexander McLaren said.

A Scottish Baptist preacher, I did not know Scottish Baptist preachers existed.

Thought they were all Presbyterian, but it says, he says, it may be remarked finally on this point that the special divine influence now referred to is dynamic rather than illuminating.

It's not just the idea that God puts in humans' hearts, he makes them passionate.

To stir up the spirit is to move to activity.

God not only teaches, he quickens the spirit, he makes us alive.

Do you think, dear brothers and sisters, your passion and the desire for the things of God, your decision to follow Jesus Christ was just something you woke up with one morning?

Do you really think the faith and the love and the new affections we have for Jesus Christ was just something that's innate to us as human beings?

No, no, no, no.

Every good grace comes from God.

Every good grace.

Matthew Henry, who lived in, I just finished reading his biography, and he lived in a very turbulent time in England's history.

And this is what he says: God governs the world by the influence on the spirits of men.

And whatever good is done at any time, it is because God stirs that up within their spirit.

He puts thoughts into the mind, gives to them understanding to form a right just uh judgment, and then directs them the way which pleases him.

We gotta plan out here 2024.

We gotta put things on the calendar.

And those plans are gonna get topsy turby.

Things are not gonna work out.

And what is our natural reflex when things don't work out?

Crumble and complain.

Crumble and complain.

That's what I do.

Well, Philippians 2, 12.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who works in you.

God is at work here, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Therefore, do all things without grumbling and complaining.

Wow.

So, in other words, one thing we need to remind ourselves of is that when things go flip-flop, belly up, topsy turvy, plans are canceled, we gotta say to ourselves, God is at work and he's working his plan and purposes out.

Everything is about his plan and purposes.

And God will often place amazing desires on the hearts of people to accomplish his purposes.

He is always at work.

He is work in the pagan and he's at work in his faithful people.

But he's always accomplishing his plans and purposes.

And lastly, I want to have us look at God's provision.

God's provision.

God not only would lay desires on people's hearts, he would not only have plans and purposes, but the way that he makes things happen is pretty amazing.

How he finances things are pretty amazing.

Look at verse 4 there.

Every survivor at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold.

It's like it's like Cranforks County sends out letters to everybody here and says, Faith EV Free Church wants to build a gymnasium and you guys have to pay for it.

We're gonna tax you.

So to and you gotta go, what's going on here?

That's exactly what's happening here.

These people are paying for the church, the temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

We can jump over to verse 6.

It says, and all who were about them, meaning the neighbors, aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

What?

Yeah, in fact, uh we are told there in Ezra 2, verses 68 and 69.

Ezra 2:68

69 says, according to their ability, they gave to the treasury for the work.

These people gave what?

61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas.

Some scholars estimated that at$25 million, if it was today.

God makes it happen.

God makes it happen.

It is remarkable in this story of Ezra to show how generous God is to provide financially and physically for what he ordered.

In fact, I know a pastor.

He's not a Scottish Baptist, he's uh from North Dakota.

Pastor Jason Holmes said the following God always pays for what he orders.

And I thought about that.

That is exactly what this is.

God would not lay desires on people's hearts, make this grand plan, and then say, okay, now you gotta figure out how you're gonna pay for this.

God is a generous God, He owns everything, and He can turn people's hearts to give gold, silver, cattle, and valuables.

Aside from all that was given as a free will offering, He can make people give.

And He can make people give joyfully if He wants to.

God stirs up generosity to accomplish His plans.

He not only inspires the work, but He enables the work and the workers.

2 Corinthians 9 10.

2 Corinthians 9 10.

Now He will supply seed to the sower, and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.

What is that saying?

If God wants the work done, he's gonna give you an endless supply of money to get the work done.

That's what it says.

If there's any way that God does not provide for his work, perhaps there's an indicator that we're barking up the wrong tree.

Could be that it's not God's plan.

After all, God's name is also Jehovah Jirah, which means the Lord our provider.

I can I I I've been looking for it.

And maybe you can help me here, but I've never seen anybody in scripture say, well, we have this desire to do something amazing.

We've got these great plans, but we don't know how we're gonna pay for it.

I always see God coming through for people.

I always see God coming through, not only for his people, but mainly for his plans.

So let's wrap it up here.

How do we plan?

2024.

In a way that we can say we think this is God's will.

There's obviously certain things that God will share with us and certain things He will keep from us.

But I think it's far better than standing at the shoreline of a lake or a on a beach and say, well, if the water touches my toes, I think God is saying this, or if the water doesn't touch my toes, I don't think this is God's will.

I think there's a better way of going about it.

I think number one is we gotta look at scripture.

We gotta make scripture priority.

Before we do any plans, we've got to know what scripture says.

We've got to know what scripture says.

That's priority for God, that's priority for us.

Why?

Firstly, because God speaks and he spoke to us through his word.

But we also learn that he will keep his word and fulfill his word.

And we can know that what he has spoken, he will always fulfill.

So that's why we got to make scripture priority.

But I think there's some more things here.

The second thing is we got to look at the permission that we are granted.

If we don't have permission, if you, a young man, a young woman, uh, a young boy, a young girl, a congregant, uh, you you got plans to go to the mission field, you gotta look at the authority structures that God put in place there.

You you gotta look whether God is granting you permission or not.

If God is not granting permission, I am very doubtful if it's God's plans.

I I'm doubtful if it's God's plans.

If mom and dad's not quite in it, you gotta think.

You gotta stop and say, I don't have permission from my parents.

Uh what does my pastor think?

What's my elders' thoughts on these?

I think the second thing, the third thing we need to look at here, is the passion that God stirs up in people's hearts.

We cannot deny divine influence.

We cannot deny the fact that God will turn our hearts in a certain direction.

We cannot deny that.

And we cannot deny that he will use that to accomplish his will and his purposes.

But also, he will never subvert authority or break even his own commandments.

So we got to think of all these things as a unified whole.

The priority of God's word, the permission he grants through people in authority, and also the passion he stirs up.

This is a unified whole.

And I think the the the the fourth thing to consider in planning 2024 is God's provision.

If God provides for it, great.

If God does not provide for it, he doesn't provide for it, and it may just not be his plan.

I'm sure many of us have great plans, and we're gonna go, how are we gonna finance this great plan?

Um God pays for what he orders, doesn't he?

And so God will fulfill his plans, and money is never a problem for him.

And so think about this.

Next time you make a plan, think of the primacy of Scripture, the permission granted by those in authority, the passion that he stirs up in people's hearts.

And if you're the only one with a passion, that's maybe something to think about.

Uh, and also the provision that God makes available to accomplish his plans.

But even though we can go through this list and say, check, check, check, check, this must be God's will.

Here's a little tip that I learned from the reformers.

Actually, I think it began with the Puritans.

When they ended a letter, or they made an appointment, they would write Dio volente.

Dio valente, which means God willing, or if God so wills.

And that's biblical.

James 4.15 says, instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills.

And so maybe somewhere on your calendar writes, write the words dio valente, if you can't spell it, just write dv.

And it will remind you that if God wills.

And we can make plans, but if it's not God's will, that plan is not gonna work out.

I'm not saying here today make no plans, because that is foolish.

But we know who makes long-range plans and always fulfills it.

And that's a great comfort.

Uh as long as God's plans get accomplished for 2024, I'm I'm I'm happy.

Right?

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for just being in control of everything.

You are in the details, Lord, everything, everything in the way in the year 539 BC.

You were in the plans for 2024 AD.

And so, Lord, we uh we we we just want to commit our ways to you.

We want to surrender our heart to you, and we want to uh just be men and women that uh plan our ways according to you and according to your word.

And I pray, God, that we uh humbly lay our plans before you and that you will provide for our plans.

Stir us up, Lord Jesus, this year, especially for the work of the ministry.

Stir up a passion like the passion you stirred up way back there in 539 BC.

Turn our hearts away from these mundane things, these worldly and earthly things, and help us to have a heavenly mindset.

Ignite the passions of our heart for this year.

Deliver the church of the Western world from apathy and complacency.

Give us a new zeal to make disciples, give us a new passion to reach the community for Jesus Christ.

We pray this in your holy name.

Amen.

That concludes this sermon from Faith Evangelical Free Church.

Our mission is to declare the Word of God and disciple believers into mature, devoted followers of Jesus.

You can learn more by visiting our website at faithfree.com.