Riding Shotgun 3
Notes
Transcript
God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign
Me:
I have a confession
I have a confession
a. I’m on the therapy couch and you are my therapist
i. It’s been a really hard season to pastor
ii. I had big plans for us this year
iii. Lots of growth – maybe going full time
iv. That hasn’t happened and it doesn’t look like it will get any better
v. To make that even worst it seems like we are just surviving and not thriving
The deadly D’s
The deadly D’s
a. Which do you struggle with?
ii. Defeated – Demoralized – Depleted – Depressed – Desperate – Despondent – Demoralized – Disappointed – Discouraged
iii. I confess I have been a little down
iv. It’s easy to worry – to become anxious – afraid – the what if’s
We
I have a deep theology question
I have a deep theology question
a. What do you do when your plans don’t match God’s plans?
i. Don’t get me wrong
ii. Our plans are godly plans
iii. Certainly biblical plans
iv. Don’t you think that is God’s will that a church should grow?
v. I think so
b. We are living in a new reality
i. People staying away and drifting away
ii. This conversation comes up a lot with people
iii. Let’s ask again
What do you do when your plans don’t match God’s plans
What do you do when your plans don’t match God’s plans
2. Let’s ask him
God:
God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign
a. God doesn’t always do things the way we think he should.
i. We often put God in his box and expect him to perform a certain way
ii. When he doesn’t, we become “concerned”
iii. We worry
iv. But listen to this
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
vi. How true that is
vii. However, that answer can still leave us looking for answers
b. The bible is full of disappointments
i. Imagine a prophet anointing you King only to spend the next several years running for your life
ii. You’re Daniel and living as God would want you too and finding yourself in the Loins Den
iii. You march across the desert and get to the promise land only to spend the next 40 years living the same desert eating rice cakes
iv. You are Saul a leader of the Pharisees and you meet Jesus on the road to Damascus (on your way to persecute more Christians BTW) You are miraculously saved and you become a disciple. You live in a fine home drive a nice car…
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
v. You start the year running in the 40’s and you come down to the end of the year hoping to have 10 people.
c. It’s a matter of trust
i. I forget this often
ii. Remember we make plans we think they biblical
iii. But God created time and space
iv. He IS the future
v. Like he tested Israel he tests us
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
vi. James 1:3 (NLT) — 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
vii. Every one of those biblical examples had a purpose
You:
Riding Shotgun
Riding Shotgun
a. God will often force your hand
i. Many that fall into addiction have to hit bottom (jail) before they see the light
ii. The American church has lived a blessed life.
iii. What if the church was forced to live under ground?
iv. To be honest we are just a little selfish
b. Just maybe God is not interested in our numbers
i. Maybe he is interested in our dedication – our serving – our giving – our love
ii. Maybe he wants us to…
iii. Take up our cross, deny ourselves, and just follow him
iv. Maybe he wants us to be a disciple before we can make disciples
We:
Letting Jesus take the wheel
Letting Jesus take the wheel
a. It truly is a matter of trust
i. Disappointments – they are just that – they don’t last
ii. While we wait on the Lord – Don’t be idle
1. Active rest
iii. Become a disciple – Turn off Facebook (doom scrolling)
iv. Turn those disappointment into appointments
b. Remember God is sovereign
Isaiah 55:8 (NLT): My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.