A Change of Plan // Following Jesus with Confidence, Part 3

Don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing I hate, it’s when someone upsets my apple cart. I have a plan to do this, to achieve this … and someone comes along and forces a change in my plans. Ooooh how I hate that.

1. A Change of Plan - The Holy Spirit

So, what do you have planned for today, tomorrow, the next day, next week, next month? We all have hopes, dreams and plans. How we see the future – what we have to look forward to – plays a pretty important part in how much we enjoy our lives today.

This morning, I got up and looked at my diary – for a change, things were pretty clear, normally I have a lot of things in my diary. The reason is that I plan ahead. So – preparing radio programs – I normally have several pretty solid blocks of time during each week to do that.

Time in the studio. Meetings. Admin stuff at the office. Perhaps the odd catch up with a friend. Men’s group Friday mornings. But this morning, it was pretty clear, so after a time with the Lord, I sat down to start putting some thoughts together for another radio program.

But yesterday … yesterday – I had a list of 27 items to get through – got through about half of them, which isn’t bad. But in the middle of some really important stuff, off goes Skype on my desktop, it was one of our team from Africa calling me.

Now, I hadn’t spoken with Joseph for a couple of weeks, and I really wanted to talk to him – but part of me was … well, not annoyed but agitated, because I had all these things planned for today, and yet now I was being interrupted.

Of course I chatted with him and it was great – but it’s that reaction of having my plans interrupted that’s the really interesting bit. I’m sure you’ve experienced it too – really good plans, and then someone comes along and interrupts them.

It happens in the small day to day things, and it happens too, in the bigger things of life. The plan to get married, to have children, to find somewhere to live, perhaps to buy a house. The plans we have in our minds for our finances and for our careers, for our children, for our families.

Time and time and time again, those plans get turned on their head, as other things, other people demand that they be changed. How do you react when that happens, hmm?

We’ve been chatting over the past week/the past few weeks about the idea of following Jesus with confidence. There are plenty of things that come along and shake our confidence in Him day to day, and one of those things is when our plans – good and godly though they may have been – are turned on their heads.

We kind of react with this shock: Hang on, what’s going on?! I had things all planned out and now… this!! Really?! That can’t be right. Maybe I was heading in the wrong direction in the first place. And that sense of maybe I had it wrong shakes our confidence a bit. Would it surprise you to know that you’re not the only one who’s been in that place.?

Have a listen to this … out of the book of Acts in the New Testament, Chapter 16, verse 6 – it’s about the Apostle Paul’s ministry journey.

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

Now did you notice in there that twice – not once, but twice – we’re told that God Himself stopped Paul and his team from following their plans. I’m sure they’d sat down and thought about it and prayed about it and been convinced to go and proclaim the good news of Jesus in Asia.

And yet, they couldn’t; having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. We don’t find out how that happened – perhaps Paul had a really sharp dream in the night. Perhaps one of their team with the spiritual gift of prophecy stood up and said so. Perhaps they’d been praying together and all of a sudden a few of them just got that really sharp check in the spirit, telling them not to go there.

Whatever it was – the Holy Spirit forbade them to go there, contrary to their initial plans.

And a second time. They tried to go to Bithynia … but the Spirit o Jesus did not allow them. Was there some physical obstacle? Was it a sense of spiritual discernment? We’re not told. But again, the Holy Spirit blocked their way.

I was reading a great blog post “Finding my Keys” by a guy called Luke Collings, where he writes this:

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian is often portrayed as overwhelmingly "positive". That is, the Spirit enables the Christian to live in a manner of which they were incapable while they were still under sin. They can be obedient by the Spirit (Rom 8:4). They can understand the things of God (1 Cor2:12). They can overcome the desires of the body (Gal 5:16). I could go on and on.

The contemporary word to describe the Spirit's effect on the Christian's life is "empowerment".

Well put Luke – in our contemporary social context of individualism and self, it’s easy to get only half the view of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Almost as though the Spirit is there to serve us, rather than the other way around.

Of course God is our helper – but He’s also our King. Of course Jesus is our Saviour, but He’s also our Lord. And it’s that second part of the equation that we miss at our peril. Luke Collings goes on to say:

What we see instead is that the Holy Spirit is more than just Ministry Rocket Fuel. The Spirit is the one who opens and closes doors for the Gospel to spread. The Spirit doesn't just Empower, but Directs and Enables mission. Those engaged in the preaching of Jesus learn from Acts 16 that they are not the Captain and Navigator of their own course. Those jobs are firmly in God's hands.

So … the next time God slams the door shut in your face, this wouldn’t be a bad thing to remember. At the end of the day it’s not my plans or yours that are the important things. It’s God’s plans – because He sees the whole picture.

Notice with Paul, both times He slammed the door shut, God led them in a different direction. The direction that He would have them go; to speak the Gospel to the people He would have them speak to. As well as the “no’s” – there was a strong, positive “yes”.

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

God leads us in all sorts of different ways – sometimes by closing this door, and then a little while later flinging open some other door that you or I would never have dreamed of even knocking on. That change of plans … sure, our natural reaction is to wonder why. Our natural reaction is to have our confidence shaken.

But the whole point of what we’re talking about today on the program, is learning to follow Jesus with confidence. The next time a door slams unexpectedly shut in your face, may the Holy Spirit dust this little chat of ours off and bring it into your recollection. A change of plans doesn’t mean that something’s gone wrong. God is still on His throne. And He really does know what He’s doing.

2. A Change of Plan – Satan

Now before the break we chatted about the fact that sometimes God changes our plans on us. We’re chugging along, we have plans for today and the rest of the week and in fact … for the rest of our lives if the truth be known and sometimes God comes along and completely changes things.

Now, you’d think wouldn’t you that if it’s God – hey. We’d be all for it. Go for it God. Hmmm. Sure. Sometimes we come to that conclusion eventually, and yet other times, it’s like God has to drag us kicking and screaming in the direction that He has planned for us.

Have a listen to this from the missionary journey of the Apostle Paul in case you missed it last time. It’s out of the book of Acts in the New Testament, Chapter 16, verse:

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

So there you have it – twice Paul was prevented from going where he’d planned – once to Asia, the second time to Bithynia and yet God had a positive, alternate plan for him.

That initial shock and horror that we experience when someone changes our plans – in this case, when God changes our plans, which clearly He does sometimes – shouldn’t rock our confidence. Think about it – sometimes, a two–year–old might have a really good plan to cross that busy freeway, but dad, fortunately has an alternate plan. It’s the same with God.

But what about when it’s not God who changes our plans, but Satan himself? Then what?! Well, for most of us, that really rocks us to the core. There have been times when I have had some good and godly plans – I mean really good stuff to bless other people – and something terrible happens.

An argument breaks out in the ministry team. Someone undermines you. Perhaps someone makes false accusations against you. And this good and godly plan that you had just goes up in a puff of smoke.

If you’ve ever had that happen to you, you’ll know that it’s just really the most painful thing. It knocks the stuffing out of us, because … well, doesn’t the Bible tell us to put our confidence in God? Doesn’t it speak of God’s power and compassion and victory over the devil?

How is it that evil can win the day, when the Bible says:

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ (Deuteronomy 20:1–4)

And that’s not an isolated quote. The Bible talks over and over again about God giving us victory over our enemies and over Satan.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

So what happens when the devil doesn’t flee? What happens when he seems to have the upper hand? What happens when the wicked people around us seem to win, against the good and godly plans and intentions that we had? Then what?

Well, if that’s ever happened to you, then you’re not alone. Have a listen to this, again from the experience of the Apostle Paul in ministry:

As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20)

Who prevented Paul from going to see his friends in Thessalonica? Satan did. He blocked Paul’s way. And does Paul seem to be at all phased by that? Not at all! He goes right on and talks about the glory of God! It’s almost as though he sees it as a normal part of doing business, in the Kingdom of God.

And what about Jesus? When we was nailed there on the cross, didn’t it look as though the enemy had won? Didn't Jesus look like the vanquished and Satan like the victor? And yet the Bible says this of that brutal love transaction on the cross:

And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13–15)

In other words, what appeared to be a great loss, was in fact a victory so great, that Jesus disarmed the rules and authorities – Satan and his armies – made a public spectacle of them and triumphed over them.

Do you recall the thorn that Paul had in his flesh – the one that he asked God to remove three times but God wouldn’t? Do you remember what he called that thorn?

Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

Over and over again in Scripture we see situations and circumstances where the devil seems to get the upper hand – he thinks he has the upper hand and yet God is always in control. God’s grace is always sufficient for the situation. And if it was true back then, it is true now.

Just because Satan appears to have the upper hand in a particular situation or skirmish, doesn’t mean that God has lost the plot. It doesn’t mean that Satan is winning. It doesn’t mean that God’s grace isn’t sufficient for you in that place. Look at Paul’s reaction to the fact that he is going to have to live with this messenger of Satan in his flesh:

So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Hallelujah. Satan is purely a tool in God’s hands – nothing more and nothing less. He is as subject to the Sovereign power of God as you or I or any other creature in creation. And as the wise old King Solomon writes, in Proverbs 24:19–20:

Do not fret because of evildoers. Do not envy the wicked; for the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will go out.

Your God is in control. Your king reigns. Your future is bright. And nothing, no deception that Satan can conjure up – will ever change that. Nothing. That’s why it’s called the Good News.

3. The Most Important Thing

The plans that you and I have for ourselves, for our lives, for our families and our jobs and our careers, appear to us to be good plans.

Do you ever hope for something bad to happen? Do you ever hope that you’ll be in a place of loss or confusion or pain or distress? Do you plan to lose your job? Do you plan for someone you love to die, or someone you trust to betray you?

Well, the answer is pretty much blindingly, glimpsingly obvious. Of course you don’t. Nor do I.

We plan for a promotion at work, an improvement in our circumstances, a happy family dinner tonight, that holiday we’re going on next month. We plan for good things. For happy things. And if we had our way, our lives would be like one, long, sugar–coated candy, right? That’s pretty much it.

But before we get all carried away here, planning that we’ll spend the rest of our lives floating around on cloud 9, let’s just get a grip on reality here. First up – life’s not like that. You know it and I know it.

And secondly – God’s just not like that either. God’s plan for you isn’t like that either. God’s plan includes some dark threads in there with the gold and silver ones as He weaves the tapestry of your life, your character and your service for Him. Those are the facts of the matter. Just have a listen to how the Apostle Paul puts it (Romans 8:18–30):

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Sufferings, pain, weakness – are those in your plan for your life? No, me neither. But they’re going to happen, right? And what’s the most important thing that Paul is telling us to remember here? That we know that al things work together for good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose. Because His ultimate plan in all of this is to bring us into glory with Him.

Jesus learned obedience through what He had to suffer – and He had to suffer rather a lot more than you and me. If you and I had a choice, would we plan a life for ourselves like His? Not on your nelly, and yet without His life and death – there would be no life for you and me.

The most important thing for you and for me to remember when our confidence is being shaken – is that God has it all under control. And each and everything that we experience, the good, the bad and the ugly, He will cause us to work together for good in our lives. That’s a good thing to remember.