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Making Plans in Pencil

Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey
The Truth Network Radio
November 29, 2024 12:00 am

Making Plans in Pencil

Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey

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November 29, 2024 12:00 am

In this episode, we examine the wisdom of making plans in pencil. Based on Philippians 2:19, 23-24, Paul demonstrates how to trust in God’s timing and sovereignty, even when our own plans are delayed or revised. Discover the freedom and peace that come when we hold our agenda loosely and allow God to lead the way.

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Making plans in pencil prepares you for open doors, forces you to hold your agenda lightly, refuses to allow you to become lethargic.

Fourth, planning in pencil reminds you that God's eraser is sovereign. Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 16 verse 9, the mind of man plans his way, it's never rebuked, it's encouraged, but the Lord directs his steps. It's another way of saying you got it mapped out and then God decides.

Have you ever been frustrated by a delay in your plans? Have you ever pushed your own agenda even when God was closing doors? In today's message, we explore how the Apostle Paul handled his own plans when faced with uncertainty. In Philippians 2, Paul teaches us to make plans in pencil, recognizing that God's timing and revisions always take priority. Just like a checklist that a surgeon follows to prevent mistakes, we'll discover how intentionally pausing and trusting the Lord protects us from forcing open doors and reminds us to trust God's gracious plans. In our last discussion, if you were with us last Lord's Day, I wanted to focus our attention in chapter 2 on Paul's brief but powerful biography of Timothy. And in our last study, we discovered this model of humility, this young faithful ministry associate who served with the Apostle Paul. Because I wanted to focus just on Timothy and not be too distracting with other comments, I kind of breezed through several verses you probably noticed. I breezed past verse 19, verse 23, and verse 24. They're just too instructive though to breeze through, so what I want to do is go back, decided this week in my study that as I prayerfully considered what to do next that we would take a closer look here.

And what we're going to discover together are several reasons why our plans need to be written in pencil. We never know when God's going to push pause. We never know when he's going to revise. He's going to make us wait, when he's going to overrule our best plans.

That's what's happening to Paul. These verses are loaded with implication by the way. Even the godly, disciplined, zealous, passionate, determined apostle writes out his plans as you'll see with a pencil. And then you're going to watch him submit to God the right to use his divine eraser. By the way, before we dive in, the idea of writing plans in pencil has created some misconceptions about following the will of God. I think some of those can be dealt with as well as we take a closer inspection. As we work our way through these three verses that we breezed through last Lord's Day, let me give you six good reasons to use a pencil when you plan.

Number one is this, planning in pencil prepares you for new open doors. Notice verse 19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly. Look over at verse 23 just for a moment as well. Therefore, I hope to send him immediately as soon as I see how things go with me.

I love this. In other words, I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen to me. I'm not sure about my future. I'm not sure what the Roman court will decide. But I'm making plans in the meantime. See, this was Paul's heart's desire to visit the church in Philippi to send Timothy along first. He'll eventually, he'll send Epaphroditus as well.

But for the moment, the door is closed for any of this. But instead of effectively sitting on his hands, he's busy. He's strategizing. He's planning. He's talking with Timothy, no doubt. He's talking about ministry goals and what to do when you arrive and what you need to accomplish. As soon as God opens the door, he's ready. By the way, this little phrase reminds me of the attitude of Nehemiah, one of my favorite characters in the Bible.

The Gentile king's most trusted associate, the closest confidant, called the cup bearer. He would be burdened deeply over the ruined walls of Jerusalem for the people in disarray in Jerusalem. And I love that scene as Nehemiah opens where he can't hide his burden any longer.

He can't hide his emotion. The king spots it and says, why are you so sad? And Nehemiah basically tells him of his people and the broken down walls and his burden. The king responds by effectively saying, look, I'll let you go there and rebuild those walls.

Do you have any idea when or what you need? And right there, Nehemiah answers. In fact, let me just quote you what he says. If it please the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the provinces beyond the river that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress. In other words, he's already figured out the route he's going to take to Jerusalem and he's already figured out how much timber he's going to need for the gates.

So he asked the king to not only allow him to go but to finance the project and he's already figured out how much. That's what you call being on hold but strategically planning. I'm ready, Lord, if the door opens, here's what I believe will honor you and advance your cause. For Paul, as he writes here, the door is not swinging open but when the door opens. And let me say this, if the door opens, here are the plans to set in motion, which leads me to a second observation here in this text. Planning in pencil forces you to hold your agenda lightly. In other words, when there are no open doors, don't try to force one open. Don't try to chisel your way through the one you want or try to pick the lock on the door or break it down.

It's your agenda. As far as you can see, you look at that door and it's written over it, opportunity. And you might see all over that opportunity this would please God. It's a great idea. It's a godly desire or dream. It seems right. And you run through a checklist and you determine it doesn't dishonor God.

It doesn't hinder what little you might perceive of God's desires or purposes. So why won't this door open? You've been there.

Why won't it open? Isn't this gracious? Notice the guardrail around Paul's planning.

Did you notice? But, verse 19, I hope in the Lord Jesus. In other words, I'm hoping this and planning this. In fact, the Greek word for hope implies actually a sense of confidence that it's going to happen. Paul lived with green lights in his mind. But he adds that caveat. They're bound to read by the will and purpose of the Lord Jesus.

You notice that? Just circle the word Lord. But I hope in the Lord Jesus. In other words, Jesus is Lord to me, which means I am his servant and he is my master. I'm on the planet to do his will, not for me to get him to do my will. Now, today, we use a phrase that closely aligns with what Paul is writing here when we say the expression, the Lord willing, right?

The Lord willing. It's a wonderful phrase, by the way. It isn't a cliché. You shouldn't use it as such. It isn't. It's a great phrase. It's theologically loaded. The Lord wills. Lord willing. That isn't a cop-out. It's a pause point. It's a mental and verbal reminder to hold our agenda lightly.

And you really ought to hear yourself saying that often. Lord willing. So Paul here is observed as acting in humility as he makes his travel plans under the direction of his Lord and he submits, as it were, his plans for the Lord's approval.

And by the way, don't miss what this means to Timothy. He's on hold too. I mean, he's really on hold because he's second in command.

He's going to go if Paul says go and Paul is waiting for God to give him an apostolic order. So he's going to get his second hand, but he's still willing. He's waiting. He's really on hold. He's energetic.

He is gifted. He's ready. Whether he stays in Rome with Paul or heads to Philippi, that seems to be firmly rooted in midair. So plan your actions, but hold onto your agenda with a light grip. And learn to not only say often, but think often if the Lord wills. Lord willing. Lord willing. Now, in case this kind of discussion and study from this text gives you the idea that the Christian life is then just fatalistic, you know, sort of a, well, you know, come what may, so what? Why care attitude? Let me make another observation.

Number three, planning in pencil refuses to allow you to become lethargic or apathetic. In fact, I want you to go back and notice the emotionally charged words in verse 19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly. You could translate that soon. Soon. So that I may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. Soon, you can rewrite it. Soon I am hoping that as I have confidence that Timothy is going to be able to come and find out and then report back to me of your condition. And therefore, verse 23, again, I hope to send him, what's the next word, immediately. Soon, immediately. Paul might have his foot on the brake, but the race car of his vision and desire is in first gear and the wheels are spinning in place. He's anything but apathetic.

He is not saying, I don't really care, you know, whatever. God wants. It will happen. Oh, he's coming soon. I'm ready.

Immediately, things are going to happen and I can't wait to hear about you. He's anything but lethargic about his mission. As soon as God's red light turns green, we're off. Listen, God may change Paul's plan. Just don't miss the fact that Paul had a plan that God changed. John MacArthur wrote in his commentary on Paul's letter to the Corinthian church that I cross-referenced. Paul was never content with resting on what he had already accomplished. Paul never saw a ship at anchor, but wished to board it, to carry the gospel to people across the water.

He never saw a mountain range, but he wanted to cross it to build up the saints. He always saw more work waiting to be done, more souls waiting to be saved, more believers waiting to be edified. The truth is every believer who puts his thinking cap on and sharpens his pencil to map out plans with humility and deference and commitment will not be tempted toward lethargy. You don't have to worry about becoming apathetic.

Just the opposite will occur. In fact, I think frankly the church and every believer ought to be wearing out more pencils. In 1674, back in the day when the church would have considered what we did this morning to be somewhat heretical, we sang hymns that were composed outside of the psaltery or the book of Psalms.

There was a time when that was considered improper. At any rate, there's one individual, the principal of a boys' school that privately disagreed and we're grateful for those who did, like Isaac Watts and others. He wrote verses to be sung for the spiritual growth of his young students.

He was the principal of a boys' school in England. So he wrote these verses but he told them, sing them quietly and this is only for your private devotion. He collected copies of these verses for his students and he entitled it this, A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College, 1674. One of his hymns was designed to keep the boys dedicated and committed to Christ and in that, rejecting apathy and lethargy. It had 11 stanzas.

He designed it to encourage them. Some of the stanzas read like this, Awake, my soul, and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run, Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise to pay thy morning sacrifice. Lord, I my vows to thee renewed, disperse my sins as morning dew, Guard my first springs of thought and will, and with thyself my spirit fill. Direct, control, suggest this day all I design or do or say, That all my powers with all their might in thy soul glory may unite. The 11 stanza reads, Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We've been singing that one for centuries. Great reminders. Making plans in pencil prepares you for open doors, forces you to hold your agenda lightly, refuses to allow you to become lethargic. Fourth, planning in pencil reminds you that God's eraser is sovereign.

Let's say the same thing just a little differently. Solomon put it this way in Proverbs 16 verse 9, The mind of man plans his way, it's never rebuked, it's encouraged, but the Lord directs his steps. It's another way of saying you got it mapped out and then God decides. Notice how Paul carefully phrases this idea. Again, go to verse 23.

Therefore, I hope to send him immediately as soon as I see how things go with me. Can you, I don't want to belabor this, but can you imagine the implication of that admission? It's one of the best things I think we could learn today for our own spiritual lives. The great apostle Paul doesn't have a clue how things are going to turn out for his life. As soon as I see how things turn out for me, and you think, wait, not Paul. I mean, God's just got a, he's got a hotline to the Lord. I mean, if you've ever thought that if you were more spiritually minded, you'd be more aware of what was going to happen next, please take heart. Paul has no idea.

He's got to work down to a couple of options, but he doesn't know how things are going to pan out for his life. But because of the way he's thinking, notice in this text, there are no traces of resentment or self-pity. I just wish God would let me know. Now, what you get from Paul is the same attitude we ought to have as well.

As soon as I see what God has in mind for me, I hope to send Timothy to you. There's only one way you can come up with this attitude. It's when God's eraser is sovereign. When his eraser matters more than our pencil. Submitted, surrendered to our sovereign Lord. I got to share this with you. I came across this several weeks ago, tucked it into a file waiting for the right place to use it, and now is that moment. Jill Briscoe, the wife of Stuart Briscoe, some of you may know him, he'll be with us this summer in one of our summer series sessions, wrote about an event that floored he and his wife.

Humorous but powerful at the same time. It involved their oldest son, David, who years ago as a little boy was told on Friday evening at supper that he wasn't going to go to school. The following Monday he was going to be taken in for an x-ray. David quietly said, all right. Monday came and little six-year-old David got in the car.

His face was as white as a sheet. His eyes, she wrote, bulging with fear. Stuart said, David, you're not frightened, are you? David said, of course I'm frightened, Dad.

Well, why are you afraid? To which David said, come on, Dad, I know what an execution is. Poor kid had been thinking all the way from Friday to Monday, they're going to execute me, not x-ray execute. Jill writes this, but even still, David got into that car trusting the will of his father.

There you go. Get into the car. God's behind the wheel. We can't even claim to be a co-pilot, and he certainly isn't ours. He's sovereign. Number five, planning in pencil entrusts your future to God's revision. Verse 24, look there, and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming. Now, he uses a different word here, this word trust, pytho, comes from a verb that can be rendered to be absolutely persuaded, to be totally convinced. He used the same verb, by the way, back in chapter 1 and verse 25, you might circle that text where he writes, I am convinced that I will remain and continue with you. As far as he can see, he's persuaded.

That's just Paul's personality. But again, would you notice his theological guardrail around this kind of enthusiastic conviction, his perception. Look again, I am convinced in the Lord.

There it is again. I'm convinced, I really think this is what the Lord is going to do, but the Lord might not want to do that after all, and if the Lord doesn't want it to happen, then my confidence, my persuasion ultimately rests in God's revision. He writes with both eager anticipation and then he also writes with wise caution. See, he had written to the Roman believers in Romans chapter 1, how he was asking according, he writes to God's will.

According to God's will that I will be able to come to them. And now he writes to the Philippians from Rome. He did make it there.

Just not the way he thought he would make it there. If I can quickly rehearse for you, Acts 21 starts the story and informs us that Paul visits the temple in Jerusalem and a riot breaks out because he shows up. He's taken into protective custody by Roman troops. That morphs into an arrest that kind of morphs into false accusations and even an assassination plot from Jewish or by Jewish authorities, which morphs into an appeal to take his case to Caesar, which leads to a long sea voyage at which the ship he's on is shipwrecked and they swim to an island, which then turns into Paul eventually arriving in Rome in chains. Paul had prayed that it would be God's will to come to Rome and God indeed willed it but entirely revised what Paul had imagined. So now Paul informs the Philippians, I'd really like to come and visit you but it's according to the will of God.

It's up to him. Would you notice what Paul does not write in verse 24? Look there. And I trust in the justice of Roman law that I will be coming to you. I trust in my position as a Roman citizen. I trust in a fair trial. I have put my trust in the right jury and the best judge because if that happens I will be released and I'll come to you in Philippi.

No, no, no, no. I trust in the Lord who rules all things, my freedom or my imprisonment, my comfort or my discomfort, my health or my sickness, my wealth or my poverty. How do you approach your planning, the college, that change of a job or a career path, that husband or that potential wife, a promotion, moving to a different house or an apartment, downsizing, adding on, maybe an entirely different vocation. Well, sharpen your pencil and prayerfully think things through. Count the cost.

Maybe do a pro and con. Study the scriptures, not for some mystical answer from God, but in order to understand the character of God and the promises of God which shape our thinking as we sharpen our pencil. And then with humility pencil in your plans, aware that your Lord has the ultimate eraser and the sovereign ability to overrule your choices and redirect your steps and rearrange your schedule and even restrict your desires, refashion your future.

Aware, surrendered, resting. And you rest in his sovereign guarantee that he is able to cause all things to work together for good. He doesn't say that all things are good, but that he's able to cause all things to work together for good.

And what does good look like? The next verse clarifies, as we are being conformed into the image of his son. That was Stephen Davey, and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Today's message is called, Making Plans in Pencil. Like Paul, we can live confidently, knowing that God's plans are better than ours.

Whether doors open or close, God's grace will always be enough to carry us through. So, as we face life's uncertainties, let's remember to make plans in pencil, allowing God to direct our steps. Our office is closed today, so we're not able to help you by phone. However, you can interact with us online at wisdomonline.org. Enjoy the rest of your day, then join us back here next time to discover more Wisdom for the Hearts. .
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-11-29 01:01:45 / 2024-11-29 01:10:58 / 9

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