Before we start our next sermon series on church we had a look at this passage – what a good start to the new year! Here’s my notes from the service.
Picture a child learning the piano. They’re trying their best to play a tune but there’s a lot of duff notes. The teacher sits next to them and plays around their notes and it turns into a beautiful tune.
The child is us trying to follow God’s plan, the tune, but we muck up, so He works around us, fitting our attempts into His plan.
If we don’t listen to God, He may need to use a megaphone. This might sometimes seem like pain or suffering.
We shouldn’t boast in things we plan to do as though they are independent of God’s plans for us.
As we love one another and bear the fruit of the spirit, then others will see Jesus in us. This is how we can live for God’s glory.
We may not know God’s plan for us yet, but in the mean time we need to keep moving and seek Him. It’s much easier to turn the wheel of a moving car than a stationary one.
“Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans” – John Lennon
For some reason we think the world owes us constant comfort and security. This is a very western attitude. “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” – Philippians 4 v 11b
We tend to have a habit of making plans and asking God to bless them later. That’s not really the idea!
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” – Jeremiah 29 vv 12-14a.
This is a great motto text for the year.
What the seeker is really looking for, whether they realise it or not, is Jesus.
“‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.'” – Matthew 7 vv 7-8
What tune is God calling us to play on the piano for Him to work around? We need to ask, seek and listen.
We need to put Jesus in the centre and He’ll take care of everything else. We mustn’t put our plans first, we mustn’t put the cart before the horse.
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Anything to add...?