SUNDAY SERMON - People sometimes put all their hopes in things or objects, but in the end their hopes are dashed. They put their hopes in things like money, parents, children, neighbours, and even in their religious leaders, but in the end, their hopes get crushed into pieces.

I can recall a rich family that put all their hopes in their only son. The father of the boy threw a big party and invited people to the feast in honour of the boy, who was proceeding for further studies in America.

The father, who was a doctor, made a great speech in which he announced that the boy was going to study medicine in USA, and that, if he came back, he would then practice it. The father said that he did not need any outside help since the family was well-off financially.

The boy went to the USA as planned. The father never heard of the boy until two years later when, one morning, the police rang him from the airport and requested him to come and pick his son who was under police escort.

The boy had messed up his life while he was in the US and had been deported. He had led a reckless life of using drugs, alcohol and women.

What a disappointment for this family! It was their saddest day when they saw the boy they had pegged their hopes on just sitting there staring at them and looking like a zombie. Their hopes were on the rocks.

But let me inform you that only hopes based on God’s plans will succeed. Isaiah 46: 10-11 says "I make the end known from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”

I would like to urge you today to discover God’s plans and purpose in your life because He will fulfill his purpose in your life no matter what other people may say. "When God says ‘Yes’, no one can say ‘No’”, goes a popular gospel song. Man’s plan can fail, but God’s plans and purpose will never fail.

God knows things backwards. He sees the end of all issues, matters, disputes, our petitions, requests, travel, life, sorrows, weaknesses, family problems. When we are still struggling to understand the beginning of difficult situations, God already knows the end of the situations.

We sometimes tell God to go to a certain direction thinking God needs direction. No! God already knows the route and end results.

In carrying out his purpose, God does not need a particular person. Let us not believe that it is ‘we’ or ‘us’ or ‘you’ or ‘me’ that must carry out his purpose.

He can summon a bird of prey from the east, to carry out his purpose. Why a bird of prey?

Because the bird of prey is so fierce that any bird standing on its way will be eaten up. The bird will reach its destination no matter what opposition is there.

From a far land, he sends a man to fulfill his purpose. This is a man who does not have any favoritism. This is a man who does not love, or hate, one sight. He is balanced. He does not give way, neither does he compromise.

What God has said – the same will happen. God does not say one thing when he means the other. He does not plan one thing and then carry out another. I am more than convinced that God’s plan for you will succeed.

His plans for your church, your pastor, your country, your spouse, and your children will succeed. God’s plans for you are found in Jeremiah 29: 11 "For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

My prayer is that we do not need to lose hope since God is in control. Sometimes God’s purpose for us is frustrated by us. We ask him to take the steering wheel, but soon we grab it back.

We ask him to lead us and show us the way, but soon we say "This road is tricky let me go first” Let us seek God’s face and open our hearts to understand his purpose for us.
 
 
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