Resolving Issues in Finding God's Will
Title: RESOLVING ISSUES IN FINDING GOD’S WILL
Text: John 16:13
Introduction:
This morning we come to our last message on discovering God’s will. Nothing is more rewarding for our soul than to know you are in the center of God’s will. Nothing is more exciting than to see God work through you. Nothing is more awesome than to see God do the impossible right in front of you.
What I want to do this morning is to answer some questions that I have faced before, and I believe you do as well, when it comes to discovering God’s will. My hope is that these issues can be resolved in such a way that you can proceed in His will with confidence.
First, let’s pause and look at God’s Word together. Read Text! First of all, notice that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, “The Spirit of Truth.” Jesus is telling us that whatever He hears from the Father, He’s going to pass it on to you in truth. Praise God we don’t serve a god who is deceptive. That’s exactly the situation the people of this world find themselves in. Those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior are under the domain of the prince of this earth, Satan, and he’s just the opposite…there is no truth found in him…he’s the father of deceptive lies. But the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.
But notice the end of the verse, “He will disclose to you what is to come.” It’s a privilege that God speaks to us at all. It’s even greater that He reveals to us what He is about to do. But folks, God doesn’t announce to us ahead of time what He is about to do so we can sit back and watch in awe…He reveals what He is about to do because He is inviting us to be a part of the process!! That’s what’s awesome!
Like you, I too want to be in the center of God’s will. There are some difficult issues surrounding it that I want to address. Let’s look at them.
1. WHY DOES GOD SEEM TO BE WORKING SO SLOWLY IN MY LIFE?
A. Jesus had been with His disciples about 3 years when He said this: John 16:12 He had more He needed to teach them, but they were not ready to receive it. But Jesus knew that the Holy Spirit would guide them into truth on God’s time table.
B. Some of God’s truth takes maturity in order to handle it. Do you agree with me? So we might find ourselves saying, “God, hurry up and make me mature.”
1. But do you know what God would say in response? He says, “I’m moving just as fast as you will allow Me! When you’re ready for the next lesson, I will bring a new truth into your life!”
C. Let me help you with some self-evaluation. Bravely face these questions:
1. Am I responding to all God is already leading me to do?
2. Have I obeyed all I know to be His will?
3. Am I willing to patiently wait on His timing, and obey what I know He wants me to do in the meantime?
D. Gras that is here today and gone tomorrow does not require much time to mature. But the mighty oak that lasts for generations requires much more time to mature. God wants your soul to last for eternity. Allow Him to take all the time He needs to shape you for His purposes. Larger assignments will require longer periods of preparation!
2. WHY DOESN’T GOD GIVE ME A BIG ASSIGNMENT?
A. When you want a big assignment, God may very well say back to you, “I’m trying to get you to BELIEVE Me!” You see, God has to lay some basic foundations in your life before He can use you in the larger tasks!
B. In His infinite wisdom, He knows whether we can handle the large assignment.
C. Do you remember any of the disciples who thought they were able to handle a bigger assignment?
On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Yet he denied Jesus three times…and Jesus knew that in advance.
D. Jesus also know exactly what you would do. So trust Him, and don’t insist that He give you something you think you are ready for. Let Him shape your character in the meantime.
E. Just remember, God is more interested in getting His will done than we are, so let Him do it in His timing when He knows you are ready. Let Him use the times of waiting to prepare the vessel for service.
F. One other thing, don’t use human standards to measure the importance or value of an assignment. All of His assignments are important
3. WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN I OBEY AND THE “DOORS” CLOSE?
A. Sometimes people sense the call of God to an assignment and set about doing it, but experience everything going wrong. Then they say, “Well, I guess that was not God’s will.”
B. We need to be very careful about interpreting circumstances. Sometimes we jump to a conclusion too quickly. Do you know why? It’s because our conclusion sounds better, more logical than His.
C. Folks, when we take on a God-sized assignment and try to do it with our own hands, we’ll end up flat on our face!
D. Acts 16:6-10 Paul was given an assignment to reach the Gentiles. So he set out to do that by his own power. The H.S. stopped him twice! Was he wrong in hearing what God wanted him to do? No. Was the door closed? No. God was trying to say, “Listen to me, Paul. God and sit in Troas until I tell you where you are supposed to go.” In Troas the vision came…God’s plan was to spread the Gospel to the West toward Greece and Rome…God was at work in Philippi and wanted Paul to join Him!
E. Folks, when circumstances indicate something different than the direction God has already told you to go, go back and clarify what God said! Don’t DENY what God has said, CLARIFY what He said! Then trust Him for the timing and wait until He tells you what to do next.
4. HOW CAN I KNOW WHETHER THE WORD I RECEIVE IS FROM GOD, MY OWN SELFISH DESIRES, OR SATAN?
A. The only way Satan can effect God’s work is when we believe Satan and disbelieve God. Satan will always try to deceive you. Satan cannot ultimately stop what God purposes to do.
B. So that you are not deceived by his deceptions, do as bank tellers do to recognize counterfeit money…study only the real thing! Know God’s ways so thoroughly that when something doesn’t measure up, you will recognize it immediately!
C. Tell Satan, “I know what you are saying, Satan; but that is not the last word I had from God!”
D. Just keep doing what God last told you to do until He tells you want’s next.
5. DOES GOD HAVE ONE PLAN FOR MY LIFE FOR ETERNITY?
A. Some people wonder if God has one plan for their life for eternity and then turn them loose to work out that plan. The indication from Scripture is that God’s assignments come to us on a daily basis!
B. The assignment is not the important thing…it’s our relationship with Him that’s paramount! It’s a relationship where we respond to Him as Lord! If you don’t respond to Him as Lord, you may miss something God wants to do through you.
C. We can be sure of this: whatever the assignment, He will enable us to complete it!
Conclusion:
Do you want to be used by God? Do you want to be in the center of His will? Then have this spirit: “Lord, I will do anything that You require of me. Wherever you want me to be, I’ll go. Whatever the circumstances, I’m willing to follow. If you want me to meet a need through my life, I am your servant; and I will do whatever is required.”
1 John 2:27-28
Prayer