God's Will Is Not Hidden Or Lost
If God Series • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
As Christians, our greatest desire is to honor God with our lives and as we set out to do that, we pray that the decisions we make would be blessed by the Lord.
Now let me ask you this, Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Lord, you know I want to honor you with my life, But I’m confused about this relationship, the choice of where to go to school, or what job to pursue and I really wish you’d lay your will for this out for me!”
If you’ve found yourself there, don’t worry, I have to. And perhaps you’ve found yourself there now. Many of you are beginning to date, or consider school and work and I have no doubt that most of you genuinely want to honor Christ with those decisions and since that’s the case I want us to look in the Bible together today to find guidance through this topic.
Now, before we get into this, I think it’s important to understand that we can say that there are two different wills of God. What I mean by that is that there is a decreed will that is unchangeable as we see in passages like Ephesians 1:11
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’
However, there is also what is called His revealed will. This is what God reveals to mankind in His Word that men should obey, but we often don’t out of sinful rebellion. The difference in these two can be displayed in the fact that God has said in the Ten Commandments, “You shall not kill.” However, in Acts we find that He ordains the crucifixion of His Son.
So to keep it simple, you can write down that there is an unchangeable will of God and a commanded will of God that men are called to obey, but often do not to our detriment.
So with that being said, what we are going to discuss today is God’s revealed will for your life.
So, here are four questions with considering God’s will:
What Is The Condition of My Soul?
What Is The Condition of My Soul?
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It isn’t uncommon to hear celebrities and musicians talking about “God’s plan” but if you’re not even saved and you’re asking about the will of God, then you’re asking the wrong question. These most important thing is that you’d repent of your sin and trust wholly in Christ for salvation and then, and only then, will you begin to live a life in submission to the revealed will of God for you.
Am I Committed To God’s Word?
Am I Committed To God’s Word?
His Will Is For You To Be Spirit-Filled
His Will Is For You To Be Spirit-Filled
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Now what does Paul say are the results of being Spirit filled? There will be a life of control, a life filled with a heart of thanksgiving and being considerate of others. And this same reality is described in Colossians 3:16
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
But the only difference is the Word of Christ is to dwell in your heart. So how do we become Spirit filled people? It is to be a person who consumes the word of God, who meditates on it and submits to it in their lives.
So, if you are going to be in the will of God, you should be a person who is first saved and second Spirit-filled.
His Will Is Your Sanctification
His Will Is Your Sanctification
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
That You Remain Pure (3-5)
That You Love Your Fellow Believers (6-10)
That You Live and Quiet and Respectable Life (11-12)
Am I Submitted To Those Contributing To My Life?
Am I Submitted To Those Contributing To My Life?
That You’d Be Submitted To The Lord
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
To Your Parents
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
To One Another
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
To The Government
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
To Your Pastors
17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
What Is My Reaction Toward Complications in My Life?
What Is My Reaction Toward Complications in My Life?
His Will Is For You To Suffer Faithfully
His Will Is For You To Suffer Faithfully
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
1, 2 Peter, Jude 1. Suffer Joyfully in Accord with God’s Will (4:12–19)
The reference to God as Creator (ktistēs) implies his sovereignty, for the Creator of the world is also sovereign over it. Therefore believers can be confident that he will not allow them to suffer beyond their capacity and that he will provide the strength needed to endure. Such confidence can be theirs because he is a “faithful” Creator, faithful to his promises and faithful to his people, never abandoning them in their time of need, always vindicating the righteous and condemning the wicked (cf. 4:17–18). The way believers will reveal that they are trusting in God is by continuing “to do good” (agathopoiia).
His Will Is Your Sincere Thankfulness
His Will Is Your Sincere Thankfulness
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
As Christians we are to be a people who can give thanks in the midst of situations whether they are bad or good, not because we’re enjoying them, but because we know we have a God who is in control and that He is able to use any situation for our good.
Application
Application
Now that we’ve looked at these things, we can consider the questions that we opened up with such as, “Where do I go?, “Who do I marry?”, “Where do I study?” and so on. And I believe John MacArthur put it best when he said, “If you’re saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering, and thankful – you ready for this? – do whatever you want. Do whatever you want. Marry whoever you want. Go wherever you want. Work wherever you want. Choose whatever you want. You say, “Whoa. Are you sure?” Absolutely. Because if this is true of your life, guess who’s controlling your wants. Do whatever you want.”
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
If you are saved, sanctified, submitted to the Lord then your desires should also be controlled by Him as well. No obviously, we must be aware of impure motives, but that’s obviously aside the point.
When I was asked to come to Beacon I had three choices on the table. There was a church in Asheville, NC that offered me their building and funds if I would come plant a new work there. So I could either go there, come to Beacon, or stay in SC.
Do you know what made me come to Beacon? It wasn’t that I saw a symbol in the clouds or that I heard some magical prophecy. I came to Beacon because I wanted to.
Do you know what led me to marry Ragan? It wasn’t that a prophet came to my house and told me some crazy story or anything. It was because she was a woman who was saved, sanctified and submitted to the Lord and I wanted her for myself so I fooled her into marrying me.
So, if you’re a person who is pursuing these things, you can go to whatever school you want to go to, just use Biblical wisdom in making that decision knowing what God says about debt.
If you’re a person who is pursuing these things you can go wherever, do whatever, and pursue whatever you want if it is inline with what we’ve spoken about today and as you pursue those things, if you’re striving toward something and the door clearly shuts, then understand that may
27 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”
I believe it was Kevin DeYoung who, in response to this same question, says, “Just do something.”
I want to say that I am thankful that you are being so cautious over the issues of life and that you diligently wish to honor to the Lord, but instead of being paralyzed by worry, be dedicated to pursue what God has revealed for you and go forward resting in His sovereignty.
In the Old Testament the term “Lord of Armies” is used a lot...
The will of God isn’t lost, so you don’t need to worry yourself to death about finding it. He’s already revealed His principals for your life in His Word. You just need to make yourself familiar with it and submit to it.