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KNOWING GOD’S WILL

Introduction

When I say “what is the will of God for your life,” what comes to mind?

Some folks are scarred stiff to think about God’s will because they think it is something they don’t want any part of.

There are many people who say they desire to know God’s will, but they consider it to be something that is both difficult and elusive. So, they never put forth any effort to find it out.

To others, the will of God is believed to be clouded with such mystery that to truly know it is rare, if not impossible.

Some folks go about to determine the will of God by means of signs. For others, it is gone about as if it is a matter of chance.

It is like the fellow who wanted to know God’s will for his life, so he closed his eyes, opened his Bible and pointed to a place in the Scripture to find God’s will. When he opened his eyes he began reading where his finger was pointing:

2 Samuel 17:23–“And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.”

He closed his eyes again and opened the Bible to a new place and pointed on the page. When he opened his eyes this time, the place he was pointing to said this:

Luke 10:37–“Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Obviously that method has some problems associated with it!

Many books have been written about the will of God. These are often only an account of how someone else came to know God’s will for their own life.

But, to attempt to apply what was personally used of God in another’s life can be very unwise!

Doesn’t it make sense that our God, who has such precision and order in His creation and such clarity and minute detail in His written revelation, would be capable of communicating clearly to His children what His will is?

So tonight I want us to consider the matter of KNOWING GOD’S WILL:

I.            THE GENERAL WILL OF GOD.

               The general will of God is that which is God’s will in general! (Duh!)

               The general will of God is clearly revealed to us in God’s Word!

               A.         The General Will Of God For Everyone–

                            To Repent And Come To Salvation In Christ Jesus!

Acts 17:30–“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

2 Peter 3:9–“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

1 Timothy 2:4–“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

               B.         The General Will Of God For Every Christian.

                            1.          God Wants Every Believer To Be Baptized.

Matthew 28:19-20–“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

                            2.          God Wants Every Believer Involved In The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20. (Above)

Acts 1:8–“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

                            3.          God Wants Every Believer To Be An Active Member Of His Body, The Church.(Acts 2:41-47)

Acts 2:41–“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

Hebrews 10:25–“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

                                         Ephesians 4:11-12

                            4.          God Wants Every Believer To Be Givers.

                                         a.          Tithers. (Malachi 3:8-10)

1 Corinthians 16:2–“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

                                         b.         Helping Others.

1 John 3:17–“But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

Acts 2:44-45–“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”

                            5.          God Wants Every Believer To Gain Understanding Of The Scripture And Grow In The Lord.

1 Peter 2:2–“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

2 Peter 3:18–“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

2 Timothy 2:15–“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

                            6.          God Wants Every Believer To Be Holy And Separated. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

1 Peter 1:13-14–“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”

               THE GENERAL WILL OF GOD!

II.           THE SURRENDERED WILL TO GOD! 

               A.         God Wants Us To Be In A State Of Obedience (Surrender) Regarding His Will!

God is not under any obligation to reveal His special will in our lives until there is a submission to His general will.

               B.         God Even Wants Us To Be Surrendered To Do His Will Before He Reveals It To Us!

                            Can you trust God that much in your life?

                            That shows trust! That shows faith!

               C.         The Presentation Of Ourselves To God. (Romans 12:1-2)

                            1.          We Are To Present Ourselves “A Living Sacrifice!”

1 Peter 2:5–“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 2:20–“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

                            2.          We Are To Present Ourselves “Holy And Acceptable Unto God!”

                                         a.          That Is, Present Ourselves In A Condition God Can Use.  (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

Psalms 19:14–“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

                                         b.         Plus, Present Ourselves Available To God For His Use. “Living Sacrifice. . .Unto God.”

                            3.          Not Conformed To The World, But Transformed By The Word!

                                         a.          Not pressed into the mold of this World!

                                         b.          But rather molded and changed into something special by the renewing of our minds by the Word of God!

                            4.          That We May Prove What Is That:

                                         a.          Good Will Of God.

                                         b.          Acceptable Will Of God.

                                         c.          Perfect Will Of God.

                                         (Proverbs 3:1-6; 13-18; Galatians 5:22-23)

III.         THE SPECIAL WILL OF GOD!

When we have surrendered our lives to do God’s will and we are being obedient to God’s general will for our lives, then we are in a better position to understand and know God’s special will for our lives!

               A.         God Leads Through His Word!

Psalms 119:105–“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

                            God will never lead us contrary to His Word!

So, it is important for us to know what is not God’s will while we are in the process of discerning what is His will!

                            God Leads Through His Word!

               B.         God Leads Through His Spirit!

Colossians 3:15–“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

                            If the Holy Spirit does not confirm it, then don’t consider it!

                            Acts 13:1-4

                            We see here the clear leading of the Holy Spirit.

                            We see it was confirmed by fasting.

               C.         God Leads Through Circumstances!

Circumstances must not be the primary consideration, only a secondary confirmation.

                            Negative circumstances do not necessarily mean it’s not God’s will!(1 Corinthians 16:7-9)

                            Some closed doors should not be opened or gone around.

Revelation 3:7–“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;”

Conclusion

God’s will is not to be so much a mystery as it is to be a mastery.

God’s will is not just future tense it is present tense too!

The question is, are you doing what you know to be His will today?

If not, why not?

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!