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UNDERSTANDING AND DOING THE WILL OF GOD

PART 4--STEPS TO DETERMINING THE WILL OF GOD--PART 1

Introduction

Thus far in examining this matter of understanding and doing the will of God, we have said that it is paramount that we be committed to doing the will of God for our lives.

We should not ask the question, “What shall I do?” unless we have first decided that we will do the will of God before we know what that will is.

We must be willing to do God’s will whether we like it or not and whether or not it seems suitable or expedient in our eyes.

We must understand that doing the right thing may be very costly, but doing anything else will ultimately have an even higher cost. (temporal vs eternal)

We have also said we must be doing the things that we know to be the will of God (The General Will Of God) if we expect God to reveal to us His will in areas that we do not know.

Last time we looked at some things that God requires of us with regard to His will.

            We said that God requires that we actively yield our will to his:

We said that God requires that we exercise faith and obedience in response to His leading through The Holy Spirit.

            We said that God requires that we follow through on the directions He reveals.

                        Once we know God’s will, He expects us to do it.

                        We must wholeheartedly respond to implement what is revealed.

We said that God requires that we make use of time, people, circumstances, and providential events to determine His will and to stay within it.

            We said that God requires that we be honest with ourselves and with others.

                        God is not interested win playing games about His will.

So with all of that said, how can we determine what is God’s will for our lives? 

I.         ARE THERE ANY CLEAR TEACHINGS ABOUT THIS IN THE BIBLE?

            (James 1:22-25)

            A.        The Word of God Commands Some Things And Forbids Others.

                        1.         Examples Of Some Things Commanded.

                                    a.         Love Your Wives.

                                    b.        Love One Another.

                                    c.         Be A Witness.

                        2.         Examples Of Some Things Forbidden.

                                    a.         Gossip, lying, cheating.

                                    b.        Fornication, adultery, homosexuality.

            B.        The Bottom Line Is This–Where There Is A Clear Teaching In The Bible Of What We Should Or Should Not Do, We Are Not To Question It Or Try To Get Around It, But Obey It.

II.       ARE THERE ANY OTHER BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES THAT CAN BE OF HELP?

            What are some of these principles?:

            A.        ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?”

                        Ephesians 5:1-2; Philippians 2:5-8, 1 Peter 2:21

                        1.         We Have A Clear Idea From Scripture Of The Kind Of Person Jesus Is.

                                    a.         Jesus Put Others Ahead Of Himself.

Do you have other’s best interest at heart?

                                    b.        Jesus Was Humble And Not Self-Serving.

                                    c.         Jesus Came To Serve, Not To Be Served.

                                    d.        Jesus Sought First The Kingdom Of God.

                        2.         The Very Character Of Jesus, The Kind Of Person He Was, And The Life That He Lived Are Bound To Be Of Help To Us As We Decide What We Ought To Do. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

            B.        ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION, “TO WHAT IS MY HEART ATTACHED?”

Matthew 22:37–“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment.

                        1.         Does God Have First Place At All Times In Your Life?

The worldly person has a heart that is not totally committed to God, but rather is attached to something else first.

                                    Matthew 6:21–“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

                                    Tell me where your treasure is, and I’ll tell you where your heart is.

                                    a.         To love something else more than God, no matter how good or laudable it may be, is worldliness.

                                    b.         The world is the way it is because it always puts something ahead of God.

Paul’s admonition for believers was for them to present their bodies as living sacrifices. (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

                                    Our body is the temple of the living God.

                                    Where we go, we take God with us.

                                    What are the things we are doing with God inside of us? 

                                    In John 21:15 we find an example of the commitment that Christ desires.

                                    “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?”

                                    These what? It doesn’t really matter.

                                    Is there anything or anyone that you love more than Jesus?

                        2.         Commitment To The Person Of Jesus (Which Is Primary), Must Be Followed By The Outworking Of That Commitment In The Drama Of Everyday Life And Its Nitty-Gritty Decisions.

            C.        ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS THE SPIRIT OR THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE THING?” (Ephesians 5:11)

                        1.         There Are Places The Believer Should Not Go And Things He Should Not Do Because The Atmosphere Is Not Conducive To Maintaining A Christian Witness And/Or Our Personal Development As A Child Of God.

                                    Romans 13:12–“Cast off the works of darkness.”

We need to look at things honestly through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.

                        2.         To Avoid All Contact With Evil Is Impossible, But To Conform To It Or Be An Accomplice Is To Partake Of Its Spirit Or Atmosphere.

                                    1 John 2:15–“Love not the world. . .” 

D.        ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION, “WILL THIS HELP OR HARM MY CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WALK?

                        1.         If It Will Harm Our Christian Life By Producing Wrong Thoughts Or Actions, We Should Avoid It.

                                    a.         Books To Read.

                                    b.        T.V. Programs Or Movies To Watch.

                                    c.         Recreation To Participate In. (Mixed Swimming)

                        2.         If It Will Draw Us Away From Christian Growth By Interfering With Church Attendance Or Christian Service, We Should Avoid It.

Example–Taking a job where there is no Church or where you are required to work on Sundays.

                                    Several Questions Related To This That We Should Consider:

                                    1.         Can We Ask God To Bless It?

                                    2.         Can We Thank God For It?

Colossians 3:17–“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

                                    3.         Can We Do It To The Glory Of God?

1 Corinthians 10:31–“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

                                    4.         Will This Be A Weight To My Christian Life?

Hebrews 12:1–“. . .let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us. . .”

Conclusion

There are some other principles that we can use to discern the will of God. I’ve given you about half of them tonight, but the other half will have to wait for the final message on this subject.

So, How are you doing so far?

Can you see how absolutely vital studying God’s Word is?

Principles for right decisions come from the Word of God.

Are you in the Word like you should be? Are you learning God’s principles? Are you applying God’s principles?

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