Experiencing God- Lesson 4- Doing God's Will

Introduction- John 4:31-34

Have you ever found yourself attempting to do something for God but it seemed that in spite of your best efforts it ultimately ended in failure?

Often you and I make our own plans and then we try to enlist God to bless them.

All the while God is waiting for us to surrender our lives to Him making ourselves available for God to accomplish His divine purposes.

When we yield to God and let Him work in and through us much more will be accomplished than we could ever do in our own misguided efforts.

The Wrong Question

Jesus considered God’s will to be His highest priority and this ought also to be true of you and I.

Many believers begin by asking the question “What is God’s will for my life?”

Yet this is not exactly the question that we should be asking. The better question is “What is God’s will?”

There is no escaping that humanity in general is quite self-centered and naturally we tend to view the whole world-even God’s activity-in terms of our own lives.

The truth is once you know God’s will then your life gains its proper perspective, and you can begin to adjust your life to God and His purposes.

We might begin with a question like this: “What is it that God is purposing to accomplish where I am?”

Once you know what God is doing, then you can see what you should do. Our focus needs to be outward on God and His purposes, not inward on our own lives.

That does not mean that God has no plans for your life, He certainly does, He created you and He alone knows how your life can reach its maximum potential.

Yet we must recognize that the plans He has for your life are based on what He is doing in the world around you, His purposes extend far beyond our individual lives.

Don’t Just Do Something

Many of us long to do something, there is something within us that drives us to busyness.

Sometimes individuals or churches are so busy carrying out plans they think will help achieve God’s purposes that they haven’t bothered to find out what He actually wants.

It just may be at this moment that God is crying out to many of us saying: “Don’t just do something. Stand still! Enter into a love relationship with Me, get to know Me, adjust your life to Me, let Me love you and teach you about Myself as I work through you.”

Psalm 27:14 (KJV) Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 37:7 (KJV ) Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him...

Your relationship with God must come first and what you do for Him must flow out from your relationship with Him.

John 15:5 (KJV)I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Do we really believe that without Him we can do nothing? Sure we can keep ourselves busy, immersing ourselves in activities, programs, meetings, and events, but they will not have any lasting value for God’s kingdom if they are not carried out at His direction.

1 Corinthians 3:13 (KJV) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The activities that God will reward in the final judgment will be those which He intiated and which were carried out at His direction.

When you abide in Christ and remain yielded to Him, you will be amazed at what God accomplishes through your life.

Matthew 7:22–23 (KJV) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

God wants you to gain a greater knowledge of Him by experience. As you abide in Him and enjoy a real personal relationship with Him He will involve you in His work.

He alone can initiate His plans and He wants to involve you, but you cannot do it for Him. When you believe Him and do as He directs, then He will accomplish His work through you.

Jesus gave pertinent advice for those who wearied themselves trying to do things in their own strength:

Matthew 11:28–30 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus’ invitation is for you to join up with Him under the yoke-to walk alongside Him and to follow His lead.

When you labor where He is already at work, He accomplishes His purposes through you and the experience will not be burdensome or exhausting, but exhilarating and fulfilling.

God has more than enough knowledge, power, and resources to accomplish whatever He desires. Our involvment-at His invitation- is a privilege that should invigorate us and keep us close to Him. If you are worn out or stressed about your “Christian duties,” perhaps you are not properly yoked to your master.

God Pursues a Love Relationship

Some people suggest that God gives us general directions and the basically turns us loose to work out the details for our lives.

God’s intention is actually to develop a love relationship with us and because of this, He intends to be involved in the details of our lives.

God does not necessarily lay everything out up front, instead His assignments come to us on a daily basis.

God may place you in one job at one location for an extended time, but He may also choose to use you in various places for more brief times and we should always be open to whatever He has for you even if it’s not something you could have foreseen.

God calls us to a relationship in which He is Lord-where you are willing to do and to be anything He chooses.

Sometimes we miss the will of God because we say things like “God called me to be a so this other opportunity couldn’t possibly be His will” or “My spiritual gift is , so this ministry couldn’t be God’s will for me.”

We tend to gravitate naturally toward things that keep us comfortable, but God is not restricted by our fears and will often call us to go outside our comfort zone to serve Him.

Since Christ is Lord, our attitude should be: “Lord I will do anything that you desire. Wherever You want me , I’ll go. Whatever the circumstances, I’m willing to follow. If You want to meet a need through my life, I am Your servant, and I will do whatever you ask.”

The farmer gave directions involving vague landmarks and pieces of the landscape but when the farmer is in the vehicle the detailed directions become unnecessary.

Jesus is Your Way

John 14:6 (KJV)Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Often people approach knowing and doing God’s will this way: They ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do? When do You want me to do it? How shall I do it? Where shall I do it? What will the outcome be?”

It is typical for us to ask God for a detailed road map before we are willing to set out on the journey, often deciding that we will not move forward until God tells us ahead to time the details of what we will face.

However, the Lord does not send us off like an errand boy, He intends to accompany us each step of the journey.

He wants us to continually heed His voice and go with Him one step at a time.

As long as we walk daily with Christ, we will always know where to be-right beside Him-and we will always end up where He wants us to be.

Jesus did not say: “I will give you the entire plan form start to finish.” or “ I will give you a road map so you can find the way” or “I will tell you which direction to go and send you off.” He did say “I am the way” Jesus not only knows the way, He is your way to knowing and doing the will of God!

Are you willing to trust God to guide you each step of the way even without the full details of the plan?

Do you believe that God will guide you specifically and precisely just as He has done for others throughout history?

When you and I come to place where we trust Jesus to guide us one step at a time we can enjoy tremendous liberty, but as long as we rely on our own judgment we will worry every time we make a decision that it may be a wrong turn.

Some people have been so immobilized by indecision that they have spent days, months, and even years in limbo all because they did not believe God would really give them specific guidance.

God does not want us to live in constant anxiety.

Philippians 4:6 KJV 1900

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV 1900

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

When my focus is my relationship with God, out of that divine fellowship God shares His heart with me.

When God speaks I must respond to everything He tells me daily, and He gives me plenty to do to fill each day withh meaning and purpose.

When we do what He says we are then in the center of His will and He can use us to accomplish His purposes.

Few Details at First

Genesis 12:1–5

Notice in this passage how little detail God gave to Abraham.

Abraham had to step out in faith and follow God in spite of the fact that he did not know every detail of God’s plan.

God often calls people to follow Him without giving them all the details at the beginning.

Many times, as with Abraham, God invites people to follow Him step by step.

If God gave us then entire plan it would only be natural that our focus would be upon the plan rather than on our relationship with Him.

God does not want your life to depend on a plan, an income, a person, or anything else. He only wants you to trust Him.

Throughout scripture God rarely gives the same amount of detail to each person as He reveals His will.

God told Moses much of His plan before Moses returned to Egypt. On the other hand God told Abraham to begin moving and to expect further direction along the way.

God gave extremely specific details to Ananias about where to find Saul and what to do to heal him, yet Jesus would not even tell Andrew where He was staying for the evening in another instance.

The one common thread in every encounter was that believers were to remain close to God for their guidance.

For many of the early disciples the simple instruction “Follow me” was enough to cause them to come in line with the will of God as they left all behind to follow Jesus.

God wants us to enter each day seeking Him and out of that relationship, we will experience Him guiding our lives.

Summary

God is far more intersted in a love relationship with you than He is in what you do for Him. His desire is for you to love Him. As He walks alongside you, He will guide you into specific activities. But even as you do those things, He will be the One working through you to accomplish His purposes. He is all you need. Christ in you is your way, He is your map. When you follow His leadership one day at a time, you will always be right in the middle of the will of God.

Is your Christian life characterized by great effort, heavy burdens, and often exhaustion or is it characterized by a peaceful resting in Jesus knowing that He will guide you each step of the way He would have you to go?