Aligning My Life With God's Will

Title:  ALIGNING MY LIFE WITH GOD’S WILL

Text:  John 15:5

Introduction:

            Start new series on “Discovering God’s Will & Experiencing God.”       Goal at end: to determine God’s mission and vision for this church.

            Are you satisfied with the state of your relationship with God?  Are you looking for more?  Are you frustrated because you know there is more to the abundant life He has to offer than you are experiencing?  Maybe you’re standing in the middle of a broken life and you don’t know what to do.

            Well the goal of this series is to discern when God is speaking to you, identify His activity in your life, and experience God doing through you what only He can do.  God’s Word states each of those, but let me say up front, you must believe God to be who He says He is, and can do everything He promises!  For apart from a sincere faith in Him, you can do nothing.  READ TEXT!

            Illus. - “Saint Theresa”

            When you come to God to seek His will for your life, which of these questions do you ask?  “Lord, what do you want me to do?  When do you want me to do it?  How do I do it?  Where do you want me to go?  Who do you want me to speak to?  And please tell me the outcome.”          OR,      do you trust Him enough to say, “Lord, just tell me what to do one step at a time, and I will do it.”?

            The first questions are probably typical of most of us.  We want God to give us a detailed road map.  We’re more likely to say, “God, you reveal to me the where you want me to go, and how it’s going to be, and then I’ll decide of that’s what I want to do.”

            And God says right back, “You don’t need to know the course, just follow Me one day at a time!”

            Jesus said, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life.”  He didn’t say, “I will show you the way; I will give you a road map.”  Since He is the way, He knows the way, He is your way…you just need to follow Him!  And when you do, you will experience a new freedom like you’ve never known.  If you don’t, worry will dominate your day and rob you of sleep at night!  That’s not the way God intends you to live! 

            By the time we’re done with this series it’s my desire to see each of us releasing the way to Him.  Then all we have to do is report to our Commander and say, “What do you want me to do today?  That way we will be in the center of His will whenever He wants to use us for a special assignment.

            Let’s look at the example of Abraham.

I.      ABRAHAM FOLLOWED ONE DAY AT A TIME

A.    I chose him as our example because he walked by faith, not by sight.  Gen. 12:1-5

1.     Did you see what God said?  “Leave your relatives…go to a land I will show you.”

2.     And I’ll bet he could have left a day sooner if he didn’t have to convince his wife!

3.     Verse 4 should be your motto:  “Abraham went forth as the Lord told him.”
Application:  Are you willing to follow God’s will that way?  Are you willing to follow Him by faith and not by sight?  God is more likely to call you to follow one day at a time than He is to spell out the details before you begin to obey!  

B.    Matt. 6:33-34             If you can’t do just as that Scripture says, I encourage you to pause right now and confess your struggles to Him.  Ask Him to help you want to do His will in His way.
Illus. - “Worry Table”
Illus. - “Overheard in an Orchard”
Illus. - “Food When Needed”
Pray - “Jesus, you are my way.  I don’t need a complete road map to stay in the center of the Father’s will.  Lord, I will follow you even if I don’t know the way.  I need to quit worrying about tomorrow and trust You to guide me one day at a time.  Amen.”

II.   WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR MY LIFE?

A.    What is God’s will for my life? - is the wrong question.  The right question is, What is God’s will?  Once we know what God is doing, then I know what I need to do.  The focus needs to be on GOD, not MY life!

B.    That’s exactly what Jesus did.  John 5:17, 19  This is one of the clearest statements of how Jesus knew what to do.  Let me outline it:  He did nothing on His own initiative; He watched to see what the Father was doing; He did what He say the Father already doing!
Application:  Beloved, learning to walk in the center of God’s will is just as simple as this:  Watch to see where God is working and join Him!

III. GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK AROUND YOU

A.    Right now God is working all around you and in your life.                      I see a great tragedy:  people have a deep longing to experience God, and He is working in them day-after-day, but they just don’t know how to recognize Him!

B.    By the end our series you will learn how to recognize clearly God’s activity in and around your life.

C.    The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are our instructors in knowing when and where God is working.
Application:  Folks, once we know where God is working, we need to adjust our life to join Him where He is working! 
“I am the vine, you are the branches.  Apart from Me, you can do nothing!” 

Conclusion:

            When you enter this kind of a relationship with God, you will know and do the will of God.  You will experience Him in ways you have never know Him before! 

            What’s God saying to you right now?  What is that voice in your heart prompting you to do?

            I have an idea that if you quiet your worries and tune in to the Holy Spirit, He says some changes are in order.  The question of the hour then, is:  are you willing to submit your life to God and make those changes?

            Think of what God can do with just one person who is determined to be wholly devoted to doing God’s will!                 WHAT COULD HE DO WITH A CHURCH THAT DECIDES TO GO TOGETHER IN THE DIRECTION THE LORD APPOINTS!!!