Obeying God's Will
Book of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsWhy obey? Why should we be obedient to God's will and obey? James gives us a clear understanding of the command to obey.
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Introduction
Over the past two weeks we have discussed God’s will and our response to said will. We have discussed the option of ignoring God’s will. We have discussed the option of disobeying God’s will. Finally, tonight, we discuss, which I submit to you is truly the only option for the believer, and definitively the most favorable option, obey God’s will.
Focus Passage: James 4:15
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
Outline
If the Lord Wills! More than Words!
We here this phrase often, If the Lord wills. Many times we say it as jest, but we do not realize the truth of this phrase.
How often do we hear this phrase? Do you believe people to be serious when they make this statement or is it out of habit?
For the child of God speaking this phrase, ‘If the Lord wills,’ it should be more than just a phrase. It should be the condition of the heart. It should be our hearts desire to seek the Lord’s will in everything we do, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills...” (v.15a).
So what exactly comes to our mind when we think of the Lord’s will?
For some, they think of it as a mechanical feature. You do this and you do that because. It becomes to us like working on the factory line, boring, grudging work that bring no joy to life. However, the will of God is so much more than than. The will of God is good and perfect. The will of God is life, joy, and happiness. Truly, the will of God is freedom from the captivity of the flesh.
As Warren Wiersbe states, The will of God is a living relationship between God and the believer.
Just as with our relationship with our parents and children, that will can be ignored, disobeyed, or obeyed. Our response to the will of God, just as the response of our children toward us, or us toward our parents (positive or negative) does not negate our relationship with God. We are still God’s children and as such, God will discipline us for our rebellious action, as we found out in our previous study last week.
The will of God is a Growing Experience that Matures the Believer
Just as we go through steps maturing in life in from infancy to adulthood, and grow in our relationship with our parents, we grow in our relationship with the Father. It truly is a growing experience.
What are some of the stages that we go through in life from infancy to adulthood?
What do believe are some of the stages that we go through in our growing experience with God?
1. We grow by knowing the will of God
14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a message from His mouth.
2. We grow by being filled with the will of God
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
3. We grow by understanding the will of God
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
4. We grow by experiencing God’s will
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
The word, ‘prove,’ within the Gk gives the idea of experiencing something. Paul writing that I want you to know and comprehend, and have assurance of God’s will by experiencing God’s will.
How many of you have been in an experience and just knew this was God’s will? How many of you have been in a situation and knew that it wasn’t God’s will for you to be there? How could you tell the difference? Experience is a great teacher.
5. We grow by doing God’s will from the heart
6 not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
I have heard and said, the secret to a happy life is a happy wife. We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘Happy wife! Happy life!’ While there may be truth to that statement, there is an even more truth phrase...
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Plan Ahead (James 4:13–17)
The secret of a happy life is to delight in duty. When duty becomes delight, then burdens become blessings
God does not want eye-service, he wants heart-service. If one truly loves the Lord, they will strive to do God’s will and glorify His holy name. That does not mean they will always be successful, but they will strive for success.
When looking for a career in the secular world, I always asked two questions: 1) How many am I going to get paid? and 2) Any guesses…what there benefits that came along with that pay?
The Benefits of Obeying God’s Will
Obeying God’s will will always work out in our favor. Agreed?
What are some of the Scriptural benefits that we find being obedient to God’s will?
1. A deeper fellowship with Christ
35 For whoever does the will of God, this is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Just because you want be kicked out of the family for disobedience, doesn’t mean that relationship won’t be hampered. It is the same with God. Our relationship with God will grow deeper as our relationship with our own parents grows deeper through obedience.
2. The privilege of knowing God’s truth
17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself.
3. The comfort of seeing prayers answered
14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
Often our prayers go unanswered due to our ignoring and disobeying God’s will.
Remember what the prophet Isaiah wrote about direct correlation between our prayers being answered and our obedience to God’s will?
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. 2 But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
4. A lasting quality of one’s life and work
17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.
5. The expectation of a reward to come
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Conclusion
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Plan Ahead (James 4:13–17)
Which of these three attitudes do you have toward the will of God? Do you totally ignore God’s will as you make your daily plans and decisions? Or, do you know God’s will and yet refuse to obey it? Each attitude is wrong and can only bring sorrow and ruin to the life of the person who holds it.
But the Christian who knows, loves, and obeys the will of God will enjoy God’s blessing. His life may not be easier, but it will be holier and happier. His very food will be the will of God (John 4:34); it will be the joy and delight of his heart (Ps. 40:8).