Giving Guidance
Notes
Transcript
I just want to know what God’s will is for my life
I just want to know what God’s will is for my life
Two Divisions of God’s Will:
His Universal Will: expressed in Scripture as God’s plan for all believers
His Specific Will: an individual calling that God has placed on certain people to carry out
Playground Analogy: playing inside the fence (God’s will), you have freedom to do what you want as long as it doesn’t break a rule of God’s (Universal Will). Sometimes though, we are given specific directions while inside the fence, like picking up sticks or watering the garden (God’s specific will)
Playground Analogy: playing inside the fence (God’s will), you have freedom to do what you want as long as it doesn’t break a rule of God’s (Universal Will). Sometimes though, we are given specific directions while inside the fence, like picking up sticks or watering the garden (God’s specific will)
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Observation #1: They were already serving God
Observation #1: They were already serving God
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
There was this pastor who would just drive into the country, walk into a field, and he wanted to practice listening to God, and so he would just say all right God which direction do you want me to go?If he sensed left he would walk left, and if he sensed right, he would walk right. He would then stop and he would say, all right God which direction do you want me to go? He would just turn and he was just practicing listening to God. He would make a practice of just doing this. One time, he's on a mission trip in Russia and the city that he's in is getting shut down and everybody is getting run out of the city because of some government turbulence there. They have to figure out what to do and they can't leave because they don't have flights home for another 8 days and so they're about to be evacuated to the airport where they're going to have to live in the airport for 8 days. The whole mission trip is for not, like total waste of time, they flew there and now they have to live in the airport for 8 days and then fly home because there's not another flight going home. So they're like man what do we do? The pastor has one name in his pocket, like one english speaking person's name, who actually works for the government. He doesn't know that person and he has no connections to him, somebody just gave him this name when he got there was like, Hey I know this guy there in case you bump into him. So they walk out of the airport and he just says, Okay God which way do we go and he goes turn left and he walks left for four block. He and they stop, and there's a group of them, so he's like all right Lord where do we go? And he's like keep going and they all kind of sense all right keep going, so they keep going and they stop and he's like all right where do we go and he's like turn right, so they walk about a half mile. They're just listening to God and they walk up on this man on the side of the road being interviewed by a reporter with a camera and the reporter signs off and he says I'm signing off and he says the name that's in his pocket. The pastor’s like what in the world and so he goes up to him and asks are you this and he goes yes what are y'all doing here? He goes well we're from America and he goes y'all you should not be here he goes I know listen here's what just happened and he tells them the story and the guy helps them out.
Observation #2: They seek confirmation on the direction
Observation #2: They seek confirmation on the direction
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
God’s G.P.S. for making decisions:
Gather your Group
Persist in Prayer
Search the Scriptures
God’s speaks to us through His people, His Spirit (prayer), and His Word
God’s speaks to us through His people, His Spirit (prayer), and His Word
Observation #3: There was agreement among them
Observation #3: There was agreement among them
3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Observation #4: They were set-apart
Observation #4: They were set-apart