Good News About God’s Will
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Finding God’s Will: Some Good News
There are a lot of people confused about God’s Will.
They constantly worry if this or that thing is God’s will for them or not.
Who has ever wondered if a situation, or relationship, is God’s Will or not?
Many people feel kinda stuck in life, and wonder what God has for them next.
Who has ever felt a little stuck and wondered what God has next for them?
Tonight we’re going to focus on this last thought. To help everyone know what God’s plan and purpose is for you.
Starting next week, and continuing through the series, we’re going to look at principles and skills to discern whether or not something is God’s Will for you.
There are some verses in the Bible that seem to paint a picture of God’s will as an absolute, inflexible line with only one path forward.
42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
There are some massive problems with this theory!
Problems with the “straight line” theory:
If God’s Will were a straight line, then every single time you messed up, you’d destroy God’s Will!
Our mistakes don’t destroy God’s Will for our lives. God uses our mistakes.
God uses our mistakes to teach us about His grace! If we were perfect, none of us could understand His most powerful attribute: His grace.
God uses everything to craft His calling, future, and destiny for us.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
notice, this verse specifically calls out those who are called.
When the enemy attacks, when you fail, when you experience a setback, all of those things are included in the phrase “all things.”
The question isn’t, “did you mess up?” the question is, “do you still love God and are called?”
Also notice, what is the calling to? HIS purpose.
You can never know God’s will if you only follow your own purposes.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
There is a principle about life: when you care about the things God cares about, He takes care of the things you care about.
You can’t be so focused on God’s Will for YOU, that you neglect God’s purposes and God’s Kingdom.
How can you put God’s Kingdom, and purposes, first, if you don’t even know much about them?
Nothing can happen to you to ruin God’s plan for your life.
What’s a mistake you can make that God can’t redeem? David had an affair and murdered a guy, and God still had incredible things in store for Him and even used his son to build the greatest kingdom the earth has ever seen.
What’s a tragedy that God can’t use for good? God turned the holocaust around! He used one of the most horrific tragedies in human history to give Israel back their homeland.
2) No one is constantly being spoken to about God’s Will every second!
if God’s Will only had one right choice, then we’d all be doomed! No one always perfectly knows God’s will.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
If we all already knew everything God wanted us to do, why are we instructed to find out what is acceptable to God?
Part of God’s assignment for your life, is finding out what God wants you to do.
The process of discovery, leads us to His Will. God uses our lives to teach and refine us.
This process will never stop.
Whatever level you’re at, there’s a next level!
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Not knowing what’s coming keeps you dependent on God.
If you knew everything coming, why would you need to seek Him? Why would you need to trust Him?
God uses the fact that we *don’t* know what’s next, to teach us the skills that make us resilient and able to face anything.
God cares more about who you become, than what you do.
God, in fact, CAN’T, promote you to what’s next, until you’ve been refined, purified, and prepared.
Not knowing what’s next accomplishes all that.
Many times, God is working on us to be healthier and more complete so we can handle what’s next.
Are you okay without that thing you want? Are you healthy and happy knowing you have God? It’s okay to want more, it’s not okay to only be okay if you have more.
In fact, it’s the desire for what’s next, that pushes you to seek what’s next!
Guess what accomplishes that?
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God created time.
If you ever want to know what God wants you to do, that MEANS you care about Him. You have faith.
People who are still in the world don’t care about God’s will! They want only their own will!
You don’t need to know the final destination, you just need to know if you’re on the path to it.
If you even care about God’s Will, AT ALL, you’re on the right track!
Not knowing what’s next forces you into God’s favorite position: trusting Him.
Who’s will? It’s God’s Will. He’s more concerned about you following it than you are! It’s from Him.
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
He doesn’t just give you that concern about His Will, He also works in you to complete it!
But that requires one thing: trusting Him to do it.
Do you trust Him to fulfill His own will?! lol.
If you struggle with trusting Him to do it, maybe that’s a sign that you don’t really care about His will, you’re just wanting yours. Why would you struggle with trusting Him to carry out His own will in your life?
God’s will is for His kingdom, yes, but your desires are also part of His will.
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
If you don’t believe God cares about your desires, or your happiness, then what does that say about your view of God? You must believe you’re a better parent than He is. You must believe you are more loving than Him.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
If you don’t even believe He’s a good father, that’s why you’re scared of His will. That’s why you’re feeling miserable about your future. If you don’t believe He’s a rewarder, that’s why you’re wallowing every night. How can you wallow when you know great things are coming tomorrow?
Just like you know God’s going to do great things for other parts of His kingdom, He’s also going to do great things for this part of His kingdom.
It’s okay to remember that you’re part of His kingdom.
God’s Will for your life is ALWAYS going to involve His Kingdom.
Let’s look quickly at one of Abram’s encounters with God.
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
How valuable was it, to God, that Abram believed God?
God was letting Abram know, “you have me, and that is much more than you realize.”
Abram whined, after God said, “You’ve got me! You don’t need anything else.” God could have been offended at that! Instead, Abram let God know the desire of his heart. His desire was for a descendant.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
How many steps were there between that day, and Abram’s descendants being as numerous as the stars? Did Abram need to know every step?
The Good news about God’s Will:
You cannot mess up so badly, that you ruin God’s plan for your life.
God actually doesn’t want you to know every future step, so it’s great that you don’t know.
If you care about God’s Will, you’re on the right track.
God’s Will is for you to trust Him. Trusting God is the same thing as following His Will.
God’s more concerned about who you become, than what you do.
God cares about the desires of your heart and wants to incorporate those into His plan for you.
Questions:
What do you know about God’s purposes and His kingdom?
What are you doing for God’s purposes and Kingdom?
What areas do you struggle with trusting God about?
Are you happy? Or do you feel like you need another person, or an upgrade, before you can be happy?
Next week: We’ll look at Adam’s life to understand the skills you need for discerning God’s Will.
