Found: God's Will

Chapter 1: Is God a Cosmic Killjoy?

Have you ever grapple with this question “God what is your will for my life?”

Does it seem like sometime God has made his like an Easter Egg hunt?

When you ask that question “how did you expect him to answer?”

If God answered your prayer request “Are you walking in the answer God gave you?”

Two misconceptions about the “Will of God”

a. God’s finds joy in making you do things that you hate or are mortally scared to do....Clarify-If he does this, he will prepare you by changing your desire. Example:(Eating greens as an adult)

b. The Will of God is something you just settle for like second or third in a race.

-John Macarthur makes the claim that in some books he has read the writer describe God’s will in this way “fortuitous conjunction of circumstances and impulses” simply said: Finding God’s will is the result luck and just the right circumstances. Like winning the lottery.

Tell me what you think about that?

When we ask God what’s his will for our life, are we looking for specifics or generalities?

-Before we get started in this book I would like to give you an inviolable scriptural principle that God does not violate:

Matthew 7:6 NASB95

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

a.

-This principle can be found in this text. Jesus is speaking specifically to Pharisees who were antagonistic to the Word of God. He then gives this principle about revelation.

When he says “Do not give what is holy to dogs” is within the context of a great sermon the he has just preached. So the “holy” he is talking about is divine revelation and teaching from God.

Don’t continue to reveal truth to a pig who will reject and trample what you are giving him.

Meaning if God is not going to reveal more about his specific will for your life if you refuse to obey the last thing he told you when you ask him this question

Many are stuck and feel lost because of a failure to do the last thing God told you. God has gone silent on you, so you perceive that he does not love you, or he does not have a specific will for you life. That is not true. Go back to the last time he revealed something for you to do, and you said “No” or you just failed to complete the task.......God is basically saying “Why should I reveal more to them, if they refuse to complete the last thing I told them to do”

Chapter 2: The Crucial First Step

2 Peter 3:3–9 NASB95

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3

-(v.3-4) Peter is speaking about “mockers or scoffers” we might use the word “trash talkers” He says that in the “Last days” there will be large proliferation of people the disrespect, denigrate and deny the existence of the Lord, and his involvement in human History past, present, and future. Notice the text in (v.4) “Where is the promise of His coming?”

Tell me what the scoffers are implying by this question?

Tell me how Peter addresses their current lack of belief? (v.5) He reminds them of the flood

Scientific term- Uniformitarianism-This is the belief that everything from a geological perspective has been the same since the beginning of time. Many scientist teach and believe this now. They deny this cataclysmic flood.

-Peter then gives the reason for God’s seeming silence in v.9

Tell me why God has seemed to be relatively quiet on a geological level from the text?

-(v.9) He is patience, and then he tells what he is waiting for: Not wishing/willing for any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

-(v.10) Then the hammers comes in this verse: The next event on Cataclysmic Event on God’s Calendar is in this verse. By this time it is too late.

1 Timothy 2:3–4 NASB95

3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

What does it say that God desires/will in this text?

Based on these verse and many other

what can we say explicitly about the what God wants in our individual lives? Repentance & Salvation

If you have never committed your life to Jesus Christ, you cannot expect anything at all from God. He owes you nothing. He is not obligated to you in even the slightest sense…John Macarthur

After Salvation what’s the other explicit command that God gave us? Evangelism Share you faith. We don’t need to be in our prayer closet for 12 weeks trying to find out if it is God’s will for us to engage our plumber, or nail lady with the gospel.

Based on this First Chapter what can we say is God’s will for us? Salvation&Sharing