HOW TO FIND GOD'S WILL?
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HOW TO FIND GOD’S WILL?
HOW TO FIND GOD’S WILL?
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
Are you fulfilling your God given calling?
Do you even know what God has ordained for your life?
The reality is most believers who attend churches don’t know why they were put on this earth & they go through life never living out all that God has planned for them.
This doesn’t mean that every believer is supposed to be preachers & missionaries but every believer should be pursuing God’s purpose for their life.
There should be this desire within us to know & do what God wants us to.
In fact, we shouldn’t feel satisfied doing anything other than what God wants us to.
Another couple of questions that we need to consider is this - How can the kingdom of God grow & expand if every believer isn’t doing what God has called them to do?
How can this local church be all that God wants it to be if every member isn’t fulfilling their purpose?
So, tonight I want to share with you 2 keys that will help you to discover God’s will & purpose for your life.
1) BELIEVE GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
1) BELIEVE GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
15 My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.
God has a specific plan for your life & He’s had this plan in mind before you were ever born.
(Illus. Jeremiah)
4 The word of the Lord came to me:
5 I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Just like God had a plan for Jeremiah…He has a plan for you.
You are not a mistake going somewhere to happen...You haven’t been placed on this earth by chance or coincidence.
You haven’t been placed on this earth by chance. Where
Where and when you were born, the parents God gave you, your personality, and everything else about you was orchestrated by God for a specific purpose.
and when you were born, the parents God gave you,
YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT!!!
GOD HAD A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE WHEN HE FORMED YOU IN YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB!!!
your personality, and ever ything else about you was
And if you’re going to discover God’s plan for your life…you need to BELIEVE He has plan for your life.
orchestrated by God for a specific purpose.
You need to believe that God has something special that He wants you to do.
But most people think that if they don’t preach, teach, or evangelize…what they do isn’t special.
NOTE: If it’s being done for God whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes…it’s all for His glory…and it’s all special to Him.
And the kingdom of God can never fully be represented if EVERYONE doesn’t do their part.
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
2) SEEK GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
2) SEEK GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
It’s not enough to believe that God has a plan for your life… you must seek God’s plan for your life.
Just b/c God has a plan for your life doesn’t mean that you’re going to automatically know it.
Iow’s, God’s will isn’t going to automatically come to pass in your life.
His will doesn’t always come to pass.
(Illus. Take salvation for example.)
9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
God wants all to come to repentance & be saved…but we know that everyone won’t.
God wants everyone to find & walk in the purpose He has ordained for them…but not everyone will, but that’s not God’s fault.
NOTE: We are responsible for seeking God’s will for our lives.
It’s not that He’s playing hide & seek with us…but we are going to have to do some seeking to find it.
God wants you to know His will.
17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Let me draw two conclusions from that verse of scripture.
First, the will of God can be known and understood.
The will of God isn’t some mysterious secret revealed only to a select few who are super-spiritual.
God has a will for your life and you can know it & understand it.
Second, knowing the will of God for your life is the primary difference between being wise and being a fool. In God’s eyes, the number one thing that makes the difference between you as a wise person and you as a fool is that you know, understand and do God’s will for your life.
He doesn’t just reveal His will to preachers, teachers, prophets, & evangelists…He wants ALL of His people to know His will.
Secondly, knowing the will of God for your life is the primary difference between being wise and being foolish.
In God’s eyes, the number one thing that makes the difference between you as a wise person and being foolish is that you know, understand and do God’s will for your life.
NOTE: The will of God is worth finding & discovering.
Supernatural joy & peace will come when you’re in the center of His will.
His blessing & anointing will always be on your work when you’re doing what He’s called you to do.
So, how do I seek God’s will/plan for my life?
Walk with God
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
You need to develop a relationship with Him...Christianity is all about relationship rather than religion.
And so you must cultivate your relationship with God. You must seek to know Him and not just seek to know about Him.
And so you must cultivate your relationship with God...You must seek to know Him and not just seek to know about Him.
You cultivate that relationship best by spending time in His Word, taking time for prayer, and taking every opportunity you can to be involved in church.
You will cultivate that relationship best by spending time in His Word, taking time for prayer, and taking every opportunity you can to be involved in church and small group Bible study opportunities. When you seek these disciplines in your life, God will begin the first steps to revealing His plan to you.
When you seek these disciplines in your life, God will begin the first steps to revealing His plan to you.
Surrender to God
1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we’re really wanting to say to God is this: “OK, God, here’s what I’m planning to do...Now I need you to approve it.”
I can tell you that this isn’t effective in finding His true will.
Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do. God will likely be slow to show you His plan if He knows you will likely not do that plan anyway.
Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do.
NOTE: God will be hesitant to show you His plan if He knows you will likely not do that plan anyway.
It’s when we surrender fully to Him, that He really begins to direct our steps.
NOTE: You have to be willing in advance to do whatever God tells you to do before He tells you to do it.
Think of your life as a blank check and say, “Lord, I have given you my life...It is a blank check...You fill in the amount.”
When you come to the Lord with that attitude, you will discover God’s will for your life.
You won’t see it all in advance, but step by step God will lead you exactly where He wants to you go.
Obey what you already know to be God’s will
Many people seem to want to know what God’s plan is for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His will is already given to us through His Word.
God is very clear about many, many aspects of His will.
1 thess.
3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality,
18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
NOTE: If we don’t obey the things that God has shown us clearly to be His will, why would we think He would reveal any further information regarding His plan for our lives?
Obedience is an important first step.
Seek godly input
14 Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.
One key component to finding God’s will is to seek the input of godly advisors in your life.
We should surround ourselves with wise, godly people who can help us discern God’s will.
Think of it this way: you should understand that you are basically a composite of the five people you spend the most time with. So, then, it is vital that you choose those five people well. If you choose to surround yourself with godly advisors, they will be instrumental in helping you discern God’s plan for your life. But if you surround yourself with people who are far from God, your hope of finding His best for your life will be greatly diminished.
NOTE: If the only people you have speaking into your life are people who are far from God, you can’t expect to find God’s best for your life.
20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.
You will become like those you surround yourself with.
If you want to see your future…look at the people you surround yourself with.
Pay attention to how God has wired you
God has created you to fulfill a specific role in this world.
There is no one else who can achieve completely what God has purposely created you to do.
10 Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.
God has gifted every one of us to perform a special mission for which we alone were created.
So, when you seek to discover God’s will for your life, pay attention to how He has gifted you. His plan for you will always be directly related to the gifts that He has bestowed upon you. The great news is that you will automatically be good at whatever it is that He has called you to do!
So, when you seek to discover God’s will for your life, pay attention to how He has gifted you.
His plan for you will most always be directly related to the gifts that He has given you.
Listen to the Holy Spirit
27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Rom. 8:14
14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
The HS lives within us to guide & direct us into the perfect will of God.
If we will listen we can hear Him speak.
Look at your circumstances
God works out His plan in our lives through our circumstances.
Iow’s, God opens doors & closes doors to get us into the center of His will.
Let me illustrate this from the life of the Apostle Paul.
Acts 16
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.
7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
8 So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”
10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.
We see in this text that at times Paul had to face closed doors in his ministry…but we see that God had a purpose for it & it was a part of God’s plan.
NOTE: God often uses closed doors to show us clearly what He doesn’t want us to do…and He also uses open doors at times to show us what He DOES want us to do.
But let me say this as a word of caution - Every open door doesn’t mean it’s definitely God’s plan.
If a door opens & you don’t have some peace about it…you shouldn’t walk through it.
I’m not saying that you need to have 100% certainty that it’s God’s will…but you need some peace in your heart about the decisions you make concerning God’s will.
(Illus. Pastoring in Pennsylvania today.)
CONCLUSION:
CONCLUSION:
In closing, I want to share with you some of the myths surrounding the will of God.
God will give you a roadmap
God doesn’t give us a roadmap…He gives us steps to take.
Iow’s, God doesn’t give us all the details at once…He leads us one step at a time.
And when you have taken the 1st step…He will give the next step.
God wants you to have 100% certainty before you make a decision
Some people believe that you need to be 100% certain of God’s will before making a decision…but when you look in the bible is that how God worked?
Did Noah know all about the flood? No, but he built the ark anyway.
Did Abraham have total certainty? No, but he left Ur of the Chaldees.
Did Abraham have total certainty? No, but he left Ur of the Chaldees.
Did Jacob know where he was going? No, but he left home because he couldn’t safely stay there.
Did Jacob know where he was going? No, but he left home because he couldn’t safely stay there.
Did Moses understand what it meant to lead God’s people out of Egypt? No, but he said yes when the Lord called him.
Did Moses understand what it meant to lead God’s people out of Egypt? No, but he said yes when the Lord called him.
Did Joshua know how the walls of Jericho were going to come tumbling down? No, but he marched around Jericho anyway.
Did Joshua know how the walls were going to come tumbling down? No, but he marched around Jericho anyway.
Did Gideon fully grasp God’s plan to defeat the Midianites? No, he doubted it from the beginning but God delivered his people anyway.
Did Gideon fully grasp God’s plan to defeat the Midianites? No, he doubted it from the beginning but God delivered his people anyway.
NOTE: We could add a hundred other examples from the Bible.
Did young David have a clue of what was to come when Samuel said to Jesse, “This is the one"? No, but the Spirit of the Lord came upon him anyway.
Did Daniel know Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in advance?
Did the three Hebrew children know how they would be delivered?
For that matter, was Daniel totally sure the lions would welcome him dropping in on them?
Did Peter know he could walk on water?
Did Paul know the serpent wouldn’t hurt him?
The answer is always no.
NOTE: The life of faith sometimes means living with uncertainty even in the midst of doing God’s will.
Too many people want what God has never promised—100% certainty before they will act.
So they wait and wait and they stop and they hesitate and they refuse to go forward b/c they are waiting for 100% certainty.
That leads me to this important observation: It is rarely God’s will to give you 100% certainty before you make an important decision.
NOTE: When you sense that you know what the will of God is you must act in faith in spite of your doubts.
God wants me to be happy
Too many people believe that it’s God’s will for them to be happy…or fulfilled…or successful.
And people have used this myth to justify all kinds of sinful behavior.
NOTE: God wants you to be holy not happy.
He’s more interested in our character than our comfort.
It is His will that we we like JC.
29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
That’s the will of God for our lives…To be conformed to the image of His Son.
God makes His will hard to find
God wants you to know His will.
In fact, He wants you to know His will more than you want to know it…and He is more committed to showing you His will than you are discovering it.
God will reveal His will to anyone who is willing to do it.
NOTE: You can know the will of God if you’re willing to do the will of God.
If you’ll say yes to God…He will show you what to do.
Let me close with these questions...
Do you believe God has a plan & purpose for your life?
Do you want to know what God wants you to do?
Are you willing to do what God wants you to do?
Let’s pray!!!
