Untitled Sermon

Role oof Scripture in Decision Making

If God spoke creation into existence – Can He not speak to you in a way that you can understand

In scripture god spoke to man in a number of different ways.

· A phenomenon and a voice – Moses and burning bush

· An angel – word simply means messenger. – Mary mother of Jesus

· Dreams and visions – Paul and vision of Macedonia

· Audible voice – Moses about to sacrifice Isaac

· Human voice – Moses – God said go and he would tell him what to say. God uses others to speak to us.

· Human spirit – still (unobtrusive) small voice

· From OT God spoke through Jesus, Paul and disciples

For our purposes we are simply going to use the last way that God speaks – His Word to us. How is it that we can use the word of God to help us with our decision making.

How many of you are currently asking God to help you make a decision.

· Is there anything in Word that clearly speaks to that decision?

· Are you currently obedient to what you know to be God’s will?

· Are you seeking with all of your heart to know God? If you are not hearing from God

o Now is not the time to hear

o You are not currently obedient to what you know.

How has God spoken to Peggy and me?

· Through HS

· Through dreams

· Through His Word – directly and indirectly

· Through others – a word rightly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver

Prescriptive – clearly says what God expects us to do.

· Please give me some examples – 10 Commandments,

Descriptive – what God has done in past in and through the lives of people. He may or may not speak to us in the same way.

· Sin to avoid –10 commandments

· Command to obey –

o – have there been times that you told someone you would do something and something better came up. (DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO EVEN IF IT HURTS)

o Do nothing out of selfish ambition or pride but with humility consider others more important than self.

He has spoken through His spirit and confirmed with His word.

· What about those decisions that you need to make that are not clearly spoken of in Scripture. Are you willing to wait and pray and ask God to speak to you through His word.

o This has happened to Peggy and me 5-6 times in our lives. What we believed that God had said to us was not clear. Were we willing to pray and wait.

o Going to ASU – Peggy and

o Peggy traveling with me on trips – story

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

· 23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.

o FOCUS – ,

o Going through Moscow to Ukraine Jeremiah

o – story of James and John, Bartimaeus Majid. What was God’s word to me. Not so much about what “do I want you to do for me” as it is about being reminded that God is trustworthy.

What are the secrets to discerning the will of God?

1. Number one it’s time spent in God’s word. There is clarity about all that we need to be doing in the word of God. It is good forward reproof, rebuke, an instruction in righteousness

1.

2. Next is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

3. Next is an attitude of yes.

4. Next is a pure heart, there’s no un-confessed sin that we are hanging onto. ()

5. Finally is time. The longer that we know him and walk with him the easier it is for us to know what his will for us is. It’s going to be significantly easier for me that it would be for you.

6. Get to know God – takes prayer and in his word. Seek with all of our heart.

I believe that the better we know God and experience Him in our lives, the less time will be spent praying for God to show us His will.

Speaking to lady on cruise at dinner. God will prompt us through HS and we will recognize it as God speaking.

Just some thoughts:

What is our job?:

1. Obey what we know is His word to us. Why would God tell us more of His will if we are not doing what we know.

2. Patience. The longer we walk with him the clearer his word becomes to us. (I know what Peggy will say in most situations because I have learned to listen to her over the past 50 years.)

3. Don’t confuse what you feel is right with God speaking if it is contradiction to his Word. ()