June 30, 2019 (6 PM)
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 16 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Bruce K Waltke “Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?”
How Pagans Divine the Will of God: Everyone wants to know the Mind of God
Casting Lots, Looking for Signs, Watching the Stars, Telling Your Fortune, Talking with the Spirits
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen
Waltke: The New Testament gives no explicit command to “find the Will of God” nor can you find any particular instructions on how to go about finding God’s will. There isn’t a magic formula offered Christians that will open some mysterious door of wonder, allowing us to get a glimpse of the mind of the Almighty.
“When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
“When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
Acts 8:4-24
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.
The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.
For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.
So there was much rejoicing in that city.
Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;
and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”
And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.
But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,
who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
“You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.
“For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
My understanding the will of God is based on my obedience to His Word/His Commands.
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can ward off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
God’s Providence (1689)
God the good Creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, arranges, and governs all creatures and things,1 from the greatest to the least,2 by his perfectly wise and holy providence, to the purpose for which they were created. He governs according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchangeable counsel of his own will. His providence leads to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy
The providence of God in a general way includes all creatures, but in a special way it takes care of his church and arranges all things to its good
He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
God’s Decree (1689) From all eternity God decreed everything that occurs, without reference to anything outside himself.1 He did this by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably. Yet God did this in such a way that he is neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any in their sin.2 This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working or contingency of second causes. On the contrary, these are established by God’s decree.3 In this decree God’s wisdom is displayed in directing all things, and his power and faithfulness are demonstrated in accomplishing his decree.
“I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the Lord listened to me that time also; the Lord was not willing to destroy you.
(NASB95)
But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us;
They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent,
but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”
Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
“When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen