Sermon Tone Analysis

*Obeying God’s Will in Your Life*

Hebrews 13:20-21

I once came across what is called, “The Lincoln-Kennedy Coincidence.”

President Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860.

President John Kennedy was elected in 1960.

Both lost children while in the White House.

Both men were shot in the head on a Friday in the presence of their wives.

Both were replaced with Southern Democrat Senators named Johnson.

Lincoln’s successor was Andrew Johnson, born in 1808.

Kennedy’s successor was Lyndon Johnson, born in 1908.

Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, was born in 1839.

Oswald, Kennedy’s assassin, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were themselves assassinated before their trials.

Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy.

Kennedy’s secretary was name Lincoln.

Secretary Kennedy advised Lincoln not to go to the theater.

Secretary Lincoln advised Kennedy not to go to Dallas.

Booth shot Lincoln in a theatre and ran to a warehouse.

Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and ran to a theatre.

You have to admit there is much coincidence between the events of Lincoln and Kennedy’s life.

However, I remind you that when it comes to the Christian life, it is not a matter of coincidence, but providence.

Our life is not governed by accidents, but by appointments.

To put it another way, our life is governed by the will of God.

Each of us can live with the assurance that nothing happens in our life that has not been arranged, appointed, or allowed by God.

Anything and everything that touches our life is filtered through God’s will for our life.

Therefore, every Christian should be deeply conscious of God’s will for their life and committed to doing God’s will in their life.

George W. Truett who said, “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge!

To do the will of God is the greatest achievement!”

If knowing the will of God is the greatest knowledge, then nothing could be any more important that finding and knowing God’s will for our life.

If doing the will of God is the greatest achievement, then doing God’s will ought to be a passion and pursuit of our lives.

I want us to consider something that will change your life for the good and that is the decision to obey the will of God in our life.

The Bible says of David in Acts 13:36 that he “served his own generation by the will of God.” Paul often identified himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.”

The Bible says in 1 John 2:17, “And the world passes away, and the lust also: but he that does the will of God abide for ever.”

David Livingstone once said, “I had rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of England out of the will of God.”

Anyone who has ever made the decision to obey God’s will in their life will tell you that it was a life-changing decision, and one that changed their life for the good.

We have this testimony of Moses in Hebrews 11:24-26:

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

(Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses chose the riches of heaven over the riches over the riches of Egypt.

He chose serving God instead of serving self.

He made the choice to obey God’s will in his life.

Have you made that choice today?

If you have, then praise the Lord.

If not, I pray that before you leave today you make the decision to obey God’s will.

I want us to at Hebrews 13:20-21, which is actually a prayer concerning God’s will in our life.

Let’s take this prayer and lift from it three prayer petitions, three things that we should pray for as it relates to the will of God in our life.

1.

The Enlightenment to Find God’s Will

·  Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom /be/ glory forever and ever.

Amen.

(Hebrews 13:20-21)

The heart and soul of this prayer to the God of peace that raised Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, from the dead is an understanding of God’s will.

It is a prayer about doing the will of God, doing the will of God that is known and understood.

In order to do the will of God, one must know the will of God.

I think I am safe in saying that the majority of Christians will go through life and never know God’s will for their life.

Oh, yes, God has a will for your life.

He has a will for every Christian.

How tragic that for most, they never know that will.

It ought to be the prayer of every person that is saved, Lord enlighten me to find your will.

Lord, help me to know what your will for my life is.

Let me say a couple of things about this matter of knowing God’s will for your life.

/a) The possibility of knowing God’s will/

·   Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord /is./ (Ephesians 5:17)

The word “unwise” speaks of being ignorant.

In this case it is being ignorant of God’s will.

Paul says that we are to be ignorant or without understanding when it comes to the will of God.

We are to understand what the will of the Lord is.

Now, understand that Paul would have never told us to understand the will of God if it could not be understood.

Yes, you can know God’s will.

You don’t have to go through life wondering what God’s will for you is.

The will of God can be understood.

The prayer that we find in Hebrews 13:20-21 reminds us that the will of God is something that the God of peace reveals.

Note the words “make you” and “working in you” in verse 21.

The writer of Hebrews is describing how God makes His will known to us.

It stands to reason that if God has a will for our life, He wants us to know that will.

God would never command us to obey His will and then refuse to allow us to understand that will.

No, He has a will for our life and He longs for us to know that will.

When we pray that God will show us His will, it ought to encourage your heart to know that God wants to make His will know to us.

Yes, you can know God’s will.

That raises the question, “How can we find God’s will for our life?”

To answer that question let me say a word about:

/b) The prerequisite for knowing God’s will /

Some view the will of God as some difficult thing to comprehend or know.

It is like we know God has a will for our life, but we have great difficulty in finding what it is.

But again, if God has a will for our life, He wants us to know His will and I don’t believe He is trying to make it hard to understand.

I believe there is one step that we must take in our life that is the key that unlocks the door to knowing God’s will.

I

·  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or /whether/ I speak on My own /authority./

(John 7:17)

If you will notice carefully what Jesus said, He declared that the key to knowing is being willing to do His will.

I believe and have found by experience that if I am willing to do whatever God would asked of me, He will make His will know.

I did not know God’s will for my life until I was willing to do His will.

What many want is for God to show them His will so they can think about and then make a decision about doing it.

It’s like they want to review His will before they make a commitment.

Of course the real spiritual ones say, “Lord, show me your will and I will pray about it.”

You will never know God’s will if that is your attitude.

God will never reveal His will to you until you get to the place you are willing to do his will not matter what that will is.

When God revealed His will to me it was when I got to the place that I would do anything He wanted—no exceptions.

If you want to know God’s will then get to the place in your life where you do anything.

You will never know what it is that God wants you to do until you get to the place you will do anything.

If you want Him to show you first so you can make a decision, you will never know God’s will.