What's the Agenda?

Introduction

“The Lord said to Abram” — Do you believe this is unique to Abram? Do you believe God will speak to you? There are many people who struggle to believe to simply do not believe God speaks to them.

Some folks believe God spoke in the OT or NT and is now quiet. They believe there is no way to definitively know God’s will on a matter.

The truth is simply this…God speaks. And we as believers in 2020 we have an advantage over Abram…He did not have any written scriptures. God spoke to Abram audibly because as of that time there was no other means to do so. God could have created that other means but chose to verbally communicate instead.

We are the beneficiaries of the written communication of God to mankind. We know the heart and mind of God more readily and completely than any generation before the Word was written. We have better access to the Word of God than any generation before us…we can pull our phone out of pocket and have God’s word at our fingertips.

Some would counter…I want to hear His voice! Then open your Bible and read it aloud. God speaks!

This leaves us no excuse…we know God’s feelings, desires and will for our life in His word.

Some would counter again…But I need to know some specifics for which there is no verse…do I take this job or that job…do I marry this person or not…do I send my kids to public or private school?

The answer to every question is found in God’s word…it is a matter of the Spirit of God making application to our specific circumstances.

Job to take — If am praying about which job to take and spending time with God in His word…He will begin to speak and convict me about matters bigger than a specific job…He will take my circumstances, the words of people around me and the conviction of my heart to move me…God will direct me to a sense of calling as He reveals my gifts, purpose and place in His Kingdom agenda.

Look at Abram’s life here…God did not give him a lot of specifics…just a promise of blessing for obedience…God simply said get up and go to a land that I will show you…He had not showed Abram where he was specifically headed only to go.

But we want the specifics and details of how things will fo beginning to end…But often God gives us only enough for the next step of faith in the process of living out our calling and purpose.

Specifics are often unimportant or of secondary importance. Our life is bigger than a specific job or career…God will simply use our job and career in the accomplishment of His agenda…we have to get first things first.

Psalm 37:4 NASB95

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

This is an often misunderstood and misinterpreted Psalm. The meaning of the Psalmist is this…come to God with a pliable, malleable heart…make Him your delight…make Him your priority…and God will change your heart…He will mold your heart in such a way that you begin to desire the things He desires.

This is what a revival really is…a renewed sense of love for God and the things He loves.

We get the cart before the horse…we ask God to show us which job to take…God says come over here and spend time with me so I can shape your heart and then you will know my heart…what I am doing in your life…what I want you to be about…then you will know which job to take.

Abram knew where to go because of His relationship with God…a relationship of such intimacy that when God spoke He heard His voice and knew which direction to point the camels in the journey ahead.

We receive our identity and calling from God…these are shown to us in His Word. If you are not spending time in His word you are not spending time listening to His voice.

The problem we too often run into is a lack of time with God in His Word. Many times we lack to ability to understand God’s Word and differentiate our voice from His because we are spending too little time with Him.

Many times we lack to ability to understand God’s Word and differentiate our voice from His because we are spending too little time with Him.

Abram was a man who spent time with God and God spoke to Him…when God spoke He recognized His voice. God wants the same experience for us today.

Go

I want to stop here for a moment and consider the point…God does not always give us the complete picture of what He is doing. He calls us to a step of faith in the direction He is leading but He does not always tell us where it is we are going…or even give a complete picture of how we are going to get there.

This is frustrating for most if not all of us…it is madness to the planners among us. We want to know how the story ends…how everything will work out…how our needs will be provided for along the way…what the lay of the land will look like when we arrive at our destination.

The reason we want to know all of this is simple…we want to feel secure along the way and approve of where it is God intends to take us.

This is not how it works with God…at least not always…but what we can know is that God always calls us to complete trust…calls us to rely on His goodness and intentions…rely on His plans for us. Rely upon His power and ability on our behalf.

Matthew 6:33 NASB95

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Jesus made it clear in that our job was to focus on the Kingdom first…that is…to focus on our relationship with God and our place in His plans…God would take care of everything else we need along the way.

The Kingdom agenda in the life of Abram was simple…He would go to a new place to live…God would bless him and his family…but he didn’t know how all of this was going to happen or where this new land would be.

He was being called to leave all of his security, family as well as his social and cultural identity behind. He was leaving everything he had known to take off in obedience to follow a plan in the mind of God yet not fully revealed to him.

But Abram gets up, loads the camels and goes…His relationship with God was such that He heard His Lord’s voice and trusted Him. He got up and went because He knew The Lord’s agenda was where he needed to be…there was no place better.

Let me say as a side note…we can assume the same word God gave Abram as our own when following His will for our life…God leads us into blessing…a place where we are a part of His Kingdom agenda…a place of blessing as we participate in His life and plans for the world.