God's Will: It's discernable
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God’s will, it’s for you
God’s will, it’s for you
God’s will, it’s for you. God’s will is knowable through the scripture. God’s will is applicable to help us in our sanctification and transformation process. God’s will calls for us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed. Today we continue in our series and are looking at discerning God’s will.
God’s will for you:
To rejoice always (1The5:16)
To pray without ceasing (1The5:17)
To give thanks in everything (1The5:18)
Be sanctified (1The4:3-8)
Do good (1Pt2:11-15)
Well, maybe go back and give you a part of the scriptures above as a great reminder of God’s will
16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Our series has not been exhaustive, but has been informative and will continue with that today and the rest of this series. It’s about application! What good is knowing the will of God and not applying it?
Today we look at discerning, or how to discern the will of God (Rom12:2 and more)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Break it down by the words!
Be transformed
Be transformed by renewal
Be transformed by renewal of mind
Be transformed by testing
Why? So you may discern, discern a great word, let’s define it.
(Discern definition slide Inserted here; Merriam Webster)
Discern what? God’s will
God’s will that is good, acceptable and perfect
Be not conformed . . .
Be not conformed . . .
Context matters and words matter. We are looking at discerning, discerning the will of God, but why? So we are not conformed to the ways of this world. So lets look at conformity defined, depicted and the dangers of it (Rom12:1-2).
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Conformity defined
(Conformity definition slide)
In common speak it is conforming to another’s pattern of thinking, doing. It is desiring to be like someone else. A conformist is someone who is fearful of not being accepted and will change thoughts, attitude, actions and even dress so like everyone else.
Conformity depicted (Rom8:29; 1Cor11:1)
Conformity depicted
(Conformity depicted picture)
Let me ask a question is all conformity bad? Doesn’t Paul call for us to be conformed (Rom8:29; 1Cor11:1)
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
maybe look at this
29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
So, again is conformity bad? Of course not, conformity to the world is.
bad conformity illustration (jump off a cliff, do something you know you have been taught is not good and doing so not to stand out but stand with)
Our conformity needs to be like the image of the Son.
Paul says it like this in Corinthians
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Conformity’s ever present dangers (Mt7:13-14; 1Cor15:33; 1Jn2:15-17)
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Look at these verses in speaking of conformity how does this apply?
Now add to that
33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
So now what do we add to what we just said?
Conformity to the things of the world, will separate you from the will of God, remember God’s will is disernable
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Don’t give in to the lust of the flesh (immorality)
Don’t succumb to the lust of the eyes (materialism)
Or by yielding to the pride of life (arrogance)
So discern God’s will and do not be conformed to the ways of this world but to the will of God and live forever. We are to be transformed! It’s an inside job, so may we look at that next.
Transformed by the renewing of your mind
Transformed by the renewing of your mind
Transformed, who does not want to be transformed from the flesh driven sinful nature, condemned person, to the forgiven, spirit walking talking person? OK, so that is really a rhetorical question, we have looked at conformed, now to look at transformed!
Transformation defined
metamorphoó: to transform
Original Word: μεταμορφόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metamorphoó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-am-or-fo'-o)
Definition: to transform
Usage: I transform, transfigure.
According to Vines bible dictionary it says “to change into another form” It is from this word that our word metamorphosis comes from. (Mt17:1-2; Rom12:1-2)
An example is caterpillar to butterfly
Biblical example what happened with Jesus
1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
and what is transpiring with us now (Rom12:1-2) which we are looking at today.
Transformation depicted
Our complete change
This is the transformation that takes us from the sinner to the saint. From the fleshly desires to walking in the Spirit. From living for self, to dying to self and living for God.
We become Christ like (Lk6:40; Rom8:29)
40 “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
As we know God’s will that is discernable, and we allow the transformation, metamorphasis to happen we will be like the teacher.
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
We are conformed into the image of His Son!
May it be the goal of our Christian living (Col3:9-10; 2Cor3:18)
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
Our Christian living is laying aside the old self, putting the old self to death and being transformed in our new self, to a true knowledge into the image of the One who created us in the first place!
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
It is something that we allow to be done in us through the power of God and the Holy Spirit that works in us. Not by our power, but by His!
By His power we are made a new creation (2Cor5:17)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
We are transformed from the old man, to the new man in Christ Jesus.
Transformation developed
Starts with our putting on Christ (Gal3:27; Tit3:5)
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Are you clothed in Christ, have you put Him on? Your transformation process starts when you do.
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
We are saved! We are washed, we are renewed, we are made new by the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that raises us too.
Continues with our renewing, setting our minds (Rom12:2; Col3:1-2; Rom8:5)
Do not be conformed but transformed by the reneweing of ourmind.
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
It is spiritually putting on the new man (Col3:5-10)
knowing the old man is dead, we put off the things of the dead man, no longer carrying those things in us or with us. Consider the scripture
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
It is living, walking in the Spirit (Rom8:5, 8:13)
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Set your mind on the things above, the things of the Spirit not the things of the flesh.
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
To do this we have to understand where to start, to discern the truth
Transformation process starts with
Hearing the Word (Rom10:17)
Faith comes by hearing
Believing (Jn3:16; Rom10:9-10)
Believe who Jesus is
Believe that God raised Him from the dead
Confessing (Rom10:9-10)
Confess with your mouth
Repenting (Act3:38)
Repent, make change of mind, heart and direction.
Baptism (Act2:38; 1Pt3:21)
Submit to the Lord and HIs work by being baptized
Know that it is baptism that now saves you.
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Live obediently (Jn14:15; Rev2:26)
If you love me you will keep my commands
Be faithful to the end to receive the crown of life
Process of transformation
Stay in God’s Word
Stay in communication with God through prayer
Stay connected with God’s people
God wants us to know His will, His good, acceptable and perfect will (Rom12:1-2). So we can discern good and evil (Heb5:11-14)
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
We are to be mature, have the ability to be mature, are challenged to be mature so we can have our senses trained to discern good and evil.
(invitation slide - Gods way - Gods will) invitation (invitation slide - Put on Christ 1) song, Prayer (Exit slide)