Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we talked about the will of God for your life and mine.

Today instead of going to on to 5:22 I want to explore some more aspects of the will of God.

There are several reasons for this.

First, b~/c I cannot get this guys video out of my head.

[play vid]  Second, b~/c I’ve had people questions for me concerning God’s will for their life.

Last, there has been talk about seeking God’s will concerning big decisions.

So, to start off I have a couple of questions for you, give me a show of hands.

Do you want to do God’s will in your life?

Good.

Do you want to know what that will is?

Ok

Are you seeking God’s will?

Excellent.

This topic has come up about a dozen times in the last week and a half and some of the things I’ve heard are concerning.

I know you have probably heard most of this but I simply want to reiterate some things you need to know and even remember about the will of God and how it concerns you.

I want to let you in on some things the will of God is and what it is not.

1. God’s will is sovereign and will not change…….

Job 42:1 says that God can do all things and none of his plans can be thwarted.

Gen 50 Joseph says that man intended evil but God intended good and his plan succeeded.

Isa 42 says that the Lord uses the evil to accomplish his purpose.

Rom 8:28 God promises that all things will work together to for the good of those who love God.

So there is a plan that God has that has every detail of everything you can imagine and things you can’t that is all worked out.

God is never surprised, and he knows everything you will do.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2. We are not given the explicit details of this plan.

Even when we know the details as in Rev, Dan, etc… they really don’t make sense to us.

Imagine a family portrait of yourself with you and your spouse and your children.

What do you look like?

You probably look like yourself except different clothes.

But the fact is you can’t really imagine something you haven’t done before so even when it’s told to us. 

3.

Therefore, b~/c we aren’t told about the specific details we must rely on other things.

We are given some aspects of what God wants all of us to do, it’s called the Bible.

“Is it God’s will I kill my parents?”

NO! that breaks 2 really big rules.

Another thing is godly wisdom, if you don’t have it you can ask for it and James says you’ll get it.

You can also use wise and godly counsel.

If you get an email saying that you have $1bil waiting for you and it doesn’t break any of God’s laws told to us in the Bible… BTW Pr 28:20 says punishment awaits the one who hastens to gain wealth… But if it weren’t so bad, or you didn’t know you could go to some person you believe is wise and ask them.

They will tell you it’s a scam and don’t do it.

You also have your likes and dislikes.

God made you a certain way and that should also guide you in what you do.

4. Unless we receive supernatural insights you did not receive special revelation from God.

You might ask, “how will I know?”

There will be NO question!

A vision of the Lord, a visit by an Angel, a Damascus road experience where God talks to you, You go up on the mountain and God gives you tablets of stuff to do, you get taken up to heaven, or as you are hiking a burning bush speaks to you.

If any of that kind of stuff happens then you best do EXACTLY what is said to you. 

5.

Don’t use the “will of God” as a spiritual club!  I’ve seen two people come together and one tell me God said we should break up and the other say God told them they should marry.

Wives beat husbands down with the will of God, husbands leave wives or abuse them mentally in the name of the will of God.

In churches we see the same thing.

One person claims to have some special revelation from God and they use it beat up some other person or assume they are not as spiritual as the one.

6.     Misunderstanding the will of God will ultimately leave you disappointed and feeling like you are living God’s second best, or worse.

College, not getting in… marriage, not finding the one…  feeling like you missed out on what God wanted you to do.

You don’t have to live like that.

7.     God is ultimately concerned with your holiness not where you go to college, who you marry, what your job is…

You can marry lots of people who (equally yoked of course), you can plan on going lots of places (Paul did and never made to some of them), you can leave things up to a coin toss (which is what the apostles did to replace Judas) and go with it.

Don’t blame God for something that is your desire.

What is God’s will for your life?

Be filled by the Spirit!

So that whatever you do you glorify him.