Sermon Tone Analysis

So as I stated last week.

It probably felt like I was taking something away from you by saying the blue print model of the Will of God wasn’t the best way to approach decision making.

Well as promised what I hope to do tonight is to replace it with something that I think is a richer way of not only thinking theologically.

But also of how we read scripture.

And it’s important for you to realize.

That what I am doing is not to get you to conform to some denominational system.

Not that everything we do as a FWB denomination is bad.

It is not!

But I want to get you into the habit of pulling your theology from the text.

Orienting yourself to the text.

Not coming to it with a set of preconceived ideas.

When we operate from a system standpoint.

Rather than a relational standpoint.

We are approaching the Bible with a particular set of filters.

And those filters can distort the way we apply what we believe to our lives.

In the Church today, we have a tendency to repeat ideas word and phrases over and over with a denominational flare and never relay any real transforming information.

I hope you can see that is not my intentions for you.

So we talked last week about what I called a blueprint model.

That is terminology that we use to understand the idea that God has mapped out all the choices we will make.

How we define things with terminology is important.

So any time we seek to understand a concept.

We must begin by defining our terms.

How do we define the “Will of God”?

When the Bible speaks of the “Will of God”.

Does it do so in only one aspect?

Or does it does so in more than one way?

If I define the will of God in only one way.

And the Bible uses it in multiple ways.

What then?

If indeed that it is the case that the will of God has a range on meaning in the Bible.

Then we are required (if we truly hold the bible to be authoritative in our lives), to bend our knee to what Scripture teaches.

The following is a entry in the International standard Bible encyclopedia.

WILL OF GOD The biblical understanding of God as a person who created human persons in “His” image recognizes in God the characteristic of desiring, or delighting in, certain things or people, as well as the capacity to choose and initiate one course of action in preference to another.

In the OT there is no one Hebrew word for will.

It is conveyed in terms of our ideas of things like...

Delight, pleasure, favor, desire.

But only occasionally conveyed asa consent or choose.

What does that say about will of God from an OT perspective?

One word that I left out is also Love.

The OT will of God expresses his Love for His people!

Terminology in the NT is a little more uniform.

We have objective words that directly translate as will.

But other Greek words that translate as “plans” or “intentions”.

But also things like “wish” or “want”.

How is this a different expression of the “Will of God” that the OT?

In the NT the “will of God” is an expression of His purposes for us.

What is the difference between a plan and a purpose?

There is a significant difference between plans verses purpose.

Proverbs 19:21 says Many are the PLANS in a mans heart; But it is the LORD’s PURPOSE that prevails

1) PLANS

Plans consist of our dreams, ideas, choices and decisions.

They come from us, from others and from the influences around us.

They can be to get married, buy a house, move cities, change churches ... anything!

Generally, they are the big decisions that determine what we do, where we go and who we do them with.

But not who we are!

2) PURPOSE

God’s purpose is His intention for what happens in our lives.

Purpose is a set direction and a final destination.

God’s purpose for us is His best.

His purpose should become our purpose.

Purpose doesn’t always make sense until you arrive at the destination.

You may fight God all the way kicking and screaming, but He will be right all along in the end.

If your plans are contrary to God’s purposes, He will orchestrate events so His purpose will prevail within you.

Scripture abounds on this powerful concept:

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good PURPOSE.

The power of God’s grace and the Holy Spirit are alive in us, transforming us to desire and do God’s great purposes.

He gives us a new heart and mind to live for Kingdom assignments and no longer foolish earthly activities.

Romans 8:28 All things work together for good, to those who love God and are called to His PURPOSE.

Not that all things are good that happen to us.

But in heavens eyes anything that strengthens your faith, character and capacity is God’s good purpose to those who love Him

Ephesians 1:11 ; 3:11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the PURPOSE of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will...

This was according to the eternal PURPOSE that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s great purpose which was once hidden is now revealed to us in Christ.

God calls us to consider God’s great purpose for the eternal ages to come.

He invites us to be part and take part in His amazing purpose!

Ultimately, letting go of our plans to take hold of God’s purposes is to be our constant objective.

No matter how good or amazing our plans are, they will simply never measure up or exceed God’s perfect purposes.

So understanding that the Will of God is not always one specific thing in terms of how the Bible uses the term.

Let’s take about a better way of seeing the will of God beyond our own definition.

As we do this we will use terms that we can understand.

Everyone wants to make decisions that turn out well.

But conscientious Christians have an additional, ultimate objective: "...we have as our ambition... to be pleasing to [the Lord]" (2 Corinthians 5:9).

The prerequisite for God-pleasing decisions is set forth by the Apostle Paul In Colossians 1:9-10: "...that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will.

In all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects..." The principal task in decision making for the Christian is to learn what God wants him to do, and then do it.

So far so good.

The obvious question is, how is the Christian to learn what God wants him to do as he is confronted with life's decisions?

The Principle of Obedience

When the Bible speaks of God's will, it does so in one of two senses.

The first of these we will call the "moral" will of God.

The second is God’s Sovereign will.

Most all theological systems acknowledge the sovereignty of God.

But I we want focus on the moral will of God.

The moral will of God may be defined as the commands and principles which God has revealed in the Bible to teach how people ought to believe and live.

For example, Paul wrote that even unbelieving Jews " know [God's] will, and approve the things that are essential, being Instructed out of the Law..." (Romans 2:18).

He was saying that since they study the Scripture, they understand God's moral will.

Therefore, they know right from wrong, truth from error.

Their fault is not ignorance, but disobedience.

Accordingly, the Principle of Obedience may be stated: Where God commands, we must obey.

The ramifications of this principle are more fully recognized when four crucial characteristics of God's moral will are brought into focus.

1.

The moral will of God is fully revealed in the Bible.