Discovering the Will of God: Start Here

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Discovering the Will of God: Start Here</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id590.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discovering the Will of God: Tuning In"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Discovering the Will of God: Start Here</B></div> <div> <B>February 19, 2006, Berean Bible Church</B></div> <bR> <div>      Once while Francis of Assisi was hoeing his garden, he was asked, "What would you do if you were suddenly told you would die at sunset today?" He replied, "I would finish hoeing my garden." (Moody Monthly, April, 1990, p. 76.) </div> <div>      A lady once asked John Wesley if he knew that he would die at midnight the next day, how would he spend the intervening time. He replied, "Why, madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Martin's house...talk and pray with the family as usual, retire myself to my room at 10 o'clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory." (Today in the Word, March 1989, p. 40.)</div> <div>      How do you know if the things on your schedule for today or this week are the will of God for your life?</div> <div>      In studying Jacob, we found him to be flawed, but he possessed faith, and God worked out his will and his plan, usually in spite of Jacob's choices. His twin brother Esau, on the other hand, was senseless, clueless to the direction God wanted to take him.</div> <div>      If we are followers of Jesus, we are searching for the will of God. We don't want to be clueless. We all have choices we are wrestling with, some little, some big. What to wear, what to have for dinner, what to watch on TV, where to go to school, what to be when you grow up, what to do for a living, who to marry, when to start a family, when to kick your adult kids out, what specific job to do, what area of live in, what house to buy, what car to buy and whether or not to use cash or credit.</div> <div>      How do we discover the will of God ? Where should we start? Look with me at <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans 8:28-29&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Romans 8:28-29</U></A> and <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans 12:1-2&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Romans 12:1-2</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. God's will is being worked out in both the </B><I><B>choices</B></I><B> and </B><I><B>circumstances</B></I><B> of our lives.</B></div> <div>      Please read <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans 8:28-29&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Romans 8:28-29</U></A>. God is at work in the world and in our lives, and his goal centers on transformation, both in our lives and in the lives of others, and ultimately in all of his creation.</div> <div>      We make choices, which always have consequences. And other people make choices, which also have consequences. But there are also circumstances outside of our control, but which affect our lives (hurricanes, mudslides, fires, accidents, disease, to name a few).</div> <div>      In all of these, God is working out his plan. While humans have a measure of freedom to do evil or good, God retains ultimate control, and his plan will be accomplished.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. How do we make the best choices and live according to the will of God?</B></div> <div>      God leads people through (from specific to general):</div> <div> 1. For many people in Scripture, direct speech. God just spoke and told them what to do. Interestingly enough, Jesus said it would be better for us when he went away, because the Holy Spirit would come to fill us and guide us.</div> <div> 2. For us, clear guidelines in his Word (right and wrong - do not steal, do not lie, avoid sexual immorality, be kind and forgiving, trust in God, worship him alone).</div> <div> 3. Principles in his Word for making wise decisions (things like planning ahead, getting counsel, getting out of debt, the wise use of words).</div> <div> 4. Values evident in his Word (love for God and people; justice; discipline; wise financial management; generosity; sharing the good news, etc.).</div> <div> 5. Promises in his Word for the future, the big story (heaven is our shared destination, and full transformation will be our reality).</div> <bR> <div>      But what about the day-to-day decisions, as well as our short-term and long-term plans and dreams and desires?</div> <div>      How do you know if the things on your schedule for today or this week or this year are the will of God for your life? And in everything we have to decide this week, this month, this year, how do we choose according to the will of God? Ephesians 5:10 says, "find out what pleases the Lord." How? Over the next couple weeks we will work on answering the question. But here is the place to start.</div> <div>      Please turn to <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans 12:1-2&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Romans 12:1-2</U></A>. Offer yourself to God, decisively. Cooperate fully with his clearly revealed will. Then, develop a renewed mind through the word of God. Only in this way can you discern the will of God, which is good, pleasing to God and perfect (that is, you cannot improve upon the will of God). We must think like Jesus rather than be squeezed into the mold of the world around us. In order to recognize and discern the <I>will</I> of God, we must understand and value the <I>ways</I> of God. You discern his ways by being in his word.</div> <div>      The will of God is <I>relational</I>, not academic. It is discerned in the context of relationship. It is step-by-step leading, not a long-term detailed plan. Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." When I take our dog Champ out at night, my Mag-lite illuminates well into the distance in the dark. On the other hand, my cell phone flashlight merely provides a glow right around me; I can't see very far into the dark at all with it, but it lights up the pathway. The word of God provides <I>some</I> view into the distant future, and it helps map out a general direction. But what about the details? The word lights up just the near pathway, and gives guidance and counsel for our day to day steps.</div> <div>      Start with this: if you  know there is some way you are not living according to what pleases God, confess it and commit to following God's pathway for your life. Then, take a 30 day challenge with us, to read the Bible every day (or 5 out of 7 days a week).</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2006, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>