Discovering the Will of God: Tuning In

<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: Tuning In</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> <A HREF="id588.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discovering the Will of God: Start Here"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id591.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gods Plan For Your (Eternal) Life"><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: Tuning In</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, February 26, 2006</B></div> <bR> <div>      Does God have one, single, highly detailed perfect will for your life, and if you make one little mistake and go off course, you have missed it forever? Probably not. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?” Also, consider the stories of Jacob's life. He fumbled and stumbled along, and yet God was working out his plan for his life. So God has a plan, but there is accommodation for us not getting it "right" all the time.</div> <div>      Our overall question is, how do we go where God wants us to go, do what God wants us to do, and become what God wants us to be? Start here: Offer yourself to God to do his will, and develop a renewed mind through a more accurate and more full understanding of the Word of God, which is a light to our pathway (<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>). Take the 30 day Bible -reading challenge with us.</div> <div>      Have you ever walked into a room and said something to someone who was glued to the TV or video game or computer? Or maybe you are the one glued to the TV, video game or computer, and when your wife comes in, you just tune her out. You can be in the same room with someone, but not connected, not interacting.</div> <div>      We have the presence of God with us all the time, but it is possible for us to tune him out, as though he is not even there. Instead our focus is somewhere else.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. God wants to lead us in our everyday decisions, and we must listen and follow.</B></div> <div>      Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The NLT puts it this way: “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.” One example in Scripture is in the little letter written by Jude. Jude 3 says, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that the Lord has once for all entrusted to us, his people.”</div> <div>      Please read <A HREF="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Philippians 2:12-13&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passag"><U>Philippians 2:12-13</U></A> – God works in us to give us the will / desire to do what pleases him. But we have to listen (slow down!).</div> <div>      God is not trying to hide his will for us from us. He does not play games with our lives, as though we were in the computer game, “the Sims.” He wants to lead you through the Holy Spirit, but we must 1) ask for his guidance, and 2) slow down long enough to listen.</div> <div>      Based on that foundation, how do we make decisions in the will of God?</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Develop plans and make wise decisions, and allow God to direct you as you go.</B></div> <div>      Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts human beings plan their, course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Make wise plans and decisions. Move forward based on the principles of Scripture and by having a renewed mind, and leave the door open for God to change your plans. God will give guidance, but we must plan wisely, think things through, get wise counsel from godly people, and make good decisions; and if we seek to be led by the Lord, he will lead us.</div> <div>      Paul had a big-picture calling (to spread the gospel, to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles). He then had a strategy and plans (go to the major city centers, preach in the synagogues until he was kicked out, and then go preach and teach among receptive people, train pastors-elders-teachers and go do it all over again (<A HREF="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Acts 14:21-23&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passag"><U>Acts 14:21-23</U></A>). But there was also times like the Macedonia call. In <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Acts 16:6-10&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Acts 16:6-10</U></A>, Paul's plans were changed by God. One door was closed, and then Paul got an invitation in a vision. In the region of Macedonia, Paul ministered in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.</div> <div>      Some opportunities or open doors are the right direction, some opportunities and open doors are distractions. You have to have a sense of peace and leading from God, but leave that door open, get wise counsel, pray and study the word, and then make a wise decision, trusting God to lead you. Having sought the guidance of God, we will be held responsible for making wise decisions.</div> <div>      But here is a caution. There is a problem with having “peace” about a decision when your mind has not been renewed. Many people have “peace” about doing things the Bible says are wrong. We can fool ourselves. </div> <div>      Jessica Hawn, former church secretary who committed immoral acts with Jim Bakker (former host of the PTL Club), and later brought down the PTL empire, said (9-28-87) that God gave her “real peace” about granting an interview to Playboy magazine and posing for topless pictures. On 9-29-87 the news reports that she still considers herself a Christian, but goes to God “one-on-one,” not through any church or organization. (Original Source unknown; Bible.org.)</div> <div>      We will be tempted to take shortcuts and violate the clear will of God in order to accomplish what we think are good things. But we are not that smart. That's why we have to have renewed minds, so we can honestly do <I>God's will</I> (the right things) in <I>God's way</I> (the right way).</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Seriously commit to doing the will of God when it is revealed to you.</B></div> <div>      In <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Judges 6&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Judges 6</U></A> (read vss. <A HREF="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Judges 6:6&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passag"><U>6</U></A>, <A HREF="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Judges 6:11-14&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passag"><U>11-14</U></A>, and <A HREF="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Judges 6:36-40&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.tniv.info/bible/passag"><U>36-40</U></A>), Gideon put out a fleece (to supposedly determine the will of God) because he did not believe God and his will for his life. And he didn't believe, because he didn't want to do it. One lesson we learn from Gideon's poor example is to believe God's word and will and commit to carrying it out, without hesitation.</div> <bR> <div>      There was an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” someone asked. “Because,” replied the woman, “it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.” She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go! (Today in the Word, May, 1989; Bible.org; Will of God). </div> <div>      If we want to be led by God, we cannot have our minds made up about what we are going to do. We have to seek his guidance and listen; make wise decisions and allow God to direct us as we go, and honestly commit to doing the will of God when it is revealed to us.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2006, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>