How Does God Reveal His Will? Series

HOW DOES GOD REVEAL HIS WILL?

PHILIPPIANS 3:15 LET US THEREFORE, AS MANY AS ARE PERFECT, HAVE THIS ATTITUDE; AND IF IN ANYTHING YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE, GOD WILL REVEAL THAT ALSO TO YOU;

INTRODUCTION: INTERACTING WITH GOD’S WILL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POINT OF CONSIDERATION, CAUTION, AND CONCERN FOR EVERY FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. IT OFTEN COMES DOWN TO THE QUESTION, “HOW CAN I KNOW GOD’S WILL?”, AND THEN IT IS FOLLOWED WITH SOMETHING LIKE, “FOR MY LIFE”, “IF I SHOULD GET MARRIED”, “IF I SHOULD _____________” (YOU FILL IN THE BLANK).

FUNDAMENTALLY, THIS IS THE WRONG DIRECTION TO DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD, SPECIFICALLY IN THE PRESENT TENSE. WE SHOULD BE ASKING HOW DOES GOD REVEAL HIS WILL AND THEN PLACE OURSELVES IN POSITION TO SEE WHAT GOD IS REVEALING.

PROPOSITION: GOD WANTS TO REVEAL HIS WILL

I. PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS

a. THE SPIRITUAL TENSION

i. GOD IS INFINITE AND HOLY

ii. WE ARE FINITE AND SINFUL

b. IT IS IN THE NATURE OF GOD TO WANT TO REVEAL HIMSELF

i. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF IN CREATION

ii. GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO DIFFERENT MEN AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE SCRIPTURES

iii. GOD REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST

iv. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH OUR BIBLES

ROMANS 1:20 FOR HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES, NAMELY, HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE, HAVE BEEN CLEARLY PERCEIVED, EVER SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, IN THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. SO THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.

JOHN 14:9 JESUS SAID TO HIM, “HAVE I BEEN WITH YOU SO LONG, AND YOU STILL DO NOT KNOW ME, PHILIP? WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER. HOW CAN YOU SAY, ‘SHOW US THE FATHER’?

WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DISCERN OR SEE GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, BUT WE CAN REST ASSURED THAT GOD HAS A PLAN.

c. WHAT PAUL HAS WRITTEN ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WAS MEANT TO PREPARE US TO BE IN THE PLACE OF SEEING GOD’S WILL

i. KNOWING CHRIST

1. THROUGH THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

2. THROUGH HIS SUFFERINGS

3. THROUGH STRIVING FOR A RESURRECTION MINDSET

ii. REACHING FORWARD FOR THE PRIZE AND FORGETTING WHAT WOULD KEEP ME FROM IT.

THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN IS A GROWING CHRISTIAN!

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 (ESV)

58 THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN.

II. THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURSUING THE WILL OF GOD

a. KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD BEGINS WITH BEING WILLING TO DO IT

JOHN 7:17 IF ANYONE’S WILL IS TO DO GOD’S WILL, HE WILL KNOW WHETHER THE TEACHING IS FROM GOD OR WHETHER I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN AUTHORITY.

i. IF MY WILL IS TO DO GOD’S WILL, THEN I WILL KNOW WHAT GOD’S WILL IS

ii. BEING OPEN TO DO GOD’S WILL PROVIDES DISCERNMENT

iii. REASON FOR NOT DISCERNING GOD’S WILL

1. PRIDE – I WANT TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO

2. FEAR – GOD MAY MAKE ME DO SOMETHING I DO NOT WANT TO DO

3. OUTSIDE PRESSURE – PRESSURE FROM OTHERS

4. PRIORITIES – THERE ARE OTHER THINGS I WANT TO DO

iv. IF THERE IS NOT WILLINGNESS TO DO GOD’S WILL, DISCERNING GOD’S WILL IS NOT ATTAINABLE

b. KNOWING THAT IN AND OF MYSELF, I DO NOT WANT TO DO GOD’S WILL

ROMANS 8:7 FOR THE MIND THAT IS SET ON THE FLESH IS HOSTILE TO GOD, FOR IT DOES NOT SUBMIT TO GOD’S LAW; INDEED, IT CANNOT.

i. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR, WE STILL STRUGGLE AND ALWAYS WILL STRUGGLE WITH OUR FLESH

ii. VICTORY OVER THE FLESH COMES THROUGH CONSISTENT IMMERSION IN THE PERSON, AND WORD OF GOD.

1. A SET HABIT

2. A SET TIME

3. A SET ROUTINE

4. A SET REMINDER

c. KNOWING GOD’S WILL IS KNOWING THAT GOD’S WILL IS NEVER CONTRARY GOD’S WORD

i. THE FIRST WILL OF GOD IS TO ACCEPT HIS SON

JOHN 6:40 FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF MY FATHER, THAT EVERYONE WHO LOOKS ON THE SON AND BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY.”

1. ONE CAN NEVER HOPE TO DISCERN OR KNOW THE WILL OF GOD WITHOUT FIRST SUBMITTING YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD.

2. THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE LORD CANNOT KNOW THE WILL OF GOD EVEN THOUGH GOD IS WORKING OUT HIS WILL IN THEIR LIFE.

ii. ANYTHING THAT CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR GROWTH AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS THE WILL OF GOD

ROMANS 12:1-2 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 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.