Living God's Will Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• One of the questions I get a lot concerns the issue of God’s will for their life.

• I really believe that most Christians have a desire to know God’s will for their life. I also believe that people do want to live in God’s will.

• Where the wires get crossed that keep us from being able to accomplish that desire stems from a lack of KNOWING God and because of that we lack the understanding of what His will for our life is.

• Knowing God does not happen by chance, it happens through effort on our part. It takes a strong desire for each one of us to get to know God.

• A desire that will lead us to absorb God’s word, to spend time communicating with God through prayer.

• It will take a determination on our part to allow God to work on our life, to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives.

• Today we are going to explore the content of Paul’s prayer for the Christians at Colossae.

• Contained within this prayer are three things we can do to help enable you to be able to be live in God’s will.

• God’s will for your life is something that God is not trying to hide from you, if we seek it we will find it!

• Let us turn to Colossian 1; we will start in verse 9.

• SLIDE #2

• Colossians 1:9 (ESV) 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

In order to live in God’s will…

I. Open yourself to being filled with the knowledge of His will.

• As Paul opens with this prayer for the Colossian church, he is petitioning God on their behalf for some blessings he knows that God wants them to have.

• He wants the Christians at Colossae to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will!

• We have to understand that God is not trying to hide His will from you. He really does want you to know what He wants from you.

• Really, wouldn’t it be nice if God would just call us on the cell phone or send us some emails or text messages.

• One thing we need to really grasp, and if we do not grasp this thought we will never reach the potential we have in Christ.

• The issue we need to grasp and embrace is this: Through Jesus, God has made one thing very clear, He lives and values YOU!

• If you desire to live in God’s will, you must open yourself to being filled with the knowledge of His will.

• Being filled with the knowledge of His will can happen for EVERY Christian!

• Why would Paul ask for something that cannot happen, or rarely ever happen?

• Being filled with the knowledge of God’s will is more than just an academic pursuit.

• It is not something that if you have enough degrees or go to enough Bible Colleges you will necessarily master.

• The word Paul uses that we translate KNOWLEDGE is a compound form which is not the normal usage for the word.

• In this form it denotes a deep and thorough knowledge, it is a knowledge which grasps and penetrates into the object. A deep and accurate comprehension.

• This word implies that what you KNOW will saturate all your being, thoughts, affections, purposes, and plans.

• This word does not mean that you “know” it long enough to pass a test and then forget it, it is something much deeper.

• John MacArthur Jr states: The Bible views knowledge of doctrinal absolutes as foundational to godly living. Most of Paul’s letters begin by laying a doctrinal foundation before giving practical exhortations. For example, Paul gives eleven chapters of doctrine in Romans before turning to godly living in chapter 12. Galatians 1-4 are doctrinal, chapters 5 and 6 practical. The first three chapters of Ephesians detail our position in Christ, while the last three urge us to live accordingly. Philippians and Colossians also conform to the same pattern of doctrine preceding practical exhortations. Godly living is directly linked in Scripture to knowledge of doctrinal truth. (MacArthur Jr)

• This word at its core means that which you know will change you at your very core!

• SLIDE #4

• Proverbs 19:2 (ESV) Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

• We have to realize that in order to be filled with the knowledge of His will, we will need to more than just read the Word.