We have been talking about knowing God’s will.
I believe that people make more of this issue than is necessary.
People agonize over what God’s will is for their lives and often become stalled in their growth.
I think the focus is wrong.
They struggle with trying to discern what His will is for a given situation while at the same time neglecting to do what He has clearly revealed in the bible.
What Jesus said in Mark 3:35 indicates that doing God’s will is necessary if one is to be in a relationship with Him.
Therefore it behooves us to ensure that we are at least following His clearly revealed will.
We have discussed 4 of them so far.
It is God’s will that you be saved.
It is God’s will that you be Spirit filled.
It is God’s will that you be sanctified
It is God’s will that you be submissive.
We have looked at each of these to define and briefly explain them.
This morning we are going to finish explaining the remaining two and then I want to tie it all together and show you how you can know God’s will for specific things in your life.
E. The 5th area of God’s revealed will is found in 1Pet.4:19.
1. Sometimes God’s sovereign plan includes suffering for His people.
2. This is one of those hard to explain truths often expressed in the question; why does God allow this??
3. There are 2 kinds of suffering we can endure as believers.
a) Suffering because of our sin.
(1) 1Pet.2:20
(2) 1Pet.3:17
(3) 1Pet.4:15
(4) Gal.6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
b) Suffering for well doing
(1) 2Tim.3:10-11.
(2) Christ is our example 1Pet.2:19-21
(a) Luke 9:23
(b) Phil.3:10
(c) We should not expect anything less Jn.15:18-20.
4. How should we face suffering?
a) 1Pet.3:14 – think positively
b) 1Pet.4:12-14 – be joyful
c) 1Pet.4:16 unashamedly
d) 2Cor.1:3-5 looking for a way we can help others.
(1) Illustration: Jen losing Elijah.
5. It is God’s will that you be saved, spirit filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering.
F. It is God’s will that you be thankful 1Thess.5:18.
1. In the last 17 verses of this letter Paul gives no less than 21 exhortations.
2. It is an outline for living the Christian life.
3. In verse 18 he gives an exhortation and relates it directly to the will of God – giving thanks.
a) The verb is in the present tense, imperative mood, active voice.
b) Be constantly giving thanks in all circumstances
4. We should be:
a) Giving thanks to God - Eph.5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
b) Abounding in our thanksgiving - Col.2:6,7As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
c) Giving thanks as a part of our prayers
(1) Phil.4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
(2) 1Tim.2:1Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
III. How does all of this relate to knowing God’s will for your life right now?
A. If you are a believer you have a close direct relationship with God.
1. What better position to be in to know His will?
2. Those who are not believers in Him are left to languish on their own.
B. If you are a believer who is spirit filled you have the added benefit of the leading of the HS.
1. Ro.4:14 says that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
2. God is personally interested in the lives of His children and if you are sensitive to the leading of the Spirit you will know what God wants you to do.
C. Those who are saved spirit filled and who endeavor to live their lives separated unto the Lord will have much less trouble discerning the will of God.
1. People who live a life that straddles the fence between the world and God will find themselves confused much of the time.
2. When you have a mind set which seeks a pure life that honors God in every aspect you will have fewer moral dilemmas.
D. If you are saved spirit filled sanctified and submissive to God and those who He has commanded us to submit to, discerning God’s will becomes even easier.
1. If we are willing to submit ourselves to others we will be more willing to listen to them.
2. God often uses people to express His will to us.
E. Suffering is a real test of our willingness to trust God no matter what the circumstance or situation is.
1. Remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians? “…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
2. I have never been asked by God to suffer much.
a) I think it is safe to say that most of haven‘t been asked to.
b) The question is when suffering does come will we complain and gripe or consider that God has a perfect plan for our lives.
3. Allowing that even suffering is part of God’s will for us will make us more perceptive to knowing His will.
F. Thankfulness speaks to our attitude in obeying God’s will.
1. If we are focused on only giving God thanks when we are blessed we will lose perspective on God’s overall plan for our lives.
2. Thanksgiving is the icing on the cake as it were.
3. If we cultivate this aspect of God’s will it will help us to keep things in perspective no matter what the situation is.
IV. Conclusion
A. How can we know God’s will for our lives today?
1. Are you following God’s will as it is clearly revealed in His word?
a) It is God’s will that we be saved.
b) Spirit filled
c) Separated
d) Submissive
e) Suffering
f) Thankful
B. If you answer no to that question then God is probably not going to reveal His specific will for you until you submit to His clearly revealed will.
1. If you answer is yes then you are operating within God’s revealed will it follows that what you decide to do will be what His will is for you specifically also.
a) Ps.37: 4-5.Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.Vs.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
