“Understanding God’s Will”
October 11, 2009
Open: The subject we want to speak about today is knowing the will of God. How do we know God’s will for my life? It probably the most commonly asked question, “How do I know what God wants me to do?” It’s far easier for me to know God’s will for my wife than it is for my life. That’s the way it normally is, isn’t it? We believe we know what our spouse ought to do, what our children ought to do, what our friends ought to do – but the tough thing is knowing what I ought to do. So today we are going to be exploring this great topic. Now before I even get started I think I need to state a disclaimer - this is a huge topic. This is an issue that is inscrutable – and I’m not going to try to unscrew the inscrutable in the next 40 minutes or so. There is a great deal on this topic that I just don’t know.
God knows us each individually – and intimately – he knows the number of hairs on our head – our hopes – our weaknesses, our directions, our motives – the words we say and think. He knows us. But I do know, nor could I understand everything about him: Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:4-6) David is saying I sing your songs Lord, I might be king to your people, but Lord you’re still unfathomable to me. I can’t understand – or explain what you’re doing – it’s too great for me – I can’t reach it – I can’t attain to it.
Yet in Psalm 143 and verse 10 David prayed a prayer that must be the desire of every Christian. David prayed this, Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:10) He didn't say, “Teach me to understand your will.” He didn't say, “Teach me to know your will.” or “Help me find your will." He didn't say, “God, please disclose your will, reveal your will, manifest your will.” He said, “Lord, teach me to do your will.” Which carries the presupposition and the assumption is that it was not a matter of information, but it was a matter of obedience. It wasn't a matter of knowing it, it was a matter of doing it.
This is very basic to the life of every believer. Because being a Christian is the affirmation of the Lordship of Christ. Being a Christian is an act of initial submission to the control and leadership of Christ. And so doing His will certainly follows that kind of a submission. Our Lord Himself set the example. No other but Christ has the perfect servant's heart. No greater pattern or model for obedience to the will of God could ever be pointed to than Christ Himself. From the very beginning in His incarnation He made it clear that He has come to do the will of Him that sent Him. And even when that took Him to the agony of the anticipation of the cross as He in the garden poured out in prayer to the Father the feeling of His own soul even at that crisis moment He never wavered from the commitment for it was there that He said, “Not My will but Yours be done.” He was totally and constantly and singularly devoted to his father's will. He lived his life on that commitment. In John 4:34, he said, “I have come to do the will of him that sent me.” Twice again in the gospel of John 5:30, 6:38 he put it this way, “I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” When Jesus taught his followers how to pray – he said “Your kingdom come – Your will be done – on earth as it is in heaven” In fact, I would dare say that unless there is a desire in you to do the will of God it is at least questionable whether you are a Christian at all.
- The crazy things people do to try to understand God’s will - In biblical times, pagan religions were all about divination, seeking “signs” to figure out the will of their gods. Priests would cut open animals carcasses and read livers (how would you like that for a career? “What do you do for a living? Oh me? Well, I’m a liver reader.” They would unleash birds and trace their flight and use that as signs to make a decision. People would study the stars and try to find signs in the night sky. Even today in pagan religions (Buddhism) signs are studied to discern what lies ahead in a person’s future. Seeing certain things like a bird taking a bath or a pregnant woman, or hearing a bell ringing or drums playing are a good omen. Hearing certain sounds like a donkey braying, or encountering a snake on a path or seeing a building that has collapsed are considered bad omens. When it comes to making a decision, Some Buddhists will make bread dough and place possible answers in different balls of dough. They will roll the dough around on a plate and the ball of dough that falls out of the plate will supposedly contain the right answer to the problem the person is facing. Some will place a couple of objects in a bowl and put a crab or a spider in the bowl and watch how the creature moves the objects around. It’s totally wild what people will do to try to figure out what “the gods” will is for them. And it’s still very relevant in our culture – I know of places in our communities where you can have your palm read, your fortune told and your tea leaves explored, your tarot cards read or your dreams interpreted – there are plenty of hucksters around who would be very pleased for a price to inform you of how to make your decisions. (voo doo still practiced by moderns – feng shui, numerology – (unlucky numbers), astrology, reading crystals) the idea behind much of this is that divinity is throwing signs your way – trying to get a message to you - hoping you will be smart enough to read the signs and make the decision they want you to make.
We’ve got Christianized versions of this when it comes to determining God’s will. Let me show you a few:
The I’ve Got a Feeling method
– I have hunch, I’m not sure why – I just have this feeling that this is what I’m supposed to do. I got a quiver in my liver and I respond to that. Most times what’s happening here is that a person has a personal agenda and they simply say, “God spoke this to my heart.” Most times God has nothing to do with it all. What’s really happening is they have a blank sheet of paper and they fill it out with their personal agenda and sign God’s name down at the bottom of the page. – God will for you will never conflict with what God has revealed in His Word. If your idea or desire is not in harmony with what is revealed in the Bible – it doesn’t make a difference how passionate you feel about it – it is not God’s will for your life.
The “open door” method
– What ever doors open – that’s what I go through. I determine God’s will for my life by the open doors that present themselves to me. On the surface this method seems like it has a biblical base to it. Ill – Paul wanting to go into Asia, but the Holy Spirit kept him from proceeding. He has the vision from the man in Macedonia, and he goes there. The door to Asia was shut. The door to Macedonia was opened. The open door method seems like it works. But a great deal of discernment has to be exercised here. Just because something is opened – something is easy – doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s God’s will. And just because something is hard or difficult - it doesn’t mean that you are outside of God’s will. There are dozens of examples of people in the Bible who were placed in situations where their environment and culture were hostile and resistant to the message they were preaching and yet they were smack dab right in the middle of God’s will.
The “magic finger” method
– I open the Bible and whatever verse my finger falls upon – that’s what helps me make a decision. Would you go to a doctor with an ailment and have him say, without ever examining you, “It’s your gallbladder, you need immediate surgery.” You ask him, “How do you know?” He says, “Well, I was sitting over by the window of a few moments ago and I trusted God to blow the pages of my medical book to the spot where I needed to be. And wouldn’t you know it – a wind came along a blew a few pages and I looked down and there was a picture of a gall bladder.” Would you let that guy perform surgery on you? Yet there are people who make their decisions in life this way – they make major decisions in their life based on a hunch or a particular verse their finger falls on when they open their Bibles.
The “amazing coincidences” method
- Ill of a woman who wasn’t sure about taking a trip to California. As she was praying she looked up a clock and the clock said: 7:47. She knew that was a name of a plane so she takes that as a sign that God wanted here to go to California. Now from my perspective – if she really wanted a divine sign – if she looked up and the clock said, DC10 or 7:67 – that would have been a divine sign. So the response that we normally get is something like: Well don’t you think that God can speak to us that way?” I say, “Of course he can. God can do anything God wants to do. I know in the Bible he even spoke through a donkey. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go down to the barnyard and seek guidance from God but talking to a jackass.
Let’s talk about God’s Will. What does the term “God's will” mean? The problem with understanding God’s will is that there are several different ways in which we can address it.
God’s Sovereign Will - can be defined as God's predetermined plan for everything that happens in the universe. God’s plan that determines everything that happens in the universe. When we say that God is sovereign, we are saying that He is the Almighty Ruler of the universe. In eternity past, God formulated a perfect plan for all of history. His plan will inevitably come to pass.
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (Psalm 33: 4-11)
God will do exactly what he plans to do in every generation and forever. Once he determines something will happen, it will happen. Some scholars call this the determinative will of God. Once he sovereignly determines something it is unalterable. Man can deny him – nations reject him and culture mock him – but what God says he will do, he will sovereignly fulfill.
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” (Isa. 46:8-11)
This is God’s statement about his sovereignty. Notice in the middle of the word sovereignty is the word reign – that’s what His sovereign will is all about. God says, “Remember who I am.” There is no one like me. I’ve determined a purpose and I will do it. I’ve set out a course and it will be followed. From the beginning I’ve told you what will come – and it will stand. And look at the detail – I summon a bird of prey- what’s that all about? He can control everything – right down to the smallest detail. What he says he will bring about – what he plans will happen. Sovereign will.
God’s Permissive Will – can be defined as God allowing certain events to happen even though they are outside of His Sovereign will.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Included in God’s sovereign will is His permissive will. Ill of an ocean liner going from Boston to London. The captain of the ship determines the course – it’s going to go from A to B. Now the ship has a compliment of 1000 people on board. There are shows they can go to – they can see a movie – lounge on the deck – sleep in their cabin – swim in the pool- eat in the restaurants – work out in the gym. People can make whatever choices they desire - All kinds of personal choices to make – but the ship is still going to arrive at London. God’s permissive will works like that.
The verse on the screen is at the very top of God’s wish list. He wishes that all would come to Him and repent. But not everyone will repent – some never will. Every time I stand up to preach, I pray, “Lord bring everyone in this place who is with Christ to Yourself.” But I’m a realist. And I know that some will choose not to accept Christ. If God wants everyone to be saved – why doesn’t he make sure everyone gets saved? Some prefer darkness over light – unchanged and unmoved they will not humble themselves and receive the gift of forgiveness of their sin. They willfully refuse to turn to Christ for salvation. The mission of the Church is to make Christ known to all the world – yet we know that as we do that not everyone in the world will believe.
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” (1 Samuel 8:19-22)
One of the greatest examples of God's permissive will is found in the story of Israel’s desire to have a king The Israelites lost sight of the fact that God was their king and they demanded a earthly king. They wanted to be like their neighbors and have a courageous, handsome, gifted man to lead them into battle. At first God resisted, stating the obvious drawbacks: a king would force them into servitude, take their best livestock, crops, and even children. But the Israelites were determined. So God relented, he gave in and allowed them to have a king. Their numerous years of pain and suffering from this decision are chronicled in the next 150 pages of the Bible.
God’s Moral Will
- But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
This may be defined as God's moral commands that are revealed in the Bible teaching men how they ought to believe and live. God’s moral will are the easily understood, clear directions in the bible of what is wrong and what is right. God’s moral will is the “thou shall” and “thou shall nots” of the Bible. God’s moral will is the same thing as God’s holiness – He has determined that certain actions, attitudes and behaviors are consistent with His character – and those actions and attitudes and behaviors are acceptable to him. He has also determined that certain actions attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable to him – and those things are not to be part of our lives. When it comes to making decisions in our life, God has determined that all of our decisions must be in harmony with what God has said in the Bible. If you are considering cheating just a little bit on your income tax so that you can give money to missionaries, you don't need to ask for the Lord's direction-He's already given it. God will never lead you to do something that He has forbidden by His moral will in the Bible.
God’s Individual Will –
God’s ideal, detailed life-plan uniquely designed for each person. This life-plan encompasses every decision we make and is the basis of God's daily guidance. This guidance is given through the indwelling Holy Spirit who progressively reveals God's life-plan to the heart of the individual believer. Most questions about guidance concern God’s individual will. Whenever someone asks, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” We are usually seeking God’s guidance in some specific decision of our life.
Now along with this is the idea that we must be in the very center of God’s will. Within the larger circle of God’s moral will we are to find the dot in the center. Finding the dot in the center is essential to making correct decisions in daily life. Choosing apart from God’s perfect will likely result in experiencing God’s second best.
So here’s the question: Is this true?
Does God have a unique specially designed plan for each individual? I think he does. Look at this verse: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. (Acts 20:24) What’s interesting about this verse is Paul’s way of describing God’s will in his life. He wants to finish “the race” = complete “the task” It’s a particular race – a particular, unique task. Paul lived with an awareness of God’s unique plan for him. And he says “I don’t want to miss it.”
God’s Will for Every Individual: What do we know for sure?
First thing - God's will is that you be Saved.
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (1 Tim. 2:3-5)
God wills that all people be saved. If you are looking for the will of God in your life, it has to start here – life will never make sense apart from this. Every decision will be covered in a fog because unless you acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ you can only operate by your own wisdom.
God's will is for us to be filled with the Spirit.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
We are not chasing after a feeling here. There are those when they talk about the FILLING of the Spirit what the really are talking about is the FEELING of the Holy Spirit. They spend their life chasing after what I call the “Thrill of the fill” Now there are others who don’t yield control to the Spirit of Christ because they are totally enslaved by their emotions. The controlling influence in their life is whatever they happen to be feeling at that moment. Whatever emotion bubbles up at a particular moment – is what they respond to and that’s what really controls them – their emotions. Here’s what the Bible is saying – be filled with the Spirit – yield control to the Word of truth rather than your emotions. When Paul is brings up the issue of wine – he’s talking about controlling influence. – people run to the bottle because the want the controlling influence in their life to be numbness. They are depressed or anxious or stressed or depressed so they run to Old Southern Comfort. But it’s never enough – so they run back and each time, it takes a little more and a little more and a little more. It leads to addiction. Paul’s saying – don’t run to Jack Daniels or Jim Beam or whatever brand you prefer. Don’t turn to pills - or marijuana. They won’t satisfy your soul or better your life in any way at all. Don’t turn to numbness or escapism – Don’t be foolish. Turn to God. What you need when you are stressed or anxious or overwhelmed is not to get numbed up but to get powered up. You need the Spirit of God at work in your life guiding and leading and empowering and directing you. Ill – God the Father is seated on the Throne. God the Son is seated at His right Hand. God the Spirit hasn’t sat down yet because he’s still working.
God’s Will is that we would be Sanctified
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; (1 Thess. 4:3-5)
Oh, how can I know the will of God? I always think of this verse. This is the will of God. Why don't you start here? Sanctified means to be pure, undefiled, unspotted, blameless – that’s God’s will for you. HE wants you to live a life of holiness and righteousness and virtue. That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? You should avoid sexual immorality. The Greek word is pornia by the way – sounds like? Pornography. Stay away from it. That’s the will of God. Learn to control your body. Learn to handle it in a way that is not driven by impulse.
God’s Will is for us to be Submissive
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
The term submission is hupotasso - orgianlly was a military term meaning to arrange by rank under. Spirit filled Christians rank themselves under one another. Submission is a geral spiritual attitude that is to be true of every believer in all relationships. In structural functions – like government: Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (1 Peter 2:13) Family – “Wives submit to your husbands” Church - Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb. 13:17) - Structural functions require authority and submission. Interpersonal relationships require only mutual submission.
OK so let’s just say that I’ve accepted these things and they are active in my life – what do I do then? How do I make decisions that I know are within the will of God for me personally?
Here’s my answer – Do what you want.
Once these things are in line – do want you want to do. You say wait a minute – what if I mess up – what if I do something that is outside the will of God? If you are saved, spirit-filled – sanctified and submissive – who do you think is controlling your thinking? Your desires? God is.
Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
You see then you will not be making decisions in a vacuum – you have freedom – God gives you that freedom.
Now keep in mind that God’s moral will is mediating every thing you decide as well. That’s what this diagram shows. God has a plan for every individual – salvation – sanctification, Spirit-filled and submission. Now we can make decision that express the desire of our heart – we have freedom to choose anything we want – but it cannot contradict God’s moral will also. Obviously if you are Saved, Spirit-filled, Sanctified, and Submissive you shouldn’t have to worry about that – but I want to just underline that reality. We pick items from an approved menu if you will.
Let me show you how this plays out in a very practical way. I’ll use the topic of marriage to do this.
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. (1 Cor. 7:39)
The moral will of God commands the permanence of marriage by a binding covenant. The widow, however is “free to marry” any believer whom she wishers. This verse directly contradicts the teaching of those who insist that there is only one right person in the world for someone to marry. The widow is free to marry anyone she chooses, but she doesn’t make the decision in a vacumn. – she is prohibited from getting remarried to anyone who is not a believer. She can only marry someone who is in the Lord – there is a restricted pool of potential candidates – regulated by God’s moral Will – but out of the potential candidates, she can choose the desire of her heart. As long at her sweetheart is within that pool – she doesn’t have to worry about missing God’s will.
CLOSE: Where are you in relationship to God’s will for Your life today?
Are you ignoring His will – running away from it? Are you seeking it? Are you saved? Living a sanctified life? Spirit filled? Submissive? What change has to take place in your life to bring you into God’s Will?
Memorize Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
