Last week we started looking at the question “What is Gods’ Will for me? And we saw the very first thing that;
1. In order to be in God’s Will I must first be saved. There is no Will without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…
2. God’s Will is that I be Spirit filled. I shared with you that in order to be Spirit filled we need to be saturated with the things of Christ and in order to be saturated with the things of Christ we must saturate our lives with His Word and that is why we are reading the book of Philippians during the month of October. Next month we will have another 30 day challenge.
3. God’s Will is that I be Sanctified. Remember what John MacArthur said? It is absurd for a young person (or anyone else) who is living in sexual impurity to say, “God, show me Your will.” Such a person is not even doing what this text of Scripture says is His will. Why should God disclose some further will?”
We also understood that part of being sanctified is treating others with the dignity and respect of God’s creation.
Remember I said that you may not like those rules and feel that God is narrow minded.” Then verse1 Thessalonians 4: 8 is for you. “He who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
4. God’s Will is that I become Submissive: 1Pt. 2: 13-15
In light of what is happening in our nation, right now, this passage may be hard to swallow.
“13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
There are a number different kinds of submission and one that Peter talks about in 1 Pater 2: 13-15 is the kind that causes you to be the best possible kind of citizen in the society in which you live. Not one who has to duck when the cops are around or the Judge knows my first name because I have been in his court too many times…
I was driving down Pamplico Hwy. the other day and a lady in a very expensive BMW came out from BI-LO’s parking lot without every slowing for the stop sign. She darted across in front of me and vehicles in the left lane… I guess some think they don’t have to obey the laws of the land as long as they obey the laws of God. But are they really obeying God?
Here’s a question to ask; “Have I completely submitted myself to God?”
If I have completely submitted to God, maybe I would be more submissive to those who are in authority around me…
I had a young teen girl approach me years ago and ask me to pray for her cousin. I asked her what I could pray about and she told me she wanted me to pray that God would open the prison doors and set her cousin free. See he had been found guilty of premeditated and brutal murder of one of his close friends over some supposed missing drug money. When I mentioned praying for his salvation she let me know in no uncertain terms that not only was her cousin saved but whole family was going to heaven, even though most were dealing in drugs, gangs or they were alcoholic and drugs addicts who would just as soon kill you as look at you.
I wonder if we started submitting ourselves to the Lord to the degree that we became model citizens if we could be accused of the same thing the believers were accused of in Acts 17: 6 “These who have turned the world upside down, have come here too.”
You see if we turn the world upside down for Jesus it would be right-side up.
Now I want you to understand that we are to be obedient to the laws of the land, as long as they don’t break the commands of the Word of God.
However, there are some things that I WILL NOT do, as long as I am pastor of EBC or any place God chooses to use me…Elaborate…
BUT DO NOT try to interpret the laws that you just don’t feel like keeping as going against the laws of God.
“God wants us to be the kind of citizens in the world who will draw the attention of the world, in a positive and redemptive way.
God want Elim Bible Church to stand out light a light house in this community NOT like a sore thumb…
We need to be different. We need to have the qualities of salt and light” (pg. 50)
We don’t like the word submit because it sounds too much like give in or surrender…Illustrate the difference in what I gain by giving up what I am…
4. God’s Will is that I Suffer?
One day a man came to Jesus and Said, “Lord I’ll follow you wherever you want me to go. Jesus told him that “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nest, but the Son of man has no place to even lay His head.”
What Jesus wanted this man to understand was that to be in the will of God there will be suffering.
This is not suffering for bad decisions or illness or financial setbacks. Some of you are sick, some are tired, some are broke and the rest of us are sick and tired of being broke but that’s not the suffering I’m talking about.
The suffering here is for the sake of the gospel. And I’m not talking about going around saying “Oh look at me. I’m suffering for Jesus. Aren’t I spiritual?
I am talking about a willingness to be bold. A willingness to face the world and let the chips fall where they may.
It’s standing on the Word of God even if it hurts. Even if you cost you everything…
The truth of the gospel is offensive to the world and yet we must never water down the gospel to save face. Maybe you say that because we live in America we can’t be persecuted for the sake of the gospel but I would say; “you’re wrong.” How many families have been separated because someone in the family was a Christian and family disowned them? How many relationships have been broken because someone refused to live the lifestyle that was popular? How many in this room have caught the stares and heard the whispering in the background because you spoke openly about Jesus Christ @ WORK?
How many pastors will be on the dinner table or fired, this very day for taking a stand against some sinful attitude or action in their congregation?
Maybe you don’t carry the physical scares that Paul spoke of, in Gal 6: 17.
But if you desire to, whole heartedly, be in the will of God you will suffer.
Paul said in 2 Tim. 3; 12NKJV - 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” You say you haven’t suffered for Jesus…maybe I need to read this verse again and pay attention to the word DESIRE.
I read this statement from MacArthur and thought, “Why didn't I see that sooner?” He said “The world would like to get at Jesus. They don’t persecute Christians because they dislike them; they persecute Christians because they dislike Jesus. They can’t get at Him because He’s in heaven, so they get at you and me”
What a concept! I’m not being attacked because of WHO I am but because of WHOSE I am!
My attackers are really after Jesus and since they can’t get at Him I’m the next best thing!? What an honor to be chosen to take His place…The other side of that coin is this. If you are the attacker you need to remember that you are not attacking a human being. When you are attacking me or any other believer I want you to understand that you are not attacking a person. You are attacking Jesus Himself and one day He will deal with you His way.
If you have heard all 5 and you say “I am in God’s Will” What can you do? ANYTHING you want to. BUT listen to me. If you are good in all 5, you will no longer desire to please the flesh or the world. See to be in Gods’ Will everything you want to do will be what He would desire for you and only that which pleases Him will please you.
"Are you in the will of God right now?" If you answer “yes, what you are doing to make sure you remain in the will of God.
If you answer “no,” identify what has caused you to move out of the will of God. Determine what you need to do to get back into the will of God today.
Are you saved? Are you Spirit filled? Are you sanctified? How about submissive to Gods’ authority or to those in authority around you? Are you suffering for Christ sake or are you just suffering?
