Last time, we talked about God’s Will versus our will. We learned a little about predestination. And I tried to answer many of the questions about predestination.
Does God choose us even if we don’t want Him to? Does God choose some people but not others? How can you know what God’s will and purposes are? Do we have a free will to choose for ourselves, or has God already done that and we don’t have a say so?
For time’s sake today, I’m not going to rehash all that again. But you can go to our Facebook page or our You Tube page under Southeast Baptist Church and listen for all those answers in the sermon entitled “God’s Will versus our will” dated Jan. 24, 2021.
Today I’ll be using Psalm 19 as we discuss God’s Will and the Bible in general. I’m not sure exactly how many times the Bible mentions God’s Will but I DID find 57 verses of Scripture that include something about God’s Will. And since the Bible is our instruction book, it would be good to take heed as to what it says.
Speaking of instruction book, how are you at reading the instructions before trying to assemble something? Now I know I don’t speak for all men, but correct me if I’m wrong. Many of US guys just pull everything out of the box and look it over, and start trying to put it together. Those instructions are for the weak of mind, right?
Or at least we TRY to put things together without having to read the instructions. But when it gets down to it, most of the time we end up at least glancing through at least PART of the instructions. After all, we need to find out where all those extra pieces go, right? And then you have your wife saying, “If you would have read the instructions first, you would be finished by now.” Oh, those words of encouragement. Oh, the grief we could have saved ourselves if only we had read the instructions first.
Well, the Bible is life’s operating manual. It teaches us how to live in every major issue we face in life. It’s a sure guide to success. Unfortunately, too many fail to read the instructions. Do you remember the acrostic for B-I-B-L-E? Basic-Instruction-Before-Leaving-Earth. Today, God is going to teach us that the first step to knowing God’s Will is to read the owner’s manual: God’s Word, the Bible.
The most common way that God communicates His Will is through the Bible. The key is to regularly read the Bible to see what God’s Will is for you for every area of your life. In Scripture, God reveals to us about Himself, who we are, and how we’re to live in relation to Him. Let’s get into God’s Word.
Have you ever looked at a beautiful sunrise or sunset, or watched the waves roll in at the beach, or stared at the stars at night and said “What further evidence is needed to believe in God’s existence?” God’s fingerprints are all over creation. That is most likely how David felt when he wrote the first verse of Ps. 19. READ.
In fact, in these opening 6 verses in Ps. 19, David poetically describes his witness of creation. We can learn a lot about the One who designed it all just by contemplating creation. Read vv. 2-6.
Notice though that even though creation gives a message about God, the Creator, it doesn’t speak in detail about what God is like or what He expects of His creatures. To know that we would need an additional revelation. Thankfully, God has given us that revelation about Himself in other places in His Word. The pages of the Bible tell us all we need to know about God and His Ways. That’s why I constantly am urging you to read your Bible more. But what about the Bible. What can it do for us? Well, let’s continue:
READ Psalm 19:7-10. You say there’s no meaning to your life. You say you don’t feel successful. You say there’s no joy in your life. The Bible has been guiding people to that for over 2,000 years. These 4 verses that I just read give us six aspects of the Bible that provide everything needed for us to know how to live life to its fullest. If you read it closely, you’ll see that these verses reveal the breadth and depth of God’s Word. For instance, in verse 7:
? “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life. (v.7) The Bible’s instructions never expire. They never grow out of date. It’s just as effective from one generation to the next, from one culture to the other. It continues to have the ability to renew our lives, restore us when we’ve failed, and empower us to face any difficulty that we come across.
? “The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.” (v.7) We are wise to heed God’s instruction. God offers wise counsel for any and every major challenge and responsibility of life.
? “The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad.” (v.8) God’s Word isn’t a burden. It brings joy. It protects us from sin and if that doesn’t bring joy, I don’t know what will. It protects us from failure, and guilt as well.
? “The command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.” (v.8) The world often tempts us to act self-centered, or feel ashamed or to think of ourselves as inadequate. But God’s Word, if we read it, will make us God-centered. You see, the world encourages us to compare ourselves with others and it can make us jealous. But Scripture compares us to Jesus and gives us hope that we can be like Him. If you read God’s Word and start including it in how you live your life, your life will come alive.
? The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.” (v.9) When we read God’s Word reverently, we will see that it’s nothing but truth, and it puts us in a perfect position to receive it.
? The ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.” (v.9) You can stake your life on the Bible because it will never lead you astray.
Think about the Bible this way. Medical books, encyclopedias, and weight-loss books have value for a season, but they quickly become obsolete and before long, they can’t even be sold at garage sales. Yet, the Bible has been effective in helping people live effective and fruitful lives for centuries, whether it was in Rome in 200 AD or in San Antonio, Texas in 2021 AD.
The Bible has something for everyone, everywhere, for all times.
? It can teach a man to become a nurturing father.
? It can lead a church to effectively minister to its community in a large metropolis like Tokyo, Japan, or in the deepest jungles of the Congo, or in a small country town in west Texas.
? It gives guidance to the single businessperson working on Wall Street or a married school teacher balancing work and family.
? God’s Word is holy, perfect, and unchanging.
? It’s for anyone and everyone at every stage of life.
READ Psalm 19:11a. Did you catch what David said? Most people have regrets. There may be things that we said or didn’t say, actions we regret taking or not taking, or past sins that may be weighing us down.
The psalmist David had regrets. Yet his worst mistakes were not out of ignorance. His mistakes were made simply because he ignored God’s clear instructions. If David would have followed God’s directives, he would have avoided most of the mistakes that plagued his life. So, David says, “your servant is warned by them,”. He knew that God’s Word warned people of danger and gave good advice.
Now let’s apply this to ourselves. In Proverbs 16:18 it cautions us, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Let’s say you read this one morning and the Holy Spirit reminds you that it applies to you. Maybe you were recently promoted at work and you’ve been letting it go to your head. You haven’t treated people under your supervision with the respect that you should. Now you sense the Holy Spirit is cautioning that you’re heading down a dangerous path that could lead to trouble for you and dishonor the Lord. If you’re sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, He will speak to you through Scripture by guiding you to specifically apply that verse to your life.
READ Psalm 19:11b. There are rewards to those who heed God’s Word. Besides the reward of knowing God’s ways and learning His commands, if you study His Word regularly, it will lead you to make godly choices that He rewards.
Maybe you’re offered a new job. It pays more money that you make now and you want to accept it. But the next morning you read Proverbs 11:14, “Without guidance, a people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” Now you feel like you haven’t asked anyone for advice about this major decision.
So, you call some Christian friends and ask for advice. They all point out problems with the job and how it could adversely affect your family—high stress, longer hours, etc. You heed their advice and decline the job. Not long after that, you get an unexpected promotion at work. You realize it would have been disastrous to accept the earlier offer. Your family is blessed because you heeded God’s Word.
READ Psalm 19:12-14.
The psalmist prayed that his words and thoughts would be acceptable to God. It’s one thing to guard our words; it’s quite another to guard our thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts can be evil and more uncontrolled than our actions.
Yet God’s Word can do more than merely help control our actions, it can go deep into our minds, hearts, and souls, to change the way we think. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that God’s Word “is able to judge the thoughts and intention of the heart.” God intends for us to be holy, on the inside as well as the outside.
You’ve heard the saying, let your conscience be your guide. And many, if not most of the time, that is good advice.
In 1984, Avianca Airlines, Spanish airline 707, had a crash, hit a mountain. They went into the rubble, everybody died, the plane is all over the place. Finally, they found little black box which has the cockpit recorder on it so they can get the dialogue that’s going on in the cockpit just before the crash so they can reconstruct what happened.
They found a frightening discovery when they listened to the tape. The cockpit recorder indicates that just before the crash, a computer synthesized voice from the plane’s automatic warning system starts saying, “Pull up, pull up, pull up, pull up, pull up,” in English. Remember now, this is a Spanish airline. Inexplicably the pilot shouts back, “Shut up, foreigner,” flips off the switch. Within seconds, the plane hits the mountain and everybody is dead.
What a parable of the way conscience is intended to work and how dangerous it is not to listen to it. But the Holy Spirit uses our conscience to help guide us. If only we would listen. If only we would allow God’s Word to be our GPS.
How rude that in the traffic of our lives we often cut God off. We are in such a rush we move God out the way instead of waiting and allowing him to go before us. We are not sensitive to the Lord’s leading. We fail to realize that by following we are spared some unfavorable driving conditions and road hazards.
In verses 12-13, David noted two kinds of sins.
? Unintentional sins (v.12). We might not even be aware that what we are doing is wrong. In those cases, Scripture will highlight those areas of our life and show us the right way.
? Willful sins (v.13). That’s where we know full well that we’re sinning and we choose to do it anyway. That’s a sign of a rebellious heart that needs to be transformed.
When we live our lives being guided by God’s Word, we can avoid committing either type of sin. Then our lives become more blameless. Being blameless frees us from guilt, from shame, and regret. Then we finally find that path to freedom and joy.
But how often we are weighed down with our burdens: burdens of guilt, and shame, and regret. I know that you come to church EXPECTING to hear the preacher tell you to read the Bible and then do what it says. Well, if you came here today expecting that, then your expectations have been met.
But don’t tune God out. Listen to what He’s telling you now. Let’s apply this to our lives then. How should you use God’s Word?
? As you read it, place your life up against it. Anywhere your life falls short of God’s standard, focus on that part. Ask God to cleanse you and help you to change.
? Not only read the Bible, but read it again. Meditate on it. Listen to what God is trying to tell you through what you are reading. Let its truths soak deep into the depths of your soul so that it conforms you into the image of Christ.
? Then apply the Word to your life. Anyone can read the Bible. But what you read must be applied to your daily living.
While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament--in Hebrew! Needless to say, the professor asked for a demonstration.
A few days later they sat together in the man’s home. "Where shall we begin?" asked the man. "Psalm 1," replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while the professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible.
For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, the professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man--he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God.
You see, one can read God’s Word and even memorize it. But, if it’s not applied, what have you accomplished.
Don’t let Scripture merely change you on the outside, let it also transform your thoughts, values, and passions within you. Trust that as you read, the Holy Spirit will highlight anything that needs to be adjusted in your life. God wants to guide you daily as He makes you more and more like Jesus.
It comes down to this: God is God and He works all things, including your life, according to His purposes. ... Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.”
This is key to understanding God's purpose for your life. God has numbered your days and will fulfill every purpose He has for you.
And through your daily reading of the Bible, you will surely find God’s Will for you.
