Seven “I Wills” of the Believer
Good morning everybody! Today, I am being led to discuss the 7 I wills that every Christian needs to live by. In today’s society, we hear so much about the “thou shalts” and the “thou shalt nots.” And some people can get confused through all the doctrinal indifferences. Through all the differences, there is a list of seven “actions” that we as Christians need to mindful to do. First an foremost,
1) "I will trust and not be afraid"
(Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. )
I believe one of the most difficult things a person can do is to trust. I did not say it was impossible, because we do it all the time an all aspects of our lives. We trust that our chairs will hold us! We trust that water will come out of the faucet when we turn it on. We trust that the light will come on when we hit the switch. We trust in things.
We trust in these things because they have proven they are trustworthy in the past. I can honestly say that the lights have came on pretty much anytime I turned the switch., save for the times it was out because of a storm. Until recent years, I have never had a chair break under my weight. I have never experienced a lack of air when I inhaled. There has always been air. We trust in these things because they are pretty well proven in our past.
And yet sometimes we fail to trust in the most trustworthy of all, our Father. I know that we all love and trust in the Lord, but I also know that as humans, we fall short of the mark. We are afraid to share our faith with others because we are afraid of what they might think. Afraid that we will not be accepted as “part of the crowd.”
You see, if we truly trusted in him completely, we would have no fears. He has promised us that he will provide. Yet we worry about our finances. Will I be able to make my next car payment? Will I be able to pay my utilities? If I tithe, how will I be able pay my bills?
Do these questions sound familiar? They do to me. Not only have I heard people ask these questions, but I have asked them as well.
Proverbs 28:25 says, “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper” He that trusts in the Lord will prosper!! So why don’t we trust in him at all times? I believe that our focus is all wrong sometimes. I believe that sometimes we get caught in the trap of looking on the things of this world. We allow ourselves be measured by the world’s standards. We turn our focus away from the kingdom and to the world. And yet this world did not die for our sins, Jesus did! Trust is so important.
2) “I will draw near to God and fear him”
Psalms 34:11 says, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
“Come, ye children” actually is defined as, “All ye that are of a humble, teachable spirit.” A teachable spirit. Humble. I believe that the writer is telling us that we need to come to God without reservations. We need to humble ourselves to him. We need to open our hearts and our minds to hear his word. To learn his message and to revere him as the Mighty God that he is!
We are not to try to make his word into something that fits into our way of believing. Only picking out things that sound sweet. Things that reflect acceptance in our society. I believe that when God says something, it is not open for debate. God spoke, so it is so.
And yet in today’s society we continually hear people water down his word, alter his laws and change doctrine so that people will feel warm and fuzzy inside. So people will grace the doors of a church building. I tell you emphatically today that God will not turn his eyes away from this misleading by so called Christians. God want his people to draw near to him as little children. Mark 10:15 says, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."
I know that I have many times tried to learn to do something in a different way, but had a difficult time because I allowed myself to become distracted by my old way of getting things done. The old way is the way of the world. It is a sinful way. A path to certain damnation. The new way is through the acceptance of Jesus Christ.
When we truly open our selves to the spirit of truth, God can change our very lives. He can change our circumstances. He can change our spiritual destination. Through childlike faith we have been saved. Through that same childlike faith we can learn the fear of the Lord! Fear has been defined as reverence.
David said that a person who fears the Lord does not lie, turns from evil, does good and promotes peace. Obviously, reverence is more than sitting quietly in a church. It includes obeying God in the way we speak, the way we carry ourselves and the way we treat others.
Heb 10:22 says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
We need to draw near to our Father, and we need to learn to have reverence for him.
3)"I will love Thee!"
Psalms 18:1 says, “I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.” That says an awful lot in those words! But just what is love? The definition of a word of such magnitude is found in the only true book of knowledge, God’s word.
1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends;”
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Your every effort should be in loving God! Your every waking moment, your every dream, should be showing your love for God!
Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you.
Joshua 22:5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." It is apparent to me that loving God is tied in with faithful obedience to whatever He wants from us.
1 John 5:1-3 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE GOD?
A. It means to love your neighbor. It means to treat other people--no matter who they are--with dignity and respect!
1. Treat them as people, not objects/things.
2. The wife of a British colonel in India. She was expecting important guests for tea one afternoon. Looked out from her front porch after lunch & was horrified to see that the man who swept the leaves off her stairs every morning had not shown up for work. When he finally got there, she tore into him. "Don’t you realize what you’ve done to me? Do you know who’s coming here in an hour? I ought to fire you and see to it that you don’t get another job anywhere in the city!" Without looking up the man said, "I’m sorry. My little girl died during the night and we had to bury her today." For the first time, the colonel’s wife began to see this man as something more than just a device that swept her stairs every day.
B. It’s easy to treat people in a way that dishonors God--we can do it in small, subtle ways without even realizing it.
1. Ever pass $ to clerk w/o noticing them?
2. Ever get mad at someone in line ahead of you at McDonald’s who places a special order?
3. Do you systematically refuse to let other drivers ahead of you in a traffic merge?
4. When you are around other people, like at work, that are not Christians, do they see the love you have for God in your actions and reactions?
C. You see, Loving God redefines all priorities.
What time was yours, what energy was yours, what resources were yours, they are now given unselfishly to Him.
4) "I will keep Thy statutes"
(Psalms 119:145 I have called with my whole heart; Answer me, O Jehovah: I will keep thy statutes. )
The Bible often connects the fear of the lord, love and reverence for him, with obedience. Eccl 12:13 says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” John 14:23 says, “Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Pastor Dewayne, How can we follow all of the laws? I thought we were saved by Grace?! That is right! We were, and Gods is law is very simple!
Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ``Love others as you love yourself.’’
Oh, that is easy, right? Then why is it exactly that we have so many hurting people in this world, even in this community?
I mean if your child were in the alley digging through dumpsters for food, would you come to their aid and rescue. How long would it take? If your sister or brother were being evicted, would you help them?
To love God is to love others as you love yourself. Instead of the poor me syndrome, you need to have the poor them syndrome. When you think about how badly you have it, just look around at the others in your world. Think about what you can do to help them. Not just tell them about God’s love, show his love in action!
James 2:8 Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s command, ``You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself.’’
Vs 14-16 says, “Dear brothers, what’s the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone?
If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, and you say to him, ``Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,’’ and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?
You have to love the unlovable as well! You have to love unconditionally.
Not like the letter a young lady wrote to her ex-fiancé! “Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie... P.S., And congratulations on willing the state lottery."
It is so easy to love if we are going to get something back, isn’t it? I love to hear people talking so sweet, only when they want something! “Oh you look so nice today, Are you losing weight, you look so good! Oh, by the way, can I ______?”
What about when it is someone that has caused you harm? What about those rotten people?
God loves them, so should we. They need the love. Love the sinners, hate the sin.
"I will walk before the Lord"
(Psalms 118: IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN MAN)
How many of us put our confidence in man?
Let me share 7 reasons why we should put our trust in God.
1.POWER
Matthew 19:26 says, “Jesus looked at them intently and said, ``Humanly speaking, no one. But with God, everything is possible.’’
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because God is all powerful. The things which are impossible with man are possible with God. The Lord has promised to show us great and mighty things when we call upon Him. He does great and unsearchable things and marvelous things without number . Therefore we must put our trust in God.
2.PROMISES
Mark 13:31 says, “Heaven and earth shall disappear, but my words stand sure forever.”
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because God is faithful to fulfill His promises. Man often fails to keep his promises. He may even lie and deny the promises he has made. Man may also change his mind and refuse to fulfill his promises. But God is not a man to fail to keep His word. The word which comes from the mouth of God will not return void to Him but will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
3.PRESENCE
Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ``I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.’’’ That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, ``The Lord is my Helper and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.’’
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because of His presence with us . He has promised to be with us always even till the end of the world . He has said " I will never leave you nor forsake you ". He is our shade at our right hand. No man can be with us all the time. Man may also pass away from this world. But God will be with us at all times and in all situations . His presence will be with us in times of joy , sorrow, celebration, loneliness, disappointment, fulfillment, prosperity, poverty ,health ,sickness etc. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
4.PARDON
II Samuel 24:14 says, “This is a hard decision,’’ David replied, ``but it is better to fall into the hand of the Lord (for his mercy is great) than into the hands of men.’’
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because of His pardon and forgiveness and mercy. The Lord will not keep His anger against us forever . He has not punished us according to what we deserve . He is merciful towards us. Even when we are afflicted because of our transgressions and iniquities He is merciful to deliver us when we cry out to Him. Man may not forgive us or show mercy to us when we fail. Man may not rescue us when we suffer because of our mistakes. David preferred to fall into the hands of God rather than into the hands of men because God’s mercies are very great. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
5.PASSION
I John 3:1 says, “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children--think of it--and we really are! But since most people don’t know God, naturally they don’t understand that we are his children.”
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because God’s passion and love towards us is everlasting. The Love of God never changes .If God loved us so much that He did not spare His own Son but gave Him for us then surely He will provide everything else that we need. God will make all things work together for good in our lives. Man may not love us always. Human love changes all the time. It is conditional and has many strings attached. Only the love of God is unconditional and everlasting. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
6.PEACE
Isaiah 26:3 says, “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!”
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because of the great peace and tranquility it brings to us. The Lord will keep those who trust in Him in perfect peace. This quietness and confidence will give us strength. We need not worry and be distressed about anything . We should make all our requests known to God and the peace of God will rule our hearts. Man may not be consistent enough to let us rest in assurance. Man may waver in his commitments and cause us great anxiety when put our confidence in him. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
7.PROMOTION
John 14:12 says, “In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask him for anything, using my name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father because of what I, the Son, will do for you.”
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man because God brings promotion in our lives. God lifts us when we humble ourselves before Him. We must be submitted under His mighty Hand until He lifts us in due time. We must look to God to promote us. Man may fail to lift us up. The hand of man may lift us up in sympathy when we are in a pathetic state . But the same hand may pull us down in jealousy when we are in a prosperous state. Man may not want us to rise higher than him. But the Lord desires to lift us up and make us to be seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Jesus promised that those who believe in Him shall do even greater works than Him. The Lord is the one who brings promotion in our lives. Therefore we must put our trust in God.
"I will praise Thee"
(Eph 1:3-6 says, “How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in heaven because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault--we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to us and his favor that he has poured out upon us, because we belong to his dearly loved Son.”)
Try-outs can be nerve-racking times. The attempt to be the best or among the best. Whether it is try-outs for basketball, try-outs for the spring play, Or a "try-out" for a new job with an interview. What emotions does one usually exhibit when he or she makes the cut and gets the cherished position? Is it not elation and joy? Maybe the person jumps up and down shouting with joy, or perhaps a smile simply breaks across his or her face. Do you remember how Jesse Ventura reveled when he found out that he had been chosen by the people of Minnesota to be their next governor? It feels good to be chosen for something special, doesn’t it?
As exciting and thrilling as being chosen for a team or a position can be, the Apostle Paul talks about a much more exhilarating election which we have received. He contemplates how we have been chosen for the most unlikely of positions. We have been Chosen to praise God.
Our election to be children of God is a great comfort in our daily lives. It points to the many blessings which we receive as God’s own children. We can be certain that we have been chosen to sing God’s praise... since he enlightened us to know our inheritance.
Since God has blessed us with forgiveness of sins and faith in Christ, we can be confident that he will see us through to the time when he calls us out of this world into his glorious presence. This is the hope to which he has called us, the inheritance that waits for us, eternal glory, where we can praise him forevermore. He has called us out of darkness into his light that we might be blessed with every spiritual blessing. We were indeed Chosen to Praise the Father! Amen?
"I will behave myself wisely"
(Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. )
I am not perfect. No one is perfect Paul said that “there is none righteous no not one.” But that does not mean that we cannot stand before God with a perfect heart. It is what God expects of us. So, what is a “Perfect Heart”? Is it doing the right thing?
II Chronicles 25:2 says that Amaziah did the right thing but not with a perfect heart. Having a perfect heart goes beyond just doing the right thing or saying the right thing.
A perfect heart is a heart that:
Has Been Touched By God,
When God touches your heart
- You will not be the same
- Your whole lifestyle will changed
- You will be God centered rather than self centered
- No longer “I” but “HIM”
- You will hunger for the things of God
- You will desire to be in God’s presence
- You will desire to please God
When God touches your heart FEAR is gone
- NO FEAR
- God fills us with strength and courage to walk through the fire and trust that He will see us through.
- David knew that sustaining courage when he wrote “yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will FEAR NO evil for thou art with me.”
- Fear is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons
- Wants to make us worry and fret but I know who loves me and I gave my life to Him and He touched my heart
In the days of war the Japanese policeman who had absolute power said that within three days everyone in a certain Formosan mountain village must come to the police station and swear that he would not be a Christian, or he would be tied hand and foot, and stones tied to him, and he would be thrown from the high bridge into the rushing river below. The Christians met at midnight to decide what to do. Some said, "We’ll have to give it up. We cannot be Christians now. He will surely kill us."
Then a young boy arose. "But don’t you remember that Jesus said not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to be afraid of those who kill body and soul? If he kills us, it will only be our bodies. Our souls will go to be with Jesus." They all said, "That’s true." When the vote was taken, every hand was raised--all voted to die. Next day the policeman laughed cruelly, and said, "Tomorrow you die."
Now the policeman liked to fish, and waded out into the river. A rock or tree in the current struck his leg and broke it. While the mountain people were praying, a messenger rushed in, and said, "The man who was to kill you tomorrow has been drowned in the river." It took a child to remind these Christian missionaries to walk wisely. They were looking at the situation though their own human eyes. they did not have that faith. But the boy reminded of the promise of Christ.
Sometimes we miss that mark too, don’t we? So, Today I give to you the Seven I Wills of a Christian. Learn them and hold them close to your heart.
