NARNIA: THE SEARCHERS
Act 22:6-11
AMONG THE MANY THEMES found in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is one that generates excitement, intrigue, and suspense. C.S. Lewis does a masterful job as he includes the timeless motif of quest.
Like knights in search of the holy grail, three of the four children, who find themselves in Narnia, are also on a mission–a mission to find Mr. Tumnus (a missing faun), a passion to find Edmund who has been seduced by the White Witch, and a longing to meet Aslan, the majestic lion of whom they heard so much about. They have to overcome numerous obstacles, chief of which is fear. But they persist because they are driven by love, a sense of duty, and even a bit of curiosity.
This theme is also addressed in the Bible as the noblest of all endeavors–the search for truth and fulfillment. It is universal in its appeal. The happiest and most contented are those who have undertaken this journey.
A few years ago, a poll was taken by the pastor of a large church to determine the topics people wanted their pastor to address from the pulpit. Over 5,000 people responded and the computer came up with ten topics that people most wanted to hear about. Number one was, “Where Are We in Prophecy?” This is not surprising, given the current state of affairs in our world.
Right behind it was, “How Can I Find the Will of God for My Life?” It may not tickle the itching ears of many, but I believe it is life’s greatest question. In fact, there’s no more important question that one can ask. Jesus addressed this subject often. He said that earnest seekers after truth would certainly find it. In our scripture passage we read about Paul’s “Damascus Road Experience.” In this account he asks two profound questions:
1. “Who are you, Lord?” (Verse 8)
2. “What shall I do, Lord?” (Verse 10)
Please notice that they are in the right order. To know the will of God, we must first know God personally. And we can only know Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why is knowing the will of God life’s greatest quest? Perhaps Henry Drummond can help us at this point:
Inside the will of God there is no failure;
Outside the will of God there is no success.
What is the end of life? The end of life is
not to do good, although many of us think so.
It is not to win souls, although I once
thought so. The end of life is to do the
will of God.
George Truett, the great Baptist preacher said, “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge; to find the will of God is the greatest discovery; to do the will of God is the greatest achievement.”
It is upon God’s will that all of life pivots. As someone has said, “Faith includes being so convinced of God’s plan that you waive all of your personal rights in favor of pursuing His will.”
David Livingston: “I had rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of England out of the will of God.”
I. FALSE IDEAS ABOUT FINDING GOD’S WILL
A. Its Hard to Know the Will of God. But God wants us to know His will. He takes no pleasure in our confusion. He dos not withhold it as if it was a great secret. The truth is, we often don’t have the desire of patience to discover it.
Let me give you a head start on God’s will for your life.
1. It is the will of God that you receive His salvation (II Peter 3:9).
2. It is the will of God that you be sanctified (I Thess.4:3)
3. It is the will of God that you help carry out the great commission (Matthew 28:19,20).
4. It is the will of God that you avail yourself of every means of grace in order to grow in grace, such as worship, study of His Word, prayer, and service.
The second false idea about finding God’s will is...
B. God’s Will is a traumatic experience. To be sure, there are those rare occasions when this takes place–such as a vision, a visitation, an audible voice from above, an emotional experience. In Bible times, God did reveal His will in supernatural ways. Moses heard God’s voice from a burning bush. Abraham heard from an angel. Samuel heard an audible voice, and Paul was struck down, heard a voice, saw a light.
But for the most part, our path is clearly spelled out in the Word of God. It is the “lamp to our feet and light to our path.” Consider the call of Matthew as an example. Jesus just said, “Matt, follow me.” And he did. We make the discovery of the will of God so complicated, so much more difficult than it needs to be. In the third place, a false idea bout God’s will is that...
C. All Impressions Are of the Holy Spirit. This is a dangerous belief. It can get one into trouble and even lead one astray. We are impressionable, emotional beings. The caution flag must be raised at this point.
A young farmer said he was called to preach but his sermons were simply awful. When asked how he came to this conclusion, he said he looked up into the sky and saw the initials, GPC, “Go Preach Christ!” One of the elders of his church said, “No, I think you misunderstood. It meant, “Go, Plow Corn!”
D. God’s Will is Something to Fear. There are those who feel that if they seek God’s will, He will ask us to do something dreadful. It’s as if they’re saying, “If we can just get miserable, then we’ll know that we’re in His will.” But what kind of image of our heavenly Father is that? in the Psalms we read, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” God’s will is wonderful and to find it doesn’t mean that you must set aside your own God-given abilities or desires.
Let me share three reason why we need God’s guidance for our lives.
1. He knows our nature better than anyone else. He made us. He knows our physical, mental, and emotional make-up. He know hat abilities we possess.
2. He know the future. He’s the only one who does. We can rest in Him.
3. He has a plan and purpose for us. Many people have a difficult time with this in a world of billions–in a technological age. But it is true! God had a plan for you before you were born. It was all mapped out. And its within that plan that life reaches it’s greatest fulfillment.
II. PREREQUISITES TO FINDING GOD’S WILL
a. We Must Be Cleansed.Sin in our lives will block our understanding of God’s will (Psalm 66:18). Sin keeps us from desiring the will of God and it dulls us so that we cannot hear God’s voice. The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle that if we’re not cleansed from all sin, then we’re walking in darkness (darkened minds).
B. We Must Be Concerned. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Honest effort–searching the Scriptures, waiting upon God–trusting Him to reveal His will to you.
C. We Must Be Compliant to Do God’s Will. To be guided, we must be willing to be controlled. Any experienced horseman knows that you must control the horse before you can get him to take you to the desired destination. We must be carful of developing a “But God” relationship. He is our Master. We can trust Him.
CONCLUSION
There are many great quests in life but the greatest is discovering the will of God. It means purpose, joy, peace, fulfillment, and contentment.
Horatius Bonar captures the essence of this noble cause in the following poem...
Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it be!
Lead me by Thine own hand;
Choose Thou the path for me.
Smooth let it be or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight, it leads
Right onward to Thy rest.
I dare not choose my lot;
I would not if I might;
Choose Thou for me, my God;
So shall I walk aright.
Take Thou my cup and it
With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to Thee may seem;
Choose Thou my good and ill.
Choose Thou for me my friends,
My sickness or my health;
Choose Thou my cares for me,
My poverty or wealth.
Not mine, not mine the choice,
In things, or great. Or small;
Be Thou my guide, my strength,
My wisdom, and my all.
