Sermon Series

• All sermons

Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2010-10-03
Series: The Will of God

Introduction

A middle-aged farmer always wondered in the back of his mind whether God really wanted him to be a great evangelist. One day working in the fields, he took a break and laid down under a tree. Looking up in the sky he saw the clouds form what seemed to be the letters P and C. So, he hopped up, sold his farm, and went out to P-reach C-hrist; knowing now that this was God's will for his life. The only trouble was, this guy was a terrible preacher. One night at one of his crusades after a horrible, horrible sermon, a compassionate friend of his who knew the story of how the farmer got his "calling" went forward and whispered in his ear, "Could it be that God was just asking you to P-lant C-orn?"

What is the will of God for your life? Will God ever speak his will to us?

Well this is the question man has been battling with ever since he came out of the Garden of Eden. David prayed in Psalm 25:4-5 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Well, today I am starting a new series named as ‘The Will of God.’

Today we are going to study the eternal will of God for the entire mankind.

God created man with a purpose. When God created man, God gave man a mind capable of knowing him. God gave man a heart so that he could love God. Finally God gave man a will. God permits every person to choose his own path. God could have created man so that he would automatically do God’s will, and not have any choice in the matter. However, God gave to man a free will and the responsibility to choose for himself whether to obey God. God did not create man in the image of the sun that rises every day, but has no choice in the matter. The Sun fulfills the will of God every day "automatically." That is not how it is with man. Man is a special creation. God created us for Himself but God wants us to choose to love Him and worship Him.

What is God's will for your life and mine? Before we get into the text this morning, I want to say something that is very important about understanding the will of God. You can divide God's will into his general will and into his specific will. His general will is always, always very clear. We find his general will clearly revealed in Scripture in the area of what you and I are to believe; ethics, morals, lifestyle etc. When we obey the scripture we get into a relationship with God and He then reveals his will to us.

In the Indian culture usually the marriages are arranged by the parents. By the time they are engaged they would have hardly spent 20 to 30 minutes talking with each other. Then they get married without truly knowing one another.

Illustration: When Glory and I got married we never knew each others likes and dislikes. We married in September and by November-December just 2 months into marriage Glory would want the fan at high speed whereas I was shivering inside a blanket. I usually switch off the fan and go to sleep, Glory would wait for me to sleep and then put on the fan. At midnight I would shiver and get up, looking Glory fast asleep I would switch off the fan and go back to sleep. It was so surprising that when I wake up early morning the fan would still be running at high speed. Now we have completed 10 years of happy married life by God’s grace and we have come to a point where we know each others likes and dislikes better.

To know the will of God for you and me we need to have a good relationship with God. I would say “Knowing the will of God is understanding God’s likes and dislikes.”

God has a general eternal will. But most of our questions about the will of God don't come in that general area, do they? They come in a specific area. Whom should I marry? Should I continue with this relationship? Should I take this job or that? Should I study this or that? Am I to move to another city?

A lot of times, we get worked up over what is God's specific will for us. One brother was confused over 'Should I marry Mary or Susan?' Well if we know the general will of God that would never been a question at all. That is why the word of God has to be read and obeyed. The word of God reveals the general will of God. Then the word becomes our anchor. It becomes our guidepost. It becomes the lens through which we can better discern the specific will of God for you and me.

If you ask me what Glory likes and dislikes, her preferences etc, I can pretty much tell you. Why because I know her now. I know how she thinks. I know her likes like what color is her favorite, what food she enjoys etc. Once I know her general likes she will naturally open up to me and tell me the specifics of her wish, and this happens vice versa.

This is the same with God. We share a husband-wife relationship with Jesus. Therefore the specific will of God for us will be revealed if and only we obey God’s general will for mankind. Today we are going to look at what is God’s general will for you and me.

God’s Eternal Will

1. The will of God is that we be saved

2 Peter 3:9 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.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

God wants the entire mankind to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. If anyone is sitting here without accepting Jesus as your saviour and Lord, accept Him because that is the first step to know God’s will for your precious life.

For all of those you who are saved before do not think you are excused. Salvation is not a one time experience. We need to work out our salvation on a daily basis.

Philippians 2:12-13 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

2. The will God is that we be sanctified

Sanctified means set apart. An engaged woman is set apart for her partner. Likewise when we are sanctified we are set apart for God. God wants us to lead a holy lifestyle.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

God cannot stand unholiness. When people were unholy God destroyed them – Tower of Babel, people in the time of Noah, and also the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. The will of God is that we be Spirit Filled

Ephesians 5:17-18 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

There are 3 types of people: Natural person, Carnal Person, and Spirit Filled person.

a. Natural Person. He is a worldly man, not accepted Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

A natural personal is self controlled person. Self is on the throne and Jesus is outside his life.

b. Carnal person. A carnal man is a baby in Christ, saved but not mature.
“Carnal man is an immature Christian, the one who lives on a childhood level because he will not feed on the Word and grow.”

1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.

A carnal man even though saved acts according to the flesh not by the spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

A carnal man may be a church going believer but has the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

c. Spiritual man or Spirit-filled man. A spiritual man is led by the spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (NKJV)

Galatians 5:16-18 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

A spirit filled person produces fruit.

4. The will of God is that we be submissive

We need to be submissive people. God does not like bossy, authoritative, egoistic people. All this comes from our carnal nature. A real Christian is humble and meek in heart.

1 Peter 2:13-15 13Submit 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. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

5. The will of God is that we serve

How can we serve God? We serve God by serving others.

Galatians 5:13 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love

6. The will of God is that we suffer

Listen, it is God’s will that we suffer. As much as God gives us prosperity God also gives suffering to his children. How many of you are suffering from something today. It maybe rejection, loneliness, sickness, someone would have cheated you, financial struggles. You have not done anything wrong, yet you do not know why you are suffering. Praise God because sometimes suffering is God’s will in our lives.

1 Peter 4:12-16, 19 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Coming back, what I have just given you is not the complete list of God’s general will but I believe these are the basics and once you follow them we will automatically follow all his general will.

When God sees us faithful in following his general will then God starts to reveal his specific will in our lives. Whom should I marry? What job to take? What to study? Where to settle?

Psalm 32:8-9 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Proverbs 4:10-11 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

Next Sunday I hope to speak on how to achieve the specific will of God in your life; however. Today let us make our lives straight and say God I am coming back. I want to be fully obedient to your general will in my life. Amen.