Encounter Church
Sunday August 16, 2020
Boundaries
What Is God’s Will
INTRODUCTION: What is God’s will for my life? One of the most asked questions among Christians yet a question many are not asking and should be.
Ephesians 5:15-17 – “ So be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes. And don’t live foolishly for then you will have discernment to fully understand God’s will.”
WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR MY LIFE? “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.” Take full advantage of every day, the days are evil!
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL?
God’s will is like a football field. The play of the game is within the boundaries.
So it is with knowing the will of God for your life. If you get out of bounds, it makes it very difficult to know the will of God.
What is God’s will for my life? There are boundaries I need to get you into so that the will of God is easier.
On one side of the field, one boundary you have,
- The Sovereign Will of God
This is what God is doing on the earth! God is up to something on this earth. Something He’s going to do with or without me!
Do I know what God is doing on the earth and am I cooperating with it?
It can be difficult to discover the THE WILL OF GOD for your life is you don’t know God’s SOVEREIGN WILL!
GOD HAS A WILL! And God’s will for our lives is NEVER outside of His will. God’s will for my life will always coincide with what He’s doing in the earth!
LISTEN TO THE WAY JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY:
Matthew 6:9,10 – “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
I want to align myself first with what God is doing in the earth!
Matthew 6:33 – “ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
If you want to know God’s will for your life get in the boundary of what God is doing in the earth. Now here’s the other side of the filed, the other boundary.
2. The Moral Will of God
THIS IS WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY SAID IN HIS WORD! God is already vocal on some topics!
You want to make sure you know what God is doing in the earth, that’s His sovereign will!
Then you need to align yourself with what God has said in His Word! Align yourself with the moral will of God!
EXAMPLES:
1 Peter 4:10 – “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3- – “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.”
Just because it’s popular in our culture doesn’t mean it’s popular with God!
THE PERSONAL WILL OF GOD- What we’re talking about is discovering the personal will of God for our lives.
What God desires for my life! he does have a plan!
Psalm 139:16– “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”
THE KEY STATEMENT:
The more I get to know the sovereign will of God and the moral will of God, the better I discern the personal will of God! It’s important to stay within these boundaries!
TWO QUESTIONS:
- What am I doing that I should not be doing?
Psalm 139:23,24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
2. What am I not doing that I should be doing?
Be involved with God is already doing in the earth. You’ll be surprised at the clarity it brings to your life.
Now if you believe all this and you want to set your life back within the boundaries, now here’s what you can do.
THERE ARE 6 FILTERS TO RUN YOUR DECISIONS THROUGH.
- Am I in a right relationship with God?
Start here before making a decision. I’m not going to do it because I’m hurt or wounded. I’m not going to retaliate. I’m going to see how close I can get to God!
Romans 12:2 – “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
2. What does the Bible say?
Luke 21:33 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
We’re not following culture but we’re following God’s Word!
3. What would Jesus do?
James 3:14-17- “But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.”
Does your decision carry the Spirit of Jesus?
4. Have I sought godly counsel
Proverbs 11:14 – “For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.”
5. Do I sense God’s peace
Never step outside of God’s peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33 – “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.”
You need all of these. If you have peace but it’s outside of God’s moral will, it’s not God’s will, you just feel good! If it contradicts God’s word it’s not God’s will!
6. Is it my will or God’s will
Let me make a spiritual maturity statement: Do you want to grow up in God? Start everyday with “NOT WHAT I WANT GOD BUT WHAT YOU WANT!
Matthew 26:39 – “ He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Start everyday with – “God not will but your will be done! I submit my will to yours!
YOU CAN’T LIVE THAT WAY AND KNOW GOD’S WILL!
The only way to truly know the personal will of God is to live a life that is fully surrendered to Him! I WANT WHAT GOD WANTS PERIOD!
Surrender your life to the will of God! There’s peace on the other side!
Salvation is when you surrender the control of your life to God!
Some of you have taken some negative experiences in the church and assumed the church was an expression of God! Therefore you struggle when someone like me stands up here talks about surrendering your life to God.
I’m NOT ASKING you to surrender your life to the church! I’m asking you to surrender your life TO GOD! HE IS LOVE AND HE LOVES YOU AND HE DOES HAVE A WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?