Sermon Central
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How To Know You Are Walking In God's Will Series
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 27, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: 3 THINGS WHICH MUST BE PRESENT IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE SO THEY MAY KNOW GOD’S WILL. This had a big impact on our people!
“How to Know You Are
Walking in God’s Will”
Psalm 37:1-5, 23
Powerpoint for this and hundreds more free sermons at our website:
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons.html
Nothing is more important in a believer’s life than finding and doing the will of God [not just for preachers, but also plumbers!]
God’s will is not like taking Alka-Seltzer
[good for me, but not enjoyable]
The will of God is not something we HAVE to do but something that we GET to do if we play our cards right!
Def.: the will of God is what we would choose for our own lives if we had sense enough to choose it.
Jesus said, My meat is to do the will of God [bread and butter]
God’s will for your life could be defined as: “you, as a believer, walking in the steps that God has ordered for your life.”
We live in dark days, but God wants for us to be able to walk in the light.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones… [big boned!]
Success is finding God’s will [as early in life as possible], following God’s will, and finishing God’s will [well done, good and faithful…]
Some try to spell success w/ only 5 letters: M-O-N-E-Y
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I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. [He can see further ahead!…]
Ephes. 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Classic fear: if I surrender, God will make me be a missionary to Africa [if it’s God’s will, you’ll end up wanting to do that, if you’ve surrendered!]
v. 4 As a kid, I wanted to be a pilot [cattle ranch]
I surrendered [not a bad word!] and God gave me new desires!
Africa is the safest place on earth for you if it’s His will.
We have bought a lie from the pit of hell, namely, that God’s will makes miserable! No, it will be filled w/ joy, contentment, and fulfillment!
When you’re in God’s will, He changes your “wanter”!
Ever since I surrendered for ministry, I’ve wanted to be a pastor. And if you asked me then where I want to pastor, I would have said something like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or maybe Honolulu! I’d never have thought of Decatur, IL! But now that we’re here, we can’t imagine why everyone doesn’t want to be here!
Phil. 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Some say: “God isn’t showing me His will!”
If God has a will for our lives, then it stands to reason that He wants to reveal it! [He is not playing “keep-a-way” w/ His will.]
Ill.—when I want Kimberly to find her way around town [a little geographically challenged], do I make it difficult, or clear? N/S/E/W or Wal-Mart, Mall, water tower, Thrift store?!
But there are some pre-requisites to being in God’s will…you don’t just stumble into it, you have to find it/seek it/want it!
How do we find God’s will? Not the world’s way:
Ill—Hollywood says, “follow your heart”…what does your heart tell you?/date that person?/go to that school?/participate in that at church?
The Bible says, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked!
Or, modern psychology--“Let your conscience be your guide”
The Bible says, your conscience may be seared w/ a hot iron!
Pre-requisites to finding God’s will:
There are three key things that must be present in the life of a Christian before he can know that he is walking in God’s will.
I. First, a Godly, pure lifestyle. vs. 23
A. The Bible clearly teaches that the steps of a “good” man are ordered by the Lord.
B. We see this principle throughout this entire psalm. vs. 3, 8-9, 16-18, 27, 29-31, 34, 37-40
“A Good Man”—does not mean perfect…but nowhere does the Bible promise guidance to a believer w/ known sin in their life.
We can divide God’s will into 2 parts:
God’s personal will for my life [my direction]
God’s moral will for my life [God’s directions!]
It is impossible to zero in on God’s personal will for your life if you are living in rebellion to His moral will for you!
In other words--more important is what you are than what you do…and what we are is much more important than where we are (physical location)
God’s moral will for us is oftentimes spelled out for us in His Word:
