It is important to point out at the beginning, that the reason Jesus’ mother and brothers have come is to take Him quietly back home to Nazareth. They think He has gone crazy. They’re probably slightly embarrassed; standing outside this crowded house, asking someone nearer the door to call inside and coax Jesus out so they can talk with Him.
He is in Capernaum. He has been doing miracles and preaching, and has apparently had very little rest for some time; and by all witness accounts, not enough to eat.
Verse 20 says that the multitude were so pressing on the house in order to hear a word from Jesus, or perhaps to be touched by Him, that He and His recently chosen 12 could not even find time for bread.
When His own people saw this, it says, they went out to take custody of Him.
They were going to take Him, forcibly if necessary, and lock Him away for a while until He came back to His senses. Not unlike families today, who kidnap their relatives from the clutches of cults and imprison them until they can be convinced of the cult’s dangers, and rehabilitated back into normal society.
They were His family. They loved Him. They wished Him well, and thought they knew what was best for Him.
When someone is doing the work of the ministry, hindrances can come from both friends and foes. The ones we must be most on our guard against, are the hindrances that offer comfort. The ones that come from a smiling, well-meaning face.
Sincere love does not necessarily go hand in hand with wisdom and understanding. Only the disciple can accurately, through prayer and attention to the Holy Spirit, determine God’s path for himself; and that path, once determined, must be taken whatever others think or say.
Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”
Jesus knew His path. The plans had been laid and the fullness of time had come, and nothing could now deter Him from the work given Him to do.
Like the prophets He had sent before Him, they called Him ‘mad’. His friends thought He was over-worked and misguided; His enemies called Him the devil. But He followed the course the Father had set for Him, and He now calls all who call themselves His, to do the same.
That brings me closer to the point of my sermon today. As I look around me today, I become increasingly concerned with how many in the church claim to be Christ’s disciples but do not seem to be actively seeking His will and pursuing the doing of it.
Luke records this event in the early life of Jesus, and the wording changes slightly. Maybe because Peter, who had been there and heard the words himself, was dictating directly to Mark, while Luke was depending on other-witness testimony. We don’t know. But there is no conflict; in Mark 3 Jesus says, “...whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother” but in Luke His words are recorded as, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it”.
I say there is no conflict, because to hear the word of God is to know the will of God; and the key phrase in both gospels, is ‘and do it’.
So today let’s talk about THE WILL OF GOD, DOING THE WILL OF GOD, and JUDGING FOR OURSELVES WHETHER WE ARE IN THE FAMILY.
Since I became a Christian and first asked the question myself, I believe the question I have heard asked the most (pertaining to the Christian life) is, ‘how can I know God’s will for my life?’
I think that probably in most cases, what is meant by that question really is, “What does God want me to do; and how can I know from day to day if I am in the right place at the right time? How can I know from moment to moment whether I am doing the thing God wants me to be doing?”
And teachers of the word are so intimidated by the question, wanting always to be helpful and have an answer, they often only add to the problem by coming up with answers that confuse even more. The reason they confuse more, is because the teacher himself really doesn’t know what he’s talking about, so he rambles until the poor new believer is ready to throw up his hands and go to Disneyland instead!
“Well,” says the nervous teacher; attempting valiantly to look confident and assured, “...there is the perfect will of God, and there is the permissive will of God. Now, lots of times, especially with a new Christian, who doesn’t know much of the Bible yet, God will allow that person to go on in His permissive will, until he becomes more spiritually mature and learns to walk in God’s perfect will.
Now, God’s perfect will, is being exactly where His eternal plan for you called for you to be at any given time; doing the very thing that His eternal plan called for you to be doing...whereas...God’s permissive will is not being exactly where He wants you or doing exactly what He wants you to be doing,...(deep breath)...but your heart is in the right place and He knows you’re wanting to be doing the right thing, so He permits it and blesses your efforts...etc, etc,”
And to all this, I would like to politely reply, BUNK.
There is no trick to knowing God’s will for your life; and there is no stumbling block to doing God’s will so big that it can stop you.
Do you know how I know this?
Because JESUS said, “...My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
“...hear the word of God, and do it.
Not seek it, not search for it diligently, not struggle against all odds like Don Quixote and hope in the end to accomplish a little...
Simply, “...hear the word of God...” “...do it.”
When I read the scriptures, I do not find an example of anyone searching to know what God’s will is for their lives. I see them asking the Lord’s will in given circumstances,...
...but the very fact that they recognize that it is His will that must be done, and seek it, is the evidence that they themselves ARE in His will.
I’ve heard someone say that the way to be in God’s will is to do God’s will. It is a true statement, but it requires some explanation.
The way to know God’s will, is to know His word.
That’s why Jesus said, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the WORD of God and do it.”
God’s word is at times very specific. The ten commandments are very specific, aren’t they? You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not covet. You shall honor your mother and your father. You shall remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Sometimes God’s word is more general. For example; Paul reminds his readers that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, and that we should behave and treat our bodies accordingly. Now that can and has had a very wide range of applications; from refraining from eating fast foods, to staying away from pagan temples.
But whether specific or general, God’s word is the place to go to find God’s will. When we stray from the word it is inevitable that we stray from God’s will.
Read the stories of any of the Old Testament saints, and you’ll find that when they ignored the word of God as spoken through His leaders and prophets, or spoken to them by Him directly, they found themselves in trouble.
Abraham found himself in Egypt. Moses found himself unable to enter the promised land. David found himself fighting against his own son. Elijah found himself hiding in a cave from a woman. Jonah found himself needing a really big bar of Dial soap.
Peter found himself acting the coward under the challenge of a little servant girl.
The two disciples found themselves walking the road to Emmaus in grief, instead of going to Galilee to meet a risen Lord.
Because of our sin nature, there will never be a man or woman born who goes through life entirely and constantly in God’s will. That’s where His grace comes in.
If we hear/study His word, we will know His will; until then we can’t even begin to follow it.
But MAKE NO MISTAKE, believer in Christ; We’re either doing His will, or not. If we’re not doing it, then we aren’t in His permissive will...we are OUTSIDE of His will. Let’s not sugarcoat it.
So, let’s talk about DOING THE WILL OF GOD
This part is important. It is very, very important. I know that God considers it very important, because He inspired James to say;
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.”
Then in James 4:17, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
So there we have some wise, and very serious, exhortation to do what we know to do. To hear the word, and not neglect doing what we see to do there.
But it’s really a lot simpler than we tend to make it.
Doing God’s will does not necessarily mean going to the Mission field, or becoming a pastor or teacher, or giving large sums of money to the work of the ministry.
Those seem to be the things we think of first when thinking about being in God’s will.
The truth is, God wants witnesses for Him everywhere. If He wants His witnesses to be everywhere, then it stands to reason that He wants plumbers doing His will. He wants construction workers doing His will. He wants schoolteachers doing His will. He wants people in the medical profession doing His will. He wants students doing His will.
He even wants retirees doing His will...
...and He wants all these people doing His will, in the workplace and anywhere their chosen profession, their interests, their hobbies, take them.
Now I could go into quite a long list today of things to do that are God’s will for us to do. The Bible is full of them.
I could talk about Matthew 28:18-20; the Great Commission. I could talk about the sermon on the mount, and all the things Jesus exhorted His followers to do from there. I could talk about all the many places that Paul spoke of what God’s will is concerning His church and each of us as individuals. It could become very tedious indeed.
But there is something that I think includes all of the rest. If you are doing certain things, you will also do and be doing the others automatically.
It is all summed up in a few brief words from Paul to the Colossians:
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
through Him to God the Father.”
There is really a very basic and simple formula for knowing and doing God’s will. As stated here in these verses from Colossians, the formula is:
1. Know God’s word - richly
2. Love the brethren - actively
3. Let all your words and deeds acknowledge God - thankfully
Do you want to know if you are in God’s will?
Desire to be in God’s will. Make it the desire of your heart.
Then pray that God will keep you in His will.
Then study His word and spend time in prayer to find His specific will.
Then do it.
Don’t worry about taking a wrong turn, if you have actively sought to know the path. The bible promises that to those who seek Him and seek to do His will, He will give guidance and direction.
“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps”
1. Know God’s word - richly
2. Love the brethren - actively
3. Let all your words and deeds acknowledge God - thankfully
Follow that formula laid out in Colossians 3:16,17 and you will be in the will of God. I promise.
Finally, let’s talk about JUDGING FOR OURSELVES WHETHER WE ARE IN THE FAMILY.
Let me begin this part by saying, “Either you is, or you ain’t”
You are either saved or lost. One of God’s children, or one of Satan’s slaves.
One of the elect, or one of those under God’s wrath. Heaven bound, or destined for eternal separation from God where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.
Now, you and I can not know each other’s heart the way God does...but...God does.
You and I can somewhat judge by each other’s fruit, or lack of, whether or not we have a relationship with Christ. Jesus said we could do that, and we must do that for each other’s safety.
But in reference to our text of study today, I can only tell you what Jesus told all of us here.
His family, consists of those who hear the word of God, and do it!
What is the natural implication?
That those who do not hear the word of God, or those who hear but do not do, are NOT His family.
The words of Jesus in these verses, give me confidence to challenge you and to challenge myself, to go off to a quiet place and do some serious, soul-searching evaluation of ourselves.
I don’t care if you did pray the sinner’s prayer.
I don’t care if you came stumbling down the aisle in tears after an emotional revival sermon, and prayed with the preacher to accept Jesus as your savior.
I don’t care if you sat across from a visitor while in jail, or in your cell, and prayed and asked Jesus into your heart.
I don’t even care if you can tell me the definition of “Justification by faith”!
If you do not have an ear for the word of God, or if you hear it but do not do it, YOU ARE NOT HIS FAMILY!
Will it benefit you to be a sympathizer of Jesus only? Will it get you into Heaven, to say that you were on His side in all arguments; a friend, standing outside the door listening only?
I tell you, no. Either you is, or you ain’t. You’re a doer, or a deceiver. You are family, or you are not family.
What you really are is infinitely more important than what you say you are.
You have to be honest with yourself, and make a decision.
Am I His family? Am I both a hearer and a doer of what I hear?
Am I self deceived; thinking I belong to Him simply because I hear the word and concur with it, but I don’t do it?
Don’t be afraid of the truth; it will set you free. You have Jesus’ own promise.
But it will do more than that, it will set you free, but it will also give you wings to fly!
“IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ASK WHATEVER YOU WISH, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU. BY THIS IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, AND SO PROVE TO BE MY DISCIPLES”.
If you will heed these words; if you will ask God to search your own heart and make you not just a hearer, but an effectual doer of His word, you will ask what you will, and it will be done; you will bear much fruit, thereby giving glory to your Father in heaven.
Did you hear that relationship word? Your Father.
“Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
God bless your sincere effort to open your eyes to truth, and give you grace to begin and/or continue a faithful walk with Him, knowing His word and doing His will.
Amen.
