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Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2010-10-24
Series: The Will of God

Introduction

Three churches in a town had a lot of problem with monkeys. They used to come and eat away the children’s church supplies, take away food from the children, and steal the handbags of the ladies. After much prayer, the elders of the first church determined that it was God’s will that the animals were created. Who were they to interfere with God's will they reasoned. Soon, the monkeys multiplied and were all around the church. The elders of the second church decided that they could not harm any of God's creatures, trapped all the monkeys, took them outside the city, and set them free. Three days later, the monkeys were back. It was only the third church that succeeded in keeping the monkeys away. The pastor said it was God’s will that all be saved. He baptized all the monkeys and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

Well, we have been studying on the series ‘The will of God’ and we saw that God has an eternal will and a specific will for every one of our lives. Today I would like to bring out some wrong methods people use in discerning God’s will. Finally we are going to see what qualities in us will lead us to God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will in our lives.

What the Will of God is not

1. God’s will is never bad.

Some of you may be thinking today, “Lord, I know I have been faithful to you yet I am going through bad circumstances.” God’s will is never bad for us even if our circumstances are bad.

Example: Joseph had 2 dreams as a child. In both the dreams he saw his brothers and his parents bow down to him. Soon his brothers got jealous of him, tore his clothes, and cast him into an empty well. I truly believe it was God’s will that Joseph be in the empty well but probably Joseph never understood it then. We know it all turned out to be good in Joseph’s life. God’s will is never bad.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2. God’s will is never fixed

Never think that God wants you to do the same thing for your entire life. God’s will for your life can change, it is never fixed.

Illustration: As a boy in my early teens I volunteered to clean our church. Very soon I started teaching Sunday School. After some time I started handling the sound system. Slowly I learned an instrument and became a musician. Finally, I became the worship leader of our church. Now I am a pastor, teaching and preaching the Word of God.

Understand God’s will was not fixed in my life. Yes I found teaching Sunday school, leading worship all very satisfying, but if I had still been doing that I would have been leading a compromised life being totally out of God’s specific will for me. Today we are all doing something or the other in life; never think that is the end for you. God wants you to grow. Understand God’s will is never fixed. Complacency is the enemy of the will of God.

God wanted Elijah to rebuke King Ahab. Soon afterward God told Elijah to hide in Kerith Ravine. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening and Elijah drank from the brook. Elijah would have been pretty comfortable with this setup. God said to Elijah, “Get up, go at once to Zarephath where I have commanded a widow to supply you with food.” See God’s will for Elijah was not fixed. The key is to wait for God’s direction every step of our life.

3. God’s will is never lost

When your life takes a hit, when your ministry takes a hit, when the unexpected happens never think it is all over. If God has promised you something, it will never get lost.

God gave Joseph a dream as a child. Soon Joseph was found in the empty well which led Joseph to be sold to the Egyptian traders. Joseph ended up in Potiphar’s house, and was finally put in prison for no fault of his. Joseph’s experiences in life were no where compared to his dream but understand God’s will is never lost. In God’s time the king of Egypt promoted Joseph to be the prime minister of Egypt.

Even when we feel that our life is heading no where, even when we lose hope in life; God’s will for you is never lost.

Isaiah 55:8-9 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

4. God’s will is never revealed by intermediaries/others

Intermediary means - One that acts as a mediator. This means we cannot have any medias to know God’s will like palmistry, horoscope, seeing stars etc.

Listen, intermediaries were permissible in the days before Christ. The Old Testament endorses three methods of this kind.

Urim and Thummim: Exodus 28:30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.

Upon presenting a question to the Lord, the high priest discovered the answer by consulting the Urim and Thummim. They were two small stones, one representing "yes," the other "no," and the high priest found the answer by reaching into the pouch of his breastplate and drawing out one stone at random or perhaps he removed both stones and the one with the right answer glowed supernaturally. Or perhaps he cast them like dice and deduced the answer from the sides facing upward. We simply do not know anything about the Urim and Thummim except their names. This method was used in the OT days to know God’s will. No doubt God has withheld further information about these stones because he does not want us to make replicas for our own use.

Seeking signs
I feel asking a sign from God is not biblical. However there is one instance when God answered through a sign in the OT but he does not want us to do that.

Judges 6:33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

Judges 6:36-40 36 Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised- 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Although God obliged once to show his will by a sign Gideon asked, God does not want us to do that to know his will in the NT Church.

Casting lots. The Old Testament approved casting lots for deciding questions that might otherwise lead to conflict. Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

The last time when lot was cast is found in the Book of Acts. The eleven disciples cast lots to determine who should succeed Judas as the twelfth. Acts 1:26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. This was the end of such practices. A few days later the Holy Spirit descended and a new dispensation, the Church Age, began. There was no more casting lots in the church. The only reliable way from then to know the will of God is by His Spirit and by His Word.

Prophesy: Some people are in the habit of going to the prophets to know the will of God. Beware if the prophet makes a mistake you are going to terribly, terribly suffer in your life.

Illustration: About 2 years ago we had a brother who came with his entire family to City Harvest. They were very enthusiastic, got baptized, came regularly to church. One day a pastor visited their house and prophesied that God wanted to start a church in their house and that God wanted this brother to be a worship leader. The next day this brother came home and said pastor, “It is God’s will that I be a worship leader and we have started a church at home.” I said, “God bless you, I am happy to know that you are going to minister.” As a matter of fact the church did not even survive 6 months, everything broke up and now they are totally out of faith.

Do not run after prophets, run after God. The prophets in the Old Testament made people aware of their sin. 1 Corinthians 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. Prophesy is for strengthening, encouraging, and comfort of the church. Never ask the will of God to prophets or others. Once you are sure of God’s will, God will sometime use a prophet to confirm it.

5. God’s will is never based on circumstances

I have seen many people use circumstantial evidence to prove God’s will. God does not go by circumstances. Job was a very faithful servant of the Lord. God criticized Job for only one thing, looking through his circumstances to see what God was doing.

Illustration: One brother was in need of Rs. 1000. He said he was praying to God for the money and as he was walking he saw a purse. He opened the purse to find Rs. 1500. He said wow, I was praying for Rs. 1000 but God heard my prayer and gave me Rs. 1500, what a good God he is. No, God’s will is never based on circumstances.

One sister came to me and said pastor I met a guy in college. You know I saw him, he saw me, it was love at first sight; there was love all over the place. You know it was God who made him also come to the same college and I know it is God’s will for my life somehow my parents disapprove it, please pray.

Note: There are chances that you find your spouse who study or work alongside you, but just cannot cite circumstantial evidence to prove it is God’s will. God’s will is never based on circumstances.

6. God’s will is never contrary to God’s word

You can never tell something as God’s will when the scripture speak against it.

Illustration: Last year one brother came and told me pastor I am planning to get married but the only problem is that she is not in faith. He further strengthened his claims that he feels it is the perfect will of God. He said this is the way he can reach out with the gospel to her family.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

It is never the will of God for you to marry a nonbeliever.

Selecting scripture at random. The will of God cannot be found by selecting scripture at random. You cannot just open your Bible and look for a verse and tell whether what you are planning to do is God’s will or not.

Joke: One brother was very stressed with his work and his boss. He was so stressed that he hated his work and wanted to end his life. He decided to open the Bible at random to discern God’s will. He closed his eyes, opened the Bible, placed his finger and it read, "Judas went out and hanged himself." Hoping that he had not correctly discerned the Lord's will, he tried again and found, "Go thou and do likewise."

Conclusion

Today I hope to finish this series. We have seen what the eternal will of God is, we saw how God led Paul to a specific will in his life, and today we have seen what the will of God is not. I would like to conclude by telling you how to know the will of in our lives.

Knowing God’s Will

Ephesians 5:15-20 15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 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. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Be careful in your life about the decisions you make. Live Wise. Make the use of all opportunity. Work Hard.

18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Now, I don't think is Paul is making a crusade against the wine industry. People drink wine to escape from reality of life. Pain and suffering comes our way in this life. We are not to run away from our problems. We are not to seek escapism by some means like drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, suicide, psychological denial, running off into a fantasy world somewhere etc. We need to face reality, deal with it. It is through reality God leads us to his will. When we are dealing with reality, you and I are more apt to understand exactly what God's specific will is for our lives.

18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Lead a Christ centered life.

19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

Have fellowship with fellow Christians. Make sure you do not miss your fellowship at church.

20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Give thanks to God for all your circumstances.

God has a plan and a purpose for every one of your life. I hope every one here will walk in the will of God all the days of our life. Amen.