Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG002819
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00:09 It's been 2,000 years since the glorious light of the cross
00:12 illuminated a world veiled in darkness and confusion 00:15 about the character of God. 00:17 And still today, the greatest need of mankind is a 00:20 revelation of God's love as revealed in the life of Christ. 00:23 Amazing Facts presents the "Everlasting Gospel" 00:27 with Pastor Doug Batchelor, 00:28 coming to you each week from Sacramento Central Church 00:31 in sunny California. 00:33 Discover hidden treasures in God's Word today. 00:38 Somebody said one time, "The safest place in the world to be, 00:42 is in the middle of God's will." 00:45 It doesn't matter if you're surrounded by typhoons 00:48 and tornadoes and volcanoes and earthquakes, 00:51 if you're in the middle of God's will, 00:54 you have nothing to worry about. 00:57 I've often thought about developing a list 01:02 because one of the most common questions that 01:06 I get in ministry is... "Pastor, how do I know 01:09 what God wants me to do?" 01:11 "How do I determine the will of God for me?" 01:15 And it's a very good question. 01:18 So, what is the will of God for my life specifically, 01:23 and am I doing that will?" 01:25 1 John 2:17, "And the world is passing away and the lust of it, 01:32 but he that does the will of God abides forever." 01:37 How do we determine the will of God? 01:39 How important is it? 01:40 Those that do the will of God, how long do they last? 01:44 Forever! How many want to live forever? 01:46 Those that do the will of God will last forever! 01:50 In the Lord's prayer, Luke 11:2 01:54 "When you pray, say, "Our Father in heaven, 01:57 hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, 02:00 Your will be done." 02:03 How do we determine what the will of God is for our lives? 02:08 I think it was David Livingston that said, "I'd rather be 02:11 in the heart of Africa in the will of God, 02:14 than on the throne of England, out of His will." 02:17 I mean, if being in the will of God means that you're 02:21 struggling in some lonely, distant, uncomfortable, 02:24 mission field, you'll have more comfort there. 02:27 You've probably heard of Adoniram Judson, 02:30 a missionary to Burma. 02:32 He was offered a very comfortable pulpit 02:35 in Boston, near his family, and everyone said, "Oh, 02:38 this is such a wonderful opportunity," 02:40 and he said, "Well, except I know God has called me 02:42 to go to the mission field." 02:44 "Oh but, wouldn't this be much better; 02:46 isn't this the wiser decision?" 02:48 He said, "No, I'm much better off being in God's will in the 02:51 mission field, than being in a comfortable, successful 02:55 popular pulpit with good pay in Boston." 02:59 Are you where you're supposed to be? 03:02 We need to know the answer to that question! 03:04 So, we face a lot of big decisions in our life... 03:10 What school am I going to go to, for some of our younger set. 03:14 What will I study, once I get there, beyond the basics? 03:18 And then once you study in your field and you have 03:20 different job offers... 03:22 How do I know where to take that job? 03:25 What state? What specialty? 03:28 What's God's will for me? 03:29 Who am I going to marry? 03:32 Do I say "yes" to the first person that comes 03:34 along and asks me? 03:36 Am I to marry at all? 03:40 There's something to pray about! 03:42 Maybe like me, you'll be a Batchelor your whole life! 03:48 Mrs. Batchelor got married and became a Batchelor! 03:53 So, how do you determine the answer to these big questions? 03:58 First of all, there are some basics we know... 04:00 God wants you to be saved, that's His will. 04:03 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not willing that any should perish, 04:08 but that all should come to repentance." 04:10 And it's a mistake for you to think that everything you see 04:13 happening in the world, must be God's will. 04:15 You know, some of our friends and neighbors of the 04:19 Islamic persuasion, when something happens, 04:22 they say, "It's the will of Allah, it's the will of Allah, 04:24 whatever happens, it's the will of Allah. That's not true! 04:26 Not everything that happens is the will of God. 04:29 God is not willing that any should perish! 04:31 Are some going to perish? That's not His will. 04:35 There's a lot of things that you and I decide to do 04:37 when we're out of God's will. 04:39 And there are things that happen; 04:41 you can't always say, "Well it's an act of God, 04:43 this typhoon there in what used to be known as Burma, 04:47 Miramar and all these thousands of people, 04:51 but, "Oh, it must have been God's will." 04:52 Not necessarily... did the devil bring a storm 04:55 in the story of Job? 04:58 I think we'll be surprised when we get to the other side 05:00 and God pulls back the veil... there's a battle 05:03 between good and evil. 05:05 And if God's will was always being done, 05:07 then why would He tell us to pray that His will be done? 05:10 Why would you pray for something that 05:12 you are already going to have? 05:13 It's because His will is not always done. 05:15 It's something that is to be prayed for. 05:17 It's something that is to be pursued! 05:20 So how do we determine the will of God? 05:23 Now let me begin by... before I get to my list 05:27 of ways that I think you can apply biblical principles 05:30 to determine the will of God... 05:31 I'd first like to talk about some of the dubious methods 05:34 that people use and let's get that out of the way. 05:37 When some people are making major decisions, 05:40 even Christians, they resort to things as basic as 05:45 flipping a coin. 05:47 And, I'm not saying that God cannot speak through 05:50 the flip of a coin, and that might work for those things, 05:53 but if you're making life decisions, 05:56 I'd want more evidence than flipping a coin. 06:00 And so, you know, some people do this, or maybe you've 06:03 wondered about casting lots in the Bible; 06:06 just so that you have an idea of what that means... 06:09 Sometimes if they were trying to determine between 06:12 1 or 2 choices or maybe multiple choices, 06:14 they would take a clay jar that had a narrow opening, 06:17 and they would put a number of black stones and 06:20 1 white stone or a number of white stones and 1 black stone, 06:23 and they'd go around the circle and they'd drop out the stone 06:25 ... the mouth was just big enough to drop out 06:27 1 stone at a time and if the lot fell on you, 06:32 it meant you were chosen. 06:33 So they had a variety of ways of doing that. 06:35 You remember, they cast lots for Jesus' clothing. 06:38 Now casting lots when you're making decisions for your life, 06:42 is probably not advisable. 06:46 One reason I say that is because God wants you to use your brain. 06:50 He says, "Come now, let us reason together." 06:52 You should not go through your day and through your life 06:54 ... Who shall I marry? Well I cast lots. 06:56 First of all, don't tell your prospective parents-in-law 06:59 that's how you're making your choice. 07:01 That won't impress them. 07:03 You want to be using a number of criteria in making 07:07 these important decisions. 07:08 God gave you a brain because He likes to see you use it. 07:12 And, as-a-matter-of-fact, when they were picking the goats 07:17 on the Day of Atonement, they'd select 2 perfect goats 07:21 and then one would be the Lord's goat, 07:23 and one would be the scapegoat, 07:25 and the Bible did say they were to cast lots, 07:27 and one of them would be chosen as the scapegoat. 07:30 Well, you're picking between 2 goats, 07:32 and something like that, well that's okay. 07:34 But, making big decisions for life - be careful. 07:37 By the way, do you know where the word "lottery" comes from? 07:41 Casting lots! 07:44 Now some of you can say, "I've got biblical proof 07:46 for playing the lottery now, it's in the Bible." 07:48 That's not what I'm talking about, I'm just saying... 07:50 It's talking about pure chance... 07:51 Not to play the lottery, you've heard me say before, 07:54 "You probably have a better chance of being bitten by 07:56 a shark in Phoenix, Arizona than winning the lottery, 08:00 so don't waste your money doing that. 08:03 The practice of casting lots is mentioned 08:06 about 77 times in the Bible... 08:09 But I think it's interesting in 2nd-Selected Messages, 328, 08:13 The author there writes, "I have no faith in casting lots," 08:17 and she was speaking about some churches were casting lots 08:20 to pick their leaders... 08:22 Because they said, "Well after all, didn't the disciples pick 08:25 a new apostle by casting lots." 08:27 Well that was a whole different story. 08:29 First, they went through a selection process 08:31 of the best candidates and they said, 08:33 "We're going to pick between the 2 of the best!" 08:36 They were not casting lots arbitrarily to pick, 08:39 you know, church leadership. 08:41 God wants you to use criteria and wisdom, 08:44 and we'll get to those things in a minute. 08:46 And again, you'll find in Letter 37, from 1900, 08:50 it says, "To cast lots for the officers of the church 08:54 is not God's order; let men of responsibility 08:57 be called upon to select the officers of the church." 09:00 They were to use their brains and use a number of criteria. 09:03 You probably heard this story before of this old Scottish 09:08 woman who used to travel the countryside and she sold 09:10 thread and yarn and one day she came to a fork in the road, 09:13 and she picked up a stick, she threw the stick up in the air, 09:16 and it fell back down to the ground. 09:18 She picked it up and she threw it up in the air, 09:20 and it fell back down to the ground. 09:21 Someone came along while she was doing this, 09:23 and they said, "What are you doing?" 09:24 She said, "Well, as I go on my sales route, 09:27 I want the Lord to guide me in which way to go... 09:30 So I take this stick and I throw the stick and I go which way 09:33 the stick points." 09:35 He said, "Well why do you keep throwing the stick?" 09:37 She said, "Well, it keeps pointing to the right, 09:38 but that road is pretty rough; I want to go to the left; 09:40 so I just keep throwing the stick!" 09:45 Some people - I've seen them do that. 09:46 Let's flip coins; they flip, they don't get the answer 09:48 they want, they say 2 out of 3, 09:49 and they just keep on flipping the coin. 09:53 I actually know someone, one time, that was really praying 09:55 about a big decision, this is true... 09:56 And, they weren't sure whether or not they were 09:59 to flip a coin, if that's how they were supposed to pick, 10:01 and they flipped a coin and the coin rolled over 10:03 against the wall and stood upon its end, 10:05 and it's like God was saying, "Don't do that, 10:09 you're just giving Me two options, 10:10 I might have an option you knowing about." 10:13 So sometimes, you corner the Lord when you use 10:15 these methods and you're limiting 10:17 how God is going to answer you. 10:19 So, I'd guard against that. 10:21 What about throwing out a fleece? 10:23 You remember Gideon, when trying to get some 10:26 reassurance, that he was supposed to go in battle 10:28 against the Amalekites and the Midianites, 10:31 and the people of the East, he put out this fleece. 10:34 This is a big sheepskin; they put it out and 10:36 this is normally what they slept on at night, 10:38 it was their sleeping bag. 10:40 He said, "Now if I wake up in the morning and there is 10:42 dew on the fleece and none on the ground, 10:44 that will be a sign." 10:45 Well that happened and then he thought.. 10:47 "Well, maybe that's a natural occurrence." 10:49 "I tell you what Lord, let's try this one more time." 10:51 "Tomorrow, let the fleece be dry and the dew on the ground," 10:55 or whatever the opposite was, 10:56 I think I maybe said the same thing twice. 10:59 And the next day, it was the opposite, 11:01 and he said, "Okay, that's evidence." 11:04 And so, some people have these different fleeces 11:07 that they put out for the Lord. 11:08 And you know, sometimes that's not all bad 11:11 to say, " All right Lord, I'm going to look for 11:13 providential evidence and we sort of manufacture 11:17 these fleeces that we're looking for God to guide us. 11:21 I know about a lady that... have you ever met these people 11:25 that when they want to make a decision, 11:26 they flip through their Bible and wherever their eyes land, 11:30 and they say, "Okay, that's going to be Your message 11:32 to me, Lord" - Be careful about using 11:34 your Bible like a deck of taro cards. 11:37 And you probably heard of people that... 11:39 Now I'm not saying God can't lead that way, 11:42 I know stories that the Lord has lead some people. 11:46 A dear friend of ours has passed away, 11:48 her name was Lolita Simpson. 11:50 You'll read in Testimonies about a famous evangelist 11:53 called, "W.W. Simpson," and Lolita told me the story 11:57 one time when her mother was trying to pray about 11:59 whether or not to marry this young, handsome evangelist, 12:01 she said, "Lord, I've got to know this is Your will," 12:05 and she prayed and agonized. 12:06 She said, "I just need reassurance that 12:08 this is the right man." 12:09 So she took her Bible and she flipped her Bible open; 12:12 she's praying there by her bed and she put her finger down 12:14 on a verse and this is where she put her finger... 12:17 Genesis 24:58, "When they called Rebecca, they said to her, 12:22 "Will you go with this man? and she said, I will go." 12:25 Now when you pray about who to marry and you flip the 12:28 Bible open and that is the place where you're finger lands, 12:33 well that's a pretty strong indicator. 12:36 Now some of you are going to go home and try that now, right? 12:38 I'm not recommending this, I'm just saying 12:40 God can use it, but I don't think it's advisable 12:42 because you never know; you might flip your Bible 12:44 opened and it will say, 12:46 "Judas went and hung himself," and you know, that's obviously 12:49 not His will for your life, so be careful about doing that. 12:53 What about dreams and visions? 12:55 I'm trying to deal with some of the dubious things 12:58 that people use to make big decisions... 12:59 Can God guide us through a dream? 13:02 And God can guide us through a vision. 13:06 But you know I'm hoping the majority of your dreams 13:10 are gibberish that come because your brain is defragmenting 13:14 the things you've experienced through the day. 13:18 And it sort of sorts itself out when you reach that 13:21 point of rapid-eye-movement and all kinds of bizarre things 13:24 may go through your mind and some people 13:26 have weird dreams and they go and they visit psychoanalysts 13:30 that help them to try and understand what's going on 13:32 deep within because of their dreams and it may just 13:36 mean too much pizza! 13:38 And some people just put a little too much 13:40 emphasis on visions. 13:43 You probably heard about the farmer that was out hoeing 13:45 in the field one day and it was hot and he was a young farmer, 13:47 and he wondered if he was supposed to spend his life 13:49 out farming and he was pondering these things 13:52 and he looked up in the sky and he saw that the wind 13:56 was moving the clouds around and all of a sudden he 13:58 distinctly saw the letters in the sky "PC" 14:04 And he thought about that... "PC" 14:06 "Lord, you don't want me farming anymore, 14:07 you want me to "preach Christ." Preach Christ! 14:10 He threw down his farm equipment, 14:12 and he went and got his Sunday suit on, 14:13 and he started going around the community preaching! 14:16 They said, "Zeb, what's going on?" 14:18 He said, "God has shown me in a vision, 14:19 I'm supposed to be a preacher - I saw clouds 14:21 that said, "PC" and I know that means "preach Christ." 14:24 So he spent several months out there trying to 14:26 preach and didn't have very big results, 14:29 and the family started getting hungry and about 8 months later, 14:33 he was back out there in the field hoeing the corn. 14:36 And someone said, "Zeb, what's up, I thought God gave you 14:39 a vision, you're supposed to preach Christ." 14:41 "So I made up my mind that "PC" meant "plant corn," 14:44 it didn't mean "preach Christ." 14:49 So be careful about the dreams and the visions. 14:52 If you're going to have dreams and visions, 14:54 make sure there's other reinforcing evidence, 14:57 and I wouldn't make the decisions just upon that... 14:59 But God can speak through those things, right? 15:02 So, let's be careful. 15:05 Now, someone said that in the U.S. alone, 15:08 there are more than 23,000 ways to make a living. 15:12 The odds are clearly not in favor for you to decide 15:16 what you're supposed to do as a career or who you're 15:19 supposed to marry - think about all the options there, 15:21 based on pure luck. 15:25 You want divine leading in your life, Amen? 15:28 And you want God to give you wisdom how to discern 15:32 His providence and His will. 15:34 All right, I'm going to give you now, a list of... 15:36 I have taken the best lists I could find from the 15:39 people I respect the most, the Bible, George Muller, 15:42 Tozer, The Spirit of Prophecy; friends talked to our pastors 15:45 this week and we got a few more points on the list. 15:48 I got about 15 points that I'm going to share with you on 15:51 "How do you determine the will of God 15:53 biblically and using good reason?" 15:56 Here are, what I think some of the most important things... 15:59 You may add to my list later, but after years of 16:02 praying about it, this is the first time I've really 16:04 preached a message like this, here's the list... 16:06 I'm going to go through these quickly because I want to 16:08 get this in one message. 16:09 1. Be surrendered and willing. 16:14 The most important thing, if you want to know God's will 16:18 is be willing to do His will! 16:22 As-a-matter-of-fact, John 7:17, "If anyone wants to do His will, 16:27 he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God 16:30 or whether I speak of my own authority." 16:32 If you're wanting God's will, Jesus said, "If he's willing, 16:36 He will know the doctrine. 16:38 You will understand, but the first thing is to be willing. 16:41 Pray that God will give you a pliable and a willing heart. 16:45 Step #1 is to be surrendered. 16:49 Surrender yourself before Jesus, 16:51 before you expect Him to lead you. 16:53 If your heart is in a state of rebellion and your not 16:56 surrendered to God, then why is He 16:57 going to show you His will? 16:58 All He does is add to your compounded guilt. 17:01 He shows you more that He wants you to do and you're not 17:04 doing what He has shown you. 17:06 So - Be willing! 17:08 I heard about a native in the Congo that prayed... 17:10 He said, "Dear Lord, You be the needle, I'll be the thread. 17:13 You go first, I'll follow wherever You lead." 17:16 That's the kind of attitude we need. 17:18 Isaiah 45:9, "Does the clay 17:21 say to the potter - "What are you doing?" 17:24 When God shows you His will, then do it, 17:26 you may not like what He shows you - Be open. 17:30 Psalm 25:9, "The humble He guides in justice; 17:35 the humble He teaches His way." 17:38 If you want to know the will of God and the way of God, 17:40 humble yourself before God, 17:41 and He'll teach you His way. So - Be willing. 17:45 2. Consult the Word of God. 17:48 Find out what the Bible says on the particular options 17:52 or the direction that you're praying about. 17:54 The Word of God has a lot to say about a lot of things, 17:58 and so, acquaint yourself with His Word. 18:00 You read, of course, Psalm 119:105, 18:03 "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path." 18:07 And when you're walking through life, 18:08 if you want guidance, ask for the Word of God 18:11 to guide you - there is Scripture on so many 18:13 different things. 18:14 And more specifically, in the Word of God, 18:16 you have the Law of God. 18:18 So, a lot of things you might see as options, 18:22 are clearly commanded to be done or not done 18:27 based on what the law of God says. 18:29 There are some things, He gives us an emphatic NO, 18:35 and there are some areas where He will give us 18:37 an equally emphatic YES, 18:40 so find out what the law of God says. 18:42 If you're wondering... 18:44 You know, should I leave my spouse 18:47 and go off with this other person? 18:50 You don't need to pray about God's will regarding that. 18:54 But you'd be surprised... I've met people 18:56 ... happened this year, 2 married people, 18:59 members of the same church, left their spouses, 19:03 got together and when I counseled with them, 19:05 they said, "You know, it just feels so right; 19:08 we just can see God blessing, we've got so much peace." 19:10 "Those other relationships, they just weren't good, 19:13 we just see this is God's will for us." 19:16 And I'm going... you don't need to wonder 19:19 if this is God's will, He clearly commands 19:22 you not to do this! It's a sin! 19:25 So don't be praying about the will of God... 19:27 "You know Lord, should I steal this car?" 19:31 I mean, you don't need to pray about that! 19:33 If God's Word gives you some clear 19:36 direction on that, then it's clear! 19:37 Now someone might say, "Well you know, I've got this 19:39 job and in order to get this incredible job opportunity, 19:44 I just need to work for 3 or 4 Sabbaths for one month 19:47 until I get the tenure and then I've got the job." 19:50 You don't need to pray about that. 19:51 I mean, if God says... "Remember the Sabbath day," 19:54 it doesn't mean when it's convenient - you can break it 19:57 in order to get a better job. 19:59 I mean, the Word of God gives us really clear guidance 20:02 in certain areas and it's a slam dunk - it's a no-brainer! 20:06 So find out what the Word says, and it may involve searching 20:10 through the Word a little bit. 20:12 Psalm 40:8, "I delight to do Your will, oh my God, 20:18 Your law is written within my heart." 20:21 So if you're wondering about what the will of God is, 20:23 the Law of God is the Will of God, 20:25 they're one in the same. Amen? 20:28 3. Be faithful to His revealed will. 20:34 So if you're praying about, you know, what school 20:36 do I go too, Lord, I really need You to show me; 20:38 what do You want me to take in college; 20:40 who is it that You want me to date - I've got 3 options; 20:44 what country am I supposed to go to? 20:46 You're praying about making big decisions; 20:49 first ask yourself - Am I doing what He has shown me? 20:54 Make sure that you're living out what He has revealed. 20:58 John 12:35, "Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer 21:03 the light is with you; walk while you have the light 21:06 lest darkness overtakes you." 21:07 Walk in the light that you have, in other words. 21:10 And if you continue to walk in the light, 21:12 He gives you more light, but don't be praying about 21:15 perplexity regarding God's will 21:17 if you're not doing what He has shown you. 21:19 Matthew 13:12, "For whoever has, to him more will be given, 21:25 and he will have an abundance." 21:27 If you are embracing the will of God that He has shown you, 21:30 He'll give you more because He can trust you to follow it. 21:33 Some of you are saying, "I don't know why God won't guide me." 21:35 Well, are you doing what He said? 21:39 You ask what is the will of God, well here's the answer true 21:43 ... the nearest thing that should be done 21:45 that He can do through you. 21:48 Sometimes you need to say, "Am I doing what lies closest 21:51 at hand with all of my might?" 21:53 You and I have met people before, they stand stationary 21:55 with their arms folded waiting for God to show His will, 21:58 and they got stuff right there they need to be doing. 22:03 Sometimes we're frustrated looking for God's will because 22:05 we have not learned to be content where we are, 22:07 and He may want you right where you're at, 22:10 and He's just trying to teach you contentment. 22:12 So, are you doing what He has given you nearest at hand? 22:16 From Testimonies 3, page 428, "Those who are seeking 22:21 to know the truth and to understand the will of God, 22:25 who are faithful to the light and zealous in the 22:29 performance of their daily duties, will be sure 22:31 to know the doctrine for they will be guided into all truth." 22:34 If we're being faithful to perform known duties, 22:37 God will help us understand more. 22:40 Education p. 267- A simple list of 3 from the 22:43 Spirit of Prophecy - "We need to follow more closely 22:47 God's plan for our life." 22:49 #1- Do our best in the work that lies nearest. 22:54 #2- Commit our ways to God. 22:57 #3- Watch for the indications of His providence. 23:02 These are rules that will ensure safe guidance. 23:05 Make sure you're doing what you're supposed to do. 23:07 I mean, there's a simple short list, if you will... 23:10 of how do you know the will of God. 23:12 All right, but I've got more detail because sometimes 23:14 our questions are more complex. 23:16 4. Obtain Christian counsel. 23:20 Find others who are believers with good judgment, 23:24 that will be honest with you and present your options 23:28 to them and say, "Please guide me." 23:30 Proverbs 11, of course, verse 14... you know this. 23:33 "Where there's no counsel, the people fall, 23:35 but in the multitude of counselors, there's safety." 23:39 What kind of counselors? Any counselors? 23:42 You can go down to the bar and ask for counsel? 23:45 No... You want to get Christian counsel. 23:49 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Don't be deceived, evil company 23:53 corrupts good habits." 23:54 Avoid bad companions, get good people... 23:57 As-a-matter-of-fact, that's a good policy for life; 23:59 surround yourself with good counselors. 24:01 He who would be wise, makes friends with the wise, right? 24:04 Psalm 73:24, "You will guide me with Your counsel, 24:09 and afterward receive me to glory." 24:12 So, look for people that you can trust... 24:15 By the way, one way to pick good counselors, 24:18 look for folks who look like they got their lives together. 24:21 If you're taking counsel from people whose 24:23 lives are a disaster, well that might tell you something. 24:26 They might not be in the best position to give you 24:28 advice if they're lives are a train wreck! 24:31 And so, it's amazing to me, I've met some people that 24:35 ... I better be careful what I say. 24:39 Some people I know, who have gone into counseling, 24:45 their personal lives are a disaster and I think, 24:49 "How come they're going into counseling, 24:51 maybe that's sort of a subconscious way for them 24:53 to try and find answers, so they're 24:54 counseling everybody else! 24:56 Make sure, when you pick people to be your counselors, 24:59 say - "What is their personal life like? 25:01 What is their spiritual life like?" 25:03 And if they are blessed like Joseph, and you could see the 25:06 hand of God is with them, that's a good person 25:09 to pick as a counselor. 25:10 And say you know, I'd like to go to them, 25:11 I'd like to be more like them. 25:14 And those people often give you good advice. 25:17 It doesn't mean you always have to listen to it. 25:19 It doesn't say a counselor, counselors - get a few 25:23 different opinions. 25:24 You know, if someone has got a life-threatening disease, 25:27 and they go to the doctor and the doctor is recommending 25:29 something - What does someone often say? 25:31 Get another opinion. Maybe even a third opinion. 25:34 Because it's life and death, sometimes one doctor 25:37 might be seeing things wrong. 25:39 So get a multitude of counsel when you're looking for 25:44 making these decisions. 25:46 Godly friends will help you take inventory of yourself; 25:50 help you to discover your gifts and talents, 25:52 and they may encourage you to try new things 25:55 you're not even thinking of. 25:56 I mean, several people might look at you and say... 25:59 You know one reason I'm in ministry, nobody, growing up, 26:02 thought Doug was going to be a pastor, 26:05 but after I became a believer, and it never occurred to me 26:08 right away... After I became a believer and I started sharing 26:12 with my friends and had some success in giving Bible studies, 26:14 more and more people, that I respected said, "Doug, 26:17 have you considered the ministry, 26:18 and I didn't know how that would ever happen... 26:19 But they said, "You need to pray about it, 26:21 you know, we think you've got gifts in those areas." 26:24 And so, it was through collective counsel of 26:26 godly people that I moved in this direction, 26:29 and He will do the same for you if you ask Him to. 26:34 5. Observe providence - look for providential leading. 26:41 God often shows what He wants you to do by events that happen. 26:45 One example I always think of in Ruth 2:20, 26:49 You know, Ruth and Naomi came back to the land of Bethlehem; 26:52 they were destitute and they had to glean in the fields 26:55 just to get food for their daily bread. 26:58 And, there was only one person in all of Israel that had the 27:04 right of a redeemer that had the inclination to redeem them, 27:09 and it just so happened that when they went out into the 27:11 fields to glean, that it happened, that Ruth ended up 27:14 in the field of Boaz, which was the one man 27:17 who had the inclination and the ability to be her kinsman 27:21 redeemer... I mean she didn't know what field it was, 27:25 and when she came home and told Naomi, 27:28 she said, "This is the providence of God, 27:30 don't go to any other field - that's the one, 27:32 God led you there." 27:33 And you can see many, many stories in the book... 27:35 Of course, she ended up marrying Boaz, 27:37 and redeemed the family of Elimelech, 27:40 and it ended up being a great blessing. 27:43 So look for the providence of God. 27:45 Look for doors that open. 27:47 God often guides us in His will regarding door opening, 27:49 and doors closing. 27:50 And sometimes you say, "Well I guess this is 27:52 not God's will because that door slammed shut," 27:55 and He often opens something else along the way, right? 27:59 Some people are always trying to kick down doors 28:01 that God has closed because it's what they want. 28:05 And they've got the door of opportunity right there, 28:07 they are neglecting it. 28:08 2 Corinthians 2:12, "Furthermore I came to Troas to preach Christ 28:14 and a door was opened to me by the Lord." 28:17 All these opportunities came to Paul. 28:19 And, you know, especially if you're willing to work for God, 28:22 He will show you - open doors of opportunity. 28:25 I prayed, many, many times... I said, "Lord, you know 28:28 I'm on the road, I'm traveling and I'll say, 28:30 "Help me to recognize opportunities to be a witness 28:33 for You in some way." 28:36 And just yesterday, my neighbor might be watching this, 28:41 but I'll be careful... 28:44 We got the best neighbors in the world, 28:47 and we've got one neighbor that lives right by us, 28:49 and we got a cat that goes back and forth between our houses. 28:54 You know, you don't really own a cat, 28:55 they decide who they belong to, 28:58 and it's sort of the neighborhood cat, and we don't 28:59 take care of him, so he and I were talking about the cat. 29:01 Whenever I see this brother, he's an ornithologist, 29:05 is that what it is, dear? A studier of birds. 29:07 Yeah - I didn't know whether to say that or orthodontist, 29:11 or something like that, but anyway... 29:13 He is one who studies birds and a really nice family, 29:17 and I've always thought, you know, I've looked for 29:19 opportunity to share with them; 29:20 a very educated couple; they travel around the world; 29:22 he's a specialist in birds... 29:24 And saw him out front, we were talking about the cat 29:27 and I'm thinking, "Lord, I wish I had some opportunity 29:29 to say something and just, you know, turn the conversation 29:32 towards spiritual things and he comes over to me while 29:35 I'm weeding my flowers and says, "Doug, I need to ask you 29:37 to do me a favor." 29:39 I said, "Sure, anything." 29:41 And he said, "I'm going on another birding trip, 29:44 I got some friends and they are Seventh-day Adventists 29:47 and they live in Montana and he said, I told them that 29:50 "Oh yeah, I've got a Seventh-day Adventist 29:52 friend who lives across the street, a guy named "Batchelor" 29:54 and he said, "Doug Batchelor, oh, we watch his programs." 29:57 And he said, "If you'd just sign a little card for them." 29:59 And so, it just gave me an opportunity to give him a 30:02 book and I just prayed... That's providence! 30:05 When you pray that and oh, somebody says, 30:08 you know, "By the way, I'm going to Montana and I'm 30:09 staying with Seventh-day Adventists that know you... 30:11 And so, He'll open doors for you if you ask; 30:14 doors for ministry, doors for opportunity, 30:17 doors for careers, doors for relationships, 30:19 and sometimes He closes doors. 30:22 And some of us, we don't want to admit the doors are closed... 30:26 Like Balaam, we're on our donkey riding with all we've got, 30:30 and we're beating the donkey, we don't know there's 30:32 an angel in the way - you know what I'm talking about? 30:35 We're just trying to plow ahead. 30:37 It's like the guy who told everybody at the office, 30:40 he said, "Look, I'm going on a diet, I know it's time, 30:42 and I'm giving up donuts, no more donuts!" 30:46 He shows up the next day, he's got a big box of 30:48 2 dozen donuts. 30:50 They said, "What happened, Fred, 30:51 we thought you swore off the donuts?" 30:53 He said, "Well, it was God's will that I get these donuts." 30:56 "Well how did you figure that out?" 30:58 He said, "It was providence." 30:59 "Well, what do you mean?" 31:00 He said, "Well before I left for work, you know, I often 31:04 drive by the donut shop and it's just packed, 31:06 you can't ever find a parking place and I said, 31:08 "Lord, if there's a parking place right in front of the door 31:11 then I'll know it's Your will for me to get this 31:15 box of donuts." 31:16 He said, "You know, I only had to drive around the block 31:19 10 times and then a parking place opened up, 31:22 and I knew it was God's will." 31:26 Now I'm telling you that story because some of you do 31:28 ... you use those incantations. 31:30 You say, "You know, is this Your will, Lord?" 31:32 And you just keep pushing the door down... You sure, Lord? 31:34 Sure, you'll kick it open eventually sometimes! 31:37 And you wonder why everything went wrong 31:39 and say - "Wasn't this Your will?" 31:41 Well, you were pushing awful hard. 31:43 And you know, Balaam finally got where he wanted 31:45 the donkey to go, didn't he, 31:47 and he lost his life in the process. 31:49 And God will often permit you to do something 31:52 that is not His will because you're pushing for it! 31:55 I remember one time, going down in the street after I just 31:58 learned about the Bible and the Lord and I sort of 32:01 accepted the Lord and I also drank beer! 32:03 And I kept panhandling until I got enough money to get beer. 32:06 And I said, "Well it must have been God's will 32:08 for me to get beer because I got the money!" 32:10 And I'm sure that same logic is used by people who 32:13 stand at the intersections around Sacramento all the time. 32:17 So, you know, sometimes when you say, "providence," 32:20 be sensitive to let God lead and don't be 32:22 pushing the doors down. 32:23 There might be an angel in the way with a drawn sword. Amen? 32:28 Then, I'm not putting these necessarily in sequential order. 32:33 6. Pray. Pray that God will guide you. 32:37 1 John 5:14-15, "Now this is the confidence that we have 32:42 in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, 32:46 He hears us and if we know that He hears us, 32:53 whatever we ask, we know that we have the 32:55 petitions that are asked of Him." 32:56 So when you pray, pray according to the revealed will of God. 33:01 Again, John 15:15, Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants 33:05 because a servant does not know what his master's business is. 33:08 Instead, I called you... what? friends... 33:12 for everything I've learned from My Father, 33:14 I've made known to you." 33:15 If you want to know the will of God, be a friend of God. 33:18 How do you become a friend of God? 33:20 You talk to Him all the time! 33:21 You remember when the angels were on their way to Sodom 33:24 to destroy it - God stops by to see Abraham on the way! 33:27 He said, "Abraham, shall I hide from you what I'm about 33:29 to do because you're my friend?" 33:31 Friends talk about their plans together, don't they? 33:34 If you want to know the will of God for your life, 33:37 then be a friend of God! 33:38 Spend time praying and talking to the Lord. 33:42 God reveals His will to His friends. 33:47 And that, by the way, was Genesis 18:17 33:51 The secret things of God are with those who fear Him. 33:55 Now praying may also include fasting and praying. 33:58 There is different intensity of knowing God's will. 34:01 I mean, you might say, "Where shall we go for lunch today?" 34:03 "Shall we do Mexican; shall we do Italian; 34:05 shall we do Chinese?" 34:07 Well, you might pray about God's guidance in that, 34:09 and I think God even cares about those things... I do. 34:13 I've prayed, "Lord, where shall I go today and I look for God 34:16 sometimes to guide me in little decisions. 34:18 But some things are big decisions, for instance... 34:20 You know - Who shall I marry; what move shall I make; 34:24 what job shall I take? These are big decisions. 34:27 7. You might want to invest some time in fasting and praying. 34:29 If you're praying about God's will for someone else's 34:33 life too, you might fast and pray. 34:35 When it's life and death decisions you are making, 34:39 I recommend you fast and pray. 34:41 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, When Israel was surrounded 34:45 by millions of enemies, Jehoshaphat, he commanded 34:49 that the people fasted and they prayed throughout Judah. 34:53 Acts 13:2-3, When the disciples were 34:56 wondering what was the next missionary endeavor... 35:00 The Bible says, "As they ministered to the Lord, 35:03 and they fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate 35:07 to me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I called them to. 35:10 Then having fasted and prayed, 35:12 they laid hands on them and they sent them away." 35:15 They knew the direction, they knew the will of God, 35:17 as they listened and they fasted and prayed, 35:19 and I'm sure they applied the other criteria. 35:21 8. In determining the will of God, have faith. 35:26 If you're going to pray for His will, 35:29 then believe that He'll show you His will. 35:32 Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord." 35:36 What is trust? It's to have faith. 35:38 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 35:39 lean not on your own understanding, 35:42 in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" 35:47 The Bible says, "The just shall live by faith." 35:51 So believe! 35:52 God has a plan for you and that He's going to show it 35:55 to you in His time. 35:56 In the 3rd Bible Commentary, p. 1155, 35:59 "When you've sought to know His will, 36:02 your part in the operation with God is to believe 36:05 that you will be led and guided 36:07 and blessed in the doing of His will." 36:09 Think about it for a second... 36:10 If you're willing to do His will, 36:13 then God is responsible to reveal His will to you. 36:17 You must believe He is going to do that, right? 36:20 I mean, if you're willing, that's our biggest battle is 36:23 step #1- just be willing to do God's will 36:25 and He will reveal it to you. 36:31 Now, it takes faith sometimes to do the will of God 36:35 once it's revealed. 36:37 Some people are praying about the will of God... 36:39 You don't need to pray - "Well, shall I return a 36:41 full tithe." 36:44 You need faith to do the will of God. 36:47 You know what the will is. 36:48 Or, do I need to pray about the will of God to 36:52 follow His Word? 36:58 No, if it's revealed in His Word, then you know 37:01 that it's His will. 37:02 Now, I put #9 right where I did after #8 because 37:06 while you should have faith, you should not be foolhardy. 37:10 When you're seeking the will of God, be faithful, 37:14 be courageous, but don't be foolish. 37:16 9. Sometimes the answer is do the safe thing, that's #9 37:20 When you're looking at all the options, 37:22 and one of them may be risky, when it comes to 37:25 living the Christian life, don't say, 37:27 "I'm going to see how close to the edge I can get," 37:30 and still - you know, like some people want to walk like this, 37:33 the Christian life and say, "Lord, is this Your will?" 37:35 No, get as far away from that edge as you can get! 37:37 And if, you know, sometimes if I'm getting ready to speak, 37:41 and I've got an illustration I want to share, 37:43 and I think, "Boy, that illustration is a little 37:45 on the edge, Lord - should I share that or not?" 37:47 A little voice says, "Doug, do the safe thing, 37:48 don't share it, I'll give you something else." 37:50 From audience - "Or else I tell you" 37:51 Or Karen - yeah... Well, yeah - that's under the 37:56 category of "Spirit-led" or the "Multitude of counselors" 38:00 that's that category. 38:03 You got the multitude of counselors and you got 38:05 a spouse that gives you a multitude of counsel! 38:10 ... I'm sorry dear, but yeah, that's what it's all about. 38:14 So, you want to be cautious and you know, 38:17 ... "Lord, is this dress too short, 38:19 should I wear that to church?" 38:21 Do the safe thing - lengthen your hem or 38:23 get a different one... You know what I mean? 38:25 And so when you're praying about the will of God, 38:27 just consider that, don't take unnecessary risks 38:30 is what I'm saying there. 38:32 10. Again, these aren't in order because this is very 38:35 important... Make sure that God is glorified 38:38 in your decision. 38:39 Make sure your decision will bring glory to God. 38:42 If it's going to dishonor God and His kingdom, 38:45 then it's the wrong decision. 38:48 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat 38:52 or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 38:56 Keep the kingdom priorities. 38:58 Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first - in making 39:02 the decisions of God - seek ye first the kingdom of God, 39:05 and His righteousness and all these things 39:09 shall be added to you." 39:11 You might be saying, "Lord, in this decision I'm making 39:14 regarding a career in my life, or a choice in my life, 39:17 or someone I'm going to marry or, you know, whatever 39:19 the decision might be you're grappling with, 39:22 what is going to reach the most people? 39:24 What will make the biggest impact for Your kingdom? 39:27 How will I be the best advertizing 39:30 agent for Your glory? 39:32 And make sure that's a major factor in your decision process. 39:36 Now in keeping with that, 39:38 not just the glory of God, what's the great commandment? 39:41 Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. 39:44 And what's the second part? Love your neighbor. 39:47 So, #11... In making a decision about the will of God... 39:51 11. How will my decision affect others? 39:54 I'm amazed sometimes when people are making decisions 39:57 that all they're thinking about is - 40:00 What's this going to mean for me? 40:01 How much will I get paid? 40:02 How much do I like that climate? 40:04 How do I like the environment? 40:05 Or, what do I think of the school? 40:07 And their decision, they've got a family... 40:10 And their decision is going to affect everybody in the family, 40:13 and I'm concerned sometimes, I'll hear - often a man, 40:17 he's got some career opportunity and it will mean uprooting 40:22 the family and taking them away from all of their 40:25 family and the kids out of school just before 40:27 they're ready to graduate and all these tremendous 40:30 volcanic upheaval. 40:32 And, the husband is thinking "Well, you know, 40:36 how much will I get paid, what are my promotion 40:37 opportunities, and yeah, they've got jet skiing 40:40 on the lake nearby and they're just not thinking about 40:44 what it's going to do to the family. 40:45 And so that's something very important. 40:47 Christians should be governed by love; 40:50 not just love for God, but love for others. 40:52 And God wants us to be considerate of how 40:55 your decision - and it may not even be your family members, 40:58 it might be other people. 40:59 Romans 14:7, "For none of us live unto 41:03 himself and no one dies to himself." 41:07 And again, Galatians 5:14, "For all the law is fulfilled 41:10 in one word, even this you should love your neighbor 41:13 as yourself." 41:15 12. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. 41:21 Pray that God's Spirit will 41:23 guide you in making your decisions. 41:26 Now that sometimes is one of the harder factors 41:28 to enunciate. 41:30 It's a very important one. 41:32 But for mature Christians, you've heard that voice, 41:35 you know the voice of the Spirit. 41:37 I mean, how else did Abraham know when he was 41:39 supposed to take his son? 41:40 I'd want to know that was God speaking to me, 41:43 and the Holy Spirit will guide you. 41:46 Isaiah 30:21, "Your ears will hear a voice 41:50 behind you saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it" 41:53 whether you turn to the right hand or to the left." 41:57 And so, when you're praying about, "Lord, what is Your will" 42:01 regarding something, then say, "How am I feeling led 42:06 by God's Spirit." 42:08 I understand that, years ago, when some of the Arabs were 42:12 crossing these vast deserts, that frequently, 42:15 someone in the caravan would keep a dove with them 42:18 and they had a long piece of string, 42:20 and if they got all turned around somewhere 42:22 because of a sandstorm and didn't know where they were, 42:25 they would release this dove... 42:26 and, you know, doves and pigeons have these homing instincts 42:29 and as soon as it would take off, 42:31 it would circle a little bit and then start pulling 42:33 in the direction of home. 42:36 And you know, the Holy Spirit sometimes is compared to a dove, 42:39 and you just want to have that tug of the Holy Spirit 42:43 that is guiding you... 42:45 And, you know, John tells us, "You don't need that any man 42:48 should teach you anything, the Holy Spirit, the same, 42:50 will teach you." 42:51 And so, as we have lived Christian lives of 42:54 walking in the Spirit, we'll have the confidence 42:57 when God's Spirit is telling us what to do. 42:58 Many times, you'll see what Paul was saying, 43:01 The Spirit said - "Go here." The Spirit said, "Come this way" 43:04 The Spirit said, "Don't go." 43:05 They were really in touch with the Spirit of God. 43:09 And... the Spirit of God, by the way, 43:11 will never guide you differently from the Word of God, Amen? 43:17 So listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 43:19 Now, what number was that, that was #12. 43:23 Going on #13... this is going to be a tough one! 43:26 Be patient. 43:28 In deciding the will of God, you want to be patient. 43:32 James 5:11, "Indeed, we count them 43:35 blessed who endure; you've heard of the patience 43:39 of Job and seen, in the end, the Lord that He is very 43:42 good and compassionate and merciful." 43:45 And sometimes, when you're praying about the will of God, 43:49 we become restless and we want to do something, 43:51 and God is going to show you His will, but you have to wait. 43:55 Sometimes He just wants you to wait. 43:57 I mean, Moses wanted to deliver his people, 43:59 and tried to do it his way and it backfired. 44:01 He waited 40 years before the next opportunity came along. 44:05 When you're praying about a big decision, be patient! 44:09 You know what, periodically people are thinking about 44:11 making some dramatic move in their life and they've got 44:14 ailing parents and they need to consider them, 44:18 and perhaps they need to wait for them. 44:21 Or they have children that are young and they can't 44:24 handle this kind of move or this career change right now. 44:26 Give them a couple of more years. 44:28 Wait on the Lord and He'll guide you. 44:30 Sometimes you haven't gotten an answer yet 44:32 because God wants you to stay right where you're at, 44:34 and just be patient. 44:36 Yes, He's got a big plan for your life! 44:38 He's got a big change! 44:39 He's got that person you're supposed to spend the rest 44:41 of your life with - you haven't met yet and you're wondering if 44:43 you're ever going to... Wait! 44:46 "Yeah, but Pastor Doug, I've been waiting so long!" 44:48 Be glad - because you are better off waiting 44:54 for God's will, having the right job, the right spouse, 44:58 the right school, than rushing ahead of the Lord 45:00 and having the wrong job, you'd be miserable; 45:05 the wrong spouse, the wrong school, 45:08 do you know what I'm talking about? 45:09 And so you want to pray, wait on the Lord, be patient. 45:13 Luke 21:19, "By your patience, 45:17 possess ye your souls." 45:20 And, part of following the Lord and looking for His will 45:23 is standing still. 45:25 Remember those stories in the Bible - Exodus 14, 45:27 Moses said to the people, verse 13, 45:30 "Do not be afraid, stand still." 45:32 They didn't know which way to go; 45:33 where they were supposed to go. 45:34 Nowhere - they were supposed to stand still. 45:38 Sometimes God's leading is your standing. 45:41 2 Chronicles 20:17, "You will not need to fight 45:45 in this battle, position yourselves, 45:48 stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." 45:51 In other words, sometimes the will of God 45:52 is not you going to it. 45:54 Sometimes the will of God is it coming to you! 45:57 You just stay where you are and watch what happens. 46:00 Sometimes you think that, "I've got to get out of this 46:03 circumstance and I don't know what I'm going to do, 46:05 and Lord, which way am I supposed to go, 46:07 and what phone call do I make, 46:08 and which direction, what door? 46:10 And God is saying... "Stay right there, 46:12 I'm going to change everything without you moving anywhere." 46:14 So part of God's leading is your being patient, 46:18 and trusting and just stand still, 46:20 and see the salvation of the Lord. 46:22 You know, the generals, years ago, 46:25 you've often heard it said, during the Revolutionary War, 46:29 their muskets were very inaccurate, 46:32 and it took forever to load them, 46:34 and what would the general say to his troops 46:37 as they were itching fingers to fire at the approaching enemy, 46:40 they'd say, "hold men, hold," 46:43 and Washington said, "Do not fire till you see 46:46 the whites of their eyes!" 46:47 And the patience - you've got to wait for timing. 46:51 And so sometimes God says, 46:52 "You know you're wanting to jump, it's not time, wait." 46:55 He'll tell you when the time is. 46:56 I've seen many times, I've ran ahead of the Lord, 46:58 if I had just waited! 47:00 Now after you do all these things, 47:02 I'm adding one more here, well I'm adding a couple more. 47:07 14. Tally the evidence. 47:10 I've just given you a number of criteria from the Bible 47:12 and good judgment on how do you determine the will of God. 47:16 Sometimes it's not any one of those things, 47:18 but it's the addition, the accumulation of 47:21 many of those things that helps you make a decision. 47:24 You kind of add things up, it's like with those little 47:29 handheld GPS satellites you use and you can use them in 47:32 your airplane - you can use them when you're walking 47:34 on the trails now. 47:36 You first turn one on; it will tell you your 47:38 exact location - it will tell you which way to go, 47:41 but you've got to wait a minute while it 47:43 acquires satellites. 47:44 You turn it on and it will say it has one satellite, 47:47 you can't even triangulate until you get 3 satellites. 47:50 You get real good altitude and all kinds of information 47:54 if you get 5 or 7 satellites. 47:56 So you just wait until you get all the satellites 47:58 and when it's picking them all up and it says, 48:00 "we got 7 satellites now," you can know pretty sure 48:02 where you are within a couple of feet. 48:04 And so, when you're praying about this big decision, 48:06 and say what does the Word of God say... 48:08 It's not always precise on everything... 48:10 So, well I got some background there, 48:12 what do my Christian counselors say; how will this glorify God? 48:15 And you just start going through the 48:17 different evidence - Make a list! 48:18 Karen and I, when we were dating each other, 48:20 we made a list of what the pros and cons were! 48:24 I hope she still remembers the pros! 48:27 So, you know, you add these things up and you say, 48:29 "Well you know, here are the things to consider, 48:31 and you want, hopefully, there'll be a 48:34 preponderance of evidence on the right side 48:37 when you add up the list. 48:39 And by the way, something everybody can do... 48:42 You might say, "Doug, this is an interesting sermon, 48:44 it doesn't apply to me, I am where I'm supposed to be, 48:46 I'm in the will of God right now," 48:48 but you always need to be adjusting yourself 48:52 into the will of God... Always! 48:55 You know, they've got these oil-drilling ships, 48:59 they used to just use these platforms that they 49:01 would route and anchor down in the seabed floor, 49:03 but now they got ships that have these computer-controlled 49:06 propellers all the way around the ship and the ship is not 49:10 anchored, the ship is not tethered to the ground. 49:12 The ship is able to control its location through constant 49:17 adjustments; micro milliseconds adjustments of a computer 49:20 that are keeping it so that it stays over the same spot 49:23 while it's drilling. 49:24 And you know, it's sort of how a Christian is. 49:27 We are constantly measuring that we're in the will of God 49:31 based on all these things, all the time! 49:33 Because it's real easy for us to do something called "sliding" 49:37 You stop calibrating that you're in the will of God, 49:40 and you can start sliding off center, 49:42 and as those ships I just described, 49:45 if they don't make continual adjustments, 49:47 the drill line and the pipe cracks! 49:50 And so you want to constantly be centered in God's will. 49:53 Some of you are sort of in the right vicinity, 49:56 but you're not centered in God's will. 49:58 And so, take a look at the list! 50:00 Now! I've got good news for you in the last one here. 50:05 Oh, by the way, another verse for #14... 50:07 "By the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, 50:09 shall everything be established." 50:11 So you add up all the evidence, one more verse for you... 50:14 15. When you're deciding the will of God... 50:18 What is your heart's desire? 50:20 Yeah... don't be ashamed of that. 50:24 What do you want? 50:26 Sometimes God places things on your heart because 50:29 He's wanting you to do something, 50:31 and He's putting it in your heart where actually 50:33 you want the same thing God wants. 50:35 Everyone automatically assumes... 50:36 "All right Lord, where do You want me to go." 50:38 "Oh, I got to marry him, all right." 50:41 "What school?" "Oh, this is the job, 50:44 oh man, I hate teeth, but You want me to be a 50:46 dentist, I'll be a dentist." 50:48 And we're always thinking that God's will is for us to do 50:51 what we don't want to do. 50:52 That's a myth! 50:53 God... if you're converted, He will often then implant 50:57 within your heart, this burning desire to do the very thing 51:00 He wants you to do. 51:01 If you're converted, your desires are going to be 51:04 lining up with His desires. 51:06 Now let me give you some Scripture for that 51:07 because you already feel guilty about believing that, 51:10 but that's good news! 51:11 1 Chronicles 17:2, David wanted to build a 51:15 temple for the Lord - that was his desire, 51:17 to see a temple to God's glory, and Nathan said, 51:20 "David do all that's in your heart." 51:21 Well it turns out that it was done through David's son, 51:24 but his desire was still fulfilled. 51:26 Build a temple for the Lord, God put it in his heart! 51:29 Psalm 21:2, "You have given him his heart's desire, 51:34 and have not withheld the request of his lips." 51:38 Psalm 20:4, "May He grant you according 51:41 to your heart's desire and fulfill all your purpose." 51:45 Many times, you'll pray about something and you want it, 51:49 and God says, "You know, I love you, 51:50 I want to give you what you want." 51:52 Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord... 51:55 ... Now here's the key - "Delight yourself in the Lord, 51:58 and He will give you the desires of your heart." 52:01 If your delight is God and His will, and His glory, 52:06 you'll be finding out He's giving you 52:08 the desires of your heart. 52:10 That's exciting when you think 52:12 about that... He'll surprise you! 52:14 God doesn't what's worse for you. 52:16 He wants what's best for you! 52:18 And you have to trust Him that in the end, 52:20 you'll always be happier being in the middle of God's will 52:24 and doing what He asks. 52:26 I've got an appeal for you here... 52:27 Romans 12:2, This is a good verse I saved 52:31 and highlighted for the end of this message. 52:34 Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, 52:39 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 52:44 And that's a continual renewing of your mind. 52:46 Why? "That you might prove - that means "test-evaluate," 52:50 what is that good and acceptable and perfect." 52:56 Now some people are doing 52:58 the imperfect will of God. 53:00 You should strive for that good and that acceptable, 53:03 and that perfect will of God. 53:05 And that's where you're going to be the happiest, 53:07 is when you're where God wants you to be. 53:09 When you're right directly smack-dab in the middle 53:11 of where God wants you to be, you'll be happy! Amen? 53:16 Now we're going to do something different here at the end. 53:18 I know I put in your hymnal that we were going to sing 53:23 a hymn but we're going to sing a song instead. 53:27 Stand up - we're going to put this on the screen. 53:36 Does it scare you when I come out here with my guitar? 53:41 Any of you remember the Net '99 Program that we did? 53:46 We sang this song, it's called... 53:48 "Help Me to Know Your Will, Lord" 53:50 and I'll do it through with you, Debbie knows it, 53:52 she was with us in New York. 53:53 I'll do this through with you once and then I think 53:56 they're going to put... Yeah they've got it on the screen. 53:58 Thank you Cheryl, that's fast work! 54:00 All right... 54:11 Help me to know Your will, Lord, 54:15 That I may follow Thee. 54:20 Make me to hear that still, small voice, 54:24 Tenderly calling me. 54:29 If when that waves are mounting, 54:33 Speak the words Peace be Still. 54:38 Give me the mind of Jesus, 54:43 Show me the truth that frees us, 54:47 I want to do what pleases You, 54:52 So help me to know Your will. 54:56 Lord, please help me to know Your will. 55:01 Now you want to try it again? You all sing it with me. 55:03 It's a good song, I hope it sticks in your head. 55:08 Help me to know Your will, Lord, 55:13 That I might follow Thee. 55:17 Make me to hear that still, small voice, 55:22 Tenderly calling me. 55:27 If when that waves are mounting, 55:31 Speak the words Peace be Still. 55:35 Give me the mind of Jesus, 55:40 Show me the truth that frees us. 55:45 I want to do what pleases You, 55:49 So help me to know Your will. 55:53 Lord, please help me to know Your will. 55:59 Amen! Is that your desire, friends? Yes! 56:03 Are you willing to do His will? 56:04 Step #1- Be willing to do His will. 56:07 And don't forget to follow the Word. 56:09 You're usually home free if you've got those two down. 56:12 Is that your prayer? 56:13 Let's ask Him now. 56:15 Father in Heaven, Lord, we know that real 56:20 happiness comes from praying with sincerity, 56:24 Not my will, Thy will be done. 56:27 Lord, I pray that you'll help all of us to recognize 56:31 how crucial it is that we constantly check to 56:35 calibrate our lives to make sure that we are 56:38 in the middle of your will. 56:40 Thank you for the promise in Your Word - 56:42 That if any man is willing to do His will, 56:44 He shall know. 56:46 Lord, we want to be Your friends; 56:48 we want to know that we are doing what You have 56:51 planned for us. 56:52 And if there are any who are here or listening, 56:55 if some area of our lives, we're getting off track, Lord, 56:58 I pray that we will humble ourselves before You; 57:00 be pliable clay in the Potter's hands and be willing 57:03 for You to direct and to mold us into that pattern. 57:07 Lord, make us willing to follow Your will. 57:11 Have Your own way in our lives every day, 57:14 for when we see Jesus on Calvary's Hill, 57:18 we want to be willing, with Your Spirit filling, 57:21 willing to follow Your will. 57:24 In Jesus name we pray... Amen 57:27 Thank you for joining us for this broadcast. 57:30 If you've missed any of our Amazing Facts Programs, 57:32 visit our website at AMAZINGFACTS.ORG 57:34 There, you'll find an archive of all our television and radio 57:37 programs including - "Amazing Facts Presents," 57:40 "Central Study Hour," "Everlasting Gospel," 57:43 "Bible Answers Live," and "Wonders in the Word." 57:45 You'll also find a storehouse of biblical resources 57:48 geared towards answering some of your most difficult questions 57:51 and our online Bible School is just a click away. 57:53 One location - so many possibilities! 57:56 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG |
Revised 2014-12-17