[0:00] If you have your Bible, please find the book of Hebrews in chapter number 10 this morning.
[0:15] Hebrews chapter 10. And I want to speak to you this morning about the will of God. And I've been having some thoughts as of late about these things and some things in the Bible about it.
[0:34] And I began working a certain direction with this. And it kind of, two-thirds of the way through, felt like it was going a different direction. So I adjusted my thinking, I trust, to what the Lord would have me to say this morning.
[0:50] And I don't know, being that we have a meeting coming up next week, I don't know if this will ever turn into a two-part, three-part thing. I don't know. But for now, let's consider some things about the will of God.
[1:03] We often make a big deal about finding the will of God and doing that will. And there's a good reason to be talking like that and to be thinking like that because it's a great thing to know that you're doing what God wants you to do.
[1:17] To know that you're where God wants you to be. To know in your heart to have that settled, that you're fulfilling your role, your purpose. Paul said, or in Colossians, he said, And there's a blessing and a peace and a certainty in knowing that you're fulfilling a ministry that God gives you.
[1:41] And there's a reason to take heed to that as well, as he said. But I think it's the best thing there is for anybody. It's absolutely the best thing to know that you're in what we might call the center of God's will.
[1:52] Because there's not only peace in that, but there's protection in that. And there's purpose in that as well. And there's more to it, though, I believe, than just finding it and doing it.
[2:04] That's an easy way to say it. Because it's so much more than that. It's almost like, well, if I just find it and do it, you automatically just fall into this utopia of the Christian life.
[2:14] And it's just roses and flowers and wonderful things from here on out. And that's truly not the case either. The will of God is more than just being in a pulpit or something like that or on a mission field.
[2:30] It's practical things like finding a spouse. Like making a decision on a career. Or choosing a career or a course of study. Or what to do after high school.
[2:42] What to do after college. It could even be in such cases as surrendering to the ministry and going forward in some way like that. It manifests itself in all of our lives in different ways.
[2:55] And so I want to speak to that. You're in Hebrews chapter 10. And whether you're pursuing anything in this life, it ought to be something that you're concerned about. Is this what God wants for me?
[3:08] Is this God's will for my life? I've gone to Christian camps and heard preachers preach and things of surrendering your life to Christ. Throw your stick in the fire at the end of the week.
[3:19] And those kind of services. Those dedication or those surrender services. And it's all like I'm surrendering to God's will for my life. I want what the Lord wants.
[3:29] And as a teenager, oftentimes, you have no idea what that entails or what does that mean. And as you go through life, you just start making decisions. And you start going a direction.
[3:40] And the goal ought to be for every one of us to be going the direction that God is leading us. And to make sure whether it's small or large, this thing goes, it applies so much.
[3:52] So let's look at something in the Bible here. Hebrews 10. And notice, let me start. It's about the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice that he made for our sins.
[4:04] I'll start in verse 4. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.
[4:16] In burnt offering and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it's written of me, to do thy will, O God.
[4:29] If I took away the parenthesis, the statement Jesus Christ is making to the Father is, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
[4:40] I come to do thy will. And that parenthesis, though, is important because in the volume of the book, there's a lot of things that have been written about the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to do the Father's will.
[4:52] And I want to submit to you this morning, it's so much more than just dying for our sins. Now, that's a big deal. And that is a, he was the Lamb of God. He was the sacrifice for our sins, as this passage declares.
[5:06] But there was a lot written in the volume of this book about the Lord Jesus Christ that he came to fulfill that was more than just suffering for our sins and being that final payment.
[5:20] It was more than just his sacrifice. Otherwise, why couldn't he have just died at two years old, three years old? Why couldn't he be offered as a pure, spotless son of God, offered like other children were, sadly?
[5:34] Why couldn't he have just been offered then? Why did he have to live 33 and a half years? There was more to it, wasn't there? There were some things that had to be accomplished. The Bible says he came unto his own, and his own received him not, because the prophecy says that he is despised and rejected of men.
[5:54] There's more to it. He healed the sick because he had to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind, and he caused the lame to walk. He cast out devils. He preached deliverance like the prophets said he would.
[6:08] There's a variety of prophecies in very specific locations even, and even some specific situations that he had to be there, time and place, to fulfill and to be that Messiah and to fulfill what was written of him in the volume of the book.
[6:25] He was betrayed by his own familiar friend. And there's so many things, all of which were written in a book. And so when he says, I come to do thy will, O God, thy will is not just a reference to Calvary.
[6:40] There's more to it. And so I want to submit to you this morning and just say this. It's kind of a popular phrase. It's not original with me at all, but it says a lot. And this is really what the thought of the message is here, is that God's will for your life, every single one of us in here, God's will for your life is a discipline before it's a direction.
[7:03] It's a discipline. It's certain things God has a desire for you, and I want to show you this in the life of Jesus Christ to be our example, and then look at some practical things in the Bible that we're to be submitting to.
[7:17] Before God gives us that direction and that victory and that area and that grace, there's a discipline involved. And so let's look at that here. Jesus Christ had Scripture written of him that he had to submit to and fulfill.
[7:30] He had a work that he had to accomplish, and this was before the cross. Now come back to John chapter 4, and let's take a look at this through the life of Jesus Christ. We'll run through a few verses in John.
[7:44] And then we'll go into making some points for us to take heed to as well. John chapter 4. So here he is, seated by this well, Jacob's well, in Samaria.
[8:05] And he ends up having a conversation with a woman of Samaria that is surprised that this Jew is even acknowledging her. It's unheard of in their day. His disciples go to find food, and he speaks to this woman.
[8:18] She goes and gets other people. And we'll pick this up after all of that conversation in verse 31. Verse 31. In the meanwhile, his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
[8:35] But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, hath any man brought him aught to eat? Did you bring him a banana? Did you bring him some granola?
[8:46] Where did he get something to eat? But he's not talking about food, is he? And in verse 34, Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
[9:00] Now he's not talking about dying on a cross for Samaritans. But he set himself aside purposely to speak to a woman, and then through that conversation, others, and through them, others.
[9:14] As we continue into the chapter, look at verse 40. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them, and he abode there two days, and many more believed because of his own word.
[9:25] He's got folks believing on him, and this isn't even the cross. He tells his disciples, back up to verse 35, Say not ye there yet four months, and then comest harvest.
[9:36] Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. There's a work that they should be engaged in actively as well.
[9:46] Now Jesus Christ came to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work. Come to chapter 5. John chapter 5. And here's a man that's impotent.
[10:01] In verse 7, the impotent man, he lay by the pool of Bethesda. He didn't have any man that could take him to the water when the angel troubled it to have himself healed of his disease.
[10:12] And so Jesus just tells him in verse 8, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And so the man's healed, and now people have a problem because Jesus is healing on the Sabbath day, and that just shouldn't be done.
[10:23] And so they start some problems with him and persecuting him. They sought to slay him in verse 16. And in verse 17, Jesus answered them, My father worketh hitherto, meaning up to this point, and now he says, And I work.
[10:38] I work. In other words, what I'm doing now, I'm taking over. For the father, and all that the father's been doing, now it's me. And I'm working. And what is it that he's working?
[10:48] He's fulfilling and doing the will of God. Come to verse number 30 of this chapter. He said, I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge.
[10:59] My judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the father, which hath sent me. And now coming forward to verse number 36, I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do.
[11:18] They bear witness of me that the father sent me. Now again, this isn't the cross, is it? This is something else that he's doing, and he says it again, that God's given me to finish this stuff.
[11:29] So he's doing a work, and come to chapter 6 now. His work in some cases is causing some to believe on him that he is the Christ to come into the world.
[11:42] And that might be the greatest work, and really if we studied this in a little more detail, we'd see that. It's actually in John 6, verse 29. This is the work of God that you believe on him. But he's doing works, and he's fulfilling scriptures, and signs, and miracles, and healings.
[11:58] He's doing much more than just that. Chapter, what do I say, 6, verse 38. Jesus Christ says, I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
[12:13] And he goes on to talk about some things about the father's will, and raising people up. Now one more verse here, that's chapter 17. And I want you to get this and understand all that I'm saying to you here about what's been written in the book.
[12:27] Notice here, before the cross, he makes a statement as he's praying to the father on the way to the garden. And on their track, he says this in verse number 4. Chapter 17, verse 4.
[12:40] Verse 1, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, and he goes on to pray, and he says in verse 4, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
[12:53] Is he talking about dying for the sins of mankind? He can't be because that work hasn't been finished yet. He'll cry that out a little bit later, it is finished.
[13:04] But the work that God gave him to do here is not referring to the cross. There was things written in the volume of the book, and I want you to understand it was the will of God when he's saying, I came to do thy will.
[13:17] It wasn't about Calvary 100%. There was more to it. There's other scriptures here in this passage. I'll just point them out to you in this chapter, some things that he did.
[13:29] He finished the work that God gave him to do. Let's see. Verse number 6, here's what Jesus Christ did. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.
[13:41] That's what he did. He manifested his name. Verse number 8, for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. That's something else that God had for his son and that he did and accomplished.
[13:55] Verse 14, I have given them thy word. Verse 18, as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
[14:07] So he commissioned and trained these men to fulfill a role and a duty. In verse 26, and I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it. Something else he continued to do, a part of this will of God for him.
[14:22] In John chapter 8, Lord Christ said this to these men. He said, the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things that please him. Now think about that.
[14:34] I've come to do his will, not my own will, his will. I do always those things that please him. The will of God, church, is a discipline.
[14:46] It is doing those things that please God before it's a direction. And by surrendering to obeying what God had for Jesus Christ in this life, in these 33 years, by fulfilling that day after day, by several years of this, before he ever went to the ultimate sacrifice, Calvary, Jesus Christ is submitting and fulfilling and even being prepared to be that ultimate sacrifice, even preparing himself for the ultimate test of submitting to the cross that he, as we read in Matthew, he didn't want to do at the time.
[15:26] So before it's this big will of God, before it's this cross, Calvary, bear the burdens of the sin of the world, there are things written in the book that have to be accomplished.
[15:40] There's a discipline, there's an obedience to it, there's doing always those things that please God. Now, before it's a direction, then.
[15:51] Now, let me take you through a few of these. I still can't do it. Alright, somebody translate, please.
[16:03] Thank you, brother. Alright, 2 Peter chapter 3. Find 2 Peter chapter 3. Let me take you through a few of these things that the scripture declares is God's will.
[16:16] 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. And notice verse number 9.
[16:34] The Bible says, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[16:48] So what is the will of God? His will is that all should come to repentance. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[16:59] In 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul says of God that He will have all men to be saved. That's His will is for men to come to repentance, to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
[17:12] It's not His will that they perish. This seems to kick that thought from Sunday school of Calvinism just right out of the box and gone forever. That it is God's will that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[17:29] So we'll say number 1 that God's will is salvation. Now I think maybe you've got that down, right? I don't know everybody's soul here, everybody's heart before God, but I'm just going to take for granted for a moment that you all know what this is and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ and that's God's will for your life, isn't it?
[17:51] That you're born again, that you're His child. But it doesn't stop there. That's just the beginning. Just the birth. That's all that is.
[18:03] That's the beginning. Why, that's an easy one and that's one where Christians will get just satisfied with it. I'm saved. I'm a child of God.
[18:14] Like I've reached this because the whole world has been, you know, in religious circles are working toward that, trying to get to that. Once you've gotten there, it's like the plateau. But no, that's not.
[18:25] That's the bottom. That's the beginning is that you trust Christ and that you're born of His Spirit. You have life in your body now and your soul. That's God's will that you don't perish, that you come to repentance, that you understand that Christ died for your sins.
[18:41] Salvation is just the beginning. Now come to 1 Thessalonians chapter number 3. There's things that are written in the volume of this book and they're written for you to obey and to do always those things that please Him.
[19:02] How are you going to fulfill those things that please Him? You better get in the Bible and find out what God's will is for your life. The first thing is that you're saved. Now with salvation you get eternal life, you get forgiveness of sins, you get redeemed from your iniquities, it's paid for and covered and you're eternally secure in Christ Jesus.
[19:25] That thing is settled, it's fixed. Your destiny is fixed. It's heaven or bust and there's no bust because Jesus Christ took it out of the way.
[19:36] So you're on your way to heaven, things are just, they're going to get better, they're never going to get worse in the sense of eternity goes. You're never going to have to pay for your sins.
[19:47] We studied a little bit on, we just scratched the surface but on Wednesday night that the spiritual blessings in heavenly places that we have in Christ and even tried to give you a little thought and teaching on how that's all things, it's crazy.
[20:04] What we get, salvation is wonderful, it's grand, it's more than we can understand and imagine but I want you to get, that's just the beginning in this life and so there's something else and we'll call the second one sanctification.
[20:19] The will of God for your life is sanctification. Let's read it in 1 Thessalonians, I'll start back in chapter 3 and verse 12 and we're kind of picking it up in the middle here, I'll start in verse 11, now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men even as we do toward you to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
[20:53] Furthermore then we beseech you brethren, furthermore, furthermore, beyond that, including that, this thought of being unblameable in holiness before him.
[21:05] Furthermore, we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that you've received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so you would abound more and more for you know what commandment we gave you by the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God that no man go beyond and defraud his brethren any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as ye also have forewarned you and testified verse 7 for God hath not called us unto uncleanness what has he called us unto?
[21:48] Holiness sanctification this is the will of God sanctification is a separation from sin a separation from unrighteousness in the passage in this context it's about fornication it's possessing your vessel and sanctification and honor sanctification is the will of God for every one of his believers it's a separation from sin from any iniquity from any ungodliness it's abstaining from it it's the will of God it's written in the book that God's will for your life it's a discipline it's first you come to knowledge of Jesus Christ you're saved by his grace you're his child now as his child you start to separate yourself from the ungodliness in your life and in the world around you and you live sanctified you live holy you live unblameable you live according to the commandments in the scripture like Paul referenced in verse 2 and it's the will of God you possess your vessel this body you possess it in sanctification for the sake of Jesus Christ
[23:01] God expects holiness in your relationships amongst believers and all men back in chapter 3 your love one toward another and toward all men it's not just about in church do you dress up and act holy you don't separate yourself just to come in here you might call this a sanctuary because it is supposed to be sanctified set apart for the worship of Jesus Christ things like this piano here is it's not a holy instrument but those those keys are not to be playing the world's music that thing's in here I mean no instrument should play wicked music for that matter but that one if I see somebody on there playing something nasty I'll say something to you believe me I don't want you doing that in here but that's not just about the instrument it's not just about this place it's about your heart God expects you to separate yourself from sin possess your vessel how do you possess your vessel how is it that your vessel is possessed in sanctification and honor take a look at just a little bit to your right to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 you can possess your vessel by the way you dress in your appearance it can your sanctification can be in your speech and in your conduct it's about separating from anything ungodly 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 19 nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are His so you're saved and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity there's salvation and sanctification right together and here's an illustration but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared unto every good work he describes fleeing some things avoiding some things in verse 23 that's what sanctification is it's a separation it's purging yourself from some things some things are in your life when you get saved and maybe even because you allow yourself to be too much ingrained and engrossed in the world and some things get in they come into your heart they come in through the ears through the eyes and God wants them out it's a discipline before you end up having this perfect life and this perfect knowing this perfect will of God and everything being wonderful in your Christian life there's a discipline to you separating yourself from sin
[25:51] I was thinking this morning before and I'm glad I didn't have time to think about it too much because I would have probably changed the sermon I was starting to really think strongly about Christians and their sins and things were just coming left and right and I thought am I supposed to start writing this stuff down because I didn't know if I was getting a sermon change at the last minute and I didn't I didn't do it but I started really thinking on Christians and their sins on myself on what Christians have allowed and have decided it's okay but that's not sanctification sanctification is separating yourself from ungodliness in all forms and as we saw in this verse and as Jesus Christ said the same thing it's going to prepare you you'll be prepared unto every good work when you get sanctified now come to 1st Thessalonians back to the left a little bit and chapter 5 there's more to it there's salvation there's sanctification and 1st Thessalonians 5 oh this ought to be an easy one right verse 18 in everything give thanks why for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you
[27:22] God seeks a thankful an attitude of gratitude a giving of thanks from his children it's his will concerning you so the Lord says do all things without murmurings and disputings because he wants to see your thankfulness if you study this word it shows up connected with prayer a lot in Philippians 4 in Colossians 4 I think it shows up connected like side by side with prayer your sanctification I'm sorry not your sanctification your thanksgiving you're to let your request be made known unto God with thanksgiving watching the same praying always watching the same with thanksgiving thanksgiving is a mindset it's not just saying thank you you know how kids are you tell your kids say thanks tell them thank you or you're going to give it back tell them you know you're just making them say it you're trying to train them to be thankful though and you train them by making them say it make them say it make them say it hoping that it gets inside it's a great thing when somebody says thank you and they mean it it's a mindset it's a conviction it's a persuasion within you an approach to living life being thankful it's not just a holiday matter of fact that holiday finds its roots all the way back in some of
[28:50] Jewish stuff when they had a thanksgiving before God it's something that should naturally come out of the new man in his relationship with God I want you to understand though that the will of God for your life it's a discipline it's a way you live today before it is ever I got to this utopia I got to this place where I'm in the will of God and all is well it's how you live now one more go to 1 Peter chapter 2 1 Peter chapter 2 God wants his believers as Christians as children to put away strife from their lives and to exercise thanksgiving to put away their lust and to exercise thanksgiving to put away covetousness and to be grateful the Bible says be grateful unto him or be thankful unto him and bless his name he deserves that 1 Peter chapter 2 and I want to read this passage here from verse 11 dearly beloved
[30:01] I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation so they speak evil against you they call they say you're doing things wrong like you're an evildoer but the truth is they're beholding your good works and in the end they're going to have to glorify God and admit the truth verse 13 submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to kings or supreme or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free and not having or not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God honor all men love the brotherhood fear God honor the king servants be subject to your masters with all fear not only for the good and gentle but also to the froward for this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what is your glory if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God now what's the deal he's talking about living a life above reproach a life of good works well doing he says a few times and he says good works and it's a testimony to the lost world
[31:38] I'm living this life it's a clean life it's a righteous life and it's blameless in the sight of all men and God even says then hey if any harm happens or there's any repercussions because of this with the world I'm pleased that you chose to do what's right if you take if you're buffeted for when you do well this is acceptable with God now this goes on into the next chapter look at chapter 3 and verse 16 1 Peter 3 16 having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers although you're not they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ for it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing in God's eyes what use does he have if you live wickedly and then you have to pay for it what glory does he get out of your life but when you live righteously if you have to suffer for it and if he allows that and you take it well praise the Lord but the point is that you live right you're not going to suffer for it if you're not living right come to chapter 4 and see it one more time we could read this whole chapter but just verse 15 and 16 let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer or as a busy body in other men's matters yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God on this behalf verse 19 wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful creator now you may not have to worry about this so much not yet
[33:26] I don't know you may not have to worry about being imprisoned or being slandered or being accused or turned in because you're living for God that happens around the world it may not happen to you it may in the near future who knows but be ready for it if it does at any rate do right is what the teaching is well doing good works the Bible says in Ephesians 2 that by grace he is saved through faith that not of yourselves it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and he says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them that's an ordination of almighty God that those that he gives eternal life to walk in good works in well doing as Peter says is that just helping an old lady across the street is that just picking up trash when you see it sure that could be part of it but good works what kind of good are you doing in your life what good are you doing for Jesus Christ that word that's pretty broad isn't it and there's a lot that you can be doing what folks end up doing is pleasing themselves what folks end up doing is just sitting around what they end up doing is entertaining themselves or picking up hobbies and falling in love with it and putting all their energy and focus and money into their hobbies and entertaining themselves and God will allow you to enjoy things in his life he's a good
[35:04] God he allows you to enjoy this life but do not overlook the scripture that commands and tells you you were created to do good works to bring glory unto him to bear fruit the fruits of righteousness Philippians chapter 1 the will of God is a discipline before it's a direction it's you trusting Christ because that's his will he's not willing that you should perish he wants you to be saved he's a good God it's you separating from sins in your life it might be people in your life it might be places in your life it might be things that you watch things that you put on your phone you need to separate yourself from them because that's not sanctified and you know it the world's never been sanctified and if you entertain yourself all your life with the world and worldliness you're missing something here sanctification is a separation it's possessing your vessel in sanctification and honor something God would be honored with
[36:05] God tells us plainly his will is your thanksgiving is being thankful to him and that's gonna I mentioned prayer it's gonna you're gonna have to pray and you're gonna have to learn how to just express your gratitude to him instead of thinking about the things you want and the things you deserve years ago this just comes to mind I was I left my play my wife and I had a condo in Florida I was at Bible school and I was getting up to go to work in the morning and I suppose this is something I don't do every day by far but it's just at the time it's I got out in the car I turned the key and it started and I just sat there for a second and thanked God what that the car started and I don't do that every time I start the car but I just remember that moment of thinking for a moment if this car didn't start like it just did I'd be starting my day off pretty rough and then
[37:07] I'd be getting a jumper cable I'd be calling somebody I'd be late to work I mean the whole thing would start to unravel if this little thing right here didn't work for me and in that moment I just recall saying God thank you because I'm thinking about you right now and I'm thinking that you care about me and maybe maybe everybody in this world is starting their car and running to work and not thanking you but I just want to say thank you and that's an attitude to have before God of thanksgiving do you think it gets his attention when we talk to him like that and we just boast on him a little bit and tell him how good he is if you're a parent do you tell your kid to get lost when they come and talk about how good you are it probably doesn't happen near enough or ever and maybe that's a good sign of how much we treat him and how much we thank him because we don't thank him do we God thank you for this food some people don't even do that but it's to be received with thanksgiving the Bible says thanksgiving is an attitude and then finally it was your well doing or your good works are you walking in good works if you're not doing anything for Christ now the perfect will of God is not going to just drop in front of you for you to just step into it if you're not walking to please him today if your mind's not on Christ and trying to do whatever he wants you to do today like for a missionary to come around and talk about oh I'm going to go and start a church and win souls but they don't do anything now are they going to just automatically turn on the light bulb when they get out in the field it's a blessing to hear a missionary talk about being a soul winner now knowing that's just going to transition right into their to fruit on the field if you want to know what the big will of God is if you want to end up with the right spouse or in the right career or in the right church or in the right ministry it starts with a discipline it starts with you seeking in the volume of this book what God wants you to do today it's not going to just magically come in the clouds you've got to walk with Christ there was a time in my life where I almost made a bad decision and it would have been a bad decision and I assumed it was the will of God because the
[39:32] Lord had revealed some things to me about a direction of my life about some things and I thought I've got to go got to do it and there was a time where I hadn't prayed I hadn't sought him about it and I almost made a bad decision I was even getting counsel to do that decision from good people because they thought it was right and until I prayed until I sought the Lord on it he revealed to me and showed me no this is what I want you to do right now that'll come later and what it turned out for me it was a discipline it was walking with him it was sanctifying myself from the sins that I was involved in the friends that I supposedly friends that I had it was separating from all that worldliness in me and falling in love with Jesus Christ and walking with Jesus Christ and reading my Bible and getting involved in my local church and I thought for a moment I'm just gonna run away from the world and jump right into God's will for my life and everything will be perfect and if I'd have done that I'd have crashed and burned because I wasn't ready
[40:35] I wasn't prepared is the word that we saw a few times this morning the will of God is a discipline it prepares you for what we might call that the big one you want to know what God has for you or where where you're safest in this life it's gonna start with you walking with him and making decisions to separate from the things that you know are wrong it's gonna be as you as you seek his truth and his light and walk toward it he's gonna give you more and he's gonna give you more and he's gonna give you more and he's gonna lead you into what you might call the perfect will of God for your life but for now for now it's a discipline it's things that are plainly written in the book that you and I need to do the Lord said I come to do thy will and he came to fulfill a lot of things and do a lot of things before he died on that cross for our sins he did things to please the father he did works to please the father and I want us to consider that's the example that's the pattern for you and I as well to submit and to fall into that discipline let's pray together
[41:44] Lord as we close the service this morning it's my prayer as a pastor that everybody in this place desires your will Lord that we desire your will in all the decisions that we make in this life big or small God from these young children to the teenagers to the young adults to the elders Lord that your will would be sought that we'd care that we'd want it Lord I pray that we'd understand clearly that you have given us your will you've expressed it in black and white pure words and so Lord may we not neglect the plain truths of scripture scripture to seek some fantasy may we submit to what we know is right and trust you to open the doors and lead the ways God I want to thank you for the direction you've given me in my life and I thank you for the understanding of this truth and how it's played out in my own heart in life over the years
[42:52] I trust this I believe it I've seen it work I pray Lord that everybody in here would understand it would want it would submit to it and would experience the glory and the privilege of knowing they're at peace and protection exactly where you want them Lord give wisdom to some give grace to others give victory to others whatever is needed as we seek to please you to be sanctified to be separated to be prepared unto every good work in this life Lord may we be thankful may you put it on our hearts to be thankful and grateful this world's not thankful for a thing they just want more it's not supposed to be like that with us help us Lord to take time to fall at your feet to give you glory to give you praise to seek your will
[43:56] I wonder this morning if you're dealing with any of these thoughts or if you've if you're looking for what God has for you if you're looking for direction I hope you'll understand this discipline is more important than the direction God wants your heart he wants you to be willing to please him to have that as your goal today to please him and he'll give you the grace he'll give you the wisdom he'll give you the direction when he sees fit let's stand together and let's sing number 262 before we're dismissed