[1] #311, God’s Will; My Life, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday 05-18-2008

Text: Hebrews 13:20, 21

INTRODUCTION:

• It was the summer 1984, I was sitting in the office of a guidance counselor at the University of Massachusetts and we were figuring out my fall classes.
• The guidance counselor asked me my major and one word came out of my mouth: UNDECIDED. (In other words I don’t know)
• One of the most painful questions you can ask a teenager is, “What do you plan to do with your life?” (emotions of excitement, fear, overwhelmed come to their heart as they say, I don’t know)
• Today we are going to motivate, encourage, and exhort you to seek with all of your heart God’s perfect will for your life. Why did God created you?

AWESOME TRUTH: Every person is created first in the heart of God to do great works for God and then is formed in the womb by God to carry out these great works!

• Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed the in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee…”
• KNEW = expression of intimate knowledge, husband knows his wife.
• God chose (his heart) the great works that you would do, and then He designed you in the womb with exactly the right characteristics & capabilities to achieve those great works.
• Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

HOW DO I DISCOVER WHAT GOD CREATED ME TO DO?

What is God’s will for my life!?

1. God’s specific will is discovered INSIDE His revealed will
   1. The Word of God is Jesus Christ’s revealed will for everybody ever born!
   2. Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not lie by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
   3. The Bible is filled with God’s principles, thoughts, ideas, truths, blessings, rewards, warnings and ways!
   4. Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
   5. Romans 13: 1, 2 – “The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authorities is rebelling against God.”
   6. 2 Timothy 3:12 – “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
   7. Ephesian 6:2, 3 – “Honor your father and mother-which is the first commandment with a promise- that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
   8. 1 Peter 3:7 – Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
   9. In seeking God’s will for your life, the place everyone begins is inside His revealed will, are there ideas in your mind & choices in your life that are not in harmony with God’s revealed will? If so you will never really discover God’s specific, perfect will for your life!
2. Our minds must be transformed
   1. Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
   2. God’s plan for you will not be discovered from the pattern of this world.
   3. 2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5 – “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
   4. If you do not transform your thinking you will not be able to discover God’s perfect purpose for your life.
   5. Transformation comes when information changes behavior and the one changed can explain what has happened to them.
   6. Too many “saved” people still live their lives according the pattern the world has taught them.
   7. Personal testimony: Here is what has & is happening in my life because of transformed and renewed thinking (one income family, debt free living, homeschooling, more than 1.8 children by God’s grace,)
3. Go Beyond Commitment
   1. Read Matthew 19:16-22
   2. Jesus asked in V.21, “If you want to be perfect…sell…give. Then come follow me.” (the rich young ruler went away sad)
   3. He was willing to make commitments and follow rules, but he was unwilling to make a total unconditional surrender of his life and all he had to Jesus.
   4. Commitments are based on our control & our conditions. Total, unconditional surrender is based on God’s control.
   5. We often make commitments to the Lord but can not sustain them because we have not yet totally surrendered our life to the Lord.
   6. Jesus didn’t say the Rich Young Ruler would be starving and poor, but the rich young ruler would not be in control, he would have to rely on the Lord.
   7. It is only through total surrender that we will discover God’s perfect plan for our lives!
4. Past the Holy Spirit Tests
   1. The Holy Spirit will test you and on the other side of the test is where you will find God’s perfect plan for your life.
   2. Luke 5:4-10 Read it
   3. Jesus asked Peter to go fishing, Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing and they never fish in the day because you will catch nothing.
   4. V. 5 – “Because you say so I will let down the nets.” (the test)
   5. V. 8 & 9 – Peter saw himself from a new perspective and his relationship with Jesus from a different perspective and in V. 10 he received his life purpose call from Jesus.
   6. It didn’t make natural sense for Peter to go fishing, but he did it only because Jesus told him to (obeyed revealed will, transformed thinking, total surrender, past the test)

CLOSE:

1. Every person is created first in the heart of God to do great works for God and then is formed in the womb by God to carry out these great works!
2. Someone once said that God’s perfect will for my life is exactly what I would want to do if I had all the facts from God.
3. Maybe you are resisting His revealed will, or you are making life decisions based on the pattern of this world, or you are committed but scared to surrender, or you just can’t see that certain things in your life are not the devil but the tests of the Holy Spirit.
4. Altar Call: Feel you are not living in God’s perfect plan and you want to surrender yourself to Jesus come now!