I. God Has A Will/Desire For Us That He Expects Us To Know And Do

Mt 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Mk 3:35 whoever does the will of God is My brother/sister/mother." Eph 6:6 bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Lk 7:30  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

A. God has an Objective will for us, expressed in commands dealing with our sanctification, holiness, glorifying obedience

Gal 1:4  gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God    Eph 1:5,9,11

1 Thess 4:3  For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality  (holy =separate/different)

2Tim 2:21 if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

1 Thess 5:18  (preceding context…) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1Pt 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good…3:17 better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

B. God frequently has a Subjective will for us, relating to decisions we face, rooted in the principles of wisdom, pursued by faith

Something is of faith when we understand it to be God’s revealed will Rom 14:23…whatever is not from faith is sin.

Daily decisions Pr 8:34  Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

God’s will extends to everyday business life Js 4:15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

C. Some choices are wiser or better than others and God is glorified when we chose them Phil 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10  that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Rom 2: 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

D. God’s will is a mystery to fools but knowable to the wise Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1. Wisdom results in right choices and good stewardship

Wisdom=Choosing the right objectives, and the right means of obtaining them  {righteous=what’s best from God’s perspective}

**You want to make choices that are wise, God-glorifying, and contribute to your holiness and the best interest of others**

2. Counsel  (opinion and reasons behind it) is a component of wisdom

Pr 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

Pr 19:20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.

Pr 24:6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

Pr 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.

II. We Experience The Perfect Will Of God As We’re Transformed And Walk In Wisdom

Do the will of God just as we did will of flesh 1Pt 4:2 no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

A. Submission and seeking precedes the specifics of  His will

Yield, Stop, Go: transformed by the renewing of your mind (thoughts, values/feelings/attitudes, actions) Rm 12:1-2 do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Heb10:7 Behold, I have come…To do Your will, O God. Mt 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Mt 26:42 He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done"

*Jn 7:17 If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Jn 5:30  "I can of Myself do nothing…My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Jn 4:34  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Jn 6:38  "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

B. We yield when we believe the positive and negative consequences of doing the good, acceptable and perfect will of God

Avoid Punishment Lk 12:47 servant who knew his master's will, did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes

Permanent value 1Jn 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Heard prayer Jn 9:31  "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

Answered prayer 1Jn 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us

Joy Rm 15:32  that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

C. Ask, Seek and Knock

Request Ps 143:10  Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Saturate your thinking with the Word Ps 40:8  I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart."

Knowledge  Col 1:9 do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; :10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

Prayer Col 4:12…always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God

III. What Difficulties Do Believers Face In Knowing/Experiencing/Doing The Will Of God?

A. Knowing God’s will does not mean we will automatically experience it; we must continue to abide in Christ to be Christlike

Suffering 1Pt 4:19 let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Endurance Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Timing Rm 1:10  making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

B. Deception: Satan’s will for our lives is frequently disguised as a short-cut to God’s perfect will

2Tim 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

George Muller 2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions. 3. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, God's Word. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Spirit guides us, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

C. Resources: It is difficult, if not impossible to achieve heavenly objectives with only earthbound means [Flesh burns out.]

Holy Spirit Phil 2:13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 19 my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Heb 13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus …

Grace 2Cor 9:8 God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 12:9  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

D. Funnel of God’s Will from TOYL Decision-Maker:

1. Is it within the WILL OF GOD for me? Is it definitely, specifically the Will of God? If so, it’s doable. If maybe, try it in wisdom.

Word (Commands, Principles, Examples);

Input from others (peers, leaders/authorities, experts, Christian/non-Christian);

LOGIC

                Life Plan to glorify God and serve others

                Obedience to the Great Commission

                Grow in Grace (enablement and rewards)

                Increase Usefulness to the Master

                Christlikeness

Leading of the HS (not feelings/peace/circumstances but supported conviction over time)

2. CLASSIFY: I. Important & Urgent; II. Important & Non-Urgent; III. Non-important & Urgent; IV. Non-important & Non-Urgent

Important tasks are those that contribute to your most important written goals and objectives (directly or as prerequisites).

Urgent tasks are those that must be done within a specified time (deadline) or have some other time specification.

3. PRIORITIZE

A - (I) ACT & ACHIEVE this week (today)

B - (II & III) BEGIN ACTION this week

C - (III & IV) CAN be left undone

Questions to ask when comparing tasks:

                Stitch in Time?

                Balance?

                Consequences (+/-) of doing or leaving undone?

                                Greatest Benefit/Damage

                Delegate/Transfer to someone else?

If we have relied on God for the plan and production, then at the end of the day, we have done God’s will; no regrets nor recriminations.

Questions for Discussion/Reflection/Response:

1. How does Personality type affect decision making? What personality tendencies help to make good or bad decisions?

2. How can a believer miss God’s will? Can one be deceived re: God’s will? What are believers sometimes deceived about?

3. If someone misses God’s perfect will for their life, what should they then do? (eg, becomes a Christian late in life; bad irreversible decisions)

4. What are some substitutes for obedience? How do holiness and God’s glory enter into our decision-making process?

5. To what extent can one know/perceive God’s will for another’s life? How does your answer account for Church Discipline?

6. If someone has a tendency toward poor decision-making, what could help them?

7. Are God’s will and the resources to do it ever in conflict? How does one distinguish issues of denial versus timing?

8. How does God’s will relate to priorities? Does God want us to be doing a specific thing at any moment, or is there a variety of acceptable options?

9. By what value system does God determine whether or not something pleases Him? Has He revealed it?

10. What decisions do you face that you’d like to know God’s will/desire on? What does God want you to do? What would please Him?