How Do I Know God's Will in my Life?

This evening, as we dive into our question, I want us to have a little think over our lives.

And I'm sure that each of us will remember a time where we've asked that question,

God, what is your will for my life?

You know, those excruciating times where you have no idea what to do.

You're looking for direction, you have no idea and you feel lost at sea.

You've got questions, you've got decisions, all these factors running through your mind at 100 miles an hour.

Should I make that radical career change?

Should I quit my job and go to Bible college?

Which university should I apply to?

Which course should I go on?

Is that person really the one that God wants me to marry?

And with all of these questions racing through our minds,

you're running through all the potential outcomes and you feel as if you're going crazy.

You're pulling at your hair and in absolute desperation, you crash to the floor

and you cry out at the top of your lungs,

God, what is your will for my life?

And yet there's no answer.

And so you keep on asking.

And you wait for some kind of peaceful feeling that never really comes.

You search scripture day and night and with every single prayer,

you're asking God, what is your will for my life?

Help me decide, lead me in the right direction.

Now I know that I'm not the only one who's been there before.

This is a question that many people want to know the answer to.

What is the will of God for my life?

And this is a massive question.

And so in the 25 to 30 minutes we have together,

we will only be able to skim the surface of it.

So please do ask questions later on.

We'll have a Q&A session together.

But also please speak to the people next to you and pray together.

So to answer that question, what is God's or how do I know God's will for my life?

We need to ask two questions.

What is the will of God?

And then how do I live it out?

So the first question we need to ask is what is the will of God?

And the Bible speaks of two wills of God.

We have his sovereign will and his moral will.

So God's sovereign will.

And we see this in many different passages in the Bible.

But tonight we're going to focus on two verses from Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

They're on the screen behind me.

But if you have a Bible, please do turn to them.

And God's sovereign will basically means that God is in control.

So look at Ephesians 1 verses 11 and 12.

Ephesians 1:11

It says,

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

In order that we who were the first to put our hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory.

God's sovereign will can be defined as God's eternal decree set out before the foundation of the world.

And that is what Paul is explaining to the Christians in Ephesus.

That they were chosen before the creation of the world.

Called to be holy.

Set apart before they were even born.

God's sovereign will means that he knows who his people are.

That he has called them to repentance and to belief in the gospel.

And they have responded in accordance with the will of God.

So God's sovereign will stretches right from Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

And goes all the way through to Revelation 22.

Which is the future that awaits us that has not yet come to pass.

God is sovereign.

His plan will happen.

People will repent and put their trust in Jesus.

There will be a day where God will judge the world.

And those who follow him.

He will take to an eternal glory in his presence in the new creation.

And those who reject him.

He will send to an eternal punishment.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Those are a few of the elements of this grand sovereign plan of God that we know.

But maybe you're like many others in the world.

And you're outraged.

At this thought that God can be in control of all things.

And you're thinking, well, if God is in control, why did he let that happen?

Why did he let this happen to me and my family?

And those are good, good questions that we will be thinking about in this series.

We think that no sovereign God would allow suffering.

But just imagine for a moment what the disciples felt as their promised Messiah and friend Jesus Christ nailed to a cross in the most brutal form of murder and execution that exists.

You can imagine them asking the same question, can't you?

God, why is this happening?

How can this really be part of your good plan?

God, why is this?

God, why is this?

Now they didn't know it at the time.

But because of our point in history, we can know that the cross, which was the greatest event of suffering that this earth has ever seen,

brought about the greatest event of forgiveness that this earth has ever seen.

That sinners like you and me can be called, can be forgiven,

can be set free from the punishment of sin that we rightfully deserve.

God's sovereign will isn't always apparent,

but scripture tells us that the God behind that sovereign will is good

and he is in control.

Now I personally find this to be one of the most comforting truths

because regardless of what is happening in my life

or how difficult it is,

God is using it to serve his sovereign will.

And the alternative to this, friends, is that God is not in control

and that both good and bad things happen to us by coincidence.

That everything is just random and that there is no justice in the end

because who is God?

That is not what God has promised.

God is in control.

He knows all things.

He sees all things.

And there will be a day when every wrong will be made right in his presence.

God's sovereign will means that we can have absolute assurance

that he is working out our good, as Romans 8, 28 tells us,

and that nothing, absolutely nothing in this world can thwart his plan.

And it means that our suffering is not meaningless.

We just don't see the whole picture as he does.

One of the reasons that many people don't like this teaching

is because it leaves us in the passenger seat

and it leaves God behind the wheel.

And whilst we know the destination of an eternity with him,

we don't know all the stops on the way.

We don't know the details of his plan.

And if we're honest, I think that scares us

because we like to be in control.

We like to know what is happening.

We don't know God's sovereign will until we look back over our lives

and we might still look back and not understand any of it.

But the freedom is that we don't need to understand.

Because our creator, our sustainer, our heavenly father,

he knows the plan.

And his wisdom is far greater than mine.

His power and his plan are far greater

than we can even begin to comprehend.

Scripture calls us to trust God

because only he is all-knowing and sovereign.

And if we don't or can't believe this,

then I think we need to question ourselves

whether we have a problem in our own hearts

because we're not willing to acknowledge God as Lord of our lives

and acknowledge that he has control of all things

because he is all-powerful.

God's sovereignty doesn't mean that we are mindless robots,

but it means that we are beloved children

who've been called and adopted into his family.

Part of God's sovereign will

is that we have been made disciples of Jesus Christ,

that we have been forgiven,

but it also means that we have to play our part

in what we read in Matthew 28,

the Great Commission,

that we are to be disciples that make disciples.

We are to extend that same call to the world

to repent and believe the gospel.

That is the call to every single human being that is alive.

And we are to be ambassadors of Christ wherever we go.

That is God's sovereign will.

But the Bible also speaks about God's moral will.

God's moral will can be defined

as the way God wants or wills his people to live.

God's moral will is revealed to us in Scripture.

And part of that is Matthew 28,

that we as Christians have been called

from darkness, death, to light and life.

And we have responded to the gospel

and now we are to take that message to the world.

But we still want to know God's specific will

for our individual lives, don't we?

That's the desire of every heart.

But do we really?

Or do we actually just pick and choose

where we think God can have a say?

We say we want to know God's will.

Yet all too often we act like hypocrites

because we only want to know God's will

and involve him in situations that

we find ourselves at a loss in.

We don't know what to do.

Then we cry out for God's will.

How many of us ask God

if we should accept a promotion at work?

Or which school to send our kids to?

Or when and where to go on holiday?

Or which model of a car we should buy?

More often than not, we exclude God

and we are very selective in where we want

a specific will for our lives and where we don't.

When it comes to grasping the will of God,

we can often have some misconceptions

that go beyond what Scripture teaches us.

For example, there's the idea

that God has a specific marriage partner

out there for you

and you must be careful not to marry the wrong person.

But the Bible doesn't teach us that.

Maybe God won't tell you to go and marry

Harry or Sally or Joe

or any of these other names that come to mind.

But do you know what God does tell you to do?

He makes it crystal clear

that as a Christian,

you are to marry someone of the opposite sex.

That you are to marry someone who is godly.

But God also says that singleness is good.

And that is God's moral will

for marriage and singleness.

God probably won't tell you

the address of the new house you should buy

or necessarily the neighborhood

that you should move to.

But what he does tell us in his word

is that we are called to be a community

that worships God.

And so if you're thinking of moving house,

you need to think about

how far away am I from a Bible-believing church?

That is God's revealed moral will.

Or we need to make a conscious effort

to make the trip in on a Sunday

to gather with our church family.

God probably won't tell you

which job to apply for.

But he does tell you

to be the best employee

you can be for his glory.

And to honor your boss.

Now maybe you're sitting there thinking

what on earth has gotten into Alistair?

Why is he telling us all of this

as if it is good news?

Well friends, because it is.

It means that we're not constantly

having to worry or question ourselves

if we're in the will of God.

And it means that we follow

or it means that we have God's moral will

revealed to us in Scripture.

We need to be obedient to it.

So how do we know God's moral will?

Well we turn to Scripture.

As Psalm 19 says in verses 7 to 9.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure

and enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm

and all of them are righteous.

So if you want to know God's will,

turn to his word.

Because it is right there

in black and white for us.

We're not left guessing.

But God's commandments

give light to our eyes,

meaning that we know where we're going.

God's sovereign will

might be a mystery to us

and we only see it as we look back.

But God's moral will

is revealed in the pages of Scripture.

It is clear and we cannot ignore it.

Even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.

Christians aren't called to comfort.

We're called to be uncomfortable

for our great God.

God's moral will tells us

how we are to live,

why we are to live that way,

but it doesn't always give us

the answer of what.

And by that I mean

that God's moral will

doesn't tell us to choose

a specific job,

but it tells us to be good employees.

It doesn't give us

the exact details of our lives,

but it tells us

how God wants his people to live.

Now I'm the kind of person

where I like to know the rules.

I like to know the boundaries,

the do's and don'ts of life

or a given task or whatever.

But God's moral will

cannot be reduced to things like

do not murder,

do not steal,

do not lie.

It is much more than that

because it is about

a whole heart attitude.

Because following rules is easy.

Having clear black and white boundaries

is simple and requires no effort.

But the moral will of God

is about our hearts.

It's described in 1 Thessalonians 4, 3

where it says this,

it is God's will,

God's moral will,

that you should be sanctified.

And Paul goes on

in the following verses

to give examples

of what that would look like

in a person's life.

Sanctification means

that a Christian

is being constantly changed

and transformed

by the power of the Holy Spirit

into the likeness

of Jesus Christ.

So God's moral will

means that we take our cues

from Scripture,

that we seek to live

in a way that glorifies God

and it boils down

to godly decision making.

The Bible enables us

to do that.

God has given us brains

and common sense

to make decisions.

But we always need

to make sure

that our motivations

are pure

and that the end goal

is always God's glory.

Now God has gifted

each and every one of us

here this evening

with skills,

with talents,

with passions,

and with abilities

that we can use

for His glory.

The Bible doesn't tell us

to try and find out

some kind of grand

master plan

of God's

for our individual lives.

But it tells us

to recognize the gifts

that He has given us

and to put them to use

for His kingdom.

To search His word

and make godly decisions.

Now I am more than happy

to focus on that

general plan of God

and live obediently

than to demand

a specific will

for my life.

because we are still

nowhere near

finishing the great commission

that Jesus gave us

in Matthew 28.

So why should we worry

about anything else?

The call on your life

is to go into the world

and to share the gospel.

To be ambassadors

for Christ.

And the way we live

out that calling

will be very different

for different people.

For some,

it will mean living it out

in the workplace.

For some,

it will mean living it out

at home

as you look after

the kids full time.

For some,

it will mean

in retirement

meeting up with people

for coffee.

And for some of us,

it will mean

full time ministry.

But the truth is

that Matthew 28

is God's will.

And the question is,

are you living it out?

some people want

to have a Damascus road,

a burning bush,

a Mount Sinai experience

where God miraculously

intervenes and calls people.

But those things happen

to very specific people

for very specific tasks

at a very specific time

in history for God's people.

The task that we've been

called to is to live

holy lives

that are built

on the foundation

of Scripture.

To live intentionally

as we put the Bible

into practice

and live lives

which glorify God.

Practically,

this means

asking yourself,

am I loving God

with all of my heart

with this decision?

Am I loving

or hurting others

with this decision?

Am I standing up

for God's truth

if I take this

or that action?

Friends,

if you want to know

God's will for your life,

turn to the wonderful

word of the Lord

because that is where

you find the radiant light

which gives light

to our eyes.

Once we understand that,

then every single decision

we make in our life

will be weighed

by asking the following

two questions.

does this decision

glorify God?

And is it me

being faithful

to God's

revealed moral

will in Scripture?

So that is what

the Bible says

about the will

of God.

But the question

remains,

how do we live it out?

We see God's

sovereign will,

we see God's

moral will,

but what does it

mean for us?

How do we live it out?

And this boils down

to godly decision making.

How do we make decisions

that consciously

glorify God

and live according

to his revealed will?

Well, the first thing

is that we pray.

Prayer is an expression

of dependence on God

and so we need to pray

for wisdom.

Pray for the Holy Spirit

to help us have strength

to make the decision

that is in line

with Scripture.

And that is for the good

of God's kingdom.

Numerous times

in the Bible

we're told to bring

our prayers

before the Lord.

And God

in his wisdom

has given us

countless examples

of what biblical

prayer looks like.

And yet,

doesn't it still seem

to be the last thing

that comes to mind

when we have a decision

to make?

We jump to our

own resources

before we turn

to the eternal God

who knows and gives

us all things.

But our first response

when it comes to

making a decision

should be to pray.

And maybe you're

thinking,

well,

if God is sovereign,

what difference

do my prayers make?

And that is a great

question and I'm not

dodging it,

but please come back

on the 17th of November

and we'll be thinking

about that question

and leave all your

hard questions

to them.

But in prayer,

we offer our lives

to God

and we acknowledge

him as King

and Lord.

God.

So we need to pray

for our decisions

and stop ourselves

from being sucked

into the rampant

individualism that

society pushes

and remember

that we are called

to gather with

the Lord's people,

that we are new

creations called

to glorify God

in every area

of our lives.

So the first thing

we do

when we think

of making a decision

is we pray.

Secondly,

we seek

godly counsel.

God has not

called us

and saved us

to live in isolation.

We are called

to gather

with other believers

and thankfully

God has given us

a spiritual family

in the church

that has a wealth

of real life experience

and a place

that is full

of spiritually

mature believers

that we can go

and learn from.

So younger people,

seek the wisdom

and experience

of older,

more mature believers.

But if you're older,

learn from the experience

of the younger generation

as well.

We can all learn

something from each other.

We are not called

to struggle alone.

God has given us

community for a reason.

Let's use it.

Let's be disciples

that help fellow disciples

live according

to God's moral will.

So here's a challenge

for you.

Why don't you speak

to someone

of a different generation

and commit to

every few months

meeting up

for a coffee together,

praying and reading

the Bible together?

I've hugely benefited

from these times

in my life

with people

who are younger,

older,

and the same age

as myself.

seeking God's will

doesn't mean

that the other person,

seeking godly counsel

doesn't mean

that the other person

will have the answer

that you're looking for.

But it means

that you have

a fellow Christian

who comes alongside you,

supports you,

and upholds you

in prayer

as you both

seek to live

faithfully

for our great God.

Thirdly,

how do I live out

God's will?

Well,

we obey Scripture.

Living according

to the will of God

is by obeying Scripture,

and that should go

without saying,

but sadly,

because of our sinful

and selfish desires,

it isn't a given.

As Christians,

we should be known

as people

who love the Lord,

who love His Word,

and who build our lives

upon the truths

of Scripture,

and people

who obey it,

even though

that will mean

we deny ourselves

certain things.

In this book,

we have God's

revealed will.

We're not left guessing.

We're not left

in the dark,

stumbling about blind,

but we have been given

God's moral will

that we need to follow.

And if the Bible

speaks about

our situation,

then we need

to submit to it.

We need to obey it,

even if it's difficult.

And the wonderful news

is that we have not

been left to do

this task by ourselves,

but as Romans 5

tells us,

please go away

and read

that wonderful chapter.

In it,

we see that God

has given us

the Holy Spirit

who is within us

and who gives us

strength to live

according to the Bible.

the Holy Spirit

is at work

in the lives

of Christians

and he helps us

become more and more

like Jesus

every single day.

The process

that 1 Thessalonians 4

calls

sanctification.

And lastly,

how do I live out

God's will?

Well,

we need to act.

we can and should

do everything

that we can do

to live according

to God's revealed will,

but there will come

a time where we have

prayed,

where we have sought

godly counsel,

where we have scoured

through Scripture

and we're living

obediently.

And sometimes

we just need to make

a decision

and do it.

And the motivation

for our action

should always be

to see God glorified,

to see His church

built up

and to see the gospel

spread across the world

as we are disciples

who go into the world

and make disciples.

And all of that

should be done

for God's glory,

not for our own.

So God's moral will

has been revealed

to us in Scripture

and we should seek

to live according to it.

God's sovereign will

has not been revealed

to us in all of its detail,

but it is unfolding

as we speak.

And praise the Lord

that we don't need

to know His sovereign will,

but our task

is to live obedient lives

and to glorify Him

in everything.

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

we thank You

that You have not

left us alone

in this world

guessing.

that we don't have

to worry about

what Your will

for our lives is,

but that we can

turn to Your Word

and see that You

have revealed it to us.

You've called us

to be holy

because You are holy.

You've called us

to be perfect

because You are perfect.

And Holy Spirit,

we pray that You

would help us

do that.

Help us make

godly decisions

which bring

God all of the glory

which are for

our own spiritual benefit

and for the spiritual benefit

of the church

that You have gathered us in.

Father,

we thank You

that You have not

left us alone.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

that You have happened and

need to feel love and

exciting.

Thank you.

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