Church Requel
"I resolve..." How many years have we begun with a resolution, only to discover that our resolve has dissolved within a few weeks (days?) Many are so disillusioned by the whole resolution idea, they don't even try anymore. Today we're going to talk about a resolution that God wants for us and that He will help us to keep - to live out God's will. How do we do that? And what do we even mean when we say "God's will?" Be prepared for an out-of-this-world resolution for 2019!
I Resolve To Live Out God's Will
Here's one resolution you should make that you can keep if you are a Christian - "I resolve to live out God's will in my life!"
#1 - Why I resolve to live out God's Will - to bring _____________________ .
Did you know that this resolution is buried inside of the Lord's Prayer? That every time you pray the Lord's Prayer, you make this resolution?
JESUS: "This, then, is how you should pray... Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9a,10 NIV
When we think of Heaven we have so many images that come to mind. Streets of gold. Pearly gates. Mansions. Paradise. Glory of God as light. Brilliant stones. River of the water of life. Tree of life restored. Eternity.
Jesus, in his prayer, gives us the best description of all - Heaven is where God's will is done perfectly at all times. So by definition - this is Earth, where God's will is not always done. So when we CHOOSE to live out God's will, we bring a little touch of Heaven down here to Earth!
#2 - What do I mean when I talk about God's Will?
We use the term, "God's will," to describe different things. Let's get particular today and define 3 ways we talk about "God's will."
A) God's ___________________ will.
God's secret plan that determines everything that happens in the universe. We use the word, secret, because God has not revealed all of His plans to us. But He knows. And He wills. When it comes to God's SOVEREIGN will, we don't even have to resolve. There is no choice here on our part. God's sovereign will is always done all the time. That's what we mean by sovereign. To the extent we know His plans (example - Jesus returning a 2nd time), we know it will be accomplished because this is God's sovereign will. We can rest in it.
B) God's ________________ will.
God's revealed commands in the Bible that teach how men ought to believe and live. God's moral will is revealed to us. We don't have to wonder about what God wants. He reveals it to us in Scripture. For us to do God's MORAL will requires 2 things on our part -
(1) to know God's moral will (i.e., to know the Bible) and
(2) to choose to live out God's moral will for us. In our own power this would be impossible so God has provided us His Holy Spirit so that we might be able to know and live out God's moral will.
C) God's ___________________ will.
God's ideal, detailed life-plan uniquely designed for each person. This is what we most often mean when we talk about God's will for our lives. That God has a plan for each one of us. That he has specifically designed us for this purpose and that if we follow God's plan and will, we will live out the best possible life we could live - for us, for others, and most importantly - for God's glory!
God's individual will for us always falls within God's moral will for us. God will never ask us to do something that falls outside His revealed Scripture
So when we're wondering about a choice in our lives and one direction takes us outside of Scripture's direction, we need not wonder. That choice is NOT God's will for us - of any kind! However, with that in mind there are many individual choices that fall within God's moral will for us. We might think of that as the dot within the circle. Seeking out that "dot" can create angst.
We look for God to reveal to us "His will" for the individual choices we make. Many times He will, but often He won't. This is a part of maturity. The single most important element in knowing God's individual will for us is to know and live out God's moral will for us. We usually put the emphasis in the opposite way.
Why is God's moral will so important?
#3 The nature of God's moral will - the _________________ in behavioral terms of the ________________ of God .
"You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16; Leviticus 11:44-45 ESV
When we are trying to live out God's individual will for our lives, and we're not sure which way to go, we can ask ourselves, "Which choice will help me best express the character of God?" Part of growing up, maturing, as an adult is knowing how to make the best choices. The good parent will begin to pull back on the parenting advice as the child matures, to allow the child to make good choices on their own. God is the ultimate Parent. He wants - more than anything - for us to express our behavior in such a way that reflects His character. But He wants is to be our choice! Our decision. This is why there are times when He is silent and allows us to choose - especially when both "dots" are in the circle of His moral will.
New concept of making New Year's resolutions in 2019. Mini-resolutions!
#4 - Each month in 2019 I will work on a mini-resolution of God's moral will for me in my attitudes:
(1st Sunday of every month)
January: God's will is LOVE not LUST .
February: God's will is RELIANCE not INDEPENDENCE .
March: God's will is HUMILITY not PRIDE .
April: God's will is GRATITUDE not PRESUMPTION .
May: God's will is CLEAR CONSCIENCE not GUILT .
June: God's will is INTEGRITY not IRRESPONSIBILITY .
July: God's will is DILIGENCE not LAZINESS .
August: God's will is EAGERNESS not COMPULSION .
September: God's will is GENEROSITY not SELFISHNESS .
October: God's will is SUBMISSION not SELF-ADVANCEMENT .
November: God's will is COURAGE not COWARDICE .
December: God's will is CONTENTMENT not GREED .