Introduction:According to the Bible, God has a will for every believer today. It is God’s intention for all of us to know His will for our lives so that we can be in God’s will. If Jesus Christ was to come back right now for His church, would we be found doing what should be doing? This morning we want to see what God’s will is for the believer, so that we don’t have an excuse.
God’s will for man is:
1. To Give ourselves to the Lord– II Corinthians 8:5 (Paul is using the churches of Macedonia as a example to the Corinthians. He is telling them that there is no excuse in not following through in the gift they had already promised to give.) The point is, it’s a good thing to give our money to the cause of Christ however, God’s will for us is to give ourselves to Him FIRST, then give what we have.
When they first gave of themselves to the Lord:
- They gave in their poverty- Vs 2 “their deep poverty abounded”. Freely and readily.
- They gave liberally- Vs 2 “riches of their liberality”. With open and free heart.
- They gave beyond their ability- Vs 3 “beyond their power”. No appeal, no pressure.
- They gave insistently- Vs 4 “praying with much entreaty”. they wanted to share in the “fellowship of ministering to the saints”. A person can only give this way and in this manner when he FIRST gives of himself to the Lord. When a person really knows the Lord, and they are committed to live for the Lord, when they see a need arise, it’s not a bid deal, they just give of themselves and of what they have.
- Romans 12:1 “reasonable service”. This is what’s expected of us.
- “When God has you, he has your wallet / Your money is immaterial to God if he doesn’t have your heart”.
2. To be Transformed– Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. As Christians, we have an obligation not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed. The mind can only be cleansed and renewed by the obedience of the Word of God.
- To be transformed, You can’t have a Carnal Mind- Romans 8:5-9 (7) “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God”.
- To be transformed, You can’t walk as other Gentiles- Ephesians 4:17 In the vanity of their mind- filled with worldly pleasure, possessions, power, religions, etc.
- To be transformed, You must think on Good Things- Philippians 4:8 These things are to always fill our mind so that other thought don’t fill it.
3. To Serve as unto Christ– Ephesians 6:5-8 “but as the servants of Christ”
With fear and trembling- with the fear of God in their heart. We don’t want to do something that is irresponsible or mediocre, and bring reproach to the name of Christ.
In singleness of heart- with purpose and focused attention, in sincerity and without any pretense or hypocrisy or slack. No pretending to be a good workman.
Not with eye service as men pleasers- Not only when the boss is looking.
From the heart- with interest and energy, not as a routine. Even when the boss is not looking ,God is always looking. Galatians 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for of I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ”.
4. Submit To Every Ordinance- I Peter 2:13-15 “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”.
- Our submission to every ordinance of man will put others to silence. The believer that continues to live for Christ by doing good will eventually silence the critics.
- Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God”.
- Titus 3:1 “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and power, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work”.
- Foolish men are ignorant to the fact that the powers that be are ordained of God, and that’s why they speak ill of those that are in positions of authority. Thats not the case for us, we know better.
- It is always better to do well, and it is the will of God.
5. To Suffer for Well Doing– I Peter 3:17 We can either suffer for evil doing, or for well doing. According to this verse, God’s will is that we suffer for well doing.
- If we live lives that are holy, righteous, pure, upright, and above reproach, it won’t be difficult to suffer, the world will despise that.
- Proverbs 29:27 “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
- Doing these things usually gets a believer mocking, ridicule, isolation, abuse, imprisonment, persecution.
- I John 3:13 “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you”.
6. No longer live in the Flesh– I Peter 4:1-2 “no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lust of men”. In order to no longer live in the flesh, we are going to have to “arm ourselves with the same mind” as Christ and do these:
Lay Aside- I Peter 2:1 “malice, guile, hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking”. Lay it aside and don’t pick it up back up. Hebrews 12:1 “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which don’t so easily beset us”.
Put Off- Ephesians 4:22-25 “the former conversation”. The way you used to be is in the past. (effeminate illustration).
Put Off- Colossians 3:7-8 “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth”.
Don’t Partake- Ephesians 5:7-8 “be not ye therefore partakers with them”.
Mortify- Colossians 3:5-8
Conclusion: These are the things that are explicitly clear in the Bible regarding what God’s will for the believer. When we do these, then and only then, can God show us His plan for our life.
Anchor Baptist Church 