Gods Way of Guidance This series of messages is based on Bruce Waltke, Finding the Will of God a...

God’s Way of Guidance

This series of messages is based on

Bruce Waltke,

Finding the Will of God

a pagan notion?


Followers of Jesus,

called disciples,

want to follow

the will and way of God.


We have noted that people of many religions seek the will of the gods,sometimes in very strange ways.

The gods purposely hide their will from the people.

The people have to perform certain rituals to convince, or trick the gods.


We have noted that the God of the Bible is different.

He is a revealing God.

God desires his people to walk in his ways.

He communicates his ways to his people.

God’s Way of Guidance – Step One . . .

How do we know what God’s will is for our lives?

God gives a 6 step way of guidance.

Each step builds on the one before.

You must not take them out of sequence.

God’s Six Step Way of Guidance

1. Read Your Bible

2. .

3. .

4. .

5. .

6. .

God’s Way of Guidance Step One . . . Read Your Bible

God’s will for your life isthat you become a mature

woman or man of God.

That takes time!That is a growth process.

That takes reading your Bible so you become more and more like Jesus.


Waltke:“Divining is a shortcut to the future,

and God offers Christians no shortcuts. Divination sounds pious,

but it may actually be ungodly because it shortcuts the Spirit’s work

in developing character.It assumes that you can know God’s

mind without having his heart and His Spirit.” Finding p. 78


Waltke:

“But discerning the mind of God cannot be done apart from character

development. You cannot divine God’s heart, but you have available to you a way to develop a heart like his.”

Finding p. 78


To make this clear:

We don’t read the Bible for quick easy answers to life’s tough choices.

We read the Bible to get to know God, and getting to know God enables us to

know his will for our lives.


Scripture Reading

Romans 12:1-2


The first step

of

God’s plan of guidance

is

1. Read Your Bible


The Second Step

of


is

1. Read Your Bible

2. Follow Your Heart


1. Read Your Bible


Do you mean I can do what I want?

John Calvin put it this way:

“Love God and do what you please.”

That can’t be right!?!


1. Read Your Bible


God is not a genie

granting your every wish.

But when you read your Bible,

God shapes your heart, removes sin,

and changes your desires.


1. Read Your Bible


Waltke:

“When God is control of your life, He is also in control of your desires.

The things that you long for in your heart are put there by the Holy Spirit”

p.100


1. Read Your Bible


Psalm 37:4

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of

your heart.”


1. Read Your Bible


Some questions to ask:

1. Are my desires in line with scriptures?

“Within the framework of loving God and your fellow man, you are free to follow

the desires of your heart.” p. 104


1. Read Your Bible


2. Are you desires in line with presenting your body as a living

sacrifice?


1. Read Your Bible


Romans 12:1-2:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual

act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good,

pleasing and perfect will.”


1. Read Your Bible


“Offer your bodies”

=

Your whole self

Not just part of you


1. Read Your Bible


Then you will not live as the world,

but you will be transformed [metamorphosed] from the inside out.

As you put your life in God’s hands, he keeps changing your desires.


1. Read Your Bible


3. Are your desires in line with faith?

Romans 14:23:

“But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not

come from faith is sin.”


1. Read Your Bible


4. Are your desires in line with prayer?

“When we pray, we ask God to create in us His character…. Then we will know how He thinks and what is

important to Him – then we will know His will.” Finding, p. 113


The Third Step

of


is

1. Read Your Bible


3. Seek Wise Counsel


We are not Christians alone.Hebrews 10:25

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more

as you see the Day approaching.”

1. Read Your Bible




Prov. 12:15 “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Prov. 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

1. Read Your Bible




Seek advice from mature, Godly people that you trust.

Share with them your desires and ask for their counsel.

1. Read Your Bible




Waltke:“A call is an inner desire given by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God and confirmed by the community of

Christ.” Finding, p 128

1. Read Your Bible




The Forth Step of


is

1. Read Your Bible



4. God’s Providence


First, we read the bible for God’s way.

Second, we follow our godly desires.

Third, we seek wise counsel.

But sometimes the opportunity is not there.

1. Read Your Bible





This happened to PaulRomans 1:13:

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so

until now). . .”

1. Read Your Bible





God works on our behalf because he cares for us.

I Peter 5:7:“Cast all your anxiety on him because he

cares for you.”

1. Read Your Bible





Keeping our eyes open for what Erwin McManus calls

“your divine moments.”

1. Read Your Bible





Eph 1:4 – 6“For he chose us in him before the creation of the

world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his

sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his

glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

1. Read Your Bible





Eph 1:9-10“And he made known to us the mystery of his will

according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together

under one head, even Christ.”

1. Read Your Bible





“God says in essence, ‘I have a plan. Sometimes you won’t understand it. I

have designed life that you cannot explain it or control it. But I have

given you sufficient reason to trust me anyway.’” Finding, p. 147

1. Read Your Bible





Never put circumstances above God’s Word

David and Saul in I Samuel 24

1. Read Your Bible





I Samuel 24:4-6 “The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for

you to deal with as you wish.' " Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, "The

LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he

is the anointed of the LORD."

1. Read Your Bible





The Fifth Step of

God’s plan of guidance is

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


God calls us to use our heads

and the sound judgment

he gave us.

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


The difference with the world:

The world uses logic first.

Christians use logic within the larger context of …

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


1. Make your decision in light of the Scripture.

We use our reason not against the bible, but within its parameters.

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


2. Make your decision in light of Giftedness3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than

you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of

faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


3. Make your decision in light of Circumstances

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?


The Sixth Step of

God’s plan of guidance is

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?

6. God Steps In


God steps in

1. To reveal a great truth

2. To save us from an intolerable situation

3. To override his program of guidance

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?

6. God Steps in


Nowhere in the New Testament does God call us to “seek his will.”

He calls us to seek his kingdom and do his will. Finding. p. 177

1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?

6. God Steps in


1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?

6. God Steps in

The order of

God’s way of Guidance is important


1. Read Your Bible




5. Make Sense?

6. God Steps in

Story from

Adventures in Odyssey

Connie and Mitch seeking God’s Will

Gods Way of Guidance This series of messages is based on Bruce Waltke, Finding the Will of God a...

Documents

Transcript of Gods Way of Guidance This series of messages is based on Bruce Waltke, Finding the Will of God a...