God’s sovereignty over the affairs of earth is a reassuring reality. Yet it is so easy to feel baffled by the perplexities of daily living when we assume the responsibility for every decision and concern. Our heavenly Father never meant for us to bear these burdens on our own.

In this message, Dr. Stanley guides us through verses establishing God’s authority. The same influence over global matters also reaches down into our everyday lives, expressing itself through God’s predestined, moral, and desired will. Even when we struggle to work out His ways, we can learn to rest in the fact that He is God. Understanding His power and plan leads us to greater obedience and the trust due our faithful Father.

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it’s most

reassuring to realize that god

has a specific plan for your life for

each one of us

it’s not the same plan but it’s all

for each of us all designed

for what he had for us in mind no

exception

we may not understand how god can work

in the way he works

all over the world but he does because

he’s god

he’s not left anybody out we might try

to understand some things that happen we

can’t understand

but he has a plan for our life and he

intends to fulfill that

if we are willing to trust him and obey

him and those two things are absolutely

essential

whatever god has in mind whatever he had

in mind

when he allowed you to be born to come

into this world

trusting and obeying him were two key

issues so ask yourself the question

people who know you they know you as

someone who trusts

god who obeys god

someone who attempts to walk in his will

or do they just know you as a person who

sort of just

does whatever comes naturally and you

want to be happy and you want to be

successful and

you want to fit into the ways of the

world

god did not allow you to be born just to

do any old thing you wanted to do that

wasn’t his plan

and many people will live their whole

life and never ask the question

what is god’s plan for my life what’s

his will for my life

once you begin to ask that question that

takes you deeper and deeper

into the whole perspective of god’s

purpose in your

life and when i think about that i think

about

one verse found in the 103rd psalm

because the question comes is that well

how can god do this that and the other

and so forth

103rd psalm and the 19th verse you ought

to mark this verse in your bible if it’s

not marked

he says the lord has established his

throne in the heavens

and his sovereignty rules

over all look at that his sovereignty

rules overall and when you think about

that that means

he has the full right and power

to do whatever he chooses to do without

any interference in the outside

sources but notice he says

all he’s in control of all things now

most people don’t believe that

they believe that god is in control of

some things and that we have a self-will

that we can do whatever we want to do

you may be able to do

whatever you choose to do up to a limit

but god is sovereign that means he is in

absolute control

of every single thing so ask yourself

the question

when is the last time i asked god what’s

your will about this

what’s your plan about this most of the

time we make decisions

sometimes they’re right sometimes

they’re wrong sometimes they’re

profitable sometimes they’re

unprofitable

and then we wonder why things turn out

the way they do

so when i think about it and i think

about

this awesome promise listen to this

promise

the lord has established his throne in

the heavens and his sovereignty

rules over everything that is no matter

what’s going on

god is in charge and he’s in control it

may look like he’s not in control but he

is

we listen to all the news and ups and

downs and ins and outs and i’m for this

and i’m for that

and i’m opposed to this that and the

other where’s god in all this right

where he’s always been

he is in control he will let us do

things at times that are foolish

the disastrous destructive but

oftentimes he stops us

and sometimes we have a hard time

believing that god is involved in

anything

the way people are acting so when i

think about these verses

and his sovereignty i think about what

jeremiah said to god

he said in that 32nd chapter

our lord god behold you have made the

heavens

and the earth by your great power and by

your outstretched arm

nothing is too difficult for you now

if you and i believe that everything was

within the reach of god in the power of

god and nothing in

too difficult for him we would operate a

little differently

we wouldn’t doubt some things we would

be willing to claim more of his promises

but god is in charge he is in control

his sovereignty rules over all

so no matter what’s going on in the

world god is still in charge

the problem is so many people don’t

believe that and i i look at watch

television once in a while and i think

how pitiful

and on and on and on it goes did you

finally have to get up and cut it off

and ask the question lord has anybody

heard about god

has anybody heard about jehovah yahweh

elohim

in the old testament the god of all gods

the only one true god the god who has

all power to do all things

anybody believing in him trusting him or

waiting upon him for direction

if you listen and watch and do not read

the word of god

you can get very very discouraged so

the title of this message is looking

deeper into the will of god

and i want to talk about first of all

the three major

distinctions in god’s will the three

categories

and the first is god’s predestined will

those things he will do

irresistible unchangeable unconditional

that is things that god can do by his

power and his love

and things that nobody can stop he is

in control he is the sovereign of the

universe his

will which means predestined he’s

already determined some things

this world may look like it’s swirling

around out of control

but god is in control of whatever is

going on

and once in all i’ll hear somebody say

well i’ll tell you i know i know what’s

going on in my life

i don’t need somebody to tell me what’s

going on well

it may be that you do need to realize

that somebody is

greater than you are and that is that

god

knows all about your life and he’s the

one person

you desperately need to listen to he’s

the only one who has sovereign control

over all things then of course that’s

god’s moral will

his moral will would be explained best

in the ten commandments

god has a moral will he says there

aren’t some things

you shall not do you shall not steal

lie commit adultery and on and on into

ten commandments

and all through the scriptures there are

some things that god has forbidden

does that mean they can’t happen no it

means that it’s not the will of god for

them to happen

it’s not best for them to happen it’s

costly for them to happen

it’s disastrous for them to happen

because

he is the god who gives us freedom and

liberty up to

some degree this moral will

is where we get in trouble we decide we

want to do things

our way when we want to do it we can

explain it away

and yet when we violate the 10

commandments we violate the teachings of

jesus

there is a price to be paid and there is

no substitute for obedience

and there is no one greater than god and

when i listen to some of the things that

that people are saying about we’re going

to do this and we’re going to do that

there is a god who ultimately determines

what you will do what you will not do

he allows disobedience in rebellion but

only at a price

sin does not come cheaply rebellion

toward god is not

cheap now listen to people talk about

what they’re going to do and this and

all the things that are happening and

they want freedom

to do this and that and the other with

no listen with no sense of

responsibility

to the sovereign god of the universe

we are all responsible to him whether we

like it or not

and then of course there’s god’s desired

will

those things that he desires for us so

we said

his predestined will things that are

going to happen because he’s going to

make them happen

his moral will how we live in our lives

and then god’s desired will for us

his desired will for us well let’s begin

with salvation

god desires that we are saved he desires

that we be baptized

he desires and we walk after his will he

desires that we learn to pray

and learn to follow his lit teachings of

scripture

it’s his will that we learn to obey him

early in life

it’s his will that we learn to listen to

him follow him

and acknowledge that he is the ultimate

god in life

so in order for me to be obedient i need

to know what his will is how am i going

to know what his will is

when am i going to find out you listen

to the true word of god

and you read the word of god and you

believe the word of god if you want the

truth of

god if you want to know how to live out

your life

in order to be obedient you’ve got to

know the word of god so

don’t raise your hand naturally when i

say that

i’m trying to cover for you

how many times this past week did you

pick up the bible

and read a verse you have seven days in

a week

24 hours a day you have many things

on your schedule that you have to do

many things that you don’t have to do

that you want to do

you don’t work all the time you have

free time

how much of that free time did you spend

asking god lord what about this

should should we buy that house should

we buy that automobile

should i allow my son to go to college

here

should i allow my daughter to go out

with this guy should i allow

my son to be a part of that club in

other words when is the last time you

ask the one who knows the answer to

everything

about his will what does he want would

you not agree that god will always want

what’s best for you how many of you

believe i say amen

he’ll always want what’s best for you

you really believe that then

why don’t you ask him

why do you make so many decisions

without asking him

watch this he has a will a purpose a

plan he knows what’s best for us in

every single circumstance of life

and he invites us to ask him asking it

shall be given to you

seeking this you’ll find knocking it

shall be open to you god is willing to

show us his will this is the confidence

that we have in him

that if we ask anything according to his

will he’s going to hear us

and if we know that he hears us we know

that we have the petition that we

desired of him

then why not get in the word of god and

find that lord

what would you have me to do in this

particular situation

what what does obedience require me

is does this fit the will of god or does

it not

and the reason people are in such deep

debt

is because they spend with asking the

will of god

listen this is a major issue in this

country

indebtedness is a major major issue

and you said what’s that got to do with

the bible we’ll just start reading

you’ll find out

god has a lot to say about money and not

not being in debt and so when you think

about

one sin leading to another god has a

will for us

his will is always best for you

it’s always best for you his his yes

his best his know is best because he

wants what’s best for us

and so when we think about the will of

god the will of god is god’s best plan

for us now you say well my life is

sort of mixed up and i don’t know where

to turn next so let me give you one

other division of the will of god and

that’s his

um his personal will for your life

and we can divide that into three

categories and first of all

that’s his intentional will that is what

did god have in mind for you

i don’t know who your parents were how

they raised you but what did god have in

mind for you

think about that for a moment his

intentional will what did he have in

mind before you ever born

what does he even have in mind about

your education

what do you have in mind for example

about

the spiritual gifts when you trusted

jesus christ as your savior

you were listen you were gifted

with the ability talents and skills to

do whatever god wants you to do

and when you think back early in your

life you were thinking about when i grow

up i’m going to be this and i’m going to

be that

and so forth did you ever ask god what

he wanted you to do

you say well how do you know what god

wants you to do

and if you’re sitting here and you don’t

know the will of god for your life

maybe you never ask him maybe think

about this did you ever get on your

knees and say god

i don’t want to waste my life i want my

life to count

and if i want my life to count and if

you’re going to help me answer my prayer

i got to pray the right thing so

what is it you want me to do

very very few young people today will

talk to you about the will of god for

their life because they never gave it

any thought

that god has this god who is sovereign

over the universe

has a plan for your life

did you as a parent ever sit down with

your son or your daughter and say well

let’s talk about one of the most

important things in your life

well what is that they may be thinking

that they’re educated no

what’s the most important thing in your

life the will of god

and i’ll tell you this is the truth not

maybe the truth

every night i was at home with my family

from the time my children were born

i prayed over their bedside with them

they had

they had no idea what i was talking

about that god would show them

his will for their life very early

watch this we wait too late to do the

most important thing

the most important thing they’ll ever

learn what’s the will of god

now you provide your children all the

toys they want

they’ve got iphones they’ve got

computers

they’ve got money they’ve got time

they’ve got some they’re going to have

some kind of an education which probably

isn’t the best in the world

you made sure watch this carefully and

you ought to get under conviction

you made sure they had the latest phone

you made sure that they could have those

games you made sure

that whatever satisfied them and kept

them happy

you made sure they had that and you

spent your hard-earned money to give it

to them

did you ask god if that was best for

them

we have to remember we’re responsible

for what our children desire

we’re responsible for what they get

we’re responsible for how they grow up

and if they grow up having everything

they want anytime they want it

you have absolutely destroyed

one of the most important things in

their life and that is the desire

to feel the need of god in their life if

you play god in your children’s life

you’re going to ruin them and so

grandparents are just as guilty

well you know my my dad and my mom they

don’t do that but gramps what about you

oh yeah yeah

no you violate a principle

so the will of god the will of god

relates to every single area of our life

and so when you think about it for

yourself

and your vocal location for example if

you go look for a job then you just

look for a job and you just say lord

what do you want me to do

now think about this for just a moment

the right person to ask first of all is

god

where do you want me to work what do you

want me to make

how do you how do you want me to invest

my life think about this

as as the days go by your time and my

time is ticking away

you don’t think it is when you get my

age you realize it’s taken away

you don’t stop you don’t quit you don’t

worry you don’t fret you trust god

you want to make every day count but do

you realize that god has a plan

that he has an answer for all these

questions that you have

and so oftentimes questions that we

should bring before almighty god we just

make the decision

watch this carefully because we make

decisions based on human

knowledge limited human knowledge and on

emotions

that oftentimes are way out in the left

field

and oftentimes to please somebody else

the only person i am obligated to please

according to the word of god is almighty

god

i’m obligated to please him want to

please him

smart thing to do the wise thing to do

is to please god

because watch this if you know him you

know this

he only wants what’s best for you

amen but you see many parents can’t say

that

they want what looks the best to their

friends and neighbors

that their children are driving this or

wearing that

we run them

the will of god is one of the most

important things in your life

but you say what should i ask god about

everything

in other words what is it that’s so

unimportant i don’t have to talk to god

about

so what is he saying he has a willful

life

and this will we have an intent his

intentional will for our life

his circumstantial will for our life

which is what

his circumstantial will is this so i

messed up here

but i get my life straightened out with

god and surrendering my life to him and

we

we get a new start because why is there

a circumstantial will because

god knows us and he knows we’ll fail

we he he knows we’ll make wrong

decisions at times he knows we’re

human as we say and so that’s his

circumstantial will

does he cast this out no and we

live in our circumstantial will with

less

often times accomplishing less

being less satisfied and less happy less

peaceful less much less

because we don’t stop to ask him first

now when we stop to ask him he’s willing

to correct it

some things he’ll correct some things he

won’t correct because of the

circumstances

and so when i think about

how good god is but how reckless we are

with our life

he wants the best god is so good

listen he wants to stop us in our tracks

when he knows that we’re doing the wrong

thing but how am i going to know the

will of god unless i ask him

you say well now his circumstantial what

about that

well he’s willing to forgive us when we

make mistakes

he’s willing to start all over again

take the prodigal for example the

prodigal son deliberately willfully

ignored his father and left home

absolutely destroyed his life lost

everything

when he came back did his father say i

told you you shall have done that no

he forgave him why did god put that

passage in the word of god because he

knew every single one of us at some

point

of our life we were going to make a

similar mistake

and that god wanted us to know that he’s

forgiving

he wants the best for us so watch this

his circumstantial will is here i am

here’s the mess i’ve made this is how

far i’ve come now lord

what do you want to do with him at this

point

and listen there’s god’s immediate will

that is what does he want you to do

right now in your life

what’s his will today in your life you

can’t change yesterday

but you can certainly make a difference

for tomorrow because tomorrow

is a privilege it’s an opportunity and

god is with you

his immediate will what’s his immediate

will for what he wants you to do

today for example let’s turn to james

for a moment and let’s look at this

passage

and in the fourth chapter look at this

13th verse

come now you who say today or tomorrow

we will go

to such and such a city and spend the

year there and engage in business and

make a profit

doesn’t that sound like people today

here’s what i’m going to do

i’m going to make it big yet you do not

know what your life will be like

tomorrow you are just like a vaper

that appears for a little while and then

vanishes away

instead now you ought to say if the lord

wills

we will live and also do this or that

but as it is you boast in your arrogance

all such boasting is evil therefore

the one who knows the right thing to do

and does not do it

to himself it is a sin

so as you look at your life ask yourself

the question

what about how you spend your time what

about how you spend your money

how about who your friends your

relationships

the things that you buy your testimony

you say well god isn’t interested in

little things

like what god is personally

interested in what you think what you

say what you do how you look

how you operate and so

you’re not living in a vacuum you’re

living in a world

inhabited in your spirit by the living

god

who has equipped you and will equip you

to do his will

every day all day if you’re willing to

surrender your life to him and yield to

him

what your potential is at this point in

your life only god knows

but it’s probably a whole lot larger

than you think it is

you say i’ve made so many mistakes who

hasn’t made mistakes

different kinds of mistakes and this

mistake may be

tragic to somebody and this person’s

mistake may be lots more tragic than

this one

that’s not the issue the issue is god in

this direction but it’s you and me god

whatever in my life is missing what is

it lord wherever i’ve blown it

show me where it is whatever i need to

confess and repent of

what whatever i need to surrender to you

i’ve never surrendered god

i want your best in my life ask yourself

this when you turn around look back over

your life

from the time you were maybe a little

before you were a teenager or

thereabouts

look back over your life what would you

change

we’d probably all change something right

we’d don’t change something

look back over your life what would you

change

second question is this why did you come

this far

thinking that somehow you could make it

without god

and think about this whenever you did

trust your life to the lord jesus christ

since you’re saving you were baptized

john the church

did you surrender your life to the lord

then

when i think about this it overwhelms me

that holy god

who is the sovereign of the whole

universe loves me enough to show me his

will

and to show anyone who’s willing to ask

everybody doesn’t have the same

privilege

every person doesn’t grow up in a home

where somebody knows about the will of

god i understand that

but let’s just say let’s take it just

right where you are right now

if you ask god what do you want to

change in my life and if he said i want

you to change this this and this

would you be willing to do it or would

you say lord what do you want to change

in my life now these things are okay

this is all okay over here god well

that’s the thing he had his finger on

all right all right lords are you

willing to yield yourself to a sovereign

god

who only has your best interest your

heart

your future he has everything

for your good at heart have you asked

him lord

just help me to stop and look at my life

and see what you want to change you say

well it’s getting awfully late but as

long as you’re breathing it’s not too

late

it’s late you can’t go back and change

things

so let’s don’t dwell on the past let’s

throw them on the present

god in the time that i have left

how do you want me to spend

invest live out my life from this point

on

you say well i don’t think god’s an

interest in that yes he is interested in

it

there are people who do a lifetime of

good

in 10 years because it took him that

long to find out what was going on

people do amazing things in a short

period of time

once they surrender themselves to god

and acknowledge that he has the right to

tell him what to do

he has the authority to do it and he has

the power to provide everything they

need to do it

if you could change one thing about your

life today what would you change

are you willing to trust god

where you are with who you are

and your mistakes here and your

successes there

the things that are good in your life

that things are not are you willing to

say to him lord

you know all about me you know how i

really messed it up

i’m asking you to forgive me of my sins

and i know i don’t have

years and years and years to make it up

but lord

would you help me to spend the rest of

my life

the way your circumstantial will

circumstances being what they are

would you help me to live my life the

way you want me

the rest of my life the way you want me

to live it

would you tell him that

don’t be trapped by the devil who’s

watch this the devil says

too late too late

just ignore this sermon it’s too late

it’s not too late as long as you’re

breathing

to get right with god and your

opportunities may be gone

but there may be more opportunities than

you realize

there may be ways that god can use you

you never even thought about it and the

reason you didn’t think about it you

didn’t ask him about him

i’m saying to you don’t give up you ask

god to show you

lord circumstances being what they are

i’ve wasted its part

your circumstances are here but god

you’ll forgive me you promise to

so what’s the next step in my life my

life is that’s what it is what’s the

next step

god would you be willing to say to him

today

lord the next step in my life i’m going

to take it whatever you tell me to do

god i’m going to do it

would you be willing to tell him that

today yes

do you trust him enough just

to tell him that whatever he requires of

you next you’re gonna do it

do you trust him enough to do it

or do you sit here and listen to this

and think

yeah but you don’t know my circumstances

we nobody knows everybody’s

circumstances

i’m just asking are you willing to trust

god

all of us need to trust him whatever’s

going on in life

you have the privilege you have the

privilege to talk to a holy god who has

all power

and all love and all authority he’ll

take you where you

are and do something in your life you

probably never imagined

but are you even willing to give him

yourself just to see what he’ll do

what will god do in your life if you

fully surrender your life to him

i think you’ll be surprised pleasantly

surprised

you have the courage to say god

i believe you have a will for my life

i know you’re not pleased with how i’ve

been living it out but today

i’m asking you to forgive me i could

blame some post god but i’m not going to

blame anybody i’m asking you to forgive

me

and starting today when i walk out the

doors of this church

i’m walking out surrendered

to your perfect will whatever that is

i’m going to do whatever you say and i’m

going to believe

god that because you’re an awesome god

of love and kindness and goodness and

reconstruction you’ll take me and you’ll

do what’s best in my life

from this point on

wow what an awesome difference god can

make in your life

if you’re willing and father how

grateful we are

that you are a forgiving god cleansing

reconstruction all the good ways that

you work in our life

and i pray that every person who hears

this message will be deeply convicted

deeply inspired

for some it’ll be deeply painful

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but honest enough to surrender

themselves to you

and see what you’ll do for the rest of

their life

oh god that’s my prayer for the rest of

their life

what will god do for the rest of my life

and father you’re just full of surprises

we know that’s true

for the wonderful surprises

maybe we don’t think we’re worth it or

nobody cares but we know

that’s not your attitude you’re just

waiting for us to say yes lord

for you to start your reconstruction in

our life

that’ll change us forever and that is my

prayer today in jesus name

amen

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you