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
[Music]
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
[Music]
you