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.

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 but what he had for us in

mind no exception

we might 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 in the body out we might try to

understand some things that happened 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 in

obeying and those two things are

absolutely essential whatever God has in

mind whatever he had in mind when he

allows 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 would they know you

as someone the trust God

it 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 other thing you want 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 down the one hundred and

third song because the question comes is

that well how can God do this that yell

and so forth

one hundred and third song and the

nineteenth verse you know to mark this

verse in your Bible

mark he says the Lord has established

his throne in the heavens and his

sovereignty rules over all thinking that

his sovereignty rules over all 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 know this

right where he’s always been he is in

control he will let us do things at

times that are foolish that this Astra’s

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’m thinking 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 and the power of

God nothing in too difficult for him we

would operate a little differently

we wouldn’t doubt some things we would

be wound they claim more of his promises

for God is in charge he is in control

his sovereignty rules over all so no

matter what’s going on in the world you

got is still in charge the problem is so

many people don’t believe that and I

look at watch television once in a while

not think how pitiful and on and on and

only goes so did you finally help 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 through God the

author who has all power to do all

things

anybody believing in him trusting him or

waiting up on him for

action 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 in his love and things that nobody

can stop he is in control he is the

sovereign of the universe his

predestined will which means predestined

he’s already determined some things this

world may look like his whirling around

at Alek control but God is in control of

whatever is going on and then of course

there’s God’s moral will his moral will

would be explained best in the Ten

Commandments God has a moral will you

shall not steal lie commit adultery no

not in the ten commandments and all

through the scriptures there are some

things that God has forbidden does that

mean they can’t happen though 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 just a stress or 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 just thought we want to do

things our way when we want to do it we

can explain it away and yet when we

violate the Ten 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 that we’re gonna do this

and we’re gonna do that there is a God

who ultimately determines what you will

do what you will not be he allows

disobedience and rebellion but only at a

price

sin does not come cheaply rebellion

toward God is not cheap now listen to

people talking about what they’re going

to do in this and all the things that

are happening in 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 although we

like it or not and then of course

there’s God’s desired will those things

that he desires for us his desired will

for us well let’s begin with salvation

God desires we are saved he disaster 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 guide 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 Who 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 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

this guy should allow my son to be a

part of that club in other words when is

the last time you asked 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 that same n 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 and ask and it

shall be given you seek and ye shall

find knock and it should be open to you

God is willing to show us as well 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 petitions 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 spin with us

in 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 is best his no 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 how to turn

next so let me give you one other

division of

and that’s his 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 this the spiritual gifts when you

trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior you

were listening 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

gonna be this I’m gonna 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 yeah

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

life to count and if I want my life to

count if you’re gonna help me answer my

prayer gotta 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 about their

education know what’s the most important

thing in your life the will of God and

I’ll tell you this is the truth not

maybe it’s 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

no idea what I was talking about that

yard would show them his will for their

life

very rarely watch this we wait too late

to do the most important thing the most

important thing they’ll ever learned was

the will of God and so when you think

about it to yourself and your vocab

occasion for example if you go look for

a job that you just look for a job with

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 the days go by your

time and not times ticking away you

don’t think it is well you get my age

you realize 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

own emotions that oftentimes aware out

in 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 place

him smart thing today the wives 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’s riving this or net we run

them the will of God is from the most

important things in your life but he

said what should I ask God about

everything nowhere

what is it that so unimportant I don’t

to talk to God about so what does he say

he has a will for our life and this will

we have an intent his intention of

wilfred of 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 surrender my life to

him and we get a new start because why

is there circumstantial will because god

knows us and he knows we’ll fail we

knows will 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 oftentimes

accomplishing less being less satisfied

less happy less peaceful less less less

because we don’t stop to ask him first

now when we stop to ask him he’s willing

to corrected some things he’ll correct

some things he won’t correct because of

the circumstances and so his

circumstantial will is here i am here’s

the mess I’ve made this is how far I’ve

come their Lord or do you want to do

them 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 is 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

in such a city and spend the year then

engage in business and make a profit

doesn’t that sound like people today

here’s what I’m gonna do I’m gonna make

it big yet you do not know what your

life will be like

tomorrow you are just like a vapor 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 do you spend your money

how about your friends our relationships

the things that you bought 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

well 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 of more tragic than this one

that’s not the issue this is God and

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 whatever I need to

surrender to you I’ve never surrendered

God I want your best in my life ask

yourself this you turn around look back

over your life to the time you were

maybe a little before you’re a teenager

or thereabouts

look back over your life what would you

change we’d probably all change

something right we’d all change

something let make 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 yard and think about this

whenever you did trust your life to the

Lord Jesus Christ as your saving you a

baptized John the church did you

surrender your life to the Lord then

when I think about this as 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 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 making it up but lord

would you help me to spend the rest of

my life the way you’re a 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 watch this the devil says too

late too late

just think no other sermon it’s too late

it’s not too late as long as you’re

breathing they 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 and

the reason you didn’t think about him

you didn’t ask him about them I’m saying

that you don’t give up you ask God

show you Lord circumstances being what

they are I’ve wasted as far as your

circumstances here but you got you’ll

forgive me you promise you

so what’s the next step in my life my

life is just 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 gonna take it whatever you tell me

to do God I’m gonna do it would you be

willing to tell him that today do you

trust him enough this tip to tell him

there whatever he requires with 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 where 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 what would 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 to have been living it out but

today I’m asking you to forgive me I

could blame some postcard but I’m not

gonna 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 gonna believe

God 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 guys you

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

gives this message will be deeply

convicted deeply inspired for some it

will be deeply painful but honest enough

to surrender themselves to you and see

what you will do but the rest of their

life oh god that’s my prayer for the

rest of their life what will God do but

the rest of my life and father you just

full of surprises we know that’s true

for the wonderful surprises maybe we

don’t think mere worth it are nobody

cares but we know that’s not your

attitude you just waiting for us they

say yes Lord but you to start your

reconstruction and our life they’ll

change us forever

and that is my prayer today in Jesus

name Amen

you

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