THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD

SERMON STARTER

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

 

          The world is looking for conformity to its standards. The world asks for adolescents to look alike, whether its customs, dictates of the culture or its standards. That's how we see adolescents with puncture wounds and tattoos all over their bodies. We see them with multi-fluorescent colored hair or walking around with their pants around their knees with their shorts showing. The world demands conformity. . .

          Young adult men in the 70's were conformists, too! We wore Elvis sideburns and  extra-long hair. We shaved our faces, but let our hair grow long. Today the opposite is true. Men shave their heads and let their beards grow long. Everything has to be CONFORMITY to Western World standards of each era.

          Are you a conservative? Get on the Trump bandwagon, join us. Are you a liberal? Get on Hillary's train. We're going all the way. We love our political friends and hate our political enemies. What are we looking for? Are we looking to be accepted? Are we trying hard to avoid rejection? Do we want to control or be controlled by conforming?

          Whose approval are we seeking?  Do you need the world's approval to feel good about yourself?

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  1 John 2:17

          No particular civilization has lasted long beyond the age of it's founders. Eg. Nazi's called themselves  "The Third Reich", "Reich", meaning "Realm" in English. The Nazi Third Reich was supposed to last a thousand years. It didn't even make two decades. Rising to power in 1933, Hitler executed himself in 1945 just hours before capture by the Allies.

¹⁵". . .The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"      Rev. 11:15b

          The Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will reign forever and ever. So will they who know and do His Will.

 

Pastor Phil  <><<

 

August 7, 2016 - Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland

 

THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD

ROMANS 12:1,2 - 1 JOHN 2:15-17

"I've heard sermons on the 3-Fold Will of God: the Sovereign Will of God, the Moral Will of God and the Particular Will of God. This sermon pursues what scripture teaches about the actual Will of God, His Good, Acceptable and Perfect Will."                                                                                  Pastor Phil  <><<

 

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

During the Years of my Life I have struggled with God's Will

In my youth I struggled to know

I. THE GOOD WILL OF GOD - Romans 12:2b

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of

your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and

perfect will of God.

            A. Christian youth struggle to know the Will of God

                        1. Y-WAM - Youth With A Mission

                        2. TEEN MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL - Short Term Missions

                        3. YOUTH FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL

            B. The struggle for you is to know Where to work out God's Will

                        1. Urban Local Churches - Service and Leadership

                        2. Inner City Mission Outreaches

                                    a. Tony Campolo retired his inner city mission in 2014

                                    b. Red Letter Christians - Counter Culture Christianity

            C. For some youth God's Will is to marry and have a family

                        1. To go where God's Will sends you often takes a partner

                        2. Procreating and raising children is a part of God's Will

            D. Knowing and Doing God's will requires Surrender

                        1. The old hymn, "I surrender All"

                        All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow;
                        Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now.

                        Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all;

                                      All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

                        2. Finding God's Will demands surrender - James 4:7

                                ⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

            E. Many are Content to Rest in God's "Good Will"

                        1. If you decide to give up God's "Good Will"

                        2. He has something better: a step up. . .

                        3. If you are willing to close the door on what is "The Good"

THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD, cont., p.2

 

God will Open the Door for you to experience

II. THE ACCEPTABLE WILL OF GOD - Romans 12:2c

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing

of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and

perfect will of God.

 

            A. God will use various methods to persuade us to give up "Good"

                        1. Vocational Crisis: Job Loss, Pay Reduction, Financial

                        2. Health Crisis, Self or Family member - Chronic Pain

                        3. Addiction and Legal Problems, Run-ins with the Law

                        4. Marital Spousal Problems

                        5. It's easy for what is good to become a "Rut"

                        6. Ruts in life are simply Graves w/o the ends closed off

            B. Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity

                        1. The Holy Spirit broods over the waters of our lives

                        2. He is fomenting, preparing us for change

                        3. We hate change but certain facilitating things occur

                        4. God's Approach to gently nudging us into His Will

                                    a. ALL Change is painful

                                    b. Remaining in God's "Good Will" becomes painful

                                    c. When the pain of remaining where we are becomes

                                        more than the pain of Change

                                    d. We will Change

            C. Acceptable is what is "Well-Pleasing" to God

                        1. We can settle into what is "Well-Pleasing" to God

                        2. We can become church leaders

                        3. We can become encouragers of pastors

                        4. We can take Annual Mission Trips to foreign lands

                        5. We can donate or raise money for Missionaries

            D. God can use Developmental Crisis to move us closer to His Will

                        1. Mid-Life Crisis in both men and women

                                    a. Can lead to deep soul-searching

                                    b. Can lead us to Personal, Marital Unrest

                        2. We can sing Peggy Lee's Blues Song, "Is this all there is?"

                        3. We can pray what I call, "A Dangerous Prayer"

                        4. LORD, What is Your Perfect Will for my Life?

 

III. THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD - Romans 12:2

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing

of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

            A. The "Perfect" Will of God means "Completion" or "Mature"

                        1. Closing the Door on "Acceptable" opens another Door

                        2. The One who seeks "The Perfect Will of God"

                        3. Prays, LORD, I want everything you have for me in my life!

            THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD, cont., p.3

 

                        4. HINT: "Everything" God has for you doesn't involve "Stuff"

            B. The "Conforming to this world" mindset misses the truth

                ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or

              mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as

              much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29 (NIV)

                        1. You may lose the Life and Circumstances at your present

                        2. You may say Goodbye to Current Houses or Lands

                        3. You may temporarily lose the support of Immediate Family

                        4. God promises Restoration in His Perfect Will

                        5. Great Peace and Purpose comes w/ letting go of Acceptable

            C. Finding God's Will for your life involves Surrender

 

THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD

 

 

THE THREE-FOLD WILL OF GOD

Closing Illustration

          In 1971 a group of Y-WAM kids took temporary residence at our church in Hawthorne, California. They needed the financial support to fly via LAX to Hawaii where Y-WAM training and mission assignments were given. They were Bible literate, bright, motivated young people who felt they were on a God-sent mission.

          They slept in the Sunday School rooms and ate whenever either money was sent from home or food was given to them. They were talented, sharing music and songs I'd never heard set to the KJV of scripture. We were already moving away from traditional Christian music and toward the newer Christian music created by Bill and Gloria Gaither.

          The Y-WAMers all had spiral notebooks into which they wrote copious notes every morning during their personal Bible studies. I asked them theological questions about dispensations, Baptist doctrine and healing. One young man told me earnestly, I don't know anything about those things. I just want to know about the Bible and God's Will for my life!

        One by one the young people left for LAX as money from home and supporters trickled in until they had enough for one-way tickets to Hawaii. What was the passion of their young lives that drove them into an unknown future? It was their desire to know the Will of God.

 

Pastor Phil   <><<