Finding God’s Will Pt. 4

Review

· Colossians 3:1-17
· Verse 2 - ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
· When you allow your mind to detour away from the things above, meaning God – His way of living, His standard of living – you are no longer being led by the Spirit.
· Verse 3 & 7 - ⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…⁷You used to walk in these ways.
· Too many Christians have not put to death their old nature, their old attitudes, their old way of living, their old thought process. We are supposed to be new creatures or creations through Christ.

We are Chosen

Colossians 3:12-14
“ ¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – NIV


We know that according to Scripture that we as humans are not placed here on the Earth merely to drift through life without purpose. That God has a plan for each and every person.

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – NLT

Jeremiah 1:5
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” – NLT

We are not here by accident. Some parents say that their children were accidents and they did not plan on having any, but God knew that they would be born and because of that He has a plan for them…a plan for every single person. We are chosen by God to represent Him here on earth until the day when Jesus comes back and gets His church. How awesome it is to know that we have a purpose and that we are not here just to be here. There is a higher purpose for us being here.

Be Holy

Part of being chosen by God is that we live a holy lifestyle. A life that coincides with God. The creation and the Creator living together side by side every day. The only way that we can live with God everyday of our lives is to be holy. Why? Because God is holy.
Peter talks about being holy. He quotes from Leviticus in:

1st Peter 1:13-16
“¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.” - NIV

We are to live our lives as obedient children. We now no God’s way when we get saved. We now know what God’s expect from us as His children. Just as you have trained your children and disciplined them since they were little babes, God has also disciplined us. He has given us the instructions on how to be a holy people. Without the instructions of God, you cannot live a holy lifestyle. It is impossible to be holy on your own, you need the instructions of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To be holy we must be as meek as lambs, that is, to accept the commands of our Shepherd.

In John 10 Jesus gives us an illustration on how He is the Shepherd and we are His sheep.

John 10:11
“¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – NIV

John 10:14
“¹⁴I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” – NIV

John 10:27
“²⁷My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – NIV

Those who know Jesus hear His voice and they follow Him. They pick up their cross daily and follow Him. No matter where He may lead them, they follow. No matter who is not following, they will follow. No matter who comes after them, mocks them, comes against them, they will follow! They live a holy life even if those around them do not. They do not bend their knees to man, but to God who is Lord of all!

Psalm 23
“¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³ he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” – NIV

It is amazing how God compares his people to sheep. Some probably never gave it much thought, but how many of you know that sheep are dumb animals? They are probably the most helpless animals alive today. They have no defensive abilities. All they can do is run. Maybe it is not so amazing that God compares us to sheep. When we are attacked like a sheep, all we know how to do is run. But if you have a Shepherd who is watching over you He will protect you. Just as David protected his flock in:

1st Samuel 17:34-37
“³⁴ But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” – NIV

Isn’t a comfort to know that we have an almighty Shepherd who is there to protect us when the lions and bears of life come against us? If God is for us who can be against us!

Now back to holiness. Living a lifestyle of holiness is listening to the Shepherd. Another interesting fact about a shepherd and sheep is sometimes a sheep would wonder off. It would go from one patch of grass to another. Then to another. Then to another and yet another until it is far from the protection of the Shepherd. Now this concerns the shepherd greatly because without his protection it is vulnerable to attack from a predator. What the shepherd does is he takes off after the lost sheep and when he finds the sheep he does something unusual. He takes the sheep and breaks its leg and carries it in arms hand close to him and brings it back to the flock where he can take care of it and the sheep learns a valuable lesson and doesn’t wonder off again.

Sometimes we wonder off from the flock and away from our Shepherd and just like any good shepherd would do, Jesus comes after us, but out of love sometimes we have to be broken in order to realize where we need to be.

Matthew 18:12-14
“ ¹²What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” – NIV

Listen, God knows what the world is like. It is full of darkness, full of sin, and He desires that we have no part of it. He knows that once we wonder astray from Him that we put ourselves into danger. Danger of an enemy attack. This is why it is imperative that we as Christians live a holy lifestyle that God has called us to; that we listen to His voice and follow after Him and not stray. The enemy is waiting like a lion who is on the hunt, waiting for one of God’s sheep to just wander off from the Shepherd so he can pounce, steal, kill, and destroy them! We have lost holiness in the church and the enemy has creeped in and is destroying the lives of those whom God is trying to save. As I had stated in Sundays message, what is most important to you? It had better be God and if it is holiness should not be a question in your life. God help us to live a life of holiness.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts – His Word

How do we set our minds on things above? How do we put to death our old nature? How do we become a new man/woman? How do we live a Spirit filled life? How do we forgive others? How do we love others? How do we find where God wants us? How do we live a life of holiness?

Colossians 3:15-17
“¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – NIV

It is getting into the Word of God. It is reading it. Digesting it. Allowing it to permeate throughout your life. Allowing to change you from the inside out. Allowing it to correct you. Allowing it to rebuke you. Allowing it to discipline you.

Romans 12:2
“²Do 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.” – NIV
It is changing the way you think. We are hardwired to sin and rebel against God, but through His Word you are made new. The Word of God is a powerful book that will transform your life.

2nd Timothy 3:16-17
“¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – NIV

We have to allow the Word of teach us, rebuke us, correct us in order to live the life that God has called us to. Too many of Christians today are not in the Word of God. To many of Christians today have no clue on how to live a life of abundance. Too many of Christians today refuse to take correction from those over them in Lord because they refuse to take correction from God. Too many Christians today are no deeper in the Word than when they got saved. It is no wonder we have Christians today who live double lives. They come into the church one way, put on their so called “holy” masks and leave out of the service no different than when they come in. It is no wonder why there are so many Christians who live in defeat. It is no wonder so many Christians today do no have the joy of the Lord. It is no wonder that so many Christians today are following false doctrine. It is because they do not know the Word of God and because they do not know the Word of God it cannot transform them into a new person and they cannot live the life of holiness that God has called them to!

Psalm 119
· 1 - Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.
· 2 - Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
· 4 - You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
· 7 - I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.
· 8 - I will obey your decrees
· 9 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
· 10 - I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
· 11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

On and on this Psalm goes about God’s Word. 176 verses of what a blessing it is to be in God’s Word and how it transforms you. At the end in verse 176:

Psalm 119:176
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – NIV

As I had said before, you cannot be Spirit led if you are not Spirit fed. We have lost the holiness in the church due to the fact people don’t know that we serve a holy God because they are not in the Word. We forget that God does not tolerate sin. That is separates us from God. It doesn’t matter how good you look on the outside, it is the heart that God looks at. We can put on a good show for man, but you cannot fool God. He knows.

It is God’s Will that we know who He is and what He is about. Without the Word of God you are basing your knowledge of Him on everyone else. Only by getting into the Word will you truly know who He is. Out of that knowledge you will teach others and you will work as you are working unto the Lord as it states in
Colossians 3:16-17.


We need God’s help in our walk. On our own we can accomplish nothing. But with God, with Christ, all things are possible.