godswil4
We’re going to continue on the subject of “Knowing God’s will.” There are many Christians that go through life always struggling to know God’s will for their lives. There are many things in the Word of God that tells us what God wants all of us to do. But there are also some very specific things that God wants us to do on an individual level. But I want to say this 1 thing, “Don’t worry about what God wants you to do.” If you’re spending time with Him in fellowship, spending time in prayer, and spending time in the Word, God will reveal His plan to you when it is time.
He may not tell you until He wants you to step into that place. On the other hand He might tell you that you are to do something that won’t take place for 20 years.
What I’m trying to say is that “Don’t force the will of God by doing something that He never told you to do, and Don’t worry if you don’t know what God wants you to do, just keep doing what the Word says.”
I. Turn with me to EPH 5:17-21
A. In these Vs you can see several things which is the will of the Lord.
1. But notice what (Eph 5:17) Says again, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is].” (KJV)
a. 1st of all, he says that we would be unwise if we don’t know what the will of the Lord is.
i. So we need we to find out what the will of the Lord is. I’m glad that we have God’s Word which is His will, we don’t have to guess about His will, we Know it.
B. He goes on to say in (Ephesians 5:18) “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” (KJV)
1. It is God’s will for believers to be filled to overflowing with the Spirit.
a. Sometimes people think that just because they were filled with the HS years ago, they don’t need to be filled with the HS again.
i. That is true in a sense, you only need to be filled with the HS once to have the HS come and dwell in you and for you to have your heavenly language.
ii. But what Paul was saying here is that God wants us to stay filled with the Spirit.
b. We can’t live on past experiences.
2. The phrase “But be filled with the Spirit,” is in the special Greek tense called a “Present Imperative.”
a. The “Present Imperative.” means “a command to do something in the future which involves continuous or repeated action.”
b. In other words we are to be continually filled to overflowing with the HS.
3. In (Romans 12:10-11) Paul said, “[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (11) Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
a. The Moffatt’s translation says, “Maintain the glow.”
i. I like that, “Maintain the glow.”
b. Another good translation of this V is from the Goodspeed translation which says, “Be on fire with the Spirit.”
i. This is God speaking to us and He says, “Be fervent in Spirit, Maintain the glow, and Be on fire with the Spirit.”
II. Turn with me to ACTS 11:19-24
A. Here we see Barnabas who was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.
1. What was it that Barnabas did that the Word of God would declare that he was full of the Holy Ghost?
a. There are some things that we can see in the Word about Barnabas.
2. Turn to ACTS 13:1-2
a. As we see here, they ministered to the Lord and fasted.
i. This is telling me that they spent time with the Lord, fulfilling (Ephesians 5:19) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (KJV)
ii. You can say that they spent time worshipping the Lord, praising the Lord, and praying in the Holy Ghost.
iii. (Jude 20) Says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” (KJV)
iv. If you’re full of the Holy Ghost, you’re going to pray in the Holy Ghost.
3. As you go on reading in the next few Vs, you’ll see that Barnabas when out to do the will of God, without hesitation.
a. Someone that is full of the HS will do the will of God.
4. There is also a boldness about someone that is full of the Holy Ghost, when they are doing the will of God.
a. ACTS 14:19-21a
i. Paul was just stoned, and after he got up Paul and Barnabas went to the adjoining city to preach there.
ii. Nothing was going to stop them from doing the will of God.
iii. Look at V 21 again (ACTS 14:21)
iv. Lystra was the city that Paul was just stoned in. They went back to Lystra to preach the Gospel there again. Nothing was going to stop them from doing the will of God. (Same with me starting the church)
5. ACTS 14:6-15a
a. Here when people tried to worship them, they stopped it and in essence told them to only worship God.
B. Paul is someone that we would consider “Full of the Holy Ghost.”
1. Paul said in (1 Corinthians 14:18), “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all.” (KJV)
2. At 1 time Paul was in prison with Silas and in (ACTS 16:25) it says that they “prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (KJV)
a. People that are known to be full of the Holy Ghost Pray, in tongues and with their understanding. They are also known to be worshipers of God and to fellowship with Him.
3. Smith Wiggelsworth would not let 15 or 20 minutes go by without spending time with God.
a. ACTS 4:31
i. Notice that they prayed, and then they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
b. If we want to be full of the Holy Ghost, which is God’s will for us, and have the power that comes with it we’ve got to spend time with Him. (Regularly)
III. Other than spending time in Praise and worship, and Praying in the Holy Ghost; what else is needed to continue to walk in the Spirit?
A. Walking in the light of God’s Word. (Which is God’s will)
1. 1 area that we need to focus on is “Walking in Love.”
a. 1JOHN 2:10-11
i. Jesus said in (Matthew 5:43-44) “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (KJV)
b. If we’re not walking in love, we’re not walking in the light. We’re not walking in the Spirit. (Not full of the Holy Ghost)
B. Turn with me to 1COR 13: 1-13 From the NIV translation.
1. (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
a. The (RSV) says this (1 Corinthians 13:1) “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (RSV)
b. The Strong’s concordance says that this phrase could be “A noisy gong or a loud wailing cymbal.”
(2) “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
(3) “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
(4) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
(5) “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, (RSV says Love does not insist on its own way) it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
(6) “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
(7) “It always protects, always trusts, (believes) always hopes, always perseveres.”
(8) “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
(9) “For we know in part and we prophesy in part,”
(10) “but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.”
(11) “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
(12) “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
(13) “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV)
WOLCC SUN AM 3/5/95