Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Paul Rice, this is good. And it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour. who desires This is the will of God. Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth?
Welcome to The Verdict, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor John Monroe. Most of us like to be in control. We want to set our own agenda and live life our own way. But God's plan for our lives is far better than our own. Today on the verdict, we'll explore what the Bible teaches about God's perfect plan.
and how we can know and follow his will.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his message: knowing God's will. One of the invariable desires of the authentic follower of Jesus Christ is to do the will of God. God's way is perfect. Your way and my way are far from perfect. Therefore, if we're wise, we will seek to do the will of God.
The Apostle John writes, And the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God Abides Forever. God is our Creator. God loves us. God sent Jesus Christ to save us, and one of the great joys of life is humbly submitting to the will of God and doing it.
But you may ask. How do we know God's will? That's our subject today. As we approach the end of our series, Next Steps in Following Jesus.
Well, over the last few weeks, we've been thinking of this little series: Next Steps in Following Jesus. And in this, the last of that series, we come to the important subject of knowing God's will. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that our loving Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives. And unlike our plans, God's will for our lives is perfect. David says in Psalm 18, verse 30, As for God, his way, It's perfect.
And in a world of confusion of Deception of ambiguity, it is reassuring, isn't it? That as we follow Jesus, As we seek to follow Jesus, he will lead us. In God's will, for our lives. Our own desires, our own impulses will lead us into all kinds of difficulties in life. But God's plan for our life It's perfect.
David in Psalm 23 says, He leads me in the paths of righteousness. for his name's sake. God will always lead you in the right path. We left to ourselves will make a mess of our lives. We will sometimes make very, very foolish and even sinful decisions, but God has promised the good shepherd of Psalm 23, our Lord Jesus Christ will lead us in paths of righteousness.
Parents often tell me that their little son or their little daughter is self-willed. Most little boys and little girls I know are self-willed. And most big boys and big girls I know are even more self-willed. That is, we want to live life on our own terms. We want to set our own agenda.
We want to make our own plans. We don't want people telling us what to do with our lives. But our self-will Well leaders. into disaster. And according to Scripture, Ultimate destruction.
The heartbeat of the authentic follower of Jesus, as Paul said on that day he was converted on the road to Damascus, Lord, what will you have me to do? I trust you've prayed that prayer. Lord. What will you have me to do. The Apostle John writes, In 1 John 2:17, and the world is passing away along with its desires.
But whoever does the will of God abides in. Forever. What a promise. The one who does the will of God abides. Forever.
You want to do the will of God. I read this week. That Cliff Barrows wrote: God has a plan for your life. You don't need to step outside of the will of God. to find it.
So let's consider. Where God's will for you begins. Turn with me to First Timothy. Chapter 2. Paul's letter, he writes two letters to Timothy.
We're looking at First Timothy. Chapter 2. And we're going to read from verse three. We're going to Discover, first of all, that God's will for you is that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And be saved.
This is where God's will for us begins: that each one of us. Knows Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. First Timothy. 2 verse 3, Paul writes, This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. who desires This is the will of God.
Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth? How's that going to come about? Verse 5. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. God's will for you God's will for me is that you are saved, that you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, that your sins are forgiven, that you receive the free gift of eternal life.
This is the gospel that God Loves you and has sent his son, Jesus Christ, as we celebrate at Christmas, but we sometimes forget the reason why he sends his son. He sends his son to be our Savior, not to condemn us. But that through him Through the person and redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, each one of us should be saved. And so the message is this. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you'll be saved. Stop trying to run your own life. Confess your sins, turn from your sin and embrace Christ. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
This is why Jesus came. God's will for you is that you are saved. Isn't that wonderful to know? The gods love comes down to you. And to me Today?
A god once To adopt you into his family, the eternal family of God. And that Paul is saying here that this salvation is only found in Jesus Christ. He's the only mediator between God and us, God who is holy and we who are unholy, and Jesus Christ comes. to die on the cross. He pays the price.
To buy us back, to free us from the self-will, to free us from the chains of sin. and of self-will. Peter says that Jesus Christ is the one who brings us. To God. That is left to ourselves, we will never find our way to God.
But God intervenes. He comes into time and space in Jesus Christ. to be our Savior. A few years ago I was in uh New Mexico and walking along this deep, deep canyon. And I thought, how on earth could I ever get to the other side?
Some of you have seen that canyon in New Mexico, and how wonderful to come to a bridge. And to go from one side of a deep, deep gulf, to go from one side. to the other. Sin comes into our life. This self-will that we see even in little children, that self-will grows and grows.
And so we sin, we mess up our lives, we do things we know that are wrong. There are good things we would love to do, and yet we find ourselves not doing them. And this is a great gulf between God and us. And by ourselves, we can't get to the other side. We can't get to heaven by ourselves.
And so Jesus Christ comes. He is the great bridge maker. He is the bridge. Remember, he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father apart from me.
That is the only way of salvation is through trusting Jesus Christ, that God seeks a personal relationship with you. And has provided a means by which you can be saved. Therefore, I say to you, trust. Jesus Christ. This is God's will for you.
Don't miss this. If you miss this, you've missed everything in life. And you'll be eternally Lust. But God's will It's not only that you know Jesus Christ as your Savior. His will is that you surrender to His Lordship.
Who is he? He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes As the Savior, it is true. But this one who comes to save is not just a man, he is the Lord, he's God incarnate. And so the gospel is: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ. Many of you are following. Jesus Christ, you say, John, and God's grace. I've trusted Christ. I know what it is to trust Christ as my Savior.
Praise God for that. Whether you're living a life of surrender. To the Lord Jesus. Listen to Paul. As he writes in Romans, His first eleven chapters, these majestic chapters, He presents man's condemnation, he deals with the sinner's justification, he deals with the saints' sanctification, and then he says this in chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.
He says, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God. What is good and acceptable? And perfect. Isn't this wonderful?
That Jesus Christ not only saves me, But he has a plan for my life. Otherwise And the moment we were saved, he would take us to heaven. But he leaves us on earth. How long we're here, we don't know. But as long as we are here, I am to do his will.
This. Is what God's will for me is: that my life is not lived in self-indulgence, that I don't plan my own life. That is not based on my own desires or prejudices or agenda, but rather my life is surrendered to Jesus Christ. Here is a young woman, Pat Collins, forty years ago. Who hears that call?
Are you willing to do God's will? And she, as a young woman, says, Yes, Lord, I'm willing. And God presents her With this beautiful plan for her life, which is going to overflow in blessing to thousands and thousands. of children. When J.
Wilbur Chapman was in London, He had an opportunity to meet General Booth, General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. Booth at that time was past eighty years of age. The old general spoke of his trials and conflicts and victories. Wilbert Chapman then asked the general if he would disclose his secret for success. Chapman says he hesitated for a second.
And I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks. And then he said, I will tell you a secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities, but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart. and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London.
I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there's anything in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart. all the power of my will. and all the influence of my life. Wilbert Chapman said he went away from that meeting with General Booth, knowing.
That the greatness of a man's power. is the measure of his surrender. You say, Well, I thought you were going to talk about my specific will for my life. This is it. Surrendering.
to Christ. Let me ask you. As you sit here, Most of us say we are followers of Jesus. Are you available? To the Lord.
You may be a young boy of eight. You may be an elderly woman of 90, I don't know, but for all of us, Are you available to the Lord? to be used as he chooses for the rest of your life.
So much of our Christian faith today, I fear, is reduced to using God for our own purposes. But God's will for you is to be surrendered to Jesus Christ. Your life consecrated To Christ.
Now, do you really believe that God's will for your life is better than your own? We just have to ask the question to get the answer, of course. We say, God is wiser, God is good, God is a good God, He's a faithful God, we've been singing. Of course, His plan for our life. Is better than our own.
Therefore, Why don't you surrender? Your life to God. Why are you trying to do your own thing? Why are you still holding on to that self-will, that rebellion, that ego? You say, well, I believe God has.
a plan for my life and it's a good plan. If you didn't find it, turn to Jeremiah chapter 29. You know, when I speak with people, this is one of their favorite verses, but sometimes I think. We may not understand the context. Because before you claim the wonderful promise of Jeremiah 29 verse 11, I think you need to understand the context.
Jeremiah chapter 29 verse Eleven. If you're embarrassed because you can't find it. Go home and learn the books of the Bible. But for the moment Just listen. Jeremiah 29 verse 11.
Listen to this. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all of your heart, I will be found of you, declares the Lord.
What's the context of Jeremiah chapter 29? Israel are in captivity. They're in captivity because of their sinfulness. The Babylonians have taken them into captivity for 70 years. But here is the word of God.
If you seek me with all of your heart, If you humble yourself before me, If you come and pray to me. I've got these plans, declares the Lord. Plans for wholeness and not for evil to give you a future. And the hope.
Some of you are sitting here and you say, Well, I've been following Jesus for some time now, and as I look back, I realize I have messed up. And rather than doing the will of God, I've largely been doing my own. I entered this. Improper relationship. I went into this business deal.
I've messed up on you. You wonder how it can be retrieved? Here is the answer. If you seek God with all of your heart. Don't dabble at the Christian life.
Seek God. Come humbly before God. Psalmist is saying: when you seek God with all of your heart, He will be found of you. And Israel has to understand that they've done wrong. And that they have a spirit of repentance.
And God had given His faithful promises to them away back to Father Abraham. And God never ever goes back on His promises. But in order to enter into the experience and the blessing of these promises, God wants us to be humble and to seek Him with all of our heart. plans For wholeness. And not for evil.
to give you a future And a hope, how wonderful. To repentant, humble people, here is the promise. When I see God, When I come humbly to him, he will lead me and God's plan for my life. is always A wonderful future and a hope. That is when you surrender to God's will.
He will lead you. He will be your guide. Everything around you may be in darkness and confusion, but keep your eyes on Jesus. This is what it means to be a disciple. I'm following Jesus.
And you will know the wonder. of his guide that you will walk in a path pleasing to him. Psalm forty verse eleven. He will tend his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arms.
Do you see the tenderness? Do you see the intimate relationship between the shepherd and his sheep? He will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young. What a wonderful shepherd we have.
So how would you look on God? Oh yeah, sometimes he may. Have to discipline us. That is true. It is true the shepherd has the rod and the staff.
But my good shepherd, David, says, he leads me in paths of righteousness. He leads me by the still water. He leads me by the green Pastures He surprises me with his grace. Even in the face of my enemies, he prepares a table for me. And so day by day I am to allow the Lord Graciously.
to guide me. Doing God's will. Elizabeth Elliott, not with the Lord. Great missionary. She tells a story when she was in the forest of Ecuador.
She didn't like to go across the logs, across the river. She thought she would always slip. She said she wasn't very good on logs and she tended to look down on the at the water even although she knew she shouldn't.
So what happened? She said she had her guide. And she said as she was going across the logs, The touch of the guide's hand, was all that she needed. And with that touch of the hand, She stopped worrying about slipping. She didn't look at their logs.
She didn't look. at the water. She just looked. at the guide who was just holding her a little bit. by her hand.
And when she came to the other side, she realized that if she had fallen, the guide would not have been able to hold her because he was just almost just touching her hand, but that was enough. Not wonderful to think. And when you and I go through these tough times, We have a guide. who not only touches us by the hand, But who holds us? Remember, Isaiah says in Isaiah 41:10, that he upholds us with his righteous right.
Hand. And Jude can say in that wonderful benediction unto him who is able to keep us from. What? Following. And our guide Not only guides us, But our guide holds us.
as step by step We follow him. Do you know that? Have you had the experience of the Good Shepherd? guiding you in life. And upholding you.
This is. God's will for you. Oh secondly, I wanted to see this. That God's will is that you do what you're doing at present. To the glory of God.
I think we've made the subject of knowing God's will In a sense, too mysterious. But God's will Do you listen to me? is that you do what you're doing at present to the glory of God. I look at first Corinthians 10, verse 31. A very short verse, but a key verse for us all.
1 Corinthians 10. Verse thirty one. Where Paul is saying we're to do everything. Everything. to the glory of God.
So whether you eat Or drink. or whatever you do. Do all to the glory of God. And so as we live our life, I'm to do everything. to the glory Of God.
This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World.
Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam.
It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved? God's will is that you should be saved. His love embraces the world. And his love Embraces you.
Yes, God loves you. Receive Jesus as your Saviour and surrender to His Lordship. and live each day asking God for guidance. and looking to his word, knowing that his plan for your life is better than your own. Join me next time.
as we continue to think of knowing and doing. the will of God. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
