The Will of God in Your Life – Dr. Charles Stanley

where does the will of God fit in your life that is do you ask for his direction his guidance his provision or you just wake up in the morning and decide how you gonna live for the day or you don't give it a lot of thought you just saw one of those persons who sort of walks in the same tracks every day and as long as you have what you want what you think you need you don't really give God a whole lot of thought when I think about that and I think about how people operate without God in their life I'm brought back to when I first came day First Baptist I came as an associate pastor and there were 60 deacons and there were seven men who ran everything and so since I had no authority I was no danger to anybody and they would let me sit in on their meetings and so I was sitting in on this meeting I'll never forget and they get a little bit of an argument and discussion they could make up their mind they couldn't make a decision about something this is my own probably for 45 minutes or longer and I thought we're not yet anywhere and so when I said why don't we ask what's the will of God about this I'll never forget the reaction the man who said to my right was an attorney and he spoke up he said leave God out of this this is business well when he said that my response was how can you leave God out of God's business because it's the will of God that we live a certain way it's the will of God that affects every single thing that we do it's a the will of God is our guide the will of God is the principle above which all of us should live every single day doesn't make any difference who you are but if you never ask God for direction in your life what you are saying by your conduct your attitude is I can do without him I don't need his direction I don't need his help I can make it without it when you live day after day without consulting with God asking Lord what you will what pleases you what honors you if I lived day after day without asking that what I'm saying is I don't need him oh you say I wouldn't I would never say I don't need God well what about your conduct what about your habits do you act like you don't need it mother you act like you need him if you believe that God has a sovereign will for your life which he does if you believe what the Bible says about God and our relationship to him then how do you go day after day without asking Lord what would you have me to do about this what would you have you do about this purchase about this relationship about my attitude about my expense about how I handle money how I handle people in other words if you go day after day and you don't ask for God's guidance and direction what you're saying is I can handle it how foolish how foolish to think that you can handle life without God in the society in which you live or any society and one of the interesting things I want to read in this scripture here is Jesus on his way to the cross in the 22nd chapter of Luke if you'd like to turn that for a moment his ministry is coming to a close physically and he knows the father's will he's been praying about that he's been knowing it a long time thirty years as a carpenter somewhere there abouts and now he's been an evangelist teaching the Word of God and verse 39 of the 22nd chapter says and he came out and proceeded as was his custom to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed them that's right he used to go that was his place of prayer now what is he doing because the cross is right next door it's coming the next day when he arrived at the place he said to them pray that you may not enter into temptation and he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and he nailed down and began to pray listen to what the son of God is praying father if you are willing remove this cup from me that is is there any other way for us the purchase Redemption for all mankind and escape the cross yet not my will but yours be done Jesus who is the son of God was asking the father is there any other way but the way of the cross and of course there was not now what do we mean by the will of God if somebody said to you are you living in the will of God how would you answer that when you couldn't answer unless you know what it is so listen to this the will of God is that which God approves and determines the ring about it concerns God's choices of what to do and what not to do think about that that which God approves us determines the ring about it concerns God's choices of what to do and what not to do when is the last time you said God what do you want me to do about this God what about my relationship to her are damned yada what about my job Lord of what what do you want my kids to go to college Lord what about my relationship to this man not so this woman Lord Oh what what about where you want me to live Lord what about changing jobs when it's the last time you opened yourself up to holy God who knows everything and has your best interests at heart when is the last time you opened your heart to him and said Lord show me you will what would you have me to do there are many people who don't think they need the will of God they're living their lives they call it the way they want to live it but they're miserable and many people are miserable and will not turn to God because they think they're smart enough to figure it out why don't we have so much alcoholism and so much dope drugs sex and all the rest people are looking for something that's satisfied that inner feeling that they have looking for something to make them happy looking for something of somebody who'll bring them completeness when only God can do it God didn't make us equip us to live happily and peacefully and eternal it without him you're not made that way we are made to depend upon Almighty God and here's the Lord Jesus Christ himself is there any other way acknowledging his dependence upon the father and in your own personal life how often do you ask him about decisions that you have to me there are always going to be decisions we now ask him we don't ask him looking a second Peter 3 for just a moment 2nd Peter chapter 3 this is a very interesting verse of scripture 2nd Peter 3:17 listen to what he says you therefore beloved knowing this beforehand be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the era of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness that is any of us can stumble at all God wants us looking to him depending upon him trusting him so that every day when you're now wake up we should be asking the Lord to give us direction for our life that day you don't know who you're gonna meet you don't know whether you're gonna get to your job or not you don't know whether your husband or wife will be home when you get there not a whit kind of mess your kids are in college in other words are you living your life in relationship to God are you seeking his will his purpose his plan for your life are you just living it out and you call upon him when you feel like you really need him when something has reached beyond your capacity to handle God has the best will for every single one of us he has the best plan for us he doesn't keep it a secret you don't have to do this that in order to find out what God wants you to do you need to ask him and be willing to do what he says and yet most people never stop to consider should I buy that should I marry him or her and make decisions on their own without God when Jesus the Son of God in those critical moments in his life took a moment longer the same I want to be sure is there any other way and of course the father said the way of the Cross is it so would you say you live but the will of God in your life or have you decided that you can handle it on your own they remember this because he's omniscient God has a plan and a will for your life he has the best plan and has a will that fits you perfectly your talents your abilities your skills everything about you fits what God wants to do in your life you say well but I'm not as skilled as other people well I understand that for example if somebody put me on that ball team they probably lose or if I was in a mechanic shop I probably would know what to do there are lot of things I'm not fit for a lot of things I'm not equipped for and but but you are equipped for something that is God did not leave you out you may feel like oh sometimes what does my life count your life counts because remember this when Jesus died he had you in mind he had ever seen you're one of us in mine had the world in mine you say well that happened 2,000 years ago what does he say we're to pray to him and talk to him now talk to him daily listen to him asking for guidance because God in heaven is listening he wants to hear from us there's not a single aspect of your life which you should just erase from your relationship to God we need him about everything you need him in your marriage with your children with your job with all the mechanical things that happen in your life all of us need him and to go day after day and not read his word day after day and not asking for direction and guidance in your life is to say I don't need him oh yes I need him oh when did you get on your knees and talk to him when did you plead for God to give you wisdom in there actually when did you have to make a big time to the decision and you said well Lord I'm not gonna make this decision till you show me what to do or did you just go ahead and do it without him holy God wants the best for you there's nowhere in the scriptures that you can find that God doesn't want the best for you but are you asking him are you seeking his direction that is his will or are you asking for something else they God does and judges by comparing us to other people he has a plan for your life it's not the same plans as other people's lives it's different and usually may say well if I have another chance I would do this and so God doesn't make any mistakes you won't be like someone else you ought to be like what God intended for you because the only real genuine peace and joy and satisfaction and the feeling of being a complete and satisfied is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ the will of God that is what does he want for you what has he provided to you he's provided the best you that some of you were say very early in life some a little bit lady said well when does God's will begin it began in the beginning and God doesn't plan the same for all of us but whoever we are wherever we are in life seeking the will of God the mind of God the purpose of God the plan of God what does he want in the next step in your life you have children you have grandchildren when's the last time you ever brought up the subject listen to me carefully very early in that child's life you should be introducing them to this truth that God has a will in the plan for your life and I can remember as soon as my two children were born I'd get out of the bed every night that I was home and I'd pray this prayer show and didn't she'll break it your will for their life and I'd say that to them over and over and over again you ask God to show you his will for your life ask God to show you his will for your life they grew up believing that and you just like look what's happening in the colleges and look what's happening all the drunkenness and sex and all the myths you know what they're looking for looking for something to satisfy them Gramps grandmother granddad mom and dad you have a responsibility to introduce your children to Jesus Christ and not only that you need to be a part of their life interfering in their life interject in your opinion in their life reminding them that they cannot be a success and what God's called them to do apart from Jesus Christ they may make a lot of money they may do a lot of things the world may think they're absolutely fantastic now thinking about all these people who can't even count their money but you can count on this they're unhappy without God you can't make enough money you can't listen when you're living in sin you can't do anything until you deal the sin problem and this is why there's so much of all the other stuff that we're talking about God loves you he has a will and a plan for your life you say well I'm 50 years old I just got saved what's God's will he takes you where you are listen he knows how to overcome your past erase all the mistakes no but what he'll do is enabled you to overcome the mistakes able you to get a different view on life to enable you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ that will amaze you everybody makes mistakes everybody's sin everybody has fallen that times about some things God wants the best for us listen through the last day of her life isn't it interesting what God has to do sometimes to get us to think and to think wisely and to think soberly and to ask the right questions God's what's your will for my life Alvin do you pray for your children grandchildren and pray God show him your will for his life show her your will for that light don't let them make the wrong person god help her to marry the right fella and sometimes grandparents and parents need to get right in the middle of their life you say well you know what their own look to make up their own mind they may be old enough but not mature enough but listen without God you are not maternal carriage are you not mature enough to make wise decisions about marriage and money and sex and all the rest without God evident look around you look what's happening we ever decided it's in chaos because we think we can do without God and sometimes when you mention God what happens well don't give me that church stuff not giving you church stuff I'm giving you the stuff about what you need to start thinking because you're gonna meet him one day and the Bible says it's appointed on the man who wants to die and after this the judgment life is serious business and God wants to be in the center of your life he wants to be at the hub of your life he's willing to give you guys he's willing to show you the truth but you've gotta surrender your life to him I'm just simply saying that life is serious it's serious about your children serious about your grandchildren's serious about that future who they marry how they live their lives life is serious business and Jesus intends for you and I to live our lives in submission to his will because that's what's best do you think that God would have a plan for your life that would just be horrible no he wouldn't there's a menu plan his plan is always easy no there are many people who go through very difficult things in life it doesn't mean that God doesn't care it doesn't mean they're out of God's will but it means that God has trusted them in a situation in a circumstance that they have to depend upon him in ways that maybe some of us don't and so when I think about what's the will of God that's the question every single one of us should ask so I'm ask you this question when's the last time you said to him Lord of what's your will for my life at this point you say well I've made mistakes so there's no hope for me yes let's hope for you it begins with confession repentance and the surrender of your life to God listen to me carefully even listening say Amen you can't get in a mess God can't get you out of it may be painful but it gets you through it God loves you he knows why we make mistakes and I'm saying to you friend you're gonna make a mess of your life if you don't trust God to give you God in some direction of your life no one can guide you like God can he knows everything about you he knows the handicaps in your life he knows the things that you've missed he knows the desires of your heart he knows that you don't have what some other people have but he knows while he created you and he wants you to have a sense of fulfillment in life he does not what you miserable he wants you to have a sense of fulfillment in life you reflect him if you trust in him as your Savior God wants the best for you and he's willing to make the best for you if he will surrender your life to him yield to him and ask the question-- God what would you have me to do in this situation he'll answer that question God is not going to turn a deaf ear to you it making difference what you've done where you've been who you've done it with and the mess you've made of it will he listen if you will cry out to him he will but it begins with this whole issue of surrendering to the will of God do you know what people don't surrender to the will of God because they don't believe God has a will for him that's a reason why should God heaven look at all the billions of people why did God have a will for my life because you're a person he hasn't over look to you he loves you doesn't make a difference where you've been what you've done what's happened the message sure and he loves you just the same listen you cannot alter the love of God for yourself you may think you drunk so much then there's so many situations and circumstances that God won't forgive you God will forgive you period it makes some difference what he's willing to forgive you he's willing to take the mess you've made and turn it into something awesome if you are willing and sometimes you say well I don't deserve it who of us deserves anything that's not the issue this is this if you wonder what he'll do for you watch this carefully first of all look at the cross that's how much he loves you that's what he's done for you first of all he died in order that you may have life and have it more abundantly he died in order to be able to forgive you for the message you've made in your life he died in order to make it possible to take you out of it to give you a new beginning and a new hope I'll never forget a lady who sitting on a second row one Sunday I put one of my photographs up on the screen it was of a sail ship and had it been wrecked and so think I was working on I walked around his lawn twice and I came back I said how about a photograph that for some reason take a picture of it well he was sitting on the second row two weeks later she said I want to tell you something I can hardly tell you this she said I'd made such a mess of my life I was ready to give up she said when you said about that boat that old boat was sail again she said God said to me and you will too you'll sail again tear and I can say to you this morning you've just heard the truth that's all it may have been comforting or very discomforting but I plead with you in Jesus name do not ignore what you've heard because you have an opportunity for God to change your life starting today tell you one more story I purchased the car in another state and so they had to bring it to me it's not because I couldn't have all two here just happen to see what I wanted there and so they brought it to me on this truck and he was all covered up and still uncovered it and I can hardly tell you this when he got my car in the garage he said I understand I won't tell you something I was in prison I'd really messed up my life and we can listen to tapes and sometimes radio he he says the reason I'm so happy to bring you this car is I was listening and God changed my life and I can as an honor just to bring you this car to say thank you for preaching the truth that got to me he got me saved and God will save you if you let him he'll change your life if you let him and that's my prayer father we love you in prision thank you that your goal is not the judges but to love us forgive us for our sins give us that awesome second chance you didn't say we had to deserve it you just said surrender and I pray that every person who hears this message will not be able to escape not be able to escape the truth and be wise enough to surrender their life to you afraid you know one seated here unsaved we confess their sins to you Lord surrender their life give them a new beginning and anyone watching and listening wherever they are in the world will realize that you are there to you'll do for them what we said no matter what no matter where they've been no matter the mess they've made of life you're the god of a second third fourth fifth tenth of chance I pray that you'll bless every person who turns see you Lord in Jesus name Amen you

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 261,408

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Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

Id: HJZ9QLKWgzk

Length: 25min 37sec (1537 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 06 2019