Sermon Outlines . Volume 03 | Issue 11

Your Compass Comes With a Manual

Messages can be found at SherwoodBaptist.net/bookstore.
 
By Michael Catt

Your Compass Comes With A Manual

Selected Scriptures

1. Foundational Truths To Consider.
   1. The ‘Givens’ of God’s will.
   2. What God gives according to Scripture
   Andrew Murray ‘Whether it be the providential will of God or His will in the realm of grace, whether it be God’s will as expressed in His commandments or as revealed in His promises, he who find his very life in doing the will of God will find God Himself and the full blessedness of His presence.’
2. Fundamental Reasons To Seek God’s Will.
   1. God knows our nature.
   2. God knows our future.
   3. God has a purpose for each of us.
3. The Father Sent Jesus To Be Our Example.
   1. He taught us to pray for God’s will.
   2. He lived in the will of God the Father.
   3. What He said and did was in the will of God
   Grant Howard, Knowing God’s Will – And Doing It, “Can I know the determined will of God for my life? Yes – after it has occurred! You know that God’s determined will for your life was that you were born of certain parents, in a certain location, under certain conditions, and that you are male or female. You now know that God determined for you to have certain features, certain experiences, certain teachers, certain interests, certain friends, a certain kind of education, and certain brothers or sisters, or perhaps to be an only child. In other words, everything that has happened in your life to this moment has been part of God’s determined will for your life. It has happened because He has determined it to be so.”
   1. Obey your parents – Eph. 6:1
   2. Don’t marry an unbeliever – 1 Cor. 6:15
   3. Support your family – 1 Tim. 5:8
   4. Give to the Lord’s Work – 2 Cor. 8,9
   5. Prayer – 1 Thess. 5:17
   6. Gathering with believers for worship – Heb. 10@5
   7. Avoid sexual immorality – 1 Thess. 4:3
   8. Live a life of rejoicing – 1 Thess. 5:16 ‘in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’

Where? When? How?

Selected Scriptures

1. Three Conditions That Hinder Us.
   1. Deal with all known sin.
   2. You can’t find what you aren’t looking for.
   3. You must understand that obedience to the revealed will of God is not optional.
2. Three Warnings Regarding Seeking God’s Will.
   1. God will never lead you opposite of what is already revealed in Scripture.
   2. God will not lead you to do something that violates your duties and responsibilities as a believer.
   3. God doesn’t violate your sanctified common sense.
   Vance Havner, “If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge.”

How God Guides – Do I Need A Fleece?

Psalm 32; Exodus 13 & 28; Numbers 10; Judges 6

John Stott, “David’s expression of confidence in God is immediately answered by God’s promise of personal guidance, for in His steadfast love He is concerned not only to forgive the past but also to direct the future…But God’s guidance is not intended to save us the bother of using our own intelligence.”

1. Erroneous Assumptions Regarding God’s Will.
   1. It is wrong to assume yielding to God will lead you to something you hate.
   2. Don’t let a bad decision in your past keep you from God’s will today.
   3. Don’t Assume that God’s will is a one time decision.
   4. Never seek guidance from the occult.
   5. Don’t assume that God’s will is a one time decision.
   Lewis Sperry Chafer, “A yieldedness to the will of God is not demonstrated by some one particular issue; it is rather having taken the will of God as the rule of one’s life. To be in the will of God is simply being willing to do His will without reference to any particular thing He may choose. It is electing His will to be final, even before we know what He may wish us to do. It is therefore not a question of being willing to do some one thing; it is a question of being willing to do anything, when, where and how it may seem best in His heart of love. It is taking the normal and natural position of childlike trust.”
2. Examples Of How God Guided In The Old Testament.
   1. The Pillar of Cloud and Fire. Exod. 13:21ff
   2. The Blowing of the Trumpets. Numbers 10:1-9
   3. The Urim and Thummin. Exod. 28:30
   4. Putting out a Fleece. Judges 6
   There are four problems with the idea of putting out a fleece:
   1. Gideon wasn’t ignorant of God’s will. vs. 36, 37
   2. A fleece is evidence of doubt, not faith.
   3. A fleece is nothing less than ordering God.
   4. The fleece didn’t solve his problem.
3. Eternal Truths Regarding God’s Will.
   1. God doesn’t give guidance as much as He gives a guide.
   2. The will of God is not mechanical, it’s relational.
   3. God guides according to the principles, precepts of His Word.
   Elisabeth Elliot, in A Slow and Certain Light, writes, “There is one thing we ought to notice about these miracles. When God guided by means of the pillar of cloud and fire, by the star of Bethlehem, by visitations of angels, by the word coming through visions and dreams and prophets and even through an insulted donkey, in most cases these were not signs that had been asked for. And when they were asked for, as in the case of Jehoshaphat and Ahab, they were not accepted. Supernatural phenomena were given at the discretion of the divine wisdom. It is not for us to ask that God will guide us in some miraculous way.”

The Compass Of The Word

1. The Word Is God’s Final Revelation Of Truth For Living. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. J. Oswald Sanders, “It is wrong to pluck historical statements of fact from their context and try to fit them to our own circumstances.” Charles Spurgeon, “What is the mariner without his compass? And what is the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction, to the haven of salvation are mapped and marked by the One who knows all the way.” How Can the Word Guide Your Life?
   • Saturate yourself in it.
   • Examine your plans in light of it.
   • Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your study.
2. Warnings About Misuse of Scripture
   1. Don’t try to be cute.
   2. Don’t rush to conclusions.
   3. Don’t seek to be guided, ask to be used.
   4. Don’t limit your seeking to big decisions.
   Vance Havner, “Long ago my parents put into my hands the Word of God. They told me that it would be lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. There have been times when the winds threatened to put out its glow and the storms seemed almost to overcome it. There were times when I was tempted to lay it down and make my way unaided. But I am almost home – and I have never been more sure of my torch. I pass it on to you. It may look old-fashioned in this nuclear age but man’s little flashlights are failing fast and more poor souls are groping in the darkness than ever before. Let critics scorn and the cynics laugh – this light will lead you home.”

Listen To The Spirit

ROMANS 8:14

John Wesley, “Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, or revelations to be from God. They MAY be from Him, but they MAY be from nature, they MAY be from the devil. Therefore, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be from God.”

1. The Role Of The Holy Spirit In Scripture.
   1. Old Testament.
      • limited in extent
      • limited in purpose
      • limited in time
      • limited in effect
   2. New Testament.
      • unlimited in extent
      • unlimited in purpose
      • unlimited in duration
      • unlimited in effect
   
   Three Essential Truths From These Verses:
   1. Knowing the will of God is not a matter of feelings as much as understanding.
   2. Understanding the will of God makes you wise.
   3. Being filled with the Spirit is essential if you want to know God’s will.
2. The Role Of The Holy Spirit In Specifics.
   1. Emotions & Feelings Vacillate – The Spirit Takes Us To The Word For Confirmation. John Walvoord, “Guidance, while similar to the teaching work of the Holy Spirit has a different character. While the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is directed to making clear the meaning of the Word, guidance is making the application of the truths. Guidance is always deductive, that is, the application of general principles to the particular problem at hand…”
   2. The Spirit Will Not Lead You To Do Anything Irrational. Hannah Whitehall Smith in Religious Fanaticism, pg. 164, “Beware of impressions, beware of emotions, beware of physical thrills, beware of voices, beware of everything, in short, that is not according to the strict Bible standard and to your own highest reason.”
   3. The Leadership Of The Spirit Will Involve Outer Confirmation.
3. The Spirit Of God And The Peace Of God. 2 Principles to follow in regard to Peace:
   1. Don’t worry about anything. Philippians 4:6
   2. Pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

Passing The Test Of Obeying God’s Will

Genesis 22:1-14

1. God’s Will Leads To Tests Of Our Faith. F. B. Meyer, “Nothing else in the circumference of his life could have been such a test as anything connected with the heir of promise, the child of his old age. The laughter of his life. So, he put him to the supreme test, so that all might subsequently know that a mortal man could love God so much as to put Him first.” Two Key Truths to Remember:
   1. God’s tests are evidence of trust.
   2. He always prepares us for the coming test.
2. God’s Testing Is A Process.
   1. There is an immediate response required.
      1. God
      2. Possessions
      3. Plans
      4. People
3. God’s Testing Is About Developing Our Faith. A.W. Tozer, “It’s doubtful God can use anyone greatly until he’s hurt him deeply.” Warren Wiersbe, “We don’t live by explanations, we live by promises.”
   Three thoughts:
   1. Whatever you are clinging to is usually what God asks of you.
   2. That which you give to God is sanctified.
   3. God rewards those who walk by faith.

The Compass And The Path

Proverbs 3:5,6

Samuel Shoemaker, “Religion when it is fresh and vital, is never afraid either of the cost…but when it cools it wants rules and systems, wants to avoid personal searching…”

1. Trust Jehovah With All Your Heart. “trust” –
   
2. Do Not Lean On Your Own Understanding. John Bunyan, “Make conscience of beginning the day with God.” Andrew Bonar, “Unless I get up to the measure of at least two hours in pure prayer every day I shall not be satisfied.” Charles Swindoll, “If you want to spend an exhausting day, try to work out your circumstances leaning on your human viewpoint. Chase down all the possibilities you can think of. When you hit a dead-end street, back out, then turn down into another one. Drive fast, then slam on your brakes. Try a dash of panic, a pinch of fear, add a tablespoon of manipulation, three cups of scheming and a handful of pills. When you are through, consider where you have been.” If I lean on my own understanding, it is impossible for me to do two things:
   1. Have all the facts.
   2. Have unbiased judgment.
3. In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him. Guidance and prayerlessness never go together. Psalm 23
   John 14:1-6
4. He Will Rightly Divide Your Paths. This Is A Promise That Is The Result Of Obeying The Three Imperatives. God’s Word is full of examples of His leading. Promises He will lead us:
   • out of bondage, Ex. 15:13
   • in the wilderness, Deut. 8:1
   • with His voice, Isa. 30:20b
   • with the law, Neh. 9:13
   • through trials, Ps. 31:3
   • like a Shepherd, Ps. 78:52
   • By His Spirit and His Word, Rom. 8:14
   • for eternity, Rev. 7:17
   Hannah Whitall Smith, “Remember that God has all knowledge and wisdom, and that it is very possible that He may guide you into paths where He knows great blessings are awaiting you, but which, to short-sighted human eyes, seem sure to result in confusion and loss. You must recognize the fact that God’s thoughts are not as man’s thoughts, nor His ways as man’s ways.”

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

Matthew 6:10

‘Hallowed be Your name’ – is a cry of adoration.

‘Your kingdom come’ – is a cry of anticipation.

At the time of Jesus, all lands were kingdoms. A kingdom is a sphere of influence.

• empires with emperors
• monarchies with monarchs
• nomadic tribes with chieftains

George Beasley-Murray, “The kingdom of God in the Bible primarily means God exercising His sovereign power in judgment and salvation.”

1. It Is Present. ‘The kingdom of God is at hand…’ Jesus often pictured the kingdom by saying, ‘The kingdom of God is like…’
   seed that is sown and yields a harvest – Matt. 13
   • a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree – Mk. 4
   • a small amount of yeast that leavens a lump of dough – Luke 13
   • a drag net which captures an abundance of fish – Matt. 13
   • a great feast – Matt. 22; Mk. 8; Luke 14
2. It Is Prophetic. Peter Lewis, “When we pray, ‘your kingdom come,’ we should realize that we are praying about something very serious. We are praying about something that will be as terrible to some as it will be joyful to others. We are praying for the closing of the door as well as opening of the gates; the final exclusion of the unbelieving, including the undecided, as well as the entrance of the redeemed and reconciled race into its destiny, the kingdom prepared for it from the foundation of the world. We are praying for the end of the old order with its space for repentance as well as its pain and its tears.”
3. It Is Personal.
   1. It begins with salvation.
   2. It has a secret and a source.
   3. The Word provides your stability and security.