Know His Will [Part I]

Key Theme: Believers are to seek God’s will for their lives continually. 

Good morning everyone. Welcome to Sunday School. Today we begin the new series of the lesson titled “Know His Will.” 

After people are saved, they usually ask “now what”? 

They acknowledged that they are sinners. They trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified, shed His blood, buried and resurrected. They asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save them.

Is that all for Christianity?

Not at all. 

Now, it is just the beginning.

The very next question believers often asked is “how do I know the will of God for my life?”

One of the goals for believers is to find out what God would like him or her to achieve in their lives and then to be able to accomplish it. 

For believers, success is measured by doing what God wants them to do.

We can thank God for He has revealed to us in the Bible of what His will is.

As believers, we can know the will of God.

Let us read our key verse for this lesson in [Romans 12:2] aloud all together.

Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Everyone would like to have joy in their lives. True happiness does not come from having more money, loving wives or obedient children.

Pure joy for the believers is when they follow God’s will.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our great example of this Biblical truth. Let us read [Luke 22:42].

Luke 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

During the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, all He did was to do the will of God the Father. The passage we just read was the scene when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. 

He already knew what awaited Him in the very next hours. He knew that He will be betrayed.

Be abandoned by the disciples. Suffered agony and pain. Eventually, be put to death by the crucifixion.

All of these must be done and come to pass so that the Scriptures can be fulfilled. It must be done so that the sin of the world can be settled.

We know the Lord Jesus Christ as the God-Man.

In His human nature, He faced the toughest temptation at that moment. Nevertheless, He still prayed. 

The Lord Jesus Christ prayed.
…not my will, but thine, be done.

This must be our example.

Have you ever prayed and asked God 
“Lord, what would you like me to do here at IIBC?”

For believers, it is such a big blessing to know and do things correctly according to the will of God in their lives.

You all would like to know the will of God, right? 

Now listen carefully. You can know the will of God. 

How? 

Read the Bible. You do not need to guess. God already wrote it in that book! 

Then continue to pray. It is as simple as that. 

Before you can experience God’s blessing in His perfect will, you must know what His will is. 

Sadly, many believers do not even take time to study it. 

They do not pray. They do not consult mature believers. They ended up doing things that are not the will of God for their lives. As a result, they lead unsuccessful and unhappy experiences in the eyes of God.

Today we will take a closer look at the will of God based on what the Bible said.

It is the will of God that all be saved.

Yes, you hear me correctly. God would like all be saved! 

Now please help me out. Let us read [Matthew 7:21].

Matthew 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

OK. Then go to [Mark 3:35].

Mark 3:35  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Next verse, please read [1 John 2:17].

1 John 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Did you notice something in these three verses? 

…doeth the will of my Father. [Matthew 7:21]
…do the will of God. [Mark 3:35]
…doeth the will of God. [1 John 2:17]

They all pointed out to us that we are to do the will of God.

These verses all indicated that when we follow that will of God, it can save us!

Now we need to investigate further of what is that will of God. 

Let us read [John 6:40].

John 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This is an explicit verse to tell you the will of God. 

God would like everyone to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that they can have everlasting life. 

Why is that?

Please read [2 Peter 3:9].

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Because He is 
…not willing that any should perish.

But to turn from trusting in themselves to earn way to heaven to fully trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation!

So, when you share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ of his death, burial, and resurrection to others, you can be sure that you are doing the will of God. 

It is the will of God that every Christian be sanctified.

What does it mean “to be sanctified”?

OK. In church, you will often hear these terms such as “separation,” “sanctification,” “holiness” and “saints.” 

All of these terms have the primary meaning of “to set apart.”

When we say that God is holy, that means He is “set apart” from all His creation in righteousness. 

When we say the Bible is holy, we mean it is “set apart” from all other books.

When we say Christians is to pursue a holy living, we mean we are to live a pure life set apart from evil.

I would like to show you from the Bible. Let us go to [1 Thessalonians 4:1-7].

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

1 Thessalonians 4:2  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

1 Thessalonians 4:4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

1 Thessalonians 4:5  Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

1 Thessalonians 4:6  That no mango beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

1 Thessalonians 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Our society is on the downhill of sexual immorality. 

What the Bible says purity, the world says it is old-schooled. 

A man marries with a woman. It used to be straightforward.

But now the world promotes what they call an alternative lifestyle of homosexuality! 

God saves you so that you can be set apart from the world! 

When the believers live like the non-believers [who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ], they are not doing the will of God!

If the believers are not living a sanctified life, then God is not pleased with them nor can He bless them with His future plan.

I know this is hard for believers in our current day and age. 

God has a way out.  Always remember [Galatians 5:16].

Galatians 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Remember this does not happen automatically and naturally. 

It requires your effort too. 

Pray and ask God to help you live a sanctified life and He will answer. 

How do I know? 

Because it is His will.

Today you know two wills of God.

Now choose what you will do with them.

Full teaching script is adapted from King James Bible Study Correspondence Course. “The Will of God”, An Outreach of Highway Evangelistic Ministries, http://www.kjvbiblestudy.com/pdf/english/Lesson_07_The_Will_of_GOD.pdf.