Sunday, March 6, 2022 Notes for the hearing impaired follow the video.
Romans 12:1-2 KJVS
[1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [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.
Sir Isaac Newton identified three laws of physics that always hold true when it comes to the concept of motion. #1–An object will not change its motion unless a force acts on it. #2–The force on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration. #3–For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If a moving object changes its direction, the change has a cause for occurring, the force created by the change can be measured, and the change in direction can be identified and mapped out.
When we decide to repent of our sins, ask for forgiveness and then are forgiven by God because of having faith in Jesus, our lives change direction spiritually and physically. That change is caused by our being acted on by the force of the good news about Jesus. Our change in lifestyle can be measured by looking at the differences in our thoughts, words and actions that exist because of the impact the good news makes on how we now behave. Our futures can be identified and predicted because we no longer are spiritually dead in sins, but are alive in Christ and are promised a place in God’s heavenly presence.
When an object has its direction, location or position changed in nature, there is an underlying purpose for why the change is made. Rivers are dammed up to create hydroelectric plants. Hills are leveled to build airports. Atoms are smashed together to create power.
Our lives are re-created through the power of the Holy Spirit’s influence for a purpose, too. We are made into new creatures who live under the new spiritual law of grace, mercy and faith so we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The word “prove” has a special meaning in the scripture here in Romans. It means to test or scrutinize to determine if something is genuine or not.
When we present our lives to God as living sacrifices and are transformed by the renewing of our minds, this deliberate action on our parts enables us to determine what the will of God is for our lives. Our transformation occurs so we can know and live in God’s will.
You might ask, “How can I know God’s will? How can I be sure about what God wants me to do?” To find the answer to these questions, we look to scriptures once more.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12,16 KJVS
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The Holy Spirit that drew you to repentance and forgiveness is the same Holy Spirit who will help you find God’s will for your life. John 16:13 tells us that that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and will lead us into all truth. That truth includes what God wants for your life.
Allow me to share a little from how God has guided my life as an example of how God can reveal His will to you. I had been involved in several different types of independent ministry after I began teaching to make a living for my family. While I was reading the Bible one day, the Holy Spirit led me to scriptures that deal with being under spiritual authority. I realized that I needed a spiritual covering for my ministry. That’s why I became a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God. The Holy Spirit will guide you through what He reveals to you in scripture. To learn God’s will, read His written word.
After I began the process of being credentialed, the Holy Spirit responded to my prayers for what to do next in ministry by putting me into contact with a group of people who needed a Pastor. Because I was seeking guidance and wisdom to know how to proceed in ministry through prayer, God opened a new door of ministry for me. Having sincere, heartfelt talks with God will result in the Holy Spirit putting you in the right place at the right time with the right people in response to your prayers for guidance. To learn God’s will, pray.
One time I was standing in a foyer waiting to greet a missions speaker when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and let me know He was releasing me from my duties in that situation. I wanted to make sure that it was God speaking to me. For the next three months, I sought confirmation that it was indeed God’s voice I had heard, and, through a series of events, He showed me I had done all I could do there. God will speak to you and confirm what He says by using other people’s actions, and those other people will not realize He is using them to reveal His will to you. To learn God’s will, listen to His voive.
Sometimes God will put another person in your path who will speak into your life in such a way that, when you look back on the experience later, you realize the Holy Spirit was beginning a process that would reveal His will for a dream He wants you to pursue. That’s the case in our Children’s and Youth Ministry we call Youth United @ The Landing. That dream began with a simple conversation I had almost ten years ago with a young girl where we were ministering.
I had asked her what would benefit her and others like her? She said she would love to see a place built where young people could meet with friends and just relax and visit with them without being pressured into doing sinful things. That idea was not to become a reality in that particular congregation. The seed for our ministry here was planted that day. It took several years to begin to grow. But the seed is becoming a plant that will grow into something beautiful and powerful in the future. To learn God’s will, pay attention to what is said and done by others around you.
The Holy Spirit will reveal God’s good, acceptable and perfect will for your life as you are transformed into the image of Jesus. He will use scripture, prayer, people and events to direct your path. He will guide you into God’s will for your life and reveal the mind of Christ to you. Be patient, listen for His voice and follow Him into the future.