3-22-26 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

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TIME TO DECIDE: The Will of God in Our Lives - Tools of the Trade 3-22-26

TIME TO DECIDE: The Will of God in Our Lives - Tools of the Trade 3-22-26

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Conventional approach - corn maze, target, Magic 8-ball

 

Ordinary guidance and supernatural surprises

 

I. OPEN DOORS

 

            Poptheology - a popular notion that does not come from Biblical theology

 

            A. "Open door" theology

 

Often the ease of a situation is what determines if it is an "open" or "closed" door

                        Convenience

                       

Jonah's ship sailing for Tarshish was not an open door.  It wasn't God's providential hand.  It was convenient.

 

            B. Many times the difficulty of a situation points us to the right action.

                        Difficult discussions, confessing sin, confronting sin, repentance

                        Asking Paula to marry me.  

We fought every inconvenience - kidnapping, her dad, distance, my fear

 

II. FLEE THE FLEECE

 

Judges 6:36-40 NIV

 

“Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.”

            Judges 6:36-40 NIV

 

            A. Seems a Biblical approach but asks for supernatural response to a normal situation

                        God is not a Magic 8-ball.

The whole approach sounds dangerously close to Jesus words   in Matthew 4:7 NIV.

 

Matthew 4:7 NIV

 

“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’””

            Matthew 4:7 NIV

 

            B. We are not encouraged to do what Gideon did.  

 

Another point of Poptheology is that if you see it in the Bible you can do the same thing and expect the same result.  If the passage does not also teach us to do the same thing, then perhaps we should not expect the same result.

 

                        By the way, the book of Judges is summed up in the passage,

 

Judges 21:25b NIV

 

"everyone did as they saw fit." 

            Judges 21:25b NIV

 

III. RANDOM IS AS RANDOM DOES

 

            A. Random is random

 

Guy dating Becky on January 24 was reading his Bible reading plan which had him reading Genesis 24.  He gets to the end of the chapter and reads "and he married Rebekah.  So she became his wife, and he loved her."

 

            The person who reads 

 

2 Samuel 7:3 NIV

 

“Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.””

            2 Samuel 7:3 NIV

 

            B. Is that a word from the Lord, or words from the Word of God?

 

            Random Reading – Be careful looking for guidance

           

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8 NIV

            “Then he (Judas) went away and hanged himself." Matthew 27:5b NIV

            “Go and do likewise.”” Luke 10:37b NIV

            “So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” John 13:27b NIV

 

The great hymn writer and pastor John Newton (1725-1807) knew this truth.  Once he was considering a call to a church in Warwick, England.  At first, Newton thought God was promising him great success if he took the call.  "I remember, in going to undertake the care of a congregation, I was reading, as I walked in the green lane, 'Fear not, Paul, I have much people in this city.'  But I soon afterward was disappointed to find that Paul was not John and that Corinth was not Warwick."  Newton realized that while the Bible may promise many things, it did I not promise him great success in Warwick.  He was wise enough to see the folly in seeking guidance through random Bible verses.

 

"Others, when in doubt, have opened the Bible at a venture," Newton wrote elsewhere, "and expected to find something to direct them in the first verse they should cast their eyes upon.  It is no small discredit to this practice that the heathens, who knew not the Bible, used some their favorite books in the same way . . . For if people will be governed by the occurrence of a single text of Scripture, without regarding the context, or duly comparing it with the general tenor of the Word of God, and with their own circumstances, they may commit the greatest extravagances, expect the greatest impossibilities, and contradict the plainest dictates of common sense, while they think they have the word of God on their side."

 

IV. IMPRESSIONS AS IMPRESSION

 

            A. Impressionist art

 

Have you ever misjudged someone based on feeling, intuition, hunch?

                        God can speak through intuition, hunch, gut feelings

           

            B. Subjective interpretation

 

                        Even following earnest prayer, we are still fallible.  

On issues not clearly laid out in Scripture, we should not claim more authority for our plans than the nature of impressions allows.

 

DON'T MANIPULATE OR ABUSE THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE!

 

Newton's approach "In general, he [God] guides and directs his people by  affording them, in answer to prayer, the light of his Holy Spirit, which enables them to understand and to love the Scriptures.  The Word of God is not to be used as a lottery; not is it designed to instruct us by shreds and scraps, which, detached from their proper places, have no determinative imports; but it is to furnish us with just principles, right apprehensions to regulate our judgments and affections, and thereby to influence and direct our conduct."

 

In other words, God gives us wisdom.  That's what the writer of Proverbs means when it says,

 

Proverbs 2:9 NIV

 

“Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.”

            Proverbs 2:9 NIV

 

CONCLUSION

 

God opens and closes doors.  Do not expect a fleece to tell you anything. Random events should not be made into more than what they are - random patterns. Impressions like art are personal and subjective. Use the wisdom God has given you in His word and listen to others who are wiser than you.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

3-18-26 S.U.M. It Up!

 

3-15-26 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

 

TIME TO DECIDE: The Will of God in Our Lives - Ordinary Guidance and Supernatural Surprises 3-15-26

TIME TO DECIDE: The Will of God in Our Lives - Ordinary Guidance and Supernatural Surprises 3-15-26

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Conventional Approach to the will of God - 1. Corn maze 2. Target 3. Magic 8-ball

 

God guides us direction in decision making v. God expects us to discover His plan for our lives.

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV

 

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

            Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV

 

            1.  The revelation about Jesus

            2.  The revelation through the Spirit of Christ speaking through the Scriptures

 

I. HOW GOD GUIDES

 

Guidance and the Voice of God by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne

 

5 STATEMENTS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND GOD'S GUIDANCE IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

 

            1.  God guides us by His invisible providence all the time.

 

Ephesians 1:11 NIV

 

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,”

            Ephesians 1:11 NIV

 

            2.  God can speak to His people in many different ways, guiding them with their conscious cooperation.

 

                        Statement one speaks of the behind the scenes "hand of God" where this refers to the voice of God communicating with us and directing us by our conscious cooperation.

 

                        Still small voice, Angels, dreams, inner promptings, a donkey, burning bush, writing on a wall 

 

            3.  In these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son.  

 

                        Hebrews is an extended argument for the supremacy of Jesus

                                    Superior to   Angels

                                                                                    Levitical high priests

                                                                                    the blood of bulls and goats

                                                                                    other ways of revelation

 

Hebrews 1:3 NIV

 

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

            Hebrews 1:3 NIV

 

Hebrews 1:2 NIV

 

“but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

            Hebrews 1:2 NIV

 

                        Centered in Jesus

 

            4.  God Continues to Speak to us by His Son Through His Spirit in the Scriptures.

 

                        When Hebrews was written Jesus was already gone.  The Spirit through the Word.

                        God not only has spoken in the Scriptures, but He continues to speak through the Scriptures.

 

Hebrews 3:7 NIV

 

“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,”

            Hebrews 3:7 NIV

 

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

 

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

            Hebrews 4:12 NIV

 

                        The idea in Hebrews 1-4

                                    1.  God can speaks in many ways.

                                    2.  In these last days, God has spoken by his Son.

                                    3.  God speaks to us by His Son through the Holy Spirit speaking by the living and active Word of God.

                       

            5.  Apart from the Spirit working through Scripture, God does not promise to use any other means to guide us, nor should we expect Him to.

 

                        Kevin De Young in his book, Just Do Something, says, "When we read the Bible, we know we are hearing from God.  We are not only reading what God has inspired by the Spirit, but what He continues to say by the same Spirit.  By contrast, hearing from God outside the Bible in these last days is always more tenuous, less clear, and less authoritative.  We have no promise in Scripture that God will speak to us apart from the Spirit speaking through His Word."

 

II. DON'T EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

 

"But wait just a minute, God seems to be more creative than you give Him credit for.  Even if we figure that the Old Testament was different era, what about the Holy Spirit dwelling in us?  Doesn't He guide us?  And what about the Book of Acts?  Don't we see God showing up in miraculous events and speaking to His people in surprising ways?"

 

            Examples

                        A vision to Ananias - Acts 9:10-16

                        A vision of unclean animals - Acts 10:10-17

                        A vision of a man of Macedonia - Acts 16:6-10

                        A vision in Corinth - Acts 18:9

                        A vision on the road to Damascus - Acts 22:17-21

                        Angel appear to Philip - Acts 8:26

                        Angel appear to Peter - Acts 12:7-8

                        Angel appears to Paul - Acts 27:23

                        Audible voices - Acts 9:3-6

                        Audible voices - Acts 10:13, 15, 19-20, 

                        Audible voices - Acts 23:11

                        Mysterious promptings to go somewhere - Acts 8:29 

                        Mysterious promptings to go somewhere - Acts 20:22-23

                        A prediction of the future from the prophet Agabus - Acts 21:10-11

 

            Reasons to believe these are not meant to be a normal pattern for our lives

                        1.  It's important to realize that those events of special revelation weren't normal even for the apostles.

                        2.  When we look carefully at the instances of special revelation in the book of Acts - visions, Angels, audible voices, promptings, etc. - we notice one very important and consistent fact. These extraordinary means of guidance were not sought. 

 

Bruce Waltke, Old Testament scholar, said well, 

 

"Any time you take the Bible out of context you destroy the intent of God's Word. That's why you cannot take instances of special revelation and make them normative for the Christian experience . . . When he [Paul] did experience a special revelation, seeing a vision of a man calling him to Macedonia, he obeyed.  But the special revelation of God was a rare and unique experience, even for Paul . . . We cannot take special circumstances and make them the norm by which we live our lives.  Special revelation for guidance was not the normal apostolic experience.  And at the time it was received (by Paul, by Philip, by Peter as he lay on his roof) it was not being sought . . . Special revelation came at a time when God wanted o lead them apart from the normal ways in which His people make choices."

 

Donald Gee, Assembly of God theologian said, 

 

"[There are] grave problems raised by the habit of giving and receiving personal "messages" of guidance through the gifts of the Spirit . . . The Bible gives a place for such direction from the Holy Spirit . . . But it must be kept in proportion.  An examination of the Scriptures will show us that as a matter of fact the early Christians did not continually receive such voices from heaven.  In most cases they made their decisions by the use of what we often call "sanctified common sense" and lived quite normal lives. May of our errors where spiritual gifts are concerned arise when we want to make the extraordinary and exceptional to be made frequent and habitual.  Let all who develop excessive desire for "messages" through the gifts take warning from the wreckage of past generations as well as contemporaries . . . The Holy Scriptures are a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path."

 

GOD CAN USE EXTRAORDINARY MEANS, BUT THEY ARE, BY DEFINITION, OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND NOT TO BE EXPECTED!           

 

CONCLUSION

 

God guides us the revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. God can guide through extraordinary means, but they are extraordinary. Utilize what God has given us and remain open to surprises.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.