Discerning God's Will

Colossians 1:9-10: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge
of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,
and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Every Christian should learn how to discern the will of God for their lives, and follow it.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."
God wants us to know His will.

Paul is praying that the Christians in the church at Colosse should know His will.
Not knowing God's will could result in doctrinal compromise and shallow Christian living.
Pagan philosophy and Jewish legalism were being mixed with Christian beliefs
by some of the religious teachers at Colosse.

The text is the prayer of concern by Paul that the christian would avoid doctrinal compromise.
There are three major request that we find in this our Scripture passage.

First is that the Christian "be filled with the knowledge of God's will." (Verse 9)

Religious knowledge and the knowledge of God's will is not always the same.
Much religious knowledge is not only in conflict with the will of God,
but it can also destroy God's work in the world.
We have seen that happen in some of the cults of our day.

This prayer request confirms a need and a particular religious knowledge
-- the knowledge of God's will.

Leslie D. Weatherhead, in his book, "The Will of God," divided the knowledge
of God's will into three points.
Here is some of what he said about the will of God:

"We said that the phrase "the will of God" is used so loosely as to land us
not only in a confusion of mind but in a torment of feeling.
When a dear one dies, we call it "the will of God," though the measures
we used to prevent death could hardly be called fighting against the will of God,
and if they had been successful we should have thanked God with deep feeling
that in the recovery of that dear one his will had been done.

Similarly, when sadness, disease, and calamity overtake men they sometimes say
with resignation, "God's will be done," when the opposite of his will has been done.
When Jesus healed men's bodies and gladdened men's lives in Palestine,
he was doing the will of God, not undoing or defeating it."

Therefore, Weatherhead divided his subject into these three divisions:
"The intentional will of God - God's ideal plan for man.
The circumstantial will of God - God's plan within certain circumstances.
The ultimate will of God - God's final realization of his purposes."

It is important that we be filled with the knowledge God's will in order to avoid
doctrinal compromise and also to strengthen our walk with Christ.
So, how can we know the will of God for us?
How can we know that it is not our will, or that of others who try to advise us?

What is it to be "filled with the knowledge of His will."
This means the revealed will of God!

Paul wanted the Colossian Christians to know what the Lord has revealed,
as far as the human mind could grasp it.
Our daily prayer should be something like this:

"Lord, what will You have me do?"
Lord, teach me what is sin and what is righteousness,
that I may discern things which are excellent.
Lord help me not to care to know what is the will of others,
or even what is my will, but what is YOUR will!"

Another message that we receive from this passage is that the church
must practice God's will "in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." (Verse 9)

As Christians, we need not only to know, but to wisely use what we know!
This means knowing what to do at the right time!
Many have knowledge, but to be filled with wisdom is to be able to apply
knowledge in the right way at the right time even in difficult situations.

The knowledge of God should always lead to "wisdom" or insight.
It should also lead us to perceive spiritual values and the goals
that make doing God's will first and foremost.
That knowledge also leads to "spiritual understanding,"
or the ability to apply the principles in our lives that we receive from God.

The result of this will cause us to "walk worthy of the Lord."
Then, our conduct is not only freed from practices of wrongdoing,
but it also provides for us to do right.

I read of a three-year-old son who was proudly wearing one of his father's
World War II ribbons of honor.
When time for the evening meal came, His father noticed it, and said to his son,
"What act of bravery did you do to get that?"

The little boy answered, "I didn't get into trouble for 30 minutes."

A smiling mother explained that she had offered this ribbon as reward
if the boy would stay out of the kitchen while she worked on a new recipe.
So the father said to his son: "Thank you, I'm proud of you."

The boy had a big grin on his face, and then said:
"I'm a good boy! I stayed out of trouble."

Staying out of trouble is not enough for those who seek and discover
the knowledge of God's will.
We are to live in the truth as our way of life.

Following God's will in many different situations doesn't have verses
in the Bible to give us an explicit answer.
But we stay true to God when we apply biblical principles that express
wisdom and spiritual understanding.

There are many times we have been confronted with some issues and behavior
of right and wrong and we cannot find an explicit biblical answer.
So, let's take a look at some questions that we may ask ourselves:

Will it bring glory to God?
"Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or what ever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
(1 Corinthians 10:31)

Will it lead us into temptation?
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:13)

Will it enslave me?
"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
(1 Corinthians 6:12)

Will it defile my body?
"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own." (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Will it damage my influence on others?
"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth,
or is offended, or is made weak." (Romans 14:21)

Does it create doubt about doing the will of God in my life?
"For whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

If we seek spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding,
we can know God's will, and we can practice it.

Another thing we must do is to focus fully on pleasing the Lord by
"being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Verse 10)

God grant us the ability to know His will, and then to obey it.
Look at that verse again:
"That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful."

Paul is saying that we must produce the best fruit.
Without knowledge, we cannot be fruitful and cannot bring forth the right kind of fruit.
So we must walk worthy so that we may abundantly produce the best fruit
unto of the glory God.
He says, "fruitful in every good work."
We should be full of good works which will please our gracious God.

It is tremendously important that we please our God.
But there are times when we are faced with a dilemma between pleasing people
and pleasing God.

We are aware of peer pressure that is exerted on our young people,
and we can understand that they wish to be accepted by their friends.
Adults also want to be accepted.
Adults are also tempted to compromise Christian principles when they are pressured
to do things that they shouldn't do by employers and friends, and even from family members.

Seeking God's guidance means striving to please God regardless
of the cost to our business, our friendships, and our family relationships.
It is the only way to increase our knowledge of God.

A commitment to seek God's will is tremendously important to every Christian.
Much of our problem in hearing the will of God is our willingness to go wherever God leads.
This is true because we usually have a strong preference as to what we want.
So, we must get our hearts right, and be willing to go wherever God leads,
and to do whatever He would have us do.
Here are some ways that we can use to determine God's will for us.
First, we must feed upon His Word.

Then, to discern God's will, we must prayerfully evaluate the circumstances
that God has providentially brought into our lives.

We must also discern the will of God by acting on biblical principles,
and not human wisdom.

We must also discern the will of God by listening and evaluating
the counsel of godly believers.

To discern God's will we must also grow to know Him intimately
through His Word and His Spirit.

To discern God's will, we must give ourselves to God completely.
We must not trust our feelings.
Our feelings can change with the weather.
Our feelings don't necessarily correspond to the will of God.

I read somewhere about a young lady that describes why we shouldn't
depend on our feelings.
The story is about a young lady praying about where to go to college,
and then, she read of the Lord's words to Jacob, "Arise, go to Bethel."
Since her denomination had a college of that name,
she decided that God was telling her to go to Bethel College.

I hope that she when got there, she did not obey Amos 4:4 which says,
"Go to Bethel and sin."

Just because we are excited about something doesn't mean that it's going to happen.
Just because we don't like something doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it.
So, we must look to the Word of God for His clear principles.
We need the instruction that His Word provides
God will speak to us through His Word, and will always point us in the right direction.

We must also consider our circumstances.
Circumstances are important.
How much money we have?
How much time we have?
Where we live?
What our grades are?
What our health is like?

All of these things and others are important circumstances.
They shouldn't be taken alone, but they are important, and they will help us.
Of course the most important that we must do is is to ask God to reveal His will to us.
This is so important.
We should always be praying to God to make His will clear to us.

And as we get our heart right, and our willingness to follow His will, God will will guide us!
Then we have to a decision to make.
We must want what God wants for us.
We must want to please Him above all others.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord!
"Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me."

Let us pray:
"Our father, we want to learn how to discern your will for our lives.
We want what you want in our lives and we want to be where you want us to be.
Dear God help us always to seek your will.
Enable us to believe, and then enable us to obey.
We ask these things in the name of Jesus.
Amen."

Sermon adapted from several sources by Dr. Harold L. White