Discerning And Doing God's Will

I don't likely sure is so wired, scorned my own clichés.

This clichés that goes in this and if I got one dollar for every outer been a rich man or if I have one dime for every object I can tell you truthfully that if I received one dollar for every person who came to me and said I want to know what the will of God is for my life.

I think out of enrichment.

People are forever asking what is God's will for my life. What is God's will for me. How can I discern the will of God. How do I know the voice of God when I hear it and when somebody young in the face ask such a question. It is understandable. It is incumbent upon us who are more mature in the face to walk alongside of them and help them how to discern the will of God.

But I want to tell you when somebody has been walking with the Lord for a long time and are constantly want to know what the will of God for the lifers we want to discern the will of God for the life there is something wrong about their walk on. Explain the two if I is a husband who been married to my wife for 25 years if I do not know what comfort shirt and what discomfiture if I do not know what discourages her and what encourages her. If I do not know what motivates and what the motivation if I do not know what pleases her and what displeases her. That is something wrong with my relationship with her.

I'll be living with her for 25 years, but I don't really know her. I'm saying some elbows flying there. Even Freud said women who can understand less because I believe Freud was a fraud. I think intimacy at any relationship dictates that I get to know that person.

It means that he or she is no longer a stranger to me, it means that he or she is no longer an enigma to me it means that I would know how they think I would know their desires. I would know the principles by which they operate in life I would know their value. I would know that character that I would know what pleases him.

And what displeases them and I want to tell you I know also that this takes time.

Decks effort and takes energy and it takes commitment and I believe with all my heart. This relates perfectly knowing discerning understanding and comprehending the will of God in your life and mine and at times in my life when I am not able to discern the will of God for me. I always discover after the time and all the Lord is so graciously shows me later on that the reason I could not discern his will. The reason I could not comprehend his will is because I was out of his will.

Whenever I have had a hard time knowing the mind of God. For me it is because there is something in my life that is out of kilter with his will that is stopping me from knowing him hearing them and understanding what he wants me to do. Then there are times when I have said to the Lord, Lord, I want to know you will listen carefully. Please, but in reality is what I was doing in reality I really did not want to know it. Why did not want to know the will of God while I'm praying.

Sincerely, I want to know what deep down the something and we did not want to know the will of God because it is a hunch inside of me that tells me that if I found that the word of God. I don't want to know it. I don't want to do it. I don't obey it. What I'm really hoping for is that God would change his mind.

What am I doing at this point is what I'm giving him, saying, Lord, give me my will by way of heaven. Give me my will by way of your blessing Lord let me answer my own prayers and then of course there are people who are always praying for a son to know the will of God. I'm sure none of you are in this category you have never prayed for us another some sincerity in that not know people are sincere about asking for a sign and I believe the Lord knows the sincerity of our hearts, and he answers accordingly.

But I have a suspicion that so many people always asking for a sign because they want to use that as a divergent rate tactic to actually doing the will of God on explain that to you. I thought your story will understand what exactly what I'm trying to say there was a praying Christian.

A good praying Christian who wake up every morning and he would say one prayer in his prayers.

This Lord, give me a sign if you wanted to witness to somebody so I know who it is doing this to just strongly assigned Lord you know and his never seen the sun in his life until one day he was sitting in the bus and all of a sudden a big burly frightening looking man comes in and then sits right next to me when that's cut in half to death. The bus was empty.

I mean all the seats in the wallet with this big guy just comes in importance himself right next to a praying friend in this timid Christian anxiously was waiting for his stop. The country can run the Holman before he could get very nervous about the person sitting next to him. This man, this big guy burst into tears and he began to weep. And then he cried out with a loud voice in the bus.

He said I need to be saying I am lost. I need the Lord one. Somebody tell me how to be saved. But that's not all he term*praying friend and he said can you show me how to be saved was assigned seeking Christian would do at that point, he browses him and start praying Lord. Is this a sign you know whenever you run around asking people you know I want to know the will of God, help me to know the will of God. How do I know the will of God. I don't tell you going to get into trouble because what you going to get is a collage of advice and maybe that advice is applicable to the person who is talking to you and not to you because God wants to speak to you directly. You get to get all kinds of advice from wonderfully well-meaning Christian and a growing up in my home was a boy my family had basically two remedies for every element under the sun.

I mean, it doesn't matter what sickness you have thick vitamin C and E Gallic you have a broken leg will eat garlic and thick vitamin C I want to know the will of God in my well you garlic him thick vitamin C under a lot of people who are ready to give you all kinds of advice of what God's will for you is what you are really on the wrong track. There is only one source in which you discover the will of God and that is in his word on your knees I want to get to my text at some point and I will eventually but before I get to my text I want to give you the two brackets that bracket the story and the story that Jesus tells here is bracketed by two incidents in the context in the beginning and at the end. This was the very last week and Jesus is earthly ministry before he goes to the cross and hang them and die. He has entered Jerusalem triumphantly. He has cleansed the temple. He has taught with authority he has declared that only through his death and resurrection.

There is hope for man's salvation he has healed the sick.

He has raised the dead and after all of that the religious leaders of the day come to him and ask him by what authority do you do all these things, they knew the answer to that then heard him say it never talked about his father there and talk about my father works and I worked there and talk about his father. All three years is not that they were looking for an answer. They're trying to obtaining down one more time to accuse him of blasphemy. But you know what Jesus would not give into their manipulation, so there was nothing but manipulation. I think manipulation is disgusting. I think manipulation.

It deprives a person of the freedom of choice unless the worst thing that you can do or somebody can do is manipulate another person. I love the way the Lord Jesus deals with manipulators enough God gave me a big I'm in. I can smell manipulation coming a thousand miles away. I really can't another try to get me to agree with them or trying to get redo of their agenda trying to get me to I mean I can see it and you know what about the Lord Jesus. Listen carefully. He had compassion upon the needy.

He had compassion upon those who ill-informed, he had compassion upon the week, but when it came to manipulators.

He had no time for them.

So with the Jesus I took. She said if you want to get the answer for your question, he said, then answer me a question first love.

The method of debating the baptism of John was that of God or of man. He need not say anymore after that, I mean, he had them at that point huge rack of the service of God's what you believe in him ever said it's full of man know what the crowd would've eating the lunch that's a rough translation but you know the meaning so attractive. He got the silver, the response was evasive, to say the least.

They try to avoid the question because they refuse to believe that Jesus to be the Messiah.

They refuse to believe in John the Baptist, who is the announcer of his Messiah ship. So Jesus tells him a parable. Now turn with me to my text Matthew 21 beginning in verse 28 2000 parable said what you think is on a roll now is a man who owned the vineyard. Now we have seen the men who owned the vineyard in the past several messages man who owns a land not other than the father of the Lord Jesus Christ himself has two sons. He tells the first one is a son gone work in the vineyard and the boy said no, but then he repented, and went and worked in the vineyard. Then he turned to his second son and he said son gone work in the vineyard in the second son was a Chama obviously and he said yes sir, but it can go now.

Jesus turns the table around that he asked the religious leader which son has done the will of the father. Listen carefully. This is the key to this story, the will of the father marked up text put a circle around that which son has done the will of the father. This is the point of the story.

You cannot know the will of God.

When you have not responded to his word. You cannot know the plan of God for your life when you have not obeyed what is revealed in his book in your life you cannot comprehend the will of God in your life when you have made up your mind not to obey God's clear instructions and his word. You cannot discern the will of God for you when you are trying to manipulate God manipulate his word by living in disobedience. And that's exactly what these people were doing this religious leaders already knew Jesus's claim to be the Messiah to be the deliver to be the Savior. They understood his claim to be the son of God is there in the Scripture, and he pointed to them again and again that Scripture that they memorized that Scripture that they've read every day is that God's word but because they did not live in that one and only one in the surface level whether they could not recognize him as their Messiah so they kept going around over and over again asked the same stupid questions nothing to help the Lord is much more patient when you and I are living in disobedience when you and I are living in stubbornness when you and I are one thing to do our thing when you and I am living contrary to God's standards. When you and I are living a life of Sunday Christians only when you are not living a life of healing but not heating you can talk all you want about discerning the will of God about how to understand the will of God about what is the will of God in your life and how do you hear God's voice and all that stuff you will not get very far wanted to hear me right please this is an important message and I believe the Lord has a different application for each of you. Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence. Faith is obeying in spite of the consequences.

And when you live by faith. You have an intimacy with the father.

You will go in and out of the father's presence. You are devouring God's word every single day, and only then will you not be struggling to find out what is the will of God in your life now. Don't want to ever to forget that these religious leaders.

There were cherish people that were in the church every time the doors open their guard religious folks repeatedly Jesus pointed to him. The Scripture and what it says concerning him, but they refused to obey it as if Jesus was saying to these religious leaders. I want you to stand up because I'm about to draw a portrait of you in the life of that second son. This second son who knows all the right words.

Like you, this second son who knows all the right terminology like you.

This second son who sings all the songs like you.

This second son who dedicates and re-dedicates every Sunday like you. This Sunday Christians son was always say yes Lord Donegal on Sunday and by Monday afternoon is saying what it might be a better idea to send my sister this Sunday question who has control of his life to the Lord on Sunday and then by 10:30 AM Monday morning's full blast of the wheels this Sunday Christians who is convicted on the Lord's day that they must do things differently but often a few hours in the red trace. After a few hours in this corporate culture of dog eat dog they found themselves back into line manipulating and scheming in this I will survive and survive only tell you something is gonna be one in charge either you or him.

That's it is a story from the days of the horse and buggy man and his wife were traveling with a horse and buggy in a very treacherous road very narrow dangerous road and the wife become extremely nervous and have tried to grab one of the rains in the husband so calmly handed her the other one obviously is not a type A gal blessed in her to but when his hand had filled the strap. She yelled out and she said no, no, I don't want them both can drive by myself well. He gently said you must make a choice.

It's either you or me.

We cannot both drive the same horse we, both drive the same horse and reluctantly she handed the strap after her husband only tell you this. I am absolutely convinced in my mind that is much as God wants us to work hard, as much as God wants us to work diligently as much as I believe God wants us to work faithfully, but he is telling us that he is the only one who must have the ultimate control first son after bluntly saying no.

He repented and said yes and then he went. Jesus like him back to a sinner. The harlots, the tax collectors the scum of Jewish society looked upon by the Pharisees.

They the ones when they repent of their sins to work in the father's vineyard within the second son of is one of those people who overpromise and never performs which son do identify with which son do identify with only tell you very quickly. Just before you answer that is that neither son were commendable.

Both categories were an adequate and Jesus is telling us that when you know my father intimately when you know my father's character.

When you know my father's heart when you know my father's way of working. The most natural result of that companionship and that intimacy with my father, is that you will do his will please them rewrite daily obedience leads you to discernment in the big things of life in the big questions of life. Daily surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ will help you know what to do when you find yourself standing at the crossroads of life. Just think about it. Think about the father for a minute in the Middle Eastern culture. It is humiliating for the father to ask his sons to do things.

It is expected that the sermons who love and adore who respect the father that is expected of them to be watching over him. Especially when they got older. These boys will be inheritors of the vineyard may also have been watching over the vineyard melted been watching over their inheritance.

They should have been ready to work without the father asking them they should have known what the fathers need all of them to do without them having to go to that humiliating experience of asking, but you see, discerning the will of God comes from habitual consistent and persistent fellowship with your heavenly daddy whenever asked the Lord, Lord. What's your will for me and if I keep asking month after month after months I'm doing one of two things. Either I'm saying, Lord, I have not been spending adequate time with you.

I have not been spending enough time with you. I have not been in fellowship with you in order to be able to discern what is your will in my life or I could be saying, Lord, I think I know you will for me but somehow I don't like it. I don't think is going to work in these days of of trading cars you know who can I dread you will for a better one. Now off spend enough time with people to know this is how some of the examples of of RC. Some people come to the Lord crying. Lord, give me out of his job getting out of the job. The job and get me out now and then they get discouraged when God doesn't answer the prayer but they not standing in the presence of God or kneeling in the presence of God long enough to probably hear God saying you know that's exactly what I want you if I want to somewhere else. I'll open the door.

Someone else may well stay with your there are some people pray login as marriage to be happy, don't you, they can't hear the God to be saying oh my child my grace is sufficient for you and your marriage in young people, particularly when they get the 15, 16, and they can't wait to get out of the house to God. I want to get out of my home. They never take time to hear God saying to them when you are adequately prepared.

I would lead you, but meanwhile stay home and submit to parents and then there are those who cry out saying large student of the supervisor. The never studying the presence of God long enough to probably hear them saying all but you don't understand the next one is far worse. I just told our new members class couple weeks ago and I was speaking to them and said how when I begin to sense God to be saying to me to birth. This church is now as the church of the apostles.

It took me two years to say yes Lord, and I kept asking the Lord, Lord, you sure about this blog.

You understand this is a big move for me you thought about all these things every thought things through giving us time to head there. I want to give you the other bracket the other side of the context of this parable.

It was two days later after Jesus told this parable that you see him in Gethsemane sweating blood.

Pray you know what, you never hear him praying father revealed. You will show real well known.

No, he prayed for the power of the father to be given to him in order that he may do the father's will coverage mandate was revealed to him long before the anguishing night in Gethsemane want to tell you something from the experience of moving from country to country and from various places that God has let us I'm overcome with emotions of the grace of God that God never takes you somewhere where his grace is not sufficient to sustain you and to empower you to do his will.

That's a desire of your heart. I am overwhelmed of the magnificent things that God has done when we stepped out by faith and obedience all there are times when you are doing the will of God and you feel the sand papering to be a little tough and maybe some bleeding on the side.

The conceited you know you can't wait to get somewhere was a little pushy up in the little soft and the little smooth but you know when you walk with the Lord. He turns the mountains and valleys.

What is the word of God says the apostle Paul when he told the Thessalonians.

He says the will of God for you is your sanctification in the sanctification process is not easy and is not as easy as you wanted to be as easy as I wanted to be, but it begins with obedience and obedience is going to take you a long way toward discerning the will of God in your life. So, my beloved friends. Are you somewhere where you desperately want to get out of your situation. Are you somewhere where you anxiously awaiting stay in the presence of God. Let your prayer be Lord, empower me to walk in you will father walk with me because I know when you walk with me, you can turn a funeral parade into affect your perception. Some of you this is may be premature because you really have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ.

That alone discerning his will wanted to please him. Let your prayer be Lord today. I'll commit my life to you are invited to come in and I'll have the joy of some shipping with the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, shall we pray, precious heavenly father, we are the most privileged of all of the human race. Not because of anything in this not because we're better than anybody else. Lord, but because of your grace.

We are privileged to know the living God and father forgive us so many times that we have taken the privilege for granted and I will rejoice tenanted and kept it all to ourselves and didn't even live in obedience, forgiveness and father will lift up to you. Anyone in this place who does not know you in a special way today via Dave decision today be a day of calling them into a verdict to return to you because you love whatever father the decision may be, we ask you to bind the that father your voice be heard clearly in Jesus name, amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward