"If we are not well nourished, we cannot carry out the plan of God."
Responding to the word. Matthew 4:1-4 (NLT) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
The Call John 4:31-34 (NLT) 31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But Jesus replied, "I have a kind of food you know nothing about." 33 "Did someone bring him food while we were gone?" the disciples asked each other. 34 Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
Exodus 3:1-10 (NLT) 1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up. 3 "This is amazing," Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go see it." 4 When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," the LORD warned. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey…9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."
GOD'S CALL 1. God calls us in: Relationship John 6:44 (NIV) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. "The calling of God is a drag if you fight it."
Mark 3:14 (NKJV) Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. 2. God calls us up. Consecration 3. God calls us to. Assignment.
Three ways to recognize the call We don't find a calling, the calling finds us. 1. What do you think it is? 2. What is in your heart? We don't all get a burning bush; sometimes, we get a burning heart!
3. Is it bigger than you?
Arguing with God: 1. We make it about us. 2. We make it about the opinions of others. 3. We make it about our qualifications.
God's calling is not about our ability but our availability.
God wants our yes. Success is measured by our yes. You can quit a job. You can't quit a calling.
Romans 11:29 (NIV) God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NLT) It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant…
The calling is what qualifies. Ephesians 3:7-8 (MSG) This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.
"God takes great delight in equipping the unqualified."
Psalm 37:23 (NLT) The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV) May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you w/ everything good for doing his will, & may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever & ever.
Ephesians 2:10(NIV) For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
God not only created you for a journey, He also provided you with a map for it!
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NLT) But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
4 Realities about God's Word. Psalm 119:105 (NLT) Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
If you don't know what God says, you won't know what God wants.
1. God's Word establishes His standards.
Feelings are flavorful, not foundational.
God is the authority on morality and he has spoken. I want to please God, not appease the culture." Galatians 1:10 (NLT) Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.
Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3. God's Word reveals God's Ways The best way to Know Gods will is to understand his ways! Psalm 36:9 (NIV) With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
"We don't study the Bible to know the Bible, we study the Bible to know God." Psalm 103:7 (NIV) He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.
The scriptures develop a framework for understanding God's nature and hearing his voice.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV)Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…. 1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT) "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. "Patterns Produce Paths"
4. The Word builds our faith 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) We live by faith, not by sight. Romans 10:17(NIV) Faith comes from hearing the Word.
Feast on the Word. Get into the Word until the Word gets into you. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
Practice the Word. James 1:22–25 (TPT) 22 Don't just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! 23 If you listen to the Word and don't live out the message you hear, you become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning. 24 You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin. 25 But those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty are fascinated by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they experience God's blessing in all that they do!
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV) May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, & may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever & ever. Amen.
1 John 2:17 (NIV) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
James 4:13–16 (NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
“To fulfill God’s will, you need to know Gods will.”
We desire to fulfill the will of God in our direction and in every situation. 1. Directional- direction of our life. The big picture. 2. Situational- How to respond in situations, daily details.
3 core beliefs to understanding God’s will: #1. The universal will of God.
We were created for dominion(Genesis 1:28)
We are commanded to Love God (Matthew 22:37)
We are called to believe & follow Christ.(John 6:29)
We are commissioned to advance the gospel.(Matthew 28:19&20)
#2. He designed us for His purposes. “God isn’t going to fit into your plan; He is shaping you into his!” Colossians 1:16 (NIV) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
“God’s will for your life is not about you.”
“We are most fulfilled in fulfilling his will!”
Psalm 139:13–18 (NLT) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
“God’s plan for my life is My life for God’s plan.”
#3. The Great Adventure begins with Trust. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
God’s plan is not hard to discover; at times it’s hard to follow.
A. Trust Him “His path is the best path!” Romans 10:11 (AMP), No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.
B. Don’t get caught up in the why’s of life.
Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
C. Acknowledge him always.
D. He will make your path straight & right.
Direct: “Make plain and clear the path.”
Ephesians 2:4–10 (NIV) 4 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Acts 19:2 (NIV)"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4–5 (NIV) 4 “Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
We have the gift of righteousness and are made right with God. Now that we are his, he has a gift to give us!
The gift of Holy Spirit is the gift that keeps on giving!
Acts 2:1–4 (NIV) 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Times of Refreshing Acts 3:19 (NIV) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
__________________________________ Luke 11:9-13 (NIV) 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit
