Decision-Making and God’s Will, Wk 3

Posted on 01. Sep, 2011 by markdoebler in Faith

This last Sunday, we brought this teaching on the will of God to a conclusion.  While we have much to celebrate in regard to enjoying freedom of choice, we must make sure that we are exercising and utilizing that freedom with wisdom and discernment.  This week’s notes and message give us a final framework for how we are to live and make decisions in this incredible freedom we enjoy.

ROMANS 14 (Please read in its entirety)

• Filters influence what we hear, both for the speaker and the listener.
• On this issue of the will of God, there are godly people and biblical scholars who hold different points of view…and that’s fine.
• Two points of caution….
  • Holding a different point of view can be dangerous if it causes you to stop listening before a differing viewpoint has been fully developed.
  • Some of you, on the other hand, have found your spirit in agreement with this explanation of scripture.  You are loving the idea that God graciously give freedom in our decision-making.  That’s great.  But make sure YOU don’t stop listening either….because today may not be as much fun.  Why?  There are two very important things that come with freedom – responsibility and accountability.
    • Romans 14:5,10,12 – ⁵ One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  ¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
• THE WAY OF WISDOM
  • In those areas specifically addressed by the Bible, the revealed commands of God (His moral will) are to be obeyed.
    • Luke 11:28 – He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
    • John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
  • In those areas where the Bible gives no command or principle (non-moral decisions), you are free and responsibleto choose your own course of action.  Any decision made within the moral will of God is acceptable to God.
    • Sin is defined as breaking God’s law – 1 John 3:4 – Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
    • The reverse is also true:  Romans 4:15 -“Where there is no law there is no transgression”
    • CAUTION – If your conscience is violated by an action, even if there is no law against it, you have sinned.  Romans 14:22-23
  • In non-moral decisions, your objective is to make wisedecisions on the basis of spiritual expediency.
    • Expediency means what works best to get the job done
    • Our purpose…our job if you will… above all else is to glorify God – 1 Corinthians 10:31
    • So, in non-moral areas, the Apostles made decisions based on what worked best to get the job done of glorifying God.  And so should we…
      • 1 Corinthians 16:3-4 – Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.
      • Philippians 2:25-26 – But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. ²⁶ For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
      • 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 – So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. ² We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker^[a] in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
      • Acts 6:2-4 – So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. ³ Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them ⁴ and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
  • In all decisions, you should humbly submit, in advance, to the outworking of God’s sovereign will as it touches and effects whatever decision you have made.
    • Luke 22:43 –  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

PRACTICAL STEPS TO GOOD DECISION-MAKING

• Know the Word
  • It stands to reason then, that if our job is to obey his commands and principles, then what do we need to know?  We need to know what they are.
  • John 16:13 – “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak…”
  • Thy word is truth – John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17:”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
    • Reading – 1 Timothy 4:13
    • Careful consideration – 2 Timothy 2:7
    • Search and inquiry – 1 Peter 1:10-11
    • Diligence in study – 2 Timothy 2:15
    • Meditation – Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8
    • Memorization – Psalm 119:11
    • Learning from teachers – Philippians 4:9, 1 Corinthians 12:28-29
• Pray…a lot – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “pray continually”
  • John 15:5 – I am the vine, you are the branches…. apart from me, you can do nothing.
  • Last week I said don’t pray about serving… I did mean that…but only in this regard… We don’t have to pray about doing the moral will of God…about obeying his commands.  But we DO need to be in a constant state of prayer so that we are connected to our source of life and power…and wisdom
• Seek wisdom
  • James 1:5
  • Proverbs 11:14 KJV – Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.
  • Proverbs 2o:18 NLT – Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice

• Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information. They “know” the Scriptures. God’s word is literally “in them”. They are scholars. But, it is possible to have knowledge and lack understanding and wisdom; to have the facts, but have no clue as to the meaning or what to do next.
• Those with understanding are able to extract the meaning out of information. They “see through” the facts to the dynamics of what, how, and why. They are teachers. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into crisp focus. Understanding produces “rules of thumb” or principles.
• Those with wisdom know which principle to apply now. Understanding without wisdom can appear contradictory (Prov 26:4-5). For example, “He who hesitates is lost”, is a valid principle as well as: “Haste makes waste”. We see the truth of both. But which should we apply next? Those with wisdom know what to do next; they know which way to go. They do the right thing. In contrast, there are many who have great knowledge and understanding, but consistently do the wrong thing. Wisdom, in this sense, is the goal, and knowledge and understanding only have eternal value as they result in wisdom, or what we end up doing.