The Will of God as It Concerns Vocation – Part 3
I. Reasons Why God May Not Make Known His Will
A. The Time Factor (Galatians 4:4)
B. The Sin Factor (Isaiah 6:5)
II. Basic Evidences of the Lord’s Will Being Done
A. Peace Within the Heart (Isaiah 26:3)
B. Agreement on the Part of Others (Acts 13:1-3)
C. Outward Results of Seeing God Work Through Us (Acts 21:18-20)
III. Scattered Pitfalls in Determining God’s Will
A. Making Decisions Based on Wrong Motives (2 Timothy 4:10)
1. Personal calculations (all horizontal – no vertical)
2. Urging of friends (family, teachers, etc.)
3. Family traditions
B. Moving Faster than the Lord (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
C. Moving Slower that the Lord (2 Samuel 20:4-6)
IV. Closing Observations
A. The Lord may call you into a place here you have few talents. (Exodus 4:10)
B. Good results in an area of work do not necessarily indicate that God’s Will is being done.
C. Poor results in an area of work do no necessarily mean that God’s Will is being neglected. (e.g. Jeremiah)
D. Unless a person violates a scriptural truth or principle, be cautious about telling him that he is not doing God’s Will. (Luke 9:49-50)
E. The Will of God in a person’s life is flexible. Be willing for God to move or shift you from place to place. (e.g. The Apostle Paul)
F. Be willing to admit mistakes. (Luke 5:4-5)
G. Avoid pressure on high school young people to decide on God’s Will “now.”
1. Challenge young people to dedicate their lives to God for whatever He would want.
2. Encourage young people to participate in various Christian activities and later to attend a Christian College.
3. Stress the necessity of prayer and patience.
V. Suggests for the Person Wanting to Get Back into God’s Will
A. Pick up the past – consider Peter. (John 21:15-19)
1. Make wrongs right on the vertical level. (1 John 1:9)
2. Make wrongs as right as possible on the horizontal level and make necessary restitution. (Matthew 5:23-26; 18:15)
B. Determine God’s Will for the Present. Consider John Mark. (Acts 12:25; 13:13; 15:37-39; 2 Timothy 4:11; The Gospel of Mark)
1. It is not possible to go back.
2. We need to start anew. (Jeremiah 18:1-6)