By the Will of God

April 30, 2017 · Ephesians

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Series · Ephesians · Week 10 of 51

Scripture referenced 31 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Ephesians 1:1-2 the primary passage being preached, quoted in full

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God, with mention of Sosthenes

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

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2 Corinthians 1:1

Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God, writing to the church in Corinth

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

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2 Timothy 1:1

Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

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Galatians 1:13-14

Paul describing his former life persecuting the church and his zeal for the traditions of his fathers

13 For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.

14 I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

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Acts 7:57-8:3

the stoning of Stephen and Saul approving his execution and ravaging the church

57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.

58 They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

60 He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

2 Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.

3 But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

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Acts 9

Luke's third-person account of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

6 But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

8 Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9 He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

11 The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

14 Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

17 Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

19 He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

21 All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

22 But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

23 When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

24 but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

26 When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 He was with them entering into Jerusalem,

29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

30 When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

32 As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.

34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose.

35 All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

37 In those days, she became sick, and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

38 As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

39 Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

40 Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

43 He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

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Acts 11:25-26

Barnabas finding Paul in Tarsus and bringing him to Antioch where disciples were first called Christians

25 Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

26 When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

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Acts 22

Paul's first-person account of his conversion given to the rioting crowd

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 As also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6 As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

23 As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

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Acts 26

Paul's first-person account of his conversion before King Agrippa and Festus

1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,

3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!

8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;

17 delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.

22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,

23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”

24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”

29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

30 The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

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2 Peter 3:9

God not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance

9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

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1 Timothy 2:3-4

God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

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Matthew 18:14

it is not the will of the Father that any of these little ones should perish

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

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Luke 19:10

the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

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Ephesians 5:15-21

be filled with the Spirit, making best use of the time, giving thanks always

15 Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;

16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

18 Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;

21 subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

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1 Thessalonians 4:3-6

it is God's will that you should be sanctified and avoid sexual immorality

3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,

5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God;

6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

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Romans 12:1-2

present your bodies as a living sacrifice and be transformed to discern the will of God

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

2 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

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1 John 1:9

if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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1 Thessalonians 5:18

in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

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Romans 8:28

God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

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1 Peter 2:15

it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people

15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

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1 Peter 2:13-14

be subject to every human institution, the emperor and governors, for this is the will of God

13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

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1 Peter 3:17

it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil

17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.

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1 Peter 4:19

let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good

19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

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1 Peter 4:14-16

if you are insulted for the name of Christ you are blessed, let those who suffer as Christians glorify God

14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.

15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters.

16 But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.

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Philippians 1:29

it has been granted to you to not only believe in Christ but also suffer for His sake

29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

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2 Timothy 3:12

all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

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John 16:33

in the world you will have tribulation but take heart I have overcome the world

33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

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Hebrews 10:36

you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what He has promised

36 For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

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2 Corinthians 5:9

closing prayer reference to making it our goal to be pleasing to Him whether at home in the body or away

9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.

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Ephesians 2:8-9

mentioned as a passage coming later in the series on grace through faith not of yourselves

8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, that no one would boast.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This message came from the first two verses of Ephesians, where Paul introduces himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." Pastor James used those verses as a doorway into a longer examination of what the will of God actually means, drawing on Paul's own story and on several other passages the congregation has worked through together. The grief of a personal loss gave the teaching a raw and honest edge throughout.

What was said

Pastor James opened by noting that Ephesians and Colossians are often called twin books, but Ephesians has a warmer, more personal tone because Paul knew the Ephesian church deeply. He spent nearly three years there, longer than anywhere else on any of his journeys, and the tearful beach goodbye when he finally left showed that he had formed real relationships there. Writing now from house arrest in Rome, with little hope of seeing them again, he still addresses them as people he loves.

Before getting into the will of God, Pastor James walked through each phrase of the two verses on its own terms. Paul calls himself an apostle, a sent one carrying a message for someone else, and he always names whose message it is: Christ Jesus. He calls his readers "saints who are faithful in Christ Jesus," which Pastor James read as more personal than Paul's typical opening, and the greeting of "grace and peace" from both the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is, he said, a statement about Jesus's divinity wrapped inside a warm wish.

The phrase "by the will of God" is where the sermon settled in. Pastor James offered two categories drawn from Reformed theology: the will of decree, where God speaks something into existence and it is so, and the will of command, where God tells us what He wants and gives us the responsibility to obey or refuse. He was careful to say the two are not opposites. God is sovereign and we are responsible, and both of those things are true at the same time.

To show what that tension looks like in a real life, Pastor James traced Paul's story from Acts. Saul was not seeking God. He was hunting down Christians and was present and approving at Stephen's stoning. On the road to Damascus, Jesus stopped him cold and said, "He is a chosen instrument of mine." That is the will of decree. But Paul still had to choose, still made mistakes after his conversion, and still had to entrust himself to the work God was doing in him. His preaching of grace came directly from knowing in his own bones what unmerited favor felt like.

Pastor James then laid out what he called six clear statements of what God wills for His people: to be saved, to be spirit-filled, to be pure, to be thankful, to be submissive, and to be ready to suffer. He was careful on the last one. God wanting His people to be ready to suffer is not the same as God wanting them to suffer. He cited the prosperity gospel directly and called it hogwash. The passage from First Peter about entrusting your soul to a faithful creator while doing good, he said, sounds nothing like the prosperity gospel, and that is the point.

The thread running underneath all of it was personal. Pastor James mentioned losing his cousin and best friend about a month before, and several other painful situations in the congregation that same week where good counsel had gone unheeded and things had ended in tragedy. He was not preaching at the congregation from a distance. He said plainly that he had been struggling with the will of God, and that Romans 8:28 was what he was holding onto in the things he did not understand.

He closed with a question he said he was still sitting with himself: since God is going to work His plan regardless, would you rather He work it through your obedience, or in spite of your disobedience? Pilate declared Jesus innocent and had Him killed anyway, and that was still inside God's plan. The question was not whether God's will gets done, but whether we get to be part of it with joy.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor described two categories of God's will: the will of decree and the will of command. How does holding both of those together, rather than leaning hard to one side, change the way you think about things happening in your own life right now?
Paul called himself a slave, a bond servant, and an apostle of Christ Jesus, and he consistently tied that identity to God's will rather than his own ambition. What does it look like practically to introduce yourself to the world that way, to see your role or your work as something you carry out on behalf of someone else?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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0:00 Speaker 1Good morning, everybody. How are you? Good. We there usually, there are some folks who will sing in from the vestibule. If y'all wanna stand with me, we're hymn sing hymn number 508, Love Lifted Me.

0:24 Welcome. Glad you're here.

0:31 Speaker 2I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry from the waters lifted me now safe am I.

3:13 Speaker 1Amen. What a hymn number 762. What a day that will be.

3:25 Speaker 2There is coming a day when no heartache shall come. No more clouds in the sky. No more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore on that happy golden Amen.

5:17 Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat and I am going to do a few announcements. So, during the construction for the kitchen remodel, we are remodeling our kitchen here and we are still having everything that normally happens in that room except for cooking is still going on. We are still eating in that room. We're just bringing things from outside. But connect hours still happens between services.

5:40 So from ten ish to eleven ish, we are still meeting down there having coffee and donuts and fruits and stuff like that. And gathering with the folks from the other service because there are a whole bunch of them that don't get to see y'all often and y'all don't get to see them often and so we connect during the connect hour. Still going on even though we're under construction. Is it the twenty third and the twenty fourth? Is that what I heard this morning?

6:02 Twenty third and June 24 is going to be Hero Central Vacation Bible School. Hero Central is the theme discovering your strength or your strength in God and if you would like to volunteer, we still need volunteers for You can talk to either Krista Clemmer or Liz Owings, and they will help you decide where you'd best serve. And also, while we're talking about volunteering, if any of you all would like to volunteer for either service, first or second service for the nursery, that would be great too. You can talk to Bailey Morley about that. Monday nights at First B is an unusual gathering as evidenced by this cheesy ad.

6:47 The cheese looks like the Tetons and it actually does look kind of like this. Monday nights at First B happens at 06:00 in the fellowship hall. Carl is the pastor of that church and he is preaching from Luke eight this week, the Roman. Okay, group Bloom, where you're planning? Fantastic.

7:07 Thank you. Awana is also happening tomorrow night right here in this room. You see the big play circle that's on the floor. Awana happens on Monday nights. Now, this Monday is the last Monday for this school year.

7:20 We're going to be disbanding. People are still welcome to come. Monday nights will still be going on but this is the last Monday Awana for a while now. So, be sure to be here. If you're a volunteer or if you are a child and I think that that's it.

7:36 There are actually a bunch of other announcements in the bulletin, prayer request, and that sort of thing too. So, if you didn't get a bulletin on your way in, you can get one on your way out and know what's going on but other than that, would you stand up and greet one another with a holy kiss? It says right there. Stand and greet one another. To the extent that you are comfortable.

8:15 Speaker 2Jesus, my lord, will love me forever.

8:19 Speaker 1Wait a second. She controls the music, people. So I forgot. That's good. That's what you said.

8:24 So I forgot an announcement because I didn't have a slide up there. The Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center. You know, every year for the last twenty, we have met out at the Bar J for a fundraiser for the Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center. And Judy is the Executive Director. Carolyn Marzyniak is acting as Executive Director, so they're doing it as a team right now.

8:47 And Judy controls the piano. So when I started singing, she stopped playing Because I forgot this announcement. So, here we go. It is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. It's always the same time.

8:59 Tuesday after Memorial Day, we are meeting at the Bar J and we will be going doing the whole show the way that it is, barbecue beef and the tickets are on sale now. There are some here. There are some here right now. There'll be some at Turning Point and there'll be some here but that is a great cause and it's a it's a fun time for everybody. So, would you please, if you're going to be in town, the Tuesday after Memorial Day, join us out there and it'll be a good good time for all.

9:25 Now, I belong to Jesus. So, about '5 zero '1. Here's five zero one.

9:31 Speaker 2Thank you, Judy.

11:23 Speaker 1Love that song. How about the greatest thing? The greatest thing in all my life. Hymn number six forty four. Knowing, loving, and serving you.

12:56 Speaker 2Is serving you. The greatest thing in all my life is serving you. I want to

13:28 Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm going to invite the frontline team to come forward. Would you pray with me? Lord God, I thank you for your omnipotence and your omniscience.

13:45 Or your omnipresence Lord God, I think of that and it boggles my mind and I don't understand how you can be, how you are, and lord, I also, as I stand in all of that, I'm amazed that you allow us to be a part of what it is that you're doing in the world. So, God, I pray right now that you would use this church, this little body of believers, and those who have come from other places that are visiting here this morning. That you would in the one bond of the spirit and the one bond of this baptism that keeps us together, lord. The new covenant in your blood. If you would, lord, would you allow this group of people assembled in your name today to make a difference in eternity?

14:34 I pray lord that you would extend the reach of the gospel through what is put into these plates. This acknowledgement that you are a giver of every good and perfect gift. We stand. Lord, blessed and we want to share the blessing with others. In Jesus name, would you bless and multiply so that this offered may do your kingdom's work.

18:25 Thank you, dude. Wow. That's a big song. It's a really, really big song and that piano plays well. Ephesians, we are up to Ephesians.

18:37 So, we have been for those of you visiting from out of town. I see several of you out there. Several actually who are missionaries, other places too. We had a couple of couples this morning, the missionaries in the first service. And by the providence of God, here we are studying by the will of God.

18:54 Ephesians one one and two. It's just two verses today. I talked to Florina earlier in the week. He said, just two verses. Wow.

19:01 I don't think I'd have thirty minutes on two verses. I don't think I could do twenty five minutes on that. But I'm no doubt, you can. So I'm going to if you all don't mind, what we're going to do first is we're going to study what it says that's what we always try to do what it says. And then, I'm going to go back and examine what it means especially the part about by the will of God.

19:21 We have studied enough together now that we have seen this phrase by the will of God or through the will of God quite a few times and I want to kind of not just slough over it like it's an introduction. It's not important. I want to take just as much time and savor these two verses but I really want to examine by the will of God with everything that has gone before us. So, y'all know when I got here, it's been five years, almost five years next next month and five years of going through. We did first Peter and second Peter because I needed that.

19:56 When I first got here, I was scared to death and I started out and it's the most pastoral to me. It's one of the most pastoral. You know, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. He's put you in this position as a fellow elder. You know, Peter exhorts us.

20:09 So, I did first Peter and second Peter and then, once I have my feet under me, we went back and studied the life of Jesus in the book of John. Exegetical all the way through expository preaching and then, the life of the early church in the book of Acts as a framework and then we've gone back and we've gotten each one of the epistles in the order more or less that it was written. So, we're hopeful that as we keep on going forward, we're just saturating ourselves in God's word in a what makes sense to me kind of logical fashion. So, we finished Colossians last week. Colossians, one of the prison epistles written to the people, the saints at Colossi.

20:46 So, the ones that God had saved in Colossi, Epaphras was the guy who helped and planted that church there. Paul had never even been to that town before. We don't have any record of him visiting. We know that he knew lots of people that were from the church there because the last which I covered last week, the last few pages are saying, this is one of the guys from among you and he mentions a lot of names. He knew people there but he knew em because they'd either visited him in Rome or on some other part of his missionary journey.

21:15 So, he knew a few people at Colossians but had never been there. Ephesians is the opposite of that. He knows the Ephesians very well. He knows the Ephesian church. He knows the folks who have come out of Judaism into this Christian extension this new hope that was really the old hope, what they've been looking for, Messiah Jesus and so, Paul starts in the synagogues in Ephesus but he also witnesses among the Gentiles and there is a growing and thriving church such to the point that there was even an economic issue because the idol makers were having troubles.

21:54 That was happening in Ephesus. Paul stayed in Ephesus longer than anywhere else on any of his journeys. He was there for about three years and so that's a long time. So, he knows the Ephesians. He knows the leaders of the church.

22:08 He knows the elders and it's a little different than Colossians which is a great theological book, extremely practical but there's not as much of a personal flavor to it as there is to Ephesians. I always call em twin books but there are differences and the differences are mainly relational, I think. So, this is what the whole one and two, the whole ball of wax today is this, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, when I say I'm going to go through it, I'm going to go through it, alright? Not every single word but each phrase and kind of what it means to begin with, then, we'll go and look at the will of God and what we study, alright?

22:57 So, Paul, consider who Paul is. Where he's from, what he's done. Now, I've said this at the beginning of a lot of books. The last few books that we've studied, Colossians, Paul wrote. Philemon before that, Paul wrote.

23:08 Romans before that, Paul wrote. Second Corinthians, Paul wrote, Galatians before that, first Corinthians, Paul wrote. Second Thessalonians before that, first Thessalonians before that, all except for the book of James that we've studied so far has been written by Paul and when he introduces himself, he almost always uses this, an apostle of Christ Jesus. Now, apostle, apostolos, apostolos in Greek means someone who has sent out an emissary, someone who carries a message for someone else and he always identifies whose message he carries. Christ Jesus.

23:47 Sometimes, it says, Jesus Christ, sometimes Christ Jesus. To me, I don't think it matters a lot either way. It means the anointed Jesus. You know, last week, we talked about Jesus who is called justice. No, this is Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed one.

24:02 God's chosen one. The only one who has made a way, the truth, and the life. He is an apostle of Christ Jesus. It matters. You can be an apostle for your government.

24:17 You can be an apostle for your business. Paul is always calls himself either an apostle or a slave or a bond servant of Christ Jesus. When he starts off in Ephesians is no different there. Apostle of Christ Jesus and then he throws in by the will of God. By the will of God is what we're going to look at and talk about God's will.

24:41 There are two different ways that you can take by the will of God and I think two main categories probably others but it helps me to think of the will of God this way and I'm not the only one that believes this. There or that thinks this way. Categories really help. There are God's will of decree are the things that he just decreed. He speaks them into being and they are as he says they should be.

25:06 Like, God spoke the world into existence and so by God's will, the earth is as it is and it was good, right? He spoke into existence a lot of things. Now, there's another way. So, by God's decree, he just made it so. There's another way to think about the will of God.

25:22 God also says, thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not steal. Honor your father and mother. Those things are the will of God. He has other things in the New Testament, other things in the Old Testament that say specifically there are the will but God's will is that we would not murder, we would not steal, and that we would honor our father and mother.

25:43 Now, do people go against that? Yeah, can you go against the absolute decree of almighty God? He's going speak that world into existence. He did that already. You can't stop that and he does things by his sovereign hand at times but under his sovereignty, he tells us my will is this and he gives us the opportunity to obey or disobey.

26:05 Reject. Does that make sense? Okay. So, we'll call this will of decree and will of command. Those are reformation terms.

26:11 They're probably even further back than that but will decree and will of command helps me. If you read theological debate and discussion over this, you'll find people on this side that say, nope, all of it is God's decree, period. He's the sovereign God. There's nothing else. This is it.

26:28 He what is to be, even bad stuff and you'll find some other people say, nope, he gave us the responsibility, walked away from it. Those are the far ends of the spectrum, okay? In the center is God is sovereign and we are responsible. Both of those things are true. By the will of God.

26:46 He decrees it to be so and he commands us to carry out his will. And then he goes from there to the saints who are in Ephesus. Now, this is kind of a standard format for a first century letter. It says, who is sending it? Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, he throws in there, to the saints, who are in Ephesus.

27:10 Now, he has started Colossians that way. He has started a lot of his other books that way to the saints that are at Rome. He didn't know them either. He'd never been to that church before, wanted to get there but he says, to the saints who are at Rome. In Ephesians, I think because he knows him so well, he says, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus.

27:31 So, do you feel that that's a little bit more personal than just yet to the saints, any of y'all church folk that have been saved. He says, to those of you who have been saved and are faithful in Christ Jesus. Now, the only way anyone can be faithful is to be in Christ Jesus. We waver but Paul is saying in Christ Jesus, you are faithful and can carry out the will of God. By the will of God, I'm an apostle to the saints in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus and what does he wish him?

28:03 He wishes them grace. Grace to you and peace. The and in there equates grace and peace and he says they come from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The and in there equates those two. God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

28:18 It's a statement about Jesus's divinity, grace to you, and peace from the only place they come from. Our father and our Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace. So, that's what it says. Straight up, that's what those things mean. That's how the clauses fit together and I think if you just sat there and dwelt on that for a minute, you could you could stop and go, wow.

28:42 That's pretty amazing on any section there but what I want to concentrate on, first of all, is Paul and his missionary journeys, we see him going like his first missionary journey. He goes up to Antioch. He doesn't come anywhere near Ephesus. There we go. Thank you very much.

29:01 On the first missionary journey, closest he gets is probably Antioch where he spent quite a bit of time. Barnabas dragged him up there, you know, and he spent quite a bit of time in Antioch and people were first called Christians at Antioch. That's not Ephesus though. Second missionary journey, he is able, He leaves Jerusalem. He goes up to Antioch and he goes to Tarsus and Derby and Lystra and Iconium and then this other Antioch.

29:33 Troas, he hears the Macedonian call. They go pass Samathrace over to Neopolis and they come down in Macedonia, get to Corinth, and they head out at Centra and they head to Ephesus and I think that's where we are. At Century, he had cut his hair for he was under a vow and they came to Ephesus and he left them there but he himself went into the synagogue and began reasoning with the Jews. That's his second missionary journey. That's where he meets the Ephesians and this is where he stays and he hangs back and he stays there longer than he stayed anywhere else.

30:05 He really gets to know him. He sees the church grow both among Jews and among the pagans or Gentiles, hidden, the nations. So, his second missionary journey, when he finally does leave Ephesus and he comes on back down, goes to Jerusalem there. His third missionary journey. If you watch this closely, he leaves from Antioch.

30:31 He goes over here. He's kind of retracing the steps from that. Second missionary journey comes back up here and then instead of going straight into Ephesus where he knows everybody basically in the Christian church, he goes to Miletus instead. He lands at Miletus and then calls for the Ephesian elders of the church to come down to him and when they come down, he has a tearful meeting with him and he explains everything that he said while he was among him, sees checks in on how the church is growing, how things are going, and then has a tearful meeting. I had a professor in seminary that said, Paul stayed in Ephesus too long.

31:02 He stayed too long. He wouldn't have had that tearful goodbye on the beach. This guy was obviously a task person and not a relationship person. He got to know these folks and when he was there, he had a tearful goodbye on the beach as he's heading out. He didn't know if he would ever see them again.

31:21 I told the story to you in the first service that this guy was task oriented for sure. When he was teaching, he was passionate about his teaching, whatever he's saying, and then when he called on somebody for a response so they had a question, he'd look at them to begin with and then he'd look at the clock until they're finished talking. Drove me nuts. Just drove me crazy. Definitely on task.

31:45 He wanted to teach. He wasn't really there to listen to questions and then when you finish, he'd look back down and he'd start talking again. Whoo. Yeah, not a relationship guy. He was a task oriented guy.

31:54 He taught me a lot. I love him but my goodness. Paul spent a lot of time with Ephesians is the point. He was there for almost three years. He had that tearful goodbye and there was a lot of interchange between him.

32:08 He wrote some of his letters from Ephesus in relative freedom and now he's writing a letter to Ephesus under arrest from Rome. Not going to get a chance to go back to see him. He would like to but he's probably not going to and he can see that. He could see it in Colossians. He's prayerful but not hopeful about being able to get out and then with the Ephesians, I'm sure it was kind of heartbreaking.

32:32 In fact, Ephesians is a little longer because I think he has more personal stuff. He wants to say more. When we look back at it, Paul, an apostle, a sent one, an ambassador, emissary for Christ Jesus by the will of God. Now, have we seen the whole will of God thing in Paul before? As many books as we've studied together, probably, yes.

32:53 First Corinthians one one, he says, Paul, called to be an apostle, sent one of Christ Jesus by the will of God and our brother Sosthenes, who they would have known. By the will of God. Second Corinthians one one, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God. And Timothy, our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Ikea. Second Timothy, we have not gotten to in our study yet but Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

33:27 By the will of God I've been mulling over for the last month for sure but this last week, it feels like things are just stacking up that don't make sense to me exactly how they're going or they're heartbreaking. They're incredibly heartbreaking. Most of you know some of your visitors want that about a month ago, a little over a month ago, my cousin and best friend died in Georgia. All of a sudden, he's four months older than me and that I've been struggling with the will of God. Now, this side would say, well, in fact, I had a missionary friend who was a pretty hyper Calvinist guy that said, well, God killed him, right?

34:05 Ultimately, I mean, if you have to think about it, it came to pass so it had to be the will of God because nothing outside of God's will happens. If you're looking at it completely from this side, that's the way that looks. Looking at it from this side, make man in the garden and he gave him everything that he needed and he gave him just a little bit of direction. Don't do this. From all the trees in the garden, you can eat but not this one.

34:31 And he did it anyway. So, as a consequence of sin, death entered in to the world. Now, my friend is suffering from Adam's sin and from his own. Does that make sense? So, I don't like God smoked him.

34:47 I really don't like that. In the will of God, I want you to see especially considering Paul because Paul's grace gospel that he preaches, the justification by faith and we're going get to Ephesians two eight nine before long where he says, it is by grace that you're saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God so that no one can boast. Paul did a whole lot of boasting before he knew Jesus. Think about Paul by the will of God and consider which one of these it was.

35:23 Was it God decreed it to be so or was it Paul's responsibility, okay? By the will of God. Let's read a few of these. Galatians one thirteen and fourteen, he is explaining to the Galatians very early in his epistle, his letter to them. He's explaining who he was.

35:41 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my father. So, that's how he was. Adamantly against the church. Adamantly against those who followed the way, the way of Jesus. Acts seven fifty seven through eight three is actually a little blurb about Stephen's martyrdom.

36:15 So, Stephen, early, early in the history of the Christian church, you know, Acts two, day of Pentecost, 3,000 are added to that number and the church is growing in Jerusalem but you know, Jesus had said, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and even to the uttermost parts. The ends of the earth. So, Stephen's martyrdom is a turning point for the church. Up until that point, Jerusalem, the church is growing like mad. Christian church is growing like crazy within Jerusalem.

36:53 But let's read this together. Acts seven fifty seven through eight three. I've got another slide with the next two verses but they cried out with a loud voice and they stopped their ears. These are the Jewish leaders as Stephen was calling them out and praying. He's calling them out for not listening.

37:14 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped up their ears and rushed together at him, that's Stephen. Then they cast him out of the city and they stoned him and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Don't it remind you of Jesus?

37:40 Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. He died. That was the martyrdom of Stephen. And eight one says, and Saul approved of his execution.

37:53 And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him but Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. So, that is Saul. Acts nine, Luke, the author of Acts, gives us an orderly account in the third person narrative of Paul's conversion.

38:28 I've got three different sessions up here. I actually included all three in the slides because I thought some of you might want to go back and use these slides later. And actually, after the first service, two people said that. That doesn't usually happen, but two of them said, there are a lot of slides that you didn't read up there. I'd like to get the copies of that.

38:44 Speaker 2So, three different times in

38:45 Speaker 1the book of Acts. They're almost entire chapters of Acts. Acts nine, twenty two, and 26 are about Paul's conversion. It's him stating his conversion. Now, Paul preaches a gospel of grace.

38:56 It's the only good news because none of us deserve heaven, none of us deserve everlasting life. He preaches unmerited favor because he's experienced unmerited favor. He was adamantly opposed to the church and so, I'm going read this first one. This is Luke's third person account of Paul's conversion. Bear with me.

39:17 It is a little bit long but if you don't know the story, it makes Paul make a whole lot more sense. If you've just, we'll stick with it but Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus. So that if he found any belong to the way, that is Christians, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now, as he went out on his way, he approached Damascus and suddenly, a light from heaven shown around him and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Who was was Saul persecuting?

39:59 Jesus is the right answer. Every Sunday school person knows Jesus is the right answer but in in Saul's life, who is he persecuting? The followers of the way, the church, this little set, this splinter group that's against, that's preaching heresy as far as he's concerned. He's against the body of Christ. To me, this is a beautiful, beautiful statement that Jesus makes.

40:21 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Now, at this point, Jesus is already resurrected and in his session, seated at the right hand of the father and interceding and he says, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And Paul said, lord, and he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Now, he's persecuting Jesus's followers. Jesus himself says, you're persecuting me.

40:48 I love that. If someone is persecuting you or if you're suffering for your faith, they're persecuting Jesus. To me, that's very helpful. And I am Jesus whom you're persecuting but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do. The men who are traveling with him stood speechless hearing the voice but seeing no one, Saul rose from the ground and although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.

41:14 So, they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus and for three days, he was without sight and neither ate nor drank. Now, there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias and he said, here I am, lord. I love that too. He's obedient and awake.

41:32 The Lord said to him, rise and go to the street called Straight and at the house of Judas, look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. For behold, he is praying and he has seen a vision, a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight but Ananias answered, lord, I've heard from many about this man how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem and here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name but the Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine. Had Paul done anything to deserve to be a chosen instrument of God. He was adamantly opposed to him yet Jesus in his own decree says, he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and the kings and the children of Israel. So, that's Gentiles, Jews, and kings.

42:25 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. So, Ananias departed and entered the house and laying his hands on him said, brother, Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me to you so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then, he rose and he was baptized and taking food, he was strengthened. Now, for some days, he was with the disciples at Damascus and immediately, he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogue saying, he is the son of God. This guy who on the way there was going to drag them back to Jerusalem for trial or kill them.

43:09 Is now saying, he is the son of God. Jesus is the son of God and all who heard him were amazed and said, is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem and to those who called upon his name and he has not come here for the this purpose and has he not come here for this purpose to bring them bound before the chief priest but Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. Is that dramatic difference? Absolutely dramatic difference. He's going one purpose.

43:40 He comes completely full circle because he is faced by the decree of God. You are my chosen instrument and you will do as I say. Did Paul have any choice in the matter? I do think Paul had a choice in the matter. Do I think Paul was sinless after he spoke to Jesus?

43:55 No. I think he made a few mistakes along the way. He was still God's chosen instrument. Acts eleven twenty five and twenty six. Now, bear in mind that nine is just telling us of his conversion.

44:10 Two chapters later, we see and he, Barnabas, left for Tarsus to to look for Paul and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch and for an entire year, they met with the church and talked considerable numbers and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Saul became Paul by the will of God and it was the grace of God that did that and he recognized it completely and so when he preaches grace, he does it out of a knowing in his own heart. Acts 22, Paul gives his own first person account. He gives that first person account because he is in a mob and this mob is rioting and they're angry with him. They're angry with him and so he knows what to do.

44:55 What do you do in a mob that's rioting? Throw out a theological or political question. Let them start arguing amongst themselves and not at you. That's what Paul did. So he says, what about resurrection?

45:05 Oh, it was a hotly debated subject at the time and they start going against each other and then, when the soldiers pull him out from this argument, he says, let me address the crowd. Let me say. In fact, he says, brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you. He's hollering out to this mostly Jewish crowd that are arguing amongst themselves now and then he tells because it's in the Hebrew language, Paul knows it. They became even more quiet and then he started and he tells basically the same story.

45:31 It's really long. I'm not going to read it again. Same story tailored to the audience that were listening and then he gets to go for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. Paul says to the Jewish audience, Moses. He gets a chance again before a king, King Agrippa and actually Festus.

45:52 Paul gets another first person account of his conversion. It's basically the same. It's really long too and it's tailored a bit for the audience but Paul is simply telling his story. Remember last week when I said, pray consistently and constantly, steadfastly, be praying, be praying for an open door that you may declare the word of the mystery of Christ and I said, if you don't know anything else, you don't know any theological terms but you do know that he saved you, say that. Paul is simply telling his story to these people.

46:25 I consider myself fortunate that it's before you, King Agrippa. Now, he's been told by Jesus directly at his conversion. You'll speak to Gentiles, you'll speak to Jews, and you'll speak to kings and here he is in Acts 26 speaking to a king. He goes on through and at the end, this reminds me of Jesus too. At the end, Agrippa who's got the right to say whether he lives or dies or whether it goes on or whether he's free.

46:52 Agrippa says, this man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment. That's an innocent. Verdict and Agrippa said to Festus, this this man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Now, he appealed to Caesar by the will of God. He gets to carry on traveling forward.

47:11 I'm going to say, if we were examining our lives and what God wills and wants for us, there are some things that he has decreed. He has made a system by which we must be saved. There's one names given under heaven by which you must be saved. There's only one mediator, the man, Jesus Christ. He is the only way and if we go by the will of God and doing kind of a study of that phrase, first things first, God wills or wants or desires for people to be saved.

47:41 Second Peter three nine, I'm going to use the King James because it uses will willing. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but his long suffering toward us or to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Now, if God were to decree, all will come to repentance. That would be universalism, right? There are a lot of people today beating a drum for universalism that all will come to repentance.

48:12 All means all. He said it right there. No doubt about it. Is that true? Is this by God's decree that that's going to happen?

48:19 No. He's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to everlasting life. He has made a way. But it requires our responsible choice to walk in that way, to go after Jesus. First Peter two, three, and four.

48:39 This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God, our savior, who desires that all people are to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. That is God's will that people would come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. God wants for people to be saved. You don't hear this as much as you used to one hundred years ago, maybe fifty years ago, twenty years ago. I grew up in Georgia, three years ago.

48:59 So, so it is not the will of my father who is in heaven that anyone of these little ones should perish. This is leaving the ninety and nine sheep to go after the one who is lost. It's not God's will that any should perish. Luke nineteen ten, for the son of man came to seek and to save the lost and who is lost? To start out with, who is lost?

49:22 Everybody. There's no one righteous. No, not one. There's none who seeks after God. There's none.

49:28 The son of man came to seek and to save those which were lost but it does require them accepting that provision God has made. Now, to be saved is the first and foremost thing. First things first, God wants for people to be saved. Second of all, once someone is saved, God wants for his people to be spirit filled. Now, I know this is a church euphemism that divides mainline Christianity, fundamental Christianity, and Pentecostal Christianity, okay?

49:55 I know that. Spirit filled is usually like, oh, are they spirit filled? It means, is it Pentecostal? I know that. It is very biblical though to be filled with the spirit of God.

50:06 When that happens, how that happens is the domain of God but God wants for his people to be spirit filled. I know that because he says it multiple times right here. Look carefully then how you walk. This is later on in Ephesians. We've not gotten there yet but it is something to look forward to.

50:20 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time. Doesn't that sound like Colossians? Making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery but be filled with the spirit.

50:40 God wants his people to be filled with his spirit. Addressing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God, the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. So, who or what is in control? Once you are saved, God wants for his spirit to be in control in your life and that, that is where we live the Christian life.

51:10 It's a battle between flesh and spirit. Who or what is in control? I think that in that last verse, he says, do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the spirit. That's a perfect antithesis because when you are drunk with wine, what are you? Completely out of control.

51:26 You have no control over what you're doing nor does anyone else. You're completely out of control. Now, to be under God's spirits, control requires the walking around man to bend the knee to the spirit of God, to submit our will to his will. Who or what is in control? Now, furthermore, God wants for his people to be pure.

51:52 This is expressly stated right here, first Thessalonians which we've covered together. It is God's will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality, that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans who do not know God and that in this matter, no one should wrong or take advantage of brother or sister. It's God's will that you should be sanctified. Very clear statement. Sanctification is one of God's wills of command.

52:26 It is actually his work too. He will do the work if you will bend. Romans twelve one two, I appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. There's an impediment for us to doing what it is that God would have us to do and it's sin.

52:59 It's a temptation to sin and then once you do that, what do you do with it after you after the fact? I think that God has given us forgiveness of sins but this is the access point for your volition right there to renounce your sin and to get it under the blood of Jesus. If we confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Again, I say, it's by the will of God that he is doing the cleansing. He's doing the sanctifying.

53:27 He is doing the work but he's also put it on us the responsibility for confession and for being there in humility looking to him. God wants for his people to be thankful. First Thessalonians, this is probably the very clearest, I think, place where it says, what the will of God is for his people. In everything, give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Now, with my cousin's death and with about five other situations in this church this week, it is very hard for me to give thanks.

54:08 I know that he's working his plan and my last question that I leave you with today has an element of this right here and everything give thanks. There is in Romans eight twenty eight, that great promise that for those who love God and are called according to his purpose that God is working all things together for good. I hold on to that and the things I don't understand and I'm thankful for that and the things that I don't understand. Ephesians, same passage I used, the do not get drunk with wine for that's debauchery but be filled with the spirit. Come on down and it says, giving thanks always and for everything to God.

54:45 That's his will. God also wants for his people to be submissive. This one's not easy in our individualistic society, The US right now. God wants for his people, all of his people, not just women, to be submissive. First Peter two fifteen says, for it is God's will that by doing good, you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

55:09 You might look at that and go, it's God's will that you would do good. Yeah, but if you read the context of it, it says, be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution whether it be the emperor, government, as supreme, or the governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good For this is the will of God that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. I like that verse 15 a lot. I think that ought to be one of our bumper sticker coffee mug verses. Because it is by doing good, it's not by arguing with them.

55:45 It's not by trying to silence them. It is by doing good on your own. You worry about yourself and keep on plotting forward. By doing good that you should put to silence ignorance and foolish people. I like this too.

55:57 I I actually used Richard Strauss and John Piper. And I listened to everybody this week, and I read lots and lots of books from everybody else. I think of this quote all the time, Wesley. Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways that you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can. Amen.

56:21 And I forgot to mention this in the first service. We are having a mission trip go to Guatemala this week. We're leaving on Friday. There's there are six of us total who are going and would y'all be praying for us? We're going at the times that we can to the places we can in the ways that we can do all the good that we can for the people there.

56:39 So, that's Wesley. This one is unpopular. I'm going to close out God's will for our lives with this one. I mentioned and start to tear up each time I mention four or five situations that are going on right now. Where the folks who are trying their best to do God's will, they bowed the neither, Christian servants working out whether it's through counseling people or trying to help them through difficult situations and they give good advice and all the good advice that they have given is not heeded.

57:13 And it ends in tragedy. God wants for his people to be ready to suffer. That's not the same thing as God wants for his people to suffer. God wants for his people to be ready to suffer. Jesus suffered and knows exactly what it's like.

57:29 We have a great high priest who knows what it's like to go through everything we have. In first Peter three seventeen, we see this, for it's better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil. That seems obvious. First Peter four nineteen says, therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. Does that sound anything like the prosperity gospel?

57:54 No. The prosperity gospel is hogwash. Let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. First Peter four fourteen through 16 says, if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest upon you but let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler, that's on you if that's the case. Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in that name.

58:27 For it has been granted, Philippians says, we haven't gotten there yet either but Philippians, for it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. Second Timothy, indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But take heart. Jesus said to his disciples in John 16 in the upper room, I've said these things to you that in me, you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation but take heart.

59:00 I have overcome the world. That is an optimistic end to the suffering. That will be required in our walk. I have a couple more. Those were the guys I was saying that I read a lot this week even though I misspelled Spurgeon's name.

59:16 They come from all of them, I think, come from orthodoxy, but there are a lot of voices on the Internet right now that are outside of orthodoxy on either side. I want for us to pull it back to the center and I think this guy says it very well. I actually took those distinctions from these few sentences right here. Categories. Here then are six clear declarations of God's will for our lives as believers.

59:42 God wants us to be saved. First and foremost, actually, praise God. This morning, somebody prayed salvation prayer with Carl over here to the side after the first service. Praise God. First and foremost, he wants for people to be saved and we're going to sing, I surrender all in a minute.

59:58 If you want to come down, the altar is open and I'll be here. I'll turn off my microphone. God wants for us to be spirit filled. That's not a euphemism for Pentecostal, okay? He wants for you to really be filled with the real Holy Spirit of God.

1:00:13 Let him direct your steps. He wants for us to be pure. That has to do with how we use these temples, these bodies that he's given us, and how we walk out our life. He wants for us to be thankful. He wants for us to be submissive and he wants for us to be ready to suffer.

1:00:36 Seek God's wisdom in applying them to the next decision that you face. I like that. I like that a lot. That's what Strauss says he wants for us to be and that's where I got those but this is the question I told you I would have you ponder. Since we know that God works all things together for good to those who love him are called according to his purpose and since we know that his plan for saving the world is through people who know him, his disciples, committed disciples following him.

1:01:11 Would you rather have God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience? I'm going ponder that this week again because he's going to work. God's gonna do his work. Would you rather him do it through your obedience and be able to join in the joy of that or in spite of your disobedience? Think about Pilate.

1:01:35 Do not murder. He declares him innocent and has him killed. Was that God's plan? It absolutely was. Was it through the direct disobedience of Pilate?

1:01:47 It was. Would you rather God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience? I'm going to give you a cheater's question cheater's verse for this one. You need to persevere so that you have done when you have done the will of God, you'll receive what he has promised. Alright.

1:02:08 Judy, would you come on up? We're going to sing I Surrender All. We'll sing the first and last verse, Blake. First and last verse. Would you stand with me?

1:03:47 So, we make it our goal to be pleasing to him whether we're at home in the body or away from him. That's from second Corinthians. God, would you help us this week to be pleasing to you? Would you show us your way? God, as we confess sin and submit to you, would you show us your way and would you bring people into the fold and into the family of God.

1:04:11 Through our obedience. In Jesus name, amen.

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