By the Will of God

In one paragraph

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...

Read together

1. Ephesians 1:1-2 the primary passage being preached, quoted in full
2. 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God, with mention of Sosthenes
3. 2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God, writing to the church in Corinth
4. 2 Timothy 1:1 Paul identifying himself as apostle by the will of God according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus
5. Galatians 1:13-14 Paul describing his former life persecuting the church and his zeal for the traditions of his fathers
6. Acts 7:57-8:3 the stoning of Stephen and Saul approving his execution and ravaging the church
7. Acts 9 Luke's third-person account of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus
8. Acts 11:25-26 Barnabas finding Paul in Tarsus and bringing him to Antioch where disciples were first called Christians
9. Acts 22 Paul's first-person account of his conversion given to the rioting crowd
10. Acts 26 Paul's first-person account of his conversion before King Agrippa and Festus
11. 2 Peter 3:9 God not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance
12. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth
13. Matthew 18:14 it is not the will of the Father that any of these little ones should perish
14. Luke 19:10 the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost
15. Ephesians 5:15-21 be filled with the Spirit, making best use of the time, giving thanks always
16. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 it is God's will that you should be sanctified and avoid sexual immorality
17. Romans 12:1-2 present your bodies as a living sacrifice and be transformed to discern the will of God
18. 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness
19. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus
20. Romans 8:28 God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose
21. 1 Peter 2:15 it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people
22. 1 Peter 2:13-14 be subject to every human institution, the emperor and governors, for this is the will of God
23. 1 Peter 3:17 it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil
24. 1 Peter 4:19 let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good
25. 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
26. Philippians 1:29 it has been granted to you to not only believe in Christ but also suffer for His sake
27. 2 Timothy 3:12 all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
28. John 16:33 in the world you will have tribulation but take heart I have overcome the world
29. Hebrews 10:36 you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what He has promised
30. 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
31. Ephesians 2:8-9 mentioned as a passage coming later in the series on grace through faith not of yourselves

Talk about it

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. The pastor shared that Paul's dramatic conversion did not make him sinless, and that God used him as a chosen instrument while he still made mistakes along the way. Where do you see the tension between God's sovereign choice and human responsibility playing out in your own walk?
4. The sermon listed six things God wills for His people: to be saved, spirit filled, pure, thankful, submissive, and ready to suffer. Which of those six is hardest for you to hold on to right now, and why?
5. The pastor closed with the question: would you rather God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience? Sit with that honestly. Where in your life are you making God work around you rather than through you?