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DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

#1 · July 28, 2006, 10:13 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 28, 2006, 10:13 am
Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

Be sure to check our daily blog at

http://opahenk.blogspot.com/

==============================

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

     In the cartoon, "Marvin," Marvin's mother looks down at little Marvin who has just taken his hammer and broken his toys into a thousand pieces.

     "Why must you always break your toys, Marvin?" To which Marvin replies, thinking to himself, "I'm just practising for when I grow up. I'm going to be a broker."

     I don't think that there are very many of us who want to spend our lives being "brokers." We want to be fixers and builders. We want our lives to count for something good, constructive, and lasting. We want to make our mark in life. We don't want to be like the non-committed fellow described in this little poem:

               "He led a blameless life,

               For him life had no terrors.

               St. Peter wrote the final score--

               No runs, no hits, no errors."

     Remember Jesus' words in Revelation? "Be ye cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or not, I will spew you out of my mouth." (3:15-16)

     We want our lives to count for something. We don't want to be like the flock of geese Kierkegaard described in a parable. It seems that there was a flock of domesticated geese that would gather each Sunday in the shade of the barn to hear the gander preach about the glorious destiny of geese. He would describe the grand purpose for which they were created: namely flying. Now being domesticated, none of them had ever actually flown, but week after week they were enthralled by the gander's messages about soaring above the clouds. Meanwhile the geese were getting more and more plump. And at Christmas time they were eaten, with none of them ever experiencing the exhilaration of actually flying.

     Kierkegaard called his tale "The Domestic Goose." Are you a "domestic churchgoer?" Most of us really long for something more. We would like to think that we are actually capable of flying, that we are capable of the kind of commitment that Yogi Berra once spoke of concerning baseball: "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game," he's reported to have said, "and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left."

     On the field Yogi's opponents used to consider him the Yankee they would least like to face in the clutch. He was always at his best in the late innings.

     If we are properly motivated, we could give 100 percent to this proposition of Christian living. But what is it that God would have us do? What is his will for our lives?

     Maybe one of your young people is asking that question. What would God have me do with my life? Often as a church we have struggled to discern God's will for our congregation: what is it that God would have us do to fulfill our mission in this community and around the world? And that is the one question that has perplexed believers for thousands of years. How can we know the will of God?

     The early church struggled with that question continually. In nearly every chapter of the book of Acts you can perceive that struggle taking place. We see such a struggle in the verses from chapter one for today. After Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide, the first church met to seek a replacement. It was important to them to maintain the number of disciples at twelve. So they struggled with the question of a replacement. And this was no casual decision. When we are electing officers for the church it is never a casual decision, because God's work demands committed leadership. So the early church met and sought to discern the will of God. So how did they accomplish this task? And what can we learn from their methods?

     FIRST OF ALL THEY USED THEIR MINDS.

Peter took the leadership at this point. He declared that the replacement for Judas needed to be someone who had been a witness to Jesus' life from the time of his baptism until his ascension. They didn't want any second-hand testimonial. It had to be someone who had personally encountered the risen Christ. No one seems to have questioned Peter on this point, either. It made good sense. These were reasonable requirements and so they were accepted.

     God has given us good minds, and the first thing he expects out of us in discerning his will is to ask, what is reasonable?

     Paul E. Little, a former staff member for the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, told of being at a camp some years ago that was a shambles. The leader kept saying, "Oh, well, we'll just trust the Lord, and everything will be fine." Paul Little said he told them, "What do you mean, trust the Lord? There are things we can do. God is not going to do for us what he expects us to do for ourselves. We've got responsibilities to take."

     And Little was right, of course. I am certain that the Lord gets tired of taking the blame for poor leadership and outright mismanagement where people who will not work pass it off by saying, "the Lord will work it out."

     Returning to the scripture for today, Peter expresses his judgment concerning the credentials of the new apostle. After some discussion two men are nominated: Joseph, called Barabbas, who was surnamed Justus; and Matthias. Then the whole company prayed about their decision. And that is the second step.

THEY PRAYED,

"Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his place."

     Now our minds are valuable assets in discerning the will of God, but they are not enough. It is also essential that we seek to plug in to the mind of God. This is basically the meaning of prayer in the New Testament.

     I was reading recently about religion on the rugged American frontier. Prayer was virtually unknown to many frontier families. And when the Rev. "Fightin'" Jack Potter asked the blessing at one family's meal, the host's ten-year-old nephew was astounded. So impressed was the boy that the next day the boy hunted the preacher down on the street to ask, "Are you the preacher that talks to his plate?"

     Unfortunately, many of the prayers we pray are just "talking to our plate." But that was not the case in the New Testament church. Prayer was an attempt to know the mind of God. There was a lot at stake, and so prayer was intense and urgent.

     I am reminded about what one wag said about prayer in the schools. He said, "I regret that they banned prayer in the public schools. That is the only way some of us got through."

     Prayer was no mere exercise for the apostles. Nor is it for us when we seek to know God's will. But we also need to note that such prayer is not easy. As Dr. Leslie Weatherhead has written, "I have always found prayer difficult. So often it seems like a fruitless game of hide and seek in which we seek and God hides. I know God is very patient with me. Without that patience I should be lost. But frankly, I have to be patient with him. With no other friend would I go on seeking with such scant conscious response. Yet I cannot leave prayer alone for long. My need drives me to him. And I have a feeling that he has his own reasons for hiding himself, and that finally all my seeking will prove infinitely worthwhile."

     The apostles obviously felt the search was worthwhile. They believed that God would respond to their prayers. I heard about a Minister of Music in a certain church who decided to change the order of worship at the last minute. He wanted to make sure that there would be no mistake, so he slipped a note to the pastor: "After the prayer," it said, "There will be no response."

     I wonder how many of us pray prayers to which we expect no response.

     The disciples used their judgment to narrow the field to two. Then they prayed for God's help in choosing between the two.

FINALLY THEY ACTED.

This is the third step in discerning the will of God. You use the good mind he has given you; you pray for his guidance; and then you act. There is no use sitting around hamstrung by anxiety and indecision. There comes a time when faithfulness declares that we must act.

     Now we may have some questions about how the disciples chose to act: they cast lots. And the lot fell on Matthias. Now I don't know of any reputable theologian today who would recommend casting lots. Such a method is like that other time-honored but questionable method of simply letting the Bible fall open and doing what it says. I'm sure you've probably heard the old story of the young man who did that and the Bible fell open to Matthew 27:5, "He went away and hanged himself." Then he turned to Luke 10:37, "Then Jesus said unto him, Go and do likewise." Then the young man thought he would try once more, and the Bible fell open to John 13:27, "What thou doest, do quickly."

     What I hope you will see here is that the method was not as important as the action. They had used their best judgment. They had prayed. Then they acted. It would not really matter what method they had chosen. They could have voted as we do in congregational meetings, but the result would have been the same. Once you have entrusted a decision to God, you have to trust that he will lead you. There comes a time when you must go ahead and act in the confidence that God is faithful to his promises.

     And if you still make a wrong decision, He will show you. I was amused by a story that Norman Vincent Peale told about Henry B. Wright, a professor at Yale University. Wright had a friend who was a bum on skid row in New York City. One weekend after a visit with his friend, Wright was on a train returning to Yale when God seemed to tell him to send the friend a gold watch with a certain inscription. Knowing that God often spoke in strange ways, he obeyed. The interest and concern expressed by that gift made such an impact on his friend that he stopped drinking and returned to a useful life.

     When the professor saw the effect of his gift, he decided to send the same kind of gold watch with the same inscription to another alcoholic friend. But this man promptly sold the watch to buy liquor!

     There is of course no way to perfectly discern the will of God. None of us has a direct pipeline. We can make mistakes. But even our mistakes can still be to his glory if we follow these simple guidelines:

     First of all, use your best judgment. If at all possible consult with others. Two heads are usually better than one.

     Second, go to God in prayer. God is responsive to our prayers. He will hear, and He will help.

     Finally, act in faith.

     It is said that after General Eisenhower ordered the massive invasion that would eventually end the Second World War, he went to bed and slept soundly.

     The great psychologist William James said it like this: "When once a decision is reached and execution is the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome."

     Use your best judgment, pray to God, and then act.

Live your life creatively and confidently in the knowledge that He is your guide.

http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod/

*************************
Our Blog ...   http://opahenk.blogspot.com/
Dear God cartoons..... http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod
Our Books…….http://lulu.com/Frijters
SermonsOnTheNet…..http://welovegod.org/groups/sermonsonthenet
******************************************************

…..

Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>

Be sure to check our daily blog at

http://opahenk.blogspot.com/

==============================

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

In the cartoon, "Marvin," Marvin's mother looks down at little Marvin who has just taken his hammer and broken his toys into a thousand pieces.

"Why must you always break your toys, Marvin?" To which Marvin replies, thinking to himself, "I'm just practising for when I grow up. I'm going to be a broker."

I don't think that there are very many of us who want to spend our lives being "brokers." We want to be fixers and builders. We want our lives to count for something good, constructive, and lasting. We want to make our mark in life. We don't want to be like the non-committed fellow described in this little poem:

"He led a blameless life,

For him life had no terrors.

St. Peter wrote the final score--

No runs, no hits, no errors."

Remember Jesus' words in Revelation? "Be ye cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or not, I will spew you out of my mouth." (3:15-16)

We want our lives to count for something. We don't want to be like the flock of geese Kierkegaard described in a parable. It seems that there was a flock of domesticated geese that would gather each Sunday in the shade of the barn to hear the gander preach about the glorious destiny of geese. He would describe the grand purpose for which they were created: namely flying. Now being domesticated, none of them had ever actually flown, but week after week they were enthralled by the gander's messages about soaring above the clouds. Meanwhile the geese were getting more and more plump. And at Christmas time they were eaten, with none of them ever experiencing the exhilaration of actually flying.

Kierkegaard called his tale "The Domestic Goose." Are you a "domestic churchgoer?" Most of us really long for something more. We would like to think that we are actually capable of flying, that we are capable of the kind of commitment that Yogi Berra once spoke of concerning baseball: "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game," he's reported to have said, "and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left."

On the field Yogi's opponents used to consider him the Yankee they would least like to face in the clutch. He was always at his best in the late innings.

If we are properly motivated, we could give 100 percent to this proposition of Christian living. But what is it that God would have us do? What is his will for our lives?

Maybe one of your young people is asking that question. What would God have me do with my life? Often as a church we have struggled to discern God's will for our congregation: what is it that God would have us do to fulfill our mission in this community and around the world? And that is the one question that has perplexed believers for thousands of years. How can we know the will of God?

The early church struggled with that question continually. In nearly every chapter of the book of Acts you can perceive that struggle taking place. We see such a struggle in the verses from chapter one for today. After Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide, the first church met to seek a replacement. It was important to them to maintain the number of disciples at twelve. So they struggled with the question of a replacement. And this was no casual decision. When we are electing officers for the church it is never a casual decision, because God's work demands committed leadership. So the early church met and sought to discern the will of God. So how did they accomplish this task? And what can we learn from their methods?

FIRST OF ALL THEY USED THEIR MINDS.

Peter took the leadership at this point. He declared that the replacement for Judas needed to be someone who had been a witness to Jesus' life from the time of his baptism until his ascension. They didn't want any second-hand testimonial. It had to be someone who had personally encountered the risen Christ. No one seems to have questioned Peter on this point, either. It made good sense. These were reasonable requirements and so they were accepted.

God has given us good minds, and the first thing he expects out of us in discerning his will is to ask, what is reasonable?

Paul E. Little, a former staff member for the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, told of being at a camp some years ago that was a shambles. The leader kept saying, "Oh, well, we'll just trust the Lord, and everything will be fine." Paul Little said he told them, "What do you mean, trust the Lord? There are things we can do. God is not going to do for us what he expects us to do for ourselves. We've got responsibilities to take."

And Little was right, of course. I am certain that the Lord gets tired of taking the blame for poor leadership and outright mismanagement where people who will not work pass it off by saying, "the Lord will work it out."

Returning to the scripture for today, Peter expresses his judgment concerning the credentials of the new apostle. After some discussion two men are nominated: Joseph, called Barabbas, who was surnamed Justus; and Matthias. Then the whole company prayed about their decision. And that is the second step.

THEY PRAYED,

"Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his place."

Now our minds are valuable assets in discerning the will of God, but they are not enough. It is also essential that we seek to plug in to the mind of God. This is basically the meaning of prayer in the New Testament.

I was reading recently about religion on the rugged American frontier. Prayer was virtually unknown to many frontier families. And when the Rev. "Fightin'" Jack Potter asked the blessing at one family's meal, the host's ten-year-old nephew was astounded. So impressed was the boy that the next day the boy hunted the preacher down on the street to ask, "Are you the preacher that talks to his plate?"

Unfortunately, many of the prayers we pray are just "talking to our plate." But that was not the case in the New Testament church. Prayer was an attempt to know the mind of God. There was a lot at stake, and so prayer was intense and urgent.

I am reminded about what one wag said about prayer in the schools. He said, "I regret that they banned prayer in the public schools. That is the only way some of us got through."

Prayer was no mere exercise for the apostles. Nor is it for us when we seek to know God's will. But we also need to note that such prayer is not easy. As Dr. Leslie Weatherhead has written, "I have always found prayer difficult. So often it seems like a fruitless game of hide and seek in which we seek and God hides. I know God is very patient with me. Without that patience I should be lost. But frankly, I have to be patient with him. With no other friend would I go on seeking with such scant conscious response. Yet I cannot leave prayer alone for long. My need drives me to him. And I have a feeling that he has his own reasons for hiding himself, and that finally all my seeking will prove infinitely worthwhile."

The apostles obviously felt the search was worthwhile. They believed that God would respond to their prayers. I heard about a Minister of Music in a certain church who decided to change the order of worship at the last minute. He wanted to make sure that there would be no mistake, so he slipped a note to the pastor: "After the prayer," it said, "There will be no response."

I wonder how many of us pray prayers to which we expect no response.

The disciples used their judgment to narrow the field to two. Then they prayed for God's help in choosing between the two.

FINALLY THEY ACTED.

This is the third step in discerning the will of God. You use the good mind he has given you; you pray for his guidance; and then you act. There is no use sitting around hamstrung by anxiety and indecision. There comes a time when faithfulness declares that we must act.

Now we may have some questions about how the disciples chose to act: they cast lots. And the lot fell on Matthias. Now I don't know of any reputable theologian today who would recommend casting lots. Such a method is like that other time-honored but questionable method of simply letting the Bible fall open and doing what it says. I'm sure you've probably heard the old story of the young man who did that and the Bible fell open to Matthew 27:5, "He went away and hanged himself." Then he turned to Luke 10:37, "Then Jesus said unto him, Go and do likewise." Then the young man thought he would try once more, and the Bible fell open to John 13:27, "What thou doest, do quickly."

What I hope you will see here is that the method was not as important as the action. They had used their best judgment. They had prayed. Then they acted. It would not really matter what method they had chosen. They could have voted as we do in congregational meetings, but the result would have been the same. Once you have entrusted a decision to God, you have to trust that he will lead you. There comes a time when you must go ahead and act in the confidence that God is faithful to his promises.

And if you still make a wrong decision, He will show you. I was amused by a story that Norman Vincent Peale told about Henry B. Wright, a professor at Yale University. Wright had a friend who was a bum on skid row in New York City. One weekend after a visit with his friend, Wright was on a train returning to Yale when God seemed to tell him to send the friend a gold watch with a certain inscription. Knowing that God often spoke in strange ways, he obeyed. The interest and concern expressed by that gift made such an impact on his friend that he stopped drinking and returned to a useful life.

When the professor saw the effect of his gift, he decided to send the same kind of gold watch with the same inscription to another alcoholic friend. But this man promptly sold the watch to buy liquor!

There is of course no way to perfectly discern the will of God. None of us has a direct pipeline. We can make mistakes. But even our mistakes can still be to his glory if we follow these simple guidelines:

First of all, use your best judgment. If at all possible consult with others. Two heads are usually better than one.

Second, go to God in prayer. God is responsive to our prayers. He will hear, and He will help.

Finally, act in faith.

It is said that after General Eisenhower ordered the massive invasion that would eventually end the Second World War, he went to bed and slept soundly.

The great psychologist William James said it like this: "When once a decision is reached and execution is the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome."

Use your best judgment, pray to God, and then act.

Live your life creatively and confidently in the knowledge that He is your guide.

http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod/

*************************
Our Blog ... http://opahenk.blogspot.com/
Dear God cartoons..... http://www.worldoutreach.ca/DearGod
Our Books…….http://lulu.com/Frijters
SermonsOnTheNet…..http://welovegod.org/groups/sermonsonthenet
******************************************************

…..

We Love God!

We Love God!

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD