28 Sep HAPPY NEW YEAR! (ARE YOU ADDING ANOTHER YEAR TO YOUR LIFE, OR LIFE TO ANOTHER YEAR?): PART 24

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Last week we shared “Four Fascinating Facets to Follow the Will of God”

Before we continue, let’s review…

  1. Relinquish your body (Rom. 12:1)

2. Renew your mind (Rom. 12:2)

Here the Scripture says, “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  

In this verse the Greek word translated “world” is kosmos, which means “world system.”  It could be paraphrased “culture.”  The Greek word translated “transformed” is metamorphao.  “Meta” means “change” and “morphos” means “form or shape.”  The Greek word translated “acceptable” is eucharistas which means “well pleasing.”  Lastly, the word translated “perfect” is telios which means “mature.”  

Put all these together and this powerful verse tells us “Don’t be conformed to this world system or culture.  But be transformed (change your mind, form or shape) by the renewing of your mind so that you can prove what is the good, well pleasing and mature work of God.”  

Please remember the Bible tells us to renew our minds not remove our minds!  Have you ever met what I call a Star Trek Christian?  Boldly going where the Bible has not gone before!  These Christians are so far out that they are completely unrelatable.  May I encourage you to stand out…don’t blend in.  However, please balance that with…if people don’t respect you, they won’t receive you!

3. Receive Desires (Ps. 37:4)

Here the Bible tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  The Hebrew word translated “delight” literally means “soft or pliable.”  One of the greatest ways to follow the will of God in your life is by following God-given biblical desires.  However, please notice they must be biblical desires not fleshly or fleeting desires.

You only become a candidate to follow biblical desires when you are delighting yourself in the Lord.  This is a person who keeps a soft, pliable, tender heart towards Him.  This is someone who is a regular Bible student, a regular prayer and a regular church goer!  

Over the years I have had all kinds of fleshly desires come and go, but I compare God-given desires to trying to push down a fully inflated beach ball in the pool.   No matter how hard you push it down, biblical desires just keep popping back up!  

When we were in Knoxville, Tennessee before I was a pastor, I was fishing one day when God dropped in my heart the small seed of a desire to eventually pastor.  Over the next several months and year the desire grew and grew.  No matter how much I tried to push it down, it just kept popping back up.  Today I have been pastoring for over 18 years!

This week we conclude our series with…

4. Require Faithfulness (Luke 16:10-12)

Here the Bible tells us, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.  If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in that which another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?”

Please allow me to give you “Seven Faithfulness Facets”:

  1. Faithfulness is revealed in fruitfulness (Matt. 25:14-30).  Faithful people are productive people.
  2. Your faithfulness today qualifies you for a better tomorrow.
  3. Your unfaithfulness today disqualifies you for a better tomorrow.
  4. Faithfulness is eternity’s currency for promotability.
  5. Why would God make you CEO of a business tomorrow when you won’t balance your checkbook today?
  6. Why would God give you a world-wide ministry tomorrow when you won’t work with the children in your church today?

Bloom where you are planted…the will of God is hiding in plain sight!