THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WILL - Ephesians 1:1-14
Today we continue our series on the marvelous mysteries of the Bible. Have
you experienced any mysteries lately? On Monday afternoon I was in the
Frankfurt airport awaiting my flight home. In the departure lounge was a family
with two screaming children. For 45 minutes leading up to boarding they cried
and screamed. I silently prayed, "Oh Lord, please let me be far away from
where that family is seated. You know I am in pain. You know I need some
rest." When I boarded and took my seat I saw that the family with two wild
children was seated in two different places on the plane; one: directly across the
aisle from me and two: directly in front of me. Some would say Murphy's Law
was in full swing. Others might say it was destiny. I think it is a mystery. Like
flies to fresh meat, crying children somehow swarm around me no matter where
I sit in the plane. But the mystery continued on Monday because all the way to
Cairo on that flight those kids were… as quiet and sweet as could be.
There is another, far more significant mystery that we are going to examine
today, the mystery of God's will. Whether we realize it or not we address this
issue every time we pray the Lord's Prayer. But have you ever wondered what
you are really asking when you pray, "Your kingdom come; your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven?" What is God's will? Is it God's will to keep me
from crying babies? Is it God's will that our favorite sports team with the cup?
Is it God's will that you select a certain occupation, get a certain job, buy a
certain item, marry a specific individual? Is it God's will that you go to a
certain restaurant for lunch and order a specific dish?
In the first 11 verses of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers to God's will four
times. In the first verse he identifies himself as, "Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus by the will of God." Do you have that same confidence today about your
life? Can you say, "I am a businessman, or teacher or whatever, "by the will of
God"? Many Christians I know struggle with finding God's will for their life.
Young people are concerned about God's will for their career, their spouse and
their direction in life. So are middle-aged people. Even seniors wonder about
it. Is life just random chaos or is there such a thing as God's will?
Today we're going to take a peek into the mystery of God's will. Although still a
mystery to many, vs. 9 says God has made it know to us. What we discover
today will thrill you and you just might never pray the Lord's Prayer quite the
same way again. "Lord Jesus, this morning may your will be done on earth and
in this place just as it is in heaven. Amen."
I.
THE PLEASURE OF HIS WILL (VS. 5,9)
Exploring the mystery of God's will is like examining a well-planned trip.
There are three components: desire, destination and details. Desire or pleasure,
initiates the trip. You have to want to go somewhere. The destination is the
purpose of the trip. The details are the plan. When most of us think about
discovering the Lord's will we think about the details, about specific issues or
decisions. But the details don't make sense at all unless seen in the context of
the delight and destination. So let's begin our examination of the mystery of
God's by first looking at the pleasure. In vs. 9 we read, "And he made known to
us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure."
When we think of God (or anyone for that matter) exercising their will, we
realize that there are many motivations or conditions for making decisions and
then doing something. Some people make very important decisions when they
are angry. Something sparks their fury and they instantly erupt into action.
Others like to make decisions when they are excited. Many make crucial
decisions out of fear or worry. Many destructive decisions are made when we
are aroused or feeling needy.
So what is it that sparks God's volition? What is it that moves him to decide?
What drives his will? Two times in these few verses Paul speaks of "the
pleasure of his will." What a fantastic phrase! These words paint a picture of
delight, joy, grace, benevolence and favor. God's will is a kindly intent, a
willing grace, a loving longing. It is full of pleasure. Look how Paul unfolds
this in vs. 3-8.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in
him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In
love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will -- to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of
God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Paul seems to run out of superlatives trying to describe the indescribable. The
bottom line is this… God gets a kick out of loving us. His spirit erupts with joy
when he lifts us out of the mud and cleans us up, when he sets us free from
bondage, when he releases us from captivity. His heart beats fast when he
cancels our debts, cleans our slate and forgives all our sin. And when he signs
the papers adopting us as his own, his heart explodes with excitement. Nothing
seems to bring God more joy than to overpower us - not with brute force or
heavy demands, but with his love and his grace. Long before you responded to
his love, long before you were even born, back before the beginning of time
God decided he wanted you to experience the wonder of his eternal grace.
If you peek into God's awesome nature you will see this amazing truth about the
mystery of his will; it is motivated by sheer pleasure. How else can you
describe Heb. 12:2 that says Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame for
the joy set before him. All the awful torture, the whipping, slapping, piercing,
plucking, nailing, all the mocking ridicule and scorn, all the shame and public
disgrace while hanging naked before the crowd, all of that and then death and
then Hell for us. Why? For the sheer pleasure of knowing that you and I would
someday discover his grace and experience his salvation.
That's not how it works at your place of employment, right? Or at school? Or
even in the family. But that is precisely how God operates. His will is driven
by pleasure. And his pleasure is to complete us according to his original design,
to lavish his love upon us as his very own, to spoil us with his grace. This is
God's delight. This is the pleasure of his will. This is what prompts him to do
whatever he does, whenever he does it.
I can't overestimate how important this point is. The #1 thing the devil does in
getting us to avoid God's will for our lives is try to make us believe that God is
out to Get us, to hurt us, to limit our fun and destroy our lives. We think that if
we fully dedicate our lives to him and to his purpose that he will send us to
some horrible place and make us suffer. Dear friend, hear it loud and clear.
The primary motivation for God's will is pleasure, sheer pleasure.
Brenda and I backpacked around the world after we finished College. We
wanted to get the travel bug out of our system, explore God's work around the
world and figure out where he wanted us to serve him. At the end of our trip,
having visited every continent except South America and Antarctica, Brenda
and I said, "Lord we will go anywhere in the world you send us except India or
the Middle East." When I shared that story after I moved here to Egypt,
someone jokingly said, "Well, we know where you next appointment is."
God was not being mean in sending me here. The exact opposite is true. The
irony of my being in the Middle East for 11 years now is that although I did not
initially want to come here, God knew that I would ultimately thrive here and
that he would actually fulfill my deepest desires in the very place I thought I
didn't want to go. It is here where I am able to live most effectively to the
praise of his glory. It is here where I am able to best see the desires of my heart
fulfilled. It is here where both he and I are getting a lot of pleasure.
II.
THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL (VS. 9,10)
A second part to this mystery is the purpose of his will. This is the destination
of the trip, the end point, the final desired outcome.
All effective organizations nowadays understand the importance of having a
clear mission or purpose statement. A good purpose statement needs to be brief,
clear, and concise. A good purpose statement sets the parameters and focus for
everything an organization does and prevents it from getting sidetracked. Our
Purpose statement at MCC is the DEEP acronym. To Disciple the Believers,
Exalt the Lord, Embrace the Needy and Proclaim the Gospel. Some individuals
even write out a purpose statement for their personal lives.
God has done that. He has a purpose statement. If he had stationary it would be
emblazoned in a gold leaf logo at the top of the page and in large letters over the
door to his office. God manages everything he does according to this purpose.
What is it? Look at vs. 9 & 10. "And he made known to us the mystery of his
will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, (that's the
intro) to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment
(there's the timeline) -- (and here's the purpose statement) to bring all things in
heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."
If you are wondering about what God's will is, here it is brief, clear and concise.
You don't have to wonder what God is up to, what he's about or where he is
going. There's no haziness about it. There's no way to misinterpret it. God's
purpose is to bring
all things Do I really need to expound on this? Anyone not understand what
"all things" is? All governments. All resources. All relationships. All ventures
and adventures. All spiritual forces. All attitudes. All desires. All places on
earth. All places beyond earth. All things in the physical realm. All things in
the spiritual realm. All everything.)
together I love that word! No more disunity. No more partiality. No more
division or dissonance. No more bomb blasts and hatred. No more gaining at
someone else's expense. No more laughter at someone else's pain. No more
separation or distance. No more cultural superiority or pride. But together,
unified, bonded, in peaceful harmony.
under one head If you've ever had more than one boss you know the hassle
and agony that is produced. Human loyalties throughout history have been torn
between God and Satan, between good and evil. Even believers struggle
between living for God and battling evil within ourselves. One day, all things
will be brought together under one head. Do division or dissention. No lack or
distribution irregularities. Perfect coordination in every sector.
even Christ. Not Buddha. Not Krishna. Not Sun Yung Moon. Not Abraham
or another prophet. Not the US or China or European Union. Under one head,
even Christ! Absolutely everything will come under the headship and authority
of Jesus Christ.
Many wonder where human history headed. Where life is headed. What is the
purpose of it all? The CEO of the universe is managing toward one goal, one
destination, one objective, one desired outcome, one specific accomplishment.
God's unswerving purpose is to bring all things in heaven and on earth together
under one head, even Christ.
III.
THE PLAN OF HIS WILL (VS. 11-14)
Now we get to the practical stuff, the items that most people think of when they
wonder about discovering God's will. Now that we know the desire prompting
God's will is his grace-filled pleasure; Now that we know the destination of
where it is all headed is his clear purpose; Now we are ready to check out the
map and see the details, which road to take, which turn to make. This is the
plan of his will. Look at vs. 11-14.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of
him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in
order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his
glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a
seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his
glory.
God's desire for you is to experience the thrill of his pleasure as you live for the
praise of his glory. God's purpose for you is to have absolutely everything in
your life come under the headship and authority of Jesus. God's plan for you is
to work out all the details of that process. The details will change with each life
but the plan is the same.
Paul notes the two primary strategies God uses to guide us in the plans of his
will. The first is through the Word of God. Vs 13 says, "And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation." Our faith comes from hearing the word of God. That is what begins
our journey with Christ. Is it any surprise that it is the key to our continuous
journey with him?
Many Christians pray, "Oh God show me your will" but they never open their
Bible. That's like getting in a car, asking God to show you how to get to a
certain destination but refusing to look at the map. God has given us everything
we need for life and godliness, everything we need for knowing and doing his
will. Most of it is in his Word. Jesus said, "One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt 4:4)
In Col 3:16 Paul urged, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly." If you
want to know God's plan for you life start studying his map. Read his word
daily.
The second strategy God uses to reveal the details of his plan for our lives is the
ministry of the Holy Spirit. Vs. 13 continues, "Having believed, you were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's
possession--to the praise of his glory."
The Holy Spirit oversees the entire work of God in our lives. He draws us out
of ourselves toward Christ. He exposes our sin. He prompts our repentance.
He regenerates our spirit. He baptizes us into the body of Christ. He seals us as
one of God's very own. He leads us into all truth. He purifies us. He fills us
with his power. He gifts us for ministry. If the Holy Spirit has been doing any
of that in your life that is like a deposit indicating more is to come.
Last summer we bought a house in Canada. I put $5000 down as a deposit. All
the rest had to be borrowed from the bank and mortgage payments had to begin.
But even though the bank really owns it, and even though we have college
students living in it most of the year to help pay the mortgage, my family and I
enjoy that house each summer as if it is our own because my deposit guaranteed
the rest would be paid off in time.
The Holy Spirit is God's deposit on your life. He is God's guarantee that his
ultimate purpose for your life will prevail. There may be setbacks and failures.
It may not progress as quickly as you had hoped or in the way you had
imagined. But God will bring about his purposes in your life and he has placed
his on-site manager to ensure that happens. Our task is to cooperate, to let the
Holy Spirit have his way with us.
This is the key to understanding God's unfolding will for our lives. As we yield
ourselves daily to the ministry of God's Holy Spirit, he will provide whatever
details are necessary. And where details are not given, we are free to do
whatever we want. That's right… whatever we want. Because if we have
yielded our lives to Christ and are asking the Holy Spirit to guide us than
everything we want will be in accordance with his will.
Let me illustrate. If you were a passenger on the Titanic, it really wouldn't
matter whether you were in first class or last class, whether you were eating
caviar or dry cake. It wouldn't matter whether you were on the top deck or
bottom deck. The entire ship was headed for the iceberg and going down. If
you have not yet yielded your life unreservedly to Jesus Christ you're on the
wrong ship. It doesn't matter what you do or where you go you are out of God's
will. Any and every decision you make is like rearranging the furniture on the
Titanic.
But once you come into line with God's ultimate purpose for the universe, once
you yield your life to Christ and let him be the head, the captain, the Lord and
Master, then you are free to go anywhere on the ship because the whole ship is
going to it's destination. And while you enjoy the ride on the vessel of God's
grace the Holy Spirit will prompt you to do whatever specifics he has in mind.
He does this through his word. He does this through the counsel of wise people.
He does this through secret promptings. He does this through the way he has
wired you and gifted you.
One of my all time favorite quotes is from the film Chariots of Fire. Eric Liddel
was a young Scottish pastor who was representing Great Britain in the 1924
Paris Olympics. His sister Jennie feared that his participation in the Olympics
would derail his calling to missionary work in China. Eric said to her, "Jennie,
Jennie. You've got to understand, I believe God made me for a purpose - for
China. But he also made me fast and when I run, I feel His pleasure."
Paul began this passage by introducing himself as an apostle by the will of God.
What he was saying there is, "God designed me, selected me and gifted me as
an apostle and when I am what he designed me to be and when I do what he
asks me to do, I feel his pleasure." I experience that same joy. Whenever I
operate in the area of my giftedness I literally feel the pleasure of God. I know
that my life is lined up with his eternal purpose and there is a thrill that erupts
from the center of my being.
God designed you for the praise of his glory. He designed you to operate under
the headship of Christ. As you continuously yield your life to him for that very
purpose he will reveal to you the details for your life. Study and obey his Word,
submit to his Spirit and get ready for the joy ride of your life.