"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" 2 Timothy 4 v 6 & 7
Paul said that he had finished his course. I can't ask you if you have finished your course. The very fact that you are all alive and well shows me you haven't.
However, I can ask you this question: Are you on course?
In Hebrews 12 v 1&2, the writer following on from Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter outlining the exploits of men & women of faith), says this:
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about/surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."
Here the writer likens the Christian Life to running a race. He encourages us to run with patience/endurance the race that is set before us (You & me) We are to run it with patience/endurance. This race is not a 100 metre sprint. It's a 26 mile marathon, spiritually speaking. Notice the writer to the book of Hebrews says: "Let us run the race." The race is for every believer. Whether you know it or not, you are on the race track. The Race is a general term for the Christian Life.
But God is a personal God.
While we run the race, we see that Paul finished his course. In Acts 13 v 25 when Paul was speaking at Antioch he said this of John the Baptist: "And as John finished his course." In Acts 20 v 24 Paul says "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy." God is a personal God and He has a unique, personal course for you and me to complete. Your course is different from mine and mine is different from yours. The question is: ARE YOU ON YOUR COURSE? God is interested in you.
On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came we read that the Mighty Rushing Wind filled the house. The wind was felt by everyone. Howver cloven tongues of fire sat upon each person. The wind was general, but the fire was personal. The fire was to purify each believer. The fire was to initiate and complete a personal work. We can collectively enjoy the presence of God through praise and worship but God seeks to do a personal work. God has a unique course for you and me to complete.
God uses people to impact society. In the 16th century, changes had to be made in Europe. The Church of that day had to be challenged and so God raised up a man called Martin luther. In the early 1700s, England was in a terrible state. There was a moral and social decline and the country was headed, as one person decsribed, it to the abyss. God raised up John Wesley. Let me say however that if these people were around today, I don't believe they would impact society the way they did. Why? Because God raised them up, shaped them and prepared them to be a part of His purpose, like Esther, for such a time as this. You were born in the right country, in the right year, month, day, hour, minute, second for such a time as this. The moment you took your first breath, you were right on God's schedule to be a part of His purpose. The Word of God says that "there is a time to be born and a time to die.
It's important to seek God's will for our lives so that we can be on course.
For those who are outside of Christ, they too are on a course. Ephesians 2 v2 speaking about those outside of Christ says "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. For those outside of Christ, satan has a course for them. He comes to steal, to kill and destroy. He has a course for unbelievers. Not only that, but he has a unique, personal course for unbelivers. So for some, he'll enslave them to alcohol, drugs, pornography. For others, he'll give them great wealth, fame, fortune.
As believers in Christ, God has a unique course for you and me to complete.
Paul said that he had finished his course.
We read that John the Baptist finished his course.
In John 17 v 4 we see that Jesus finished His course. He said " I have glorified thee (God the Father) on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
Not only has God got a course for us, it's His will that we complete it/finish it.
Being on course brings tremendous blessing. The Word of God states that "Without a vision people perish"
Being on course will give you tremendous hope What held Jesus on the cross? "For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame. He saw the multidudes who would come to Him and receive so great salvation. In Acts 12, Peter is in prison. Herod is persecuting the church. He killed James and now he is going to kill Peter. Peter is in prison and he's fast asleep. How could he know perfect peace and sleep at a time like that? Jesus said that when Peter would die, it would be when he was an old man. Peter was still relatively young at this point and so he knew that he wasn't going to die yet. He had the word of the Lord, he had hope and he was right on the course that God ordained for him. In Acts 28, Paul is a prisoner in a ship bound for Rome. The ship is in the midst of a very severe storm. It was so bad that we read that "All hope that we should be saved was taken away." The ship gets shipwrecked and Paul and company end up on an island. The inhabitants of the island are quite fierce. It's wet and cold and Paul gets bitten by a poisonous snake. In Romans 1 v 10, Paul had prayed that God would give him a propserous journey to Rome. Paul is marooned on an island with fierce people in the cold and wet and has been bitten by a poisonous snake. Paul shakes the snake off and doesn't die. Paul wasn't worried when he was in the ship in the storm. Paul wasn't worried at the firerceness of the people. Paul wasn't worried when the snake bit him. Paul had hope in that ship in the storm. He had hope when he was stranded on the island. He had hope when he was bitten by a poisonous snake. You see an angel had appeared to him and told him not to fear. The angel told him that he had to come to Rome and on the way there he had to be cast upon a certain island. Paul knew that the will of God was that he goe to Rome to stand before Caesar. He knew God's will will come to pass. He knew therefore that God would take care of what happened in between the revealing of his will and the fulfilment of it. Paul had hope because he was on God's course for him and everything was working out exactly as he had been told. I said earlier that Paul had prayed that God would grant him a propserous journey to Rome. Did God answer his prayer? The answer I believe is aresounding YES! God gave Paul favour with the inhabitants of the island and with Publius who was the Chief man. Publius' father was sick and Paul prayed for him and God healed him. Others on the island that were sick were also healed. Reveival broke out on that island called Melita. Paul and those with him were honoured and when they left they were blessed with such things that they had need of. God granted Paul a prosperous journey. When you are on course, you have hope. God wants you to finish your course. That's His will/desire. Whatever stands in your way that naturally speaking cannot be moved. You have this hope: God wants His will accomplished. You want it accomplished. By submitting yourself to God's will, you align yourself with His plans and purposes. Whatever stands in your way that defies you, that cannot be overcome by natural strength, means, resources, you have this hope. It's God's responsibility to take care of any obstacle, mountain that stands in your way. "NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD" God is all powerful, that's why in situations like this, we have to keep looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. There is hope when you are on course. What kept Joseph going for 22 years in prison in negative circumstances. The world has no hope. The book of Ephesians tells us that those who are without God have no hope in this world. The World defines hope as wishful thinking. eg " I hope everything will be alright" "I hope the weather will be good tomorrow" Bible Hope however can be defined as "Those things which are absolutely sure are going to happen in the future." The word of God likens hope to an ship's anchor. It's descibed as an anchor to the soul (mind/emotions.) The Bible also likens hope to a helmet. Helmet of hope The helmet offers protection to the mind (emotions, thoughts etc). An anchor keeps a ship from drifting. There is hope when you are on course.
Jeus said in John 4 v 34 "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work." Jesus likens doing the will of God to eating food. Food nourishes, food strengthens, food satisfies. When you are on course you will be strengthened and you will know true satisfaction. When you are on course you will also know true joy.
Acts 20 v 24 "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy."
HOW CAN WE DISCOVER THE WILL OF GOD / HIS COURSE FOR OUR LIVES?
When Jesus was 12 years old, He had been seeking God's will for His life. Mary and Joseph had been returning from the Feast of Passover and they realised that Jesus wasn't with them. They found Him in the Temple both hearing and answering questions. Luke 2 v 48: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us?, behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing". V 49 "How is that ye sought me, don't you know that I must be about my Father's business." Jesus was brought up to recognise Joseph as His Father, but at age 12, Jesus knew who is real Father was and that God had a plan and a purpose for Him.
How can we know God's will?
We can know God's will on certain issues by reading the bible. We know it's God's will for us not to hold unforgiveness. We know it's God's will that we should bless those that persecute us. We know it's God's will that we should be established in a local church. We know it's God's will that we should confess our sins. How doe we know these things? By reading the Bible. How do you know what job to take. How do you know who to marry. How do you know where to live. I believe that it is God's will that we are not kept in the dark. God reveals His will to us progressively. He says seek and ye shall find. I believe the first step is unconditional surrender to God. "Here I am Lord use me. Where you want me to go, I'll go, what you want me to say, I'll say"and so on. Alot of people pray such a prayer and then become pre-occupied with something and say "Lord do this, I need this etc" "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you". "In all your ways acknowlege Him and He shall direct your paths" There is a direct link with God's course for your life and your service for Him. Jesus said in John 12 v26 "If any man serve me, him will my Father honour." David served his generation by the will of God. In Acts 20 v 24 Paul said "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Here we see that Paul's service for God and God's course/plan for him were linked. The same is evident concering John the Baptist in the following verses. "When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. " Acts 13 v 24. John preached the message of repentance and prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. That was John's ministry. As he did this, he fulfilled his course (God's plan and purpose for him). John 4 v34 "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work".
It is important to realise that the will of God for your life and your service for Him are linked
Romans 12 v 4 "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office."
WE ALL HOWEVER HAVE AN OFFICE!
Find out what God wants you to do. Find out how you can serve Him. Make that a priority. Be ready and willing to serve. "Seek first the Kingdom of God". You'll find out what your calling is and what it is not. Church is likened to a physical body. eg foot, hand . Could you imagine trying to use your hand to play football. Or using your feet to hold a knife and fork. You would experience intense frustration and weariness. It would be a continual consious effort. When you find your place of service and function in it, everything else will fall into place. God will give you the right husband/wife, friends, spiritual gifts, right location to enable you serve Him effectively. Whatever you need to be the person God has called you to be, He'll provide. Every important decision you will make in life will flow from your service to Him. It's a matter of establishing right priorities.
We need to pray
Jeremiah 29 v 10-11 says the following:
"For thus says the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplishedat Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word to you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know that the plans that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
The context is that Israel is held captive by Babylon. God says that when 70 years have expired He is going to bring blessing to Israel (v 11)
Daniel 9 v2 & 3 states " In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish the seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes."
Daniel knew from scripture that the 70 years God had decreed where coming to an end. He begins to seek God with prayer and fasting for the next step. It's important to pray and fast if necessary.
As God reveals Him will to you you will encounter difficulties. At time you will be required to take a step of faith. Peter in the boat. Could Peter have reacted in the way that alot of us Spirit-filled believers do and say something like :"Lord you said Whatever things I desire, when I pray, believe I receive them and I shall have them. Lord you said that with you all things are possible. All the time we are confessing the word, Jesus is aying to us "Get out of the boat" The miracle wasn't that Peter walked. The miracle was that God held him up. Walking is natural. Walking on water however is supernatural. In Joshua chapter 3 the Jordan river in full flood. God wants Joshua to lead the Children of Israel over. God said that when the priests' feet touch the water, the waters will part. Nothing would happen until there was action. A step of faith was required. We are Kings and priests unto God and God requires us at times to take the first step. When we do that, He'll do the rest. He'll part the waters for you and make away through that seemingly impossible situation. So often we say that we are waiting on the lord when at times, The Lord is waiting on us.
Doing the will of God will cost you at times. It cost Noah his time effort, finances and reputation. Remember that the Apostles were made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men. The late Kathryn Kuhlman said of serving God that "It costs much but it is worth the cost".
How does God guide?
God leads and guides us through the Bible, circumstances, preaching, gifts of the Spirit, prophecy, dreams, visions, common sense.
I believe the following concerning guidance.
80% of our guidance comes through the scriptures.
15% comes directly through the Holy Spirit.
5% comes through dreams, visions, audible voice.
The danger is sometimes we make the exception the norm.
Romans 8 v 16 states that "The Spirit Himself bears witness that we are the children of God."
The Holy Spirit didn't only just do that at conversion. He is continually bearing witness that we are the children of God. He isn't giving us visions all the time or speaking to us in an audible voice every hour to tell us that we are the Children of God.
We are to "Let the peace of God rule in our hearts." If there is a lack of peace then it is unwise to do anything hastily.
There are 2 main hindrances to walking in the will of God.
1 Our minds
2 Fear
David says concerning our intellect interfering with God's leading that we should:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own undertsanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."
Derek Prince once said: "I have learned all through life that God has a plan. You don't have to work it out, you just have to be in it."
The second hindrance and probably the biggest is fear. You can trust God totally. Remember that God is love and perfect love (God's love) casts out all fear.
"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind."
Paul's friend Ephapras prayed for the Colossians that they would stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Recognise that God has a unique course for you to complete. As you get on course and walk in God's will for your life you will be strengthened, you will have hope, and a joy and a satisfaction that nothing else can give.
