1. Many Christians are struggling with the problem of how to know the Lord’s will for their lives.
2. Consequently they waste precious time being out of God’s will and they often worry – sensing deep down that they are not in God’s will.
3. I cannot tell you God’s will for your life and neither can anyone else. For example, Peter desired to know God’s will for John by asking, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" (John 21:21). You may recall that the Lord rebuked him (John 21:22).
4. The Lord put it on my heart to preach this message today because, we as a church, are at a crossroads, seeking God’s direction.

I. A TEACHABLE SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL IN KNOWING GOD’S WILL.

1. Some people are simply not teachable and that is why they never discover God’s will. A believer (we are discussing believers – for an unbeliever to know God’s will, he must first get saved) must be willing to be taught before he can hope to learn anything.
2. God reveals the Lord Jesus Christ to those who are submissive to His will; and they will understand Bible doctrine (John 7:7).
3. Submitting to God and yielding to Him results in discovering the "good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom.12:1,2).
4. There must be an unreserved commitment to God’s will before one can expect any specific details of that will. Willingness to do God’s will is a prerequisite to knowing that will (Pro.3:5,6).
5. Therefore, when one tells God: "Lord, I will do anything you want me to do," God begins to unfold step by step that which is His will for His obedient disciple.
6. I heard a story one day of a father who said to his young daughter, "Do you love me?" She said: "Of course, I do." He then said: "Do you love me well enough to take your necklace and throw it into the fire?" She hated to do it but she threw the necklace into the fire. A few days later, the father gave her a real pearl necklace as a birthday present. He also gave her a valuable lesson – when we give up anything for God, He replaces it with things much better (e.g. a better building!)
7. In addition to a teachable spirit, there must be a hunger for God’s Word.

II. A HUNGER FOR GOD’S WORD IS ESSENTIAL IN KNOWING GOD’S WILL.

1. Many Christians are out of God’s will because they do not read the Bible (Ps.119:105; cf. vss. 11, 130, etc.).
2. D.L. Moody said: "I have yet to find the first man who ever read the Bible from cover to cover who remained an infidel."
3. Unfortunately, some know the Bible but deliberately disobey it.
4. Many problems, questions, difficulties, and so on, could be avoided by studying the Bible. Let me cite a few common examples:

1. Should I marry an unsaved person? No (II Cor.6:14 ff.).
2. Should I tell others about Jesus? Yes (Matt.28:19,20).
3. Should I tithe? Yes (Malachi 3:8).
4. Is it alright to skip church? No (Heb.10:25).

5. Strong Christians are those that read their Bibles and are in church all the time learning from God’s Word. It is rare to find strong Christians in doubt as to God’s will for their lives.
6. Don’t be like the fellow who had the bad habit of flipping open the Bible to determine God’s will. One day he asked God what God had in store for him and he opened the Bible to Isa.14:9!

III. SENSITIVITY TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL FOR KNOWING GOD’S WILL.

1. Here is where many Christians "miss the boat." Oftentimes we are insensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and convicting. Without being led by the Holy Spirit, we can never know God’s will.
2. The man who led me to Christ was led by the Lord to go and talk with a man on his job he did not even know. But he is glad he obeyed the Spirit’s call.
3. God uses various situations (we refer to this as "providence") to direct us. As we carefully and prayerfully seek His will, God directs our steps through providential circumstances.
4. In the summer of 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to start a new nation. There was much disagreement and so the men asked Benjamin Franklin his opinion. He said: "I have lived a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His will, is it possible for an empire to rise without His notice? We have been assured in the sacred writing that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it (referring to Ps.127). I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel." He then suggested a time of prayer, and the USA was born on July 4, 1776.
5. We see this all throughout the Bible (e.g., Abraham, Joseph, David, Jonah, Paul). God has His hand on everything; all we need to do is trust Him (Rom.8:28).

CONCLUSION:

1. We need not be overly concerned about "seeking" God’s will because God wants to reveal His will to us. Therefore, the proper perspective should be on "receiving" God’s will, not seeking God’s will.
2. Sometimes, we need to wait upon Him (Isa.40:31).
3. Sometimes, we need to move full speed ahead, and the Lord opens and shuts doors for us as we move ahead (cf. Acts 16:6-11).
4. Remember, God’s will involves a teachable spirit, a hunger for His Word, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.