Powerpoint Templates Gods Will For You Powerpoint Templates

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will For You Powerpoint Templates

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • How can I know what God’s will is for my life? • Should I … date … go to college … get married … have kids … change jobs … move … get a divorce … remarry? etc.

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • Does everything happen for a reason? • Infants die; killed by drunk driver; stricken with cancer; child abuse; raped; suicide; infidelity; house burnt down; lose a ball game; etc.

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • Does everything happen for a reason? Some say, “Yes, ” some say “No, ” some say, “I don’t know” • Answering “yes” can be comforting and consoling, but misleading

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • Answering “No” can be noble, but misleading • Answering “I don’t know” can lead to unbelief

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • • • prothesis = purpose (Rom. 9: 11) boule = wisdom, counsel (Acts 2: 23) eudokia = good pleasure (Eph. 1: 5) thelema = desire, wish (Mt. 7: 21) epitrepo = allow, permit (1 Cor. 16: 7)

Powerpoint Templates God’s Will • God’s PURPOSED will: what God desires and what God decides • God’s PRESCRIBED will: what God desires and what man decides • God’s PERMISSIVE will: what man desires and decides (or not), and what God permits

Powerpoint Templates The Purposed Will of God • God desires something to happen and he also decides how and when it will happen • It happens because God makes it happen (Isa. 14: 27; Heb. 6: 17)

Powerpoint Templates The Purposed Will of God • Creation (Rev. 4: 11) • Salvation through Jesus (Acts 2: 23; 4: 28; 1 Pet. 1: 20) • Church (Eph. 1: 4 -5, 9, 11)

Powerpoint Templates The Prescribed Will of God • God desires something to happen, reveals (prescribes) it to all mankind, and then allows mankind to decided whether or not it will be done (Acts 20: 27; 22: 14) • Prescribed in scripture (Col. 1: 9)

Powerpoint Templates The Prescribed Will of God • Must be obeyed (Mk. 3: 31 -35; Heb. 10: 36; 1 Jn. 2: 17) • Can be rejected (Lk. 7: 30)

Powerpoint Templates The Permissive Will of God • God neither purposes nor prescribes some things to happen, but he allows individuals in their freedom (or not) to bring these things to pass • God is still in control and he can use these things to accomplish his will

Powerpoint Templates The Permissive Will of God • Individual sin (Acts 14: 16) • Individual plans (Acts 18: 21; 21: 14; Rom. 1: 10; 15: 32; 1 Cor. 4: 19; 16: 7; Heb. 6: 3) • Individual suffering (1 Pet. 3: 17; 4: 19)

Powerpoint Templates The Permissive Will of God • Is there a “reason” for something happening? Yes (because of the basic law of cause-effect), but not the reason we may think. It may not be God at all! • What about Satan? Natural laws? Accidents? Sinful choices?

Powerpoint Templates The Permissive Will of God • What about “time and chance” (Eccl. 9: 11)? • Some of what we hear today is coming from 500 years of John Calvin’s determinism: every detail in life is predetermined and purposed by God

God’s. Powerpoint Will. Templates and You • The Purposed Will of God – Be bold (Rom. 8: 28; Eph. 3: 11 -12) – Be thankful (2 Tim. 1: 9)

God’s. Powerpoint Will. Templates and You • The Prescribed Will of God – Understand all you can (Eph. 5: 17) – Obey all you can (Mt. 7: 21; Jn. 4: 34; 5: 30; 6: 38; 7: 17; Rom. 12: 2; Eph. 6: 6; Col. 4: 12)

God’s. Powerpoint Will. Templates and You • The Prescribed Will of God – Both requires and forbids – Both general and specific – Both objective and universal

God’s. Powerpoint Will. Templates and You • The Prescribed Will of God – Know as much about God and his word – Know as much about life – Know as much about wisdom

God’s. Powerpoint Will. Templates and You • The Permissive Will of God – Pray “if the Lord wills” (Jas. 4: 13 -15) – Don’t blame God for everything that happens (Job 1 -2), but know that it can “turn out” for good regardless of the reason (Lk. 21: 13; Phil. 1: 12, 19)