But here in John chapter 7 they were still unbelievers, and thus their attitudes and priorities in life were quite different from His. It is about leaders manipulating, bullying, pushing, and pulling people to serve their own personal agendas and needs. Isaiah 5:20 - Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! James 4:17 - Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. The consumer Christian culture is about receiving benefits and getting into heaven. Have patient endurance—with urgency born of the Holy Spirit. When you have done this, you can go on to the second step which is to: 2. It will keep coming back to you until you take notice of His conviction. At this point it would be good to address the question: What if I choose the wrong option? ~ ~ Are you living by the way of God or by the way of the world? 5. Pray for wisdom. Copyright © 2020 Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. Study without reflection, measuring maturity by knowledge, and finishing curriculum—it doesn’t have any traction. Anatomy of a Backslider Genesis 20. It is a world of sacrifice, submission, humility, and patience. A Few Good Men Genesis 18:16-33. Living the Christian life means finding out that particular purpose He has set for you, and then fulfilling it. Many people have put off doing this until it is too late – time runs out for them! [iv] From Eugene Peterson’s address at the Spiritual Formation Forum Conference, May, 2004, [viii] Roy F. Baumeister, The Low Down on High Self-Esteem; Column, Los Angeles Times, January 25, 2005, Bill Hull's passion has been to help the church return to its disciple making roots and he considers himself a discipleship evangelist. The present system of discipleship offered in a consumer package targeted at individual needs is not sufficient to form people into the image of Christ. I marvel at how the internet meets my insatiable appetite for knowledge, goods and services in minutes. How do we right the wrongs in our life? He knows why we do what we do and desires to reward those whose hearts are right toward Him. It is the worldview of Jesus where God is at the center and his disciples live for others because Jesus was a man for others. The right way to seek God’s will requires time and patience to carry out the next few steps: 3. Doing right according to God's word is the right way to do right. There is a backlash now against so-called affirmative action, because white males are claiming that their rights have been infringed upon. Perhaps there may be someone here who is still not saved. 7:1). God’s will for your life therefore includes all your personal responses and even the errors you had made in discerning His will. Expect opposition. Have you surrendered your life to do all that God wants you to do, even when it is contrary to what you want to do, or to what others would want you to do? We have seen this revealed in our passage of study in John chapter 7 – Jesus went up to Jerusalem despite knowing all the trials and suffering He would have to face there from the Jews who hated Him. But Jesus was not at all afraid of being killed. There is something about the little red light on the camera that has a seductive quality. One of the hardest things to do in life is making decisions that may affect our future. Whether we were the one doing the wrong or we were wronged by someone else, there are seven steps or principles to healing. Consult spiritually mature believers for their advice. Will you seek to do the right thing at the right time? David decided to bring the ark to Jerusalem. Much of the Christian world is doing the right thing in the wrong way. He would be able to return to teach and rebuild Germany after the war. But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.” Did Jesus suddenly change His mind about going to Jerusalem? Search popularity is shown in blue using the scale below. If Jesus has gone through so much to do God’s will to save you from sin and eternal death, is it too much for you to do God’s will instead of your own will? Read under the authority of God’s word, not to get ahead. No, because they were merely following the way of the world. Place congregation/community before individualism—but maintain personal identity. The result is that we have created more consumers who are fairly nice moral people who make little difference to the people in their lives. Listen to what He says in Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” But please, don’t expect God to reveal His entire plan for your life. His friends and mentors thought it was wise to spare him the Nazi persecution of the Church. James 4:17 - Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. The consumer way is to act now, make an impact, get things done. If Thou do these things, shew Thyself to the world.” But doing this now would be premature and it would only bring disastrous results. The Lord Jesus was always focused on doing the will of the. They would bring much public attention to Him. This is based on Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. There is sin in us and therefore in the church, but in the midst of the battle, we must know that we are doing things that bring transformation. The Jewish leaders were waiting for Jesus to come so that they could get hold of Him and kill Him (v.1). All men must repent and […] [iii]To think this is about material wealth is to trivialize the subject and to miss the point. Carefully consider the circumstances you are in. 21 For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. Then we must work harder and find someone to blame. This is the first step to discern the will of God. I know it won’t be easy, but you have to let him know what you’ve been doing. What Jesus said to them in this verse indicates that He was living by God’s time table, not theirs. without any fanfare or publicity. God has a special purpose for each of us to fulfill in life, which will contribute towards His grand eternal plan. A good thing taken out of its appropriate season can actually be destructive. The consumer Christian culture makes us become more and Jesus become less. Answer: The Bible nowhere presents an instance where lying is considered to be the right thing to do. DOING RIGHT THE WRONG WAY. Pray for wisdom; 4. In consumer Christianity it is the man reading the bible, going to church and using his skills to take his church or business to the next level. This was a serious shift from the previous world that valued community and, in religious terms, the congregation. Christian speakers and entertainers demand the same limos, dressing room cuisine, and preferential treatment as their secular colleagues. This is clear from what they told Him in verse 4 –, Can the brothers of Jesus be blamed for thinking like this? Acts 1:14). When we are not celebrated by others, we feel empty because we have come to use it as spiritual food. By Rev Charles Seet. Make contact with those you wronged The formation of character into the person of Christ can’t be hurried. And if we worry that our judgements are not sound enough, there is another help that God has given us – fellow believers. When the pastor looked again at Isaiah 43:6 he saw that the next part said, “…and to the south, Keep not back:” He also realized that the verse is all about the regathering of God’s people from exile back to the Promised Land. Yes, being a Christian and living with other Christians will always be difficult. It is Ayn Rand’s superman, who objectives everything and everyone. To make matters worse, even when you know the right thing to do, sometimes you don’t do it at the right time. When God shows you His will, it is not for you to waste time deciding whether you should really carry it out or not. We need to ask the right questions. When His own brothers (who were actually His half-brothers, since they had the same mother but not the same father) suggested that He should go to Judaea with them and reveal Himself to the world by doing miracles there, His reply was, “My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.” (John 7:6) But later on, when the time was right, He did go to Judaea and perform many great miracles there – including the healing of a man who was born blind in chapter 9, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead in chapter 11. Literal Standard Version and in doing good we should not be weary, for at the proper time we will reap—not desponding; NET Bible So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. Young people should not leave out one important resource you have for wise counsel: Your parents. They want to get the answer from God in the shortest possible time and with the least amount of effort. We live in a world where two ways or philosophies are at war. Mammon is the entire superstructure of pride, the hubris of man—it is man in the middle. We better learn to use this God-given mind well to make such judgements, because one day we will have to judge angels and the world when we reign with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:2). So there it is, doing the right thing: gathering people into congregation/community, but in the wrong way: cultivating consumer Christians. What Jesus said to them in this verse indicates that He was living by God’s time table, not theirs. Proverbs 25:11-21 The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Look at vv.9,10 – “When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee. That storm is the mania for numbers: to build a great ministry, a great law practice, a wonderful business—so we can feel affirmed, can have the resources we desire, and do it in the time frame we have planned. You act when you should wait, and then everything turns out badly because you had acted too soon. To our Lord Jesus, doing the will of God was even more important than His own life. All this forms the setting for what we see here in this passage. Living the Christian life means finding out that particular purpose He has set for you, and then fulfilling it. This is one reason why some are unable to discern God’s will for their lives – they are too impatient or lazy. It may be a decision about your course of study or your career. Don’t read the bible to enhance your self image. Jesus modeled prayer as a priority. Surrender your own will. God has a special purpose for each of us to fulfill in life, which will contribute towards His grand eternal plan. His first book, Jesus Christ Disciplemaker, is ce... More, Happy New Year: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives, 4. You may have heard the story of someone whose finger landed on Matthew 27:5 (“. We know Ephesians 2:6 says we are not saved by works, but by grace. But someone may then ask: “If God has already known and ordained every choice I make, does this mean that I can choose any way I like, without bothering to discern God’s will?” The answer is No. Theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, left Germany in 1939 for New York City to teach at Union Theological Seminary. Sometimes, there may be several options open to you. Because they usually have a lot more valuable experience, and more importantly, they have your interests at heart. The Christian world has a highly developed celebrity system that is indistinguishable from its secular counterpart. He sets up appointments in the right place, and right time, for those he loves. One of the hardest things to do in life is making decisions that may affect our future. Sorted by most helpful votes from the Topical Bible. As his disciple, then, my life is about others—only then will I find myself. So, when faced with a major decision they resort to using unscriptural methods to discern God’s will. A person asks God to show His will for a decision, then he flips the Bible randomly to any page and points at random to any verse. God may reveal His will for you by opening doors of opportunity. If all their outcomes are good, then look for the best one among them. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies” as two of the seven abominations to the Lord. Just because someone offers you a job which does not require any work but has an attractive compensation, this does not mean that it is God’s will for you. Right reveals wrong and people don't like to be told they're wrong. And as you commit yourself to do the will of God, please make the Lord Jesus your example for the manner in which you do it. Weigh the pros and cons of each option – write down all the possible outcomes of taking each of them. Be sensitive to the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit. In America slow and urgent are not compatible, they cancel each other out. Consider the circumstances you are in; and 6. Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Courses. What mattered most to them was for Jesus to gain more fame, popularity and power. I had no problem getting a congressman, pastors, and advocates to appear. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Then they would be able to enjoy all the benefits this would bring to them as His family members. Have a life of prayer over competence—but don’t leave out the competence. 4. He took the last ship back to Germany before World War II began. Scripture: 2 Samuel 6. We live in a culture that is dependent upon wanting and acquiring more. The congregation is not about us—it is about God. [viii] Wouldn’t it be great if the followers of Jesus believed Dr. Hogan? He was executed in 1945 for his part in a conspiracy to kill Hitler. KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) What does the Bible say about Doing What Is Right? This was not … But this didn’t happen. 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. Text: John 7:1-13 One of the hardest things to do in life is making decisions that may affect our future. Once you have life, Jesus says, “Now I will teach you how to give it up.”. 22 And we are sending along with them our brother whose earnestness has been proven many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.… The Bible tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.God’s ultimate aim for us is our sanctification – where He starts to begin to mold and transform us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ.. So there it is, doing the right thing: working to build a business or ministry for Christ, in the wrong way: taking short cuts, pushing and manipulating others to meet your time frame with your desired results. There is a good purpose for this – so that you will build a closer relationship with God by having to rely on Him to lead you all the way to the end of your life. the Bible is not an almanac where you can find every specific detail about your life. The other philosophy, and it dominates, is the consumer culture. So there it is, doing the right thing: trying to live for God, but in the wrong way: celebrating me, making it all about me. Thus we have seen the six basic steps for discerning what God wants you to do: 1. In fact, six months later He would submit willingly to being arrested and put on trial by them, and then handed over to the Roman authorities to be crucified. It is a lasting impression that refuses to go away. Now we come to the most important part. When God Comes to Dinner Genesis 18:1-15. If you are already saved, will you commit yourself now to do the will of God for your life? Never before has anyone ever given up so much for the sake of doing the will of God, as our Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, it really isn’t separate. Read verse in The Message Bible The Jews loved Jesus until His righteousness began opposing their sinfulness. It is a slow work and it gets very messy. And so He, our Lord Jesus had a very keen understanding of. Wisdom requires us to use our minds well. In every decision you make you should always seek to do the right thing. The operating biblical metaphor for worship is sacrifice. This passage relates an event that happened sometime in October of the year AD 29. Their doctrine was "unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). In chapter 5 He had healed a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. I think of Paul’s words to the Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”[vii]. Begin by having the right attitude – the attitude that Christ had when He prayed at Gethsemane: “Not My will, but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) This was also Paul’s attitude when he met Christ on the road to Damascus. Ask God to direct your path and trust that He will really do so. Bonhoeffer sought God’s wisdom and he believed that there was only one important question: what is the will of God? Then he reads it to see what message it has for him. The culture is contemptuous of patience. As he was wondering what he should do, he read a verse from Isaiah 43:6 –, Young people should not leave out one important resource you have for wise counsel: Your parents. This was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. What do you think would happen if Jesus were to go to Jerusalem with them? It is a world of consumption, assertiveness, speed, and fame. This brings us now to the first significant thing that this passage reveals about Jesus: It reveals that our Lord Jesus had a very keen understanding of when He should do anything. How can you avoid the nagging fear that you may be making a wrong decision – a decision that may set the course of your life on a perilous course? Are you living by the way of God or by the way of the world? They also took offence at His claim to be the Son of God and at His rebuke of their sins. We have recast the gospel into consumer items, entertainment, adventure, problem solving, and formulas to help us get an edge. You must live your life with a sense of mission. For instance you may know the Bible quite well. I will now do it.” Do not ever think that you are wiser than God, and try to modify His will to suit your own situation for your own convenience. This God-given desire has manifested itself in twenty years of pastoral service and the authorship of ten books. This email address is being protected from spambots. We think that is just the way it is: leaders who don’t care that much about God or us; churches that bore and drain the joy out of the soul; silly power struggles that sicken the spirit. Eugene Peterson said it well, “The American Culture is stubbornly resistant to the way of Jesus.” [iv]. Why do we know so much, but live so badly? There must be a good reason why the Lord has placed you where you are right now, why He has given you unique gifts and bestowed you with certain abilities. In the Jesus world, it is not about us, it is about God. This is brought out plainly in the reply that Jesus gave them in v.7, Is that what matters most to you too? James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” An English pastor once promised to serve in a church in north England, but after that he received an invitation to a more attractive post in south England. As he was wondering what he should do, he read a verse from Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, Give up…” And so he thought that God will cause the northern church to terminate his prior commitment so that he might be free to take up the more attractive offer from the southern church. Make some time … Eugene Peterson said it up appointments in the middle then we must work harder and find someone appear! 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