Hello, friend: I’m Mack Lyon. The program’s a nationwide Bible study program “In Search of the Lord’s way.” We’re presented here by some churches of Christ in the broadcast area of this station. Most parents really want to give their children the very best they are able, because they love them. In the same way our Father in Heaven wants to give us the best possible life. Only in Christ do we have the abundant life; and Phil Sanders will explore that with you, so stay tuned.
Thank you, Mack, and the Lord be with you! Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and this is In Search of the Lord’s Way, where we search the Scriptures to find the Lord’s way to be saved and to live the Christian life. Thanks so, so much for studying God’s Word with us. We love hearing from you that you are watching or listening; and we want to be a part of your life each week.
When God, your Father, created you, He created you with love in His heart. And God said to the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 29, verse 11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” God has a plan for our lives too! He wants to bless our lives and to meet our needs. The Bible says in James 1, verse 17, that “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Now all of the physical blessings that we enjoy won’t make up for what our spirits need. We are spiritual beings with souls, and the physical things of this life will not provide for the things that we need inside our hearts. We need God in our lives. And He is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. He’s the difference between existing and abundant living. He’s the difference between chasing after the wind and living with meaning and purpose. God knows what is best for us and He wants to provide the things that we need most for our souls.
For thirty years In Search of the Lord’s Way has offered this program and its information free. Now if you’d like a printed copy, a CD or a tape of today’s lesson, mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or email us. Send that email to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, if you like, you can call our toll-free telephone number; and we’ll pay for the call. That number is 1-800-321-8633. We also stream this program on our website, that’s www.searchtv.org.
Well, the Edmond Church of Christ is going to sing a hymn of praise to God and Ken Helterbrand is leading. Then we’ll read from Romans chapter 8, verses 31 to 39.
Our reading today from God’s Word comes from the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans chapter 8, verses 31 to 39. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And may the Lord bless the reading of His Word. Let’s pray together. Father, we are grateful that You love us so much and You have provided for all of our needs, both physical and spiritual. Father, help us to serve You with love. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
God is our Father, and like any good parent He wants what is best for us spiritually, because He loves us and knows our spiritual well being is vital. In this lesson I want to explore seven things that God wants for our lives. And I’m so thankful for the Bible, because it’s the Bible that helps us understand the heart of God. The more we know God, the more we will love Him and want to follow Jesus Christ. Now, here are seven things that God wants for our lives.
First, God wants you to be saved. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2, verses 3 and 4, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” There is nothing in this world worse than being lost in sin. God says in Ezekiel 18 and verse 4 that the soul that sins will die. Now, he’s not here speaking of physical death but spiritual death, which is far worse.
You see, sin is a terrible thing. And the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 10, verse 28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Sin will separate you from the love of God and from His blessing. But God has a plan for us to save us from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ; and that takes place when we believe in Him and obey His commandments.
Some people think God made up His mind long ago who would be saved and who would be lost, but this simply is not true. God gave us the truth, which teaches us how to be saved; and He gave us free will, which allows us to choose to follow Him or to reject Him. But God wants us to choose Jesus and to be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost.
The Bible says in Ezekiel 18, verses 30 to 32, “Therefore will I judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct declares the Lord God. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live.”
Second, God wants you to come to know the truth and to be free. The Lord Jesus promised those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8, verses 31 and 32). God gave us His Son Jesus so that we might come to know and understand His love for us. The Bible says in John 1, verses 17 to 18, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He (that is speaking of Jesus) has explained Him (that is the Father).” This is from the New American Standard Bible.
Some people say they believe there is a God in heaven but we don’t know anything about Him. Oh, but we can and do know something about Him. We can know God through looking at Jesus. The Lord Jesus once said to the apostles, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him. Philip, the apostle, said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father?” That’s from John 14, verses 7-9. We know the Father in heaven by knowing the Son who came to earth!
Third, God offers us the privilege of prayer. In fact, God wants to hear from us. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7, verses 7 to 11, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”
We don’t have to beg God to let us pray to Him; the Lord invites us and wants us to bring our requests to Him. Just as a father loves his children, so our Father in heaven loves us. He wants to hear from us and to have a relationship with us. The Bible is how God speaks to us, and prayer is how we speak to God. God loves us enough to hear our words and our hearts. He will always answer with what is best for us, not always with what we want but always with what we need.
Fourth, God wants us to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age. The Bible says in Titus 2, verses 11 to 14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
God wants only what is best for us. Living sensibly, righteously, and godly blesses our lives and blesses those who are around us. God’s amazing grace and His wonderful forgiveness opens an opportunity for us to leave an old sinful life and a destructive lifestyle for one that is godly and productive. The gospel of Christ transforms our lives from selfish to loving, from hurtful to helpful, from dishonest to devoted, and from trouble to trustworthy. God’s grace works through the Word, that is the Bible, to teach us to hate what is wrong and also to love what is right.
Fifth, God wants you to have an abundant life. The Lord Jesus said in John 10, verse 10, that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Everybody wants to be happy, but “the abundant life” is far greater than merely being happy. It has real, inner joy, real life. It is a complete life; it’s life “to the full.” Christianity is a way of life that does not lack any worthy thing that we need.
Now, sinful pleasures may satisfy for a moment, but they can’t give you the lasting joy of the Christian life. Sinful pleasures are deceptive; they’ll promise you much but destroy anyone who pursues them. Sinful pleasures are addictive; they are enslaving, and they’re destructive; and God wants something better for His children than slavery to sin. And so He offers the spiritual, which is so much better than the fleshly. God’s word says in Ephesians 1 and verse 3 that the Father “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
And in Christ we have God’s amazing grace to sustain us, God’s abundant love to comfort us, God’s hope of heaven to give us endurance, and God’s word of wisdom to guide us. In Christ we have become God’s holy and beloved children. Being God’s child is the greatest privilege of life. Nothing else compares.
As part of the abundant life, God gives us the church as our family. As part of the local church we have brothers and sisters who know us and love us, who encourage us and watch for our souls. As part of a local church, we have a place to worship and to grow as children of God. God gave us the church to bless our lives and to help keep us strong in our faith and love for Him. Living as part of God’s family, the church, and serving Christ gives us a great sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Sixth, God wants you to find peace. The Bible says in Philippians 4, verses 6 to 7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God knows we often come on tough times. Just like any Father who loves His children, He puts His arm around us and says, “Let me help you handle it.”
When we put ourselves into God’s hands, He sets a guard around our hearts and minds and protects us from doubts and fears. He replaces all of our worries and uncertainties with His perfect peace. Isaiah 26, verses 3 and 4 says, that “The steadfast of mind You (that is God) will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”
Again in Philippians 4, verses 8 and 9 God’s Word says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” When people think good thoughts and live righteous lives, they can go to sleep at night with a clear conscience, knowing they are right with the living God. The peace that passes understanding, oh it’s truly a blessing!
Seventh, God wants you to come home with Him forever. John 14, verses 1 to 3 says, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, (and the Lord says) believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places (homes); and if it were not so, I would have told you; for I (that is Jesus speaking) go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
The Lord has prepared and reserved a place with your name on it. It doesn’t belong to anyone else. It’s yours! And God intends to bless you and me in ways beyond our understanding. I love Ephesians 2, verses 4 to 7, where the Bible says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, has made us alive together with Christ (and then he says) ‘by grace you have been saved,’ and He has raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (now hear the reason) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” God wants to give you a marvelous, amazing home forever in His house as part of His family.
Well, these are only seven things that God wants for you. There are so many more. And to enjoy them God wants your heart and your life. You see, you can’t please God and remain on the fence or apathetic. You have to come to that point where you make a commitment to God and you make it from this day forward. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3 and verse 9, that “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, (aren’t you thankful) not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God wants you to find His love by changing your life. You must leave the old way of sinful pleasures and follow Him into something that is so much more abundant, an abundant life. My friend, today, today is the very best day to get started on a new and better life! Let’s pray together. Father, may each one listening be willing to respond to Your love and to give their hearts to you in faith. Help us, Father, to turn away from every sin. And, Father, may each one who has never been baptized be willing to be baptized today so that they might have the forgiveness of their sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
The most important thing we can do in response to God is to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. One who loves God will act upon the love of God by believing in Christ (John 3:16), repenting of every sin (Acts 2:38), confessing the name of Jesus (Matthew 10, verses 32 and 3), and by being baptized, that is immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins. When a penitent, believing person is baptized, the Lord washes away his sins (Acts 22 and verse 16), adds him to the church (Acts 2 and verse 47), counts him as His child (Galatians 3, verses 26 and 7), and saves him (1 Peter 3, verse 21).
God wants you to live with Him forever. And the way to live in His house forever is to come into His family in this life. The church is God’s family. And as His child, you will want to be with other members of God’s family, by attending church regularly. God has designed the church to meet your spiritual needs and to provide the loving family that you desire.
God’s arms are open wide longing for you to come home to Him and to the family that He has on earth. Won’t you come to Him, serve Him and live with Him? If you are looking for a close, loving, personal relationship with God, why not visit one of the churches of Christ near you? They are loving brothers and sisters who want to help you go to heaven.
We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s study. And if you want a free printed copy, a CD, or a tape of this message, What God Wants for You, mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or email us: searchtv@searchtv.org.
Or, you can call the Search office toll-free at 1-800-321-8633. Now all of our programs appear on the website at www.searchtv.org. And you can access them in a printed, audio, or video form. You can also download our free study sheets that appears on our website.
Well, we hope that you will come and visit one of the churches of Christ in the area served by this station. The church of Christ loves guests, and you’ll be glad that you visited. Mack and I will be back with you next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God’s Word. Oh, God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.
|