How to Learn to Accept God’s Design of Our Lives
1 Samuel 8:1-9, 19,20
DATE: 14 April, 2002 PM PLACE: BBC
Blarney
I.
Introduction (Eph 5:29)
A. People hate the way that they are
1. The way they look, or act, or their inabilities and limitations
2. We have a sad society that programmes people to break the 10th Commandment in the name of personal fulfilment – coveting (Pr 27:4)
3. It is ruining our homes, and our lives
4. It wasn’t so until the 19th and 20th Centuries
5. Two things characterise our age – hatred of self, and ignorance of God
B. This is the work of Satan - They get this kind of attitude from Satan
C. Yet, God designed us, invented us, made us, maintains us, and wants us – desires us – we have all of His attention!
1. Even though we went astray as a human race – Remember, He paid dearly on the cross to get us back – that’s salvation
2. When we struggle through a given day – He waits for us to call upon Him in absolute dependence so that he can show Himself mighty (2Chr 16:9)
II.
Background
A. In 1 Samuel 8, all of Israel, God’s special people believed they were “missing something” by not having a king over them – every other nation had kings. They felt cheated, inferior, and demanded a king! No matter how hard Samuel tried, he couldn’t convince them otherwise, they kept demanding a king!
B. The problem was, they didn’t trust God! Didn’t think He knew what he was doing. He was going to give them a king (David), but just not then!
C. Let’s bring this into our sphere. We need to understand where this comes from
1. Satan Hates You – and especially Your Body because:
a. It is made in the image of God (Gen 1:27) – it has been marred by sin, but it still bares a bit of His likeness – not in the hair or toenails, but in the hands, and eyes – these are LIKE how God is
b. It is the temple of God (1Cor 6:19,20) – if you are a Christian - saved
c. It makes up part of Christ’s body – the church of believers (Eph 5:30,32)
d. It CAN be used for righteousness (Rom 6:13)! For good!
2. There are Ten Unchangeables About You
a. Your Parents – can’t change it – sorry!
b. Your Time In History – maybe wish you were born in 1800’s, etc.
c. Your Racial Background – Irish, English, French, Nigerian – can’t change that – even though Michael Jackson is trying to prove he can!
d. Your National Heritage – the background of the Irish race, etc.
e. Your Gender – male, or female – that’s how God made you!
f. Your Birth Order – maybe not the oldest, or the baby in the family
g. Your Brothers And Sisters - Joseph would rather have had different brothers! You may have some real bullies for family!
h. Your Basic Physical Features – this is so important
1) Height
2) Hair colour
3) Size of your nose
4) Size of your feet – EX: Mark Wenzel in Wisconsin
5) Shape of your body
6) There may be actual defects – we will look at how to correct these in a moment
i. Your Mental Abilities - or inabilities – most of us were NOT very bright
j. The Appointed Time For You To Die
1) You will age, grow old
2) You will die – or possibly be raptured! But that is another message
3. None of these things can be changed, and yet, this crazy modern world is trying to convince people that they CAN so easily change these things
a. Your parents – kids divorce their parents in Australia
b. Your time in history – live in fantasy novels and movies – really believe it all
c. Your racial background – get people to deny where they came from
d. Your national heritage – get us to join the new world order with no barriers – of the devil folks! One world for the anti-christ
e. Your gender – sex-change operations
f. Your birth order – poison your family members
g. Your brothers and sisters – leave home, and never return
h. Your basic physical features – there is a whole multi-billion industry
1) Selling Avon, health and beauty aids
2) High-heeled shoes, wonder-bras, hair transplants
3) Add cosmetic surgery, etc – all to CHANGE the way people look
i. Your mental abilities – thinking carrying a Palm computer around actually makes a person “smarter!” Soon people will be designing their own little Einsteins and Concert Pianists
j. The appointed time of your death – they just keep prolonging it with more and more tubes, and equipment saying it is helping!
4. Do you know what is funny about all that? The world will NOT be the better for any of it! Why? Because GOD has been kicked out of the equation, and is therefore destined to big-time failure!
D. The problem with this world is – people don’t trust God – they don’t trust the Creator. I’m here to help you get back to trusting Col 2:10!
E. The NT Church is all about allowing God to change us on the inside
III.
Message – Building Trust in Our Designer
A. How To Accept God’s Design – both internal and external
1. Israel had been brought out of Egypt, and even victoriously brought into Palestine, but they still had a problem with trusting His ways
2. They, like us all, had to learn the following four truths:
a. God has balanced out two sets of opposing facts in your life
|
Something is wrong with me (Rom 7:18,19,15) – born wrong |
Yet, I am wonderfully made (Ps 139:14-16) – I show off the reativeity of God! That includes “defects” (Ex 4:11,12) |
|
My heart is desperately wicked (Jer 17:9) |
Yet, I demonstrate the image of God somehow in my life (Gen 1:27). Israel showed God’s abilities |
|
Nobody had to convince ME of these truths! |
It took the NEW BIRTH for me to understand this, and begin to accept it – many are not really born again. They may pray, come to church, but have never accepted God for what he is, and what he does |
|
I try and fix the problems on my outside, only by changing my outside |
God changes me ONLY from the inside – miracles never changed anybody! |
b. God designed you with a purpose in mind (Jer 1:5) – not an accident
c. God is not finished with you yet (Ps 138:8; Eph 2:10; Philp 1:6). Demonstrated by the fact that God is not finished with the Jews!
d. God saves a person so that he CAN change them
Without understanding and believing these truths, you will only feel inferior – feel like God has somehow “cheated you” (Gen 3:5,6)
B. What Do We have to Do To Overcome The Causes Of Inferiority?
1. Stop COVETING unchangeable features (2Cor 10:12) – comparing
a. Our Appearance (Pr 31:30)
b. Our Aptitude (1Cor 1:27-29)
c. Our Parentage (Ps 68:5)
d. Our Social Status (James 2:5) – Jesus said take the last place in queue
2. Start seeking God’s Kingdom, and His Righteousness (Mt 6:33)
a. Your happiness is NOT linked to the things you have
b. But rather to your ability to experience the character and heart of Jesus Christ! HE is God’s universal IDEAL
c. He defined a Kingdom heart in Matthew 5:3-12, “Blessed are…”
3. Start Accepting God’s Design for your life (“wonderfully MADE…”)
a. Detect any ungratefulness towards God
1) If you hate other people, even your enemies, it is only because you have a problem with God!
2) If you cannot get excited about thanking God for EVERYTHING in your life, you have a problem with God
3) Locate what caused that ungratefulness, and place it on the cross
b. Thank God for the way He has made you thus far, especially for _____________________, and then fill in the blank.
1) Take the time to review your past, and find a way to thank God
2) Maybe your past was awful – thank God it is not the same
3) Maybe your past was dark – thank God you HAVE God’s light now
4) If you look into your life and see only more of the same rubbish, then you may not be saved at all (2 Cor 5:17)
5) Thankfulness is a good indicator of a changed soul
c. Place yourself back onto God’s easel, God’s workbench, and cooperate in developing inward qualities that he has set out for you
1) Quite running from God’s moulding and shaping hands in your life
2) Start looking forward to God transforming you instead of chastening you
C. If There Are Defects In Your Life – make the most of them!
1. Correct them if possible
a. Sloppy appearance
b. Laziness
c. Health hazards – Cleft palate or broken arm – sensible stuff
d. Make sure your idea of a defect is not based upon an envy
2. Exercise Prayer – get close to God to discern why something is wrong in your life – don’t try and manipulate God
a. Maybe it is just part of the curse – just normal hardship of life
b. Maybe it is God’s chastening hand – which most of the time it is
c. Maybe it is something that God allowed so that he could be glorified through you being changed
d. Maybe it is just something to teach you how to rely on God’s grace (2Cor 12) instead of on an outward change
3. Rejoice, or Glory in the Unchangeable “Defects” or Problems in your life
a. They are marks of God’s ownership (1Cor 6:20)
b. They motivate us to develop inner qualities (Ps 139:14)
c. They are the means to being a better servant for the Lord
IV.
Conclusion
A. The world, and especially the devil can’t stand a message like this – it is totally against everything he is trying to do today!
B. There are really Ten Unchangeables in your life – the world wants you to believe you can change these things. God would rather change the inner you
C. How does He do it? How does God change us on the inside?
1. By showing you a balanced perspective about your life
2. By revealing a purpose for His design – no accidents
3. By continually working on you, so He can work through you
D. What do you have to do? What’s your part?
1. Stop COVETING unchangeable features (2Cor 10:12)
2. Start seeking God’s Kingdom, and His Righteousness (Mt 6:33)
3. Start Accepting God’s Design for your life – great rest in trusting
4. Repent of any ungratefulness towards God
E. Make the most out of your supposed “defects”
1. Some you may be able to change – valid ones
2. Some are meant to keep you on your knees in dependence on God
3. Some are meant to show how that GOD is your owner – not the world
F. But none of this can begin, until you have broken, and surrendered your all to the Lord Jesus Christ! Some folks this morning need to get saved!