I want to look at you and me fulfilling God’s will. In the same way as Jesus said in the garden of Gethsemane, “Nevertheless not my will, but your will.” He led the way fulfilling his Father’s will.
It’s so important that you and I fulfil what God wants us to do on this planet. There’s no point doing anything else because in the end, we will be judged and it’s going to be looked at: “Was it your will that governed your life or God’s will?”
Matthew 7:15-20
The fruit of a life stems from the nature of that life. What is fruit? I think, as we’ll go on to see in verses 21-23, the fruit of a good life is the one that fulfils Father’s will.
Matthew 7:21-23
So the iniquity is not some list of horrendous sins, it’s the problem of when someone doesn’t fulfil Father’s will for their life, because at birth, our will is contrary to him. The transition in a life, when Jesus Christ comes into that life, is that the iniquity of self-will is replaced by the desire and the fulfilment of doing the will of the Father which is in heaven.
Never underestimate the significance of you on your knees, but in your heart, what I want to do in my life is your will. It’s the most significant thing that an individual can do and it’s a wonderful thing that an individual like you and me can be open and say “Lord, all I want to do in my life, the life you’ve given me, is to fulfil your will in my life. That’s what I want.” And I know there are certain decisions that have to be made. Will God make his will clear for you? Yes 150% he will.
How will he do that? He makes it clear through the preaching of his word possibly, or through what someone else says. Is it the case that you will know inside that you are doing God’s will? Yes you will. What if I have a niggle about something, where I’m weighing something up but I’m not sure; don’t go that way. God is a faithful witness.
Matthew 22:1-3
So we’ve got those who know that they have already been invited to the wedding. This was an important feast; this was the king, it was his son, “you’re invited”. Incredibly, they would not come.
Matthew 22:4-6
So we’re in a situation here where the invitation is repeated yet again. I know the parallel here, that it’s first to the Jewish nation, they rejected them and then he went to the Gentiles. But then it’s also you and me in our lives. There’s an invitation from the king to the feast. “I’ve got everything ready.” But they made light of it. They didn’t care. They went their ways and the rest of them killed off the servants (the prophets of old, as it were).
Matthew 22:7-10
The extension to the Gentiles is paralleled here. “My wedding feast is ready. There’s no way that aren’t going to be people not to enjoy this feast. As many as you can find, get them in”. So they all came. This is the interesting bit.
Matthew 22:11-12
He couldn’t say anything. It was a shock. Somehow, this man had come into the gathering; he wasn’t wearing a wedding garment, but there was some way that the king immediately noted who this man was. He stood out from the crowd. Often robes speak of manner of life. There was something about this man’s heart who wanted the benefits of the meal, but inside he was doing his own thing. He came to the wedding feast for the food, not to witness the bride and the groom.
What does that mean for you and me? It means that when push comes to shove in our lives, it matters what our relationship is between the King and his will. It matters. Father’s will is where it’s at as far as our futures are concerned. His will is paramount, it’s perfect and what we need to do is to prove that acceptable will of God in our lives. It’s a wonderful thing to prove the outworking of God’s will in your life.
That man didn’t come to celebrate what was going on. This whole parable is to do with the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is the church of God.
With some of you, there’s been a realisation that you, on your own, end speechless. You’ve been surprised at that self will that God has revealed. And for some of you also, it’s been a case of clearing out “rubble” to get to the point of “ok, what’s the foundation of my life” and you know it has to be God.
Some of you have been weighing up careers and projects for God. Why the hesitation? I don’t want to be there in that day where I can quote the phraseology of church and the Bible and He says to me “that’s good but did you fulfil what I wanted in your life or was it a talking away of the convictions of what you know to be right in your life?”
This guy stood out a mile. Look how important verse 13 is.
Matthew 22:13-14
We still have the freedom to preach and we have the opportunity to be able to fulfil both individually and together corporately what God has for us. Everyone is happy and wants to have a good time at a wedding; there is not a ripple of discontent in heaven or a wondering about the future. In heaven, the king reigns supreme; our father who art in heaven THY WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven, because that’s where it’s at. He loves you and me to open our hearts to let him reign supreme in our lives.
Romans 12:1-2
Why is God transforming your mind? So that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. These verses accentuate completely what God is prepared, is doing, loves to do in your life. We present our bodies a living sacrifice, our reasonable service. He’s put in our hearts that we don’t want to be conformed to this world. And he’s transforming our minds so that we can prove what is good, acceptable and the perfect will of God.
Ephesians 5:8-11
Don’t get involved with people who are going to take you the wrong way.
Ephesians 5:12-17
The will of God for your life will never go contrary to this word. His will is the most significant thing you can focus on. Walk circumspectly, redeeming the time.
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
There is no way God won’t equip you and me to do his will in our lives. And by his Holy Spirit in our lives, that you and I can fulfil God’s will for our lives, if so be we remain sensitive, walking the path and keeping the principles that are laid before us but most of all allowing him to live through us. It’s a wonderful thing to mirror the kingdom of heaven with a wedding feast. And you and me are the bride of Christ.
Don’t do your own thing and then cover it up by saying “oh that’s God’s will”. Don’t be like that. I know you don’t want to be speechless at a wedding speech. God is faithful. Fulfil his will for your life and for your family.
Friday, 6 March 2009
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