The Consequences of Stepping Outside of God’s Will

I preached from Jonah 1:3 yesterday.  In examining that verse, I discovered 2 consequences of stepping outside of God’s will:

1) We could rob ourselves of blessings from God.  As Jonah was determined to flee from the Lord, I can’t help but think of how much time he wasted in running from God.  All that time could have been spent serving the Lord and receiving the blessing that comes from that activity.  But he missed that.  I’ve heard many people tell me how they’ve wasted so many years living in their sin when they could have been following God.  But we’re good at spending time on what doesn’t matter much, and not spending time on what God would have us do. When we do that, we’re robbing ourselves of blessings.

God’s Will in 2 Categories?

I have not written any recaps of my last two sermons, but I want to make some notes from my messages available for the encouragement of any who read them.  My first sermon from the current Jonah series was titled “What Is God’s Will For My Life?”

In the first sermon, I present an idea that helps me think about God’s will–I categorize it to a general will and more specific directions or will from God.

You can see some of my notes here (pdf file).

You can listen to the sermon here.

Monday Morning Rewind: Romans 12:1-2 As A "Hinge"

I like to think of Romans 12:1-2 as a hinge.  Here’s why:

Romans 1-11 is Paul’s discourse on doctrine; on the grace of God shown through His Son, Jesus Christ.  In 12:1, the tone changes.  Paul no longer is teaching doctrine, but shifts at this point to give practical application of the teaching.  But I think the whole book of Romans “hinges” on 12:1-2.

After Romans 11:36, we know for certain that the Roman believers Paul is writing to know 3 things: Christ, this teaching they’ve just received, and the ways of the world (because they’ve seen the ways of the people around them and were once themselves part of worldly ways).  In my illustration of a hinge– I most commonly think of a door when I think of a hinge.  If 12:1-2 is the hinge, then the Romans are standing at a door with knowledge of at least these 3 things.

Here’s why I call it a hinge- if we don’t practice 12:1-2, we’ll never be able to open the door to God’s purpose in our lives.