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Find, Follow, and Finish your course. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, For centuries, men and women have been asking questions like, "Why are we here?" and trying to find some meaning and purpose for their lives. So we begin with the concept of finding your course. The short answer to the question of how to do so is: Get Saved! That said, the questions are ultimately about the will of God, and we will do an, in depth bible study on the will of God soon, but first we need to clear up one confusing element. People tend to want to know: "What is the will of God for my life?" By asking the question that way, we reveal a shallow, self-centered attitude about who God is, and consequently we reveal a shallow, self-centered approach to life itself.
The will of God does affect our lives. It must be applied to our lives. It is the essence of our lives. But, on another level, as is commonly heard on contemporary streets -- it's not about you. (Well, it's not about you -- only.) Consider Esther. Imagine how elated she must have been. God loved her enough to make her queen. First she won the beauty pageant. Then there was the spa. It was probably the wedding of the century. Surely, this is what you call blessed. But Mordecai saw the big picture -- at least, as much of it as was being revealed at the time. "Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this" (Esther 4:13,14)? At the end of the day, God wanted Esther to be queen. He wanted her to win the beauty pageant. He wanted her to enjoy the spa. But what he really wanted was to deliver Israel, so he could bring forth their deliverer -- Jesus -- so that Jesus could deliver all mankind. Likewise, the will of God is not about whether you should buy red shoes or green shoes. The will of God is not about whether you should go to Harvard or Yale. All of these things, and a million others, may play a critical part in fulfilling the will of God. But you can't stop at you. The will of God is that none should perish. 2 Peter 3:9 The will of God is that all men come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 The will of God is that all of mankind (yes, that means you) be redeemed -- restored to their intended relationship with God. And this is only possible through Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5,6 Which brings me back to the "short" answer. Get Saved! Because God's devine plan for your life, my life, anyone's life, is found in Christ Jesus. So let's take it step by step, line upon line, precept upon precept. Let's find your course. A. You have a course. You would be amazed at how many people are surprised to find that they even have a course. So many people are scrambling to find meaning in or for their lives, but never stop to consider that God made them with express purpose. Others have gotten off course and are now convinced that there is no possible point of re-entry. But God is not an Indian giver. His gifts and callings are "without repentance" (Romans 11:29). In other words, he won't take them back and he hasn't altered his expectation concerning you.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul, the apostle, said at the end of his life; "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith..." Paul knew what so many people don't know. He had a course. There was a plan for his life. He was created by devine design and that meant that he was living up to a holy expectation. Paul was keenly aware that he had persecuted the Church and even killed Christians. He considered himself unfit to be an apostle. But he also considered God's judgment of him to be of greater value and consequence than his own. He said... "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:9.10) Jeremiah 29:11 God says; "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." These ideas are reinforced in Hebrews 12:1,2 and Philippians 2:12,13 There is a race that is set before each of us and we all have our own salvation to work out. Constant awareness of that "race" gave Paul the ability to "forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those thing which are before, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God -- in Christ Jesus." Paul knew what God revealed to Jeremiah. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 Paul knew what David revealed in Psalm 139:13-16
Even the founding fathers of these United States understood that there was some intelligent (benevolent) design behind this wonderful creature called man. The Declaration of Independence declares:
That "pursuit" will be futile if you do not accept the fact that you are pursuing something that actually exists. Paul proclaimed his desire to: "apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." In other words, I am trying to catch what Jesus caught me for. There is a plan for my life. It's my course that I must finish. It's my race that I must run. It's my own salvation (not to be confused with the "common salvation" of Jude 3), that I must work out.
You can even call it sovereignty. I, for one, am glad that God -- the sovereign God -- gave me the opportunity -- the free will -- to choose his best course for me. Consequently, I want to find out what that course is. And I am convinced that the way to that discovery is through Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6 Curiously, our search for the will of God (for our lives) leads us directly to THE WILL OF GOD. In our search for what God would have us to do, individually, we manifest what God, himself wants to do. He wants us. And he will use our newly discovered lives to redeem others. So, once we are born again, let us ask the same question that Paul asked during his life changing encounter with Jesus. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Acts 9:6 It was Jesus' answer to this simple question that revealed Paul's course. It was Jesus' answer to this simple question that changed Paul's life forever. Jesus answered: "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." Acts 9:7 B. Your course is "What you must do!" This is critical to the pursuit of our happiness. Some things may be optional, but the course of our life is a must. God created you with a purpose, and until you make the effort to find it -- you may be seriously off course. Let's look at some fundamental truths about your course.
You may find it difficult to remember, but there was a time when you were keenly aware of your course. Critical Observation: In Paul's case, the discovery of his course did not change what he did as much as why he did it, where he did it, how he did it, and who he did it for. Paul was born an apostle. He was born to establish people, places, and things for the edifying of the body of Christ. But he, like most of us, could find no postion that fit his peculiar disposition in the want ads, or at the career fair, or on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). So he just became something else on the way to realizing what he was. Galatians 1:15 You are something. You are called to be something. God is expecting the manifestation of that you -- no matter what you have become. And if the world is not responding to you in the way that you think it should. It may be that it doesn't recognize you.
Your prosperity is on that course. 1 Timothy 4:11-16 That course will lead you to the "new creature" you seek. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 On that course you will come to "yourself." Luke 15:11-17 It is on that course you will be turned into "another man." 1 Samuel 10:1-6 It is on that course you will be turned into the man / woman that you are. C. This is how you "find" your course.
Once you are born again: A•S•K the question. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
When Paul was testifying to Agrippa on his way to be executed in Rome, he rehearsed the course that Jesus had revealed to him with such great conviction that the translators recorded his testimony as Jesus' words. (Red letters in the book of Acts.) Paul said what we all must say, once we find our course. "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." Acts 26:12-19 You have a course. You will find it in Jesus. And once you find it, you need to learn how to follow it. Tapes for Typos: Uploading this much information this regularly, there are going to be mistakes. Misspelled words, bad links, wrong scripture references, etc.... We seek perfection, but we need your help.
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