GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The will of God, probably as much or more than anything having to do with the Christian life, confounds the Christian.

On the one hand we hear phrase like, “The safest place to be in this world, is in the center of God’s will.”

On the other hand, knowing exactly what that will is can be treacherously deceptive.

Years ago I invited an evangelist friend of mine to join our church and be sent out as a ministry of our church.

He was hesitant and asked if the two of us could seek counsel from another preacher - one both of us had great respect for.

When we met with that preacher, after some pleasantries, he said, “I have learned, over the years of my ministry, that it is impossible for me to determine the will of God for another person.”

That was about the end of the meeting.

But later he phoned me privately and advised me not to go through with bringing this particular evangelist into our church.[1]

I have thought about that conversation a lot of times over the years.

I have a tough enough time sometimes, knowing the will of God for myself, let alone for someone else.[2]

Anyone can say anything is the will of God and who is there that can say it isn’t?

I want to address the issue of the will of God this morning.

The Bible tells us that when we present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, when we submit ourselves to Him - we can prove - it means we can test it out, examine it and determine what is the:

·   Good

·   Acceptable and

·   Perfect

will of God.

There are other ways to interpret this, but most of us believe that we find in this passage that there is: a

·   Good will of God, an

·   Acceptable will of God and a

·   Perfect will of God

By obeying the word of God I can prove or discover what is good, acceptable perfect in the will of God.

I submit to you that,

I. THERE IS ONLY ONE PERFECT WILL OF GOD

That is the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 (KJV)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

You renew your mind with the Word of God.

"As he thinketh in his heart so is he"[3]

·   We are renewed through the Word of God

·   We are renewed through the reading of it

·   We are renewed through the preaching of it

·   We are renewed through the teaching of it

The perfect will of God is what is found in the Word of God.

Further,

A. We are in the perfect will of God by submitting to it

Romans 12:1 (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Notice the words:

·   Sacrifice and

·   Service

They speak of surrender and submission.

They imply

·   A cost and even

·   Some discomfort

Being in the center of the will of God is not the easy place.

Jim Elliot believed himself to be in the center of God’s will at the very moment an Auca Indian drove a spear through him and killed him.

He left his wife a widow and his children fatherless. Further, he had led four other men to give the same sacrifice, leaving each of their wives without a husband and their children without fathers.

Really?

The perfect will of God was for them to suffer painful deaths and for their families to suffer for years to follow?

There is only one thing we can say for certain is the perfect will of God – that is what is recorded in the Bible.

I am in the perfect will of God only in as much as I am obedient to the Word of God.

·   It is the perfect will of God that a person get saved

·   It is the perfect will of God that the saved are Scripturally baptized

·   It is the perfect will of God that the believers unite themselves into local churches

·   It is the perfect will of God for those churches to give themselves for the Great Commission.

I can go on:

·   It is the perfect will of God that you put off the old man

·   It is the perfect will of God that you put on Jesus Christ

·   It is the perfect will of God that ye be not yoked together with unbelievers

·   etc

But may I tell you,

B. We do the perfect will of God imperfectly

Abraham did the will of God, but he did it imperfectly

Moses did the will of God but he did it imperfectly

David did the will of God but he did it imperfectly

The Apostle Paul, along with Barnabas (and later, Silas) surrendered to the will of God to preach the gospel among the Gentiles.

They are traveling from country to country and city to city preaching the Word of God and planting churches.

At first, there is no indication that God is too particular where they go. They just go, as Abraham, not knowing whither they went and preached the gospel wherever they ended up.

Everything was fine until Paul wanted to go one direction and the Spirit would not let him.

Acts 16:6-7 (KJV)

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

The perfect will of God is obeying the Word of God whether it's the direction you want to go with your life or not.

Observation two

II. THE GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE WILL OF GOD ARE BOTH THE WILL OF GOD

Romans 12:2 (KJV)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The good, acceptable and perfect will of God is not the same as:

·   Good

·   Better

·   Best

This is not second and third best.

Somebody would say it like this;

·   If you can’t have the perfect will of God, go for the good will of God.

·   And if you can’t have the good will of God, then at least get the acceptable will of God.

I do not believe it works that way and I do not believe that is what this passage implies.

It says that,

·   When you present your body a living sacrifice and

·   When you are not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your mind[4]

Then you can discover all three facets of the will of God:

·   The good

·   The acceptable and

·   The perfect

I would agree that the three are different.

I would agree that the perfect will of God is perfect obedience to the Bible, and I urge you to strive for that.

But in so far as you have fallen short of that,[5] don’t give up and quit.

The good and the acceptable will of God is still the will of God.

It was the Holy Spirit of God who told the church in Antioch to separate Barnabas and Saul[6] for the work whereunto He had called them.

The two of them went out and had a great ministry for God.

When they were finished, they came home, reported to their church.

A doctrinal heresy arose over the saving of the Gentiles and Barnabas and Paul successfully argued their case before the saints in Jerusalem, confirming that salvation for every man is simply by faith and without works.

But when they began to plan their second missionary trip a disagreement developed between Barnabas and Paul.

The argument became so sharp that the two men parted company – as far as we know, never to communicate again.

That could not have been the perfect will of God

But it did not stop them from obeying the Word of God.

·   Barnabas took John Mark and

·   Paul took Silas

And the two of them continued doing what God had called them to do.

It might be that you have forfeited the perfect will of God.

God still has a good and acceptable will for you.

·   Lift up your eyes

·   Hold up your head

·   Open the Word of God

And keep on obeying the Word of God

I have one thing left to say concerning the will of God,

III. THE ONLY THING THAT IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD IS REBELLION AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD

Israel stepped out of the perfect will of God and insisted that the Prophet Samuel anoint for them a king.

The man chosen was a tall, humble, handsome young man by the name of Saul.

Although King Saul started out humble and the people thought they got themselves a good king, his position got the better of him and Saul began taking for granted the will of God.

He had been given specific instructions against which he rebelled.

God’s answer to him was, 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

·   I don’t know anyone who perfectly obeys the perfect will of God. Because of it

·   I know a lot of people who now obediently obey the good and acceptable will of God

I want to urge you today, if you can’t have the perfect will of God, don’t rebel against God.

Conclusion

Yesterday's mistakes have no bearing on the will of God today.

The only thing that matters – the thing that delights God – is that we obey the voice of the Lord in the Word of God.

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[1] It occurs to me today, I have no idea what he might have said in a private conversation with the evangelist!

[2] But experience has taught me that I have a “sense” about these things. Very often I can tell when a person is about to make a decision that is dangerous to their spiritual well being.

[3] Proverbs 23:7

[4] Surrendered to and obedient to the Word of God

[5] And we all do in some areas of our lives.

[6] Renamed Paul

KEEP COOL

Proverbs 14:17-29 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Would you notice that our text tonight approaches the subject of anger from opposite but complimentary directions:

Proverbs 14:17 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Proverbs 14:29 (KJV)

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Did you notice that:

·   It is foolish to be angry quickly and

·   It is wise to be slow to wrath

But these verses do not tell us that it is always wrong to be angry or that it is a sin to be angry.

Anger can be a sin, but it is not always a sin.

·   Moses became angry on a number of occasions. Only one of them was a sinful occasion

·   Samuel certainly became angry at King Saul, but did not sin in his anger

·   David became angry but I can’t think of a time when His anger was sinful

The Bible does not say that anger is sin.

But it does say, Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

I am not trying to give you permission to have a hot temper.

Far from it!

What I want to do is teach you how to channel that “passion” within you.

Anger must be:

I. LAZER FOCUSED

John 2:14-17 (KJV)

And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

The Bible says Christ’s zeal for the house of God “hath eaten me up.”

We might also call it indignation.

The point I want to make here is that it is not wrong to be filled with indignation – so long as it is indignation focused on the proper things:

·   There is no reason to become angry at your spouse or your children

·   There is no reason to lose your temper because you do not get your way

·   There is no good reason to get angry because someone hurts your feelings or says something bad about you

Almost certainly whatever you do out of anger in those situations is going to end badly for you.

George Washington would have held his peace over all of them.

But there are some things we ought to be zealous over, even indignant about.

We ought to be zealous for:

A. The purity of God’s work

Matthew 21:12-13 (KJV)

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

I want to be careful to point out that the problem was not the selling of things in the Temple, but the dishonesty in it.

·   They were coercing people into buying their sacrifices from the Temple

·   They forced them to use money they got from the Temple and

·   They were cheating them when they made the change in the Temple

·   It is not sinful to have a small bookstore in our church.

·   It is not wrong to allow singers to sell their music in our church

It would be more like this:

·   We have Bibles for sale here

·   You can only use a Bible that you buy from us in church and

·   You have to trade your money for money we give you, 80 cents on the dollar

The point is this – we are striving to be an honest and incorruptible congregation.

We are not perfect

But we should not be malicious.

B. The holiness of God’s people

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV)

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Paul had gotten “in the face” of the church in Corinth.

There was sin in the church and his work was to correct them. He did it with earnest.

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (KJV)

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

He had made them sorry and he wasn’t sorry about it!.

Because he wanted to see them chaste – holy before God.

C. The mortifying of our members

Colossians 3:5-6 (KJV)

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

The very word mortify describes it all.

It means to put to death, to execute.

Notice that these are sins in your own flesh.

The way to seek purity in God’s house and holiness among God’s people is not to go after others as much as we go after sin in ourselves.

If you ever get yourself sinless – then I think it will be all right to point your boney finger at someone else.

But until you are sinless, you best keep:

·   your finger,

·   your big mouth and

·   your fury

focused on your own sins.

Anger is not sin as long as it is focused

Anger must be,

II. LITTLE EXPERIENCED

Proverbs 14:17 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Before you let your rage out, you need to exhaust every other avenue.

Matthew 18:15-17 (KJV)

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

So someone has trespassed against you.

·   They have stolen from you

·   They have spoken some terrible thing about you

·   They have offended you in some terrible way

That’ll make you mad!

What do you do?

I notice a few things:

·   First, before you get angry and take it out on them, you go to them peaceably and try to get it corrected.

·   If that doesn’t work, you take someone with you as a witness.

·   If that doesn’t work, you might take it to the church and have the church make them make it right.

But wait a minute.

That’s not everything that’s in the chapter. Before you go tell the church to kick them out you ought to pray over Matthew 18:7-9 (KJV)

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Here’s the thing, offences happen.

And we know this – God will correct the offender.

·   If he is unsaved, there waits for him a certain fiery wrath of judgment

·   If he is saved, God will chasten him as any father would chasten his son. And no chastening for the moment will be pleasant.

But notice how Jesus addressed this…

Instead of pointing fingers at other people who offended you, you ought to be more concerned with whatever offenses you have committed.

Remember mortifying your members?

Plucking out your eye or cutting off your hand would sure apply!

You don’t do it literally. You just get serious about your own sins and get them out of your life.

But what about that guy who keeps making you mad?

Matthew 18:21-35 (KJV)

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

What about that person who keeps making you angry?

Forgive them

·   You don’t need to go tell them off

·   You don’t need to get some friend to take your side

·   You don’t need to start a rumor about them at church

Forgive them.

And notice why….

Because if you won’t, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you…

Finally anger, if it is not sin is

III. LASTLY PRACTICED

Proverbs 14:29 (KJV)

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

There comes a point when, according to Jesus, that person is put out of the church and is treated as a heathen or publican.

But that is the very last thing that happens.

If anger is the appropriate response it will be

·   Only after all other avenues are exhausted.

·   When they is no other option available and

·   It will be focused on one thing alone, the holiness of the things of God.[2]

Every other kind of anger IS sin.

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[1] I believe I read this in one of Bill Grady’s books, either What Hath God Wrought or Final Authority.

[2] I should forgive every offense that is of a personal nature and take up the cause only if it has directly to do with the house of God.