God's Will

September 04, 2001 PM
Pastor Chris Abernathy
Columbus, Georgia




...will open up your Bibles with me to the book of Romans chapter twelve. Romans chapter twelve. The title of tonight's message will be, "God's Will." God's will. (Tongues.) Thank You, Jesus.

In the book of Romans chapter twelve, beginning with verse one, it says,

1. 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.

2. 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.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for the Anointing that removes burdens and destroys yokes. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me, Father. But Father, let me decrease as You increase.

Lord, I thank you that we are not hindered by the works of the flesh, Lord God, or by any power, any principality or ruler of the darkness. But the devil has been bound and placed under our feet in the Name of Jesus. Father, we thank You, Lord.

And Father, let the words of my mouth (hallelujah) and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

He said to prove that which is His perfect will. He didn't say to prove that which was His permissive will. But He said to prove that which was His perfect will. Many of us are walking in the permissive will of God.

When we look at the word "permissive," it means the lenient part. It's, we're walking in the lenient will of God. The will means that which is willed or that which is desired. God's permissive will is clearly taught to us in two different passages of Scripture.

In the first passage of Scripture, we'll find it in Numbers chapter eleven. It says,

1. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it: and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Look at verse six. It said,

6. But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.

7. And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

You see, the Lord had just delivered the children of Israel (glory to God) out of Egypt. And they were in a place where they could begin to walk in the perfect will of God. But they didn't understand that God's perfect will meant that every now and then we are going to have to go through some things.

The perfect will of God doesn't mean that our surroundings and our atmosphere is going to be (glory to God) all good. But the perfect will of God means that every now and then we're going to have to go through a dry place. They didn't realize (hallelujah) that where they were at the time was the perfect will of God.

You see, in the body of Christ, God will put us in a situation that's uncomfortable. He'll put us in a surrounding (glory to God) that makes us want to pull out hair out. Glory to God. But in all of that we're still in the perfect will of God.

They were in His perfect will. But they didn't realize it. They started complaining. They started murmuring. They started remembering the things that they used to do. They started remembering (glory to God) those things that were in the past.

You see, if we don't line up with the perfect will of God, if we are always in the place of constantly murmuring and complaining, if we're always in the place where we're trying to please our... Oh, you don't hear me in this house tonight. We will never reach where God is trying to get us go to. They had to go through the desert to get to the promised land.

They said, "All we have to eat is this manna." And it displeased the Lord.

In the same chapter (glory to God) but in the thirty-first verse, it said,

31. And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32. And the people stood up all day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: (Somebody say, "They were excited.") he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

33. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.

34. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

Let me tell you something tonight. You see, many of us have been in a place where we've been murmuring and complaining. Oh, you don't hear me yet. We've been complaining about everything. We've been... Oh, I can't even hardly get it out. We've been complaining about herring. We're been complaining about himming. We've been complaining about that, and we've been complaining about this.

But all the time we're complaining, right where we are, we're in the perfect will of God. But while you're complaining, He'll allow His permissive will to take you out.

They wound up being in God's permissive will. At first your permissive will, it'll seem like a blessing. Open up your ears and hear this. Many people start to get excited (glory to God) about something that begins to happen in their life. But God went ahead and allowed it because you murmured and complained so much.

But after a while you're going to wish you never had it. Oh, you don't hear me tonight. Who am I preaching to in this house? After a while, while the seasoning is still on your tongue, Brother Stuart, after a while, while the flesh is still between your teeth, the wrath of God is going to fall down on you. You need to get this revelation tonight.

You see, people think that if they murmur and complain long enough they're going to get what they want. You see, a child thinks if they can get on their parents' nerves long enough, if they can keep on complaining long enough, if they can keep on murmuring long enough, they're going to get what they want.

Yeah, you're going to get what you want, but it might not be the perfect will of God. And what you've been calling a blessing is going to wind up being a curse. Listen to this word tonight.

They were in His permissive will. The permissive will still involve a miraculous sign, won't it? The dropping of the quail was miraculous. It was a miracle.

You see, when you walk in the permissive will of God, there still can be a miracle that'll take place. Every now and then the Lord will even use a prophet to prophesy something that you've been wanting, but it ain't what God's been wanting. And you'll wind up getting that thing. And that thing is going to take you out.

There'll still be a miracle. You got all that money and it was a miracle. But that money is going to destroy you. You wanted him for so long, and now you've got him. And now he's going to destroy you. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost in here tonight. Somebody's getting a revelation. Somebody's getting an illumination in their spirit.

Even though you may be in a hard place in your life right now, it does not mean that it's not God's perfect will for you right now.

It seemed like God was answering their prayers. They got what they wanted. Somebody's thinking about something. In reality, permissive will is discipline and judgment. The permissive will of God will bring about discipline and judgment.

You see, your prayer should not be that, "Lord, just let me be in Your permissive will," but, "Lord, let me be in Your perfect will. If this is not what You want for me in this season, then Lord, I don't want it."

God was grieved, and He was angry. But they were in His permissive will. Permissive will will be granted to you. But it's granted to men with the wrong motives. If your motive is not right, it's going to seem like you're getting everything lined up. Oh, you don't hear me.

But the devil is holding the bowling ball. And he's getting ready to strike you out. He's just waiting for that perfect opportunity when your head is so big. Oh, you don't hear me tonight. He's waiting for when you think you got it going on.

Men with the wrong attitude and complaining spirits, I feel sorry for you. You need to repent if the Lord is talking to you.

They thought that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to them. They wanted the meat, and they got the meat. It's just like Christians today. Instead of just taking their portion, they'll take your portion. They'll take your portion. They'll take your portion. They'll take my portion. They'll take everybody's portion. But while the meat is still in between their teeth, the judgment of God will fall down on them.

Galatians six and verse seven tells us that we reap what we sow. To receive God's permissive will, that means that we're reaping what we have sown. They sowed murmuring and complaining. They reaped judgment. Listen to this word tonight. You will get what you ask for, and you will get what you deserve. This is a powerful message tonight.

The perfect will of God for my life, not tomorrow, not today, but every second, minute, hour, every part of my life, every moment of my very being... Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost on me. I want to be in His perfect will. No matter what's going on around me, I want to be in His perfect will. No matter how I'm feeling about the situation that I'm in, I want to be in His perfect will. I feel the Holy Ghost in this house.

Many of us have been seeking God for some answers and for some desires that we have. It's nothing wrong with having a desire. But let our desires be His desires.

When we reject God's perfect will, we begin to, so to speak, romance His permissive will. We begin to embrace it. We begin to love on it. But little do we know around the corner... It says those that fell a lusting died right there. God's permissive will will ultimately bring death. Do you hear what I'm saying?

Do you remember Saul in the book of First Samuel? The people wanted somebody to rule over them. But if we look earlier, God wanted to be the ultimate ruler. But they said, "Give us a king." They were in God's what? Permissive will. And so Samuel anointed Saul, and Saul became the king. But little did they know they were bring death and destruction upon themselves. Oh, you don't hear me.

You have to be careful that when you want somebody to do something... Oh. You've got to make sure God wants them to do it.

So they anointed Saul. And Saul wound up bringing destruction to them and ultimately death to himself and his family. Do you hear what I'm saying? And the only reason that they had one remnant left was because of a covenant that David made with Jonathan. They were in God's permissive will. Get out of His permissive will. Get out of it.

What would have happened if after the quail had fallen, they turned it down and decided, "We don't want it any more"? Then they would have stayed the judgment of God. If you realize that you are receiving God's permissive will because of your murmuring and your complaining, turn it down. Confess your murmuring and complaining, and pray for God's grace and His mercy that endureth forever.

The permissive will will bring discipline and judgment. Permissive is only second best. It can never be perfect. It can never be complete. Never. It's only second best. The Lord is speaking to us tonight.

Many people get into relationships in God's permissive will. And they say it was the Lord.

"What are you saying, pastor? You saying that if it was really the Lord you wouldn't go through nothing?"

Yeah, you're going to go through something. But if it's the perfect will of God, come hell or high water, no matter what the devil say, no matter what they say, what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. I don't care what they say. I don't care what they do. If it was God's perfect will, when they get ready to walk out the door, they'll have to turn around. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost.

His perfect will, His perfect will. You may be on a job right now; you're going through hell. But you're still in God's perfect will. Because Johnny ain't got saved yet. And Johnny is watching you.

But you done started murmuring and complaining. And God's permissive will allows you to leave that job. And now you're looking back on the money you used to make. You don't hear me. And now you're wishing that you could have stood a little while longer. But now you're in His permissive will. And you're going to have to leave that one too.

Let me tell you something tonight. We need to get down on our knees and say, "Lord, what is Your perfect will right now? What is Your perfect will right now? What's Your perfect will? What's Your perfect will for me? My emotions are all torn up, Lord, but what's Your perfect will?" Oh, I feel Jesus.

"I feel like if what I don't want to happens, I'm going to lose my mind, but I'd rather be in Your perfect will. I'd rather be in Your perfect will. I'd rather be in Your perfect will."

Give God a handclap of praise tonight.





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