Craig Groeschel - Stop Overcomplicating God's Will
We’re talking about God’s will. And I wonder how many of you, those of you that are Christians, how many of you like sincerely want God’s will for your life? Raise your hand. You can type it in the comment section. «I want God’s will for my life». I know you do. Uh because most of us as Christians, we don’t struggle with wanting God’s will. We struggle with waiting for God’s will. Or we struggle with discerning God’s will. We want it, but we just don’t really know what it is.
And what tends to happen, I’ve noticed with three decades of pastoring, there’s kind of a common thing that happens with Christians, is we have a decision to make. We know, should I go there, should I do this, should I do that? And so we pray about it and then we overthink every option and we analyze every angle and we do a pros and a cons. And then we pray and we still feel stuck because so many of us deep down we’re afraid we’re going to miss God’s will. We’re going to miss the perfect moment. We might make the wrong decision, take the wrong job, marry the wrong person, and have the wrong life. And that’s a lot of pressure for someone who can’t figure out what they’re going to do for dinner. Right? And I get it.
And the thing is for so many of us, we don’t realize that while we’re chasing the perfect answer for tomorrow, we’re often missing what God wants us to do today. And that’s why we talked about this principle la last week that one of the biggest mistakes that so many of us make when trying to discern the will of God is the big mistake we make is we over complicate God’s will and underestimate God’s goodness. We over complicate his will. We think it’s like a dot on a map that if we hit it, we hit it. If we miss it, we miss it. But we don’t know how good God is that he guides us. He directs us. He counsels us. his loving hand is upon us.
And so I want to work through God’s word to continue to kind of uncomplicate God’s word. And I want to show you something about his word. And and I’m not making an overstatement when I say this. Like literally this truth has the potential to change your life. It genuinely does. And here’s what we tend to do. So many of us as Christians, we tend to think about God’s will in terms of what we do. what we do. God, what do you want me to do? God, what do you want me to do now? God, what do you want me to do next? God, what do you want me to do then? God, what do you want me to do later? God, what do you want me to do? The challenge is this that I would suggest at a deeper level.
God isn’t thinking do that God’s will is more about a who than it is a do. That when you look at God’s word, he’s more concerned with who you’re becoming. Are you becoming more like Jesus? than exactly what job you take or where you live. That God is more concerned with who you are, your your character, the way you treat people than he is about your profession. Because before God guides your steps, he actually wants to shape your character. He wants you to be conformed to the image of Christ. And so when you look at God’s will, it’s not just about what do I major in and and and what job do I take and and where do I live, but it’s about your heart and your character and your relationship with him. And that’s why knowing God’s will starts with knowing God’s heart. And that’s why the title today is stop over complicating God’s will. Pray with me, please.
Father, we ask that you would guide us through your word. Not just to do what’s right, to become, but to become like Jesus. And then as you’re conforming us to him, the overflow, the fruits of the spirit would lead us. Your word would lead us, your spirit would lead us to do your will. But God, conform us first to become like you. So when we’re more like you, we’ll live like you. We pray this in Jesus name. And everybody said, «Amen».
If you agree online, type amen. We know you’re there. We love you. We’re glad you’re with us today. We’re talking about God’s will. And when we talk about God’s will, uh many of us, what we’re tempted to do is we tend to lock in on what we consider the big things in life. God, what’s your will for the big things in life? Like, God, what’s your will for where I work and um what job I take when I work there? And God, where do I live? Do I do I rent or do I buy? Everybody knows you can’t buy a house now. No, hopefully you can’t. God, what do you want for me? Um God, should I marry this person or do you have someone better coming along? Uh when should I get married? Should we have kids now? Should we have kids later? Should we have two kids? Should we have three kids?
God, help us if we have four kids. God, what do you want for us? Should we put them in the school down the street? Should we try to put him in a private school? But what if God calls us to homeschool? If God calls you to homeschool, as a family that did homeschool, I’ll just tell you what to expect. Three things. Ready? Expect PE to be in your backyard. Expect to teach fractions with chocolate chips. And expect every trip to the grocery store to be a field trip. That’s just what I’m telling you. Back to the message. Uh we tend to obsess over the major life moves with very little thought to the daily choices that shape who we’re actually becoming, right? We focus on like which college am I supposed to go to with little thought about how much time you’re wasting mindlessly scrolling on social media.
Yeah, we freak out about who we’re supposed to date or marry with little thought about how we treat the person God put right in front of us at the grocery store. And when you look at God’s word, and we’re going to look at a lot of God’s word today, um it actually says very little about your future. The Bible doesn’t talk about like who you should marry in the future or where you should live in in in in the future or about like what job you should take in the future. In fact, when Jesus talks about jobs, one of the things he says most is that people actually left their job in order to follow him.
When you look at God’s word, he doesn’t talk a lot about the future, but he talks a lot about how you should treat people today and how you should use your money today and how you should think today and what you should do with your time today. When Jesus talks about the future, let me show you what he says. Jesus says, «So don’t worry about tomorrow». Matthew 6:34. Don’t worry about the future for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Don’t worry about the future. When James talks about the future, this is what he says.
James 4:13. Now listen, you who say, «I’m going to plan my future». You who say, «Today or tomorrow, we’ll do this, go to this city, that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money». He says, «Why? You don’t even know what’ll happen tomorrow. Tomorrow’s not even a guarantee». He asked, «What is your life? You’re a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes». Instead of saying, «I’m going to do this, and this is what my future’s going to look like,» instead, you ought to say, «If it’s the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that».
When we’re looking at God’s will, he’s not trying to get you to figure out the future. God wants you to seek him and know him today. He wants you to serve him today. He wants you to be led by the spirit today. He wants you to have the fruits of the spirit in your life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control today. Amen. And so if you want to know God’s will, get to know God’s heart. And the longer you get to know his heart, the more you get to know him through his word, the more his word renews your mind, the more you can hear the voice of the spirit, the more he’s prompting you, the more you learn to walk by faith instead of by sight.
The more you die to your flesh and let his spirit live through you, the more his spirit produces fruit that that that makes a difference in the world instead of you seeking your own will but letting him guide your steps today toward his will in the future. The more you walk with him, the more you get to know him, the more you enjoy him. Delight in the Lord. He’ll give you the desires of your heart. The more you enjoy him, the more you realize the best way to find God’s will for your future is to live faithfully for Jesus today. It’s a game changer. It’s a game changer. It’s a game changer. God’s will is not as much about a do as it is a who. And the better you get to know him and the more faithfully you live for him today, the more confidence that you could have he’s going to lead you to where he wants you to be tomorrow.
Now, if you weren’t here last week, I want to review some important principles. We talked about the four different wills of God, kind of like four different qualities of of of God’s will. And we started with God’s sovereign will. If you remember, that’s the uh master plan. That’s the overarching narrative of what God’s going to do. Whether you like it or not, it’s his sovereign will. We talked about God’s moral will. This is his revealed will in his word for how you live. We talked about God’s permissive will. There are some things because he loves us, he gave us free will. Because he gave us free will. Some people do things that are not pleasing. We live in a broken world.
There are things that God allows. We may not like them, but God allows them and then he uses them toward his sovereign will. And we talked about God’s personal will. This is what he wants for each of you. And God had plans for you before you were even born that he reveals in his personal will for you. So let’s talk about the moral will. This is God’s revealed will for your life. What is God’s moral will for you? Let me tell you what it’s not. It’s not that you’d be a graphic designer. It’s not that you’d be a YouTuber, but that would be cool. It’s not that you’d be a stay-at-home parent. God’s moral will for you is revealed in his word. God’s will for you is to be what? Is to be holy. We looked at this last week. Let’s build upon it.
What is the Greek word for holy? It’s the word hagios. And haggios means to be set apart, different, sacred, dedicated to God. What is God’s moral will for you? Is to be different from the sinful, selfish world. Is to be set apart. Is to be sacred. Is to be dedicated to God. And this is what Paul said in Romans 12:2. He said, «Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world». Don’t be like the fallen world. Don’t speak like them. Don’t treat people like them. Don’t let your world be shaped by the media like them. Don’t waste your life doing stupid things like them. Don’t be entertained by the baseless sinful things like them. Don’t use your money like them. Don’t have marriages that end in divorce 50% of the time like them. Don’t raise your children like them. Have values that honor Christ.
Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The more you get to know God’s heart, the more you live his will. By the renewing of your mind, then watch this. When you’re set apart, then when you’re not transformed to this world, then when you are different, then do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed. Be set apart. Be holy. Live a sacred life. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Before you worry about his will for the future, worry about his moral will for how you live today. Be set apart. Be holy.
Now, I don’t like this sermon, Craig. You might say that. Hopefully, it’s only two of you, but you might say that. say, «But Craig, I always thought like God was going to have this like this calling for my life». And he does. But you’re like, «Isn’t he calling me to be a missionary? Isn’t he calling me to be an influencer? Isn’t he calling me to be a pastor? Isn’t he calling me to be a programmer? Isn’t he calling me to marry someone rich that has a second home in Hawaii»? Maybe But remember, God’s will, God’s calling for you is more about a who than a do.
Look at his word. Second Timothy 1:9. For God saved us and called us what? To live a holy life. It’s more about it’s it’s a who? It’s what we do today. He called us to live a holy life. God did this not because we deserved it. This is amazing. This is the gospel. But because that was his plan. This was his plan for you before the beginning of time to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And that’s why when it comes to seeking God’s will, you might want to change the question that you’re asking. Here’s what most people are asking. Most people are saying,"What does God want me to do? What do you want me to do? What do I do now? What do I do later? What do I do next»? God, «What do you want me to do»? Instead of asking God, «What do you want me to do»? You might want to ask, «Who does God want me to become»?
That’s good. Literally, that this can this can change how you treat people and what you do when you wake up in the morning and who you become, which actually shapes what you do. God, who do you want me to become? Not where do I go to school? Who do you want me to be when I’m at that school? God, who do you want me to marry? No. How do you want me to treat the person I’m dating right now? And let me try to unpack it. I’m going to ask you a question about me, and I hope you’re generous in your answer because I’m sensitive. I get my feelings hurt easily. Uh, how many of you would say that it’s probably God’s will that I preach the gospel? Raise your hand about threequarters of you.
Okay, great. Thank you. That’s a passing vote. It’s about 50%. The other 25% if you don’t think that, I just like lovingly recommend you might find a church where you have confidence. Just saying. There’s a lot of those people out there that don’t think I am. But if you think I am, okay, let’s let’s start there. Now, raise your hands. Do you think it’s God’s will for me to be holy? Absolutely. Every hand raised there. Good. That’s right. If if we look at it objectively, I would say this. Preaching is a calling, but it is absolutely and completely a secondary calling. Because my primary calling is to be holy. It is a who before a do. God’s will is for me to have integrity.
And God’s will is for me not to be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I’ll be able to test and prove what his will is. God’s will is for me to die to my selfish desires and live for his glory and how I love and treat people. God’s will for me is to lay down my life to love my wife as Christ loved the church. God’s will for me is to live a life in front of my children that inspire them to live a life for the glory of God. Preaching is a secondary calling. Living a holy life is my primary calling. And so if you kind of unpack that, if I’m a good preacher, but I neglect my family, I’m not in God’s will. And play it out however you want to. If you’re a successful whatever you are and you’re unkind to people, you are not in God’s will.
And if I had time, I’d like kind of go crazy on Christians who think they’re right and have no fruit. Come on. I mean, you’re so dang right up here. You’re so busy making a point. You’re not making any kind of difference at all. We’ll save that for another time, but you can tell I could preach it if we had time. I am convinced for my life. God would rather me do anything else with my career, do anything else with integrity than to be a pastor without integrity because his primary will is for me to be holy. So, okay, we’re talking about God’s will. Okay? Like, so, is there one perfect career path for you that’s God’s will? Is there one perfect place to live that’s God’s will?
Here’s the big one. Is there one perfect person for you to marry that God’s will? I hate to break your romance, but I got to tell you, no, the answer is not. And I can prove it to you. How many of you know someone that obviously completely married the wrong person? Raise your hand. Raise your hand. Right. Your cousin Butch married Betty. And when Butch married Betty, all hell broke loose and they’re not married anymore. So guess what they did? They messed up the whole system. Think about it. One wrong marriage messed up the whole thing. So God is not choosing one perfect person for you to marry as much as he wants to be perfecting you to become like Jesus to treat the person that you marry like Jesus calls you to preach them.
You see where we’re going. And so that’s why God’s word says this. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31 he said whatever you do it for the glory of God. Whatever you do, right? Like wherever you live, live there for the glory of God. Treat your neighbors with the love of Jesus instead of driving in your house and never talking to them. Whoever you’re dating, date with integrity and purity and the fruits of the spirit and an honorable way for the glory of God. Amen. If you’re married, if you’re single, be married for the glory of God. Be single for the glory of God.
Wherever you work, work there for the glory of God. If you work at Life Church as an intern, work for the glory of God. If you apply for the internship and you want the internship, but you don’t get the internship because God didn’t allow you to get the internship or because some person didn’t see how amazing you are and then you go to grad school, go to grad school for the glory of God and don’t be mad that he shut one door because he’s going to open up another one. If you work at the front desk at a bank, do it for the glory of God. If you mow yards on the weekend, make the best straight godhonoring grass lines possible and treat people well, exceed their expectations for the glory of God.
If you own a business, treat people well and add value and be generous and believe in others for the glory of God. If you’re changing diapers, wipe that butt clean for the glory of God. If you’re taking your kids to Costco and you’re homeschooling, create the best environment for a field trip to Costco. These are pickles. God made them or somebody made them. God made the thing that made the pickles. I don’t know. I just went off script and I got in trouble. Whatever you do, stay on the plan. Stay on the plan. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Because we all want God’s will for the future, but tomorrow’s not guaranteed. Tomorrow’s not guaranteed.
In fact, when you think about it, the only time you can serve Jesus for certain is today. Just today. So, I say, «Okay, that makes sense. It’s more about a who than a do. And God’s will for me be holy». And what I want you to do in your life group this week is I want you just to slow it down. I want you to ask God, where is it that you want me to conform me to be like Jesus? Pride, anger, lust, greed, insecurity, fear, doubt, whatever it is. Like, let’s just in our life, let’s just open up and say, «Where do where do you want me to conform me to be like Jesus»?
Let God speak to you. I’m doing that right now. And oh my gosh, if you’re telling me all the things wrong with me, your list is way too short because God is showing me a lot of things that he wants to do in me. Open up. Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other that you may be healed. Just let God do a work in you. Not like what’s your will for the future? Like who do you want me to be today?
Now you say, «But hey, I got really big plans for the future». I think you should where there is no vision that people perish. I want to I want to make a bigger difference. I want to be successful for the glory of God. I want I want to be able to give more for in the f I want to do big things in the future. So let me tell you how to do big things in the future. Do small things for the glory of God today. I promise you, do small things today because if you’re faithful in the small things, he’ll trust you with more.
Now, you may say, «Okay, Craig, easy for you to say cuz you and Amy are doing big things, Mr. Big Boy». Okay, that’s debatable, whatever you say. But I if we are doing big things, let me tell you what the pathway was here. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of small things. Years and years and years of small things. In fact, I am so emotional about Amy, it’s crazy how how I live with her so long and love her even more. I I don’t even know. But I want to just walk over here for a minute and I’m going to have her stand up if she will. And we can just kind of turn this way.
So if you if you look at she’s doing big things. She really is like she’s raised six kids. They’re all married and all faithfully serving Jesus with their spouses in our church today. And she is a very godly wife and she writes Bible studies. um they’re really really good. Um she mentors women, she speaks at events, she leads um the sisters ministry, which is the ministry for women in the church. And I think there’s an event coming up on maybe September the 23rd of this year for the women of the church that everybody’s going to want to be at. and she’s going to preach to a lot of people and it’s going to be a great God-honoring message because it always is. And she started a nonprofit called Branch 15 which has ministry homes across the state of Oklahoma and she can take a salary, donates all of her time and ministers to women coming out of really complicated situations.
But there’s a lot of big things and they are. But what I want you to know is the small things led to the big things. Meaning like the things that no one sees bring about the things that everyone wants. So, what no one sees is her up early seeking God every single day on her face, Bible open, praying for like a long period of time. I feel guilty cuz Pastor Craig doesn’t pray like this girl and she seeks God. And yes, she speaks to a lot of women, ministers a lot of women, but she’s led small groups of women for her whole adult life. And she um is my mic going out? Can you give me a handheld?
Let me just turn this way. She’s mentored um this good. She’s mentored um middle school and and high school girls in small groups for like 15 years and branch 15 when you see the big impact. Um what you don’t see is it started with nothing but a dream and a first house and a lot of generosity and and a lot of prayers and and a lot of miracles from God. And then when it comes to our marriage, um we’re very very blessed with a very very good marriage. And I want you to know right now she puts up with a lot and you do too. It it comes at a at a high price. and um she is um she stood by my side for three and a half decades and gives almost no public credit but but endures all the pain and pays the whole price. And so I honor you and cherish you for the small things in life. It’s the small things that lead to.
So, if you want to do if you want to do big things in the future, do small things today. You ready for a little secret? You ready for this? Sometimes the small things are the big things. Sometimes raising your babies, those are big things. And loving a small group of people are the big things. And enduring what can be a difficult husband is a big thing. And so if you want to do big things in the future, do small things today. And you may realize the small things are actually the big things.
So what are you going to do? What’s God calling you to do? He’s calling you to be holy, to be set apart, to not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That you can test and approve what his will is, his good and perfect and pleasing will. And you can be confident that your job doesn’t matter as much as your heart. And where you live doesn’t matter as much as who you’re becoming. And while the world may applaud what you do, our father celebrates who you are. And so we start with the who before the do. And the best way to find God’s will for the future is to live faithfully for Jesus today.
So Father, help us do that as a church. God, every single one of us, help us to live faithfully for you today to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then everything else will be added unto us.
Today as you’re praying um online or um at our churches. No, nobody looking around. Let me just ask you for those of you that are followers of Jesus, not all of you are, but you are you’re a follower of Jesus. How many of you genuinely want to be faithful in the small things? Raise your hand right now. Raise them up. Raise them up. Leave them up for a second online. Just type in the comment section, I want to be faithful to God in the small things. Leave your hands up if you will. You can just kind of make this like an act of worship. The Bible tells us to lift up holy hands to God. Just maybe just worship in your heart as we’re praying:
God, with hands lifted to you. We worship you, God. And we thank you that you called us to live a holy life, not because we deserved it, but you displayed your grace for us through Jesus. Forgave our sins. And now call us to be set apart, different from this world, foreigners of this world, strangers in this world, ambassadors of a message from heaven. So God, before we freak out about tomorrow, God, help us to live for you today.
Just say this with me if you will with your hands lifted up. Just say, «Whatever I do, I’ll do for the glory of God». God, just empower us. Whatever we do to do for the glory of God. We pray this in Jesus name. You can put your hands down. Keep praying if you will without looking around. Um what I want to do is I want to talk to those of you that you know you’re not following Jesus. And I want I want to just challenge you to be honest about this because some of you grew up around the church in the church believing in God, but objectively you’re not following Jesus. I want you to just call it what it is because you can have a head knowledge but not have a heart relationship. I want you to be honest and call it what it is.
You’re not set apart. You’re not letting the Holy Spirit purify you so that you’re living a holy life. You’re not living for Jesus today. What do you do? Let me tell you right now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So, this isn’t a time to make you feel guilty. This is a time just to bring awareness that if you’re living outside of the will of God, you are missing the goodness of a God who loves you and created you to know him and to live for him and to experience his personal will for your life.
So, what do you do? Where you recognize I actually I I have sinned. I’m I’m not living according to what he calls me to do. And what do you do? You just confess your sins. And what’s amazing is the Bible says if you confess your sins to God, he’s faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. That’s how good he is. Why does he do that? He is a righteous God. He’s a He’s a He’s a He’s a He’s a just God. And he sent his son Jesus who was without sin to pay the penalty, the price for our sins. Jesus died in our place and God in his love raised him from the dead so that anyone and when I tell you anyone, this includes you. Anyone who calls on the name of Jesus, you’d be saved. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done. Doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been. Doesn’t matter how dark your life is.
There are those of you right now you recognize you’re not living for him. You don’t know him. You’re not in his will. What are we gonna We’re going to step away from our sinful life and we’re going to step into the grace of God and say, «Jesus, forgive my sins. Take my life». When you do, he’ll hear your prayer. He’ll forgive your sins. He’ll make you brand new today. And all of our churches, those of you online who recognize you’re not living for Jesus, what do we do? We step away from our sin. We step into his presence. We confess our sins. He forgives our sins and you become brand new.
Today in all of our churches, those who say, «That’s me. I need that. I want to give my life to him. God forgive my sins. Make me new». When you call on him, he forgives your prayers. He makes you new. If that’s you today and you need a relationship with him, you want the freedom and the forgiveness of sins. You’re ready to live for him. Would you lift your hand high and say, «Yes, that’s me right here. God bless you».
And here, right there. God bless you guys. Others today, right up there and over there, lift it high and let me just acknowledge you today. Say, «Yes, Jesus, be the Lord of my life». Right back up there. Others today saying, «Yes, Jesus, I surrender». Right back up here, say, «Yes, Jesus, be the Lord of my life». Oh, church in the on online just type I type in the comment section, I’m surrendering my life to Jesus. And now in this holy moment together as the family of God, would you just pray with those around you? Just pray.
Heavenly Father, I give you my life. Jesus, save me from my sins Make me brand new. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. So I can know your voice. So I can do your will. So I can show your love. My life is not my own. I give it all to you. Give it all to you. In Jesus name I pray.