I have just a very strange thought
this morning, something I've never shared with you a lot in particular.
Deuteronomy 29, fifth book of the Bible. The
first five books of the Bible are referred to sometimes as
the Pentateuch or the writings of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy. these five books and much of
Deuteronomy is a restating and summarizing of things already
recorded in the three previous books, Exodus, Leviticus and
Numbers. Moses is nearing the end of his
journey. His life has been very unique.
120 years, born in Egypt, fled for his life from Egypt,
returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites
out of Egypt. He had seen God do so much, crossing
the Red Sea, Seeing God provide in impossible times. Receiving
the law at Mount Sinai. He is now about to pass off the
scene and he says some things here near the end of his journey.
One verse in particular I'd have us look at this morning, Deuteronomy
29, 29. Chapter 29, verse 29, the secret things belong unto
the Lord, our God, but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children forever that we may do all the
words of this law. About the only time I hear any
of this quoted is the first line, the secret things belong unto
the Lord, our God. And of course, that's coming
from folks trying to use this to attack the precious truth
of God's sovereignty and the doctrines of election and predestination. And they'll come back at you
and say, oh, we don't touch that. The secret things belong under
the Lord. That's what the Bible says. Well,
when the New Testament speaks of elect, elected, and election
23 times, that's hardly a secret. And when it speaks 24 times about
the Lord's people being a chosen people by God himself, it's hardly
a secret. That's not what it's talking
about here at all. Not at all. So we look at it in a minute. All about all of Moses generation
has died. There's a young generation coming
on. And this young generation is
in Moses' heart and in his mind at the moment. They've, they've
watched their grandparents and their parents die in the wilderness. And I'm sure
this young generation is asking, are we to do what our fathers
have done? Just wander in this wilderness
till we die? What does God want us to do?
What is the will of God for us? This is probably the most asked
question among religious people. Maybe not out loud, but so many
hearts are occupied constantly with the thought and the question,
what is God's will for my life? And before I try to talk about
that for a few minutes, I'll begin with three introductory
thoughts, very important things. Number one, understand it is
a most precious thing and the greatest blessing in all the
world. when a person is brought by the Holy Spirit to truly desire
to know and to do the will of God. It does not come natural. It's a gift of God for you to
desire the will of God. I fear we're in a time when not
many people are interested in that at all. So many say, I want to know.
I just want to know God's will. But do you desire to do God's
will? I want to know. as in reading
a crystal ball. I just want to know. That's so
selfish and sinful and absolutely worthless. But the true desire
to know is the desire to do. And without a God-given desire
to do His will, You'll never know his will. Most people want him to bow to
our will. We want his consent to our selfishness
rather than our submitting to his authority. We want him to join our program
instead of us joining his. It's one thing to want God to
agree with you, and that's mostly what we want. It's something
else altogether for you to agree with God. So that's the first
thing. What a great blessing. What a
rare and unusual thing it is to truly desire to know and do
God's will. That's the first thing. Second
thing, understand that God has one will. I'm telling you, religion has
really messed us up. Most of my life, I've heard and
have some of you that God has a perfect will and he has a permissive will.
Wrong. Granted the Bible speaks numerous
times of God's permissiveness, but it never says it's his will.
Anything permitted is against our will. It can't be your will
if you have to permit it. So permissive will is a contradiction. God has one will, and it's perfect. Now the third thing, there is
a distinction, maybe more than one, but I'm just saying one,
in God's will, within God's one will. In this verse of scripture, the
first part relates to what I would call his Decretive Purpose. Things He has decreed that will
surely come to pass. Things known only to God. The secret things belong unto
the Lord our God. We're not supposed to know them.
They belong to Him. Some people talk about knowing
God's will. They're insinuating, I'd like
to know everything God knows. Well, that ain't happening. The secret things belong under
the Lord our God. We're not supposed to know. Tomorrow
belongs to Him. We have no promise of tomorrow. So there are some secret things.
Isaiah 46.10 declaring or decreeing The end from the beginning and
had a person tell me not long ago, well, I believe God knows
what's going to happen. No, no, no. That's not what Isaiah
40, 16 said, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient
times, the things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall
stand. And I will do all my pleasure. There are some secret things
belonging into the Lord that are fixed, decreed, ordained,
predetermined, and certain. Earth and hell can't change them
or prevent them. Secret things. But the distinction I refer to
is. From what's in the rest of the
verse, the secret things belong unto
the Lord. Leave that alone. But those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the
words of this law. Jeremiah 29, 13, and you shall
seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Obviously the Lord has someone
here this morning that is truly interested in the will of God
for your life. Maybe a young person and there's
several here. Or maybe somebody old as dirt.
I don't know. But whatever time we have left
with an earnest desire to know and to do God's will. So I'll just give you three thoughts
the Lord gave me. Number one, the precepts of God's
word. Notice what he says here, the
things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children. For they revealed in God's word. That we may do. Not to know and
not do. But to do. These things reveal. We've invented a religion in
this generation that runs along very well without
requiring us to take seriously the precepts God has revealed
to us in his word. We can't read God's mind. We can read His Word. And His Word is His mind to us
and for us. I've had many people tell me
through the years, well, I know what the Bible says, but there's
no but. God's Word is law. It's not open for discussion. This Bible is the authority. And of course, people put other
things in the place of the Bible as being the authority, as being
the means of knowing what to do and how to do. But I want
to say, it's not about that fuzzy feeling you had as you watch
the beautiful sunset. If that thought you conceived
is contrary to God's word, it's not from heaven. It's from hell. Any mental concoction contrary
to God's word is our own selfishness and self-centeredness. We feel good about it because
it's what we want. But God's will always agrees
with God's word. I've had people come to me with
stuff directly contrary to God's word. and say, well, I prayed about
it and I feel good about it. You feel good about it because
that's what you want. See, they want me to say, I think
it's all right. God's word says what's right. Psalm 119, 105, the psalmist
said, thy word is a lamp under my feet, close up, right here at me, and a light
under my path for on out yonder. God's word is it. You say, well, the Bible doesn't
give any definite instruction about the situation I'm in, what I'm facing. We'll come back to that in a
minute. Let me get to the second thing. Not all the precepts of
God's word, but the providence or God's works. He controls the
events of our lives. You should know a fella about
everything you went at. I've got to make this happen.
We've got to make this happen. No, you're not going to make
anything happen. God controls the pleasant things,
the painful things. His works, what happens, what
doesn't happen, the way things occur. The circumstances of life we
find ourselves in, this is to be considered because it's God
who arranges it as it is. And then thirdly, the prompting or God's wooing by the Holy Spirit
who lives in us. Those three things, the precepts
of God's word, The providence, God's work and the prompting
God's wooing. People are constantly asking the Lord and at least themselves. If they're not asking anybody
else questions. Should I buy another car or keep
the one I've got? Should I move from where I live or stay
where I'm at? Should I take this job I'm offered? Should I pursue another job? Who should I marry? These are
all good questions, important questions. But consider these questions
in the light of those three things. For instance, looking for a job. Or determining whether to stay
on the job you're on. Or whether to take the one you've
been offered. What do you do? What do you do? The Lord is not going to send
down an angel with a note on a silver platter for you to pick
up and read and say, this is this happened like that. Consider these three things,
the precepts of God's word. Now we're just using the example
of a job is the job you've been offered or the job you're pursuing.
or considering leaving the one you've got? What would it involve? Is it going to demand things
of you contrary to God's Word? Must I be dishonest? Deceitful? Must I dishonor my Lord and have
no testimony whatever in the workplace? You have your answer. You say, well, you can't expect
everything to be just right. Why not? Why not? If you truly want the will of
God, is he not big enough to put you on a job where you will
not violate the precepts of his word and dishonor him and lose
your testimony? Of course he is. Of course he
is. Let's say it's marriage. We've got several young folks
sitting here today. Of course, some of you old folks may marry.
I know one who did. If it's marriage, should you even consider someone
who doesn't have a strong conviction concerning God's precepts? No. There's your answer. People say, well, I know they're
not what they ought to be, but boy, I just love that person to death.
It'll probably be the death. Through the years, we've had
numerous young people grow up in this church. And I think mostly of the young ladies.
We've had some young men too, but boy, they don't slow down
long enough to talk to nobody. But the young ladies at least
inquire a little bit. And I've heard this so much.
Well, he said he's a Christian. He told me he saved. Have you
had that, Bobby? Over and over. He's really not much anxious
about coming to church. He's very shy, but he says he
will. I know he's not right now. He
cusses and drinks and he don't talk clean, he don't look clean,
he don't act clean, but he says he's a Christian. There's your
answer. There's your answer. It happens
over and over and over and over. two or three times to the same
girl. Why? Why? She wanted a husband,
not God's will. And unless God puts it in you
to want His will for your life more than anything, you'll never
get there. You'll never get there. You'll
not find God's will looking for something else. You'll find God's
will looking for God's will. Proverbs 3, 6, in all thy ways,
acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. And not just,
not just God's precepts, but God's providence. Ask yourself a job, marriage, a house, a car. Ask yourself. Has God opened this door or am I trying to kick it down? There's a difference. Has he
clearly set this before me? He told the Israelites, I'll remove the enemy from in
front of you. All you got to do is walk in
my commandments. Leave the hard stuff to me. Leave
the problem. Just walk, walk with me. Walk
with me. If we don't seek and search for
the very path, the Lord is clearing. We'll live our lives banging
into a brick wall till we die. But he's big enough to give grace,
peace, rest, direction, and guidance in your life. Old Preacher's Park said he prayed,
Lord, I'm going down this road pretty fast. And if you want me to turn, You'll
have to put up a big neon sign saying, turn here. And then put
a blockade, block the road. Beyond that, he does that kind
of thing. He does that kind of thing. We
ought not spend our lives trying to open doors that he shut. It don't work. Well, what about the third thing?
What about promptings? What about desire? What about
the wooing of the Holy Spirit? Am I really concerned about whether
the Holy Spirit is wooing me in this direction or is it just
what I want? We have to deal with these questions.
Am I selfish? Is this just for me? Or do I
want my life to be about the glory of God? That's where we're
at. Luke 15, 1, Then drew near unto
Him all the publicans and sinners, for to hear Him. Did they get what they needed?
Yes. They came for to hear Him. The very next verse, Luke 15,
two said, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured. Did they get anything good from
the Lord? No, no. To know and to do God's will
comes by seeking the giver, not the gifts. I don't have to tell
you. Modern day charismatic TV religion
is all about health and wealth and what God can do for you. God's will comes by seeking the
giver, not the gift. To know and do God's will comes
not by Pleading for what we want, but pleading for what He wants. And I pray, Lord, I don't have
sense enough to figure it out. I'm even dumb enough to fight
it when you try bringing it to me. Lord, overpower me. Most of what
He does for us, He has to do in spite of us. Trust in the Lord. Acknowledge that He'll do right. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. Instead of being such a puffed
up devil saying, well, I think I've got a pretty good handle
on things. No, no. Apart from God's intervention,
we're everyone dumb as an ox. Lean not unto thine own understanding.
Our understanding is pretty foggy. I could go on and on with this.
I could give personal testimony. I could give testimony of some
of you sitting here this morning. and many other people I've known
in life. But I'll tell you this, the Lord
has worked miracles in my life. He has put me into positions
and given me privileges and blessings that I could never have bought
my way into. He's taken me out of places and
positions and dangerous situations I could never have delivered
myself from. That's miracles. He's done for me more than I
could ever ask. But I've been asking Him for
53 years now to open the doors He'd have me to walk through
and to shut the ones I'm not to walk through. I'm not smart enough to know
the difference yet. I depend on him. So don't forget these three things,
the precepts of his word. You don't have to pray about
that. This Bible don't change. It'll say the same thing tomorrow,
it says today. The providence, his works. He lays out the path, he opens
the way. Don't beat your way through trying
to get through briar thicket the rest of your life. Be still. Wait until he makes a path. As they did the Red Sea, be still
and wait till he parts the waters. You sure can't do it without
it. And then the prompting, the wooing
of the Holy Spirit. When it's his will, when it's
his time, even though you said, I'll never
go there, I'll never do that. If it's his will, he'll give
you the will. That's how it works. You won't talk Him into anything,
but He'll talk you into a lot of things. The secret things
belong under the Lord our God. You can forget all about knowing
those things, but those things which are revealed, revealed to us in His Word, revealed
to us in His works by providence. revealed to us by the wooing
of the Holy Spirit. Those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children forever,
that we may do all the words of this law. Thank you so much.