Every time I hear the song sung
like that, I think how amazing that other song is. I surrender
all. That's a blessing. Would you
turn back to Ephesians chapter one? I've entitled this message, The
Good Pleasure of His Will. the good pleasure of his will. The salvation of the sinner is
founded in the will of God. Now that's what makes it so secure.
Look at our text again in Ephesians 1.5, having predestinated us
into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will. That's why I did it. According
to the good pleasure of his will. Look in verse nine, having made
known unto us the mystery of his will. We would never known
it had he not made it known, but he made known to us the mystery
of his will according to his good pleasure. That's why I did
it. It was according to his good
pleasure, which he purposed in himself. Look in verse 11. In
whom also we've obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things. after the counsel,
after the will of his own will. Now, God is a person. He has a will. And the difference between his
will and our will, we have a will too, is he has the power to make
his will come to pass. You and I do not have any power
to make our will come to pass. None, nada, zero. As a matter of fact, we're taught
to say with regard to everything we do, Lord willing, Lord willing. I'm going to do this Lord willing. I know that I don't have any
control over this. I want it to happen. But I know
how most not thyself of tomorrow, for you know not what a day bringeth
forth. You don't know what's gonna happen. But God has the
power to make his will come to pass, and he always does make
his will come to pass. There's never a time when he
does not make his will come to pass. It's always done, it's
never thwarted. God's never willed something
and that not take place. You see, he's God. This is what is meant by the
sovereignty of God. He has a will, he has omnipotence. That means he has the power to
make his will come to pass. And he has the right to make
his will come to pass. His will is supreme. No one can
question what he does. He has the right to make his
will come to pass. And he always makes his will
come to pass. Everything that happens is his
will being done. God's not running for God. He is God. He is God. God is completely
sovereign. I love to say this. Gives me
a lot of joy to say this. God is completely sovereign over
the free and uncoerced actions of men. Everything that happens,
everything that men do, they do freely. They do what they
want to do. That's what people do. They do
what they want to do. And God has complete, absolute
sovereign control over all of the free actions of men. Let's
turn to Proverbs 16. I love this chapter. Verse one, the preparations or
the inclinations, the disposings of the heart in a man and the
answer of the tongue, the way he answers, the way he responds
something is from the Lord. He's in control of all of it.
Verse nine. A man's heart diviseth his way. How many plans did you make today?
Planned on being here tonight? You wouldn't be here if you didn't.
A man's heart diviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps. Verse 33. The lot, and this is
what people would call luck, The lot is cast into the lap,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 19,
verse 21. There are many devices in a man's
heart. Nevertheless, the counsel of
the Lord, that shall stand. You know, you might have people
making all kinds of devices against you and plans against you. You know what's going to happen?
The counsel of the Lord shall stand. Nothing more, nothing
less. Proverbs 21 verse 1, the King's
heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, he turneth
it, whithersoever he will. And I believe the most clear
example of this is Acts chapter four, the prayer of the early
church. What did the Gentiles and the
people of Israel gather together to do when they nailed Christ
to a cross? They were gathered together to
do whatsoever thy hand and by counsel determined before to
be done. There's not a sparrow that falls
to the ground without your heavenly Father. He is in control of all
things and anything less than this is not God. Anything less than this is an
idol. It's not the living God. This is who he is. Now, I realize
men will object to this and say it makes men puppets. And they will say, well, you're
making God the author of evil. I'll let God answer for himself.
I shouldn't say that. I don't let God do anything.
He'll answer for himself. Here, I don't feel any need to
try to address that. God's God, but I said it so.
God's God. This is who he is. And if I have
problems with this, that means I have a problem with God himself. And that means there's a real
problem with me. I ought to rejoice in this. I
mean, this makes me happy. And if it doesn't make me happy,
I'm exposing my enmity toward God. The Lord has made all things
for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. That's what
the word of God says. Thou has made all things and
for thy pleasure they are and were created. And every believer
is glad it's this way. This is good news. This is gospel. This isn't just hard, fatalistic
doctrine. This is something that gives
me some confidence and some security and some joy. God is God. Now look back in Ephesians chapter
one. All these blessings we have are all according to the will
of God. He blessed us, verse three, with
all spiritual blessings. Whatever spiritual blessing there
is, I have it. And really, spiritual blessings.
Temporal blessings, I don't even know that they're blessings.
I want to be able to pay my bills, I realize that, but it could
be that I've been in a place where God's put me in slippery places.
And temporal blessings may keep me from Christ, and they may
be a curse. Physical blessings, having health, may make me not
need Christ. I can't even say necessarily
now, like I said, I'm thankful for any temporal blessing. I
really am. I'd rather be healthy than sick. But the Bible does not address
these things as blessings, spiritual blessings. That's the kind of
blessings I must have, spiritual blessings. And according to God's
will, I have ever one of them. And if God willed it, I've got
them. Totally. Completely. Look what
he says in verse four, according as it's chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that is God willing that if God
wills it, it is. It's accomplished. He willed
me to be holy. And if God willed me to be holy,
can I be anything but holy right now according to God's will?
He willed me to be blameless, to stand before Him accepted,
blameless, without sin. If God willed that, it is. It
is. God willed me to be predestinated
to the adoption of sons. He willed me to be his son. And because he willed it, it
is. You see, our salvation is founded
in the will of God. Now, whatever he wills is him
doing his good pleasure. Whatever the Lord pleased, that
did he. in earth and sea and all deep
places. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. I love what the Lord said. I
know the Lord always rejoiced in his father. He always rejoiced
in who God is. But you know, there's only one
time in all the New Testament where we read where he did rejoice.
At that time, Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you've hid these
things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. And that's actually the same
word, your good pleasure. Now, if it seemed good in his
sight, it's good in my sight too. And here's why. Here's why. I trust him. I don't need to understand why
he does what he does or what he's doing. I don't need to understand
that. Matter of fact, I never know,
but I trust him. He knows. And everything he does,
he does as what is good in his sight. Now, when the angels announced
the gospel to the shepherds, they said, glory to God in the
highest. and on earth, peace, goodwill. That's the word, good pleasure,
goodwill to men. I love what Paul said in Romans
chapter 12, verses one and two, I beseech you by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies, that's everything you
are, that's the whole man, that you present your bodies here
and present, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy, acceptable, well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable
service. Anything else is unreasonable.
And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove, that you
may demonstrate what is that good and perfect and acceptable
will of God. That's what God's will is. It's
good, it's perfect, and it's acceptable. Thy will be done. We're taught to pray that, aren't
we? Thy will be done. And here's what I love about
this. I know His will will be done. Not only do I know His will be
done, that's what I want. I want His will to be done. Somebody says, I want to know
what God's will is for my life. You're up to your neck in it.
and His will will be done. He's God. Every believer, what
I'm saying, every believer believes. They just do. They know that
their salvation is founded in the very will of God. Not my will, not my will, His
will. The leper acted as a spokesman
for every single one of God's people when he said, Lord, if
you will, you can make me clean. Now, every believer in here,
when they hear that, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.
That's what I want. I can't do it. It would have
been daring presumption. It would have been horribly wicked
for that leper to come up to the Son of God, the Lord of glory,
the sovereign of the universe and say, I will, that you make
me clean. No, you don't talk to the Lord
of glory like that. Not if you know who he is. That
leper came into his presence and said, Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. Look in verse nine of Ephesians
one. having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure that he had purposed in himself. Now
somebody thinks, and I can understand somebody thinking this, if somebody
says, I know God's will. Oh, do you? The incomprehensible
transcended God and your Brazen enough to say you know his will? How can you say something like
that? How can you say I know the will of God? Because he's
made it known. It's a mystery that he has made
known. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will. Now a mystery is that which we
would have never known had not God made it known in his word. But I, you know, I love the words
of the Lord in John chapter four, verse 34. And he lets us see
what he, I say this reverently, he lets us see what he's all
about. He says, my meat and drink is to do the will of him that
sent me and finish his work. He said, lo, I come. This is
in Psalm 40 and quoted in Hebrews 10. Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it's
written of me. And he's not talking about the
scriptures. He's talking about the book of God's decrees, spoken
of in Revelation chapter 5, sealed with seven seals, and that no
man was able to open it up, only the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the book of God's decrees and purposes. Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it's
written of me. I delight to do thy will. Yea, O God, thy law is within
my heart. Psalm 40. Now let's look at the
writer to the Hebrews quotation of this, Hebrews 10. Verse five, wherefore, when he
cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice an offering thou wouldst
not, but a body hast thou prepared me. Read Psalm 139 and think of it
in that light. I was curiously wrought in the
under parts of the earth and all the things he said in that
a body has now prepared me. Sacrifice and offering that was
not but a body is now prepared me and burn offerings and sacrifice
of sin. Thou has had no pleasure. Then
said I low I come in the volume of the book. It's written of
me to do thy will. Oh God. Above when he said sacrifice
and offerings and offerings and offerings for sin, thou would
is not neither had pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away
the first, the first covenant, the covenant of words that he
may establish the second. By the which will all this, I
love this verse of scripture. By the which will, which will?
He came to do thy will, that will. By the which will, we are
sanctified. Holy is what that means. Sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. That is how supreme
his will is. By the which will, we are sanctified. God declares every believer holy
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. I love that
scripture in Peter. God is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness, but as long suffering to us. Listen to this, not willing that
any should perish. And you know what? If he's not
willing for me to perish, you know what? I'm not going to perish.
He's not willing for me to perish. Christ said, I give unto my sheep
eternal life. Turn to John chapter six. Verse 38. For I came down from
heaven. I bet people were looking at
him and then, what? What do you mean you came down
from heaven? But that's the way he spoke, isn't it? I came down
from heaven. I was in heaven and I came down. Not to do mine own will, but
the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will,
which has sent me. But of all which he hath given
me, I should lose nothing. But raise it up again at the
last day. Now there's the mystery of his
will. Let's go on reading. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life. Now who are these people that
the Father gave Him and He will not lose? Everyone that seeth
the Son and believeth on Him. Let me give you an example of
someone who saw the Son. The thief on the cross saw the
Son. He didn't look at Christ as some
defeated, dying martyr. He saw the Lord of glory. And that is seen in his response,
Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. You're not
going to stay on the cross. You're the Lord of glory. You're
going to accomplish everything you intend to do. And you're
going to come back as a mighty reigning king. He saw the sun. And you know what everybody does
who sees the sun? They believe on him. Every single one of them. Now
you can't believe if you haven't seen the sun. But if you've seen
the sun, you know what you're going to do? You're going to
believe on him. I think of the scripture, I am
the way, the truth, the life. I see that. Christ is all. This sinner sees that. I believe
on him. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. I see that. I believe that with
all my heart. When he said, he that has seen
me has seen the Father. I see that. Seeing Christ, you
see all who God is. He that has seen the Son. Everybody, without exception,
that sees him, believes on him. Now, this mystery of His will,
He's made it known. This is the will of Him that
sent me, all which He hath given me. I'm not going to lose one
of them. He came to save God's elect, and that's what He did.
He said, I've glorified thee on earth. I've finished the work
thou gavest me to do. We see that, and we believe on
Him. Look in verse 11 of our text
in Ephesians chapter 1. In whom, Ephesians 1.11, in whom
also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh. What are those next two words? All things. After the council. of His own
will, there's nothing that is not under this. He works all
things, whatever they may be, after the counsel of His own
will. That means everything. Yes, the
cross, Christ is a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Yes, that bird that just fell out of a tree and died in China.
He's in control of that too. He works all things after the
counsel of his own will. Now you're familiar with the
story of Joseph. Turn with me there to Genesis
45. Verse 1, then Joseph could not
refrain himself before all them that stood by him. You see, he
knew these were his brothers. He knew they were the ones who
sold him into slavery. He knew how guilty they were.
And he cried, cause every man to go out from me. And there
stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto
his brethren. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians
in the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren,
I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live? And
his brethren could not answer him. For they were troubled at
his presence. They thought, this is it. Our
sins come back to roost. We're going to be punished. It's
come back upon us. And Joseph said to his brethren,
come near to me. I pray you. And they came near.
And he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. He didn't deny what they'd done. Now, therefore, be not grieved
nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither. For God did
send me before you to preserve life. Now they were, I want you
to think about how evil this action was. They told their poor
old dad that his favorite child was dead and they took that coat
of many colors and got blood all over it to make it look like
some evil beast had Killed him. They brought this. Is this your
son's coat? Of course, that's the coat that he made him. And
he was mourning. Oh, the grief they put their
fathers through. Their fathers through because
they were jealous. Because they were envious. They were upset.
Because he was the favorite son. I love when he has those dreams. I dream that the moon and the
stars are going to do obeisance to me. And they got so upset,
they hated him. They were jealous of him. They
hated the way his father showed him such preference. You can
see all that. And what they did was utterly
malicious and evil. There was no justification for
it at all. And what they did was free and
uncoerced. But there's something about the
Lord God of glory that only he can do. He brings good out of
evil. Nobody else can do that, but
he can. And he does. And he always does. Isn't he glorious? Verse five. Now therefore be
not ungrieved or anger with yourselves that you sold me hither, for
God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two
years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five
years in which there shall neither be yearning nor harvest, and
God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the land and
to save your lives by a great deliverance. Now it was not you
that sent me hither, but God. And he hath made me a father
to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all
the land of Egypt." Now, do you hear what he said? You didn't
see me here. Don't flatter yourself. God did this. And with regard
to everything that takes place, God did this. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
5. Verse 18, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. Whatever it is, whatever it is,
it's God's will. in Christ Jesus concerning you. This is for you. This is the blessing of his grace
for you. So in everything, give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. You see, God's will is God. God's will is God. It's Him being God. Now, there are three things I
want to say, and I want to read one final scripture. Number one,
child of God, think of the completeness and the security of our salvation. It's all bound up in His will,
and His will can't be thwarted. You can't do anything to mess
this up. You really can't. It is not the will of your father
that any of these little ones perish. How secure we are. And everything is for you. Everything. Romans 8, 28 says,
and we know that all things Work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Everything
that happens to you is for your good. By your heavenly Father,
who's too wise to err and too kind to be cruel. I love what
Paul said to the Philippians, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both
to will and to do his good pleasure. Isn't that great? I wouldn't
want it to be any other way. Now let's close by turning to
Daniel chapter four. Daniel chapter four. Now there's a man that God raised
up while the children of Israel were in the Babylonian captivity. His name was Nebuchadnezzar.
God raised him up just like he raises everybody else up. And
Nebuchadnezzar had learned many things about the Lord. He's the
one who had seen the Son of God standing with the three children
of Israel in the burning furnace. He had them cast in there because
they wouldn't worship his God. And he saw the Son of God, and
he saw them come out of that fire. completely without not
even smelling like smoke. Perfect. And at that time he
said, there's no God that can deliver after this sword. Let
any man that speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, or Abednego, let his house be made a dumb hill. Let
him be put to death. He believed something. But look
here in Daniel chapter four. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, unto
all people, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth,
peace be multiplied unto you. Now, I thought it good to show
the signs and wonders that the high God has wrought toward me. How great are his signs and how
mighty are his wonders. His kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom. And his dominion is from generation
to generation. And then he goes and tells about
a dream he had. Now, Daniel had interpreted his
dreams before, and he wants Daniel to interpret this dream again.
I think it's interesting. He didn't remember what it was.
He knew he had a dream that troubled him. He didn't even remember
what it was. He calls the wise men of Babylon, tell me what
my dream was and give me the interpretation of it. And they
said, well, how can we do that if you don't even remember what
it is? He said, you're just trying to get out of this. If you don't
tell me the interpretation, I'm gonna have all the wise men killed.
And that's when they brought in Daniel and Daniel gave the
dream itself and the interpretation. Here he is again. And this dream
is interpreted that Nebuchadnezzar's going to be in trouble. He's
going to be in trouble because of his pride, because of his
arrogance, because of his haughtiness, thinking that he was somebody,
he was going to be in trouble. Let's begin reading in verse
16. Let his heart be chained for
man's and let a beast's heart be given unto him. And let seven
times, seven years pass over, and this matter is by the decree
of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the Holy One,
so the intent that the living may know. This is what the living
need to know. That the Most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and
set it up over the basis of men. This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar,
have seen. Now thou, Belshazzar, declare
the interpretation thereof. For as much as all the wise men
of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me this interpretation,
but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee,
then Daniel, whose name was Belshazzar, was astonished for an hour. And
his thoughts troubled him. The king spake and said, Belshazzar,
let not the dream of the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Balthazar
answered and said, my lord, the dream be to them that hate thee
and the interpretation to thine enemies. tree thou sawest which
grew and was strong, whose height reached into the heaven, and
the sight thereof to all the earth, whose leaves were fair,
and the fruit thereof much, and it was meat for all, under which
the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon the branches the fowls
of the heavens had their habitation. It is thou, O King, that art
grown and become strong, for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth
unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. And
whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from
heaven, saying, You, the tree down, and destroy it, yet leave
the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band
of iron and brass in the tender grass of the field, and let it
be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the
beasts of the field till seven years pass over. This is the
interpretation, O King, and this is the decree of the Most High,
which has come upon my Lord the King, that they shall drive thee
from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field.
They shall make thee to eat grass as an oxen, and they shall wet
thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times, seven years,
shall pass over thee, till thou knowest the Most High ruleth
in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And
whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots,
thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after thou shalt have known
that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel
be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness,
and thine iniquity by showing mercy to the poor. It may be
a lengthening of thy tranquility. All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar,
and 12 months later, He walked in the palace of the kingdom
of Babylon. The king spake and said, is not this great Babylon
that I built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my
power, for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king's
mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, oh king Nebuchadnezzar,
to thee it is spoken. The kingdom is departed from
thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall
be with the beasts of the field. They shall make thee to eat grass
as an oxen. Seven times shall pass over thee,
until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of
men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was this
thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men. And
he did eat grass as oxen and his body was wet with the dew
of heaven till his hairs were grown like eagle's feathers and
his nails like bird claws. And at the end of the days, God
said it would be seven years. I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up
mine eyes into heaven and mine understanding returned unto me. And I blessed the most high. I praised and honored him that
liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and
his kingdom is from generation to generation. and all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth and none can stay his hand. None can stop him from performing
his will or saying to him, what doest thou? What are you doing?
It's none of your business. He's God. At the same time, my
reason returned unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom,
mine honor and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and
my Lord sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and
excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise
and extol and honor the kingdom of heaven, all whose works are
truth, and his ways judgment. and those that walk in pride,
he is able to abase. That is God. That is the Lord Jesus Christ
that we adore. Let's pray. Lord, how we give thanks for
your glorious will. Lord, all of our salvation is
founded in thy eternal glorious will. How we thank you that it
was your will for your son to come down from heaven And it
was your will for him to accomplish salvation for all you've given
him. And it's your will that everyone
who sees the Son and believes on him has everlasting life. Lord, enable each one of us to
delight in thy glorious will. Teach us to pray from our heart,
believingly rejoicing, thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. In Christ's blessed name we pray,
amen.