God gave me a word awhile back that we put on Youtube, and on our website, www.themessengersradio.com.  I encourage you to go back and listen to the full message.  We are breaking that message down for more in-depth versions.  Last time we talked about using your authority more.  Today we will talk about listening to and acting on God’s will for our lives.

As mentioned in the original word He gave me, each of us is predestined with a plan from God.  Paul tells us several times about this.

• Romans 8:30New International Version (NIV)
• ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

• Ephesians 1:11
• In him we were also chosen, having been predestinedaccording to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

I’m not asking you to jump into the fire and start out at the end; I’m just asking you to light a fire and take a step of faith.  That is all He wants; obedience.  Some of you will take leaps and bounds, but others will just take a little step.  The point is it must be from God.  You can do nothing on your own.  It doesn’t work that way. He has to be the one leading and guiding you.

So, let’s start from here.  Ask Him what you can do today that will make a difference.  It may mean something as small as smiling at the clerk at a store and saying “God loves you” or it may be bigger.  It’s ultimately as much as God asks of you.  He will never ask for more than you can do.  Never.  And He will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31 tells us about this.

And In Joshua 1:5 God Himself states:

• … As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I willnever leave you nor forsake you.
• Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of this promise:
• …God has said, “Neverwill I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

He is always there.  He is always talking, but we are not always listening.  That is the key problem.  Many of us have tuned Him out.  We are doing our own thing, and think that by going to church, we are doing His will.  I agree that we need to go to church to be around like minded people to get and give encouragement, but that is not the only way we are to be used.  He wants us to Go into the world and Do His will.  Take the words He is speaking to you and Go into your world, your life, your area, and Do what He tells you.  He is talking, so we need to listen.

He has different paths for each of us.  We just need to listen to Him and obey.

• 2 Corinthians 9:13
• Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for theobedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

• 2 John 1:6
• And this is love: that we walk inobedience to his commands…

This means tuning out the world and concentrating on Him.  I’m not saying that no one is doing this.  There are many great people who listen to His voice and do His will, but there are more of us out there who don’t.  We as Christians have to stand up and have our say. We need to Wake Up!  We have been on auto pilot too long.  He gave us the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  In Matthew 28 Jesus gave his disciples this mission, and it is still true for us today.

The Great Commission

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

That is not a suggestion; it’s what we were made for.  He put this desire into all our lives, but most of us have not done what He tells us.  We have gone the way of the world.  When I say that I don’t mean we all have done things that the world considers sins, like drugs or such, even though we may have, but when we go with the flow and don’t speak up, that is as much of a sin as anything else.  When we don’t speak against satan, we are giving him control.  It is a silent sin that we don’t realize.  God doesn’t see big or little sins.  Sin is sin in God’s eyes.

You don’t have to be a preacher who has a church to do God’s work; you just need to be a light to the nations.  He told us to Go into all the world.  But, so many of us Christians, especially in the United States, have taken Him for granted.  We expect Him to do all the work, when that is exactly what He created us for.  He is limited to what He can do.  We are the ones who have to Go out and Do His will.  He speaks to us through His Spirit; the Holy Spirit.  He sends the Holy Spirit when we ask for Him as it says in Luke 11:13.

• Luke 11:13
• If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give theHoly Spirit to those who ask him!”

Many of you ask, “Who is the Holy Spirit, and why do I want Him?”

The Holy Spirit was in Jesus while He was in this world.  In various versions of the Bible John 14:16 refers to the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Helper, etc…  He told the disciples in John 14:26 not to worry because

• John 14:26
• …the Advocate, theHoly Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Acts 1:8 tells us about being the disciples He needs us to be and how we are to do that.

• Acts 1:8
• But you will receive power when the HolySpirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We are His hands and feet and mouthpiece.  He uses us to educate the people around us.  We all need to learn and follow His ways.