This morning we continue our series entitled, “Power of Fellowship.” Yesterday I talked about not making decisions without consulting with God first. This was based on John 5:19 where Jesus said that He never did anything on His own or through His own initiative. Everything Jesus did, He did because He believed it was the will of the Father. Today’s message will flow in the same vein.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Think about what the Bible teaches about His predetermined outcome for your life. If you believe the Bible, then you believe God made plans for you before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5), that all the days of your life were mapped out before you ever lived one day (Psalm 139:16), that God has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-5), that God saved you and called you for a specific purpose and He gave you the grace for the purpose before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9), and that God made you a new person when you were Born-again so could spend the rest of your life doing the good works He had already planned for you to perform (Ephesians 2:10). If all of this is true (and it is), if all of these scriptures are right (and they are), then there is no way you can make a major decision in your life without checking with God first.
2. If you believe the Bible and what it says about God’s predetermined outcome for your life, then every decision you make should be a decision that you want to align with what God already planned.
3. I will put this in practical terms. Let’s say you get hired to a new organization. The leader is known as an amazing visionary who has a clear vision for every department. He puts you in charge of one of his departments. He then sits down with you and makes it painstaking clear that you were NOT hired to do whatever you want. You were hired to carry out his plan, his vision and his desires. You agree. He then casts vision for you. He tells you what he sees for the department you have been given charge over. He then releases you to lead it.
In this scenario several things are clear. First, there is only ONE VISION. Anything more than ONE VISION will cause di-vision. The vision was birthed in the heart of the visionary. He has given you charge over a department, but he expects you to carry out HIS VISION. He casts the vision and you are supposed to catch the vision and run with it. If you have a decision to make, you are supposed to consider whether or not that decision aligns with the vision. If it does, you do it, because you believe the results will take you incrementally closer to achieving the overall vision. If it does not, you reject it. If it is a major decision, you should check with the visionary before making it. Anything major, you want to ensure that you are doing the right thing, because, after all, you are not there to perform whatever you want. You were hired to perform the desires of the visionary.
If you can understand that analogy, then you can understand how God wants you to live. His vision for your life was set before you were born. It was birthed in His heart, not yours. When you are born you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. So you are not connected to God (who is a Spirit) and you have no way of knowing what God’s plans or vision for your life. Once you are Born-Again, you have God’s Spirit, and God begins to reveal to you what He already planned for your life. Through the Holy Spirit God casts vision in your heart. His goal is for you to have the same vision IN YOUR HEART that is already in HIS HEART for your life. With the vision in place, God frees you to make decisions that align with the vision. Every decision, every day, should take you incrementally closer to God’s overall plan and purpose for your life. When it comes to major decisions, you really need to spend time with God to ensure the decision is part of His plan. Because if you make a decision that is not part of His plan, you are going to find yourself in a position you don’t want to be. You will require things that God did not plan for you to have. You will be asking God for things that He did not prepare for you. And you will get frustrated in the process. Because you will be OUTSIDE of the will of God. This is why fellowship and intimacy with God is so important. This is why I am taking my time in this series. You have to get this down in your heart. Once you do, you will never make a minor decision without being led by the vision you have in your heart and you will never make a major decision without bathing the decision in prayer first. The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You made plans for me before the world began. When I was born I had no way of knowing what those plans were. But thankfully I accepted Jesus as Lord and I was Born-Again. I now have Your Spirit living inside of me. Your Spirit reveals to me Your plans. Your Spirit casts vision in my heart. I am now at the point where the VISION You have in YOUR HEART for me is the SAME VISION I have in my heart for me. I have died to all the vision I came up with on my own and I have fully accept, believe, and pursue YOUR VISION for my life. I don’t make decisions that do not align with the VISION and I check with You before making any major decisions, because I want to remain in the center of Your will. Living this way, everyday I get incrementally closer to Your overall vision for my life! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
