DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL

Sermon Notes, August 31, 2014

Rev. Dan White

Pastor Jan traveled to Ohio last weekend, where she and her fiancé, Rev. Ray LaSalle, announced their engagement to his congregation.  They will be married in October, and a reception is being planned for October 12 at Hope.  If everything works out as she expects, that will be her last Sunday as our pastor.

Rev. Dan White filled our pulpit in her absence.  His sermon was titled “Discovering God’s Will.”  His scripture reference was Jeremiah 29:11-13.  He used his own life as the example as he assured us that “Doing God’s will is better than doing your own will.”

The first step is to get saved.  Giving your life to Jesus is the beginning.  According to Jeremiah 29, God knows the plan He has for you.  You must keep reading His word to find it.

Second, listen to His voice.  He speaks through pastors, as well as the Bible and prayer.  Rev. Dan got a job in Victoria, Virginia, where Rev. A.H. Johnson asked him to work with the teens.  Then to teach the college and career class, and later to be Sunday School Superintendent.  Another pastor who influenced him was Rev. Thompson, who later became the District Superintendent of the Virginia District.

Third, you must be sanctified: give everything you have and everything you are to God, to be used by Him.  It’s not only a crisis experience, but it’s a journey.  You have to keep giving God everything.  God called him to the ministry, then told him to “Wait awhile.”  He went to the Nazarene Church in Brightwood, which was held in a jewelry store.

If the Lord gives you something to do, do it.  Pastor Blue from Charlottesville advised him to put his tithe money into an account in Orange, so that when the opportunity came, he was able to buy property and start to build.  His father was a builder, so he asked for his help.  But his dad was too busy with his own business to do more than give him advice.  Someone gave him a big sign, which he propped up by a tree, and he started clearing the land.  When he burned the brush pile, people saw the smoke and came to see it.  “If the church is on fire, people will come to see what’s going on.”  He dug the basement, and asked God for help with what he didn’t know how to do.

When God is in control, all things are possible.  Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  He built the church, and then the house.  In fact, using what he learned building the church, he built several houses.

The Lord will bless you.  He bid on a store in Orange that was being auctioned because of bankruptcy, and was shocked when he won the bid.  But he was able to sell 2 of the houses he’d built and got the cash he needed on the day he needed to pay for the store.

The message was to trust the Lord, and depend on Him to bless you as you are obedient.  It will work for a church, as well as for an individual.