Ask Pastor Mike Fabarez

Speaker 1

Well, the new year is in full swing and we're making good on those resolutions, aren't we? But now it's time to clear your mind and your schedule for our weekly question and answer session with our Bible teacher, Mike Fabarez. Glad to have you with us today on Focal Pointe. I'm your host, Dave Droue.

Looking forward to this edition of Ask Pastor. You know, every day we're faced with a thousand different decisions ranging from what to wear to where to live. How do you know which choice is God's will for you?

Well, today Pastor Mike Fabarez explains how to determine God's will in the decisions we make. So let's join executive director Jay Wortin as he sits down with Pastor Mike inside the pastor study.

Speaker 2

I'm here with Pastor Mike, and we're having another edition of Ask Pastor Mike here on Focal Point. We're going to take some time to answer questions from our listeners.

We recently received an email, Pastor Mike, from a listener who asked if there are many open doors available to me and I'm willing to walk through each of them, how do I know which one is God's will for me?

They want to know how do we discern God's will in our lives? How would you respond to that?

Speaker 3

Well, I'd probably first start by defining open door. Right. It's a biblical term. If you're new to the Bible or whatever, you might not understand that that is a circumstance. That is a good circumstance. It's a good opportunity, and it's available to you. It's right in front of you. It's an open door.

And I think that's a good way to look at the will of God. Like you're standing in a room, there's several open doors, and we have to make a decision as to which one's best. And that's always going to lead you back to how do we see in the Bible people making big decisions? The listener wrote in and said he was willing that. And I just want to make sure that every listener understands that is not just a small thing. That's a huge thing we talk about at a pat a lot of times in my preaching.

And that just means that you're fully willing to do anything, any place, anytime, and to really be willing to walk through any door. I know a lot of people that say I'm willing to do this, this, and this, but I'm just not willing to do that. You've really got to be willing to do anything that God asks. And if that's the case, then I think you're in a good position to make a wise decision.

Of course, you need to have your mind saturated in the word of God so that you know whether this really is an open door, a good providential, godly thing to do. So you got to know the word of God. You've got to be able to have a sense of what is a godly thing or a wise thing, let's put it that way, in terms of just knowing life, knowing reality, knowing what we're talking about.

If it's a job, you're going to seek counsel. The Proverbs has so much to say about plans being established by those who seek good counsel. And I know a lot of folks that don't want to seek counsel because really they're afraid that the counselor is going to say there's something you haven't considered on the table. You know what I'm saying?

There's a lot of open doors and, like I said, a lot of people don't want to really walk through any of them. They want to walk through A, B, or C, but not, you know, not D. So I just want you to be willing. I want you to have a mind that knows the word of God so you can see that this is a good and godly option.

And then I want you to seek godly counsel. And then I would say don't be paralyzed. If you're going to make a decision, make the decision and then move forward. Walk through it and then trust that God has guided you in the process. You've sought good counsel. Claim the truthfulness of his word and walk through the door and don't look back. If God wants to adjust, he's going to adjust the path, but just walk through it without the kind of paralysis you see so much in a lot of Christians.

Speaker 2

So obviously in our decision-making process, prayer, God's counsel, God's word, and wise counsel are all going to be factors in this.

But when you're talking about things, you've talked about this before, about making decisions about the best decision versus the better decision. Speak a little to that in how we look at that.

Because not everything is a bad decision, but it may not be the best one.

Speaker 3

And sometimes I preach that principle because a lot of people are saying no to what clearly is the best thing. It's the good thing, it's the godly thing. But they're saying, well, you know, I'm doing this, isn't this okay? In other words, like the Bible may say, as it does, that we're supposed to be preaching the gospel to people. We're supposed to be presenting the message of the gospel to people.

And people may say, well, I'm living a good life in front of them. I don't go out and get drunk with my coworkers, I don't cuss. And they'll say, well, that's okay. I'm being a good influence at work. I'm just not doing the best thing, which is to share the gospel. And so sometimes I use that analogy in that setting.

If you look at the setting that we're talking about, open doors and choosing the will of God, clearly, don't you want to walk through the best door? And what does that mean? I think it'd be the most fruitful thing to do. It'd be the thing I'm best suited to. You've got to understand that. You've got to be able to analyze yourself, is this the right thing that I should be doing?

I mean, if you're a young person, you're a Christian, you're thinking about how do I expend my life? Do I be a missionary? Do I have a pastor? Do I be a businessman, an architect, pharmacist, whatever it might be? You want to walk through the best door. And that's going to include looking at your life and not saying, just because it's hard, I'm not going to do it.

You're going to be able to say, I know I'm equipped to do this, I can be trained to do this. I'm going to do this. And I'm not going to settle for something that's second or third best. You know what I mean? There's that sense of I want to do what is the most productive for the Lord Jesus, whatever that is.

Speaker 2

I think some people, while they're presented with decisions in them, they might have two or three decisions they have to make where they can go through this litany of things that help them make that decision.

But what about somebody that is maybe thinking about a career path or maybe a spousal choice, or whether that's even in their midst, whether marriage or singleness isn't even in their midst? How is somebody determining some of those things that maybe aren't specific decisions in their mind, but maybe just looking at the broad plan, God's will for their life?

Is that just hidden from us? Is there a way we can discern that? What would be the best way for people to maybe latch onto that a little bit more?

Speaker 3

Well, I guess even the way we posit the question, it almost is like we're seeking out some secret roadmap. And I don't want to view God's will that way. I don't want to take the extreme that some people take that. You know what? Just make sure you don't violate any biblical principles and live your life. I don't want to live like that. I want to pray. I want to look at my plans. I want to lay them before the Lord.

But one thing I guess we haven't mentioned yet, that we should, and that is our desires. And that's a part of, I think, reflecting my own giftedness. It's a part of God's spirit at work inside of me. I think of Second Corinthians, chapter 2. When Paul was there talking about being in Troas, there was an open door for him. But his spirit wasn't at rest because Titus wasn't there. So he left. And I thought to myself, what's going on in his life right there? I don't think this is a claim of supernatural revelation. I think this is a sense of him saying, I wasn't at peace with this, which can be an overused and an abused state.

But there was a desire in his heart he was going to connect up with Timothy. He thought this was important and he felt the need to do that. So sometimes the decision certainly needs to sync up with our desires. What are you going to make this decision to do? Is this really something that's godly? Is it right? Have you sought counsel? And is it something that your desire, your heart can get around and you can go and do now?

I never want to use my feelings to disregard what's clear in the Bible. Well, I don't feel peace about doing evangelism. That's not the point. The point is, here are two or three equally godly good things to do—career, spouse, whatever. Then what are my desires here? I don't think that's a bad thing, and it can be abused. As you know, I preach a lot about the fact that emotions shouldn't be leading our Christian life. We shouldn't be feeling our way through the Christian life. But there is an aspect of being made in the image of God—intellect, emotion, and will—that our emotions play into our decisions.

Speaker 2

Thank you, Pastor Mike. We'll continue to look at this topic as we listen to a message from Pastor Mike called In Search of God's Hints for People who Want God's Best.

Speaker 4

He was motivated. He was excited, enthusiastic, poised, and prepared. He was all of those things. The problem was he was just a little bit misdirected.

You see, it was supposed to be, and it actually was, the highest rated television special of all time. Unfortunately, when Geraldo opened Capone's vault...

Speaker 2

There.

Speaker 3

Was nothing in it.

Speaker 4

Oops. It is a bummer to think you're doing something really neat only to be wasting time. You know what I mean? It is a bummer for Geraldo's career, and it's a bummer for us as Christians because it's a very real possibility for us to be reasonably confident that what we're doing is something significant and important. What we're doing is God's will. It's exactly what God would want us to be doing. But in reality, it's very possible that we could, instead of evoking a "well done, good and faithful servant" from God, provoke a "what do you think you're doing?" kind of response from heaven.

It is altogether possible that we as Christians can be convinced that the choices we make about what we do, where we live, what we get involved in, and how we function in our lives are right. But in reality, God can be looking at us and saying, "No, that's really not my plan." I'd like to just take a few moments to look at a pivotal section in the tenor of Scripture and learn from a bad choice that Israel made in stepping outside of the will of God so that we might avoid the same problems. If you have a Bible, open it, please, to 1 Samuel, chapter 8.

As we reach this point in biblical history, we see that Samuel is beginning to get old. He's near retirement age now, and he has done great things in leading the nation. He has given counsel, advice, instruction, and leadership to the nation. When there was a problem with the Philistines, he was there to counsel, advise, and ultimately deliver them from their enemies. But now he's getting old. Some things we may not see here on the surface at the beginning of chapter eight are that instead of looking to the west, where the Philistines lived in modern-day Gaza Strip, now it is to the east in Jordan, or in what was then the land of the Ammonites. There was a king beginning to fortify cities on the border of Israel, and there was a threat—at least it seemed to be—that this king was poised to take cities and land from Israel.

So they looked at their leader and said, "You know, you're not what you used to be. You're old, you're near retirement age. What are we going to do when you're gone? Your sons aren't what you are." We will see that articulated clearly as we pick up the story. In verse number one, it says, "When Samuel grew old," the text indicates that he appointed his sons as judges in Israel. That was not the gavel in a robe to decide between court cases necessarily, although the leaders of Israel, called judges, often decided between disputes. It was basically a position of leadership in the nation. His firstborn son's name was Joel, and the second was Abijah, and they served at a place called Beersheba.

Verse 3 states that they didn't walk in Samuel's way. They turned aside to dishonest gain, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. There was no successor for Samuel to take the place of godly leadership in the nation. So the elders of Israel, in the next verse, had a good idea—at least it seemed to be a good idea. Hoping that it was the will of God, they got together. It says in verse four, "All the elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramah," which was where he lived and ministered. They said to him, "You are old." Probably not the way you'd want to start a conversation, but anyway, the point is, "You're not going to be around here much longer. And your sons, well, they're not a chip off the old block. They're not like you. They don't walk in your way. So here's our demand. Here's what our plan is. Here's what we want you to do for us: appoint us a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

Now, that statement may seem like a harmless statement, and in reality, it's one that has many things going for it. Number one, it was the decision of all the elders. It was a popular decision. It was the consensus of the leadership. It was what seemed to be reasonable in everybody's mind, and there are many good things that support it. Logically, you're old, you're not going to be around much longer, your kids aren't very godly, so it makes sense that we would need a king.

Thirdly, you may not catch this on the surface, but when they ask for a king, they use the identical phrase that is used in Deuteronomy, chapter 17, about the day that God predicted hundreds of years earlier when Israel would come and seek a king. God spends several verses explaining to them how to do it. So they've got biblical support for it. I mean, this is what God said would happen. You can go back to Genesis 15, where God promises to Abraham, "Out of your descendants will come kings." So we knew that Israel would one day have kings. It was a biblical thing to think about a king for Israel.

So look at all of those elements as they relate to this decision that these elders have made. It's a popular decision. There's agreement; it is a logical decision. It makes sense. There are plenty of factors that would lead us to this conclusion. And thirdly, it was a biblical thing. There's nothing you could show me in the Bible that says Israel should never have kings. As a matter of fact, the Bible says Israel will one day have kings. So it's biblical, it's logical, it's popular—let's do it. I mean, it sounds like a pretty good Christian way to make decisions. A lot of us think it. A lot of good godly counsel people telling me it's a good idea; it's rational, it makes sense. In my mind, it fits. It's logical, it's biblical, it's in the Bible. I can throw a Bible verse at it and say, "It's a good thing, let's do it." And we step into it, fully convinced it's God's will.

But as you'll see in the next verse, the godly prophet knows that it's not. And God ultimately confirms that it's not. Look at the response of the prophet in the next verse. It says in verse six, "But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this displeased Samuel." He saw through this; there was something wrong with this request. So he prayed to the Lord. He started seeking God to see what God would have to say about this.

Verse 7 states, "And the Lord told him, 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you. It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king, as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods. So they are doing to you.'" Well, wait a minute. If it is popular, logical, and biblical, then what's the problem? It displeased Samuel because he knew these people. It displeased God because God looked beneath the surface and saw what was going on.

Note this very carefully: the real issue that was happening in Israel at this time was not that they came up with some immoral and unbiblical thing that they'd suggested or some irrational, illogical thing that they suggested or some off-the-wall, renegade, rebellious idea that came from one man. It was none of those things. It was that their motives were wrong; their motives were skewed. It becomes crystal clear as this is explained later, and as Samuel brings a scathing rebuke upon the people later in chapter 12. It's very clear that their problem was that they were distrusting God to give them what they needed when they needed it.

They had been trusting God to bring judges. There were 12 of them over a 400-year period in the book of Judges, where God had brought a leader when it was necessary, when it was needed. They said, "Look, we've got nations that are putting their fortified cities up against the borders of our nation. There's armies starting to surround us. We're not sure that God will continue to supply for us. We need a security blanket; we need a king. We need a military commander. We need a guy that stands there as our focus, that we can put his face on banners and march out there and show people we've got a military commander in chief."

And so we can have this. This will be our security; this will be our trust; this will be our solution. This ultimately was an issue of fear. It was an issue of anxiety. It was motivated by insecurity. They said, "We're afraid because we're afraid."

Speaker 3

Let's do this.

Speaker 4

And even though this was popular, logical, and biblical, God said, when your motive is wrong, it's wrong just the way it is. You and I know if we're honest that if we don't double-check our motives, we can do something culturally acceptable, biblically acceptable, generally acceptable. But you and I know that we are stepping into an area that is not in the center of God's will. And we venture into it with motives that are sinful. It doesn't have to be fear, anxiety, distrust, or insecurity. It can be greed, materialism, lust, or pride. But if the motive is tweaked, the decision is not God's will.

If you want God's best for your life, if you want to stay in the center of God's will, and you're facing the crossroads—whether it may be your job, your geographic location, moving into a new home, buying another car, taking a promotion at work, joining a new organization, or launching a ministry—whatever it is, you must double-check your motives. Number one, always double-check your motives. Because if your motives are wrong, your decision is wrong, no matter how popular, logical, or biblical it is. Motives mean everything. Motives can't make the wrong thing right, but motives can always make the right thing wrong. Always.

You and I need to look very carefully into our hearts and not just do as the Israelite elders did. They said, "Hey, this is what we need. Now, we've taken a vote. Everybody agrees it's logical and it's in the Bible. So there you go." That ain't enough. You have to look beneath the surface. It displeased Samuel, and it displeased God. God said, "Listen to them, but warn them. Warn them severely and warn them sternly." It says in verse nine, "Warn them solemnly and let them know what a king will do, who will reign over them."

Now, this is a truth that we can hang onto. Every time we step into something that is not the will of God in our lives, it always comes with a big price tag. It's not going to be good. There are always going to be ramifications and implications. There will always be debris that follows a decision that is not in keeping with the will of God. The warning comes in this case from a godly prophet who says to Israel for ten verses, "Look, what's going to happen if you have a king? They're going to draft your kids into the army. They're going to tax your money so that they can supply all the stuff for the palace. They're going to take the best of your land; they're going to annex your property. It's going to be rough. Your daughters are going to get called into the service of the palace. You don't know what you're asking for. It is not God's timing, and it's not God's will. Right now, your motives are all wrong. And if you do this, it will be bad."

After ten verses of explaining all the problems that will come with a king, the people refuse to listen to Samuel. Here's their logic: "No," they said, "we want a king over us. Then we'll be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." Ugh. Don't you get it? This is not God's will. If it's not God's will, it's going to hurt, and it's going to be wrong. When you step out of the center of God's will, you're in trouble.

Well, why was it wrong? Motives. Just a motive issue. Can you see that most of us need to rearrange our whole approach to prayer? Prayer is not something where I go and lay down my requests that are popular, logical, and biblical. All those may have a part in helping me decipher what God's will is, but that is not all. As a matter of fact, the most important part of the picture needs to be my motives.

Oh, it's important for it to be biblical. It's important to have some godly counsel, and it's somewhat important for it to make sense, but it's really important why you're asking. That's why our prayer life needs to begin with, "God, teach me to pray. What is it that you want me to ask for? What is it that you want my heart to get set on? Is it time now for us to buy a house? Is it time now for us to get a second car? Is it time for us to homeschool? Is it time for us to take a new job? Is it time for us to move? Is it time for us to change this or that?"

You know what? That's what we need to be asking God: "Should I even be asking about this?" That's the first request. Instead, so often, if it's popular, makes sense, and is biblical, we throw verses at it and say, "Hey, we're going to do it." And really underneath, it's that subtlety that turns deep within our conscience of fear, possibly anxiety, distrust of God. If we do this, this will be better for our family. Maybe it's an issue of greed or pride or materialism. If the motive is wrong, the decision is going to be wrong. There is a direct correlation between those two. So be careful. Always double-check your motives.

Speaker 1

Helpful advice from Pastor Mike Fabarez on determining God's will today on Focal Point. To listen to the complete, unedited version of this message, go to focalpointradio.org; the message is called "In Search of God's Will."

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If you have a Bible question for Pastor Mike, just submit it online at focalpointradio.org or find us at facebook.com/pastormike or twitter.com/pastormike. I'm Dave Drury wishing you a restful weekend. Pastor Mike Fabarez returns for more Bible teaching from Romans 13 Monday on Focal Point. Today's program was produced and sponsored by Focal Point Ministries.