Acceptance – 8

Accepting God’s plan for our lives is sometimes the hardest thing we would ever do. The hard part might be trusting that the way God has planned your best is the way you would like your life to take shape. Trusting Him. That can be tough.

The flip side of the difficulty comes in letting go. Not able to see the whole way and yet handing over control. All the while maintaining a right attitude toward God.

Tough. But we were never called to go it alone. God promises to be our help. Multiple times in the Bible He promises this – a few of my favorites include Psalm 46:1 and Hebrews 4:16.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” NASB

Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” NLT

Please read our text: Romans 12:1-21, 13:1-2, Daniel 2:21, Job 12:9-16

We will go through it bit by bit, and will likely take a few sessions to go over it all.

Let’s zoom in on Romans 12:1.

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” NKJV

Don’t you think that’s a great starting point? It gives me shivers a little. But hits home on the basis and foundation of what our attitude should be. A sacrifice. No longer do our ‘rights’ matter; our rights, selfish goals, desires and plans surrendered and no longer our own.

And before you get a little haughty, read the last line of verse 1 again.

It is our reasonable service.

Think of it this way: when you buy a product, let’s just say for our example a coffeemaker. When it does its function – that is, to make coffee – do we offer laud and praise to the coffeemaker? Do we marvel at it for having made our favorite brew? Likely not. Unless you’re just really enthusiastic in the morning, you just expect the coffeemaker to do its job. It is its reasonable service.

Now, don’t get me wrong – we are more highly valued and more dearly loved than the coffeemaker, but do you get the idea?

That. That is reasonable service. To be a living, willing sacrifice; a tool in God’ hands to be used for what He created us for. And He has created you with a specific purpose in mind.

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created.” KJ21

We were created for His pleasure. For His pleasure! The God of the universe wanted us for His pleasure. And the number one way to please Him is to trust Him.

Hebrews 11:6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” NLT

So we’re back at that ol’ ‘trust’ word again. Why does it always come to that? Wouldn’t it be easier if we could just keep control and let God handle bigger matters? See that’s the thing. Those bigger matters all affect God’s precious children, and as His precious children, He wants us to let Him handle everything.

Continue reading in Romans 12, and look at verse 2.

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” NLT

Q: Does God want us to stay the same?

Q: When will we learn to know God’s will for us?

Yes, by turning over control. I never put these two concepts together before! I love it when God reveals truths from His sweet word.

I would like you to look at the text from Romans 13 and from Daniel.

Daniel 2:21 “He controls the course of world events;    he removes kings and sets up other kings.He gives wisdom to the wise    and knowledge to the scholars.” NLT

So, are you like me in the fact that it’s so hard to trust why we live in the time when we’re living sometimes? When it seems like the world leaders, or leaders that are in power over our country were brought to power somehow apart from God’s will? I think things like that make it hard to trust Him sometimes. But these verses are a valuable reminder that you, even in the time you are living, are still in God’s plan. He planned for you to live in the specific time you are living, and He allowed, yes even appointed the current rulers, knowing full well what their actions and decisions would be. This doesn’t make your obedience and trust any less important. In fact, quite the opposite. I believe God would love your trust and obedience, and honor it especially when you don’t understand. Abraham (See Genesis 22 for the full story) trusted God even when it surely broke his heart, and he certainly didn’t understand. And he was called the friend of God.

We will pick up again next time with more on this topic, but for now, I’d like for you to pray and meditate on how surrendered you are to His will. A truly no matter what surrender. If God prompts your heart that you need to surrender more, then ask Him for help. He will help you!

Acceptance - 7

Text: 1 Peter 1: 14-16, 4:7-14

1 Peter 1:15-16 “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” NASB

How does one become accepted by God? Isn’t that the age-old question?

Some ask it again and again in their lifetimes. Maybe you have learned the answer already. Maybe you’ve looked into different solutions yourself?

Here’s one thing I’d like to say. No matter your journey, there’s only one answer. One. Simple, huh?

Jesus.

There you go – mystery solved.

But here’s another question. Once you’re a Christian – you have accepted Jesus – how do we please Him?

It’s one thing to be adopted into His family; have all the “paperwork” done and finalized, but it’s another to have Him, all-holy eternal Creator, perfect God to be pleased with you.

Release that breath you’ve been holding and let’s dig in to what God’s word says. I will preface this by saying that I have by no means got this thing figured out. By no means. And yet, we are here to learn, to shape one another.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” NASB

And to love each other through the process.

 Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times,And a brother is born for adversity.” NASB

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” NASB

So, together, let’s grow a little today and learn what will please our Abba Father.

Please read our text from 1 Peter 1.

Tall order, huh? Be holy. For me, an American, that’s about as impossible as trying to be Asian, or if someone told me to be 6’ tall, or to be older. There may be a way to fake it, rig it, or become someday, but I can’t just wiggle my nose and “be holy”.

But the blessing is, God knows that. And that’s why we need Christ. And that’s why He provided Christ. Why He gives grace.

Do you see? To be accepted by and to please God is to accept, imitate and strive to be like Him.

The more like Him we are, the more pleasure we bring Him.

Read through 1 Peter 4:7-14. Concentrate on verse 11.

1 Peter 4:11 “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” NLT

Also look at 1 Peter 5:5-6.

In being like Christ, for some reason it’s easy to get the mindset of being somehow better. But look at verse 5, and also James 4:6, which both reference Proverbs 3:34.

1 Peter 5:5 “In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for“God opposes the proud    but favors the humble.”” NLT

James 4:6 “But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,“God opposes the proud    but favors the humble.”” NLT

God draws near and gives grace when we are humble.

We will close today with a handful of things for you to ponder and pray about. Use your journal and don’t rush through these questions.

Q: In 1 Peter 4:11 whose words should be coming from our mouths?

Q: In the same verse, whose strength do we rely on to do that?

Q: Do you think that id we are relying on God’s strength to be like God, is there any room whatsoever for our own glory or our own agenda?

Are you worried that you will somehow be unhappy if you surrender your own agendas to God?

DO: Please write out 1 Peter 4:19 and 1 Peter 5:10.

1 Peter 5:10 “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” NLT