UNDERSTANDING THE WILL OF THE LORD.

EPHESIANS 5:14-18

14. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 

16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS.

18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess [unnecessary]; but be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:14 is a clarion call; it's a wake-up call to the Church in these evil days in which we live.

What is redeeming the time? The word means to make the most of, or to use time wisely. It also has the idea of urgency. If you are not careful with how you spend your time, you could get swept up and carried away with this evil.

The Church is an extension of God's Kingdom here on planet earth. We are here on a mission. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "...As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (Jn. 20:21). The Church of Jesus Christ is a missionary Church; a sent Church. We are sent to do the will of God in fulfillment of our Lord's prayer: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).

Doing the will of God is Heaven's priority; it is God's heartbeat. Now the question is, what is the will of God for the Church in this day and age in which we live in? What is God's priority?

Simply put WORLD MISSION. 

Mission is the will of God for the Church and It has already been outlined in His Word. It has always been there all the time, but it seems that to a large extent, there has been a systematic drift from the will of God to other things that are of little or no significant value.

THE TWO-FOLD MISSION OF THE CHURCH.

1. Proclaiming The Gospel To The Lost:

"Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15).

Ninety-five percent of people in most of our pews are lost! They are in dire need of the gospel and not more religion! The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).

2. Discipleship:

"Go ye therefore and teach  all nations... Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded..." (Matt. 28:19,20). 

We have a responsibility of nurturing young believers with God's Word with the sole aim of building them up spiritually - helping them to grow into Christlikeness, and bringing them to a place of intimacy with God. 

"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to BUILD YOU UP, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).

Doing the will of God along these lines is the very essence of our callings, ministries and assignments. Everything we do in life and ministry ought to revolve around the Kingdom priorities.

A careful observation of some happenings in the recent times could make you think that the mission of the Church is all about "killing our enemies;" and the next door neighbour is in trouble if he is suspected to be "in your case" or hindering your progress. Then, we go out of our way and try to "make it" at all cost at the detriment of our relationship with God. And finally, you endeavour to flaunt your "achievement" on social media as a proof that you've "made it" at last.

What separates "The Man Of God" and "The Child or Baby Of God" is a clear, unambiguous understanding of the specific will of God in respect to our individual callings, ministries and assignments.

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, BUT IN UNDERSTANDING BE MEN" (1 Cor. 14:20).

Understanding the will of God, and living in the center of His will is the true measure of success in God's Kingdom, and not necessarily the exhibition of some mundane things of this world.

Jeremiah 9:23,24

23. Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

24. BUT LET HIM THAT GLORIETH GLORY IN THIS, THAT HE UNDERSTANDETH AND KNOWETH ME...

Paul understood the specific will of God for his life. Hear what he had to say: "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) (Gal. 1:1).

On another occasion, he also said: "(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles;) (Gal. 2:8).

Paul affirmed the authenticity of his apostleship as having its source from God, and the fact that he was specifically sent to minister to the gentiles.

And towards the end of His ministry he confidently declared: "...I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision" (Acts. 26:19). Paul understood God's specific will for his life and stayed with it to the end.

UNDERSTANDING THE WILL OF GOD AND LIVING IN THE CENTER OF HIS WILL IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IN GOD'S KINGDOM.

No man can show you the specific will of God for your life apart from the Holy Spirit, not even a prophet. A genuine prophet can only confirm what God has already told you.

"...When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...and he will show you things to come" (Jn. 16:13).

"But ye have an unction [THE HOLY SPIRIT] from the Holy One, and YE KNOW ALL THINGS" (1 Jn. 2:20).

You can be in the know as regards to God's will, plan and purpose for your life if you are in tune with the Holy Spirit.

The role of the Holy Spirit in our lifes cannot be underemphasized. We must give Him the right of way if we are going to make any meaningful impact in people's life. 

The infilling of the Holy Spirit shouldn't just be a one time experience, but an ongoing continuous experience for the rest of our lives.

Maintaining a buoyant fellowship with God on a constant basis through our private devotions, is one way you can stay-filled with the Spirit, and "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." (Eph. 5:19).

A spirit-filled life is God's ultimate for the believer. It's a life of signs and wonders; it is the door to the supernatural!

This was the secret of the early Church. Over and over and again, they were constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Those fellows seems to know how to come away with "A Shot Of The Holy Ghost" so to speak, each time they come to God's presence! They were literally a wonder to behold!

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, THEY MARVELED; and took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

We live in the evil day; we live in a time where in the operations of the Holy Spirit has been tactically sidelined. It has now been substituted with the philosophy of men.

For instance, motivational speaking and comedy in church seems to be the "New Normal," and in some quarters, preference has been given to the operations of occultic spirits, and church folks can't even tell the difference!

People do all kinds of funny stuffs all in the name of "working for the Lord," and it is obvious that most of this people don't even know the Lord in the first place, let alone understanding His will.

Little wonder, there is no other generation that the Church has ever been levied with enormous accusations for the wrong reasons, than these generation. "The men and the brethren" in the early church were falsely accused, but not for any wrong doing. The only reason why they were being accused was because they preached the gospel!

It's about time we set our priorities right in preparation for the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ - The King Of Kings and Lord Of Lords by ensuring that His will is our topmost priority in everything we do!

                  Emmanuel B. Afolabi

World Overcoming Faith Gospel Ministry Inc.

Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.

Tel: +234(0)803-551-8255

E-Mail: overcomersworldngr@gmail.com

VISION: We see a vibrant and victorious Church, firmly, and securely built on the solid foundation of God's Word. Jesus is coming for a glorious Church. A Church triumphant; a Church walking in the fullness of the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ purchased for us at Calvary.

MISSION: We exist to bring the Saints to a place of intimacy with God. A place where they can build their own faith in God, and stand on their two feet spiritually, regardless of the circumstance, and thus become a bold, and effective witnesses of His redeeming love, grace and power.