UNIT EIGHT

ADJUSTING YOUR LIFE FOR GOD

INTRODUCTION

Back in 1984 I had the world at my feet. At the age of 21 I had two cars, and to my disgrace they were both Fords, although one was a V8 sedan. I was looking towards starting my own business, which was a tyre repair business, with the plan to expand to selling farm machinery as an agent for Deutz tractors. The local Uniting Church pastor had just asked me to consider being a lay preacher the following year. And I was able to break through into both 1st grade football and representative football for the town and regional teams. I had everything. I had local acceptance because of my football achievements, I had security in the knowledge I could have my own business at the age of 21, and I could serve God in being able to preach eventhough I was a very new and immature Christian. That's why the world was at my feet - or was it?

My problem was that my ideas and God's ideas were very different. The Lord used a very godly man to challenge my thinking and indeed, my direction in life. This man didn't sit me down and talk with me at length. Instead he said a few simple words that have impacted my life ever since. He said, "Scott, you want one foot in heaven and one foot in hell and God ain't going to give you both."

The point of life, where I had once been comfortable with my future set out before me, now would be a critical turning point. I thought through the words said to me and I had to confess that this man was right. I wasn't serving God, I was only serving myself. As for the lay preaching, well that was only a way out for me to say I was serving God. But my life was all for me.

What I am wanting to point out here is that we all have to face critical turning points in our lives. If the Lord is to truly break through some of the barriers we have before Him, then it requires something to give. Last week we looked at the first critical turning point in a Christian's life which is the crisis of belief. Today we look at the second critical turning point, which is adjusting your life to God.

  1. THE NECESSITY OF ADJUSTMENTS

The point of adjusting our lives to God is this. If we choose to make the adjustment, we can go on to obedience. If we refuse to make the adjustment, we could miss what God has in store for our life, simply because we are refusing to join God in what He is doing. Have a look at point (f) on the back of your books. It says "You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.

Let's look at some biblical examples.

Moses -

Exodus 3:1-6

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."

4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

5"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Moses was quite comfortable. He'd found a wife, was looking after his father-in-laws sheep, and was secure and comfortable. Most importantly he was far away from the danger he had left in Egypt after he had killed the Egyptian soldier. But here, in the midst of his settledness and comfort, we find God confronts Moses. He declares Himself to Moses and then gives him the task - "go back to Egypt, to the place you left in danger, and lead my people out." Moses had to adjust his life to God and go where God was working, not where Moses wanted Him to work.

David -

1 Samuel 16 - 1 Kings 2

David was a sheepherder. Like Moses, he was comfortable. But if he was to be king he couldn't remain looking after sheep. Later we read in 1 Samuel how David slew Goliath and then went on the be a great warrior. David had to adjust his life for God.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John

Matthew 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.

21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Again, these men were comfortable in their lifestyle. And yet, if they were to go where God was working they had to leave their fishing trade and go with Jesus.

There is one thing in common that all of these instances have, including my own experience. In each situation the people were comfortable in what they were doing. In each situation the people were ordinary every day people - barring maybe Moses who had been brought up in the Pharaoh's household. And in each situation mayor adjustments had to be made if they were going to go on in obedience with God.

The point is this, for these people everything had to be yielded to God and their entire life adjusted to Him. The moment the necessary adjustments were made God began to accomplish His purposes through them. But importantly, each one of these people learned that adjusting one's life to God is well worth the cost.

I want to ask you, have you come to the place in your life where you are willing to yield 'everything' to the Lord in order for you to follow Him?

(PAUSE)

Now you may be thinking, "But, God will not ask ME to make major adjustments." Well, all I can say is that if you look at Scripture for your understanding of God, you will clearly see that God most certainly will require adjustments of His people. He even required Jesus to make major adjustments. 2 Cor. 8:9 says "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." Jesus emptied Himself of everything by dying for you and me on the cross - that is a major adjustment.

So, if you want to be a disciple - a follower - of Jesus, you have no choice. You will have to make major adjustments in your life to follow God. Until you are ready to make any adjustment necessary to follow and obey what God has said, you will be of little use to God. Your greatest single difficulty in following God may come at the point of the adjustment.

Now, you might ask if this is true in Scripture, or is it just Scott Douglas' opinion. Well, let's look at what Jesus teaches.

Luke 18:18-27

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"

21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

This rich young ruler wanted eternal life. He believed in God. His problem was that he didn't want to make the adjustment necessary of being a true disciple of Christ. For him, his comfort level was more important then the cost of following Christ. His problem was that his love for his wealth and comfort was more than his love for God - he wanted a relationship with God that fitted his scheme of things, his plans, and his wishes. His God was his wealth, therefore he refused to make the adjustment that Moses, David, Peter, Andrew, James, and John before him had made

Do you have any gods that are getting between you and the Lord? Are you clinging on to certain things in your life that God wants you to let go of and adjust your life to his will and away from your own will?

The thing is, there are so many things that can distract us from the Lord. Now, a person might ask, what kinds of adjustments are there? Well, the answer is that there are many many things that cannot be completely outlined today. But let's look at a few examples.

  1. KINDS OF ADJUSTMENTS

    2. Matthew 4:18-22

    We read this before about Peter, Andrew, James and John. The adjustment was to do with their circumstances. Circumstances includes things like job, home, and finances.

    Matthew 5:43-48

    "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

    Matthew 20:20-28

    Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

    21"What is it you want?" he asked.

    She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

    22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"

    "We can," they answered.

    23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

    24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

    Here the adjustment has to do with our thinking and our relationships. That includes things such as prejudices, methods, family, friends etc.

    Matthew 6:5-8

    "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

    The adjustment here is about our actions which include how we pray, our giving, our serving etc.

    Acts 10:1-20

    At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

    4Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.

    The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

    7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

    9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

    14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

    15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

    16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

    17While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 18They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

    19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. 20So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

    The adjustment here has to do with our thinking, which we looked at before, but also our beliefs. That is our belief about God, His purposes, His ways, and our relationship with Him.

    (elaborate on God challenging Peter's beliefs. Compare with church traditions as opposed to Biblical tradition)

    You see, God frequently requires adjustments in areas we have never considered or been open to in the past. You have probably heard someone say to you at some time, "Don’t ever tell God something you will not do because that's what He will ask you to do." Now, remember, God isn't looking for ways to make you squirm. However, He does want to be Lord of your life. Whenever you identify a place in your life where you are unwilling to have the lordship of Christ reign there, then that is the place where He will work. He does this because He loves you and wants the best for you.

    Remember though, that the adjustment is always to the person - you adjust your life to God. You adjust your viewpoints to His viewpoints. You adjust your priorities to His priorities. You adjust your ways to His ways. And when these steps are taken, you have then entered the next step which is obedience - that is where the cost comes into play.

  2. THE COST OF OBEDIENCE

    3. The fact of the matter is you cannot stay where you are and go with God. You cannot continue doing things your own way and accomplish God's purposes His way. Your thinking cannot come close to God's thoughts. Therefore, for you and me to do the will of God, we must adjust our lives to Him, His purposes and His ways.

    An example is the challenge the Lord gave me back in 1984, which I shared before. At any point I could have moved away and said - no, I'm going back home - this is just too hard. And believe me, things were hard after I took up the Lord's challenge. There was cost in my relationship with my family who found difficulty in me putting God first not my own plans first. There was opposition and from living a comfortable life my life now became uncomfortable - it would have been easy to turn back. But this was the test of obedience. Just as Moses, David, Peter and the other disciples could have turned back when the going got tough. Never-the-less, the lesson learned is that obedience requires cost.

    Paul was realistic about this when He said in 2 Cor. 11:23-33

    Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

    30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

    The question is, how do we endure the cost of obedience?

    The answer is found in our dependence upon Christ.

  3. OUR DEPENDENCE UPON CHRIST

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Cor. 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Isaiah 14:24

The Lord Almighty has sworn,

"Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,

and as I have purposed, so it will stand.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 46:9-11

Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.

10I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand,

and I will do all that I please.

11From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that will I bring about;

what I have planned, that will I do.

 

 

As we are walking with Christ, He lives through us to accomplish His purposes by His grace. He is the one who ensures His purposes come to pass. Therefore, our life and purposes in life must be based in God and His purposes if we are to live lives of fulfilment.

Philip. 2:13 says,

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Folks, let me finish with this. As you adjust your life to God, the Holy Spirit will guide and enable you according to the Father's will. Jesus set the example for us. Every thing the Father purposed to do through Jesus' life, our Lord Jesus did it immediately.

What was the key to His success?

He was always in right relationship with the father.

If you and I walk in a consistent relationship with God He will provide for us. And His provision is found in His son Jesus Christ and in His Holy Spirit - His own presence in our lives.

Is this the desire of your own heart - to live in such a relationship with Christ that you continually walk in step with Him and His will?

If so, then the first step is adjusting your life to God in obedience to Him.

 

This sermon has been created and adapted from the book 'Experiencing God' by H.T.Blackaby and C.V.King by Pastor Scott Douglas for teaching in the Burdekin Baptist Church on 13th June, 1999.