Doing the Will of God — Joshua Daniel

Hearing and Doing the Word of God

Dear friends, let's turn to Luke 8. Luke 8, 20 and 21, beginning at 19, please. Then came to him his mother and his brethren and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Your mother and your brethren stand outside desiring to see you.

And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it. My mother and my brothers are these which hear the word of God and do it. Now dear friends, the Bible does tell us, be not hearers only.

You know we hear a lot of things today from many quarters. Not all of those things are profitable, but what we hear normally we do not forget. And so when it comes to applying the word of God to our hearts, why does it not happen that the word of God transfixes itself in our hearts?

Why does it not happen? You know one young fellow who was our cook, he had his lance, he was a farmer, but he was amazingly converted in the Revival and he said, I want to go and learn the things of God.

So my father accepted him and like in those days we had several servants in the house, each with their own particular duties. This fellow's duty was that of a cook. He was a cook for the family and an amazing cook he was.

I'm not talking about the dishes he made, I'm talking about the spirit which was in that young man. He said that he had been a Hindu and when the word of the Lord came to him, he found that he was keeping a woman who was not his wife, having sent away his own wife.

And he immediately he saw, this is not according to the word of God what I have been doing. And so he sent this woman with whom he was living away. Now you know I have even seen pastors in Europe who said to me, well we met in the university, we began to live together saying we are going to eventually marry one another or some such thing.

Scripture for Rebuke and Righteous Instruction

Now you know how this is working against everything today. But this young fellow, he was not told by anybody, no one had rebuked him. You know actually there should be a word of rebuke. Please remember this, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God for rebuke, for instruction in righteousness.

So that in many of our churches our ways are not rebuked is a great pity. If the ways you know I found in some of the churches where I preached, people coming up to me and said the things which you are saying should have been told long ago.

We should have been told these things long ago. And I found that some of the elders and leaders were not even ready to correct little children. What are they going to do? If you are going not going to correct even little children, they are just going to run wild.

What kind of church is that? But that's the kind of society we have today. Now here we see how when the word, when Jesus was in the midst of the crowd, here came his mother and his brothers. And of course they demanded, they thought we ought to be given priority here.

But they found that they could not even approach the Lord Jesus. Well and so someone said now look your mother and your brothers are kind of unhappy that they can't see you. They're upset or whatever the reaction was.

But they're standing outside desiring to see you. And what was the Savior's reply? My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it. This is a higher relationship. My mother. Well you can't have two mothers can you?

No. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ those of you who obey God's word you are my mother and you are my brothers. You know I have always found that some of my cousins and some of my relatives kind of expected priority treatment.

But what I learned early was that God's children were the ones to whom I related. I said oh these boys who are with me in the prayer group, my praying brothers, they are my real relatives. Some of my own relatives were converted people.

I found it easier to relate to them because they were converted people. They knew the word of God and they were sacrificing people and I could really relate to them. But there were some of my cousins and others who took a brush.

They were not pleased. Here's our younger cousin. He does not seem to consult us because we are big fellows and we have authority and power to get things done. And he won't even ask us for help. Yes I never went to my relatives for help.

I went to the Lord. That's how I I grew in the things of God by trusting him going to him. You know my dear friends we can draw a circle around us. Liquids find their own level. And so here are your relatives.

Generally when there is a family get together what are people talking? Talking they're talking money. Very often they're talking money. Next they're talking possessions. What did you buy and what would you like for Christmas?

I don't know how to pick a gift. You know some people I suppose do not even have the time to open their gift packets because they have already got so much they can't find a place to put them. And unfortunately such are the people to whom many many gifts are given.

And what are they going to do with 10 shavers? You mean you're going to select one every day? I like my old shaver with its blades and it does the job better than some of the others. You know far more expensive ones.

Whatever it is people have too much today. Why? Oh he's my relative. He's my relative. He's my close friend. Now you know folks the fact that there were people who did not even have a thanksgiving dinner but needed a thanksgiving dinner at some christian rescue mission.

What a sad thing that is. That shows that there are so many dysfunctional families. When a family gets dysfunctional then a country soon becomes dysfunctional. Dysfunctional. That is an inevitable thing that happens.

An irresponsible family and soon you have an irresponsible congress and you have an irresponsible system of law. It's dysfunctional. Okay. My mother and my brothers are these which hear the word of God and do it.

A Faulty Relationship Produces Disobedience

You have seen that little notice board which is put out in all these restaurants and other places when the floor is wet. You know it can be very treacherous and slippery. They don't want a lawsuit on their hands.

They put out a warning wet floor. Watch your step and nobody goes jumping into such a place. Everybody watches his step. He doesn't want to get a broken back. Now what is wrong when the word of God is given and we don't do it.

What does it mean. There is something there which shows that the relationship is faulty. The relationship. If we have the right relationship then we will have the right response. That's the point. It is very serious.

When my relationship with my Lord is faulty then you know something gets short circuited. So it doesn't work. It's not applied. It's not put into practice. It's just the word. Now what would a scientist or a mathematician do without his equations.

If he does not know a plus b whole squared or some of those elementary equations he's not going to get anywhere. Those are equations which need to be applied. Then only you get the right answer. So when the word of God goes begging unapplied what does it mean.

It means there is a faulty relationship. So the Lord Jesus Christ you know to begin with the brothers of Jesus those that were born to Mary after the Lord Jesus Christ was born to Virgin Mary. These brothers of course were not represented in the Bible in the beginning as those that trusted in Jesus.

It was only later on after the resurrection that you find Mary and the brethren in the upper chamber praying. You see now Mary's relationship with Jesus is never shown in the Bible to be faulty. It was never shown as being deficient deficient or faulty.

She believed the words of the angel. She acted on the words of the angel. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. She obeyed the word of God and she stood by the cross. You know it's not easy for a mother to stand by the by a cross.

You and I cannot quite understand what the cross and the suffering and the shame which it entailed stands for. We don't understand the cross. But for a mother to stand at the foot of the cross what it must have cost Mary.

So she stood and she heard the Lord Jesus Christ even in the midst of his agony say mother your son referring to John and your mother. He renounced all including that relationship there. However if you turn to Matthew 12th chapter we have this rendered in a more poignant manner.

Doing the Will of the Father

Matthew 12th chapter 48 to 50. And he answered and said you know your mother and your brethren stand outside desiring to speak with you. But he answered and said unto him that told him who is my mother and who are my brethren.

And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said behold my mother and my brethren for whosoever will do the will of my father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother.

So obeying the word of God brings us into doing the will of God. You know my dear friends doing the will of God. Now we see one of those things which many people today hold on to is their own will. I like it this way.

This is how it should be done. I am boss around here. You know male chauvinism is a very ugly thing. It's a very very ugly thing. Whether the wife is chauvinistic or the you know very often somebody said to me in Australia one young man very fine people said to me Mr. Daniel you seem to be rather biased on the woman's side.

You don't know how they twist our arms and you don't know how they just get us to submit. What nonsense is that? What nonsense is that? As heirs together of the gift of life. You know stubborn women. The Bible tells us it's better to live on the rooftop.

Will some of you clamber the roof then? Then to live with such quarrelsome women? A corner of the rooftop will suffice says the Bible. Don't you ever drive your husbands it's not just up the wall but up the roof.

The Fruit of Obedience and Disobedience

My dear friends doing the will of God how wonderful it is. You know the Lord taught me I was a stubborn person and to add to it I was an extremely foolish person. When stubbornness and stupidity ally themselves together you have a lethal mixture.

A very dangerous mixture. But that was me and who could save a wretch like me? It's the Lord. It is a good Lord. He broke my proud will. He taught me to subject myself to the Word of God and obey the Word of God.

I am still reaping the fruit of obeying the Word of God. My the fruit of it. And of course the other kind of fruit disobeying the Word of God what comes out of it is nothing but a series of disasters.

A sequence of sorrows. That all will come out of disobedience to the will of God. The will of God may not appear so rosy to you at the outset. As a matter of fact the will of God may go counter to some of your desires.

But for that reason don't you go against God's will. Because you simply do not know what the Lord is trying to do out of the available material. Getting two people together into a cohesion and into a oneness of heart and soul that endures.

You know we have got these flimsy relationships. What is going to make some of them last? You give them money. The greater possibility of the breakup. You give them praise and say this is a great sports star.

Finish. He will soon find a number of other girls who will win his heart. That's all. That's human nature. That's the old corrupt nature. But when God does it you see we don't even give time to God. We don't go to God and say what is your will?

Do you want me to pursue this friendship? Do you want me to? You know I said to the Lord this Lord if I go running around to find the right girl I am surely going to make a big mistake. Because I hardly know how to choose and my choices are so faulty.

So you had better choose for me. And until you choose I am not going to make a single move. I will not because I know it is going to be disaster. Well the Lord was very merciful to me. Otherwise you know folks when two people choose to argue with each other you know what happens?

Argue. Generally where there is money there will be argument. Let me tell you this. We had no money in our home. Our children knew that we had no money. And they would not trouble us, give me pocket money or any such thing.

We had no such demands made upon us. Neither did my wife demand anything nor did I demand anything. What we had we were just content with it. From the worldly standards oh it was so little but to this day we are content, happy.

Only fault is we are not grateful enough. I wish we were all much more grateful and thankful. Thanksgiving should be every day. Not just an annual event. Just full of praise. So just think of two people arguing with each other.

It's so unpleasant. The children can never be healthy. Sure. Whenever my father found children unaccountably getting fever and sickness and this that and the other. The first question he would ask the parent was look are you people arguing and fighting?

And invariably the answer would be yes. That's what we do. And you see disturbed atmosphere. You see we have a disturbed atmosphere everywhere. In the place of work it's a kind of disturbed atmosphere very often.

To produce a happy environment in a place of work is a great feat. Because you have got a bunch of discontented fellows. They come with a grumbling and a murmuring attitude and they have been sitting too long with the television so they are more ready for bed than for work when they turn up.

What do you do with such fellows? They must be shown the door. That's all they are good for. Because they can't even control themselves when they're sitting before that television. Turn it off. I need a good night's rest.

I need to pray. I need to study God's word. Why is this television dominating me? Fellows who don't even think of getting themselves under some control. How are they going to do God's will? They're sold out to doing their own will.

That's all they want. Anything that crosses their will finish. They'll blow up like Vesuvius. You can't live with such people. They are going to make their life unpleasant. They are going to make everything around them unpleasant.

All because of their selfishness. In the last days perilous times will come when men shall be lovers of their own house. So my dear friends we make our families dysfunctional. We make our the atmosphere dysfunctional and the workplace is being so badly hit.

You know as the old saying used to be as GM goes so does this country go. How many of you knew that saying? How many of you? Did you know that saying? There's only one person. I'm surprised. As GM goes the country goes.

It was an old saying. And judging by the unfortunate developments in GM General Motors very unfortunate developments the country's prognosis if it is to be related or tied to GM my it's gone under already or nearly so.

Self-Will, Repentance, and the Holy Spirit's Conviction

Well see where does it begin? Selfishness, greed, money. What do we pray? All of you have prayed this prayer hundreds of times. Thy will be done on earth. You're not only talking about your own heart.

You're talking about the whole environment around you. Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Do we do that? A bunch of lice. We speak a bunch of lice. Paternoster. In one service you have two or three paternosters.

Bunch of lice and a set of liars who are bent on their own will but go to God and say in his presence, hey, as your will is done in heaven, I'll do it. How sad. Isn't that sad? You see, folks? Now listen.

One of those important things which functions of the Holy Spirit is when he's come, he will reprove the world of sin of righteousness and judgment. These are the righteous laws of God. When I fail, should I be so proud as to say, hey, I'm okay?

Should I be so proud? The Spirit of God tells you, hey, look here. You need to change. You need to amend. You need to repent. And if I say no, not today, Lord. I'm a pretty good fellow after all. I don't need to repent like the rest of these guys here.

As a matter of fact, you know how I feel about it? That I need to repent more than anybody else. That's how I look at it. So much good that should be done. When I fail to do it, should I not repent? Should I say get angry with you because you happen to say to me, repent?

If anybody says repent, I'll say yes. I need to. I must. When I don't repent, why should I expect others to repent? So, look at the way the Lord Jesus elevates those who do his will. What a wonderful status.

The Will of God Is Perfect and Fruitful

My mother and my brothers and my sisters are those who do the will of God. My dear friends, it's immaturity that makes you think the will of God is painful. Now, that's how I used to look at it. I used to think the will of God goes counter to my own will.

So, boy, it kind of cuts across my enjoyment of life. That's what I used to think. Very immature thinking. Because the will of God is perfect. There's nothing you can add to it. Nothing. Nothing. It's perfect.

So, I have always taught people do the will of God. That's enough. Go to God. Find out his will. Humble yourself. Because he reveals his will to humble people, not to proud people. And your life will be so fruitful.

So, dear friends, we will leave them at that point and apply our hearts to wisdom and say, yes, Lord, I am here as clay in the hands of the potter to do your will. Let us pray. Now, I'm told children have to go for their sandwiches.

Prayer for Humility and Obedience

You can go and we will pray. Loving Father, what an elevation is this. What a promotion is this. What a blessing is this. That we should be called the mother, sisters, brothers of the Lord Jesus. Just by doing your will, doing what we hear of the word of God.

Oh, Lord, our God, we are living today where self-will is raging and reigning. In almost every situation, everybody wants his will to be enacted into law in this country. Lord, freedom has run amok. Freedom has become license.

And oh, my father, people who cannot even arrange their affairs in their own homes are made lawmakers and rulers. Father, Father, at such a time, have mercy on us who ought to be a light to those around us.

Have mercy, especially upon us preachers, including myself. We are sitting on the sidelines, Lord. We are not in the battle. We are playing around with truth, Lord. If people saw us trembling at the word of God, they too would tremble.

This immeasurable pride in the hearts of men and women is wrecking their potential. Immeasurable pride. Oh, my father, how ugly is our pride. How ugly is our pride. How incorrigible it makes us. Forgive us.

We want to be corrected. We want to be humbled. We want to be, we need to be clay in the hands of the potter. Thy will be done on earth. What a prayer. What a prayer. Oh, Lord, our God, we pray and beseech you for all the churches which have indoctrinated themselves with stuff which cannot even be found in the Bible, cannot even be found in the Bible.

Oh, Lord, we pray. We want to walk according to your word. Those of you that do these words are as my mother and my brothers and my sister. Oh, father, why should we be just in the face of the globe living as just some units prancing around and doing our own pleasure and engaging in profitless activities which do not lift up nations?

God's People Called to Serve the Nations

Oh, father, certainly you have given to your children a very different role in the Bible. One Joseph saving not only one nation but several nations from starvation, death or deaths. Oh, God, one Daniel pleading for the return of the captivity out of Babylon.

And today how we see those areas associated with Babylon to be the most turbulent places. Oh, where people, innocent civilians are being slaughtered. Areas that have rejected the word of God, areas that have vowed where there are innumerable people who have vowed to destroy this poor nation.

Lord God, we pray. Are we just to be sitting around at such a time as this? Are we not to be praying people? People who will make some difference, not a whole lot perhaps, but at least some difference.

People who have renounced selfishness and small selfish goals to love, to serve, to do the will of Jesus. Oh, father, is that too much to expect from a worm like me? Hardly. A blood-bought worm just the same.

Yes, dear Lord, we are a blood-bought priceless people. We want to be humble. We want to repent. We want to be able to give of our very best to the master. Oh, my savior, have mercy upon us. We pray for the president.

We pray for his family. We pray for the congressmen who are getting ready for the next congress. Oh, God, we pray for the affairs of this nation. We pray for poor Europe in its awful darkness. Dear Lord, dear Lord, a world which feels it can do pretty well without Jesus.

Oh, my savior, if you thought that we would all be perfectly all right without Jesus, you would never have gone to the cross. You would never have come to this world. But here we have every kind of religion resorted to, multiplying mosques and Hindu temples, and everybody saying, hey, we live in a multicultural world, so anybody can do their own thing.

So any piece of wood is sufficient to carve out some kind of God. Oh, God, when we have renounced the word of God and departed so from it, when the nation is almost ready to cry, yes, we are better off without the Ten Commandments, like so many prelates of the Roman church in history said, we are better off without the Bible, without traditions and the laws of the church.

Now, when the nation is almost poised, 50 -50, ready to say, we can get on without the Ten Commandments, we will rewrite them. Thou shalt steal, thou shalt commit adultery, thou shalt covet. Oh, my father, forgive us, forgive us.

Prayer for Churches, Evangelism, and Revival

Our arrogance and pride have climbed to such heights. Lord God, hear our prayer for the theological schools. Oh, forgive our contented churches, just to keep the program going. Is it our program to crown the king?

Is it our program to take this gospel to every creature? Is that the ruling motivation in all our devotions? Father, father, we don't want to be a bunch of fakes. Lord, you're helping us to give the word of God to millions of people, and we ask you that you will somehow carry conviction.

Those two television broadcasts out of London, going into the whole of Europe, Lord, we plead with you. Let it be true, the word of God. Let people say, this is true. It may not appeal to their intellectual appetites.

Oh, my father, we pray somehow, the Middle Eastern countries, the millions that are listening to the word of God, translated into their own languages, week after week, through our 10 television broadcasts, the whole nation of Guyana, as the broadcasts go out over radio and television.

Father, help us to be able to speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. No concessions made to untruth or to the pressures of native cultures. Oh, father, have mercy upon us. How many thousands of people will be fasting and praying for us in many parts?

Lord, be with them. As in Europe, some of them will be in prayer, as well as England, and those in the East, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore. Help them, oh, father. And, oh, they will be thinking of us at this small retreat and praying for us, literally tens of thousands.

Be with them, Lord. Be with them. Let us see revival. Let us see these ugly demons, which people seem to adore in India, coming down, crashing into the earth. Lord, teach us to prove Jesus. We pray and ask you, give us that simple faith.

Lord, teach us to pray. Let not these trifling things of time crowd out prayer from our lives. Save us from all this modern foolishness, just running after things, just that they might gather dust sitting in some corner of our homes.

Prayer for Discipleship, Families, and Perseverance

Please, father, the souls for whom Jesus died, whether in South America or North America or any other part of the globe, oh, my father, you asked us to make disciples. We want real disciples, those that walk like Jesus.

We want to be, first of all, such men and women. These children of God who join us, who sing to us, who worship with us. We want them to reach heights way beyond what we have reached. We want their innocence to be preserved.

Oh, my father, with so much smut and filth and moral smog around us. Oh, preserve these little ones, we pray. Let them never see a squabbling, arguing bunch of parents. Oh, let there be love, unity of spirit.

Father, help us. Save us from getting distracted from the one purpose which we deem to be the only worthwhile purpose. This one thing I do, forgetting, renouncing the things which are behind. I press towards the prize of the high calling of God in Christ.

Yes, dear Lord, we hardly know what the prize is going to be. When we see heaven and when we see you face to face, let us not feel ashamed that we only gave you a small part of ourselves. While we sang, oh, I am blood-bought, I am blood-bought, redeemed.

No, father, we need to be able to finish our work on earth before we see you. Help us, father. Give to us a heavenly commission and the required endowment. We beseech you in Jesus' holy name. Amen.