How do you know God's will? Season 4 Episode 6

Welcome to the point-taking podcast the only podcast where we make and take spiritual and biblical truths. And we're doing it again. Here we go. This is a point-taking podcast where we make and take spiritual and biblical truths.

And yes I'm Josiah. This is Anna and this is Seth. This is cameraman set now. You guys know what his beautiful face looks like. Yeah now whenever y 'all think we're being mean to the camera people they actually exist.

Yeah. What. What it is is. You can't see the faces they're making at us but now you get to see how Seth really is and what he's like. Okay now. Anna why is it the alphabet game. No. Okay I was like here we go.

Yeah we're doing the alphabet game and first to three points. All righty. Seth is gonna win. What letter comes before V. You. Yes. All right. Anna. What's after. No. I'm sorry. Whoever's first ready. What is before E.

What letter is after H. What letter is before J. What letter is before L. What letter is after O. What is two letters before H. All right. That was fun. All right. By the way our question today is how you know God's will and we will be answering that question immediately after we answer the questions from Anna's game that I'm about to beat Seth in.

Well they're.

Technically not. Technically not. Questions. If you want to be in the podcast today too late now. Yeah. So I will play a few seconds of a theme song from a show. And like the 90s through early 2000s they have to guess.

But hold your answers. Just raise your hand. Once both of you have your answers I'll let you go. Don't shout your answer. Don't shout your answer. So raise your hand and.

Once I don't know I just asked him to sit down there my sound check with no intentions of him being in the podcast at all. Is that true. Lies go ahead. Because.

I asked him before I was like you should you should be on here. Okay. So the first one he's already won a game so the first one and we'll do again because.

The podcast for months and you've never won a game. He's been in for five minutes and he's won a game. Sometimes I just say true things. I'm sorry. Okay so this one.

We're gonna start. Okay technically we already did this one in practice. You're on. You got it wrong by the way so I'll let you go. She did. What was it. The Simpsons. Simpsons. He's a Jetson. I said I promise you today I've said Simpsons.

Okay why are you letting him get first. I'm just giving him the chance to guess in case you're wrong which I don't think he would be. Okay. Pastor. Justice League. No I got this one. Right. It's a TV show.

Right. Yes these are all TV shows he already just answered. Like Star Wars no.

It's Batman the animated series. I got this one right. I had this one could you.

Name the members the principal members of the Justice League. Please please go.

I'll help you Batman but this was Batman show. No no okay.

Sore loser. Oh my gosh. I don't know why I sound like Star Wars to me. Put in the.

Comments. I got that camera guy. Everyone have their answers. I got this one right. Animaniacs. Okay. Lulz and I don't know what that is.

All right. I'll show you okay. I never watched it. Maybe but it's in a man I'm.

Johnny Bravo yeah I told Donovan last night I used to think he was blind because they always wear those black. Would you tell me why you let him answer.

Because he's playing. Okay. All right. Now that we got the rules set. Seth you ready. All right. Good. No this was my favorite show as a kid. So you. You believe that he raised his hand first even though the camera is gonna show that I can see him.

I was the first one to raise my. I promised you the camera will not see him raising his hand first. And get along with each other. It's a wonderful time to play. Listen to the beat listen to the rhythm walking on the street.

Open up your heart. Okay. Open up your eyes. Get together and live together. Next one. Oh no. This is the one I didn't watch. Yeah. Letting them have the rest of the time. Don't think. It's obvious. I didn't watch.

It no no no what is it. It's Dexter's Laboratory. Dexter's Laboratory. What's.

The score. Seth zero that's obvious. Yeah if you're watching this you have as many.

Points as Seth. Wow okay this one took Donovan. I buy surprise. Oh no actually we know I knew this one. This is not Cartoon Network. Is this PBS kids Nickelodeon. Okay.

You ran out of time. Anyone have any answers. I mean I can just guess. Yeah guess. First guess was um I don't. I don't have a guess. You have a guess. I don't. You have a guess Doug. No I didn't watch.

Doug my.

Brother watched it. I don't know a lot of these are probably not gonna know this one. Play some music. Well. Captain Planet and the what. Captain Planet and the it's.

A full title um starts with the P. I'll give you him planet tears I remember.

That one. Okay it's just finishing up. The words are cut out. Okay got it got it I.

Got it okay anyone else. Cat dog. Cat dog yep cat dog. How many more you know. If I'm winning we can stop. If it's a tie we'll do one more if I'm.

Winning. We'll stop not to say let's. That's not what I thought it was. These are the end credits. Skip to the next one. Let's. Courage. The cowardly dog. No way that's so. It was creepy that show was creepy.

The lady in the puddle yes that gave me nightmares. Okay we'll do two more. I don't know. Nobody nobody. Cow. And. Okay do you want to do that one is the last one we need. Get started anyway. Yeah.

Okay so pastor I'm winning right. Yeah okay yeah that's enough yeah I don't know.

I got as many as the audience right now before the game. You're like yeah we know stuff from like the 80s and things because he was born in what like early 2000 so yeah he's gonna know this. You never know anything.

A couple obscure ones. No these were just this was like.

A compilation thing. You didn't do Arnold. Hey Arnold. You didn't do. That's at the end of the video. Okay. Yeah. What's that. That was a creepy show. I didn't like that one. Yeah he.

Was like a little social justice warrior like when you watch as an adult you're just like.

It was kind of weird the creepy adults and I didn't like Rugrats either. I know I know.

I didn't do. We can play that on our xylophone at home. So how do you know God's will. How do.

You know God's will. I can't tell you. I am but 30 and have been a pastor for no more than three years and four weeks and I cannot tell you how many times I've been asked this question. How do I know what God's will for my life is.

And I'm not mocking that inquiry but I've got two people here they're gonna help me answer this question day and that's Seth and Anna. So how do we know God's will. What does that mean. God's will. Let's just start there with definitions.

What does that mean.

God's will do you want to go. You got it you got it and we believe in you. So God's will is his plan. No matter what happens in the world God knows about it and is according to his plan. Nothing takes him by surprise nothing will change his plan.

So if it is the will of God like a lot of times when I pray it's like Lord this is what I'm asking of you. But if it is not according to what you have willed what you have planned then let your will be done like you know Jesus said in the garden of Gethsemane.

And so that's how I would define God's will. And like a way pretty much what.

She said just God's ability to make something happen and it's whatever he wants to do is gonna happen no matter what. I think that's spot-on. I think there is another aspect to it that is there God's will will be happening but there is also a desire and a longing for that to happen in the hearts and minds of human beings.

And that does not always happen. In other words that human beings desire that God's will occur that their will is contorted to his contorted conform to his that does not always happen. So I think when Jesus teaches us to pray and he says your will be done on heaven on earth as it is excuse me on earth as it is in heaven well and if God's will is what his plan is it doesn't change why would we ever pray for his will to be done.

And I think what Jesus is getting at is his will be done on earth as in heaven in the hearts and minds of his creation that they long to see that. Well and it's also you like just in general like you as a.

Person giving up what you want so like you're sacrificing your wants and like then desires. Like for example when I had to go back to work after maternity leave like I did not want to go back to work and like my husband was very aware of that but like we had an agreement I was gonna work up until a certain point because we didn't know if we could afford it you know like all the things.

But before I was pregnant like I did not want to stay home and so the desires of my heart changed so that was according to God's will. But when I prayed I prayed it's like God if my desires do not match up with what your will is then change them and so it's a form of sacrifice on our behalf.

And obedience I guess. And for you theological nerds out there yes we can distinguish between God's will of decree and will of command. But that's not the purpose of today's video today. The question is how do we know God's will.

That's what the question is. So how do we know God's will. In other words his plan his purpose but not just broad stroke. What about his purpose for Seth Pickler. For Anna last name redacted for Josiah.

How do we know God's purpose for that. So what would we say to that gas turn to scripture. Why would we turn the scripture. Because the answer is there. It's only standard of truth in you know. For sure I'll have this talk with somebody on Thursday.

God has spoken to humanity. He decided to have his words recorded in a book. So his will what he desires people to do is written down for all to see. Right. So whenever someone asked me how do we know God's will I think y 'all's answer is perfect scripture.

There's two specific ones I think we can look at just for a moment and I think it will be encouraging to people. Brother Seth's gonna turn to first Thessalonians 3. And by 3 I mean 4 obviously first Thessalonians chapter 4 but and let me ask you this why he turns there.

When we ask in our brain there has to be a tier of not just what's God's will of my life. Or is X in accordance with God's will for my life. What are some practical things we could say like. Okay it's got to check this box.

This box. This box. So box number one is scripture. Speak directly on this. Right. So for example God's will for your life will never be to have two wives. God's will for your life will never be to murder to do something that is prohibited in his word.

Because his will can't constrict his word. Because they're the same thing. Right. What other boxes might we have to check of. Is this. How do you go about making a.

Decision of like is this in God's will. Exactly right. If it's not what's best for my family. So if it's like self-serving in a way I feel like that's that's one of the main ones that I like. That's on the on the top of my mind right now because I mean the majority of the I mean like all of the decisions that my husband and I make together are revolved around family.

It's like okay well we have a tree down in the front yard that we need to get you know cut up and whatever. It's like okay well that's gonna cost money. Okay like well this is gonna go. Okay well we won't be able to get this for our baby this month.

We'll have to project it for next month. You know like all the things and so like every decision that we make you know like us wanting me to stay at home like I'm losing a salary we're losing insurance coverage so we're trying to find other places to get it.

So mine is just very like familial based now before I was married and had kids I would say like I really just tried to dive into scripture because I wasn't that knowledgeable of what God's will is. And so I just need him to tell me like right on my face like am I supposed to be a nurse.

And then if I wasn't a nurse then I didn't feel valuable you know like all the all the bullcrap. And so I would really just try to do that. But then I would do like what felt right. Quote unquote. If you're listening to the podcast what felt right.

And then I would just try to seek wisdom.

Like where I could. I think. Yeah. I think Anna hit on something pretty spectacular there she said. If it's self-serving when we asked the question I wonder if this is God's will for my life. Well he's already laid out what our life should look like big picture in family in church at work.

So it's not that he has left us on. And all those aspects are covered in the Bible. It's not that he's left us on. Wanting for. For more information there. When it comes to something that's not expressively pro or against becoming a nurse for example.

Right. Mm-hmm. This is where for me I still go to scripture and I do what it says. I apply it. Proverbs says on one's own people fall but in the counsel of many there is wisdom. So what's the Bible telling me to do there.

To get the counsel of many. So that's exactly what I do. I mean that's exactly what it. Well and going on the nurse thing.

It was very self-serving like it was driven by self-service. It was how much money can I make. You know like what kind of life could I have with this particular job with this much pay. I wanted to have that sense of accomplishment of like oh I got my RN BSN which you know like bachelors in nursing and like then I would feel like somebody.

And then what's funny is when I've told my boss that I was leaving you know my job to stay at home. And she's like I was really hoping like we had just gotten raises in April. And she's like I was really hoping that that raise would keep you.

And I was like I'm not saying that I'm not grateful for a raise because it was an 11 raise like it was a very good chunk. And I said I'm not saying I'm not grateful. I'm very appreciative of what you guys have offered me and I said but it used to be about the money for me but I said I could have all the money in the world and I still want to be at home with my baby.

And I said so that's how I know that like my desire has changed to stay instead of making all this money and doing all these things and getting like all this notoriety. And you know like having all of these things of the world God's.

Will was for me to stay at home. You've grown a lot haven't you? I have. I was about to say I'm not saying.

That to like I've grown so much but like no I and especially when I talk to other people about it. God's like it's right in front of your face like you have grown you have been you know so. Good on.

You girl. Thank you. Good on you. I'm proud of you. Thank you. Seth I'm coming to you you have first Thessalonians chapter 4 open and I'm coming to you and I said Seth I have no idea what God's will for my life is and then you read verse 3 and it says.

I'm going to say perfect I got it right here for you. Come on with it. For this is the will of God. There it is whoa this is the will of God whatever we're about to read is what it is everyone ready? Lock it in.

Hold on to your seats your steering wheels whatever pay attention this is the part where you zoom in this is God's word here first Thessalonians 4 3 says. Your sanctification. Wait what is that? God's will is your sanctification Mr. Pickler.

Yes. Kosher dill like what type of pickle are we? Kosher. Okay well. Chill pickle. Thank you. That's on his license plate. It is. I love that. I just identified you for the whole city they know now. Okay spelled incorrectly by the way that has not gotten noticed that's how you spell chill pickle.

I'm only limited to seven letters. Yeah I love that. So anyway this is the will of God your what was that word? Sanctification. For anyone that may not know what that means would you explain it for us there Seth?

I got you. Sanctification is becoming more like God and it's not overnight it's a it's a walk every day. Like an overtime thing. Overtime. Becoming more like more obedient more informed to who he is. So God's will is that I him more tomorrow than I did today?

Yes. What's his will gonna be for me tomorrow? The exact same thing. What about the next day? Same thing after that. In 15 years from now? The same. What's his will for a nine-year-old? His sanctification.

And what about a 29-year-old? Sanctification. And a 59-year-old? So how he obeys in those different stages of life may differ but the fact that he obeys God does not differ. Is that what you're saying?

Yes. Seth. Well spent. Well said. You're a genius. But then he gives examples of your sanctification does he not? What does it say? The first one abstain from sexual immorality. I'm sorry did you say that was the first one listed?

That's crazy how that was the first one listed. Abstaining from sexual immorality. I wonder what the Greek word for sexual immorality is. Is it pornea? Pornea. P-O-R-N-E-A. Ladies and gentlemen we live in a culture at least ours not worldwide quite in fact there are pagan cultures who have this better than we do where sexual immorality is flaunted and applauded.

Ladies and gentlemen there were 613 laws of the Old Testament. Only 16 of them did God say deserve capital punishment the death penalty. Five of those 16 were sexual sins. That is not something that God takes lightly.

Ladies and gentlemen it can't become something what everyone struggles with so therefore I am not held to account. That can't be our mindset. Can you imagine can you imagine standing before the Roman God yes God I know they were doing child sacrifices but everyone was doing it.

And then someone would say to me Josiah are you comparing child sacrifice to no God is and he just just one more thing anytime God wanted to describe a nation that had left him do you know the analogy he used a wife an unfaithful wife a in fact sometimes he even says a whorish wife.

Do you know what he says of Israel and Jeremiah. Hmm let this sink into my heart and all the hearts he said and this is going to get a little pg -13 and no I'm not apologizing because it's in the Bible but in case the kids listening hit the mute button for just a minute he says in Jeremiah I believe it's Jeremiah chapter 3 of Israel you have acted you have played the whore against me and have left me and have whored yourself and lifted up your skirt to every idol under every tree in every nation but you are not like other whores who get paid for you doing it willingly and receive no money for it now.

That is how God defines unfaithfulness he uses sexual terms and of course people can get weird with what God desire that's he uses that analogy as the most heinous analogy he can think of for turning your back on God.

That is not something that any of us any of us should take lightly. So the first example was that you abstain from sexual morality. You'll find that in most of the list of the new testament when describing ways of the world ways of God works of the flesh you'll find that sexual morality is often one of the first ones lifted.

Did we finish the verse or did I cut you off. So uh you cut me off. It's all good though. It was uh quality stuff you were talking about. Uh that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and in honor not in the passion of lust.

Like the Gentiles who do not know God. He's writing a letter to the Thessalonians who used to be those Gentiles he's talking about. He doesn't refer to them that way. It's like remember because they're saved now.

But yeah exactly used to be. What an amazing passage. Um as as as Seth turns to the other passage we want to share with you guys today Romans 12. By the way we're on uh God's will next time we're going to talk about what does it mean to be a slave of Christ.

Um since we're running short on time. Because I talk too much. But um backs. Yeah. Okay so every time something true things out loud.

Did you enjoy saying that yeah. Was it fun for you. Actually. Yeah it was a little fun. Do you enjoy.

That okay. Um every time someone says that I think of the little fox from the car. Uh show me the car facts. Oh the car. That thing's creepy looking. Okay. So yeah I mean not really. Do you think the gecko from Geico's the anyway gecko from Geico.

Yeah. Anyway like thank you you're short on time anyway. Well I'm six three. Thank you for saying you're not with those lips. You are okay anyway she said.

Say what you said earlier go ahead make fun of me. What. Oh you look like a scout leader because he's wearing his my. Well my dad used to wear stuff like that so it's like reminding me of my dad with the boots and the socks and then the cargo shorts like in their green and boy.

Scouts wear green. I'm very glad I remind you of your father. He's not a complimenter physically. Like right there. Yeah it was okay. Okay. So Anna by the way you said anyway not. Anyways thank you. I've been trying to say that for two sentences.

You're welcome. How do we know God's will. The Bible says his will is your sanctification. Is it really that simple. Yeah. So because everything falls under sanctification it's like a big umbrella. That's a process that should never stop or slow down but always speed up.

In fact Jonathan Edwards far into his Christian life said sorry it was. Martin Luther said the more sanctified a man becomes the more disgusted he is with the fewer sins that remain. So he's removed so many of them but he hates more and more the ones that are still there.

Rachel always tells people when they ask about motherhood she says it is the opportunity to double down on your rebellion in your hardness of heart. Or it is incredibly sanctifying thing because it is people do it but it is so difficult to maintain.

You have to work so hard to maintain your selflessness and be a mother now. There's plenty of women that do it. But it is an incredibly sanctifying process if your heart allows it to be. Because it teaches you.

And it's not just mothers. It teaches you that it's not about you that what you get up and eat for breakfast isn't about you. Right. What you're having it's not about you now. This is not a comment about your whole schedule should revolve around your kids.

I'm not getting into that at all because that's just teaching them to be selfish. But the point is sometimes God uses life situations to teach us things and we can choose to double down on our or give in to what he's teaching us.

And i thank God for those because as weird as it sounds even though they're hard it's constant reassurance that he's not done with me yet. Yeah you know what i mean. Right. Thank you for sharing that.

No problem. Romans 12 1 and 2. Our boy Paul here is about to go ballistic again. Do your thing there Seth got you. I appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what the will of God is and and what is good and acceptable and perfect. I had the opportunity three weeks ago to preach in Spanish in Puerto Rico.

It's the first time i've done it. Uh first time i've preached a full-length sermon in Spanish. I'm not embarrassed to say that i practiced for.

65 hours for that sermon. I was going to ask you if you like if it was easy for you if it was like.

No work. No it was to do that. Okay. Not at all and probably like well you speak Spanish. Here's the problem. There are certain words that i have learned in the past 5 -10 years in adulthood. Words that are in the bible propitiation.

How do you translate that. Well i know how to translate it but i want to be able to translate. I want to be able to describe it to people. To define it to people. You always know if you actually know something if you can teach it and find it someone else for sure.

You know what i mean. Yeah that's when you know you actually know something. Not just you know how to replace a coupling on a pipe fitting but that you could teach someone else how to do it. Um that scripture i studied a lot in three different languages and that's not a i'd love that scripture but listen to what it says.

All of romans has been not paul begging but paul declaring you are a slave you are dead you are damned. You are a child of the living king you have been bought you have. When he gets to chapter 12 he starts begging.

So he's speaking to christians now and he's begging. I appeal to you brothers i beseech you by the mercies god that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice not a dead sacrifice them. Old sacrifices used to be dead.

I mean how many times could you sacrifice a goat. Like one time. How many times can you sacrifice your body. Every day. Because it's living holy and acceptable to god which is your spiritual worship. I just worship god this way.

And i just worship god this way. Well that's all fine. But god says you worship him by sacrificing your body and your mind. That's that's how he wants to be worshiped the holiest of the gods. Do not be conformed don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind present tense continual process so that you can discern what is the good perfect pleasing will of god.

So in our conversation earlier so i have the big picture what's the will of god that i obey sanctification. Right. But now i have the small picture i will learn to discern the will of god. My little things.

The more i'm sacrificing myself more and more i'll be able to discern the little things that is so encouraging to me like big picture obey all. Right. I got that. But what about these little things. I will learn how to discern those the more i sacrifice my own mind and body.

There's a a song i actually remember the artist. His name was chris sly. He was um one of those christian people on that show. American idol probably should come up with a different name. That's a different topic for another day anyway he came up with a song called empty me.

And the lyrics said empty me of the selfishness inside every vain ambition and the poison of my pride and any foolish thing my heart holds to lord. Empty me of empty me of me. So i can be filled with you.

Empty me of me so i can be filled with you. Love that song. I need to redownload on my spotify playlist. Uh i'll be able to discern the will of god the more i get out of the way and refill myself back with like a sponge i wring it out.

And then when i let it refill i let it refill with god's word. I'll be able to discern in the little things more and more that that's how i read that. And it just i guess it took me having to spend so much time in spanish figuring that out to to let that sink into my head because i've memorized that when i was nine what that's saying so that you can discern you not your pastor so that you can discern what is the good perfect pleasing will of god.

And last thing i'll say about that. And i'll shut up. You know what's most amazing about that verse to me that i can do something that pleases god. Right. He doesn't need. Right. Yes i i can. But he could still be pleased by us.

Um my four-year-old likes to please her daddy me. She likes to please me. She likes to make me happy. Daddy. Are you proud of me. Is what you'll say. I i obey it. Are you proud of me. Or daddy. Are you disappointed in me.

The fact that i can do something that not just appeases that's not what the bible says pleases the almighty sovereign of the universe. Who the bible says is not made of hands nor needs anything made of hands that i can do something that makes him happy smile the bible says makes him in a verb joy makes him spin around with excitement that is all inspiring to me.

I mean that just that's kind of stuff that just makes me so grateful. So when someone asks me what's the will of god for my life the big picture is to obey the little picture is that as you obey and sacrificing the bible says your mind and body as you do that more and more you will be able to discern in the little things what is a good perfect pleasing will of god.

So there's there's that i think it's a good thing to end on. That's pretty. I love that verse. Seth. You got anything to add bro. I don't brother. Uh they're clamoring for you to come back more and more.

So that's going to be happening so you know. And i'm not. I think he did great. Hey do you want to be part of the podcast today. Yeah. Right. Did you notice the trick i did i asked him and then i asked him another question before i can answer like hey can you go to the verse.

And then i can say that i asked him but he never gave an answer he's a master.

Manipulator what okay in a good in a good way he knows how to a holy manipulator like a like a.

Scout way or no. What'd you call me a scout leader yeah scout leader yeah with the boots and the.

Socks and stuff. The wool socks those aren't wool. Are they. I don't know. I'm about to say if they are your feet would be like. How would i know wedding. Yeah they look like a woolish blend. How would i know the tag or feel on the label.

I don't know. Give anything else. No i'm good uh.

These were a gift given to me. The socks or the boots. Both the boots. The men in the church i've said yeah. They gave me two pair of socks in the bag with it. Yeah precious. Yeah so i i put the oil on them last night you see how they're darkened.

Yeah so did you soak them in gasoline. We need to talk about it after.

I will answer on the next podcast uh like share subscribe do all that stuff and hit the little buttons and all that stuff so that uh we can get this out to more people. Thank you seth and anna for doing your thing today.

Absolutely. The next topic besides the slave for christ thing that we're going to talk about is obviously um i've already said it before and then all that but then also and then don't forget prayer. What's it.

For what should it look like prayers next. Love you guys very much. Until next time i can explain to the viewers that we just had technical difficulty and i was up 1 0 on our game and now we're having to start a new round.

There's the explanation for you guys and watch him edit out that part.