THE MAIN IDEA
The Lord’s will is already done, so then let us do the Lord’s will. Our passage shows us three areas where God’s will is found.

GOD’s WILL IS FOUND IN OUR FELLOWSHIP
We cannot help but notice the emphasis that is placed on the fellowship of believers throughout Paul’s return journey. Our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ not only connects us to a local church, but it brings us into fellowship with the universal church. In fact, we cannot be in a right relationship with God without being in a right relationship with the people of God, which is the church. In Acts 2:42, which describes the first church, the fellowship of believers is mentioned in the same breath as the apostles’ teaching, the breaking of bread (the Lord’s supper), and prayer! That is how important our fellowship is. And for a world that is getting further away from just basic human connection, and yet at the same time, is so hungry for just some basic human connection, this fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ is one of the most powerful and compelling parts of our Christian witness. And this is according to God’s will.

GOD’s WILL IS FOUND IN OUR DISAGREEMENTS
God’s will for His people is that we live in complete agreement with one another. And yet, God’s will can be found even when His people disagree. Everyone was urging Paul “through the Spirit” not to go to Jerusalem because they had a good sense of the persecution he would encounter there. And yet, Paul was not only willing to go, but also “to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” This episode suggests that believers can be obedient to the Holy Spirit and yet disagree with one another. This is possible because of God’s sovereignty. God is in complete control, and the best that we can do as followers of Jesus Christ is to obey God’s word. Throughout the Bible, we see stories of God’s will being done even as His people are disobedient to Him. How much more so will God’s will be done when we are being obedient to Him. Paul was obviously being obedient to Christ by bearing witness to the gospel even in hostile situations. But all the people who were urging him not to go were also being obedient to the Holy Spirit by simply expressing their love and concern for Paul. And so, this caused a disagreement, and yet God’s will will always be done.

GOD’s WILL IS FOUND IN OUR SACRIFICE
I am convinced that for the most part, it is not necessarily God’s will for His people to die for the sake of the gospel. But since we are all going to die one day anyway, God’s will is that we should live—and just live, but live for the glory of God in Christ Jesus. Paul did not have a death wish. He had a glory wish. And so should we. However, we do not naturally live for the glory of God. Instead, we naturally live for personal glory. And what it takes to live for the glory of God instead of personal glory is personal sacrifice. And we all know how to make personal sacrifices for personal glory. Of course, God does not actually need our personal sacrifices for the sake of His glory. He’s God! He created the heavens and the earth. He created each one of us in our mother’s wombs. He knows everything, He sees everything, He understands everything. However, God desires our personal sacrifice for the sake of His glory because that is actually what is best for us and best for the world. Living for the glory of God is the key to our personal blessing, but it takes personal sacrifice.

Discussion Question
What are some personal sacrifices you have made for your own plans? Why do we generally resist making personal sacrifices for God’s glory? (Don’t just say, “sin” )