In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

It's a common joke that when men are lost they will not ask for directions. Sometimes, the real problem is that the guy is lost, but he's too proud to admit it. Many people have lost the true path in life, but are not willing to admit it. They don't know God's will. They don't follow God's will. They are lost. They won't admit it. They won't ask directions. They might not even know it. But, what about you?

1. In your life

{16} Be joyful always;... God's will is that Christians live in constant joy. But how can we be joyful if we are laid off from work or if the doctor tells us that we have some deadly disease? How can we be joyful if a loved one dies? God's will is that we be joyful always. But, this is not earthly joy. This is the joy of salvation. Earthly joy fades, but the joy of salvation lasts forever. God's will is that we be joyful always. Then, it says:

{17} pray continually;... God's will is that we pray without ceasing. But, how can we pray all the time? Well, you can pray without speaking out loud. You can pray without folding your hands. In a way, we pray continually when we commit everything to God. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit prays for us, because we don't know what to say. But God's will is that we pray all the time. And,

{18} give thanks in all circumstances, ... God's will is that we give thanks for all of his good gifts, and that we thank him in every way possible. We thank him with our words and with our actions. We thank him in prayer and in songs of praise. We thank him by offering a generous, first-fruit percentage of our income to him. And we thank him by the way that we live each day. We have many reasons to "give thanks in all circumstances..."

...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus... Here in rapid fire, God reveals his will. But as you study these words and compare your own life, do you measure up? Are You Following God's Will? Are you perfectly obeying God's will in your life? No. We have all sinned. But this is not all of God's will. Are You Following God's Will...

2. With God's Word

{19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; ... The Holy Spirit creates the fire of faith in our hearts. In the parable of the ten virgins, each of the ten virgins needed a burning lamp, a lamp with a flame. In a similar way, we need saving faith. We should not put out the fire of faith. We should not reject the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts. We should not sin on purpose or we could drive faith right out of our hearts. One way that people put out the fire of faith is that they stop hearing the gospel on a regular basis. They skip worship and Bible study. They stop feeding their faith, so it dies. It says here:

{20} do not treat prophecies with contempt.... Prophecies are messages that come straight from God. God's prophecies are recorded in the Bible. We should not "treat prophecies with contempt." We should not despise God's Word! If someone does not regard the Bible as God's inspired, error-free Word, they are showing contempt toward God's Word. May we never do this! Another way of treating God's Word with contempt is by not paying any attention to it. In the Third Commandment, God says that we should not despise preaching and his word, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it. Then, God says:

{21} Test everything... Using the Bible as the standard of comparison, we are to test all teachings to see if they measure up. The Greek term here conveys the picture of testing metal to see if it's genuine. We still have to test money today. Our paper dollar bills were recently reworked so that it wouldn't be as easy to make counterfeit money. If you received counterfeit money, how would you know? You'd have to test it and see if it passes the test. In the same way, we are to test "everything." Test what people say. Test common sayings. Test popular opinion. See if they pass the test. See if they agree with or conflict with God's Word.

Hold on to the good. ... Some teachings and traditions will pass the test. Hold on to those that pass the test. When you find a really reliable teacher of God's Word, you have a gift from God. Luther was such a gift. Over the years, his work passes the test in the light of God's Word. We shouldn't just throw his writings aside, because they are old. It says, "Hold on to the good." But next it says:

{22} Avoid every kind of evil. ... Some teachings and traditions will fail the test. They will be proven false. Does it say to "tolerate" such false teaching? No, it says, "Avoid" and abstain from every form of evil. Get rid of it. Some of the newest and most popular religious writers, preachers, and teachers do not pass the test. Some of their teachings do not fit with God's Word. Should we keep them because they are new or popular? No, it says "Avoid." "Avoid every kind of evil." Do you do this? I ask you again: Are You Following God's Will?

3. Trusting Him

{23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... This is a wonderful prayer. Look at what it says. We cannot give ourselves more faith. We cannot sanctify our own hearts. God himself must do this. Before a sermon, I pray that God would "sanctify us by the truth." Those words come from Jesus' prayer to his heavenly Father. The truth is God's Word. God uses his Word to sanctify us. Here the apostle prays that God would sanctify you through and through, that God would set our hearts apart for him and make them holy.

As we studied these words, we saw some places where we still don't measure up. We are believers, that is true, but there are some areas where we have fallen far short of perfection. We've all sinned. The great apostle Paul wrote, (Rom 7:18) "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." We might try our best to serve him, but we still have sinned. We all need a Savior. And we have a Savior, in Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived a perfect life for us. He stayed on the path of God's will. He did God's will perfectly every day. Then, he continued to do God's will when he went to the cross and suffered and died to pay for all of our sins. He rose from death and God has declared us all forgiven through Christ. Believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin, and you will have eternal life.

God's will is that you believe in Jesus. Believers in Jesus stand "blameless" and holy in God's sight. May God keep us blameless until Judgment Day. It is God's will that we believe in Jesus and trust God to keep us blameless. Are you following God's will? Are you trusting God to lead you through life to eternal glory in heaven?

{24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.... In the original language the term "faithful" is emphasized by its position in the sentence. God is FAITHFUL. He always keeps his promises. He will be faithful to us. We can trust him. As we continue in God's Word, as we feed our faith by regularly receiving Word and Sacrament, God will keep us in faith. He will not let us go. He will not forsake us. He will not walk away from us.

Thank God that our salvation doesn't depend on us. It depends on our faithful God. It says, "He will do it." God will bring us safely to heaven. But it won't be our doing. He will do it. And he deserves all the glory and praise! Let us thank and praise him for saving us by following his will! May God's Word be a lamp for your feet and a light for your path. May we stay on the path of God's will all through life. May God bless us with stronger faith so that we trust him to bring us to heaven. "And he will do it." Amen.