Snapshot Series: "Am I In God's Will?"

Snapshot8 3:31-35 “Am I In His Will?”

Remember in verse 21 Jesus’ family thought He was out of His mind. Then in verse 22 the scribes said He was possessed by Beelzebub.

Now in verses 31-32 His mother and brothers came to get Him and Jesus has an interesting statement when the crowd beckons Him.

Why do you think His mother and brothers wanted Him? They wanted to stop Him doing what He was doing.

Vrs 33 “Who are my Mother and brothers”? Obviously Jesus was not confused about who was looking for Him.

Vrs 34-35 Then He makes a statement that says my family does “the will of my Father”.

So then we are forced to ask these questions…What is the “will of God”? and am I in (or doing) God’s Will?

You may have asked this question or someone may have asked you this question.

Many times it comes down to questions like, what school should I pick, what career choice, what job to take, should I stay at my current job, who should I marry, how many kids should I have, who should I hang out with, what car should I buy, what house should I buy do I get the extended warranty, what should I eat for dinner….WHAT IS GOD’S WILL????

But then there are the questions like, am I at the right school, did I choose the right career am I at the right job, did I buy the right home or the right car?


What is God’s Will?
Am I in God’s Will?

Biblically there are many answers, but tonight I want to generally answer these two questions in view of what those surrounding Jesus at that time already knew to do from the Gospel of Mark. The people that Jesus is referring to may be saying to themselves “so far I have learned what God wants me to do”

God’s Will

1. Confess sins and believe 1:5
2. Realize “the Law” does not save Jesus does. 2:23-3:6 (Have you trusted in Jesus?)
3. Be obedient 1:6-11 (and baptism) (Are you doing what the Lord has commanded?)
4. Don’t give in to temptation 1:12-13 (Are you falling for the temptation that is before you?)
5. Proclaim the Gospel 1:14-15 (Are you concerned for the lost souls around you?)
6. Follow 1:16-20, 2:13-14, 3:7-12 & 3:13-21 (Are you following Jesus and what He says?)
7. Prayer and fasting 2:18-22 (Do you bring life’s decisions to Jeus in prayer?)

At some points we say… “My life is a mess, what is up?”
Then based upon this knowledge we see times in our lives in which we sit back and say “that was not what God wanted me to do” I bought that car because I wanted it and ignored the advice of others and didn’t pray about it” “When temptation came my way I gave in” “ I don’t really follow Jesus, I just like to hang out with these people”

But sometimes you have all these things in line and in the situation neither option is sin and you get confused. We just need to be sensitive to what God wants and He will let you know

Lets move now back to the passage vrs 31-35
So if we were to answer the question…what is God’s Will we see in this passage that it is… not going against God and now for you to answer Am I in God’s Will? Maybe the more appropriate question you should be asking is “Am I going against God?” If the answer to that is NO, they you are seeking to following His will.