God's Message on the Web
What God Wants is what you Want - Bible Study at God's Message
Download this Bible Study "What God wants is what you want" in MP3 or PodCast format
WhatGodWantsYouWant.mp3 from God's Message on the Web
What is the greatest feeling that you have ever felt? If you could choose one feeling that you could experience
daily, what feeling would you choose?
Let me make an observation. This is given as one man's opinion. For most of us, if not all of us, the greatest
feeling that we experience is the feeling of being loved. The feeling of being loved is greatest when we feel
loved unconditionally.
What does it mean to be loved unconditionally? Does that mean that "you must love me even if I abuse you
and behave irresponsibly?" No. Unconditional love says, "I love you for the person you are, just because
you are you. My love is not based on what you have. My love not based on what you can do. My love for
you is not based on your pleasing me."
"I love you because you are you. I love you because you love me."
The greatest feeling we can have is to be loved just for being ourselves.
I. From the moment that God's relationship with people began, God wanted to be loved.
A. He wanted the love that comes from the desire, the choice, and the preference of the person.
1. God wanted a people who loved Him because they choose to love Him.
2. God wanted a people who would choose to love Him above every other option or opportunity.
B. That is one of the identifiable reasons that God created us with free wills.
1. He did not want people who did His will because:
a. God was the creator and they had to.
b. God has the power and they did not dare cross Him.
c. God is in control and has the authority.
d. God would destroy any person who did not do his will.
e. People were physical robots who had no choice.
2. God wanted a people who would do His will because they loved Him.
3. God wanted a people who loved Him by their own choice and desire.
C. So from the beginning, people possessed independent wills.
1. They could choose, and they did choose.
2. People always have possessed independent wills that could and did choose.
3. We can choose to love God or refuse to love God--but it is our choice.
4. If we love God, it is because we choose to love God.
II. God always wanted a people who loved Him unconditionally; people who loved Him because they
wanted to love God and be loved by God.
A. God brought Israel out of the slavery of Egypt.
1. God led them through the desert to Mount Sinai to speak to them, to give them His will for Israel.
2. Before God spoke the ten commandments to Israel, God gave Moses a special message for the
Israelites (Exodus 19:3-6).
a. "You saw what I did to the Egyptians."
b. "You saw how I brought you to safety."
c. Listen carefully to verse 5 and 6:
"If you will indeed obey my voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all
the peoples, for all the earth is Mine, and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (The
New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
d. We emphasize the importance of obeying God and keeping God's covenant.
e. Focus on what would happen if they obeyed God and kept the covenant: "You shall be My own
possession among all the people."
f. God wanted Israel to become a people for His own possession.
g. God wanted them to be His people because they chose to be His people.
B. About 40 years later Moses reminded them of God's works and teachings.
1. In Deuteronomy 4:20 Moses said, "But the Lord has taken you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt,
to be a people for his own possession, as today."
2. In Deuteronomy 7:6 Moses told the Israelites, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the
Lord your God has choosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the
face of the earth."
3. In Deuteronomy 14:2 Moses said again to Israel, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God;
and the Lord has choosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the
face of the earth."
4. God wanted a people who belonged to Him and to Him alone.
5. He wanted a people who chose to be His people and only His people.
6. But Israel did not understand God's desire; and Israel missed the point of following God; and Israel
failed to be a people for God's own possession.
III. Listen carefully to Paul and Peter as they wrote Christians.
A. Paul's statement is found in Titus 2:11-14. Listen and see if it sounds familiar.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and
worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope
and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem
us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good
deeds. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation,
1996.)
1. The age of grace is here.
2. Salvation is available to all people.
3. And this is God's specific desire for people who choose to be His people:
a. It is our choice to refuse to live for ungodliness.
b. It is our choice to refuse desires that are unconcerned about spiritual realities.
c. It is our choice to live righteously and godly right now.
d. It is our choice to live for the glory of God and for the return of Jesus Christ.
4. Why? Because we understand.
a. We understand that God gave us Jesus to redeem us from lawless deeds.
b. We understand that God gave us Jesus to purify for Himself a people.
5. What kind of people? A people for His own possession, a people who actually exist to do good.
B. The words of Peter are found in 1 Peter 2:9. Again listen and see if they sound familiar.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you
may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (The
New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
1. Christians, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
2. Christians, you are a people for God's own possession.
3. You are that people for this reason:
a. You are the people who proclaim the excellencies of God.
b. You declare how excellent the God is who called you out of the darkness of evil into the marvelous
light of His righteousness.
IV. I want you to understand some very important things.
A. God wanted the people of Israel to be a people who belonged to Him and to Him only even though
God knew who these people were and what they had done.
1. He knew how godless they were in Egypt.
2. He knew about the golden calf they worshipped in the wilderness.
3. He knew about all the idolatry and immorality.
4. He knew every failure and every evil thing they had done, but God still wanted them to be a people
who belonged only to Him.
5. And they could be that people if they chose Him and loved Him.
B. God wants Christians to be a people who belong to God and to God only, and God knows who we
are and what we have done.
1. He knows our ungodlessness.
2. He knows all the false things that we have loved and worshipped by giving our lives to them.
3. He knows all the evil and failure that has occurred in our lives.
4. God knows everything about us, but he still wants us to be a people that belong to Him and Him
alone, and we can be if we chose Him and love Him.
C. Israel failed to become the people who belonged only to God.
1. They never understood what God wanted them to be.
2. They never became what God wanted them to be.
D. We as the church have failed to become the people who belong only to God.
1. We have not understood what God wants us to be.
2. We are not becoming who God wants us to be.
3. We have emphasized authority, and all authority does belong to God and Christ, but it will take more
than authority to make us God's people.
4. We have emphasized the fear of God, and we should hold God in awe and reverence, but fearing God's
power will never make us God's people.
5. We have emphasized obedience, and we must obey God, but it will take more than obedience to make
us God's people.
E. Let me illustrate it in this way.
1. A strong, powerful man marries a woman and controls her through abuse and intimidation.
2. Everyday he threatens her and says, "I am the head of this house. I am in control. The power belongs
to me. I tell you what to do and you do it. I have the authority. You are to obey me without question. You
are to do what I say whether you understand it or not. If you do not, you will suffer. I will see that you
suffer. If you cross me, you will pay the consequences."
3. And she is battered, bruised, terrified, ashamed, and filled with a terrible fear.
4. And she will never love him; and she will never choose to give herself to him; and she will never be a
wife who loves him unconditionally.
F. God loves you unconditionally: He knows who you are; He knows all your failures; He knows every
weakness you have; He knows every evil that you commit; He knows every flaw in you; and he knows that
you will never be perfect.
1. And He still loves you. He wants you to be His and only His.
2. He wants you by your own choice to love Him unconditionally.
3. He wants you to choose to be a person for His own possession.
All your life you have wanted to be loved by choice, unconditionally. And what you want is what God
wants. God always has wanted to be loved by choice, unconditionally.
Just as love is the greatest feeling we can have in life, the sight of love brings the greatest joy. When God
looks at you, does He feel loved?
God has so much love that He gave you the blood of His Son. Because He loves you, He will remove your
sins and erase your mistakes.
Do you love God?
Does He know it?
Do you show it?
Do you want to be His son or His daughter?
Let God feel loved because of you.
Download this Bible Study "What God wants is what you want" in MP3 or PodCast format
WhatGodWantsYouWant.mp3 from God's Message on the Web
Used with permission from David Chadwell, West-Ark Church of Christ
Visit God's Message Blog to comment on this Bible Study Lesson
http://godsmessageontheweb.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-god-wants-you-want.html
Last updated on October 15th 2007 God's Message on the Web
WhatGodWantsYouWant.mp3 from God's Message on the Web
What is the greatest feeling that you have ever felt? If you could choose one feeling that you could experience
daily, what feeling would you choose?
Let me make an observation. This is given as one man's opinion. For most of us, if not all of us, the greatest
feeling that we experience is the feeling of being loved. The feeling of being loved is greatest when we feel
loved unconditionally.
What does it mean to be loved unconditionally? Does that mean that "you must love me even if I abuse you
and behave irresponsibly?" No. Unconditional love says, "I love you for the person you are, just because
you are you. My love is not based on what you have. My love not based on what you can do. My love for
you is not based on your pleasing me."
"I love you because you are you. I love you because you love me."
The greatest feeling we can have is to be loved just for being ourselves.
I. From the moment that God's relationship with people began, God wanted to be loved.
A. He wanted the love that comes from the desire, the choice, and the preference of the person.
1. God wanted a people who loved Him because they choose to love Him.
2. God wanted a people who would choose to love Him above every other option or opportunity.
B. That is one of the identifiable reasons that God created us with free wills.
1. He did not want people who did His will because:
a. God was the creator and they had to.
b. God has the power and they did not dare cross Him.
c. God is in control and has the authority.
d. God would destroy any person who did not do his will.
e. People were physical robots who had no choice.
2. God wanted a people who would do His will because they loved Him.
3. God wanted a people who loved Him by their own choice and desire.
C. So from the beginning, people possessed independent wills.
1. They could choose, and they did choose.
2. People always have possessed independent wills that could and did choose.
3. We can choose to love God or refuse to love God--but it is our choice.
4. If we love God, it is because we choose to love God.
II. God always wanted a people who loved Him unconditionally; people who loved Him because they
wanted to love God and be loved by God.
A. God brought Israel out of the slavery of Egypt.
1. God led them through the desert to Mount Sinai to speak to them, to give them His will for Israel.
2. Before God spoke the ten commandments to Israel, God gave Moses a special message for the
Israelites (Exodus 19:3-6).
a. "You saw what I did to the Egyptians."
b. "You saw how I brought you to safety."
c. Listen carefully to verse 5 and 6:
"If you will indeed obey my voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all
the peoples, for all the earth is Mine, and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (The
New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
d. We emphasize the importance of obeying God and keeping God's covenant.
e. Focus on what would happen if they obeyed God and kept the covenant: "You shall be My own
possession among all the people."
f. God wanted Israel to become a people for His own possession.
g. God wanted them to be His people because they chose to be His people.
B. About 40 years later Moses reminded them of God's works and teachings.
1. In Deuteronomy 4:20 Moses said, "But the Lord has taken you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt,
to be a people for his own possession, as today."
2. In Deuteronomy 7:6 Moses told the Israelites, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the
Lord your God has choosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the
face of the earth."
3. In Deuteronomy 14:2 Moses said again to Israel, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God;
and the Lord has choosen you to be a people for his own possession out of all the peoples who are on the
face of the earth."
4. God wanted a people who belonged to Him and to Him alone.
5. He wanted a people who chose to be His people and only His people.
6. But Israel did not understand God's desire; and Israel missed the point of following God; and Israel
failed to be a people for God's own possession.
III. Listen carefully to Paul and Peter as they wrote Christians.
A. Paul's statement is found in Titus 2:11-14. Listen and see if it sounds familiar.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and
worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope
and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem
us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good
deeds. (The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation,
1996.)
1. The age of grace is here.
2. Salvation is available to all people.
3. And this is God's specific desire for people who choose to be His people:
a. It is our choice to refuse to live for ungodliness.
b. It is our choice to refuse desires that are unconcerned about spiritual realities.
c. It is our choice to live righteously and godly right now.
d. It is our choice to live for the glory of God and for the return of Jesus Christ.
4. Why? Because we understand.
a. We understand that God gave us Jesus to redeem us from lawless deeds.
b. We understand that God gave us Jesus to purify for Himself a people.
5. What kind of people? A people for His own possession, a people who actually exist to do good.
B. The words of Peter are found in 1 Peter 2:9. Again listen and see if they sound familiar.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you
may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (The
New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation, 1996.)
1. Christians, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
2. Christians, you are a people for God's own possession.
3. You are that people for this reason:
a. You are the people who proclaim the excellencies of God.
b. You declare how excellent the God is who called you out of the darkness of evil into the marvelous
light of His righteousness.
IV. I want you to understand some very important things.
A. God wanted the people of Israel to be a people who belonged to Him and to Him only even though
God knew who these people were and what they had done.
1. He knew how godless they were in Egypt.
2. He knew about the golden calf they worshipped in the wilderness.
3. He knew about all the idolatry and immorality.
4. He knew every failure and every evil thing they had done, but God still wanted them to be a people
who belonged only to Him.
5. And they could be that people if they chose Him and loved Him.
B. God wants Christians to be a people who belong to God and to God only, and God knows who we
are and what we have done.
1. He knows our ungodlessness.
2. He knows all the false things that we have loved and worshipped by giving our lives to them.
3. He knows all the evil and failure that has occurred in our lives.
4. God knows everything about us, but he still wants us to be a people that belong to Him and Him
alone, and we can be if we chose Him and love Him.
C. Israel failed to become the people who belonged only to God.
1. They never understood what God wanted them to be.
2. They never became what God wanted them to be.
D. We as the church have failed to become the people who belong only to God.
1. We have not understood what God wants us to be.
2. We are not becoming who God wants us to be.
3. We have emphasized authority, and all authority does belong to God and Christ, but it will take more
than authority to make us God's people.
4. We have emphasized the fear of God, and we should hold God in awe and reverence, but fearing God's
power will never make us God's people.
5. We have emphasized obedience, and we must obey God, but it will take more than obedience to make
us God's people.
E. Let me illustrate it in this way.
1. A strong, powerful man marries a woman and controls her through abuse and intimidation.
2. Everyday he threatens her and says, "I am the head of this house. I am in control. The power belongs
to me. I tell you what to do and you do it. I have the authority. You are to obey me without question. You
are to do what I say whether you understand it or not. If you do not, you will suffer. I will see that you
suffer. If you cross me, you will pay the consequences."
3. And she is battered, bruised, terrified, ashamed, and filled with a terrible fear.
4. And she will never love him; and she will never choose to give herself to him; and she will never be a
wife who loves him unconditionally.
F. God loves you unconditionally: He knows who you are; He knows all your failures; He knows every
weakness you have; He knows every evil that you commit; He knows every flaw in you; and he knows that
you will never be perfect.
1. And He still loves you. He wants you to be His and only His.
2. He wants you by your own choice to love Him unconditionally.
3. He wants you to choose to be a person for His own possession.
All your life you have wanted to be loved by choice, unconditionally. And what you want is what God
wants. God always has wanted to be loved by choice, unconditionally.
Just as love is the greatest feeling we can have in life, the sight of love brings the greatest joy. When God
looks at you, does He feel loved?
God has so much love that He gave you the blood of His Son. Because He loves you, He will remove your
sins and erase your mistakes.
Do you love God?
Does He know it?
Do you show it?
Do you want to be His son or His daughter?
Let God feel loved because of you.
Download this Bible Study "What God wants is what you want" in MP3 or PodCast format
WhatGodWantsYouWant.mp3 from God's Message on the Web
Used with permission from David Chadwell, West-Ark Church of Christ
Visit God's Message Blog to comment on this Bible Study Lesson
http://godsmessageontheweb.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-god-wants-you-want.html
Last updated on October 15th 2007 God's Message on the Web
Welcome to the Bible Study section of God's Message on the Web. I will be presenting a Bible Study lesson
each week. These lessons are from my personal notes or used by permission from licensing agreements to
redeliver orally and not for profit and I encourage you to look up the Bible passages. Make sure that you
read everything and make your own opinion about the Bible Study lesson that is being presented to you.
Please keep it in the context of The Holy Bible. The only way to understand what God's Message is saying
is for you to know the Bible. Open your mind to God's Message. Back to Bible Study Home
each week. These lessons are from my personal notes or used by permission from licensing agreements to
redeliver orally and not for profit and I encourage you to look up the Bible passages. Make sure that you
read everything and make your own opinion about the Bible Study lesson that is being presented to you.
Please keep it in the context of The Holy Bible. The only way to understand what God's Message is saying
is for you to know the Bible. Open your mind to God's Message. Back to Bible Study Home