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00:00 Today, I thought we’d discuss the need to keep perceiving Jehovah’s will, 00:05 particularly when it comes to making decisions. 00:09 And what motivated me to choose to discuss that 00:14 is this first sentence in the comments for today. 00:18 “If we are to please Jehovah, 00:21 “we must hold firmly to his laws and principles, 00:25 never adopting an unholy compromising attitude toward them.” 00:31 So it’s very obvious when it comes to commands. 00:35 And Jehovah has direct commands in Scripture: 00:38 he forbids idolatry, 00:41 he forbids fornication, 00:44 he forbids adultery and theft. 00:46 However, there are many situations 00:50 where there is no direct command in Scripture. 00:54 So some might feel that in the absence of a direct law, 00:58 they’re free to do as they please. 01:01 Well, we’re aware of the fact that the Devil would be delighted 01:04 if he succeeds in getting us to break a law of Jehovah God. 01:09 However, “the wise in heart” 01:11 understand this need to firmly hold to 01:15 and apply Bible principles in their life. 01:18 It’s our experience that those that don’t hold firmly to Bible principles 01:23 ultimately end up breaking a law of God. 01:26 So it’s very crucial. 01:28 That’s why this scripture in Ephesians chapter 5 01:33 —or these verses here— 01:35 are really food for thought. 01:39 Jehovah gives us all we need 01:42 so that we’re not succumbing to the temptation 01:46 to violate Bible principles when we’re making decisions. 01:53 And here in the fifth chapter, familiar words, 01:56 verse 15 all the way through 17: 02:00 “So keep strict watch that how you walk 02:04 “is not as unwise but as wise persons, 02:07 “making the best use of your time, because the days are wicked. 02:11 “On this account stop being unreasonable, 02:15 but keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” 02:20 Why, this is so helpful to God’s people to just 02:24 “keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” 02:28 So that’s going to call on us to apply Bible principles in our lives. 02:33 This idea of perceiving —some translations, 02:37 they have “discernment” or “try to understand it.” 02:41 Really, “perceive” is a good translation. 02:44 It means to “attain awareness or understanding.” 02:47 So we need to attain awareness or understanding of Jehovah’s will. 02:53 Take, for example, decisions that we make. 02:55 We’ll do a couple of examples here. 02:58 How about music choices? 03:00 Now, obviously, all of the sacred music —our Kingdom music— 03:04 is a good choice. 03:06 But we’re not going to be overrighteous and say we can’t listen to other music. 03:10 No, Jehovah’s not that way. He’s not unreasonable. 03:14 However, when we make a choice in music 03:17 that we’re going to listen to, 03:19 can you say, “Well, I like this kind of music,” 03:23 and everything is fine? 03:25 Not if we’re going to consider Ephesians 5:17 03:29 when it comes to making decisions where there is no direct command 03:33 against this particular kind of song or music. 03:38 We have to take into account Jehovah’s thinking and his feelings. 03:42 Feelings? 03:43 Well, of course, Jehovah has feelings—they matter. 03:47 And one that really loves him, 03:49 it’s going to matter how Jehovah is affected by a decision we make. 03:54 And “the wise in heart” always apply Bible principles in their lives. 03:59 They’re not going to give their ear and heart 04:01 to music without considering Jehovah’s feelings. 04:04 Think about a couple of questions we might raise 04:08 in your choice of music outside of the Kingdom music: 04:12 Can you think about Jehovah as you listen to this song, 04:15 and can you do so without any pain of conscience? 04:22 Are the lyrics acceptable for one claiming 04:25 to love Jehovah and his principles? 04:29 See, good questions. 04:31 Something to think about. 04:34 You need to seek Jehovah’s will, perceive it, 04:38 and if it’s OK and your conscience is fine, 04:41 well, go ahead and listen to it. 04:44 But if you can’t answer those questions there affirmatively, 04:49 well, then, it would be wise not to violate the Bible principle. 04:55 Another example, consider our appearance in the ministry. 04:59 And it’s noted that styles of clothing differ 05:03 from place to place all over the world. 05:06 And we see that in our JW Broadcast 05:09 —the different type of dress the brothers have in some parts of the earth— 05:13 and that’s acceptable. 05:15 But see, we have to think again 05:17 about Bible principles guiding our decisions. 05:20 For example, this one here in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, 05:28 and when we think about our appearance 05:32 as we engage in the ministry, the holy ministry, 05:35 verse 3 of 2 Corinthians 6: 05:40 “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, 05:44 so that no fault may be found with our ministry.” 05:48 That’s very clear. 05:50 How does Jehovah feel? 05:53 Well, it’s right here. 05:54 He’d be offended if we had an appearance 05:59 in the ministry that stumbled folks, see. 06:02 This is our ministry in behalf of Jehovah God. 06:05 We don’t want to ever give a cause for stumbling. 06:08 So if our appearance detracts 06:11 from our representing ourselves as ministers of God, 06:16 well, then, that would stumble anyone that we’re preaching to, 06:21 and we would avoid that. 06:22 Very clear, so you don’t have to get a long list of rules. 06:26 Is there a chance somebody is going to be stumbled 06:28 by my appearance? 06:32 Now, I thought that we’d further help 06:36 with this matter of perceiving Jehovah’s will when making decisions, 06:40 and there’s no specific command. 06:42 And there was a beautiful article back in 2003, 06:47 “Do You Always Need a Bible Command?” 06:50 Good question. 06:52 And under the heading “Sharpening Our Perceptive Powers,” 06:55 a question was raised, 06:58 “How can we develop our perceptive powers 07:02 “so as to know how to please Jehovah 07:05 even when he has not given specific direction in a matter?” 07:08 And then the good advice was provided, of course, 07:12 reminding us to “read his Word daily, study it regularly,” 07:16 and we can’t overemphasize the need to “meditate on what we read.” 07:20 And then the observation was made here: 07:25 “We will experience growth in our powers of perception” if we do so. 07:29 But it doesn’t take place rapidly. 07:32 Like the physical growth of a child, spiritual growth is gradual.” 07:36 It “is not immediately discerned.” 07:39 And the good counsel here: 07:41 “There is a need for patience, . . . we should not become frustrated 07:45 if we do not notice immediate improvement.” 07:48 And then it’s balanced off with: 07:50 “On the other hand, the mere passing of much time 07:53 will not of itself sharpen our perceptive powers” 07:57 just because time went by. 07:59 “Such time must be filled with regular consideration of [Jehovah] God’s Word.” 08:04 See, so we learn to “live that Word to the best of our ability.” 08:09 That’s a profound thought. 08:12 And I thought this was even more profound 08:14 and it really reaches into our figurative hearts. 08:18 Just a marvelous thought in the following paragraph. 08:24 “It might be said 08:26 “that while God’s laws test our obedience, 08:31 “his principles test the depth of our spirituality 08:35 and of our desire to please him.” 08:38 Now that’s worth repeating. 08:40 “It might be said that while God’s laws test our obedience, 08:45 “his principles test the depth of our spirituality 08:50 and of our desire to please him”—beautiful. 08:53 So spiritual persons are governed by Bible principles, 08:58 that way they’re not going to be breaking a Bible law. 09:01 So let’s be determined to please Jehovah, 09:04 to do our best always, 09:06 to perceive his will —how does he feel about this— 09:09 and be guided by Bible principles when we make decisions.
00:00 Today, I thought we’d discuss the need to keep perceiving Jehovah’s will, 00:05 particularly when it comes to making decisions. 00:09 And what motivated me to choose to discuss that 00:14 is this first sentence in the comments for today. 00:18 “If we are to please Jehovah, 00:21 “we must hold firmly to his laws and principles, 00:25 never adopting an unholy compromising attitude toward them.” 00:31 So it’s very obvious when it comes to commands. 00:35 And Jehovah has direct commands in Scripture: 00:38 he forbids idolatry, 00:41 he forbids fornication, 00:44 he forbids adultery and theft. 00:46 However, there are many situations 00:50 where there is no direct command in Scripture. 00:54 So some might feel that in the absence of a direct law, 00:58 they’re free to do as they please. 01:01 Well, we’re aware of the fact that the Devil would be delighted 01:04 if he succeeds in getting us to break a law of Jehovah God. 01:09 However, “the wise in heart” 01:11 understand this need to firmly hold to 01:15 and apply Bible principles in their life. 01:18 It’s our experience that those that don’t hold firmly to Bible principles 01:23 ultimately end up breaking a law of God. 01:26 So it’s very crucial. 01:28 That’s why this scripture in Ephesians chapter 5 01:33 —or these verses here— 01:35 are really food for thought. 01:39 Jehovah gives us all we need 01:42 so that we’re not succumbing to the temptation 01:46 to violate Bible principles when we’re making decisions. 01:53 And here in the fifth chapter, familiar words, 01:56 verse 15 all the way through 17: 02:00 “So keep strict watch that how you walk 02:04 “is not as unwise but as wise persons, 02:07 “making the best use of your time, because the days are wicked. 02:11 “On this account stop being unreasonable, 02:15 but keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” 02:20 Why, this is so helpful to God’s people to just 02:24 “keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” 02:28 So that’s going to call on us to apply Bible principles in our lives. 02:33 This idea of perceiving —some translations, 02:37 they have “discernment” or “try to understand it.” 02:41 Really, “perceive” is a good translation. 02:44 It means to “attain awareness or understanding.” 02:47 So we need to attain awareness or understanding of Jehovah’s will. 02:53 Take, for example, decisions that we make. 02:55 We’ll do a couple of examples here. 02:58 How about music choices? 03:00 Now, obviously, all of the sacred music —our Kingdom music— 03:04 is a good choice. 03:06 But we’re not going to be overrighteous and say we can’t listen to other music. 03:10 No, Jehovah’s not that way. He’s not unreasonable. 03:14 However, when we make a choice in music 03:17 that we’re going to listen to, 03:19 can you say, “Well, I like this kind of music,” 03:23 and everything is fine? 03:25 Not if we’re going to consider Ephesians 5:17 03:29 when it comes to making decisions where there is no direct command 03:33 against this particular kind of song or music. 03:38 We have to take into account Jehovah’s thinking and his feelings. 03:42 Feelings? 03:43 Well, of course, Jehovah has feelings—they matter. 03:47 And one that really loves him, 03:49 it’s going to matter how Jehovah is affected by a decision we make. 03:54 And “the wise in heart” always apply Bible principles in their lives. 03:59 They’re not going to give their ear and heart 04:01 to music without considering Jehovah’s feelings. 04:04 Think about a couple of questions we might raise 04:08 in your choice of music outside of the Kingdom music: 04:12 Can you think about Jehovah as you listen to this song, 04:15 and can you do so without any pain of conscience? 04:22 Are the lyrics acceptable for one claiming 04:25 to love Jehovah and his principles? 04:29 See, good questions. 04:31 Something to think about. 04:34 You need to seek Jehovah’s will, perceive it, 04:38 and if it’s OK and your conscience is fine, 04:41 well, go ahead and listen to it. 04:44 But if you can’t answer those questions there affirmatively, 04:49 well, then, it would be wise not to violate the Bible principle. 04:55 Another example, consider our appearance in the ministry. 04:59 And it’s noted that styles of clothing differ 05:03 from place to place all over the world. 05:06 And we see that in our JW Broadcast 05:09 —the different type of dress the brothers have in some parts of the earth— 05:13 and that’s acceptable. 05:15 But see, we have to think again 05:17 about Bible principles guiding our decisions. 05:20 For example, this one here in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, 05:28 and when we think about our appearance 05:32 as we engage in the ministry, the holy ministry, 05:35 verse 3 of 2 Corinthians 6: 05:40 “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, 05:44 so that no fault may be found with our ministry.” 05:48 That’s very clear. 05:50 How does Jehovah feel? 05:53 Well, it’s right here. 05:54 He’d be offended if we had an appearance 05:59 in the ministry that stumbled folks, see. 06:02 This is our ministry in behalf of Jehovah God. 06:05 We don’t want to ever give a cause for stumbling. 06:08 So if our appearance detracts 06:11 from our representing ourselves as ministers of God, 06:16 well, then, that would stumble anyone that we’re preaching to, 06:21 and we would avoid that. 06:22 Very clear, so you don’t have to get a long list of rules. 06:26 Is there a chance somebody is going to be stumbled 06:28 by my appearance? 06:32 Now, I thought that we’d further help 06:36 with this matter of perceiving Jehovah’s will when making decisions, 06:40 and there’s no specific command. 06:42 And there was a beautiful article back in 2003, 06:47 “Do You Always Need a Bible Command?” 06:50 Good question. 06:52 And under the heading “Sharpening Our Perceptive Powers,” 06:55 a question was raised, 06:58 “How can we develop our perceptive powers 07:02 “so as to know how to please Jehovah 07:05 even when he has not given specific direction in a matter?” 07:08 And then the good advice was provided, of course, 07:12 reminding us to “read his Word daily, study it regularly,” 07:16 and we can’t overemphasize the need to “meditate on what we read.” 07:20 And then the observation was made here: 07:25 “We will experience growth in our powers of perception” if we do so. 07:29 But it doesn’t take place rapidly. 07:32 Like the physical growth of a child, spiritual growth is gradual.” 07:36 It “is not immediately discerned.” 07:39 And the good counsel here: 07:41 “There is a need for patience, . . . we should not become frustrated 07:45 if we do not notice immediate improvement.” 07:48 And then it’s balanced off with: 07:50 “On the other hand, the mere passing of much time 07:53 will not of itself sharpen our perceptive powers” 07:57 just because time went by. 07:59 “Such time must be filled with regular consideration of [Jehovah] God’s Word.” 08:04 See, so we learn to “live that Word to the best of our ability.” 08:09 That’s a profound thought. 08:12 And I thought this was even more profound 08:14 and it really reaches into our figurative hearts. 08:18 Just a marvelous thought in the following paragraph. 08:24 “It might be said 08:26 “that while God’s laws test our obedience, 08:31 “his principles test the depth of our spirituality 08:35 and of our desire to please him.” 08:38 Now that’s worth repeating. 08:40 “It might be said that while God’s laws test our obedience, 08:45 “his principles test the depth of our spirituality 08:50 and of our desire to please him”—beautiful. 08:53 So spiritual persons are governed by Bible principles, 08:58 that way they’re not going to be breaking a Bible law. 09:01 So let’s be determined to please Jehovah, 09:04 to do our best always, 09:06 to perceive his will —how does he feel about this— 09:09 and be guided by Bible principles when we make decisions.
