1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,240 Well please open your Bible at Matthew and chapter 6 as we continue to look 2 00:00:05,240 –> 00:00:10,780 together at the Lord’s Prayer. We’re seeing that the Lord’s Prayer has six 3 00:00:10,780 –> 00:00:16,780 petitions and they’re really like pegs on which you can hang all of your 4 00:00:16,780 –> 00:00:24,200 prayers, everything that you would ever ask of God really belongs under one or 5 00:00:24,920 –> 00:00:31,379 these six petitions. And we’ve seen already that there is order and there is 6 00:00:31,379 –> 00:00:37,580 progress in the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. It all begins with a 7 00:00:37,580 –> 00:00:43,400 relationship in which you know God as your own Loving Heavenly Father and you 8 00:00:43,400 –> 00:00:49,320 come into that relationship through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whoever 9 00:00:50,220 –> 00:00:58,660 him whoever believes in his name the Scripture says is rightly called a child 10 00:00:58,660 –> 00:01:05,860 of God. And as God’s children the place for us to begin is not with ourselves 11 00:01:05,860 –> 00:01:11,220 and with our own needs. When Jesus teaches us to pray he teaches us to 12 00:01:11,459 –> 00:01:19,120 begin with God and with his glory. God’s name is honored in heaven but it is 13 00:01:19,120 –> 00:01:25,360 blasphemed on earth and it’s into that great chasm that we pray the first 14 00:01:25,360 –> 00:01:31,720 petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Hallowed be Your Name. But then we ask the 15 00:01:31,720 –> 00:01:36,419 question well how will God’s name be honored how will it be honored here in 16 00:01:36,419 –> 00:01:40,279 this world and the answer to that question is that God’s name will be 17 00:01:40,580 –> 00:01:47,160 honored as and where his kingdom comes and that then brings us to the third 18 00:01:47,160 –> 00:01:53,260 petition of the Lord’s Prayer which is our focus today, his kingdom comes in 19 00:01:53,260 –> 00:02:02,180 our lives as we do his will. Now as we focus on this third petition your will 20 00:02:02,180 –> 00:02:08,000 be done on earth as it is in heaven we’re going to focus in on two things 21 00:02:08,080 –> 00:02:16,240 first the meaning, what exactly is God’s will your will be done? What what is meant by God’s 22 00:02:16,240 –> 00:02:23,119 will? What are we praying for and asking for here? And then secondly after we’ve got clear 23 00:02:23,119 –> 00:02:28,800 about the meaning we’re going to look at the model, your will be done on earth as it is in 24 00:02:28,960 –> 00:02:38,800 heaven. So there’s a model in heaven and there is a model for us on earth. So let’s turn first then 25 00:02:38,800 –> 00:02:49,919 to the meaning of doing God’s will. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What is meant 26 00:02:49,919 –> 00:02:58,399 by God’s will? Now i want you to know that if you sometimes find yourself confused about God’s will 27 00:02:58,880 –> 00:03:07,679 you are certainly not on your own. One of the reasons why we often experience confusion over 28 00:03:07,679 –> 00:03:15,679 God’s will is that christians speak and indeed the bible speaks about God’s will in at least 29 00:03:15,679 –> 00:03:24,639 three distinct and different ways. You can think about these as really three spheres of God’s will 30 00:03:25,360 –> 00:03:33,119 We’ll think about them together today. The first is God’s secret will. Deuteronomy chapter 29 31 00:03:33,119 –> 00:03:41,919 and verse 29 says this, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are 32 00:03:41,919 –> 00:03:50,000 revealed they belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law. 33 00:03:50,960 –> 00:03:55,679 Now notice the important distinction that’s being made here between what is secret 34 00:03:56,800 –> 00:04:03,440 and what is revealed. What is revealed, well that belongs to us and our calling is to do it, 35 00:04:04,800 –> 00:04:10,479 but then there is that which is secret and what is secret doesn’t belong to us 36 00:04:11,440 –> 00:04:21,679 it belongs to the Lord our God. Now what exactly then is God’s secret will? Well the bible speaks 37 00:04:21,679 –> 00:04:30,320 about his secret will in this way. It is the purpose of him who works all things according 38 00:04:30,320 –> 00:04:37,040 to the counsel of his will. That’s Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 7. Now think about this 39 00:04:37,040 –> 00:04:44,839 remarkable statement God works all things, everything, everything that happens in this 40 00:04:44,839 –> 00:04:52,320 world, everything that happens in your life God works all things according to the council 41 00:04:52,320 –> 00:05:03,239 of his will. What that means is that God is sovereign and his plans always prevail. You 42 00:05:03,239 –> 00:05:08,940 see this of course supremely at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. All kinds of things 43 00:05:08,940 –> 00:05:17,859 were happening around the cross, people mocking, people scheming, Satan’s stirring up events 44 00:05:17,859 –> 00:05:24,220 that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. What exactly is God the Father doing? He’s working 45 00:05:24,220 –> 00:05:30,940 all things according to the purpose of his will and he’s advancing his redeeming purpose 46 00:05:30,940 –> 00:05:44,339 even and especially at the cross. Now this is a wonderful comfort for all Christian believers. 47 00:05:44,339 –> 00:05:53,559 What this wonderful truth tells us is that nothing that happens in your life is ever 48 00:05:53,559 –> 00:06:02,079 outside of God’s purpose or beyond His control, and when you face something really painful 49 00:06:02,079 –> 00:06:12,959 in your life that is a wonderful truth to grasp hold of. Now exactly how God will weave 50 00:06:12,959 –> 00:06:21,200 the painful events in our lives, and in our world, in to His plan we cannot tell. We cannot 51 00:06:21,399 –> 00:06:28,279 because these things are secret, and the secret things belong to the Lord. They’re a mystery 52 00:06:28,279 –> 00:06:35,760 to us and so of course we often find ourselves asking the question, Lord why, what are you 53 00:06:35,760 –> 00:06:45,299 doing here? Why did you allow this in my life? Why did you save her and you didn’t save him? 54 00:06:45,540 –> 00:06:53,059 What good can you possibly bring from this? Now you see all of these questions are questions 55 00:06:53,059 –> 00:07:05,220 about God’s secret will and the secret things belong to the Lord. Now, how should we respond 56 00:07:05,220 –> 00:07:15,500 to God’s secret will? Well, we must trust God in what he has kept secret. We walk by 57 00:07:15,500 –> 00:07:23,559 faith and not by sight until the day when we are in his nearer presence in heaven. And 58 00:07:23,559 –> 00:07:31,100 then what was kept secret will be revealed. And what was a mystery to us we will see with 59 00:07:31,100 –> 00:07:42,100 new eyes. So here is how you pray when you are staring into a mystery that you simply 60 00:07:42,100 –> 00:07:50,859 cannot understand. You’re struggling with God’s secret will. You can’t see what 61 00:07:50,859 –> 00:07:56,040 he is doing. You pray this third petition of the Lord’s Prayer. You’re saying, 62 00:07:56,279 –> 00:08:07,700 Strengthen my faith and may your will be done.” That’s this prayer in regards to 63 00:08:07,700 –> 00:08:17,279 God’s secret will. Now secondly, the Scripture speaks of, and Christians 64 00:08:17,279 –> 00:08:22,959 speak of, God’s will in another way, and I’m going to describe this as God’s 65 00:08:23,000 –> 00:08:28,459 discerned will. And I’m doing that because of the word that is used in 66 00:08:28,459 –> 00:08:35,359 Romans chapter 12 and verse 2, “…Do not be conformed to this world but be 67 00:08:35,359 –> 00:08:45,280 transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing, you may discern what is 68 00:08:45,340 –> 00:08:54,840 the will of God, that you’ll discern it, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 69 00:08:54,840 –> 00:09:02,219 So here we’re being told very clearly that there is a will of God that can be 70 00:09:02,219 –> 00:09:08,159 discerned. So it’s not secret and it’s not revealed, 71 00:09:08,159 –> 00:09:16,119 it’s somewhere in between, it is discerned. Now all of us have to make 72 00:09:16,119 –> 00:09:23,880 and on a fairly regular basis important decisions and we wrestle sometimes with 73 00:09:23,880 –> 00:09:32,400 life-changing questions. What college should I attend? Who should I 74 00:09:32,419 –> 00:09:42,080 marry? Should I marry? Where should I live? What work should I pursue? What money 75 00:09:42,080 –> 00:09:47,239 should I spend? What money should I save? What money should I give? What church 76 00:09:47,239 –> 00:09:55,599 should I join? What responsibilities should I take on my shoulders? And every 77 00:09:55,599 –> 00:10:00,320 time you come to a fork in the road of your life you will find yourself as a 78 00:10:00,359 –> 00:10:08,739 Christian believer asking the question now what is God’s will? And here’s the 79 00:10:08,739 –> 00:10:12,960 thing in all of these questions and many more that we could add to the list 80 00:10:12,960 –> 00:10:22,080 there isn’t a Bible verse that gives you the answer. It’s not revealed. But on the 81 00:10:22,080 –> 00:10:27,219 other hand the will of God in regards to these things is not kept secret either 82 00:10:27,619 –> 00:10:33,900 it’s not unknowable what is good, what is acceptable and perfect we’re told in 83 00:10:33,900 –> 00:10:42,659 this verse can be discerned. Later this year I hope to do a series on 84 00:10:42,659 –> 00:10:51,200 the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my Shepherd. And that Psalm. as you will know well 85 00:10:51,239 –> 00:10:57,320 says that he leads me. He leads me besides still waters. 86 00:10:57,320 –> 00:11:04,500 Here’s the wonderful truth, you are not alone in the major decisions of your 87 00:11:04,500 –> 00:11:12,460 life. The decisions that will shape the direction of your days. You’re not alone. 88 00:11:13,239 –> 00:11:20,500 Your shepherd walks beside you and he will lead you. 89 00:11:20,500 –> 00:11:26,799 Now, how then are we to respond to God’s discerned will? 90 00:11:26,799 –> 00:11:33,440 Well, when we’re in this area of decisions in which we have to exercise discernment, 91 00:11:33,440 –> 00:11:39,539 notice that we are to pursue the path of wisdom. And here’s how we do it. 92 00:11:39,580 –> 00:11:47,380 In this verse, we’re told that we discern by testing. By testing. 93 00:11:47,380 –> 00:11:51,700 Testing, of course, involves looking at our own experience, 94 00:11:51,700 –> 00:11:55,799 the wisdom of others, listening to wise counsel. 95 00:11:55,799 –> 00:11:59,460 It involves looking at the fruitfulness and the effectiveness of things 96 00:11:59,460 –> 00:12:01,919 that we may have done or attempted in the past. 97 00:12:01,919 –> 00:12:06,500 It means looking carefully at our own circumstances and how they play 98 00:12:07,000 –> 00:12:09,260 into a decision that needs to be made. 99 00:12:09,260 –> 00:12:12,380 It means looking at open doors of opportunity. 100 00:12:12,380 –> 00:12:19,580 Where has God opened a door and placed a desire within your heart to pursue it? 101 00:12:20,260 –> 00:12:25,539 We respond to God’s discerned will by seeking the path of wisdom by testing, 102 00:12:25,539 –> 00:12:28,900 by discerning. 103 00:12:28,919 –> 00:12:36,500 And here’s how you pray when you are faced with a major decision in your life. 104 00:12:36,500 –> 00:12:41,380 You say, Lord, give me discernment. 105 00:12:41,380 –> 00:12:51,700 Cause me to be wise in my evaluation of all the factors that play into this, 106 00:12:51,700 –> 00:12:57,580 and let your will be done. 107 00:12:57,580 –> 00:13:09,140 Then there’s a third sphere of God’s will, God’s secret will, God’s discerned will, 108 00:13:09,140 –> 00:13:14,460 and then God’s revealed will, again back to Deuteronomy and chapter 29. 109 00:13:14,460 –> 00:13:19,539 You notice the contrast there when we looked at it a few moments ago, I am sure, the secret 110 00:13:20,460 –> 00:13:27,940 to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed, well they belong to us and to our 111 00:13:27,940 –> 00:13:29,659 children forever, why? 112 00:13:29,659 –> 00:13:37,159 So that we may do them, do all the words of this law. 113 00:13:37,159 –> 00:13:44,559 So God’s revealed will is found in the scriptures. 114 00:13:44,559 –> 00:13:47,380 Here’s what that means. 115 00:13:47,419 –> 00:13:55,700 The revealed will of God for us today includes the great commandment to love God with all 116 00:13:55,719 –> 00:14:00,760 of your heart and soul and mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself – that’s 117 00:14:00,760 –> 00:14:05,640 God’s will for us today. 118 00:14:05,640 –> 00:14:11,479 And God’s revealed will for us today is that we pursue the Great Commission. 119 00:14:11,539 –> 00:14:14,919 We’re to go make disciples of all nations. 120 00:14:14,919 –> 00:14:17,900 We’re to do that in every way that we can. 121 00:14:17,900 –> 00:14:20,979 That’s His will for us. 122 00:14:20,979 –> 00:14:25,520 God’s will for us today includes the Ten Commandments. 123 00:14:25,520 –> 00:14:30,919 God’s will for you is that you should not commit adultery, not even in your mind or 124 00:14:30,919 –> 00:14:32,559 heart. 125 00:14:32,559 –> 00:14:35,219 It is that you should be content. 126 00:14:35,219 –> 00:14:38,020 It is that you should tell the truth. 127 00:14:38,020 –> 00:14:44,900 It is that we should have no other gods before the Lord. 128 00:14:44,900 –> 00:14:50,239 There’s a marvelous snapshot of God’s will that’s given to us in First Thessalonians 129 00:14:50,239 –> 00:14:52,479 and chapter five. 130 00:14:52,479 –> 00:15:01,219 See to it, the apostle says, that no one repays anyone, evil for evil, but always seek to 131 00:15:01,219 –> 00:15:11,000 do good to one another and to everyone, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks 132 00:15:11,000 –> 00:15:18,239 in all circumstance for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 133 00:15:18,239 –> 00:15:19,479 Take that in. 134 00:15:19,479 –> 00:15:27,179 Here’s God’s will for us this week, that we will despite difficult circumstances rejoice 135 00:15:27,179 –> 00:15:30,200 in all that is ours in Him. 136 00:15:30,200 –> 00:15:33,380 That we will pray continually. 137 00:15:33,380 –> 00:15:37,820 And that we will always be thankful for every mercy of God in our lives. 138 00:15:37,820 –> 00:15:40,580 That’s His will for us and we must pursue it. 139 00:15:40,580 –> 00:15:43,059 It’s revealed, it’s absolutely clear. 140 00:15:43,059 –> 00:15:48,119 And we must be very careful not to repay evil for evil in regards to anyone, but seek to 141 00:15:48,119 –> 00:15:52,299 do good towards others at every opportunity and in every occasion. 142 00:15:52,299 –> 00:15:58,039 This is God’s will and it’s absolutely clear. 143 00:15:58,619 –> 00:16:04,520 Now of course, God’s revealed will is not limited to verses of the Bible that actually 144 00:16:04,520 –> 00:16:07,599 use the words, God’s will. 145 00:16:07,599 –> 00:16:14,219 All that God has called us to in scripture is His will for our lives. 146 00:16:15,000 –> 00:16:25,080 And here’s the thing friends, God’s revealed will should always be our first concern. 147 00:16:25,119 –> 00:16:28,520 And here’s why. 148 00:16:28,520 –> 00:16:39,099 God will not hold you or me accountable for what He has kept secret, but He will hold 149 00:16:39,099 –> 00:16:47,859 us accountable in regards to what we did with what He revealed. 150 00:16:47,859 –> 00:17:01,460 Now this should come as an enormous relief if you have been worried that somehow you 151 00:17:01,460 –> 00:17:08,500 have missed God’s will because of some bad decision or a decision that you regret that 152 00:17:08,500 –> 00:17:11,939 you made earlier in your life. 153 00:17:11,939 –> 00:17:15,079 Let me put it to you this way. 154 00:17:15,079 –> 00:17:24,180 On the last day God is not going to say to you, now you went to Alabama and lived there 155 00:17:24,180 –> 00:17:29,079 when you should’ve gone to Michigan and lived there. 156 00:17:29,079 –> 00:17:35,219 God has not revealed whether you should live in Alabama or in Michigan or in Illinois or 157 00:17:35,219 –> 00:17:43,359 anywhere else, but God will hold you and me accountable for how we lived, whether it was 158 00:17:43,540 –> 00:17:52,699 Alabama or Michigan or here in Illinois or wherever you may be. 159 00:17:52,699 –> 00:17:53,959 Here’s the question. 160 00:17:53,959 –> 00:17:59,939 Did you pursue the great commandment? 161 00:17:59,939 –> 00:18:04,099 Did you pursue the great commission? 162 00:18:04,099 –> 00:18:10,099 Did you pursue a holy life? 163 00:18:10,140 –> 00:18:15,900 So when you might find yourself sometimes getting distraught over the question, 164 00:18:15,900 –> 00:18:21,300 Oh, I need to find God’s will, remind yourself of this. 165 00:18:21,300 –> 00:18:31,500 God’s will is first and foremost that I should live as he has described in the Bible 166 00:18:31,500 –> 00:18:38,199 and then for the rest make the wisest and most discerning decision that you possibly 167 00:18:38,199 –> 00:18:40,300 can. 168 00:18:40,300 –> 00:18:45,439 Now how are we to respond to God’s revealed will? 169 00:18:45,439 –> 00:18:51,660 We responded to his secret will with faith, trusting him in what he’s not made known. 170 00:18:51,660 –> 00:18:59,099 We responded to his discerned will in seeking the path of wisdom by testing. 171 00:18:59,099 –> 00:19:00,880 How do we respond to his revealed will? 172 00:19:00,880 –> 00:19:02,420 But very simply in obeying. 173 00:19:02,800 –> 00:19:07,660 It is what we are called to do in regards to what God has revealed. 174 00:19:07,660 –> 00:19:10,979 So John says, 175 00:19:10,979 –> 00:19:17,459 “…the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of 176 00:19:17,459 –> 00:19:24,079 God, that’s the person who abides forever.” 177 00:19:24,099 –> 00:19:32,119 Now friends, do you see how important it is to distinguish between these three 178 00:19:32,119 –> 00:19:38,959 spheres of God’s will because we are called to respond to each of them in a 179 00:19:38,959 –> 00:19:46,920 distinct and in a different way. God’s secret will we cannot know and we are to 180 00:19:47,560 –> 00:19:55,760 faith. God’s discerned will we can test and so we are to seek wisdom. God’s 181 00:19:55,760 –> 00:20:03,099 revealed will there in front of us in Scripture we can know for sure and we 182 00:20:03,099 –> 00:20:11,660 are called with absolute clarity to obey. So we cannot test what God has kept 183 00:20:11,660 –> 00:20:19,060 secret and we dare not test what God has revealed. See think about it we do not 184 00:20:19,060 –> 00:20:23,479 come to what God has revealed in the scripture and say well let’s just test 185 00:20:23,479 –> 00:20:26,839 this I mean what do other people think and how does this fit with my experience. 186 00:20:26,839 –> 00:20:33,579 No, we open the Bible to see what God has revealed and then we rule out what God 187 00:20:33,660 –> 00:20:41,479 God has forbidden and we rule in everything that he has revealed so 188 00:20:41,479 –> 00:20:51,900 here’s how you pray when God’s revealed will and the inclination and the desires 189 00:20:51,900 –> 00:21:03,459 of your heart are pulling in different directions Lord, help me to obey you 190 00:21:03,459 –> 00:21:12,219 may your will be done. Now do you see then that when we pray this 191 00:21:12,219 –> 00:21:20,060 third petition of the Lord’s Prayer, your will be done. We are actually asking God 192 00:21:20,060 –> 00:21:26,599 for three distinct things in the different spheres of God’s will we are 193 00:21:26,599 –> 00:21:34,880 asking for faith in regards to what God has kept secret, we’re asking for wisdom 194 00:21:34,880 –> 00:21:43,560 in regards to what God has called us to discern and for obedience in regards to 195 00:21:43,560 –> 00:21:55,540 what God has revealed. The meaning of God’s will, your will be done now let’s 196 00:21:55,579 –> 00:22:02,900 look secondly at the model of doing God’s will. You notice what the third 197 00:22:02,900 –> 00:22:15,780 petition says, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So Jesus is giving to 198 00:22:15,780 –> 00:22:24,780 us here a model, a pattern of how God’s will is to be done. Father let it be done 199 00:22:24,780 –> 00:22:31,680 as it is in heaven. Now that raises the obvious question, who then does the 200 00:22:31,680 –> 00:22:36,300 Father’s will in heaven. And the answer to that of course very clearly in the 201 00:22:36,300 –> 00:22:42,000 Bible is that the Angels do, Psalm 103 in verse 20, 202 00:22:42,000 –> 00:22:52,280 Bless the Lord O, you angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice 203 00:22:52,280 –> 00:22:59,959 of his Word. That’s the angels in heaven. They are obedient to all the commands of 204 00:22:59,959 –> 00:23:04,239 God, and of course you see this often in the Scripture and particularly at its 205 00:23:04,239 –> 00:23:11,420 most important moments. Angels are God’s heavenly messengers who do his will. 206 00:23:11,420 –> 00:23:19,020 In the Christmas story, we read about the angel Gabriel announcing the conception 207 00:23:19,020 –> 00:23:24,939 and then the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ to Mary. Tt was angels who 208 00:23:24,939 –> 00:23:30,880 announced his resurrection from the dead. He is not here, he has risen. And angels 209 00:23:30,880 –> 00:23:35,300 who announce his glorious return. Why do you stand looking up into heaven? This 210 00:23:35,300 –> 00:23:39,660 Jesus who was taken up into heaven is going to come back in the same way as 211 00:23:39,660 –> 00:23:46,599 you saw him go. Now here we’re being told quite clearly, your will be done as it is 212 00:23:46,599 –> 00:23:55,060 in heaven, that angels are the model of doing God’s will for us in heaven. So 213 00:23:55,060 –> 00:23:59,599 what then does their obedience to the Father’s will in heaven look like? 214 00:24:00,119 –> 00:24:07,280 Surely we would say first that the angels do the father’s will fully, they 215 00:24:07,280 –> 00:24:15,560 are always ready to obey the command of the Father, and there is no mission on 216 00:24:15,560 –> 00:24:24,560 which they will not go. So Jesus says, do you think that I cannot appeal to my 217 00:24:24,560 –> 00:24:33,439 Father and He will at one send me more than twelve legions of angels. Christ 218 00:24:33,439 –> 00:24:42,160 only needs to speak the word and the angels do what he says. And Jesus says 219 00:24:42,160 –> 00:24:47,359 now you pray like this, that the Father’s will is going to be done on 220 00:24:47,359 –> 00:24:53,280 earth like that as it is in heaven by the angels. They do it fully, they do it 221 00:24:53,359 –> 00:24:59,280 gladly. The book of Hebrews speaks about the city of the living God, the heavenly 222 00:24:59,280 –> 00:25:03,579 Jerusalem where there are thousands and thousands of angels and they’re 223 00:25:03,579 –> 00:25:11,400 gathered in joyful assembly. Joyful. So there’s no reluctance on the part of the 224 00:25:11,400 –> 00:25:21,359 angels with regards to doing God’s will. They are not dragging their feet in a 225 00:25:21,359 –> 00:25:29,780 gloomy obedience. They find joy in pursuing every command, every word that 226 00:25:29,780 –> 00:25:35,020 comes from our Father in heaven. They do God’s will fully. They do it 227 00:25:35,020 –> 00:25:40,020 joyfully, and they do it immediately. Hebrews tells us that God makes His 228 00:25:40,020 –> 00:25:46,699 angels winds. That’s Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 7. Like the wind. Now that 229 00:25:46,699 –> 00:25:52,780 clearly conveys speed. The wind moves fast. The the angels don’t hang about 230 00:25:52,780 –> 00:26:00,400 saying will we won’t we do what God has said. When God speaks the angels response 231 00:26:00,400 –> 00:26:08,959 is immediate. It is glad. They fly like the wind to do God’s will. Now here is 232 00:26:08,959 –> 00:26:15,540 what Jesus teaches us to pray. Father your will be done on earth as it is in 233 00:26:15,540 –> 00:26:20,560 heaven. How is God’s will done in heaven? Well it’s done fully. It’s done gladly 234 00:26:20,560 –> 00:26:26,760 and it is done immediately and in the Lord’s prayer we are asking here that we 235 00:26:26,760 –> 00:26:34,839 may do the Father’s will in precisely the same way Lord let me be one who does 236 00:26:34,839 –> 00:26:43,640 your will fully, gladly, immediately. Deliver me from picking and choosing 237 00:26:43,640 –> 00:26:49,040 what I want to do and what I don’t. Deliver me from the sluggishness that 238 00:26:49,040 –> 00:26:55,219 debates whether I’m going to do what you have clearly revealed. Father your will 239 00:26:55,219 –> 00:27:09,780 be done on earth as it is in heaven. But you know angels don’t know the realities 240 00:27:09,920 –> 00:27:19,199 of our life on earth. Angels don’t experience temptation like we do. Angels 241 00:27:19,199 –> 00:27:30,359 don’t know what it is to suffer. And so God has given to us a closer model. Your 242 00:27:30,400 –> 00:27:39,339 will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And that raises the question, of course, 243 00:27:39,339 –> 00:27:48,020 has God’s will ever been done on earth as it is in heaven? And the answer to 244 00:27:48,020 –> 00:27:51,959 that, of course, is yes it has in the life and in the ministry of our Lord and 245 00:27:52,380 –> 00:28:00,439 Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I have come down from heaven not to do 246 00:28:00,439 –> 00:28:08,439 my own will but to do the will of Him who sent me. And Jesus loved doing the 247 00:28:08,439 –> 00:28:14,939 Father’s will. I mean, He said, John chapter 4, My food 248 00:28:14,939 –> 00:28:21,819 is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work. My food—you see 249 00:28:21,839 –> 00:28:27,199 Jesus found doing the will of the Father nourishing. It was like a good meal to 250 00:28:27,199 –> 00:28:35,579 Him. It caused Him to be satisfied. Brother, sister in Christ, doing God’s 251 00:28:35,579 –> 00:28:44,040 will will be satisfying to you. The more you do God’s will, the happier you will 252 00:28:44,040 –> 00:28:50,959 be. The more fully you obey, the more nourished you will be, the more 253 00:28:51,160 –> 00:28:59,060 satisfied you will be. Now, what did it mean for Jesus to do 254 00:28:59,060 –> 00:29:04,979 the Father’s will on earth, and what then does it mean for us to do the Father’s 255 00:29:04,979 –> 00:29:13,260 will on earth? Well, it means two things. First for Jesus and for us it meant 256 00:29:13,260 –> 00:29:23,680 embracing the commands that God has called us to obey. And here’s what Jesus 257 00:29:23,680 –> 00:29:31,020 said about that in regards to us. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is 258 00:29:31,020 –> 00:29:37,680 my brother, my sister and my mother. Do you see the 259 00:29:37,819 –> 00:29:45,400 significance of that? That the sure evidence that you belong to Jesus 260 00:29:45,400 –> 00:29:52,199 Christ, that you are part of His family, that evidence will be seen in your 261 00:29:52,199 –> 00:30:00,880 pursuit of the Father’s will. Jesus said it’s by their fruits that you will know 262 00:30:00,880 –> 00:30:06,280 them. Whoever does the will of the Father, that’s the person who belongs to me. 263 00:30:06,280 –> 00:30:13,199 That’s the one who really is in the family, the real child of God. So Jesus 264 00:30:13,199 –> 00:30:18,239 said on another occasion, not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord will enter the 265 00:30:18,239 –> 00:30:26,400 kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 266 00:30:26,400 –> 00:30:33,079 See knowing the will of the Father is of no use to you whatsoever if you do not 267 00:30:33,260 –> 00:30:39,079 do it. Jesus said that the person who hears the 268 00:30:39,079 –> 00:30:43,800 father’s words and does not put them in to practice, here’s what that person is 269 00:30:43,800 –> 00:30:51,760 like, they’re like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. I mean 270 00:30:51,760 –> 00:30:58,280 think about this person, he has a marvelous beach view but his life is a 271 00:30:58,359 –> 00:31:05,520 disaster waiting to happen, and when the storm comes, Jesus says the person who’s 272 00:31:05,520 –> 00:31:08,900 heard my word but not put it into practice, well his house collapses 273 00:31:08,900 –> 00:31:16,619 completely. But then Jesus says, now the person who hears my words and does them 274 00:31:16,619 –> 00:31:23,560 puts them into practice, that person is going to be like a wise man who built 275 00:31:24,099 –> 00:31:35,280 his house on a rock and when the storm comes, his house stands firm. Now, when 276 00:31:35,280 –> 00:31:44,959 you pray your will be done, you are committing yourself to follow Jesus in 277 00:31:44,959 –> 00:31:52,160 obedience to all the Father’s commands. When you pray, your kingdom come, your 278 00:31:52,160 –> 00:32:02,880 will be done, you are ruling out everything that God forbids and you are 279 00:32:02,880 –> 00:32:12,359 ruling in everything God commands. That’s what it means to pray your will 280 00:32:12,439 –> 00:32:24,640 will be done, but for Jesus doing the will of the Father meant not only living 281 00:32:24,640 –> 00:32:33,079 that perfect life in which in complete righteousness he fulfilled all the 282 00:32:33,079 –> 00:32:37,680 requirements of God’s law and did it wonderfully 283 00:32:37,680 –> 00:32:44,560 perfectly completely but it meant something else as well it meant for him 284 00:32:44,560 –> 00:32:51,140 and it will also mean for us submitting to the burden that God has called you or 285 00:32:51,140 –> 00:32:59,959 me to carry. We’ve noticed in this series already that Jesus prayed every 286 00:32:59,959 –> 00:33:06,079 petition of the Lord’s Prayer either for himself or for others and if you ask the 287 00:33:06,199 –> 00:33:10,880 question when was it that Jesus prayed this third petition of the Lord’s 288 00:33:10,880 –> 00:33:18,839 Prayer, Your will be done? The answer very obviously is in the Garden of 289 00:33:18,839 –> 00:33:28,400 Gethsemane. Now our Lord’s experience here was unique because the Scriptures 290 00:33:28,400 –> 00:33:35,640 revealed the precise events that would take place in the life of the Messiah. 291 00:33:35,640 –> 00:33:44,119 Can you imagine what it must have been like for our Lord Jesus to read Psalm 22 292 00:33:44,119 –> 00:33:53,819 that speaks about the suffering saviour? To read, all who see me mock me they have 293 00:33:53,819 –> 00:34:04,400 pierced my hands and my feet, all my bones are out of joint and then to read 294 00:34:04,439 –> 00:34:10,280 that the one who suffers in that way also says my God, my God why have you 295 00:34:10,280 –> 00:34:17,580 forsaken me and Jesus knows as he reads these words this is what will happen to 296 00:34:17,580 –> 00:34:29,679 me. This is the burden that the Father has given me to carry. What must it have 297 00:34:29,699 –> 00:34:37,860 been for our Saviour. To read in Isaiah and chapter 53, knowing that he was 298 00:34:37,860 –> 00:34:47,340 indeed the suffering servant, that it was the will of the Lord to bruise him. That 299 00:34:47,340 –> 00:34:51,600 our sins would be laid upon him and that he would bear the punishment that was 300 00:34:51,600 –> 00:34:58,520 due to us. And Jesus knows as he reads these words from Isaiah the Prophet, this 301 00:34:59,260 –> 00:35:10,679 will of the Father for me. If you want to know how hard it can be to pray the 302 00:35:10,679 –> 00:35:14,679 third petition of the Lord’s Prayer, your will be done. Take a look at Jesus in 303 00:35:14,679 –> 00:35:22,600 the Garden of Gethsemane. As he’s staring into the abyss of what lies before him, 304 00:35:22,600 –> 00:35:28,280 our Lord was given a terrible burden to carry and there was a great battle 305 00:35:28,620 –> 00:35:35,959 in his soul to say, your will be done. Matthew records that he fell on his face 306 00:35:35,959 –> 00:35:42,000 and he prayed saying, father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. 307 00:35:42,000 –> 00:35:50,040 Nevertheless not as I will but as you will. And again the second time. He went 308 00:35:50,060 –> 00:35:56,020 away and he prayed, father if this cannot pass unless I drink it, 309 00:35:56,020 –> 00:36:09,860 Your will be done. Here’s what it looks like for God’s will to be done on earth. 310 00:36:09,860 –> 00:36:15,479 It means that you submit to the burden that God has called you to carry, as 311 00:36:15,479 –> 00:36:26,159 Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, You will be done. Now none of us will 312 00:36:26,159 –> 00:36:36,159 ever carry the burden that our Savior bore, but God has given to each of us 313 00:36:36,159 –> 00:36:44,879 burdens that we must carry, things that we wish we did not have to face, things 314 00:36:44,939 –> 00:36:55,199 that we wish were not so, and when you pray your will be done you are asking 315 00:36:55,199 –> 00:37:03,399 that God will give you strength to carry these burdens. And how was it that Jesus 316 00:37:03,399 –> 00:37:08,860 did the will of the Father? How can you carry the burden that God 317 00:37:09,139 –> 00:37:19,159 you to bear? Well he did it in love for the Father. His speaking the word Father 318 00:37:19,159 –> 00:37:26,899 is just repeated in Gethsemane and on the cross. In Gethsemane, Father if it 319 00:37:26,899 –> 00:37:33,580 cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done Father your will be done. On the 320 00:37:33,780 –> 00:37:40,860 father forgive them, father into your hand I commit my spirit. The greater your 321 00:37:40,860 –> 00:37:46,560 love for the Father the stronger you will be under the burden that he calls 322 00:37:46,560 –> 00:37:55,399 you to bear and your love for the Father will grow as you see in Jesus more of 323 00:37:55,399 –> 00:37:59,939 his love for you. And then Jesus did this not only 324 00:38:00,100 –> 00:38:04,959 for love of the father but he did it for the joy that was set before him.Hebrews 325 00:38:04,959 –> 00:38:09,300 tells us that we are to look to Jesus who for the joy that was set before him 326 00:38:09,300 –> 00:38:14,840 endured the cross despising the shame and he is seated now at the right hand 327 00:38:14,840 –> 00:38:21,139 of the throne of God. So it was the love of the father and it was the joyful 328 00:38:21,139 –> 00:38:27,739 anticipation of what lay ahead the other side of his suffering that enabled Jesus 329 00:38:28,120 –> 00:38:38,100 to say your will be done. Now the very last thing is this. 330 00:38:38,219 –> 00:38:43,280 Gethsemane surely reminds us that the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer your 331 00:38:43,280 –> 00:38:51,739 will be done is the hardest petition of all for us to pray. But there’s something 332 00:38:51,800 –> 00:38:59,919 else here that I want to leave with you. This petition changes our entire view of 333 00:38:59,919 –> 00:39:10,340 prayer. You see our first thought may well be that prayer is a way to get God 334 00:39:10,340 –> 00:39:20,679 to do our will. And Jesus says, no, it’s completely the other way around. 335 00:39:20,679 –> 00:39:26,899 The purpose of prayer is not that God should do our will but that we 336 00:39:26,899 –> 00:39:37,860 should do God’s will. Your will be done. Will you join with me in praying this 337 00:39:37,860 –> 00:39:45,679 prayer? Our Father in Heaven, we bow before you and ask today that by your 338 00:39:45,679 –> 00:39:52,699 Spirit you will bring us to the place where we are truly able to pray from the 339 00:39:52,699 –> 00:40:02,459 heart. Your will be done. You know how strong our own wills are. You know how 340 00:40:02,459 –> 00:40:09,580 hard we find it to submit to your way for our lives. So, Lord, strengthen us to 341 00:40:09,600 –> 00:40:19,439 desire and to do your will. We pray in regard to what you have kept secret. We 342 00:40:19,439 –> 00:40:26,679 look at our country and our world and we wonder what you are doing. In the noise 343 00:40:26,679 –> 00:40:34,199 of contradictory voices, advance your redeeming purpose even as you did 344 00:40:34,199 –> 00:40:42,919 through the clamour around the cross we pray. Help us to trust you, for it’s hard 345 00:40:42,919 –> 00:40:49,719 for us to understand what you are doing. Help us to know and really believe that 346 00:40:49,719 –> 00:40:53,300 you reign supreme in all things, including the things we do not 347 00:40:53,300 –> 00:41:01,360 understand. Father we pray that you will help us to grow in discernment, lead us 348 00:41:01,699 –> 00:41:08,020 path of wisdom, guard us from making foolish decisions. Help us to think 349 00:41:08,020 –> 00:41:15,620 clearly and to weigh correctly. Give us the humility that seeks and hears the 350 00:41:15,620 –> 00:41:23,199 wise counsel of others, and help us o Lord to be vigorous in ruling out all 351 00:41:23,199 –> 00:41:31,060 that you forbid and ruling in all that you command. Father we thank you that our 352 00:41:31,100 –> 00:41:40,780 Savior knows the intensity of our struggle when your will conflicts with 353 00:41:40,780 –> 00:41:50,100 our desires. Give us strength to embrace your commands and give us grace to 354 00:41:50,100 –> 00:41:56,719 submit to the burdens that you have called us to carry. We pray that you will 355 00:41:56,939 –> 00:42:03,520 us to help to do your revealed will like the angels, fully and gladly and 356 00:42:03,520 –> 00:42:08,439 immediately. Help us to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. 357 00:42:08,439 –> 00:42:14,959 Help us, we pray, to love our neighbours as ourselves. Help us to make disciples 358 00:42:14,959 –> 00:42:21,939 of people from every background and to seek the good of people from every race. 359 00:42:22,020 –> 00:42:30,100 Save us from being unhappy Christians. Deliver us from the sinful habit of 360 00:42:30,100 –> 00:42:38,379 complaint. Help us today and every day this week to rejoice in you, to be 361 00:42:38,379 –> 00:42:46,340 constant in prayer and to give thanks in all circumstances. And save us, dear 362 00:42:46,340 –> 00:42:52,100 Father, from thinking of prayer as a means by which we can get you to do our 363 00:42:52,100 –> 00:43:02,580 will. Make us more like Jesus. Teach us to pray, your will be done. 364 00:43:02,580 –> 00:43:11,260 Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, in whose name we pray, Amen.