Not My Will - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Not My Will

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Intro: The context here is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is about to be crucified.

A. The Pressure that was Severe

·        43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

·        44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

B. The Permission that was Sought

·        42 Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:

C. The Preference that was Submitted

·        42 … nevertheless not my will

D. The Preeminence that was Stated

·        42 … but thine, be done.

Model prayer - thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...

The point of the message is this: Jesus had a will. And God had a will.

John 6

·        38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

·        39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

·        40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

NOTE: 38 For I came down from heaven (Why are YOU here??)

If Jesus prayed NOT MY WILL, then how much more should you and I pray that prayer?

The goal of Jesus - John 12:12-28 - to bring glory to God!

We should pray that same prayer for several reasons:

I. The Conflict of our Wills

We don’t need a Bible scholar to remind us that our will is contrary to God’s most of the time.

I preached last week on The Futility of Fighting God, so I won’t repeat that message.

But suffice it to say – our will is usually in direct conflict with God’s will.

Until we bring our will in line with God’s, there will be that conflict.

The secret to proving God’s will is to die to self.

Romans 12

·        1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

·        2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

QUOTE: You will never prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God if you’re busy trying to prove that YOUR will is good, acceptable and perfect.

II. The Carnality of our Will

Our will is bent; it is ungodly.

Jesus acknowledged that when talking to Peter after he couldn’t stay awake and pray.

·        Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Romans 7

·        14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

·        15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

·        16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

·        17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

·        18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

·        19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

·        20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

III. The Catering of our Will

Our will is pretty straightforward; it is pretty much what best benefits us.

·        Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

Our will many times does not want to do the will of the Father.

ILLUSTRATION: John 4 tells that Jesus was weary from his journey.

·        John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Yet, Jesus had a job to do. He was exhausted. And according to the disciples, hungry.

Yet he put His will on the back burner and pursued the will of God – to finish his work.

Jesus exercised His will to obey the will of the Father in John 4.

·        John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 4:39-42 - he started out tired and weary and hungry, but kept winning souls.

We will always have an excuse for not doing God’s will, so long as our will is front and center.

And we will always have a reason for why we did our own will – if we are looking for one.

Conclusion: The blessings of saying NOT MY WILL and meaning it:

A. A Priceless Association

Mark 3

·        31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

·        32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

·        33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

·        34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

·        35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

B. A Praying Assistance

Romans 8

·        26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

·        27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

C. A Perpetual Abiding

·        1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.