Praying For God's Will to Be Done

Matthew 6 and the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

Praying the third petition, which is thy will be done. Thy will be done. Your will be done. Four powerful words that's found in Matthew's gospel chapter 6 Verse 10. Be.

And.

In saying that we'd like to have a focus and look at this great truth in the light of the verse That we focused on last Lord's Day From our series from the gospel of John as we're going through that. So to begin with please go with me and let's first turn and look at this one verse of scripture to Bring to our focus and to concentrate fully on in John chapter 4.

So go with me very quickly to John chapter 4. Let's look at this verse That's founded verse 34.

Verse 34 John 4.

Verse 34. Jesus said to them and the them is the disciples My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. My food is to to do the will of him his father Who sent me and to finish?

His.

Work Jesus is one passion one mission was to do the will of his father who sent him to please the father was to die upon the cross of Calvary to be crucified as The Lamb of God that will take away the sins of the world to suffer.

To be buried and to rise again was his mission. He that knew no sin became sin that we might be the righteousness of God in him. So also in the light of the father's perspective in heaven. It was also God the father's will God's desire to crush his son to bruise his son.

It's incredible, but you we don't understand the Trinity here, but we know the triune God was involved in redemption the Father the Son the Spirit as He was in creation so both the persons of the Trinity all persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Spirit and complete Union to accomplish this great mission.

And it was accomplished and it is applied. The father planned it the son accomplished it and the Holy Spirit applies it. This is the great act of redemption redemption Triune God's work and Jesus says it's my food.

This is my food. He says this is my nourishment. This is what gives him the energy. To do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work, you know He had incredible passion to come to die. Now in saying that please turn with me to Matthew's gospel and Let's look at chapter 6.

There's so much here. There's so much that could be said in this wonderful sermon on the Mount like to begin with verse 9 and read to verse 13 now if you Very quickly, let me say this if you read verse 5 really this begins with the model prayer.

All the way and take it all the way to verse 15 you you have actually How prayer looks like and then what pleases God? The kind of praying that pleases God the the prayers of the hypocrites the The religious ones of the day the Pharisees specifically.

We're not pleasing to the Lord. Even though they had outward appearances. That's what a hypocrite is there's outward appearances of a religious show a Form of godliness as the Apostle Paul says. Let me back up a little bit.

I know I want us to see this in its entirety in a sense. But we're only going to focus on the will of God. Praying God's will but to understand all that's been said here. There's We need to see what how our Lord views praying that pleases God.

Verse 5. Let's look at this and when you pray. You should not be like the hypocrites the play actors. And notice what he says well, they love to pray. Well, they love to pray but their motives are wrong.

They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. That's that was actually their motive to be seen by men. Verily verily I say to you they have their reward but you when you pray.

Go into your room and when you have shut your door pray to your father who is in secret in the secret place and your father who sees in the secret will reward you openly and When you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do.

For they think that they will be heard from their many words. Therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things which you have need. Before you ask him in this manner therefore pray now now right here.

He begins to teach the pattern of prayer the kind of praying that pleases God and he says pray. Now he's not talking about repetition right because he's just speaking against repetition. This is a model prayer.

This is the blueprint. This is how we are to take our prayers and pray before our God. He says this our father in heaven. Hallowed be your name your kingdom. Come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen, and I'll stop right there. This is powerful, but we want to focus on verse 10. Be your will be done your will be done on earth as it is in heaven this is our Lord's words of revelation on how to pray and Praying that pleases the Lord.

So, please bow with me as We're speaking here about praying. Let's bow our hearts in prayer before our father now. And let's ask his blessing upon the service. Our father in heaven. You are holy True and faithful and we do praise you Oh God, and it is our utmost desire to know you in Such a intimate and personal way Lord To desire to know your will to desire Just to be consumed with yourself and Lord our desire is to love you and to obey you and to serve you and To do your will To glorify you in all things and everything that we do in our lives.

Now father, I pray. Speak to us through your word. And we pray blessed Lord. May your Holy Spirit do a work Within our hearts today so that our desire our utmost desire Would be all Consuming to do your will and Father we ask this in the name of your son the Lord Jesus Christ for his honor for your honor and glory.

Amen, and amen the Puritan.

God’s Secret Will and Revealed Will

Thomas Watson in his wonderful way a wonderful book. I highly recommend anyone to study The Lord's Prayer. He also has another one on the Ten Commandments And many many other books, but this one is really a jewel.

From the Lord's Prayer his book says this concerning the third petition On the Lord's Prayer your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Quote, he says this what is meant by the will of God? What is meant by the will of God?

Watson says there is a twofold will first Uses a Latin here volatis decreti volatis decreti God's secret will. God's secret will or the will of his decree. We pray not that God's secret will May be done by us.

This secret will he says will Cannot. Of his secret will cannot be known. It is locked up in God's own breast and neither Man, nor angel has a key to open it. Second he says this concerning God's will the Latin volatis Relata speaks of revelation revealed God's revealed will so you have the decreed will and now God's revealed will.

This will is written in the book of Scripture which is a declaration of God's will and Discovers what would have us to do in order? to our salvation. So actually in quote right there. So actually what Watson is actually Saying comes straight from the scriptures and if you thought of it you thought right it comes from Deuteronomy 29 29.

Which says this the secret things belong to Yahweh our God. But the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever that we may do all the words of this law so there you have pretty much what where the Puritans that this is they summarize it and emphasize it and interpret it and Apply it but they're actually everything that they are.

They pretty much say is straight out of Scripture if you notice if you read the Puritans. Which today if you mention Puritans, they can they come across as very legalistic to our Age of so-called Christians today, but the Puritans he really knew God in a deep way and no they were not perfect.

We may disagree with some of the Puritans, but mainly and mostly they were very scriptural. Especially Thomas Watts let me give you someone else that I think in a sense he is a Puritan, but Some people may not consider him.

He was the wonderful preacher from England. Him we hear him quoted here quite often. His name is Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon Had no seminary education. He was a man filled with the Spirit of God he knew the Word of God.

And he preached the whole Council of God without compromise. But I love what Spurgeon says concerning the Lord's Prayer here. He says this concerning our Lord's Prayer. And I believe this will really bless your heart.

He says this quote this verse comes from the Lord's Prayer and each element can be divided into.

A.

Most instructive. Instructive heads. And he says this concerning the Lord's Prayer our Father in heaven. I am a child away from away from home. Your name be honored as holy. I am a worshiper. Your kingdom come.

I am a subject. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I am a servant. Give us today our daily bread. I am a beggar. Forgive us of our forgive us of our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

I. And do not bring us into temptation. But deliver us from the evil one. I Am a sinner. In danger of being a still greater sinner.

Amen.

We need God folks we desperately need God and Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. So Christ teaches the Lord's Prayer. It's a model prayer. So many people you even have church services repetitiously say this prayer and there's nothing wrong with that.

But it's not meant just for mere repetition. It's a pattern of how we are to pray. It is a blueprint. It's the idea of prayer and is meant to be a for the believers primer. So to speak. It's the prime the pump.

It's the pattern.

And.

It is not that a Christian cannot pray without going through this pattern of praying. Certainly, I believe that there are times like Peter. Whereas Peter was sinking into the water when Jesus was walking on the water and and Peter said Bimmy come and Jesus said come.

And at least he wanted to get out out of the boat, right? A lot of disciples did not want but he got out of the boat and started walking to Christ to find the very laws of gravity walking on the water and You know the story as the storm became boisterous He got his eyes and attention on the storm and got his eyes off Christ.

And what happened? He began to sink and when he got when he got his eyes off Jesus Christ and on the storm and How easy it is for all of us to do that. We can't condemn Peter for that because we do the same thing.

And He began to sink and he started to drown and he cried out three words Lord saved me I.

Love that.

Jesus reached down his hand of mercy and compassion and pulled him up and he gave him a loving rebuke. He needed to have faith. Well think of this however in this pattern of prayer as we looking at we see the priority of praying Which is often neglected when we pray.

Without its structure the invocation of the prayer is our Father who art in heaven literally Sets the atmosphere of true worship. This is where true worship begins. Our Father in heaven. You think of that we're adopted into the family of God and it's not my father necessarily.

It's our father. It is corporate as God has his believers across the globe. You're part of something big Saints we may be small here today, but you're part of something very big. And if you're a child of God today, you are adopted into the family of God and God is your father.

In that great and your hearts cry as Abba father From our hearts. We are to pray and worship and all loving all knowing ever present loving father That loves you dearly. Keep this in mind. We are to pray with trust.

Faith.

Out of a motive of love to our Heavenly Father. Aren't you glad that God is not this cold force? This cold kill joy That wants to just take away your joy now. He wants to give you true joy and true peace.

But it's through being part of the family of God and he we call him our father. This intimacy was with God's. That we have the privilege to come to him and calling him. Our father is purchased by the Jesus Christ on the cross and I want to point out something important here that we all can take This for granted and may we God forbid that we may take it for granted.

Because our privilege of praying today to our father in heaven has been given through the blood of Christ.

Think of that.

So every time you pray think of that it's been bought and paid for. By a very high ransom, that's why the prayerlessness of sin of not praying is.

Sin.

It prayerlessness. Keep in mind that Jesus died on the cross. And by the way, all the benefits that we have is through the cross. Through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. I like when MacArthur says you can look we can look at the cross of Calvary.

And ultimately God gave Christ Sent him to the world to die for our salvation. But first and foremost, did you know Christ died for the glory of God? To please his father. So it's not necessarily just about us even though he died for our salvation.

That's secondary but first and primary Christ died for the glory of God. All the benefits that we have as a believer is through the cross. All the Attributes of God as we see can be seen at the cross.

That's why Paul Was passionate about I preached Jesus Christ in him crucified. I determined not to know anything among you set except Jesus Christ. Increment crucified. We preached on ourselves, but Christ crucified.

Because all that we have the benefits of heaven the benefits and all the blessings and spiritual places is through Jesus Christ through his death on the cross.

If.

We ever lose this and sight of this in faith. We have lost the heartbeat of Christianity. So Jesus Christ is that death on the cross. Therefore we come into God's presence. We could come at any time any place anywhere.

Because what Christ did on the cross. May we never ever ever forget that beloved. When we neglect our praying we are forgetting that we have the great privilege That was paid for at the high price of Jesus Christ, and it was his precious blood.

Is there any price higher than that. I don't believe. So the cost of his precious blood.

Gives us access.

Access right into the throne room of mercy and grace that we could come before him and to bring our Cast our burdens upon him. No matter what it may be. We can tell Jesus. He is our great intercessor and by the way The brother Keith and I was talking about this do we pray to Christ or do we pray to the father?

That's a good question, isn't it? But Jesus here teaches us to pray to our father. We pray to our Heavenly Father in The name of Jesus through Jesus Christ in his name. He gives us access to the father he's reconciled us to so we do pray to the father and.

Yes.

There's times we could speak to Christ because he's our great high priest, right? Because he's interceding for his people at the right hand of God is the high priest. He forever intercedes for the Saints.

That's the will of God. His and his ministry continues as a great intercessor and it's by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us not forget the third person of the Trinity because it's we cannot come into his presence unless The power of the Holy Spirit brings us right into his presence.

So the triune God is all involved. But yes. We do pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and can I say this what a great privilege we have to even pray and That's as JC Rouse said that's like a newborn baby being born if you want you born again.

Paul the Apostle says They said of him behold he prays. It's like the cry of a newborn, babe. He prays. It's there's a difference of just saying prayers and.

Praying.

Do you see praying is with urgency and fervency and desperation as You pour your heart out to God our Father in prayer.

Prayer as Sanctification and Self-Denial

Now.

The first three petitions here are consumed with the father's the father's name the father's kingdom and His will. In his commentary Steve Cole says this concerning this text and I love it often we enter he says prayer as though the priority is our is our name and And Our kingdom and our will it is not in Fact when we pray properly prayer conforms our desires to the father's desires.

He goes on to say therefore prayer is a tremendous part of our sanctification process. I love that. Can we get a amen there? The reason I say that is because every time we pray it's part of our sanctification.

It's sanctification means we're set apart To the glory of God to his service to our calling that is the will of God. Even your sanctification. Paul says that in Thessalonians. So he says this it's it's part of our sanctification for this reason.

Those who spend little time in prayer he says often care little about the things of God they typically are very consumed with self and Anything that negatively affects them instead of with God and others.

True prayer he says delivers us from our natural selfishness. In quote, I love that. I don't believe he can nail it any better than that because when we truly pray on interceding and taking our Cares and our burdens to God and we're we're speaking to God about those who may trouble us and those we cannot do nothing about.

And those that are lost and dying and going to hell we take it to God in prayer because God can do something about it. Aren't you glad? We can rejoice in that folks. It's a joyful thing. The third petition delivers us by the way most of the rule of self because it says Thy will be done.

God's will be done not our will and as we pray this petition We humbly bend our desires to that of our Heavenly Father and it is here we choose to trust in God. It is here even when the circumstances are very difficult in our lives.

We throw everything on God. You know, that's what deal Moody said what faith does. He says faith is Just not mental assent to God it is what it is. Actually trusting God it is Leaning on God with all of my weight.

All of my weight and don't and and those things that don't make sense in our lives. We give it to God in prayer. So my question is this what does it mean to pray? Thy will be done. What does it mean? What does it mean?

Here's another question. What are some applications of this prayer? I'll pray during this time. These questions will be answered. What is Christ referring to with the petition thy will be done and what are different aspects concerning the will of God.

There's so much to be said about this and we can take a long serious. But I'm just like for us to focus on something. And I like this for us to look at some of those aspects here, but Actually, I want to look at the lot the will of God in the life of Jesus and yes, I like to make some applications and I pray that.

This message today will be helpful to you in the will of God in your life as well so We don't want to make it complicated, but it seems that the will of God is complicated to so many people. It's really practical and it's very simple.

It's very obvious. So many people has come to me and I used to think the same thing. Somehow I used to think well if I'm in this location that location. Am I in the will of God but notice this what I'm saying it somehow I thought it was about me.

But it's not about me. It's about thee. It's about what God is doing in my own heart. Is he sanctifying you. Is he sanctifying me. Is he do you have a thankful heart because the scripture says it is the will of God that we give thanks and everything everything folks.

Notice what it says not for everything. I think that wouldn't be wrong, but It says in everything give thanks always.

Always.

But this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you and we know that your sanctification our sanctification is Part of God's way. It is God's will and God's desire to sanctify you. Holy and me Holy it is the will of God that God desires you to be thankful.

Do you see where I'm going with this? It's not necessarily my location my house this and that and the other which so many of us gets caught up in our own life. But Christianity is not about us. It's about denying ourself.

And that's why Jesus says you pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Notice what he says. God's will is always being done in heaven always. But is it always being done here on earth on this earth?

No, it's not. But as Christ taught them about thy kingdom come.

By the way.

If you notice in that verse 10 thy kingdom come that will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is one scripture the kingdom of God and the will of God is almost can it's connected together. So what is God's will?

How can one find it? Well, the only place to find out what God's will really is God's desire is is in the Word of God. Amen if we desire to know God's will. Desire to know God's Word and if you don't have desire for it You might want to get on your face and ask for mercy that you may be born again.

Because when you have a new heart you delight to do God's will you delight God's Word and you? Desire what God desires because it's no longer your desires. It's his desires. What gets me what what is being called?

Christianity and evangelical circles today is appalling folks. And it's all humanistic. It's all about them and it's all about man and it's man-centered, but I'm telling you Christianity and true Christianity is about God.

It's about the Father the Son and the Spirit and it's about his glory. God's revealed will is found only in the Word of God. Pastor John MacArthur has got a wonderful sermon on this today. I Encourage you to listen to it.

You can find it on YouTube and he talks about God's will how to know God's will that's the name of it and He summarizes it like this. It is God's will for you to be saved to be filled with the Spirit to be sanctified.

Notice the SS good way to memorize it and easy to memorize to be submissive to.

Suffer and.

To serve a.

Wonderful summary and outline of what God's will is. I encourage you to listen to it. Well from the scriptures this is what we get because Of time today. We're only going to focus on a great central truth.

And again, I will say this it's God's will in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ his perfect obedience. His active obedience his passive obedience and we cannot Actually go into full detail of this, but I want us to focus on his perfect obedience.

In.

One aspect of his the holy will of the Father and He perfectly obeyed and he gave himself up as a perfect sacrifice unto the Father. So, let me ask the question again again, what does it mean to pray that will be done as the Puritan Matthew Henry said.

The best commentary on the scripture is scripture itself. I Love that. So we true if we truly desire to know what the will of God is and that will be done. How it looks like or what it means we need to go to the Word of God for that answer and Actually, we need to go to the God's Word for everything that we do and everything that concerns us because I could promise you.

The Word of God gives us the answer. It may not be the answer that you want it may not be the answer that I want and desire. But it's the answer that God gives. Let's keep in mind. It's about God, right and it's about his glory and I Like what Paul Washer says the hero of the church is not you or me or no one else.

There's only one hero in this story and that's Jesus Christ. In fact, there is a place where we read These exact words that will be done in The Gospel of Matthew in chapter 26. So we see the Lord and Master the Son of Man the Son of God praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

So go with me to Matthew Chapter 26. This is the place of prayer where Jesus had gone to pray before his arrest and crucifixion. Matthew chapter 26, so let's go there before we take communion today. And this is the reason I've chosen this to tie in to John 4 34.

Jesus says my food is To do the will of him who sent me a chapter 26. Let me say a little bit here about this. It's very comprehensive and it's full much happens in this chapter folks. Let me give you a quick summary from verse 1 to verse 13.

We see the plot to kill and crucify Jesus. From verse 14 to verse 16. We see Judas agrees to betray Jesus and verse 17 to verse 25. We see Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples in verse 26 to verse 30.

We see Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper in verse 31 to verse 35. We see Jesus predicts Peter's denial. Verse 36 to verse 46. We see Jesus's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Verse 47 to verse 56. We see Jesus betrayed and arrested in Gethsemane verse 57 to verse 68 we see Jesus faces the Sanhedrin and last in verse 69 to verse 75.

We see Peter denies Jesus and weeps bitterly. So as we see this there's a lot here now. Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper and Then he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. We need to see the picture Of what God's will looks like in the life of Jesus.

Let me begin with verse 26 because we're talking about the Lord's Supper here. And we're going to be partaking of the Lord's Supper and having communion today. So this is where Jesus institutes Verse 26 as they were eating.

Jesus took bread. He blessed and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said take eat. This is my body. Then then he took the cup and gave thanks and he gave it to them saying drink from it all of you.

But this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I would not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until That day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom.

So it was not only present, but it was also speaking of future.

And.

Then verse 30 and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives. That's so rich folks the institution of our Lord Jesus institutes the supper and Then knowing that what was before him.

He sings a hymn and they all sung a hymn from the Psalms the Hallel and Jesus had a song in his heart as he goes in that direction to face the most awful death and in verse 31 to verse 34 There's the prediction of Peter's denial.

Notice this we can learn something from here folks because so many times we think we really got things together. And we think we really know. But Peter didn't know. Notice verse 31 that Jesus said to him all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night for it is written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered but after I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee and Jesus answered and said to him even I'm sorry.

Peter answered and said to him Peter did Even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble If only Peter knew. But Jesus knew. Verse 34 Jesus said to him assuredly verily verily I say to you that this night Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.

Peter said to him even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you and So said all the disciples. It's interesting. Jesus did not say anything to them after that. Jesus already told Peter He did not want to Have a an argument going here.

Our Lord was not like that. He spoke the truth and the truth stood. Let God be true and every man found liar and that's exactly what happened. We know the story. Peter ultimately denies him three times, but notice in verse 35 the transition goes to verse 36 then Jesus came with them in a place called Gethsemane.

Gethsemane. And he said to the disciples sit here while I go and pray over there. After our Lord enters Gethsemane meaning the olive press Jesus told eight of the eleven disciples with him to sit and wait then Took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, which was James and John that the inner circle so to speak.

There were the ones that were closest to the Lord Deeper into the garden so they went with them a little bit deeper into the garden while the others were a little further away and Let in parentheses here.

Let me say something might this suggest to us that different disciples have different capacities. For empathizing with our Savior's agony well as he Took him he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful.

Deeply distressed, you know.

We cannot do justice to this text. I'm gonna say this before we go any further and I can honestly say this that no one I don't care. How good the preacher is? Can do justice to this account. Without realizing that he is walking on holy ground.

Anyone who attempts to commit On it feels a tremendous sense of awe and reverence and right now There's a heavy burden on my shoulder right now. So we approach these scriptures and get so many folks. This is holy ground.

I had the opportunity to go to the Shepherds Conference back in 2005 and at the close of the Shepherds Conference Pastor MacArthur in California Preached on this text. I never will forget it. It grabbed me.

Like I've never been grabbed before from a text of scripture not because the pastor MacArthur it's the spirit of the Living God that was just grabbing the hold of me in my soul, but after afterwards I went up to him and I just thanked him and I was amazed that I got to him because so many Pastors were there is like 6 ,000 pastors of someone was already gone and I stayed for the Sunday worship.

Went straight up to him and I thanked him. Thank you so much pastor for preaching this text. It was just absolutely incredible. How it blessed my soul it fed me it nourished me and he just said well praise God.

That's the right response. But you know what? He said to me. This is a veteran pastor. And if he is you will know he's still preaching the gospel strongly in community church in California today, and he's in his mid -80s.

And this is exactly what he said to me. He said David I Cannot do justice to this text. That was his reply and I thought wow. Such a humble attitude how we need to thank God for humility true humility and a man's attitude of fears that fears the Lord and has a heart to reverence God's Word and a sense of awe and fear towards God and that's contagious.

That's rare and it's contagious and I thought wow, this is a veteran pastor and The way he approached that text was just all inspiring. All I could see was Christ. I couldn't see MacArthur. But I just wanted to thank him being a faithful servant of the Lord and he says I can't do justice to it commentator guy King said this of this particular verses we've got to look at the super the supernal character of the event causes one to Fear at least one should in any way spoil it by touching it.

You see what he's saying it's almost like when as a torch touched the ark. He was smoked down dead and RC Sproul says the reason why is because God needed no help from the dirt. God is an all-sufficient God and he is so holy and I really believe we don't understand the holiness of God.

God help us to just as I bring out the words from this text that to be in awe and the reverence of God's splendor and glory in his holiness. Jesus began to be sorrowful and The text says deeply distressed.