Not My Will, but Yours
April 3, 2011 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: We must submit our will to God’s will in our lives.
Focus Passage: Matthew 26:36-46
Supplemental Passage: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " ’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ (Matthew 22:36-37 NASB)
Introduction: When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?"
"Sorry," the woman told him. "I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person."
"But I’m starved," the governor said.
"Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state."
"Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."
Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, pp. 5-6.
• Sometimes our obedience to God is much more important than our making others feel good, or even making ourselves feel good.
I. The Cup
a. The wrath of God poured out on Jesus
i. All the sin of everyone from Adam on, was to be placed on Jesus, and Jesus was to be punished for it. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB)
ii. Jesus knew that it would be extremely painful and he would be separated from God for a short time. (Mat 27:46 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”)
b. We all face a bitter cup at times in our lives. Do you see it as wrath or as love? Do you only see yourself, or do you see God? It isn’t about you; it’s ALL about God.
II. The Request
a. If there’s any other way to do this, let’s try that way first (vs 39)
b. Jesus knew there was no other way, but His flesh feared. Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)
c. When we face our bitter cups in life, do we try to bargain our way out of them? Do we promise God that we’ll do ANYTHING as long as He does something different? It isn’t about you; it’s ALL about God.
III. The Submission
a. Not what I want, but what You want (vs 39)
b. OK, I’ll do it (vs 42)
i. (ILLUSTRATION) - A doctor said to a young French soldier in WWI, "I am sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm." The soldier replied, "Sir, I did not lose it; I gave it---for France."
c. When we face our bitter cups in life, do we willingly drink, or are we forced fed? Do we see God’s eternal purposes in things or are we only concerned with our temporal comfort? It isn’t about you; it’s ALL about God.
Invitation: Are you facing a bitter cup this morning? Is there something that you know God wants you to do, but you just don’t want to do it? Jesus saw his suffering as a cup; not a pond, a river, a lake or a sea. It had a defined quantity. Are you making the cup your facing bigger than it really is? Trust that God knows what He’s doing.
