“SUBMISSION” Matthew 6:10
FBCF – 2/28/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO – MMA & UFC – mixed martial arts & Ultimate Fighting Championship – very popular sport these days. People shell out millions of dollars every year to watch pay-per-view matches to see these fighters duke it out in some seriously violent fights. Not necessarily endorsing this sport. There are strong opinions on both sides as to whether or not this is a sport that Christians ought to participate in or watch.
But here’s the point I want to make w/ this illustration: There are different ways a fighter can win a match:
- Judges’ decision where both fighters make it to the end of the match
- Referee stoppage
- Knockout
- Submission
Submission is when one fighter is able to get his/her opponent in a position where they have to give up b/c the dominant fighter has overwhelmed them & put them in a hold & a position where they have to give up or tap out.
Submission in an MMA fight signals defeat for someone & victory for someone else. It’s a negative moment for one of the fighters who unwillingly has to give up. But submission in our lives as Christ-followers is always positive. It’s always a sign of victory. It’s when we as children of God willingly submit ourselves to Him.
- It’s a sign that we’ve recognized God’s rule over our lives.
- It’s a sign that we’ve realized that we are not able to successfully lives our lives without Him.
- It’s a sign that we’re ready to allow Him to call the shots in our lives as our Lord.
- James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you.”
- “submit” – obey; put yourself under His reign & rule over your life. When you do that, you are able then to resist the attacks of the enemy & cause him to flee from you.
EXPLANATION – Matthew 6:10
Our study of prayer – specifically The Lord’s Prayer – is so important!
- “The Lord’s Prayer should be prayed by all people, at all times, in all circumstances, in all places, in all weather, in all houses, in all the outdoors, in all work, in all play, in all relationships, in all trouble, in all places of happiness…b/c the Lord’s Prayer is an all-everything prayer.” (Elmer Towns, Praying the Lord’s Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough, p. 73)
We can never study prayer enough. We can never think we know everything we need to know about prayer. We can never pray enough. That’s why Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer never gets old. It never goes out of style. It isn’t replaced by something better. It isn’t something just for the preachers & ministers to do. It isn’t something just for the really spiritual people to do. It ought to be the first thing you do in the morning, the last thing you do at night, & the thing you do all throughout the day. Prayer works b/c God works. It is His ordained way to accomplish His will & see His Kingdom come – His rule over our lives.
When you look at this prayer, you notice that it is divided into 2 sections with a “hinge section” in the middle:
- First section – The “Thy” petitions that focus on God & His attributes
- Second section – The “Our” petitions that focus on us & our needs
- “Hinge” – “on earth as it is in heaven”
- It’s as if Jesus swings a door open as we move from acknowledging who God is & accepting His authority over our lives to requesting that He move & work in different areas of our lives.
This statement in v. 10 is a statement of submission
- Whose K’dom? HIS K’dom – His reign, royal power, dominion, sovereignty
- Whose will? HIS will – desire, purpose
We are saying that we want what is true THERE to be true HERE. But we aren’t THERE yet, we are HERE. So the only way what’s true THERE can be true HERE is for us, as His children, to submit our lives to His will – His desire, His purpose, His reign, His dominion.
APPLICATION – Every Christ-follower should strive to know & submit to God’s will.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
WE RECOGNIZE HIS AUTHORITY
The captain of a ship looked into the dark night & saw some faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message" "Alter your course 10 degrees south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north."
The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am the captain!" Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am seaman third class Jones." Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship." Then the reply came "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a lighthouse."
All of us will go through dark & foggy times in our lives – times of confusion & storm & turmoil.
- That turmoil may be in our family
- The storm may be in our workplace or in the church
- Maybe you have a storm raging in your personal life as you battle temptation, sin, addictions, strongholds.
In those times, there will be all sorts of voices shouting orders at us, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives. Out of the darkness, one voice is different from the rest. And that voice happens to be the voice of the Light of the World, & if we choose to ignore it, we can end up wrecking our lives on the rocks. His voice is the voice of authority, the voice we must submit to.
When we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are declaring that God has complete & ultimate authority over our lives b/c He has complete & ultimate authority over heaven & earth. HE IS THE LIGHTHOUSE! He is the King! Lots of people call Him “King,” but so few actually live w/ Him as the King of their lives. We must realize that HE IS KING! HE HAS ALL AUTHORITY!
WE YIELD TO HIS POWER – Once we realize His authority & recognize that He is King, then we yield to His power over our lives – “Your Kingdom come, your will be DONE.” There’s a definite moment where we move from declaring that He is King to doing what the King tells us to do.
Yield sign – Wedding rehearsal Fri for Victoria Thrasher & Reid Barnes. Getting on 16 off of Old 16. Red triangular sign – “Yield.” Means that I am to let any traffic that is coming overtake me & go in front of me. Forgot it wasn’t 4-lane & almost didn’t yield. Results of that decision would have been disastrous.
WE LISTEN TO HIS INSTRUCTIONS
We have to make time to listen to Him
We have to be quiet so we can hear Him – Our lives are so busy, so hectic, so full of noise. Have to be intentional in quieting our souls & slowing the pace, even if just for a few minutes to be able to hear God speak to us.
- Isaiah 30:15 – “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,…”
- Hear the importance of quieting our lives to be abel to trust in the Lord & find strength in Him?
But the rest of that verse says this: “…but you would have none of it.” Isn’t that true of so many of us?
“One of the things that is important in any decision that you’re making in life – your education if you’re a young person; who you’re going to marry; who you spend the rest of your life with; raising & parenting your children – everything that you do needs to be prefaced w/ making sure that this is God’s will before I do anything.” (Jeff Parker)
We have to have faith to do what He tells us to do – Sermon on the Mount – Jesus teaching & preparing His disciples to go & do the work that God had for them to do – to go & do God’s will.
Then in Matthew 10, He actually sends them out to start doing God’s will – preaching, teaching, & healing. Had to trust Him. Verses 9-10 – Don’t take extra $, extra bag or shirt or shoes - just GO!
WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR HIS SERVICE
I use an old Baptist Hymnal from my home church in my QT a lot. Old hymn written in late 1800’s by anonymous writer. Name of hymn – “Ready.”
Chorus:
“Ready to go, ready to stay, ready my place to fill;
Ready for service, lowly or great, ready to do His will.”
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAY – Are you living in submission to His will for your life? Or are you bucking against it? Still want to do it your way.
It’s His will that you be saved.
It’s His will that you be in fellowship w/ Him.
It’s His will that you serve Him.
