Father, you deserve our all, and Lord, I pray that you would use this message, use your word, that we would give all to you, not begrudgingly, not stingy, but with a cheerful heart. In Jesus' name, for Jesus' sake, amen. Please open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6 and verse 9. passage of scripture you may not even need to read because it's probably memorized by most, if not all of you, but we will read it. Pray then like 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 also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We'll be focusing this morning on these words, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Your will be done. Let your will be done. Another way of saying that. Let your will be done. But again, that brings us to the question. Isn't God's will already being done on earth? Psalm 115 in verse 3 tells us our God is in the heaven. He does all that He pleases. Sounds pretty strong. all that he pleases. 1 Samuel 14 and verse 6, Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few. Nothing can hinder the Lord. Daniel 4, 35, Nebuchadnezzar, once his sanity has been restored to him because he had saw himself so lifted up and so proud. And God humbled him by taking away his sanity where he was in the field like a wild animal. We would say that man might have had schizophrenia. God took away his sanity. And when God restored it to him, he prayed. In verse 35 of his prayer, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand or say to him, what have you done? We were singing, what have you done? Not in the way of questioning, but in the way of saying, Lord, look at what you've done to save us. What an amazing thing. But no one can question Him and say, what have you done? He does His will. And Nebuchadnezzar knew that experientially. I mean, does this sound like a God who needs us to pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? In fact, Psalm 135 verse 6 actually says this, whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps." I mean, the verse actually says, on earth, not just in heaven, but He does whatever He pleases on earth. So, to pray, your will be done, or let your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, can seem unnecessary. So that brings us to the question. Is our Lord Jesus Christ teaching us to pray unnecessary prayers? Oh, we know, right? By no means, God forbid. In fact, in this very sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, He just told us, when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases, as the Gentiles do. Empty phrases, things that don't mean anything. Brothers and sisters, this is not an empty phrase. This is not a unnecessary request. Now, we say, let your will be done. The will of God. R.C. Sproul said in his ministry, in all the years, there was one question that rose above them all, and that was this one. What is the will of God for my life? People want to know that. What is the will of God? People want to understand, know, perceive. the will of God. And the will of God can be confusing. It can be complex, because God is complex. And so theologians and preachers have sometimes broken up the will of God into categories. And so I think it'd be helpful to get a grasp of the different categories of what we're talking about. This can be very helpful for you just in your daily life, very practical. When we think of a will, right? Not a will that you write, but a will. So I had a will to preach to you this morning. And I studied, I prepared, and I made my way here, and now here I am. So I had a will, and now my will is being accomplished. And we think, well, that's very simple. But when it comes to God, it's not as simple as that. Because God is not like us. In fact, one of the rebukes that God gives in Psalm 50 in verse 21, He says, these things you have done, and I have been silent. You thought that I was one like yourself, but now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. God is not like us. He's not one like ourselves. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. As far as the heaven is above the earth, His ways are not like ours. So when it comes to the idea of God's will, the Bible uses a lot of different terms. Words like plans, purposes, pleasure, counsel, what He pleases, intentions, foreknowledge, and of course, will. And with all of that language, it can get kind of confused in this blender of understanding. When we think of God's will, first, let's think of His sovereign will. What is that? This is also called His will of decree. Basically, this is everything. Ephesians 1, why don't you turn over there, and you'll see this. This is a wonderful place to go to get a good grasp, get your hands around this concept of God's sovereign will. Ephesians 1 and verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. That's how far back this will goes. Before there was a world. Before there was Genesis 1-1. Before there was a creation, before there was a heaven, before there was angels, before there was any of that, there was God and there was this plan before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love. He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will. That's this idea here. to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the beloved. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight." Here it is again, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. This is the plan that unites all things together. Romans 8 talks about all things working together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose, those who love Him. All things, everything, according to the purpose of His will, the mystery of His will, before the foundation of the world. The ultimate intention of all things coming together. This is everything. This includes both the creation of man and the fall of man. This is something that's very deep to consider. The overarching plan and purpose. In this will, we find both the beauty of holiness, and the ugliest of depravity. Where God creates all things and it's good, and then He creates man and He says, it's very good. This is all part of this will. And it's also part of His sovereign purpose. The fall of man, which brings in death and destruction and decay, the rebellion of sinners, the activity of the devil, Acts 4.27 says this, Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, Jesus, the Son of God. And there are those against Him, both whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate. You remember Herod, this wicked king, his father, the one who sent the men to slaughter the infants, searching for Jesus Christ. His son who was just as foul and just as wicked, Pontius Pilate, wicked Roman governor, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, the Roman soldiers who were whipping Jesus, beating Jesus, mocking Him, putting the crown of thorn on His head. The Jews who were screaming for His blood, Caiaphas, all the way down to those who were laughing at Him and mocking Him as He hung upon the cross. to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Think of that. We see the sin of Herod, Pilate, the Jews, the Gentiles, the greatest crime ever committed, the crucifixion of the Son of God. There is nothing more foul that could ever be done by human hands than to take the Son of God and to to crucify him, to mock him, to spit in his holy face, to rip the beard from his cheeks, to shred his back with a cat of nine tails, to pierce his hands and feet. There's nothing more foul that could be done. And yet all of that, according to this verse, was according to the definite plan of God himself. The sovereign will of God. The big picture. It includes everything that was, is, and shall be. Even things that God hates. God permits evil for the sake of bringing about His purpose. Why is the devil still allowed to be? For the sake of bringing about his purpose. Why is sin everywhere you look? For the sake of bringing about his ultimate purpose. But he's never the author of evil. And we are praying for this will to be accomplished in this prayer. There's also the will of God's command. Those things that He tells us to do, the will of God. for us to obey Him. 1 Thessalonians 4, 2, for you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus, for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. You want to know what the will of God is? That you abstain from sexual immorality. that you turn from idols, that you walk in purity, that you're honest, and you're hard-working, that you're in integrity, that you read the Word, that you trust God, that you live by faith and not by sight, that you put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, that you will live, that you pray without ceasing, that you fast, that you give cheerfully. All of this is wrapped up in the will of God and His commands. Jesus said, if anyone would come after me, Deny himself. What is the will of God for you? That you deny yourself. That you take up your cross daily and that you follow me. What is the will of God? His commands. And we are praying that this be accomplished in this prayer. And then, lastly, God's will of disposition. It's not a word that we use that much, but desire. R.C. Sproul puts it like this, this aspect of the will of God refers to what is pleasing and agreeable to God. It expresses something of the attitude of God to His creatures. Some things are well-pleasing in His sight, while other things are said to grieve Him. All things that take place are not pleasing in God's sight in one sense, In another sense, it's all according to His will. And we understand these different categories, and it helps you understand how God can be grieved by one thing and pleased in the same thing. A classic example of this is 1 Timothy 2, 1-4. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good. And it is pleasing in the sight of God, our Savior, who desires. There are things that God desires. What does God desire? All people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Are all people going to be saved? No. And yet we see the Lord Jesus Christ weeping over Jerusalem. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, would that you had come to me. I would have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not. You read in the psalm. Oh, that men would praise God for His wondrous works among the children of men. His desire is that men would praise Him. His desire that men would repent and believe in Him. His desire is that all would be saved. This is the heart of God. 2 Peter 3, 9, The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. This is God's heart, His desire, His disposition. Everything is not His desire. This is why God is changing things. In fact, if we were to take the approach that, well, everything is God's will and the way it's going is exactly the way He wants it, then every prayer would be an act of rebellion. Here's somebody who's sick. Lord, please heal them. Uh-uh, don't do that. They're sick. He wants them to be sick. This person's lost. Lord, save them. No, no, no, no. They're lost. He wants them to be lost. You see, these things that we are praying, if we took this approach that everything is just his will and we just go along with it without understanding that there is an aspect of things that take place that are not his desire, then every act of prayer would be an act of rebellion against his sovereign holy will. Well, that's how people take it. Fatalistic. What will be, will be. No, God hates many things. Look at the life of Christ. He went into the temple. He didn't just look around and say, my father's house has become a house of Thieves, supposed to be a house of prayer, but hey, that's how it's supposed to be, God's will. No, what did he do? He said, this is wrong. This should not be, and he took things and began to make a whip and he cleared out that temple. First John talks about that God just wants to destroy the works of the devil. Why are we praying for his kingdom to come if everything is as it's supposed to be? No, we know things are not how they're supposed to be, they're broken. God has a desire that all things would be holy and pure. And we are to pray for this as well. Remember, God is holy. His person is holy. He is a Trinity. Try to understand that fully in your mind and your head will explode. How is God one in three, but not three in one? And how does all that work out? His love is holy. You ever think about the fact that God loves his enemies? And yet the Bible also says that he hates the wicked. And we are wicked as his enemies, and yet he loves us. And God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. And how while we were yet sinners, God loved us. He sent his son to die for us while we were in our wickedness, which he hates, and yet he loved us. How is that? His love is holy. His wrath is holy. How He can both take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and yet the Bible also says that He laughs at their destruction. How can this be? God's wrath is holy. His will is also holy, holy, holy. And so we see the complexity of His will because the God who we are talking about is also complex. So we see his sovereign will, his will of command, his will of disposition, and we are to pray that his will be done in all of these things. So although his will is done in an overall sense, we also see that in many ways his will is not done. On earth as it is in heaven. His will is being done in a sovereign sense on earth, Even as it was His will that His own beloved Son would be crushed under His mighty hand for our sins. That was His will. But God's will is not being done here on earth. Sin continues. I mean, just think of the world and all of its rebellion against Him. The world rebels against His law, against His authority. You know what's true about this world? Men do what they want. I used to be really big into apologetics, defending the faith, debating and all of that. And one of the things I would often hear when we would get down to it, talking to so-called atheists, you know, what really is at the root of your atheism? What is at the core of your hatred of this God? And it never failed, a cosmic dictator. I do not want to live under the authority of some judge in the heavens telling me what to do and what to say and what to think. No, I will do what I want. You know what mankind wants? Elbow room. You ever have someone sitting too close? Sometimes you're on a plane and you know, hey, this is my armrest. You're too close. Give me some space. You're in my personal space. That's how man treats God. You're too close. I want my space. I'll call you when I need you. You're the man upstairs. I know your number. I'll text you when I need you, but I don't need you right now. So stay the man upstairs. Man wants his own way. Man does his own will on his own time. You see it everywhere. Marriage, that's God's creation, but man redefines it. It's a man and a woman, and yet men say, I don't care what God gave a definition of, men and men, women and women, a man and a tree, a woman and a dog, doesn't matter, whatever I want it to be, that's what marriage is. I think I told y'all not too long ago, somebody married their cell phone. That's not a joke, they literally did. Why? Because they say, I don't care what God says about this, I want to do this. Men take life. God is the author of life. Many people have been grieving recently about what's taking place in New York. What do they do? Abortion. Well, there's been abortion before. What's so grieving about this? Up until the very day of birth, you can slaughter a baby. And you know what the crowd did? They cheered. There were smiles. Freedom! We can kill our babies and it's law. What is that? We will do what we want to with life. We will do what we want to with death. We will do what we want to with money, education, art, music, food, plants, animals, religion, truth. Men do what they will. And they don't care what God has to say about it. You know what the anthem of this world is? God, my will be done, not yours. And it's indisputable. And God looks on. Remember, dear people, God is not an unfeeling force. He is a person. with desires that we just looked at. And He looks on this world that rejects Him and rebels against Him and spits in His face. And He is constantly and severely provoked. The will of God is not being done on this earth by the very work of Satan. Now it's true and praise God for a sovereign God who has control over the devil. It's often been said that Satan is a lion on a leash, the length of which is determined by the Lord. A lot of L's in that. Basically, what's the idea? The idea is that, yeah, the devil can do things, but only that which God gives permission. We look in the book of Job. Here comes Job. Have you considered my servant Job? Do this and no more. And that's exactly what the devil did. Comes back. Okay, you did that. You can do this, but no more. You can't kill him. And the devil did not. No matter how much he wanted to, he didn't. Why? Because he is a lion, but he's on a leash. And the length of which is determined by the Lord. But make no mistake, what was his goal for Job? He wanted Job to do what? To curse God to his face. Is that what God wants? Does he want his creation cursing him to his face? No. That is not the will of God. That's evil. Satan roams around like a roaring lion seeking those who he may devour. And how are they devoured? By their unbelief. He blinds the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the glory of God. That is not pleasing in God's sight that people are blinded in their sin. It's not pleasing in God's sight when the devil steals the Word of God from the heart so that people will not believe and be saved. It's not pleasing that He wants to sift men like wheat, like He asked for Peter. That's not pleasing to our Father in Heaven. And the Bible tells us that He knows His time is short, so He's busy. But what is He busy doing? He's busy rebelling. He's busy stirring up hatred. He wants men to continue in their sin that they might perish. And brethren, what about ourselves? What about our own hearts? I mean, ask yourself, how's your obedience to His will? Not just outwardly, but inwardly. We were talking the other day about the strong-willed child. Some of you parents know about strong-willed children. Some of you were that strong-willed child growing up. And what was that, right? This is the child that wants their way. Here's the parent's will and the child's will, and the child's will is strong. Child, eat your peas. No. Hmm. Okay. Child, go to bed. I don't want to go to bed. Okay, child, you have not touched that at the supermarket. Many of us had grew up with that conversation. We're going in the store, don't touch nothing, don't ask for none, you ain't getting none. This will in the child that fights against the parent, that does not stay seated, that does not stay quiet, that does not go to bed, that does not eat. And when we look on that, we who have a sense of maturity would look and say, that's not right. Why are they doing this? Why are they rebelling? Why are they throwing a temper tantrum? Why are they screaming? Why are they holding their breath? Why did my child, so strong-willed, I said, you're going to eat your food. He would not chew. He would not swallow. The food is in his mouth. He went to bed, woke up, and the food was dribbling out. So strong-willed. Why? Because they did not want to submit to the will of their father. We say that's wrong. Amen. But what about our own hearts? What about when you disagree with God's will? What happens in your heart when God interrupts your plans? Here's your will and here's His. What happens when your purposes and your intentions and your goals What happens when God looks at your schedule and says, this needs some revision? Are you rejoicing? Praise God, Lord, your will is being accomplished. Or do we throw temper tantrums? Do we grumble and complain and moan and pout? Do we stick out our lip and drop our shoulders and hang our head and seek to show our disapproval? I wanted to drive with no traffic. God had other plans. How do I respond? I wanted a life without suffering. God had other plans. We want our child to never be sick. God has other plans. You want your spouse to always be strong and never sin against you in any way. God has other plans. Singleness should be the shortest season of my life. And God has other plans. How do you respond? You see what I'm saying? The reality is the will of God in many ways is not being done on earth. And then we think of the comparison in the verse, as it is where? In heaven. Let your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Now, we don't know too much about heaven. Some people write books and say they've gone and come back. They have not. But the one thing we do know about heaven is that it's perfect there. Everyone and everything in heaven is perfect. And maybe the first thing that comes to our minds after we think of God in heaven, we think of who? Angels, right? Angels make you think of heaven, or heaven makes you think of angels. That's where they live, so to speak. So what does the Scripture say about angels? As we're thinking about on earth as it is in heaven, what is it like in heaven? Well, there are angels there. How are angels? What is their behavior like? Psalm 91, this very often quoted and memorized passage in Scripture, He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands, they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone. This is what the devil quoted to Jesus. What's the implication there? God will give a command to the angels and what would they do? They will obey it. Every time, all the time, nine times out of nine, they're gonna do it. He will command them. Psalm 103. 20 and 21. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, that's the whole council of angels, the hosts of heaven, His ministers who do His will. What do the angels do? They do His will. They obey. His voice. How do they do this? Perfectly. Immediately. Consistently. Eternally. They obey without question, without hesitation, without objection, without error. That's how the angels do the will of the Father. People don't die and turn into angels. That was something that was said at the funeral. It's heartbreaking. It's a bad understanding of theology and angelology and all of that. It's not the case. No. Angels are angels. Humans are humans. And angels exist and live in pure perfection and submission and obedience to God. Always. Jesus often in his parables, when he would explain the reality of what these pictures meant, would talk about the angels. And one of them, he said, the son of man will send his angels and they will, he will send and they will, they will gather out of his kingdom, all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. And that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In Hebrews 1, this great chapter talking about Christ and how He's so exalted above the angels, in verse 6 and 7, it says, and again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, let all God's angels worship Him, and they do. Of the angels, He says, He makes His angels winds and His ministers a flame of fire. The angels always do the will of God. They do it perfectly like the wind. like fire. The Bible also talks about living creatures in heaven. Don't know if they're angels or not, but in Isaiah 6, in the year, verse 1, that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim, each had six wings. With two, He covered His face. With two, He covered His feet. And with two, He flew. And one called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory. This is what they do. They always do this. Revelation 4, 6. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures. These are different creatures. Full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight, and the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within. And day and night, they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who's seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne saying, Worthy are You, O our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created. You get this picture in heaven that there are these creatures, and all day, all night, forever and ever, what do they do? They just worship Him. They see Him. They behold Him, even if it's behind wings, and they are just in awe of His glory. They give Him what He deserves. We sang that. You deserve our all, and they give Him their all. There's these elders surrounding Him. When they hear this song of praise, it's like when you hear a certain song, you like something, and you just, oh, I gotta dance to that. No, when they hear the song of these creatures, they respond by just saying, yes! And they cast their crowns, and they fall down, and they just honor Him, and worship Him, and glorify Him. Why? Because He's so great! Heaven is filled with those who see God as He is. as He deserves to be seen. Worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped. Obey Him and honor Him always. And He's telling us, Jesus is telling us, pray that earth would look like heaven. That the obedience that happens in heaven would be the obedience that happens on earth. That the love and devotion and focus that happens in heaven would be the love and devotion and focus that happens on earth, beginning in your own heart. Do you pray for this? Do I? Well, many people do. Many people do pray, Lord, let your will be done. But I've seen error. Not in the words, but in the motivation and the heart. I want to give you three errors and then three right ways and then bring it to a close with, how do we do this? So, one of the reasons people pray, let thy will be done, is fear. So either they don't pray this, or they do pray it, but the whole aspect behind it is fear. It's with great dread and terror that the words come out, your will be done. I mean, theologically, we know this is right and good. They're terrified to actually commit to praying this way. Here's an illustration. It talks about a famous tightrope walker. Apparently this is a true story. I haven't confirmed it, but it's a good illustration either way. And he stood before a huge crowd. at Niagara Falls. You know what a tightrope walker is, right? They have a tightrope, they walk across it, stretched across this great chasm beneath the danger, the fear, all that. So here's Niagara Falls, tightrope stretched across, tightrope, and here's a crowd. He's preparing to do an amazing feat. He asked the question, how many of you believe that I can walk across Niagara Falls on this tightrope? The people shouted, we believe you can do it. So the guy got up on the rope, walks across. Underneath, all the terror that you would imagine would be under Niagara Falls, comes back. Now, do you believe that I can walk across this tightrope pushing a wheelbarrow? Yes, you can do it, we believe, they screamed. So he took a wheelbarrow, pushed it across, Everyone held their breath, the children fainting and all that. Everything you would think would happen in a situation like that. They went wild, just cheering. Wow, this is great. Now the man, he comes back and he says, all right, now, for my most dangerous trick of all, I'm going to push someone in a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. How many of you believe I can do it? We believe. Yes, I am going crazy. And then he says, OK, now who volunteers? Silence. That's what happens with this prayer. We know it's right, we believe it's right, but then it's like, well, will you pray it? I'm scared. What is the fear in praying for God's will to be done in our lives? It has to do with our view of God, doesn't it? The only reason we would pray, God, I really don't want your will to be done, is if we think God is cruel. To think that he's not kind, but cruel. He's not generous, but he's stingy. He doesn't have good in store and in mind for you, but unkindness and be against you. This is one of the most heart searching prayers to actually pray. And will you actually pray this genuinely or are you afraid? Because we can all say, our Father. Oh yes, we can say, I see God as Father. I believe He's my provider. I believe He loves me. I believe He's for me. He protects me. I believe that, obviously, He saved me and brought me into the family through adoption. And He's not against me, but He's for me according to the word. If God can be for you, who will be against you? Amen. And we want your kingdom to come. We want your name to be glorified and honored. But I don't know if I want you to do it your way. Because the way that you honor your name, the way that you bring your kingdom, is that going to hurt me? And I don't want to pray for things that may bring pain to me. It's fear. F.B. Meyer said, many people shrink from God's will. They think that it always means pain or sorrow or bereavement. They always feel melancholy when you speak of doing the will of God. Alas, how the devil has slandered God. The will of God is the will of a father. It is the fatherhood of God going out in action. It is not the will of your father that one of these little ones should perish. If you were in the back seat of a car, and your friend and their spouse are in the front seat, and your friend is driving, and then their spouse says, can I drive? And your friend falls over slowly, hangs their head, starts trembling, gets out. OK, here you go. What would you think of their spouse? You would probably say, that person can't drive. So what is communicated when we are terrified to pray, Thy will be done? What are we communicating to others? What are we communicating to our children? What are we communicating to the church? What are we communicating to the world when we're so afraid to pray, Thy will be done? This is cause for repentance. Others pray that will be done out of duty. This is what I'm supposed to do. I have to pray for His will to be done. It's in the Bible. That's what I'm supposed to do. I'm a Christian, so I have to obey the Word, so I will say those words. But it's mechanical. Imagine the husband who takes his wife out to dinner because he's supposed to. You like that idea, ladies? He told her he loved her because he's supposed to do it. He gave her flowers because he's supposed to do it. And every time he tells her, I'm telling you I love you because that's what a husband's supposed to do. Here are flowers because that's what a husband's supposed to do. Here, let's go out. It's about time for us to do that. Would that be charmful and encouraging? And would that make your heart sore on the wings of? No. You say, keep it. Keep that. Is that any different when we come to God with this sense of duty only? It's not wrong to do things for His duty, amen, He commands us, but is that the motivation? And lastly, unbelief. There are those who pray this way because they really don't believe God will give them what they're asking for. And it's not that God is angry with me, it's not fear, it's just He's unwilling. I can ask, but prayer doesn't really matter. He's just going to do his will anyway. He's sovereign. I'm asking, but he's probably not going to give it to me. So your will be done. I asked God to save my child, but he probably won't. So your will be done. I asked him to grow the church, but we're so small and weak. So he probably won't. So your will be done. I asked the Lord to heal, to help, to encourage, to deliver me from sin, this idol, this temptation, but he probably won't. So we just pray your will be done. And it's sad because we're covering up sin with the skin of righteousness. What does the Bible say? If any of you, we heard it this morning. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach. And it will be given him, but let him ask in faith with no doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. But that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." Well, this is how we should not pray this way. So what is the right heart to pray thy will be done? Faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The Father is a rewarder. You take steps towards Him in faith He rewards that. He's not stingy. He's generous. And he wants you to come. He wants you to approach him. He wants you to pray. He wants you to come in faith. You know what? It's true. You don't know what he will do. And you say, Father, thy will be done. You don't know what he will do, but you come in faith because of his character. I know you. I don't know what you're going to do, but I know you. I don't know where you're going to take me, but I know you and I know that you love me. I know you are my father and I know you have good for me because your word says so. You're not a liar. You're not cruel. And so I can come and trust in faith. He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He doesn't lie. He is impossible for God to lie. You know, when David numbered Israel, and he had punishment coming, God gave him options. And it's amazing to hear what David said. God came to David and told him and said to him, shall three years of famine come to you in your land or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days pestilence in your land? Now consider and decide and answer. I shall return to him who sent me. Then David said to God, I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great, but let me not fall into the hand of man. David, knowing that, okay, Lord, your will be done, and this may hurt, but even if it hurts, I know you're merciful, and I'd rather fall into your merciful hands, even if it brings me pain, than to fall into the hands of man. Do you see? David knew. who his father was. And trusting whatever he decrees, whatever he plans, whatever he permits, we know that it's not random, we know that it's not meaningless, that it's all according to his will, it's bringing about his purposes, it's for his glory, and it's for my good. And in that, I can rest. Knowing who God is, I can say, come what may, your will is best. I want your will to be done. Not only faith, but also hope. Romans tells us, for in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. So we pray this way with hope, with a patient steadfastness. All right, Lord, your will be done, and I have a hope that this is going to go a certain way. Even if I don't see it, even if it's a path through the valley of the shadow of death, I know that it's going to bring me to beside still waters. Think of Christ in the garden, suffering more than anyone else could ever suffer. No one else would ever know the anguish that he had as he looked into the cup of his father's boiling rage, bubbling over the weight of sin and the darkness of separation and the pain of his holy vengeance, and going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. Hope, Lord, let this cup pass, but your will be done. Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed. My father, this cannot pass unless I drink it. Your will be done. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. You see the hope. He asked with hope that his father heard him. He had hope, he believed, he knew the assurance that his father loved him, that his father's will was best, that this would all work out for the best, for the glory, for the good. And you know what's amazing, brothers and sisters? After he prayed this and got three no's, the father did not let the cup pass. Three times he asked, no, you're going to drink this cup. The soldiers come, Judas betrays him with a kiss, and as they're about to pull him away, here comes Peter with a sword, makes a half-hearted attempt, slices off one of the soldier's ears, and Jesus says this, put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my father and he will at once send me more than 12 legions of angels? Jesus just got three no's and yet he had hope and confidence that he could ask his father and at once his father would give him what he asked for. You see this? Father, your will be done and what his will is might be painful. And that can discourage people from praying and say, I'm not going to pray that again because he's not going to give me what I want or he's going to give me something that I don't want. But Jesus had absolutely no loss of hope, no loss of confidence, no loss of assurance in who his father was. And he said, don't you think that I could pray to my father? He'll give me 12 legions. That is the confidence that he had. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. The cross wasn't joyful, but the will of God was for him. And the hope that was set before him, the joy that was set before him to do the will of his father, to purchase a people, to accomplish his will, to glorify his father's name was worth it all. And then last love. You know, I share with you about the angels, these creatures, all that's going on in heaven. But you know what? You know what's true about the angels? 2 Peter 3 says, If God did not spare the angels when they sent, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment, angels are perfect in their obedience, perfect in their submission, perfect in all their reverence, and all their worship, and all their adoration, and all their love to God, and yet they know nothing of forgiveness. They know nothing of grace. They know nothing of redemption experientially. When they sinned, they were cast out. And the ones that remain, the only reason they remain is because they did not rebel. Think of you, Christian, You've been forgiven. You've been loved while you were yet a sinner. You've been redeemed. I mean, think of it all. You rejected Him for years. You went your own way. You were your own God. You were your own king. You sat on the throne in your own kingdom and you completely ignored him and neglected him. And yet he looked on you with love and he brought you to himself and he showed you the beauty of the cross and he opened your blinded eyes and he gave you a new heart and a new affection. He gave you the new covenant. He gave you himself. He gave you his spirit. He gave you his word. He gave you the church. He gave you the hope and the promise of eternal life. Think of all that He gave to you. And here are the angels, with none of that, worshiping Him day in and day out, falling before Him, crying out, Holy, Holy, Holy. And here we are. You have the motivation that is the highest motivation of all, and that is love. He loved you. Now you can love him and respond to him in love. You can pray this way because you know, he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? He gave me his son. There is no greater love than that one laid down his life for a friend. One would scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. If he loved you while you were a sinner, and now as his child, are you afraid to pray your will be done? Because his will was to save you. His will was to forgive you. And if he would do all of that, would we be afraid? No, may we be moved by love. You know, remember when they were shouting out, Hosanna, Hosanna. And they say, hey, tell your disciples to be quiet. Jesus said, look, if they were to remain silent, the rocks would cry out. And I've heard people say, I'm not going to let any rock cry out for me. No rock will cry out in my place. You ever heard that? Well, in the same mindset, may the angels not outdo us. They look into this strange situation of the holy God that they're before every day, loving, rebellious sinners. And they are in awe and shock that mankind would choose cell phones and lust and idolatry and selfishness over the supreme treasure that is God himself. And they look at this and they say, what? Is this, and you love them still? May the angels not outdo us, brethren, but may you be moved by love. May you be moved by love. Who shall bring any charge against God's elected? It's God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that who was raised, who has the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, all of that could be the result of you praying your will be done. As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. In all these things we are more than conquerors than Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. So, Let us pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And let us be willing to be the answer to that prayer by proclaiming the gospel, that men and women and children will be converted and their hearts will be changed and they would do His will by our own obedience, that we would live in submission to the word of God and not to our own opinions and feelings and culture and surrender. That where my will comes to conflict with His will, when they disagree that we would find ourselves following in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, not my will, but yours be done. May this be our heart, brethren. Father, we ask that your will would be done. We want your name to be glorified. We want your kingdom to come. We want all to be under your supreme authority, motivated by love, seeing your worthiness and bowing the knee totally. And may it begin in our own hearts and our own homes and our own church before we pray for others to do the same. For the sake of your name we pray, amen. Okay, we're gonna take a break, use the restroom, and then we will have a very short business meeting.