May Our Father's Will Be Done

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Matthew 12:50; Lord's Day 49
Psalters: 298, 331, 89, 271
  1. What is our Father?s will?
    1. God is the supreme Lord of all and thus the supreme Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12).
      1. God is a willing Being, i.e., the will is the expression of a want or desire.
      2. The will of God = s commands is His desire/pleasure for the conduct of His moral creatures (Romans 12:2).
      3. The angels in heaven perfectly do God?s will (Psalm 103:20,21; Isa. 6:2,3; Matt. 18:10).
    2. God?s will is revealed and known.
      1. The Bible is the revelation of God?s will ? the only revelation of it.
      2. The Bible does not speak to every circumstance of life.
  2. As God?s children, we pray that we may want our Father?s will to be done.
    1. This implies that we also have a will.
      1. Even in perfection man = s will was limited and dependent, not sovereignly able to determine for himself.
      2. Sin corrupted our will, so we naturally want to do the opposite of what God wants (Job. 21:14; Rom. 8:7).
      3. Re-birth gives a will which again desires to do God = s will.
    2. Implied in this petition is the request for grace to deny ourselves: ?not my will, but Thy will be done.?
    3. To pray that the will of God = s command be done is to ask for the grace of obedience.
      1. Jesus suffered and died so we might renounce our own wills and delight to do God = s will.
      2. We ask for the grace to discharge our duties properly and cheerfully.
      3. Those who do not do the will of Jesus? Father will not enter the heavenly kingdom (Mattt.7:21).
  3. What kind of obedience?
    1. ?Perform the duties of our station and calling (Matt. 12:5).
      1. Salvation by grace alone gives us a calling (Eph. 4:1) in the body of the church.
      2. Also, whatever our circumstances, relationships, or job, it is to be seen as a calling from God (I Cor. 7:20,24).
      3. ?Without murmuring? (for reluctance is not real obedience).
    2. ?As? refers to the kind of obedience, not to the degree of it; we lovingly desire to please our heavenly Father.
      1. ?Willingly? (without any complaints) and ?faithfully? (without alterations, delay or interruption).
      2. While not yet perfectly delivered from sin, it is our Father?s will that we desire perfection and constantly pray for it.