Intro.
A. My uncle, O.E., had large German shepherd (Machen). My father talks of going for walk with uncle & dog. No leash. Saw husky, wanted to fight, started. Uncle NO! dog trembled but obeyed
1. What had happened? The dog submitted it's will to that of my uncle.
B. Lee tells Picket to send troops iun frontal charge at center of Union lines. Almost suicide. Many did not want to do it, but did it anyway. 3/4 troops die.
1. What happened? The soldiers submitted their wills to that of their commanding officer.
C. Purpose of training dogs, soldiers, children to submit to will for own good
1. Not easy: children have own will: must be trained
D. "Will" defined: Thayer: What one wishes or determines will be done.
E. If we are to be pleasing to God, have meaningful life, heaven, we must train to submit our will (what we wish and want to be done) to God's will (what He wishes and wants to be done).
First lets look at some wills that aren't pleasing to God.
I. Wills That aren't pleasing to God:
A. Will submitted solely to parents
1. When children, necessary: Eph. 6:1
2. But as children grow become accountable submit not only to parents but to God
a. One of our great challenges as parents: help them transfer primary allegiance of our children from ourselves to God.
3. Tragic to see accountable adults: think not of God, but only of parents.
a. Teens, "My mom won't let me go to wild parties where drinking," etc.
b.. Adults: "My parents raised me to be member of this or that religion."
c. What about God? They don't care so much about God's will, but parents.
4. Among God's people (Second, Third, generation) must ask, my will? or parents?
a. Some don't have their own faith, but parents.
b. When parents attend, they attend, parents not attend- forget it
c. When parents die: Forget it.
d. Example: Joash his and guardian Jehoida II Chron. 24:2; 17,18
5. May God help us to raise our children to submit not so much to us, but to God
B. Group's Will (will of the church)
1. In a sense we should submit to each other. But our notivating force in life must be submission to God!
2. Some more concerned about submitting to will of church or group.
a. Young man in Argentina: Said, "I don't care what it says there" (in the Bible), "our church says you must wait two months to be baptized."
b. Most not usually so open, but words reveal primary object of submission: "My church teaches," "my pastor...," "my preacher...", priest, etc.
i. What about what God says? The thought of checking God's will seems strange to some.
3. Jews: Mark 7:5 ¿Concerned with God? God was not mentioned in their complaint. They wanted submission to men
a. If we could have asked the Jews, ¿What about God? would have responded, "Oh, th elders speak for God," sure.
b. In concerning selves with human intermediary they took eyes off God
c. Jesus responded to them in vs 6-8
4. In churches of Christ must be careful. (unwritten traditions and creeds)
a. Some more concerned with submitting to these traditions and unwritten creeds than Christ.
b. "What have we always taught?", "The church of Christ teaches...",
c. If our will is to be submitted to Christ, it is upon Him only that we must focus.
5. If our will is simply submitted to a group, tradition, creed (unwritten or written), we are no better than Pharisees. Such will is not right with God.
C. Self willed (An interesting word applied to elders in Titus and false teachers in II Pet. 2:10.)
1. Def. (Vine) "One dominated by self interest and inconsiderate of others".
2. All unacceptable wills (incl.those mentioned above) have root in being self willed.
a. "I want..." "I want to do as parents, church." I want
b. spoiled brat: "I want toy," "I want to scream/" (There is no concern for others.)
3. Can be very subtle: If not careful, we think our will is the same as God's will. Dogmatic
a. Danger with Christians for many years: "If I have idea, project, must be God's."
b. "If you don't agree with my idea or project: you're against God." They become angry.
c. Such begin to consider those who don't submit to their ideas and projects as being rebellious
d. W.E. Vine: "One who arrogantly asserts his own will" (thinks his is God's)
4. Stubborn: W.E. Vine: One so far overvaluing any determination at which he himself has once arrived that he will not be removed from it".
5. Self willed people cause all kinds of problems in churches. They're not acceptable to God.
HOW CAN WE REJECT UNACCEPTABLE WILLS TO BECOME ACCEPTABLE TO GOD?
II. Our will must be broken to submit to God's
A. Horse - must be broken: bucks, kicks, tries to throw rider. Finally learn that it is not convenient and will do no good. must be "broken"
B. Our stubborn will must be broken:
C. It will be broken sooner or later, Three ways it can be broken
1. Easy way: Searching for truth in the word, obeying it (good, honest heart)
a. No great trial in life necessary. Just searcher. Someone wants something deeper
2. Harder: Broken through trials
a. some children learn harder than others (more spankings), some adullts
b. sometimes takes tragedy, shock, wake out of stupor
c. examples:
i.. Apostle Paul (not like Peter, John, Cornelius) vision, horror of sin,)
ii. prodigal son, had to be eating husks with hogs
iii brother in Louisville: rebellious, tried to commit suicide. His crippling injury woke him up. He submitted his will to God's.
3. Tragic: Day of judgement: All human pride: broken (Romans 14:11)
a. Proud, arrogant of today: Mad. Murray Ohare, Ingersoll, Carl Sagan, Agnostics, Will tremble before God. Their will will be broken!
b. all cockiness, strutting: ended: trembling Before Creator of universe,
c. But then it will be too late!
D. When will your will be broken? searcher? through suffering? at judgment?
E. Application to evangelism.
1. As we reach others, we should have only goal in mind: convince others to submit their will to Christ's.
2. False goals
a .Are you going to submit to baptism or not?
b. Submit to "non denominational Christianity or not?
c. Some submit to "baptism" and to "non denominational Christianity" without really submitting to Christ.
i. explains why there are some arrogant, proud and difficult people in local churches. They've submitted to baptism or certain ideas, but haven't submitted themselves to Christ!
d. question should be: Will you submit to Christ??
i. If they truly submit to Christ, they will then be baptized as He commands and accept His teaching.
3. Some talk about an Encounter w/ Christ, but forget the importance of obedience.
4. But there is a sense in which we must have an encounter w ith Christ, and submit to Him!
a. When one se's Christ in all His glory, sees sin for ugliness that it is.
5. Only then will one submit to Christ
F. Our will must continue to be broken, even after becoming Christians
1. Even after becoming Xtian, pride, self suffficiency, self willedness, sometimes rears ugly head.
2. Every time it does, must be broken with humble confession: I Jn. 1:8
3. Will doesn't like to be broken: excuses, rationalization, justification,
4. Unless that will is broken: sin remains, and our will is not acceptable to God.
5. Why pride is worst of all defects:
a. some lazy, timid, lack confidence, don't study, cigarrettes, vices,
b. but if with all these defects there is humility, there is hope that sin will be confessed,
c . PRIDE doesn't allow that will to be broken. Words don't come out.
6. Only when tears of remorse wash over us, then and only then can our will be broken and we can submit will to that of Christ. Only then can we have peace forgiveness
7. David, many faults, killed, adultery: couldn't control children,
a. And yet he is considered one of the great men of the Bible! Why?
b. In spite of all weaknesses, he had a humble heart, a will that was easily broken with humble confession
c. After sin Psalm 51:1-4:
8. The fact that God considered David great shows He has a different concept of TRUE GREATNESS than we often have. The primary element of true greatness is a humble, easily broken spirit.
9. Our concept of spiritual greatness often like Pharisee of Luke 18
a. Luke 18:11,12 (Checklist) I'm really good strong follower of God
b. God didn't care so much about his checklist, but his heart, his will
c. The one who was justified in this story was the publican (his "checklist" would have been in bad order)
d. But he had a humble, broken, contrite heart "Lord be merciful to me a sinner"
e. our checklist: Sunday A.M. P.M. Wed. Teach, preach, known through the brotherhood, quote scripture, I have so many talents. Glad not like denominationlists. I'm in one true church.. I'm glad I'm not like all these weak brethren. If they had faith they would have more talents like me.
e. But is our will, easily broken???, Can we say, "God be merciful to me a sinner?
10. Psalm 51:17
a. What does God see? "Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart" We want him to focus on checklist "wonderful works
i. though works not unimportant (they are essential if they are the result of a humble heart) God focuses first on our heart, our will.
ii. If that will is elevated, if we are self sufficient, haughty, constantly feeling superior to others. Such an unbreakable will is not right with God.
10. Jesus said, "blessed are they that mourn" Blessed are they whose cheeks can be stained, with tears of remorse. Only those humble, easily broken will be comforted.
G. May God help us to break the pride, feelings of superiority, break our WILL, so that we can submit it completely to the Creator of the universe.
III. May our will become one with Christ's
A. After submitting, we should try to go one step further: Have our will become one with Christ's.
1. Think like Him, desire same thing. almost automatically do what He wills.
2. Phil 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus".
3. Quarterback and wide reciever: read mind, know what going to do
a. each one knows what the other is going to do before he does it.
4. Basketball team, point guard, scoring foward, same mind
5. How great if it can be said of us, "His will is one with Christ's."
B. How do it? Imitating Christ, Spending time with Him, study, prayer
1. Constantly read gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke John
2. Analize his reactions, how responded. Do same.
3. Question when faced with any question: What would Christ do? If we know Him and His word, we will know.
C. Fear many brethren have stopped short: Feel submission to external ordinances enough
1. Checklist: L.S., Sing without instrumental music, no institutions, submitting
a. in a sense yes, but lot more to submission than following external. ordinances
2. Where is love? fights, sarcasm, impatience. What about Christlikeness? lost in selfishness, ambition
3. We Haven't truly submitted if our religion is simply a matter of putting points on a checklist.,
4. When we see such among brethren, maybe problem is that their goal is mere submission to rules and regulations. Their goal isn't to be like Christ in every way.
D. Two things necessary for our will to be right with God
1. Submission, to external commands
2. Must be working that our will become one with God
E. Often appeal to others on the basis of submission to externals, when should on being Christlike and doing what He would do..
1. Example: Attendance (Sunday night? Wednesday night? ) Heb. 10:25
a. (essential, no not essential? ) Wednesday night on God's checklist?
2. How much better to be able to simply appeal to people on the basis of doing what Christ would do. Wouldn't Christ want to be with His people any time possible?
E. Beautiful verse in II Corinthians 3
1. Verses 14-16 Paul laments the fact that Jews could never know God while they had veil of Old Covenant hiding true knowledge of God through Christ.
2. Vs. 17. we have that veil removed therefore according to verse 18...
3. We are changed as we behold Christ, to become in His image.
4. Our will becomes one with His.
5. When our will not only submits but becomes one with Christ's, then, in everything our will will be right with God.
Conclusion:
A. As long as man rebels against God, allows his will to battle God's, no hope
1 Man cannot know who he is, why he is here or where he is going.
B. Only when allowing that will to be broken, submitting, then allowing himself to become one with Christ, does life become meaningful and hopeful.
C. Have you allowed your will to be broken?
1. Pride says "no." You don't need God, you're self sufficient, good enough with all your works. Not necessary to fall on your kness, humiliate self.
2. As long as you stubbornly continue, no hope
D. If you, like prodigal son, willing to humble self, submit to Christ. Come into a new life. In losing your life , (submission) you will find it.. In Denying self, you will find yourself.
1. Let us help if we can in any way