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May turn in your Bibles to Matthew 
chapter 6 as we continue our study in the Sermon on the Mount, 
which is a part of our larger study in Matthew's Gospel. And 
we find ourselves in the Lord's Prayer, specifically the third 
petition of the Lord's Prayer, Thy will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven. Remember, there is a conspicuous 
order in the prayer. God comes first, God's name, 
God's kingdom and God's will. precedes our request for food 
or provision, for forgiveness and for protection. We learn 
from this that we ought to be God-centered in our approach 
to God, that his will and his word inform us in the manner 
in which we are to pray. Calvin describes the prayer this 
way. He says, Christ embraces, therefore, 
in six petitions what we are at liberty to ask from God. Nothing 
is more advantageous to us than such instruction. Though this 
is the most important exercise of piety, yet in forming our 
prayers and regulating our wishes, all our senses fail us. No man 
will pray aright. unless his lips and heart shall 
be directed by the heavenly master. It's a great sentiment. I'll 
just pick up reading in Matthew six, beginning in verse five. And when you pray, you shall 
not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in 
the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may 
be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they 
have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into 
your room. And when you have shut your door, 
pray to your father who is in the secret place and your father 
who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, 
do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think 
that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not 
be like that for your father knows the things you have need 
of before you ask him in this manner. Therefore, pray 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 forgive our 
debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, 
but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom 
and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men 
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will 
your father forgive your trespasses. Amen. Well, let us pray. God, 
thank you for this great prayer. And thank you, Father, for not 
leaving us to ourselves in this world. We are foolish men and 
women, and we don't know how to approach you, God, unless 
your word tells us. And how we thank you that Christ 
has spoken here concerning prayer. We ask that you would just give 
us the mind of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide 
us and to lead us into all truth. Thank you again that you've not 
left us as orphans in this world, that you've given another comforter. 
And we thank you for the written word, the law of God most high. We praise you that it is our 
rule of life, our standard for practice. We ask even now, Father, 
that you would give us eyes to understand or eyes to see and 
hearts to understand your truth. And we pray through Christ the 
Lord. Amen. As we have seen in the larger 
context, the Lord Jesus says, do not pray lightly. a hypocrite, 
and do not pray like the heathen. That then leads him to introduce 
to us this model prayer. And we are not to take it and 
just recite it in rote fashion. In other words, we don't say 
five of them or ten of them and think that somehow we avail with 
God. Rather, we take the principles, 
we take the petitions, we take what Jesus is speaking to specifically, 
and we apply that. We come into our closet, we address 
our Father as our Father in heaven. We pray that his name would be 
glorified, that his name would be hallowed, that his name would 
be honored in our lives as individuals, in our families, in our churches, 
in our society at large. We pray that God's kingdom would 
come through the proclamation of the truth, that as the gospel 
is preached, more and more sinners would be born again. More and 
more sinners would enter savingly into the kingdom of God most 
high. And there is that legitimate prayer for the eschatological 
kingdom, where we pray that the kingdom of glory would come in 
all of its beauty and manifest wonder, that Jesus would come 
again to judge the living and the dead. And then this third 
petition, we pray that God's will be done on earth as it is 
in heaven. And as we did with the last two 
petitions, we'll look first at the meaning of God's will, and 
then secondly, at some particulars involved. So the meaning of God's 
will and then some particulars, how we ought to take this petition 
and put it into practice in our lives as individuals and in our 
corporate life as the Church of Jesus Christ. Well, when we 
come to this statement, your will be done. Theologians generally 
reduce, or generally define, the will of God in two categories. There is the decretive will, 
or the secret will of God, and then there is the revealed will, 
or the preceptive will. The decretive, or the secret 
will, is the will of God, wherein He accomplishes all things according 
to the counsel of His sovereign plan. The Westminster Shorter 
Catechism, when it asks, what are the decrees of God, answers 
this way. The decrees of God are His eternal 
purpose. This is the secret will coming 
to pass, the decretive will, the decree of God. It says, the 
decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel 
of His will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained 
whatsoever comes to pass. great statement of God's comprehensive 
sovereignty and His power and the essence of His decree. Everything 
happens according to plan. There are no haphazard events. There is no chance happening. 
There is nothing random in nature. There is nothing that exists 
apart from the sovereignty and the comprehensive plan of God 
Most High. I believe Jesus, when he says 
that we are to pray that God's will be done, is speaking primarily 
of the revealed will, of the preceptive will, the will of 
God as it comes through his word. But let's just take a moment 
to think about the secret will. Let's just look at a few passages 
that highlight the reality that God is sovereign. That God is 
glorious, that God has instituted a plan, and God is most assuredly 
carrying out that plan. Remember in that discourse with 
Job, those who use Robert Murray McShane's calendar have been 
reading in the book of Job. This is a little bit ahead of 
the reading plan, but in Job chapter 42, after God tells Job, 
God answers him, after God demonstrates his glory and majesty and excellence 
and power to Job, this is his admission. He says, I know that 
you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld 
from you. You ask, who is this who hides 
counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what 
I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me, 
which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak. 
You said I will question you and you shall answer me. I have 
heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees 
you. Therefore, I abhor myself and 
repent in dust and ashes." Understanding that God is sovereign, that he's 
not just over your religious life, that he's not just Lord 
of Sunday, that he's not just Lord of a Christian ghetto, but 
that God Most High has sovereignty over all things ought to produce 
in us a right response. I abhor myself and repent in 
dust and ashes. The Psalter declares that our 
God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases. His kingdom rules over all. These are passages that we reflected 
on last week in the petition that God's kingdom would come. 
God has comprehensive, absolute sovereignty. He has foreordained 
whatsoever comes to pass. And while some people say, well, 
I don't like that conception of God, the believer says, praise 
God that there isn't chance happening, that there isn't random events, 
that there isn't illness or sickness that doesn't come from the hand 
of a good God who is working these things on. for his glory 
and for my well-being. The opponents of God's comprehensive 
sovereignty are shooting themselves in the proverbial foot. Who doesn't 
want to know that God is over Sennacherib? Who doesn't want 
to know that God is the one who raises up Nebuchadnezzar, sends 
him out to live like a beast in the field, and then opens 
his understanding to realize that God Most High is sovereign? Who doesn't want to know that 
God is over Barack Obama? Who doesn't want to know that 
God is over Ottawa? That God is over D.C.? Who wants 
to live in a world filled with chance and random occurrence 
that ultimately depends upon men rather than a sovereign God? Brethren, when we consider the 
secret things of the Lord God Most High, hopefully it has a 
calming effect upon us, a soothing effect, a blessed effect, an 
encouraging effect. We may not be able to understand 
everything. We may not be able to piece the 
whole thing together, but we know that the God of heaven and 
earth is orchestrating every event, every detail, every infirmity, 
every trial, every challenge, every difficult difficulty, according 
to his plan for his glory and for our well-being. Who doesn't 
want that pillow? Who doesn't want that pillow 
of predestination? Who doesn't want that joy and 
comfort? Who wants to think it's all up to men? I will be done. We cannot stop the secret things 
of the Lord our God. We cannot stay His hand. Psalm 
135, similar to Psalm 115. Psalm 135, 5, For I know that 
the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the 
Lord pleases, He does in heaven and in earth, in the seas and 
in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend 
from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain. 
He brings the wind out of His treasuries. He destroyed the 
firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. He sent signs and 
wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all 
his servants. He defeated many nations and 
slew mighty kings, Sihon, king of the Amorites, Og, king of 
Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, and gave their land 
as a heritage to Israel, his people. As this psalm was being 
read in the tabernacle or in the temple, do you know what 
the people of God were supposed to be doing? Praise him! worship 
him, glorify him, honor him. He is rehearsing the fact that 
God has a plan, that God is orchestrating all things, that God had a purpose 
to bring Israel out of Egypt and to convey upon them or confer 
upon them great benefit and blessing. Do you know what happens when 
we come into the Church of Jesus Christ and we read these Psalms 
or we look at John 14 or we hear preaching? We ought to say, praise 
Him, worship Him, honor Him, glorify Him. We're not supposed 
to be sitting here thinking, what about me? What about this? 
What about that? God comes first, brethren. That's what the petitions 
and the order teaches us. God's will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven. The prophet Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 
46, Isaiah, chapter 46, verses 9 to 11. Again, just a sampling 
of passages that deal with this issue of God's decretive or secret 
will. Decretive related to decree. 
It is what he has decreed to take place for his glory and 
for the good of his people. So Isaiah 46, verse nine, remember 
the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other. 
I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the 
beginning and from ancient times, things that are not yet done, 
saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. We should probably just stop, 
close our Bibles and get on our faces and worship. We think Isaiah did when he wrote 
this. I think the clouds, right, theology 
has lost its way if it doesn't exhilarate the soul. It doesn't thrill the heart. 
We approach it as a dry academic enterprise, wherein we just get 
knowledge for knowledge sake, we've missed the point, which 
Jesus say in that high priestly prayer. And this is eternal life, 
that what? That they may see the streets 
paved with gold, that they may see those pearly gates, that 
they may enjoy seeing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they may 
be with their families forever in the kingdom of glory to come. Jesus defines eternal life in 
a much more theocentric way. He says this is eternal life, 
that they may know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent. Again, that compound object of 
the believer's knowledge, God and Christ. This is the essence. This is the substance. This is 
the stuff, if you will, of eternal life. The prophet tells us, or 
God through the prophet says, remember the former things of 
old. Why does he have to say that? Because we're prone to 
wander and prone to leave the God we love. We can get broken 
out of Egypt in a mighty display of God's grace and power and 
glory and majesty, and forget. We can forget the fact that at 
one time we were far off. At one time we were dead in our 
trespasses and sins. That at one time we were violating 
every one of God's Ten Commandments, and now we've been brought nigh. 
We're here on the Lord's day. We're singing praises to God. 
We actually take an interest in the scripture. Well, why is 
that? Not because we made good decisions or because we fell 
into a pool of wisdom, but rather because God reached out in sovereign 
grace and pulled us out of darkness and placed us in the marvelous 
light. It's an unfortunate reality, brethren, that the people of 
God have to be told so many times to remember. Remember the former 
things of all, for I am God and there is no other. I am God and 
there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and 
from the ancient times, things that are not yet done, saying 
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. So that's 
the secret things of God. That's the decree of God. We 
don't change that. We don't stop that. We don't 
stay as hand. We don't ask what do is that? And that is a real practical 
illustration. There's a real practical example 
of that calling a bird of prey, verse eleven from the east, the 
man who executes my counsel from a far country. Indeed, I have 
spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. 
I have purposed it. I will also do it, too. I will 
also do it. He's talking about several world 
empires here. Currently, at the time the prophet 
is writing, Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon is the world empire. 
This bird of prey that God is calling from the east is the 
king of Persia, a man by the name of Cyrus, whom the Lord 
refers to as my anointed, my Messiah. I have called him from 
the east. He is going to topple Babylon. 
He is going to defeat Nebuchadnezzar. And what you people in Israel 
have forgotten is there is a God in Israel. There is a God in 
high heaven, there is a God who has orchestrated all things according 
to the counsel of his own sovereign will. This is not confined to 
the Old Testament, of course. You know the passages in Ephesians 
1. Ephesians 1, after having related to us the power of the 
Father in election and predestination, the power of the Son with reference 
to redemption through his blood, by way of transition to the work 
of the Holy Spirit and being that seal and guarantee, or that 
Holy Spirit of promise, the guarantee of our inheritance. He says in 
verse 11, in him also we have obtained an inheritance being 
predestined according to the purpose of him who works all 
things according to the counsel of his will. What a blessed statement. What blessed encouragement. Now, 
if you're here this morning and you're not a Calvinist, or you're 
not Reformed, you might bristle against such teaching and say, 
wait a minute. If that's true, that means God's 
God. That's right. That's the problem. That's the 
problem in a non-Reformed theology. It means that we can't be God. 
Means that we're not the captain of our own destiny. It means 
we're at the mercy and the subjection of another. And boy, if there's 
something the sinner hates, it's that. We like to know we're in 
charge. We like to know we're in control. 
We like to say, my will be done and not yours, God. You see, 
Reformed theology puts sinners where they belong, in Job's position. Now I have seen, I have abhorred 
myself. I repent in dust and ashes. That's 
the biblical response. That's how a sinner approaches 
God. Not, oh, you've helped me to become all that I could be. God's not the U.S. Air Force. 
He's not the Navy. He's not the U.S. Army. Be all 
you can be. That's the motto, I think, for 
the U.S. Army. Be all you can be. God is not there to make 
you be all you can be. God is there in his mercy and 
in his grace to reach down and save the elect by his power and 
for his glory. The sooner we get our minds wrapped 
around that, the happier people we will be. Ephesians chapter 
three, verse eleven. According to the eternal purpose 
which he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord, there is an 
eternal purpose. There is a plan. When you wake 
up this morning and everything is chaotic, it's not thus for 
God. You've seen the images of the 
rioting in Greece. Images that are scary. You're thinking at least a little 
bit in terms of economic policy and what's going on in North 
America. You might be akin to think, hey, if it's happening 
in Greece, it could very well happen here. It could be rioting 
in the streets tomorrow, not because the Vancouver Canucks 
lost a hockey game. There could be rioting in the 
streets because of economic collapse. God's still on His throne. God 
is still Lord, God is still all in all, God is still orchestrating 
His plan, and God has promised even to work that out for His 
glory and for the good of those who love Him, to the call according 
to His purpose. That's comfort. Passage after passage after passage. Deuteronomy 29, 29. Moses tells 
the children of Israel, the secret things belong to the Lord our 
God. But those things which are revealed 
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the 
words of this law. You see, he makes a distinction 
there. There are secret things that God does. No one's become 
his counselor. He doesn't phone anybody for 
input. He doesn't have a red line where 
he calls you and asks how best to deal with economic collapse 
or how best to deal with those trials in the church or how best 
to deal with those issues in your family. God doesn't do that. 
God is sovereign. He's working out that secret 
plan according to his power and his will and his purpose and 
his glory. But the things that are revealed, 
Moses said, belong to us and to our children forever, that 
we may do all the words of this law. And that is what Jesus is 
saying. We ought to pray about in Matthew 
chapter six. Your will be done. The revealed 
will, the preceptive will, that means precept given by inspiration 
or given by God through the book of inspiration, through the scriptures. Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments, 
Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the 
New Testament epistles. That is the revealed will of 
God. That is the preceptive will of 
God. Jesus is telling us we are to 
pray, Father, God, Lord of heaven and earth. May your will be done 
in my life. May your will be done in my children's 
lives. May your will be done in our 
church life. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
Lord, we pray that your will, your revealed will, the word 
of the living and true God will be fleshed out right before our 
eyes. We pray what we read in Psalm 
143, verse 10. Teach me to do your will for 
you are my God. Your spirit is good. Lead me 
in the land of uprightness. We pray Romans 12 too. We're 
not to be conformed to this world. We're not to be fit into its 
mold. We're not to be squeezed into 
service or pressed into this world, but rather we're to be 
transformed by the renewing of your mind. You see what the gospel 
does? Paul takes great pains to open 
up the gospel in chapters 1 to 11. He highlights first the bad 
news. The wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 
suppress the truth in unrighteousness. They know God is because he's 
made it evident to them and within them, but they do not honor God 
as God, nor are their hearts thankful. They profess wisdom, 
but they've become futile. And as a result of their idolatry, 
their pre-commitment to their lusts and their passions and 
their desires, based on that reality and a refusal and a rejection 
of the true and living God, he gave them over to a reprobate 
mind. So Paul says, we are to be transformed 
by the renewing of your mind. You've been justified by faith 
alone. Chapter four. You're now in Christ, 
not Adam, chapter 5. You have the Holy Spirit, you 
have the internal empowerment of the Spirit of the living God, 
chapters 6 to 8. You're part of a much larger 
plan, chapters 9 to 11. Based on that reality says, therefore, 
brethren, by the mercies of God, I beseech you, present your bodies 
as a living sacrifice. This is reasonable. This is rational. This is legit. You ought to do 
this. Having been purchased by God 
at such a costly price, serve him. Where does he start? Be transformed by the renewing 
of your mind. The Bible always envisages that 
the mind precedes. What we think about God affects 
how we live for God. What we think about ourselves 
affects the way that we live. The fool has said in his heart, 
there is no God. Should it surprise us that he 
lives the way he does? He's made a pre-commitment. He 
has excluded God from his thinking. He has excluded God as a point 
of reference. And therefore, he becomes the 
captain of his own destiny. So that when he goes out and 
pursues his vile lusts, it doesn't surprise us. I mean, we should 
thank him for it. We shouldn't applaud him for 
it, but we realize why it is. Paul says, do not be conformed 
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind 
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect 
will of God. The Puritan Owen calls it this 
way, or he says it this way with reference to the revealed will. 
The revealed will of God contains not his purpose and decree. That's the secret things of the 
Lord, our God. It's just a perfect example. 
Horrible things happen in this world with good results. We don't 
pray to God and make horrible things happen. You see, the godless men who 
nailed Jesus to the cross violated the revealed will of God. The 
law says you shall not murder. When they pound those stakes 
into his hands and feet and hoisted him up and ultimately crucified 
him, they broke the revealed will of God. They fulfilled the 
secret will. They fulfilled the decree. You 
say, well, how does all this work? Well, you'll have a Bible 
study another time. Not that I'll be able to explain 
how it all works. But that's not the point. I want to illustrate 
for you secret things, revealed things. So one of the problems 
with the Christian is we want to align ourselves with the secret 
things. So we say things like, my life is going really good. 
I know I'm living in known sin, but God's blessing me, so he 
must be OK with it. A man has a successful ministry 
and he's addicted to internet pornography. God must be OK with 
it. But we're so happy together. 
It doesn't matter that one or the other is unconverted. We're 
happy together. God must be in this. You are 
not to base your life and existence upon the secret things. God can 
take the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and save the world through 
it. Doesn't mean we go crucify people. God may take an axe murderer 
and save him on death row. My encouragement to you, don't 
go become an axe murderer because you want to be saved on death 
row. You see, that's a little outlandish, but brethren, people 
try to formulate their lives based on the secret things. Well, 
I'm happy. I'm blessed. Life is good. Therefore, 
God must be okay with it. Not if his written word condemns 
it. Maybe it's one of those Psalm 
73 instances. Surely, thou dost set them in 
slippery places. You live based on the written 
will. The revealed will of God, Owen says, contains not his purpose 
and decree, but our duty. What we should do if we will 
please him. That's what we're praying for 
in this petition. Your will be done in my day to 
day life. Your will be done in my family. Your will be done in my church. 
Your will be done in our city. Your will be done in the missionary 
enterprise. Your will be done in global service 
unto Christ. Your will be done in those areas. So let's move to the particulars, 
or some particulars. This isn't all the particulars. 
Again, I'll recommend Manson and Watson for some extended 
treatment on this petition. Watson's book is The Lord's Prayer. 
Manson's is in chapter one of his works. The manner of compliance. I want to look at three things 
here. Three things in terms of the manner of compliance. The 
first is active obedience. You've probably heard that before, 
if you've listened to sermons on the atonement, you'll think 
of the active obedience of Christ, wherein he obeys the law of God, 
wherein he does what he's supposed to do. We're supposed to pray 
that for ourselves. Not because we're not saved or 
we think we're going to be saved by our law keeping, but we're 
justified freely by his grace in order to do what? To be conformed 
to the image of his beloved son. His beloved son went around doing 
good things. He went around obeying the law 
of God. He went around saying things like, your law is in my 
heart, I delight to do it. Or to pray that we would actively 
obey the law of God. We are to pray that we would 
actively do what God says. The believer submits to and obeys 
the revealed will of God. The believer understands the 
implication of Jesus' words in Luke 6, verse 46, when he condemns 
the people of his day, saying, Why do you call me Lord, Lord, 
and you do not do the things that I say? We pray, God, help me do what Jesus 
says. Lord, help me obey actively. 
Help me to pursue holiness without which no man will see the Lord. 
Help me to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision 
for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. The believer understands 
the Apostle John statement for this is the love of God that 
we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. 
If we find in our heart a burdensome attitude toward the law, we pray, 
Lord, forgive us. Lord, change us. Lord, wash us. Lord, help us to pursue actively 
those things which are pleasing in your sight. We saw that in 
the scripture reading this morning in John 14, 15. If you love me, 
do what? You keep my commandments. Right? You ever had to say that to your 
children? You say you love me, but you 
don't do anything I say. Don't immediately think about 
how bad my five kids are. Do you ever have that in your 
life? Your husband, oh, I love you, 
honey, but you don't live like it. Or a wife says, I love you, 
honey, but you don't live like it. Or a father says to his son, 
I love you, but you don't live like it. Jesus says, why do you 
call me Lord, Lord, if you don't do what I say? I mean, this is a good test, a 
good rule of the commandments, burdensome. Are you offended 
that God says don't do this? Are you upset about something? 
Is there a controversy in your heart? I'm not suggesting, I'm 
not saying there is the absence of controversy. The controversy 
should say, I should love the law. I should delight in it. 
I should want it. I should be ruled by it, regulated 
by it. God, forgive me that I'm such 
a hard hearted wretch. Oh, how I love thy law, it is 
my meditation all the day and night. How's that blessed man 
of Psalm 1 described? Upon his law, he meditates day 
and night. What was Joshua's key for success? We love that. No, we love to 
reduce everything to basic principles. Give me five principles, something 
I can use. Joshua, you're about to go on a military campaign. 
Here's what you're supposed to do. Meditate upon the law, do 
what I say, and be courageous. Active obedience. But as well, 
we ought to pray thy will be done And there ought to be a 
passive obedience in us as well. By that, I don't mean we're going 
to get crucified on the cross. Watson and Manton make this distinction 
beautifully. There is that active pursuit 
of God's holy commandments, that active pursuit to submit to the 
Lord and do his will, that passive pursuit. is the believer submits 
to God's providence and embraces what his father deems best for 
him. It doesn't always go the way 
we would like it to, does it? Does it? I mean, are you sitting 
here right now saying everything in my life is just perfect? I don't even know if I could 
preach this morning. Tell you, singing, praise, worship 
is a great medication to the soul. We pray thy will be done and 
conform me to it, help me to welcome it, help me to embrace 
it, help me to submit to it. Yes, active obedience, doing 
what the Lord calls us to do, passive obedience, submitting 
to God's providence. Watson says we pray for two things 
in this petition. One, for active obedience, that 
we may do God's will actively in what he commands. Two, for 
passive obedience, that we may submit to God's will patiently 
in what he inflicts. I love his statement there. God doesn't say, well, I didn't 
know you were having such trouble. God inflicts it upon his people. You say, well, that doesn't sound 
very good. You know, sometimes in bringing up your children, 
you inflict a few things upon them to make men out of them 
if they're boys, to make women out of them if they're girls. 
You shouldn't just, you know, pave their way with rose petals 
and with money and with prizes and with joy. That's not preparation 
for the real world. In this sort of obedience, we 
sing or we pray the song Whatever my God ordains is right, holy, 
his will abideth. I will be still whatever he doth 
and follow where he guideth. He is my God, though dark my 
road, he holds me that I shall not fall. Wherefore, to him, 
I leave it all. Or Cooper's stanza number four 
and number 21 in the Trinity Hymnal. He says, Judge not the 
Lord by feeble sense. Isn't this what we do? Judging 
the Lord by feeble sense. God, everything hasn't gone my 
way. Don't you know it's me? Maybe I'm just up here preaching 
to Jim Butler this morning. Y'all are all right. Praise God. Minister in a great church. Everybody's 
so holy. Judge not the Lord by feeble 
sense, but trust him for his grace behind a frowning providence 
he hides A smiling face. This has a rich biblical heritage. These sorts of sentiments that 
are in our hymn today. Remember Job 13 verse 15. What's he saying? Though He slay 
me, yet will I trust Him. That's faith. That's strength. That's courage. We praise men 
that can put a ball through a hoop. or put a hawk in a puck in a 
net. We praise men that can make good 
investments. We forget Job, who says, though 
he slay me, yet will I trust him. What about the psalmist? Before I was afflicted, I went 
astray. But now I keep your word. This 
leads him to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted, 
that I may learn your statutes. A dear brother who serves the 
cause of Jesus Christ puts this on his website. The oldest living 
man with muscular atrophy says, it was good for me that I was 
afflicted. That's faith, brethren. And of 
course, Paul's wonderful statement that we unfortunately relegate 
to the bumper or to the fridge. And we know that all things work 
together for good to those who love God, to those who are the 
called according to his purpose. passive obedience to the will 
of God most high. Thy will be done, conform mine 
to it. Not what I will, but thine be 
done. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
There is the active pursuit of biblical holiness, the active 
pursuit of biblical obedience and the passive submission to 
the divine will, wherein we don't murmur, wherein we don't whine, 
wherein we don't cry, wherein we don't cash in our chips, wherein 
we stand fast and realize that whatever my God ordains is right. And that behind that frowning 
providence, he does hide a smiling face. I don't think our hymn 
writing brothers would be upset if I juxtaposed their two hymns 
in that manner. Active, passive, what's the specific 
standard? Thy will be done the way we feel 
like it. Thy will be done when it pleaseth 
me. That's how we operate. And notice 
too, thy will be done. Not just thy will be prayed. 
I will be known that those things are important. The petition is 
that will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You say, how 
do they serve God in heaven? Well, the Bible gives us a picture. 
Psalm 103, 20 and 21. Bless the Lord, you his angels, 
who excel in strength, who do his word, heeding the voice of 
his word. Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, 
you ministers of his, who do his pleasure. They heed the voice 
of God. They do his pleasure. We're told 
in Hebrews chapter 12, we've not come to Mount Sinai, but 
rather we've come to Mount Zion. And who peoples Mount Zion according 
to the Apostle, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn 
who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the 
spirits of just men made perfect. They're made perfect. What's 
the standard of our obedience to the will of God? It is perfection. Have I become a Wesleyan? No. 
We're not going to reduce the claims of the text. Our imperfection 
does not bespeak to the problem of the text, it speaks to us. Beautiful. Don't you love that? People claim that we have free 
will. Now, we would always need to get into a definition of those 
sorts of things. I think our confession gives 
an accurate depiction of what free will is, but people just 
prize their free will. Do you know what perfection is? 
No free will. These are the spirits of just 
men made perfect. The will that men prize on earth 
is the will that got us into the mess that we find ourselves 
in. Perfection is when God the Spirit 
so enables us and so empowers us that we'll only do what he 
says ever. That's good. They are obeying in heaven perfectly. Again, I'm not suggesting we 
can do this, but we should engage in such obedience. They are obeying 
earnestly. They don't just haphazardly do 
the will of God. They are obeying joyfully. That's 
a necessary component. You cannot say or prize or applaud 
yourself for obedience if it's with a frown. You wouldn't let 
your children get away with that, would you? Pastor Martin always 
tells the story about when he was a young boy and his father 
would take him in to spank him. And then when he would come out, 
his mother would say, he doesn't look sweet enough yet. Take him 
back in there. Sweetness through the rod. Holy 
in Christianity, right? Joyful. They're not picking and 
choosing in heaven. Well, I like six of the ten. 
I like seven of the ten. I like eight of the ten. Nine 
of the ten are pleasing to me, Lord, but not all ten. No, if 
we're going to pray, thy will be done, we ought to pray it 
in this manner. God, help me to apply myself. Help me to obey. Help me to be 
earnest. Help me to be joyful. Help me 
to be constant. Help me to engage in entirety. 
Let me not be one who picks and chooses. You know, you go to 
the buffet. How many of you actually take 
the vegetables? Me and Josh, we go. If there's meat, that's 
all we're eating. You can get vegetables at home. There's meat 
here. And as much as we want. Well, 
that's how we approach the Christian life. There's blessing here, 
there's goodness here, there's gift here, there's whatever here. 
But, you know, this is tough, so I'm not going to do that. 
I've long thought bestsellers in North America are books teaching 
Christians on how to get more from God. What becomes Christian bestsellers? How to get more from God, more 
territory, more possessions, a happier husband, a happier 
wife. That's what sells. Blessing sells. You don't get 
books on how to how to knuckle under under great trial and affliction. 
You got to read the Bible for that. Only God's inspired authors 
actually write books that say, I was glad, I'm glad that I was 
afflicted because we just don't operate that way. So as we survey 
this, two wills, not two wills in conflict. There's some theological 
vagaries oftentimes. Just suffice it to say the secret 
things of God belong to him. The things that he has revealed 
to us are for us and our children, that we may do this law of the 
Lord. We are to obey actively, pursue 
those things which the scripture specifies. We are to passively 
submit to God's overarching will. We are to submit when he inflicts 
those trials and difficulties upon us. And as well, we are 
to seek, by the grace of God, to see that done on earth as 
it is in heaven. I just want to close now. Four 
brief suggestions on the individual. First, we must recognize God's 
right to command. Take a little breath, let that 
soak in, let it wash over you. I know that's a huge statement 
there. We must recognize God's right 
to command. You see, if we have a problem 
with that, we will never pray Your will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven. We must recognize that he is 
Lord, maker of all things, seen and unseen. We must recognize 
that he is the governor, that he is the law giver, that he 
has an absolute monarchical right to command. We don't question him. We don't 
try to play games with him. We don't try to sort of renegotiate 
the terms. Well, God, I'll do these things 
if you'll let me have benefit here, or I'll do those. No, no, 
no. We need to recognize there is one lawgiver, one living and 
true God, and we need to submit to him. We need to submit to 
the divine rule. Everybody's a theologian and 
a biblical exegete when it comes to getting out of doing what 
God commands. Well, David did this. What are 
you doing? You're basing your life on the 
secret things. Well, Rahab lied. You're basing your life on the 
secret things. Just take the scripture and do 
what God says, that's the best way, the best path to this third 
petition. So recognize God's right to command. Secondly, we must know God's 
revealed will. Take knowledge. Thy will be done 
on earth as it is in heaven assumes that the prayer knows something 
about that will. In fact, in Ephesians 517, we're 
told, therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will 
of the Lord is not what our perception of the will of the Lord is or 
not what we'd like for the will of the Lord to be or not the 
grid by which we interpret the will of the Lord, but the will 
of the Lord as it comes to his word. We need to understand through 
biblical exposition, through a faith or hermeneutic, through 
a submission to the scripture, instead of interpreting it based 
on our experience. I can't mean that. I've shared 
before, you go to the thrift stores looking for books. I won't 
tell you which one though. And some of the books that say 
a biblical study of whatever are the least biblical study 
in whatever. The Bible's doctrine of whatever 
has nothing to do with that. It's health, wealth and prosperity, 
guys point to text. Does that mean that's taught 
in the Bible? No, the devil cited texts in 
the temptation of Jesus. Does that mean he was right? 
No. You just study to show yourself 
approved. I'm not saying you've got to 
go to seminary. You've got to go to Bible. Just read your Bible. 
The law of the Lord makes wise the simple. Isn't that beautiful? 
Psalm 19. Psalm 119. Your law makes me 
wiser than all my instructors. You kids, you say Westminster 
Shorter Catechism number four. You're going to blow away the 
wisdom of this world. God is spirit, infinite, eternal, 
and unchangeable. It is being, wisdom, power, holiness, 
justice, goodness, and truth. Not to mention the churches in 
this world, that's more theology than you get in a year in some 
places. We must know God's revealed will. Thirdly, we must obey God's revealed 
will. Watson says this with reference 
to knowledge. He says knowledge is the pillar 
of fire to give light to practice, but though knowledge is requisite 
Yet the knowledge of God's will is not enough without doing it. 
Knowing God's will may make a man admired, but it is doing God's 
will that makes him blessed. Beautiful. You just repeat that 
again. Knowing God's will may make a 
man admired, but it is doing God's will that makes him blessed. Knowing God's will without doing 
it will not crown us with happiness. He then goes on to say, knowing 
without doing God's will will make the case worse. It will 
heat hell hotter. Knowing and not doing will heat 
hell hotter. That's perceptive. You see, we 
must recognize God's ability, God's right, rather, to command. We must know that will, and we 
must, by God's grace, apply ourselves to do that will. And then fourthly, 
we must submit to God's providential will. Again, the Puritan authors get 
into this far more excellently than I will, but there's three 
things we need to think here with faith. You submit to what 
God inflicts you with faith. Faith in the truth, though he 
sway me. Yet will I trust him. Faith in the truth that even 
though these bad things are happening, I realize that God is working 
it out for my good. Faith. Secondly, contentedness. The spirit of murmuring is not 
submission to God's will. Any more than a spirit of murmuring 
is submission to a boss's will when he commands an employee 
to do a menial task. You showed up to work tomorrow 
and you're some big executive and your boss said, I want you 
to make coffee. I want you to clean up vomit in the bathroom. 
Somebody had an accident. I want you to shine my shoes 
when I go out for lunch. What would be the response? Yes, 
sir. OK, boss. I remember being an 
airman basic. being called in before the end 
of watch to make coffee. That's not what I signed up for. 
I'm a security policeman in the U.S. Air Force. You want me to 
make coffee? Get over yourself, airman. Do what you're told and 
do it joyfully. These people are paying you. They're fixing your teeth. They're fixing your body. They're 
putting glasses on your head. You get a place to live, you 
get food to eat. Smile when you make that coffee. The fact that we're not in hell 
is one of the most amazing realities that you and I could ever entertain. I love it. In the book of Lamentations, 
the prophet says, why should any man complain in light of 
his own sin? It's a great question. We need 
to submit with contentedness. And we need to submit with determination. Whatever my God ordains is right. I may not be able to work it 
all out. I may not be able to see the end from the beginning 
as he has ordained it. This much I know. He has never 
failed me. He has promised never to fail me. He has not called 
me to be a fair weather fan, only serve him when good things 
happen. But rather, I need to be determined. Press on. Doesn't matter what hell does. 
Doesn't matter what earth does. Doesn't matter what my own flesh 
does. By God's grace, though He slay 
me, yet will I trust Him. And if you think at all, with 
reference to this theme, I'm actually cutting it short because 
I don't want to go past anybody's lunchtime. I don't want our stummies 
to grumble because we're all so delicate. I'm cutting it short, 
just trying to figure out what to try and fit in. We need to 
understand the need for power from on high. This is a huge 
petition, isn't it? Thy will be done. Okay, now I'm 
going to go out and obey. I'm going to go out and do good. 
I'm going to go out and be great. Wait a minute, I'm a wretch. 
I'm horrible. I'm a monster. You're telling 
me to go into my closet and pray, Thy will be done, and then skip 
on out and do the will of God? That's what I'm telling you. But I'm also telling you, you 
need divine aid. If by the Spirit you do mortify 
the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8.13. Work out your 
own salvation in fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work 
in you, both to do and to will for His good pleasure. Philippians 2, 12 and 13. Last 
week, Pastor Porter preached that 3T alliterative. Last week, 
he preached on Hebrews 13, 20 and 21. God. Glorious God. The God of the eternal covenant. 
The one who raised up His Son, Jesus Christ. May that God May that God empower and enable 
you to do his will. You cannot do it in your own 
strength as a believer in Jesus Christ. With this petition, your 
will be done. Pray, God, fill me with your 
spirit. God, fill me with compliance, 
fill me with ability, fill me with the desire, fill me with 
a longing, fill me with the realization that I fall so desperately short 
and can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. And you ought to 
praise God Almighty that the only one who could actually pray 
this petition did perfectly fulfill the entirety of God's law. So 
when you finish this petition, you ought to just stand back 
and marvel that Jesus did what he did. You know, when you read 
Psalm 40, it's not David we're reading about there. It's Jesus, 
according to Hebrews 10. Behold, I have come. In the volume 
of the book, it is written of me to do your will, O God. Psalm 
40, verse 8. I delight to do your will, O 
my God, and your law is within my heart. Praise God for the 
active obedience of Christ. Praise God for the passive obedience 
of Christ. Praise God that through the finished 
work of Jesus, we have access by his blood to the throne of 
grace, and that when we pray, your will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven, we can stand and marvel and worship the one 
who alone performed this on our behalf. And ask God for the grace 
and the help to go and to follow our Lord Jesus wherever he commands. Well, brethren, those are some 
thoughts on this third petition. If you don't know Jesus this 
morning, John 640 is the will of God. You need to understand. 
John 640 is the most important text in the Bible for you this 
morning. With reference to this petition, your will be done. 
John 640, Jesus says, this is the will of my father. That he 
who sees the son believes in him. that he who hears the preaching 
of the gospel believes on the Christ of the gospel. The will 
of God for you is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
you shall be saved again. The revealed will. This is what 
is written. This is what is inscript scripturated 
that everyone who sees the sun and believes in him may have 
everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 
Believe and you shall be saved. And we'll close now in a word 
of prayer. Father, thank you for these things. 
Thank you for your truth. Thank you for your grace. Thank 
you for this prayer. And God, we pray that you'd help 
us to be prioritized as we come to the throne of grace. Help 
us to be first and foremost concerned about your name, about your kingdom 
and about your will. We do pray, Father, that your 
will would be done by us as individuals in this local church. and God 
throughout this earth. We ask now that you would go 
with us. We pray, Father, again, for those who are not able to 
be with us. Encourage them, strengthen them, 
build them up in their most holy faith. And we pray through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.