June 3, 2007 Sermon Synopsis

Thy Will Be Done – Scripture: Matthew 6:10

The children were reminded of Commandment #5 – Honor your mother and your father. Elizabeth told us that the best way to honor our parents is to do what they want us to do, even before they ask.

How do we know what our parents want us to do? They tell us, and, after we’re told enough times, we can remember without being told.

Jesus obeyed his parents, Mary and Joe, and especially his heavenly father! Jesus prayed to God (Father): “I won’t do what I want, but what you want.” (Matthew 26:39, 42)

Just as Jesus obeyed his parents, we need to obey our parents, and our heavenly parent. How do we know what God wants us to do? The Bible is a good source of information; sometimes the preacher or our Sunday School teacher conveys God’s word to us as well. After we’re told enough times, we should be able to do it without being told.

We live in a world of many decisions.
High school seniors decide what to do with their lives.
Career changes or choices come up once in a while.
Parents sometimes agonize about what to do over a teenager's substance abuse.
We may need to help older parents make life decisions.

Christians want to know and do the will of God. It’s nothing new, we’ wrestled with this many times before.

What is God’s will for you?
What is God’s will for your family?
What is God’s will for Maple Grove Mennonite Church?
How can we be sure that what we are doing is God’s will?

The Scriptures are full of admonitions to find God’s will and be in God’s will.
Psalm 40:8a – “I desire to do your will, O my God”
Psalm 143:10 – “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus at crisis moment (Garden of Gethsemane): “Not my will but your will be done.”

There are some common myths about finding God’s will:
-God makes it difficult to find his will.
-God’s will is something to be afraid of.
-God’s will can be found by luck (fate).

None of these are true. But some things are true:
-God has something in mind for us to do.
-God wants us to know what that is.
Some times that which is most obvious is the hardest to find.

We usually as these questions: What does God want for me? For my family? For Maple Grove?
First we need to ask: What does God want?

We need to be found in God’s general will for all of humanity, before we can know God’s specific will for us as individuals.

Where’s the answer?

Today’s Scripture passage is just one verse from the Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

What does God want us to do and be? We need to look to Heaven – God’s Eternal Kingdom – to find God’s will. Jesus tells us that there is a direct relationship between heaven and earth – God’s will is a reality in heaven; God’s will is desired here on earth. What happens in heaven should be a model for what we do here on earth.

We need to avoid the temptation to be so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good. The two are intrinsically related.

To know God’s will we need to ask a question. What is heaven like.

God wants everyone to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will there be anyone in heaven that doesn’t know and love the Lord Jesus Christ?
John 3:16 tells us God wants “that none should perish, but that all should have eternal life”

There are some that believe that there are people that God wants to condemn to eternal damnation, people that God wants to exclude, and people that God wants to destroy. God’s desire is that everyone knows and loves the Lord Jesus.

If that is what God’s will is for those in his eternal kingdom, it must be God’s will for us today.

God’s will for you and me and the Maple Grove Church is that we work for everyone to know the Love of Jesus. This is the first decision we need to make – to do what God wants for us)

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO BE HOLY
Will there be any sin in heaven?

God’s people should be involved in promoting holiness, ethics, etc.
I Thess 4:3 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified”
I Peter 1:16 “Be holy, for I am holy, says the Lord”

God’s will for you and me and Maple Grove Church is to be holy in the midst of an unholy world.

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO BE HEALTHY
Will there be any sick people in heaven?

Rev. 21:1-4 tell us there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

To be in God’s will, his church should be involved in healing ministries (physical, psychological and spiritual). Jesus provided the example. The Gospels are full of stories about Jesus healing others.

God’s will for you and me and Maple Grove Church is to promote health in a sick world.

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO HAVE THE BASIC NEEDS AND NOT BE POOR
Will there be poor people in heaven? Will there be a good side of town and a bad side of town? Will there be people lacking food, shelter, clothing, etc.?

This isn’t part of God’s eternal plan for humanity; it should be something we’re concerned about. God’s people should be involved in ministry to end poverty.
Our church supports missionaries who bring God’s message to others. We support programs of the MCC. The Sewing Circle makes quilts, school and health kits, and many other things. Why? Because we believe that God doesn’t want people to be poor.

Educational ministries are a big part of this. Education is a good way for people to get out of poverty. You’ve heard the old adage: “Give a person a fish and feed him for a day; teach him to fish (and give him access to the fishing hole) and he’ll eat for the rest of his life.”

God’s will for you and me and Maple Grove Church is to work against poverty in this world.

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO BE TREATED JUSTLY
Will there be injustice in heaven? There will be no lawyers needed there.

Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river . . .”
Jesus: “What is good and right and just – do these things.”
Matthew 6:33 – “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”

We live in a world of corrupt governments, predator corporations and people seeking to take advantage of others. That’s not how God’s eternal kingdom will be; that’s what God’s will is for us.

God’s will for you and me and Maple Grove Church is to work against injustice in an unjust world.

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO FEEL SAFE
Will there be terrorists in heaven? Will heaven need a department of homeland security?

The admonition, “Fear Not,” appears in the Bible many times. The resurrected Jesus began many of his talks with “Fear Not.”

God doesn’t want us to be afraid. The church should be a safe place for people who are afraid. The power of the Holy Spirit will embolden us in the face of threats.

JUST THINK ABOUT HEAVEN
There are many other things we could think of. Jesus tells us, if we want to know God’s will for us and for his church – Just think about heaven!

But make sure: you’re not too heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good.

So what about the specifics? What about the day to day decisions? What a bout the big decisions of life?

These things will become clear once we are doing God’s general will. As long as we are found in God’s will we can be sure we won’t do anything that God would disapprove of.

We can be confident that we can do anything we want as long as it promotes the values of God’s eternal kingdom and doesn’t come in the way of God’s desire for humanity.

We need to pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”