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Change Your Life with Seven Words
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
Sermon Summary: Jesus spoke seven simple words that have the potential to change your life. They will bring you into line with His plans and purposes for you on this earth.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life....
•• God offers us choices — life or death, blessings or curses, heaven or hell — and He says, “You choose.”
• God allows us to use our free will.
•• Some Bible illustrations:
• Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He chose God, blessings, and life.
• The rich young ruler chose his wealth over following Jesus (Matthew 19:21-23). And Jesus did not try to coerce him to change his mind.
• Paul wrote: (2 Timothy 4:10) “...Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me.” Demas chose the world over serving the Lord.
•• We face similar, freewill choices every day:
• We can choose to pray or not. God won’t force us.
• We can choose to live holy lives or not.
• We can choose to share our faith with others or just to be secret Christians.
• We can choose to be law-abiding, honest citizens, or we can choose to walk the edge and push the limits.
•• In these and thousands of other choices, the Bible gives us wisdom to make right choices, but God does not force us. He grants us free will to choose.
•• In this context (free will to choose) I’m going to share with you seven words that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE — “Not My Will, But Thine Be Done”.
Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, YOUR WILL BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven....’ ”
10, KJV “...THY WILL BE DONE...”
•• “THY WILL BE DONE.” If said sincerely to God daily, choice by choice, this can change your life!
•• But this can get scary —
• I’ve heard some say, “But God might call me to the mission field!”
• Or...God might have me go up to that homeless person and offer a kind word and share my faith.
• Or...God might not let me keep dating this person.
• Or...“Lord, I might lose control of my life if I say to you, ‘Thy will be done.’ ” That’s correct!
# Remember, these words will CHANGE your life.
•• But think about it: What could be safer than to be in the will of God?
• What could be more fulfilling than to be exactly in the center of His will?
Luke 22:41-42 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, [42] “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet NOT MY will, but YOURS be done.”
42, KJV “Not my will, but thine, be done.”
•• This scene describes it perfectly:
• Jesus had His own will: “...remove this cup from me.”
• “YET NOT MY will, but YOURS be done.”
•• Was Jesus’ will here sinful? No; He never sinned.
• But if He had followed His desire to escape the cross, we would not be saved!
• So it’s possible for our will to desire things that are not necessarily sinful, but are not the RIGHT CHOICES.
• For example, is it a sin to get very busy and go several days without spending time in prayer and the Word?
• Probably not, but is that God’s will?
• Stopping what you are doing and saying, “THY will be done” would certainly bring changed conduct.
Philippians 2:12-13 ...[13] for it is GOD who works in you TO WILL and to act according to HIS good purpose.
13, KJV For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
•• This is a major truth. GOD works in us “to WILL ... HIS good pleasure.”
•• You may have many legitimate desires, but they’re not all the will of God. Remember Jesus in the Garden? Remember Paul's two sincere false starts before receiving the Macedonian vision?
•• Here’s how I believe God wants it to work:
1) Recognize that not all apparently wholesome inclinations are the will of God. Some are, some aren’t.
2) Determine to surrender to GOD CONTROL of your life — “NOT MY will be done.”
3) Determine to ASK Him daily: “THY will be done.”
4) With your heart open and obedient to God like that, watch Him work in your heart “TO WILL and to do of HIS good pleasure.”
So...seven words that will change your life:
“Not my will, but thine, be done.”
Preached at South Valley Church, Phoenix, Oregon, November 5, 2003
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.
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© 2003, James H. Feeney, All rights reserved.
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