Aligning Our Will with God's Divine Plan
Summary
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, we reflect on the profound petition from the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." This phrase calls us to align our desires with God's divine plan, a plan that is often mysterious and challenging to comprehend. Historically, the phrase "Deus Vult" or "God wills it" was misused during the Crusades, leading to actions that were far from God's true will. This serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to seek genuine understanding of God's will rather than blindly following human interpretations.
In Luke 22:39-42, Jesus exemplifies submission to God's will in the Garden of Gethsemane. Despite the impending suffering, Jesus prays, "Not my will, but yours be done." This moment reveals that God's will involved Jesus' suffering, death, and ultimately, His resurrection. The cross was not an end but a means to the resurrection, symbolizing victory over sin and death. God's will is not just about Jesus' sacrifice; it is about the new life and salvation offered to us through His resurrection.
God's will extends beyond individual salvation to the restoration of all creation. Despite the pain and suffering we witness in the world, God's will is being fulfilled. This is a challenging truth, especially when faced with personal trials. Yet, we are called to trust in God's overarching plan, knowing that He works through our suffering to bring about His promises of hope and restoration.
In my own life, I have experienced the depths of sorrow through the loss of a child. Yet, through this suffering, I have come to understand the hope of the resurrection more profoundly. This hope assures me that my sorrow has an expiration date, and I will one day be reunited with my child in the new life promised by Christ. This personal journey underscores the truth that God does not waste our suffering but uses it to deepen our reliance on Him.
As we pray "Thy will be done," we trust in God's promise to bring restoration and new life. We find comfort in knowing that the God who suffered for us understands our pain and will ultimately bring it to an end through His resurrection.
Key Takeaways:
- The misuse of "Deus Vult" during the Crusades serves as a reminder to seek a true understanding of God's will, rather than following human interpretations that can lead to harm. [02:42]
- Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane teaches us about submission to God's will, even when it involves suffering. His death and resurrection were part of God's plan for our salvation. [04:56]
- God's will encompasses not only individual salvation but also the restoration of all creation. Despite the suffering we see, God's plan is being fulfilled, and His kingdom is coming. [08:39]
- Personal suffering can deepen our understanding of the hope found in the resurrection. Through my own loss, I have come to rely more fully on the promise of new life in Christ. [20:34]
- Trusting in God's will means believing that He will not waste our suffering. He uses it to bring about His promises and to draw us closer to Him, offering hope and restoration. [21:52]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:57] - Called to Overcome
[01:13] - Thy Will Be Done
[01:27] - Historical Context: Deus Vult
[02:42] - Cautionary Tale of Misusing God's Will
[03:01] - Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane
[04:56] - The Will of God: Death and Resurrection
[06:10] - Resurrection and New Life
[07:38] - God's Will for Creation
[09:16] - Is God's Will Being Done?
[11:28] - Challenging Questions of Suffering
[13:35] - God's Will and Suffering
[15:05] - Following Jesus in Suffering
[16:13] - Personal Story of Loss
[18:38] - Hope in the Resurrection
[21:52] - Trusting God's Promises
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 22:39-42
Observation Questions:
1. What was Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and how did it reflect His submission to God's will? [03:16]
2. How does the sermon describe the historical misuse of the phrase "Deus Vult" during the Crusades? [02:12]
3. What does the sermon say about the relationship between Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection? [05:37]
4. According to the sermon, how does God's will extend beyond individual salvation to the restoration of all creation? [08:39]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane illustrate the tension between human desires and divine will? [03:32]
2. In what ways does the misuse of "Deus Vult" serve as a cautionary tale for understanding God's will today? [02:42]
3. How does the sermon suggest that personal suffering can deepen one's understanding of the hope found in the resurrection? [20:12]
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of suffering in God's overarching plan for restoration and new life? [21:52]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to understand God's will in your life. How did you seek clarity and peace during that period? [11:28]
2. The sermon discusses the misuse of "Deus Vult" as a warning against blindly following human interpretations of God's will. How can you ensure that your understanding of God's will is genuine and not influenced by misguided human perspectives? [02:42]
3. Jesus' submission to God's will involved immense suffering. How can you find strength and comfort in Jesus' example when facing your own trials? [04:16]
4. The sermon emphasizes the hope of resurrection and new life. How can this hope influence your perspective on current challenges or losses you are experiencing? [20:34]
5. Consider the idea that God's will includes the restoration of all creation. How can you participate in this restoration in your daily life and community? [08:39]
6. The pastor shared a personal story of loss and hope. How can sharing your own stories of suffering and hope with others strengthen your faith community? [18:38]
7. How can you actively trust in God's promises and plan, even when His will seems unclear or difficult to accept? [21:52]
Devotional
Day 1: Seeking True Understanding of God's Will
The phrase "Deus Vult" or "God wills it" was historically misused during the Crusades, leading to actions that were far from God's true will. This serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to seek a genuine understanding of God's will rather than blindly following human interpretations. It is crucial to discern God's will through prayer, scripture, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than relying solely on human perspectives that can lead to harm. [02:42]
Jeremiah 23:16-17 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’"
Reflection: Think of a time when you followed human advice that led you away from God's will. How can you seek God's true guidance in similar situations today?
Day 2: Submission to God's Will Through Suffering
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus exemplifies submission to God's will, even when it involves suffering. Despite the impending suffering, Jesus prays, "Not my will, but yours be done." This moment reveals that God's will involved Jesus' suffering, death, and ultimately, His resurrection. The cross was not an end but a means to the resurrection, symbolizing victory over sin and death. God's will is not just about Jesus' sacrifice; it is about the new life and salvation offered to us through His resurrection. [04:56]
Hebrews 5:7-8 (ESV): "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to submit to God's will? How can you follow Jesus' example of obedience through suffering?
Day 3: God's Will for the Restoration of Creation
God's will extends beyond individual salvation to the restoration of all creation. Despite the pain and suffering we witness in the world, God's will is being fulfilled. This is a challenging truth, especially when faced with personal trials. Yet, we are called to trust in God's overarching plan, knowing that He works through our suffering to bring about His promises of hope and restoration. [08:39]
Isaiah 65:17-18 (ESV): "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."
Reflection: How can you actively participate in God's plan for the restoration of creation in your community today?
Day 4: Finding Hope in Personal Suffering
Personal suffering can deepen our understanding of the hope found in the resurrection. Through personal loss, one can come to rely more fully on the promise of new life in Christ. This hope assures us that our sorrow has an expiration date, and we will one day be reunited with our loved ones in the new life promised by Christ. This personal journey underscores the truth that God does not waste our suffering but uses it to deepen our reliance on Him. [20:34]
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Reflection: Reflect on a personal loss or trial you have experienced. How has it shaped your understanding of the hope found in the resurrection?
Day 5: Trusting in God's Promises
Trusting in God's will means believing that He will not waste our suffering. He uses it to bring about His promises and to draw us closer to Him, offering hope and restoration. As we pray "Thy will be done," we trust in God's promise to bring restoration and new life. We find comfort in knowing that the God who suffered for us understands our pain and will ultimately bring it to an end through His resurrection. [21:52]
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV): "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God's promises more fully? How can you begin to do so today?
Quotes
"Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. We have been called to overcome. We've been called to overcome by the power of prayer, trusting that God is at work in all things in our world. Whenever we face trial and hardship, we are called to Him in prayer, knowing that Christ has conquered on our behalf." [00:45:36]
"Now, before you get too excited and start using that in your everyday life, let me tell you the history of that phrase, Deus Vult, because that was something of a rallying cry for the people who were going on the Crusades. These Christians had gathered together and thought that they were going to war on God's behalf. That's our first red flag right there, right? But they thought they were doing the will of God." [00:101:47]
"Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.'" [00:186:26]
"The will of God is exactly what happens next. The will of God was carried out in the next moments and days. Jesus was betrayed, he was arrested, beaten within an inch of his life, crucified, and killed. This is the will of God, that Jesus would die on the cross. But the cross is not about the cross. The cross is about what Jesus was accomplishing through his work on the cross and what came next." [00:293:40]
"The will of God is in fact that Jesus die on the cross and rise from the dead. This is God's plan, that God is going to carry forward his plan of death and resurrection in Christ. Now, just as the cross is not about the cross, it's about the resurrection. The resurrection is not about the resurrection because Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead wasn't about Jesus." [00:370:50]
"God's promise is one of restoration, not just for us but for his whole creation, a creation that has been groaning under the weight of sin and death ever since we brought sin into the world. And God's promise is that he is going to make all things new, that he is going to bring his restoration for all creation in his new kingdom." [00:477:07]
"God's will is always being done. Nothing in the world can defeat God's will. So God's will is being done here and now. Now, why were you struggling to answer that question? Because you look at the world around you and you see pain and suffering. We look at the world around us and we see natural disasters." [00:583:02]
"Jesus told us, his followers, 'Take up your cross and follow me.' This is not a calling to an easy life. This is a calling to a life of suffering. This is a calling to a life of challenge, that we are going to face these things. And when we follow Jesus, when we follow the will of God, this means that we will suffer for the sake of his kingdom." [00:901:45]
"Through that pain and that loss, there was one lifeline that I was able to cling to, one hope that I had that got me through. It still gets me through the sorrow: the resurrection. Jesus's promise to Reagan that he died on the cross and rose again for resurrection so that he could give that gift to Reagan. That's a promise that he made to Reagan, and that's a promise that he makes to me." [01:111:47]
"This is the hope that I have, that that child that I never got to meet, that I love so much already, Jesus loves more. He is holding Reagan, and he has promised Reagan, and he has promised me resurrection, new life in him. This is the hope that I have, and what God did for me through this miscarriage is he gave me a hope that I could never understand before." [01:117:14]
"Now I know the hope that I have in Jesus. It is a hope that my sorrow has an expiration date, that Jesus has promised new life for Reagan, and when he comes again, I am going to get to hold my child in my arms. That is the hope that he has given me, and it is a hope that was earned through my sorrow and my suffering." [01:121:57]
"We pray trusting in Him that he is going to bring restoration, that the God who has suffered for us understands our suffering, and he will cause it to end in his resurrection, and we will get to celebrate new life in him. This is the hope and the joy that we have in our God, and this is why we pray, 'Thy will be done.'" [01:132:20]
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