Not My Will: Submitting to God's Will

Scripture speaks with the Spirit’s own breath, so its commands about submission land as truth, not suggestion. The text names a world that already runs on ordered yielding, and it shows why disorder sounds like an orchestra without a conductor or a ship without a captain. Jesus does not recruit the religious elite but calls ordinary men who will submit. Submission itself is obedience, relinquishing control, and yielding to another’s plans. Jesus’ own titles master, Lord, shepherd, teacher, the way name the right posture: discipleship is submission to Him.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches the frame: the Father in heaven is hallowed, His kingdom comes, His will is done on earth as in heaven. Gethsemane then brings the pattern into full light. Three times the Son prays, “Not my will, your will,” which signals intensity and completion. Respect is the first move. Malachi asks, “If I am a Father, where is my honor?” Romans 1 shows the native bent toward thankless disregard. Yet the Father has already crowned the Son with honor, and heaven sings, “Worthy are you.” “You cannot disrespect God almighty and submit.” Respect bows before His will.

Worship is the second move. Lip-service is not worship if the heart is far. Thomas’ “My Lord and my God” lands as right worship because it is true. The healed man in John 9 knows that “if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens.” Romans 12 names the shape of such worship: a living sacrifice. Hebrews calls it reverence and awe before the consuming fire.

Devotion is the third move. The great command requires all the heart. No one can serve two masters. The church is betrothed to one Husband, so the mind must not be led astray from pure devotion to Christ. Every word and deed lives under His name. True devotion walks as He walked and abides in Him, because apart from the Vine there is no fruit.

Work is the fourth move. The Son’s purpose is clear: He came to do the Father’s will, to seek and save the lost. His works bear witness, and His pattern is the Father’s own. Grace does not end the story; Ephesians 2 places workmanship after salvation. Prepared works become the disciple’s path. The cross draws the map for generosity. Submission then reorders time, resources, and even how suffering is read, receiving trials as possible mercies in disguise.

The Table seals that the prayer was answered. “It is finished.” Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. At the Table, divisions yield to mutual submission, and the church proclaims the Lord’s death until He comes.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Scripture grounds confident submission [32:39] Scripture is inspired, preserved, and true, so yielding to its commands is not a leap in the dark but obedience to light. Confidence in the text frees the disciple to surrender control without bargaining. Where the Word is trusted, submission becomes sane and sturdy, not sentimental or reckless. Truth steadies the soul to say, “Your will be done.” [32:39]
• 2. Gethsemane defines Christian obedience [46:46] Jesus’ threefold “Not my will, your will” shows completed consent, not a momentary mood. The prayer honors the Father’s plan even when the cup is bitter. Christian obedience takes its shape here, refusing shortcuts and sanctifying sorrow when necessary. The pathway is not ease but alignment. [46:46]
• 3. Submission begins as respect and worship [50:23] Respect bows before the Father’s worth, and worship answers that worth with a living sacrifice. Disrespect cannot coexist with real submission. When the heart hails God as worthy, yielding ceases to feel like loss and starts to sound like praise. Reverence becomes the engine of obedience. [50:23]
• 4. Devotion abides and rejects rivals [01:02:15] All-heart love excludes second masters and keeps fidelity to the Bridegroom. Abiding in Christ sustains that fidelity, because fruitless effort springs from self-reliance. Devotion is not intensity alone but attachment to the Vine. The life that remains in Him will walk as He walked. [62:15]
• 5. Grace issues in prepared good works [01:09:51] Salvation by grace restores the purpose of work, not the pride of earning. The Son’s purpose, progress, and pattern set the disciple’s assignment. Good works are not self-invented but prearranged paths to walk. Generosity, service, and endurance follow the cross’s generous pattern. [69:51]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:05] - Announcements and CareNet reminder
• [31:48] - Scripture inspired by the Spirit
• [34:22] - Everyday pictures of submission
• [36:17] - Orchestra submitting to the conductor
• [39:13] - Navy authority on the bridge
• [41:00] - What submission means
• [42:34] - Not my will, Your will
• [46:12] - Threefold prayer and its meaning
• [47:44] - Respect for the Father’s will
• [52:21] - Worship as living sacrifice
• [57:25] - Single-hearted devotion to God
• [63:07] - Doing the Father’s work
• [71:16] - Wisdom and work in the home
• [80:58] - Remembering at the Lord’s Table

1. What three elements of submission did Jesus model in His prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39)?
2. How does the analogy of an orchestra without a conductor illustrate the chaos of resisting submission? [36:17]
3. What does Romans 12:1 describe as “true worship,” and how does this connect to daily life? [56:02]
4. According to John 15:4, what is the consequence of failing to “abide in the vine”?

1. Why might Jesus’ repetition of “not my will, but yours” in prayer (three times) matter for understanding the depth of His submission? [46:12]
2. How does the idea of “respect” for God (Malachi 1:6) differ from mere outward compliance with His commands? [48:01]
3. The sermon states, “You cannot disrespect God Almighty and submit.” How do Romans 1:21 and Revelation 4:11 clarify this tension?
4. Why does Ephesians 2:10 emphasize that good works are “prepared beforehand” for believers? How does this redefine our view of obedience? [08:14]

1. In what area of your life do you most often resist saying, “Not my will, but Yours”? What practical step could you take this week to yield control in that area?
2. The sermon contrasts “lip-service worship” with a “living sacrifice.” What would it look like to worship God through your actions—not just words—in your workplace or home? [56:15]
3. How might viewing trials as “mercies in disguise” (as in Laura Story’s song) change your response to a current hardship? [15:31]
4. The Navy captain analogy highlights authority and order. Where do you struggle to trust God’s leadership in chaotic circumstances? How could you actively “relinquish control” today? [39:13]
5. Jesus’ devotion excluded all rival masters. What competing priorities (e.g., comfort, approval, success) subtly compete for your allegiance? How can you reaffirm single-hearted devotion?
6. The sermon says, “Grace restores the purpose of work.” How could you approach your daily tasks this week as “prepared good works” for God’s glory? [09:51]
7. At the Lord’s Table, believers proclaim Christ’s death until He returns. How can regularly remembering His submission deepen your own willingness to yield to God’s will? [22:23]