Are You Doing God’s Will or Your Own?

He says in John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” I can’t say that. Do you know what most bothered me back there in the back while we were praying? Would I be praying so zealously? And would I be so concerned about these meetings if they weren’t ours? If they weren’t sponsored by HeartCry? And if I was not preaching? I do so much for me. So much of my food… stinks. It’s fodder. I’d be a hypocrite to stand before you if I said those words are mine. But Jesus could always say “My food, my sustenance, the thing I LIVE for is to do the will of my Father.” That is why how much a man prays will tell you a lot more about him then how much a man preaches. You can preach for a lot of reasons. But to pray in secret, it is to do the will of the Father. And to eat of pure food of the Lord’s table. 

One of our greatest problems and we learn this, we say this, but listen to what we’re saying. One of our greatest problems is yes, we really are not like Jesus. There is much in the reformed movement talking about the law. Men will be judged by the law, and there is truth in that, men will be judged by the law. But it is a small thing for me to be judged by the law. Put Paul Washer on the scale and put the law on the other side of the scale. That’s one thing. Yes, I will fail. 

But you know something that is a harder measure? Put Paul Washer on one side of the scale but put the perfect man, Jesus Christ on the other side of the scale. To be compared to Him. That is our goal. It could be said that is our only need. To be like Jesus. The most dangerous prayer a human being could ever pray, “Lord, make me like Christ.” I don’t care if you have to dethrone me, I don’t care if you have to tear apart my ministry, I don’t care if you have to destroy me. I don’t care what happens. Make me like Jesus Christ! It’s practically calling a death sentence upon yourself. But then again, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies. It abideth alone. But if it dies it bringeth forth much fruit. 

Is it not the great sin? To take the matter into our own hands? And we’ve been taught that even in our own culture. Man needs a car, doesn’t have money for it, what does he do? Goes to the bank. Takes the matter into his own hands, by his own initiative and gets the job done. And he’s in bondage to it. He said if a man says, I need a car, I have no money, Father, I need a house, I have no money. Father, I want to do this thing in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the ministry but Father, I will initiate nothing! Show me, lead me, guide me. Absolute surrender to Him. Absolute surrender. 

It’s not something I’m giving testimony about with regards to myself, but it is something I’m telling you about with regard to Jesus Christ. I want you to see him yes, as God in the flesh, but I want you to see him as a man totally submitted to the will of God. And I want you to see that that is what you are called to. Prayer is a little thing unless this giant is first slain. It is the end of self will and submitting ourselves to Jesus Christ. There ought to be a way in which we could answer every question like this. Someone says, “Well why did you go there or why did you do this?” The answer, “Because I believed it to be God’s will.” “Oh that’s an absolutely great opportunity that’s open to you.” No, I have no opportunity except the doing of God’s will! If all the doors in all of creation fly open and God says, “STOP” and you will bring glory to God by stopping. And you’ll save yourself from a whole lot of peril.