Not as We Will
The sermon emphasizes the importance of submitting to God's will, choosing to follow His plans and purposes over our own desires and intentions, and finding peace and rest in Him.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches on the importance of surrendering to God's will, echoing the sentiment of 'Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' She emphasizes the need to trust in God's wisdom and perfect choice, entering into His counsels and loving with His love. By choosing God's will over our own, we can find peace, calm anxieties, and experience a foretaste of everlasting rest, even in times of trouble and heartache.
Text
Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.
MATTHEW 26:39
THY will, not mine, 0 Lord,
However dark it be!
Lead me by Thine own hand,
Choose out the path for me.
I dare not choose my lot;
I would not, if I might;
Choose Thou for me, my God;
So shall I walk aright.
HORATIUS BONAR
CHOOSE but the will of God, and thou willest with His wisdom, thou choosest with His all-perfect choice; thou enterest into His counsels; thou lovest with His love. Be this our watch-word, brethren, for the Church, for those we love, for our own souls. Be this our rule in action, "not what I will, but what Thou"; this, in suffering; "not what I, but what Thou." This shall hallow our hopes; this shall hush our fears; this shall ward off disquiet; this shall preserve our peace; this shall calm anxieties; this (if so it must be) shall soothe our heart-aches; this shall give repose to our weariness; this, the deeper our trouble, shall be the deeper foretaste of everlasting peace and rest. "Lord, not what I will, but what Thou"; not what I, in my misery, and ignorance, and blindness, and sin, but what Thou, in Thy mercy, and holiness, and wisdom, and love.
E. B. PUSEY
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Submitting to God's Will
- The Benefits of Submitting to God's Will
- Applying God's Will in Our Lives
- In Action and Suffering
- Finding Peace and Rest
- Loving with God's Love
Key Quotes
“Choose but the will of God, and thou willest with His wisdom, thou choosest with His all-perfect choice;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Lord, not what I will, but what Thou;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“This shall hallow our hopes; this shall hush our fears;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should seek to follow God's plans and purposes in our lives, even when they are difficult or unclear.
- Choosing to submit to God's will can bring wisdom, perfect choice, and peace to our lives.
- We can apply God's will in our lives by trusting in His guidance and wisdom, and by seeking to find peace and rest in Him.