Y - Yield Your Will
Well glory, today I will be sharing with you the final point in this series on O.C.C.U.P.Y. Until He comes. As we are about the Father's business in 2011 in understanding the kingdom of heaven, God is calling us to Y - Yield Your Will.
The word yield means to surrender or submit as to superior power. It also means to give up, give over or give in. The meaning is clear, yet of all of God's creation, mankind struggles to yield. From Adam to current, every human born, except Jesus has failed in one way or another in this area of yielding. However, our will was created to yield. The greatest way we show love and submission to God is to yield our will to His.
Just prior to Jesus arrest and crucifixion, He went to Gethsemane with Peter, James and John to pray. Matthew 26:36-39 says, 'Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
First I want to bring your attention to the place Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray. Gethsemane means oil press. It is indicative of the place where we must all come and have our will pressed out so that the Father's will can be accomplished in our lives. The Little Kittle Theological Dictionary says this about Gethsemane, "Gethsemane implies the possibility of an independent human will that is set aside in voluntary submission to the divine will." We all come to a crossroad in life when we are faced with doing what we want to do over what God wants us to do. That is why daily (and sometimes several times in a day) we must go to Gethsemane to have our will pressed out to make way for the will of the Lord. Only when we submit to the will of the Lord will we be able to see His kingdom purposes fulfilled in and through our lives.
The second thing I want to point out in this verse is what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39 says, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." This is the only place in scripture where you will find Jesus will contrary to the will of the Father. Instead of carrying out His will, He carried out the will of the Father saying, "...nevertheless not as I will."
Yielding will always require you to go a little farther in prayer to press out your will for the will of God. When we go a little farther, a "nevertheless" will rise up because at the heart of "going farther" is an ardent desire to accomplish God's will. Jesus did it, therefore by the power of His Spirit living in us, we too can declare, nevertheless, not as I will.
I trust you have been blessed by this series O.C.C.U.P.Y. Until He Comes. I pray that it challenges you to be about the Father's business. I am convinced that if you would operate, consecrate, contribute, understand, press and yield, you won't have time for anything else. So purpose in your heart from this day forward to be about the Father's business and O.C.C.U.P.Y. until He comes!
Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven,
Pastor Sheila
The word yield means to surrender or submit as to superior power. It also means to give up, give over or give in. The meaning is clear, yet of all of God's creation, mankind struggles to yield. From Adam to current, every human born, except Jesus has failed in one way or another in this area of yielding. However, our will was created to yield. The greatest way we show love and submission to God is to yield our will to His.
Just prior to Jesus arrest and crucifixion, He went to Gethsemane with Peter, James and John to pray. Matthew 26:36-39 says, 'Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
First I want to bring your attention to the place Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray. Gethsemane means oil press. It is indicative of the place where we must all come and have our will pressed out so that the Father's will can be accomplished in our lives. The Little Kittle Theological Dictionary says this about Gethsemane, "Gethsemane implies the possibility of an independent human will that is set aside in voluntary submission to the divine will." We all come to a crossroad in life when we are faced with doing what we want to do over what God wants us to do. That is why daily (and sometimes several times in a day) we must go to Gethsemane to have our will pressed out to make way for the will of the Lord. Only when we submit to the will of the Lord will we be able to see His kingdom purposes fulfilled in and through our lives.
The second thing I want to point out in this verse is what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39 says, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." This is the only place in scripture where you will find Jesus will contrary to the will of the Father. Instead of carrying out His will, He carried out the will of the Father saying, "...nevertheless not as I will."
Yielding will always require you to go a little farther in prayer to press out your will for the will of God. When we go a little farther, a "nevertheless" will rise up because at the heart of "going farther" is an ardent desire to accomplish God's will. Jesus did it, therefore by the power of His Spirit living in us, we too can declare, nevertheless, not as I will.
I trust you have been blessed by this series O.C.C.U.P.Y. Until He Comes. I pray that it challenges you to be about the Father's business. I am convinced that if you would operate, consecrate, contribute, understand, press and yield, you won't have time for anything else. So purpose in your heart from this day forward to be about the Father's business and O.C.C.U.P.Y. until He comes!
Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven,
Pastor Sheila
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