Journey To The Cross
The Battle For The Will
Matthew 26:36-46
We will all face circumstances in which we must make a moral choice, deciding between what God wants and what we want or desire. It has been said that the story of the Bible is the story of two gardens:
• The Garden of Eden - _______________ us
• The Garden of Gethsemane - _______________ us
In the Garden of Gethsemane, we learn what it truly means to follow God's will when every fiber of our human nature wants to run the other way. Following God’s Will
1. _______________ for honest struggle “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44, ESV) What Jesus struggled with was not primarily physical death, but the taking of the ____________. Cup – represented the _______________ of God While it is always ____________ to do the will of God, it is not always _______________ to do the will of God. Fight your greatest battles in your strongest position: On your _______________!
2. _______________ vigilance against the flesh
• The _______________: The Civil War within
• The ___________: Mistaking intentions for power
• The ______________: Vigilance and dependency
To follow God's will, we must trade our self-confidence for holy desperation. We must realize that without the sustaining power of God, sought through vigilant prayer, our willing spirits will be crushed by our weak flesh every time. We cannot fight spiritual battles with good intentions; we must fight them on our knees.
3. _____________ from requests to resolve • Wrestling is ________________ • Alignment over _______________ “Prayer is not primarily an engine by which we run over God, by which we overcome His unwillingness. But prayer is primarily a means by which God, who is ever ready to give us what is best, gives it to us because we set ourselves in the place of doing His will. Prayer is me lining up with what God wants to do at any price, even my life.” John MacArthur • _______________ the Planner over the plan “The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me.” D.L. Moody
4. _______________ In Strength The Father’s answer to Jesus' prayer was “No” to the removal of the cup, but “Yes” to the power to endure it. Gethsemane teaches us that submission is the forge of courage. When we stop fighting against God's will and start fighting for the strength to do it, we are transformed. Jesus walked out of the olive press not as a victim of circumstance, but as the Sovereign King who had voluntarily chosen the cross and would arise the victor out of the tomb.
How To Choose The Father’s Path Over Your Own Fear and Pain
1. _______________ for intimacy We don’t run from the cup; we take it to the Father in prayer, again and again, until His will becomes our deepest desire.
2. _______________ a team Look for people who will join you in “watching and praying”, and not someone who wants to “fix” the problem.
3. ____________ until alignment and strengthening come
• Persistence proves _______________
• Surrender invites _________________________
Your Gethsemane isn't the end; it's the gateway to God's greatest work in you.
Making It Personal:
• Where are you currently wrestling with God’s will?
• How do you typically respond when obedience is hard?
• Where are you relying on good intentions instead of deep dependence?
• Is God asking you to change your circumstances or your alignment?
• What “cup” is before you right now?
• What would it look like to move from resistance to resolve?
• Who can pray with you for your Gethsemane moment?
Ready to take your Next Step?
• Go by the Next Steps area today after the service
• Fill out a Connect Card and drop it in the offering box
• Text Next to 803-637-8484
• Go to FBCFM.COM and click “Next Steps.”