Follow (6) – What I Want to Want (Matt 26:6-16, 27:1-8)

Welcome to CROLCC, we are so glad you are here worshiping with us. We have been in this series Follow and obviously we have been talking about following Jesus. We said that no matter who you are or what you have done, you have been invited by Jesus to follow him. Following Jesus obviously have lots of benefits, and we become a better person because of it. We also said last week that following Jesus eventually will cost you something. But you’ll find that when you pay the price for following Jesus, you’ll be glad you did.

Most of us don’t become Christians with the intent of following Jesus. We become Christians because we were told obedience rewards and disobedience doesn’t. We become Christians hoping that spirituality will fill a hole in our souls. We become Christians hoping God will fix us or fix someone we know. Eventually, our agendas clash with Jesus’ and we have to decide whether we’ll abandon him or follow.

Moving Forward

It’s better to follow God’s will than to try to impose our own. Following God’s will means wanting what he wants more than what we want. For most of us, that begins with wanting to want what he wants more than what we want. So, before you turn your back on God, before you dismiss him, before you allow your disappointment with him to drive you to a decision you most certainly will regret later, pray:

“Heavenly Father, I want to want what you want more than what I want.”

Discussion Questions

1. Talk about something you really wanted in life, whether during adulthood or when you were a child. What did you do to try to get it? Did you succeed?

2. Have you ever seen someone put aside his or her wants in order to follow God’s will? How did that person’s actions influence your own faith?

3. Talk about a time when you felt a tension between God’s will and your own. What did you do? Did you have to give something up—a dream, an ambition, money, career advancement—in order to follow Jesus? Explain.

4. “God’s hand can’t be forced. His will can’t be thwarted.” How does that statement challenge the way you think about God? What comfort do you find in it?

5. What is one area of your life that you need to say no to yourself and follow Jesus? What can this group do to support you?