South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-01
ALL is BEING DONE
AS GOD WILLS IT
Rev. Parson Declares Creators VIII
il Supreme and UniVersal-Some-
times Men Begrudge Doing Ii.

Gods viii Supreme on Earth, >"
was the subject of Rev. L. j. Parsons,
pastor of Quincy Street Baptist
church. Sunday morning. The ser
mon was the fourth sermon on a series
on the Lords Prayer. He used as his
text Thy will be done on earth, as II
is in heaven" In part, he said:
when Jesus was born in Bethle-
hem of Judea, the angelic host voiced
Gods message to mankind that the
coming of Christ was the tangible,
concrete expression of Gods goodwin
towards men. In the praye- OF the
text we are asking that man may uni
versally respond with his good VIII
toward God.
ITO properly understand this prayer
we must include the whole sentence.
1t is not simply Thy will be done.
Gods will in its great dispensatOnal
and redemptive features, is being
done. The devout student Of history
does not tremble for the ark of God,
nor fear lest tie throne of the Al
mighty will be overturned. Gods VIII
was done in the overthrow of the
Egyptians. the destruction of the can
.aanites. the dispersion of the Jews
the coming of Messiah, the ascendancy
of Christianity, and the western trend
of civilization. Every great movement
i'm history was foretOld in the sacred
scriptures. even the events which are
yet to transpire among the nations.
Jehovah said long ago, 1 am God,
and there is none like me, declaring
the end from the beginning. and from
ancient times the things that are not
yet done The Bible is the most up
to-date book in the world.
Voluntarily In Heaven.
I'VE are to pray that Gods will be
done as it is in heaven. The whole
content of the petition is determined
by the pivotal adverb as. We are
well aware that such is not the case
today on this mundane sphere. In
heaven the will of God is done volun-
tarily. because the angels are in per-
feet accord with the purposes of the
Lord. on the contrary, insofar as
men are advancing Gods plans they
are doing so of necessity and not by
free choice. This has been illustrated
repeatedly in. the marvellous history
of modern missions.
I'm heaven the Will of God is done
ioyfully. How very different is this
from the way il is done on earth, even
by the best people. How grudgingly
we give Of time, ability or means 10
carry out the great commission OF
Jesus Christ 10 evangeliZe the world.
Is IL a joy for most of US TO give or
sacrifice What pagans we prove
ourselves 20 be in trouble or bereave-
ment. We sing with a mental reServa-
ton My Jesus, as thou wilt and say
with a groan Thy will be done Jesus
said If ye loved me ye would rejoice.
because l said / go unto the Father
Gods will is done universally in
heaven by every being in every part.
How few men on the earth even de-
sire TO do Gods Will as il is done in
heaven. A few in almost every Chris
tian community earnestly desire 10 do
the viii or the Heavenly Father, and
even they rebel when Gods Will seems
to run counter 10 theirs. The magni-
tude OF this prayer grows upon Us as
we reverently study il. Thank God.
one has done the Fathers will volun-
tarily, joyously. perfectly. on the
earth; and that is the pledge and
prophecy that the prayer will be an
swered in its fulness."