THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 4
MATTHEW 6:10 YOUR KINGDOM COME,
INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND SPECIFICALLY THE LORD’S PRAYER, WE COME TO OUR PASSAGE TODAY WHERE JESUS INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES THAT A TIME OF PRAYER SHOULD INCLUDE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
THIS PORTION OF THE LORD’S INSTRUCTION TO HIS DISCIPLES CONCERNING PRAYER SHOULD RE-ENFORCE THE FACT THAT PRAYER IS IMPORTANT AND THAT THERE IS A METHOD AND PATTERN NIN EFFECTIVE PRAYER; PRAYER THAT TOUCHES THE HEART OF GOD.
I. WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR
a. “OUR FATHER”
i. WAS A NEW CONCEPT TO THE JEWS
ii. WAS A CONSISTENT CONCEPT TO JESUS
iii. WAS THE RELATIONSHIP JESUS WANTED US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE WITH GOD THE FATHER
iv. IT IS A TERM ONLY SOMEONE WHO KNOWS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR CAN USE SINCERELY
b. “WHICH ART IN HEAVEN”
i. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT DEAL WITH THIS PHRASE SPECIFICALLY, IT IS WORTH MENTIONING
1. THIS SPEAKS OF THE RESIDENCE OF GOD
2. GOD IS NOT JUST A GOD OF THE EARTH; HE TRANSCENDS EARTH AND ALL OF CREATION
3. FOR THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST, THE RESIDENCE OF GOD IN HEAVEN IS ALSO OUR FINAL PLACE TO RESIDE – WITH HIM. MANSION WITH MANY ROOMS
NOW WE DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO THE NEXT TWO PHRASES IN THE LORD’S PRAYER OF INSTRUCTION TO HIS DISCIPLES REGARDING PRAYER
II. “THY KINGDOM COME”
a. IN A VERY SIMPLE SENSE WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE COMING OF GOD’S KINGDOM
b. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT MAKE THIS WORLD ANY BETTER THAN IT ALREADY IS AND AS WE PROGRESS FURTHER, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT OUR WORLD WILL BE GETTING WORSE UNTIL THE RETURN OF THE LORD.
c. GOD WILL BRING IT WHEN IN HIS PERFECT TIME
i. WE NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH – THE REMOVAL OF CHRISTIANS IS THE NEXT PROPHETICAL EVENT
1. IT IS IMMINENT, MEANING IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANYTIME
d. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH CONCERN REGARDING ISRAEL?
i. PROPHETICALLY THE NEXT EVENT IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
ii. THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS CONNECTED TO THE EVENTS SURROUNDING ISRAEL
1. THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH USHERS IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD FOLLOWED BY THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
2. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS A SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD OF TIME DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE, DURING WHICH GOD WILL COMPLETE HIS DISCIPLINE OF ISRAEL AND FINAL JUDGMENT UPON THE UNBELIEVING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD .
3. THE TRIBULATION IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS.
4. THE FIRST PART BEING APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF YEARS;
5. THE SECOND PART, CALLED THE GREAT TRIBULATION, BEING APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF YEARS .
6. THE GREAT TRIBULATION IS A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE EVERYONE WILL EXPERIENCE WORLDWIDE HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTION, DISASTERS, FAMINE, WAR, PAIN, AND SUFFERING, WHICH WILL AFFECT ALL OF CREATION, AND PRECEDE JUDGMENT OF ALL WHEN THE SECOND COMING TAKES PLACE .
7. THE EXACT TIMING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS NOT KNOWN. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO DANIEL 9:27, IT IS A SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD THAT STARTS WITH A PEACE TREATY BUT AFTER 3.5 YEARS AN ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION OCCURS .
8. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION OCCURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN THE ANTICHRIST ENTERS THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM AND DECLARES THAT HE IS GOD .
iii. ALTHOUGH WE CANNOT DETERMINE WHEN GOD WILL FULFILL THE RETURN OF HIS KINGDOM, WE CAN SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT GOD’S KINGDOM WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME
iv. THROUGH PRAYER – JESUS INSTRUCTS US TO PRAY FOR BOTH GOD’S KINGDOM AND GOD’S WILL.
1. WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR HIS KINGDOM – GOD IS WILLING THAT NONE SHOULD PERISH – NOT HAVE A PART IN HIS KINGDOM
v. THROUGH OUR OWN SUBMISSION
1. HAVE WE YIELDED OURSELVES AND OUR WILL TO HIM IN ORDER THAT HE MAY USE US TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL?
2. YOU WILL REMEMBER WHEN WE TAUGHT ABOUT EXPERIENCING GOD, THERE WERE A FEW IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES
a. GOD DOES NOT NEED US TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL
b. WHEN GOD MAKES HIS WILL KNOW TO US, WE NEED TO FOLLOW HIS WILL
c. THE WAY TO BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THE WILL OF GOD IS TO GET TO KNOW GOD BETTER
d. GOD SHOWING US WHAT HE IS DOING IS HIS INVITATION TO JOIN HIM
e. IN ORDER TO FOLLOW GOD’S WILL, WE WILL OFTEN HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES IN OUR LIVES
vi. THROUGH OUTREACH
1. WE WILL NEVER REACH A WORLD WE ARE NOT BURDENED FOR.
2. WE WILL NEVER EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL IF WE ARE UNAWARE OF IT
3. GOD HAS TOLD US THAT THE HARVEST IS READY, AND THERE IS A NEED FOR WORKERS
4. WE ARE GOD’S PLAN FOR REACHING OUR WORLD FOR CHRIST BEFORE HE RETURNS
III. WHAT ARE WE ASKING WHEN WE PRAY, “THY KINGDOM COME”?
a. WE ARE ASKING FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY
i. WE TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY IN THE LAST POINT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A FEW THOUGHTS
ii. GOD PROMISES A FUTURE KINGDOM
1. WHEN WE PRAY, WE EXPRESS OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S WILL
2. WE LOOK BACK ON THE EVIDENCE OF GOD’S FULFILLED PROMISES AND THEN LOOK FORWARD IN PRAYER
iii. WE ARE ASKING GOD TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES
1. GOD PROMISES HAVE UP TO THIS POINT ALL BEEN PROPHETIC
2. IN A VERY REAL SENSE FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, PROPHECY IS SIMPLY HISTORY WRITTEN IN ADVANCE
iv. WE ARE ASKING FOR A KINGDOM DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER KINGDOM OR NATION THAT HAS EXISTED OR IS EXISTING
1. A KINGDOM NOT TAINTED BY SIN
2. A KINGDOM NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF SATAN
3. A KINGDOM WHOSE CORE IS NOT EVIL
v. BECAUSE OF THE KINGDOM WE LIVE IN THE CHURCH IS AT A DISADVANTAGE.
1. SATAN IS THE GOD OF THIS WORLD
2. SATAN BLINDS MEN TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL
3. THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO RELY EVEN GREATER ON THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL – THE GREAT COMMISSION.
vi. WHEN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST COMES, IT IS NOT INCREMENTAL, IT WILL COME IN AN INSTANT
1. WE ARE TOLD TO LOOK FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS CLOSE, YET WHEN IT COMES IT WILL COME IN ITS ENTIRETY!
b. WE ARE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS PERSONAL
i. THIS IS OUR PRAYER!
ii. WE ARE NOT JUST PRAYING FOR THE COMING OF GOD’S KINGDOM BUT FOR THE COMING OF GOD’S KINGDOM FOR US
1. GOD’S KINGDOM FIRST COMES IN OUR HEARTS WHEN WE ASK CHRIST TO COME INTO OUR LIVES
2. GOD’S KINGDOM IN OUR LIVES NATURALLY MEANS THAT AS KINGDOM CITIZENS WE ARE OBLIGATED TO OBEY AND SERVE OUR KING
iii. ONCE AGAIN THIS GOES AGAINST OUR NATURE
1. MEN PREFER A JESUS THAT IS MOLDABLE TO THEIR DESIRES
2. TO ASK FOR GOD’S KINGDOM TO COME, IS GOING AGAINST THE CURRENT OF SOCIETY AND SEEING GOD’S RULE AS ABSOLUTE
3. THE MARK OF A GENUINE BELIEVER IS OBEYING HIM AS A RESULT OF LOVING HIM.
c. WE ARE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS PRACTICAL
i. WE ARE LOOKING FOR WHAT WE ARE WAITING FOR TO ARRIVE
ii. IT IS A GLOBAL RESET AND RETURNS OUR WORLD AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO WHERE IT ONCE WAS IN THE GARDEN
iii. IT WAS NEVER GOD’S PLAN TO HAVE ANYTHING BUT A PERFECT WORLD
1. MAN’S FREE WILL INTERRUPTED GOD’S DESIRE
2. THE DEATH OF CHRIST PROVIDED THE MEANS FOR MAN TO RETURN TO GOD FREE FROM THE SIN INTRODUCED THROUGH ADAM
3. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS THE RESET
a. NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH
IV. REVIEW – WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR ABOUT PRAYER?
a. PRAYER IS RELATIONAL
i. FATHER
ii. FAMILY – RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST
b. PRAYER HAS A CORE PURPOSE
i. HALLOWED
ii. SEEKING FOR GOD’S NAME TO BE HONORED AND LIFTED UP IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE
c. THY KINGDOM COME
i. LOOKING FOR GOD TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES CONCERNING HIS RETURN
ii. ACCEPTING THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE IN COMMUNICATING HIS KINGDOM TO OTHERS
