The Lord's Prayer Part 4 Series

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 3

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