God's Glorious Kingdom On Earth Series

God’s Glorious Kingdom on Earth

Grace Sermon Series, Part 2

Matthew 6:9-10

Introduction

- The word translated "grace" in the New Testament comes from the Greek:

-- It is the word “charis”, which means “favor, blessing, or kindness”

- When grace is used in connection with God, it takes on powerful meaning

-- Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves

-- When we realize what we’ve been given, we can all extend grace to others

-- IMP: We do NOT want what we deserve … the penalty for sin is DEATH!

--- Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

- Bottom line: Grace is His benevolence to the undeserving (you and me)

- Read Matthew 6:9-10

- Some may wonder how these two sentences show us Grace, and why?

-- How do we find grace in the Lord’s Prayer?

- Pray

∆ Point 1 – The Kingdom is first

- Our father (is intentionally focusing us on the Lord)

-- It directs our hearts to seek after Him in everything that we do

-- It is not what we have to offer, but that we bring ourselves to Him

- He is hallowed; which literally means praise-worthy; honored; exalted

-- We must come to the Father seeking what He has because we are in need

- Then Jesus teaches us to look at the Father’s business and not our own

- The Kingdom is first! It must always BE first in our lives

-- First in human hearts as an unforgettable experience of God and His love

- It is the eternal reward for those who are faithful to the Father

- For those who call upon His Son and Lord, it is what we must desire

- However, something important must happen in order that we see it

-- We must change from the ways that are comfortable to us

-- We must be willing to desire all that He has; to desire His Kingdom

- Then, we are commanded to share it (the msg of grace is about sharing it for all)

-- Christ shared it for us, and we experience Grace each time we need forgiveness

- APP: It cannot be seen unless it shines in men’s faces

-- APP: It cannot be seen unless it shows in their lives

-- People need to be drawn to it because it is demonstrated in how we live

-- APP: Even apart from “the church crowd”; we must seek the Kingdom always

- It is not an easy road to show the Kingdom; often puts us at odds with society

-- “Your Kingdom come …” literally means we desire to bring it here

- Paul called those who lived this way, “sons of God”

-- Galatians 3:26 (ESV), “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith”

-- We could also be called “citizens of the kingdom of God”

-- We are to live worthy of that title; because we’ve seen His Grace

- TRANS: When we understand that, we then see where it comes into our lives

∆ Point 2 – The Kingdom comes in family circles

- Sometimes we need to be reminded about how Grace is demonstrated

-- Grace comes where it’s invited as an unseen guest; into the secret places

-- It comes when it’s lived out in the lives of true followers of Christ

- It’s shown by husbands, wives, and children who live by the Law of love

-- It’s shown in how we treat one another; how Grace is made real

-- Jesus already demonstrated tremendous love for us through the cross

-- But, notice what He shows us EVEN in how we pray

- “Your will be done” … means, “Lord, let it be about You and not me”

-- Jesus was teaching more than just now to pray … but how to LIVE!

- We pray that the will of God may be done because we believe it

-- We believe that God’s will is perfectly loving and righteous

-- 1Thessalonians 4:3, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified…”

-- It is His will that desires our sanctification; to live rightly before Him

- It is the will that desires NONE should perish (2 Peter 3:9)

-- It is calling upon all that we’ve received from Christ to manifested

-- To be made real, we’ve got to get out of the box and show Him to all

- TRANS: When we live for His Kingdom, we see God grace change us

∆ Point 3 – The Kingdom’s grace changes lives

- It’s like the growth of a tree which builds from within; you don’t see the internal