The Lord's Prayer - His Preeminence Series

Bent into Shape – His Preeminence

6/10/18

Matthew 6:5-13

Sunday AM

Explain Haircut

When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, so they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory forever.

For 8 weeks we’ve been discussing prayer. W/out a doubt, prayer is one of the most critical disciplines in the Christian life; and yet it’s also one of the most abused/misunderstood disciplines. The disciples understood this reality – so they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

To appreciate Jesus’ instruction, we need to remember the context. By the time the disciples approached Jesus, prayer had become so corrupted by rabbinic tradition that prayers like the Shema/Shemoneh esrei had become prescribed and ritualized – and the people had no idea how to approach God So Jesus gave this prayer as a pattern to help us to know how to talk w/ God and keep us from using vain repetition. Oddly enough, this is seemingly what has happened w/ this prayer.

pray (proseuchomai) pro = facing toward – one who seeks God’s face. euchomai = to utter aloud. Meaning Jesus taught that prayer is a personal, face-to-face encounter w/ our heavenly daddy – and that the Lord’s Prayer is a pattern to connect us w/ God but it’s never to be a substitute. We’re to understand it and follow it so we can get bent into shape.

Jesus taught we’re to begin prayer in praise by recognizing God as our Father and honoring His name – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. We’re next to affirm His priorities as our own by asking – Your kingdom come, Your will be done as we entrust ourselves into God’s care by seeking His daily provision – Give us this day our daily bread. We’re also to ask for His pardon and commit to forgive as He has forgiven us – forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And we’re to seek His protection from Satanic attack and engage in spiritual warfare praying – Lead us not into temptation….

As we close out this teaching – we come to the final phrase that speaks to the preeminence of God – for Yours is the kingdom, power and glory forever.

This is known as a doxology an expression of praise – doxa is to give honor/glory. logy from logos means word – a word of honor/glory.

FYI – This doxology isn’t found in most modern translation b/c later manuscripts omitted it – yet this shouldn’t give us any great consternation b/c these words fit both the spirit of this prayer and teachings of Scripture in other places. David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11 – Yours, Lord, is the greatness, power and glory, the victory and majesty; for all that is in heaven and earth is Yours, and Yours is the kingdom – where You are exalted as head over all.

What does this mean? In praying – Yours is the kingdom, power, glory – we’re saying these things can be said of God and of no one else. Only His kingdom will come, only His power will prevail, and only His glory will be revealed.

I Yours is the KINGDOM – Forever

A few weeks ago when we talked about seeking the kingdom we touched on the wonderful truth that God has a Kingdom! So as we pray – Yours is the kingdom – we’re recognizing His LORDSHIP over our lives.

Lordship is about who’s in charge and calling the shots. It’s about a person’s overarching authority. And what we often miss in the idea of Lordship is that every soul is searching for a Master even if that master is self.

I’m reminded of the last lines of the poem Invictus by William Henley – It matters not how strait the gate, how charged w/ punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate – I am the captain of my soul.