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
-- It begins to refashion social institutions, communities, the nation, the world
- Grace shows us that we are not the center of it all, God always has been
-- In prayer we call down the Kingdom to be made real here; for all to see
- But in that, others see what it is that you and I believe it; what we live for
-- It’s what separates a real Christian from a fake one …
-- It’s when we are to be ABLE and WILLING to testify to what God has done
-- It’s not “Come look at how great I am” … but … “Come and see my Lord!!!”
- The Kingdom of God on earth will come, in tremendous fashion … one day
- Revelation 21:1-5, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
- HUGE IMP: If that is not the scene you desire; you need to check your intentions
-- The ushering in of His Kingdom through His Grace is what our focus should be
- TRANS: So what’s our application of grace in our passage in Matthew?
∆ Big Ideas
- We should desire to live righteously before God
-- We should be demonstrating the Kingdom’s promises now
-- It starts with small groups, to expand out to others in exploding fashion
- Ask yourself these important questions:
• Am I currently a citizen of the Kingdom?
• Is my household ruled by love? Is it demonstrated in my home?
• Is grace the first thing I demonstrate to those around me by example?
- If there is any doubt in your answers, it’s time to reevaluate
-- It’s time to reevaluate what it is you call Lord; OR … what you live for
- Jesus taught us to say this line quite effectively:
-- “… your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
- Are we living this with truth?
- Are we demonstrating His grace to all we see as we’ve been taught?
-- The Kingdom of God reveals the true Grace of God … do we show it?
- Pray
