SAVING THE BEST FOR THE LAST
MATTHEW 6:13 (THE DOXOLOGY)
WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER THERE WERE CERTAIN UNWRITTEN LAWS THAT CHILDREN LIVED BY. IF YOU HAD CANDY, YOU SHARED IT. YOU NEVER SHOWED UP YOUR BEST FRIEND AND WAS ALWAYS READY TO DEFEND HIM. WHEN IT CAME TO TREATS OF ANY KIND, YOU ALWAYS SAVED THE BEST FOR THE LAST. THIS IS WHAT I INTEND TO DO TODAY AS I PREACH MY FINAL MESSAGE ON THE LORD’S PRAYER.
MY TEXT FOR TODAY IS NOT FOUND IN MANY OF THE MORE MODERN TRANSLATIONS OF THE SCRIPTURE. I BELIEVE ONLY THE KJV AND THE NKJV INCLUDE IT WITH THE PASSAGE.
MATTHEW 6:13: FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER. AMEN.
SEVERAL DENOMINATIONS DO NOT INCLUDE THIS AS PART OF THE LORD’S PRAYER. SOME THEOLOGIANS FEEL THAT THIS WAS AN ADD ON IN LATER CENTURIES BUT INCLUDED IN KING JAMES TRANSLATION.
THIS IS A FORM OF DOXOLOGY. IT’S A WAY OF ENDING A PRAYER, AND IS THE EQUIVILENT OF SAYING “A-MEN”. NOW A-MEN MEANS “SO BE IT”, AND THEREFORE THE DOXOLOGY MENTIONED AT THE END OF THE LORD’S PRAYER MEANS THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING IN THE MODEL PRAYER.
THE HISTORY OF THIS DOXOLOGY CAN BE TRACED BACK TO DAVID’S DOXOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE CENTRAL THOUGHT OF PRAISING THE SOVEREIGN GOD IS IN BOTH.
1 CHRONICLES 29:11-13:
YOURS, LORD, IS THE GREATNESS AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY AND THE MAJESTY AND THE SPLENDOR, FOR EVERYTHING IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS YOURS. YOURS, LORD, IS THE KINGDOM; YOU ARE EXALTED AS HEAD OVER ALL. 12 WEALTH AND HONOR COME FROM YOU; YOU ARE THE RULER OF ALL THINGS. IN YOUR HANDS ARE STRENGTH AND POWER TO EXALT AND GIVE STRENGTH TO ALL.
13 NOW, OUR GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS, AND PRAISE YOUR GLORIOUS NAME.
THE WORD “DOXOLOGY” ACTUALLY COMES FROM TWO GREEK TERMS. “DOX” IS A VARIANT OF THE WORD “DOXA” AND IT MEANS “GLORY”. WHEN WE THINK OF THE “OLOGY” ENDING WE MAY THINK YOF THE MANY SCIENCES ASSOCIATED WITH IT LIKE BIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, OR THEOLOGY, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THE ENDING SO: “OLOGY” MEANS “THE STUDY OF” SO:
PSYCHOLOGY = THE STUDY OF THE PSYCHE
BIOLOGY = THE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL BODY
THEOLOGY = THE STUDY OF THEOS OR GOD
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DOXOLOGY APPLIED TO THE LORD’S PRAYER WE ARE IN FACT SAYING “SO BE IT” TO TWO AREAS OF THOUGHT.
1. FIRST, THAT WE ARE LOOKING BACK OVER THE PETITONS OF THE PRAYER AND ARE SAYING “SO BE IT” TO THEM.
WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT JESUS IS GOING TO BE LORD OVER ALL THINGS IN OUR LIVES.
WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT GOD IS THE ALMIGHTY, ALL-POWERFUL SOVEREIGN CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE AND THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM.
AS WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN, WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DEPENDANCY ON HIM IN OUR DAILY LIVES. ALL THAT WE HAVE IS GIVEN BY HIM AND TO BE USED FOR HIS GLORY.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN US, THAT WE NEED TO FORGIVE OTHERS, AS DIFFICULT IN SOME CASES AS IT MAY SEEM. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FORGIVENESS DOES NOT COME IN OUR OWN POWER, BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD.
2. THE DOXOLOGY ALSO REMINDS US OF THE FUTURE GLORY WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WHEN THE LAST DAY OF THIS SINFUL WORLD HAS COME AND GONE, WHEN THE RAPTURE, TRIBULATION, AND MILLENNIUM HAVE RUN THEIR COURSE, THEN WE WILL ENTER INTO THE ETERNAL PARADISE OF GOD.
WE WILL ENTER INTO HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM, BASKING IN HIS POWER AND GIVING GOD ALL THE GLORY IN A WORLD CREATED BY HIM THAT WILL NEVER END.
POINT ONE: THINE IS THE KINGDOM
I THINK MOST IF NOT ALL OF YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS IN A TERRIBLE STATE. THE UNPREDICTABLILITY AND SCARINESS OF THE SUPER-POWERS, THE UNITED STATES, RUSSIA, CHINA AND NORTH KOREA, ALONG WITH THE EVER-PRESENT TERROR THREAT, LEAVE US IN AN EVER PRESENT STATE OF FEAR.
THERE IS ALSO THE PRESENCE OF NATURAL CALAMITIES SUCH AS FLOODS, EARTHQUAKESAND WE ARE NOW ENTERING THE HURRICANE SEASON, NOT TO MENTION HERE IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTANT THREAT OF WILD FIRES DURING THE SUMMER.
BELIEF SYSTEMS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS OR SO HAVE ALSO CHANGED. MORE PEOPLE NOW, HAVE NO TYPE OR RELIGIOUS BELIEF, AND THIS MEANS THAT LIFE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN NOW.
THERE IS NO AFTERLIFE, NO CHANCE FOR ANYTHING BETTER. THIS WORLD WITH ALL ITS UNCERTAINTY IS ALL THERE IS.
THERE IS ALSO A GREAT STRUGGLE AGAINST CHRISTIAN BASICS FROM BOTH WITHIN AND FROM OUTSIDE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. THIS STRUGGLE BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE VERY BASICS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE IN? WHAT DO YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN?
IN THE MIDST OF THIS UNCERTAINTY THE BIBLE PROVIDES US WITH THE SOLID ROCK TO BUILD ON.
THIS DOXOLOGY REMINDS US WHO IS ULTIMATELY IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS. THIS PHRASE IS ABOUT THE ONE WHO IS THE POSSESSOR OF THE KINGDOM, AND THE PROMISE THAT WE SHALL ENJOY HIS COMPANY FOR ETERNITY.
THIS KINGDOM WE WILL INHERIT WAS CREATED BY GOD, AND WE WILL BE A PART OF HIS KINGDOM. THUS HE IS IN FULL CONTROL OF THE KINGDOM.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-2:
FOR WE KNOW THAT IF THE EARTHLY TENT WE LIVE IN IS DESTROYED, WE HAVE A BUILDING FROM GOD, AN ETERNAL HOUSE IN HEAVEN, NOT BUILT BY HUMAN HANDS. 2 MEANWHILE WE GROAN, LONGING TO BE CLOTHED INSTEAD WITH OUR HEAVENLY DWELLING,
JESUS MADE US THE PROMISE THAT HE IS GOING TO PREPARE A SPECIAL PLACE FOR US.
JOHN 14:1-3:
“DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. YOU BELIEVE IN GOD; BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. 2 MY FATHER’S HOUSE HAS MANY ROOMS; IF THAT WERE NOT SO, WOULD I HAVE TOLD YOU THAT I AM GOING THERE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU? 3 AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM
JOHN’S PASSAGE REMINDS US THAT IT IS NOT WHAT WE THINK THAT ALLOWS US INTO HIS KINGDOM.
I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY “I THINK GOD IS THIS”, OR “I THINK WE GET TO HEAVEN BY DOING THIS THAT AND THE OTHER.” SOME SAY “I THINK GOD IS”. THE END RESULT IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF LIFE THE INDIVIDUAL LIVED IN THIS WORLD, WHEN THEY DIE, THEY ARE DESCRIBED AS SAINTS AND LOOKING DOWN ON US FROM GLORY.
BELOVED, THIS IS NOT WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES.
MATTHEW 7:13-14:
“ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE. FOR WIDE IS THE GATE AND BROAD IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY ENTER THROUGH IT. 14 BUT SMALL IS THE GATE AND NARROW THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE, AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT.
WHO WILL BE ON THAT NARROW ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM? ONLY THOSE WHO ACCEPT CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOUR AND THEN LIVE FOR HIM AS LORD. THESE PEOPLE AND ONLY THESE PEOPLE WHO CAN PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER AND MEAN IT.
WHAT A HOME THOUGH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM. YOU CAN GET A PARTIAL PICTURE OF IT IN REVELATION 21 AND 22. IN FACT THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES US TO DREAM ABOUT THE COMING KINGDOM. PAUL TEACHES IN
1 CORNITHIANS 2:9-10:
HOWEVER, AS IT IS WRITTEN: “WHAT NO EYE HAS SEEN, WHAT NO EAR HAS HEARD, AND WHAT NO HUMAN MIND HAS CONCEIVED”— THE THINGS GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM— 10 THESE ARE THE THINGS GOD HAS REVEALED TO US BY HIS SPIRIT
I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT HEAVEN IS NOT THE ONLY PERFECT PLACE MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE. IN GENESIS WE ARE INTRODUCED TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN. IT WAS CREATED BY THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD AND AFTER EACH SECTION GOD STATED “IT IS GOOD”. ONLY AFTER THE FALL DID THE PERFECT NATURE OF THE GARDEN FALL.
NOW LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. HOW MANY OF YOU WONDERED WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BEFORE THE FALL? WERE THE TREES LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE NOW OR WERE THERE OTHER FORMS OF FRUIT? WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WALK WITH GOD IN THE COOL OF THE DAY?
I WOULD DARE THINK IT WOULD NOT BE A GREAT CHALLENGE TO CONSIDER THESE THOUGHTS, AND SOMETHING WE WOULD FIND MOST EXCITING. NO DOUBT WE WISHED WE COULD HAVE BEEN THERE IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT.
NOW IF IT IS NOT HARD TO THINK OF LIFE BEFORE THE FALL, THEN WE SHOULD BE EQUALLY CAPABLE TO IMAGINE LIFE IN PARADISE. WE CAN PICTURE IN OUR MINDS WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE TO MEET PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED BUT WE KNOW BY GOD’S GRACE ARE P[RESENT IN PARADISE. WOULD YOU DARE TO THINK OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE NEXT TO KING DAVID OR SOLOMON, PETER OR PAUL. CAN YOU NOY PICTURE STROLLING ACROSS HEAVEN WITH JESUS? ALL THIS WILL HAPPEN, AND THE ULTIMATE REALITY IS THAT IT WILL NEVER END, IT’S ETERNAL.
GOD’S KINGDOM IS HIS KINGDOM. WE CANNOT DICTATE WHO WILL BE OR NOT BE THERE. WE CAN HOWEVER, THANKS TO THE GRACE OF GOD, KNOW THAT WE’LL BE THERE.
POINT TWO: THE POWER
THE KINGDOM IS HIS, AND SO ALSO IS THE POWER TO ACCOMPLISH HIS KINGDOM.
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW IS FUL OF SIN AND IS UNDER THE LIMITED DOMINION OF SATAN. SATAN IS REFERED TO IN SCRIPTURE AS THE PRINCE OF THIS PRESENT WORLD.
JOHN 14:30: WILL NOT SAY MUCH MORE TO YOU, FOR THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD IS COMING. HE HAS NO HOLD OVER ME,
WE MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN WE TAKE THE POWER OF SATAN LIGHTLY. HE IS A CREATED BEING AND AS SUCH DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME POWER AS GOD, BUT AS A FALLEN ANGEL HE DOES HAVE GREAT POWER, AND WE CANNOT DEFEAT HIM IN OUR OWN POWER.
ONE OF THE PETITIONS WE PRAY FOR IN THIS PRAYER IS THAT GOD WILL DELIVER US FROM TEMPTATION AND THE EVIL ONE. WE PRAY THIS BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DELIVER US.
WHEN WE PRAY THIS PETITION WE PRAY FOR GOD TO WORK THROUGH US. WHETHER THE TEMPTATION IS REMOVED OR NOT IS NOT IMPORTANT. IF WE ARE PRAYING FOR THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST TO WORK IN OUR LIVES, IT MEANS THE WE WILL HAVE THE POWER TO LIVE VICTORIOUS BLESSED LIVES IN CHRIST.
JOHN 4:4: YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.
WE HAVE THE POWER WITHIN US IN CHRIST TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION. THE PROOF IS IN SCRIPTURE AS WE CONSIDER:
JOB
DAVID
ABRAHAM
PAUL
THESE MEN FACED THE TEMPTATION OF SATAN AND LIVED VICTORIOUS LIVES BECAUSE THEY CALLED ON THE POWER OF GOD. OUR GREATEST EXAMPLE THOUGH IS JESUS HIMSELF. THE SCRIPTURE DECLARES:
HEBREWS 4:15: FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO IS UNABLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT WE HAVE ONE WHO HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY, JUST AS WE ARE—YET HE DID NOT SIN.
THIS WORLD IS LED BY A PRINCE, BUT WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, WE MOVE INTO A DIFFERENT KINGDOM AND SERVE A KING.
REMEMBER THE HYMN:
I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOUR. HE’S IN THE WORLD TODAY.
I KNOW THAT HE IS LIVING WHATEVER MEN MAY SAY.
I SEE HIS HAND OF MERCY. I HEAR HIS VOICE OF CHEER.
AND JUST THE TIME I NEED HIM, HE’S ALWAYS HERE.
THE POWER OF THE PRINCE IS TEMPORARY, THE POWER OF SIN IS TEMPORARY. THE LOVE, POWER, AND GRACE OF GOD IS ETERNAL IF WE TURN TO HIM AND LIVE FOR HIM.
THE POWER OF GOD WILL OVERCOME THE SINFUL NATURE OF THIS WORLD.
IN PARADISE….THERE WILL BE NO WHEEL CHAIRS
WHITE CANES
ALSHEIMERS
CANCER OR HEART DISEASE
ALL THESE THINGS ARE PART OF THIS SINFUL WORLD AND SIN WILL HAVE NO PART IN THE KINGDOM. OUR LORD HAS THE POWER OVER THEM.
REVELATION 21:4-5:
HE WILL WIPE EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES. THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH’ U OR MOURNING OR CRYING OR PAIN, FOR THE OLD ORDER OF THINGS HAS PASSED AWAY.” 5 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
POINT THREE: THE GLORY:
THIS PART OF THE DOXOLOGY REMINDS US THAT THE GLORY FOR THE NEW KINGDOM BELONGS TO GOD. IT IS NOT OURS.
PSALM 30:11-12:
YOU TURNED MY WAILING INTO DANCING; YOU REMOVED MY SACKCLOTH AND CLOTHED ME WITH JOY, 12 THAT MY HEART MAY SING YOUR PRAISES AND NOT BE SILENT. LORD MY GOD, I WILL PRAISE YOU FOREVER
WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE IS A GIFT THAT GOD OFFERED TO US, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GAIN BY OURSELVES. IF IT WERE WE WOULDN’T NEED THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
THIS DOXOLOGY REMINDS US THAT ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS LIFE, AND THE PROMISE WE HAVE OF LIFE IN PARADISE COMES TO USFROM GOD. IT IS TO HIM THAT WE SHOULD OFFER GLORY. THERE IS NOTHING IN US THAT DESERVES GLORY.
CONCLUSION:
THE LAST WORD I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IN THIS DOXOLOGY IS THE WORD FOREVER. THESE THINGS THAT I HAVE MENTIONED TODAY ARE GOING TO BE FOREVER. HIS KINGDOM WILL LAST FOREVER. HIS POWER WILL LAST FOREVER, AND HIS GLORY WILL BE FOREVER.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL PEOPLE WILL BOW BEFORE CHRIST AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS THE KING OF KINGS.
ROMANS 14:10-12:
FOR WE WILL ALL STAND BEFORE GOD’S JUDGMENT SEAT. 11 IT IS WRITTEN: “ ‘AS SURELY AS I LIVE,’ SAYS THE LORD, ‘EVERY KNEE WILL BOW BEFORE ME; EVERY TONGUE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE GOD.’ ” 12 SO THEN, EACH OF US WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF OURSELVES TO GOD.
THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER, AND THE DOXOLOGY REMINDS US THAT IT DOESN’T CHANGE FOR ETERNITY.
