THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 2
INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE IN OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND SPEIFICALLY THIS SECTION CALLED THE LORD’S PRAYER, WE COME TO THE PHRASE, “HALLOWED BE THY NAME.” SO, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR TREATMENT OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT PASSAGE, LETS TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO REVIEW WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM, …
I. LAST WEEK
a. PRAYER IS CONVERSATION WITH GOD BASED ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
b. THE TYPE OF PRAYER WE SEE THE LORD TEACHING CAN ONLY BE DONE BY SOMEONE COMMITTED TO CHRIST.
c. THE FOCUS OF PRAYER IS NEVER ALL ABOUT ME, IT IS ALL ABOUT US
d. GOD WANTS US TO PRAY TO HIM, EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS OUR NEEDS EXPRESSED IN PRAYER BEFORE WE KNOW THEM AND BETTER THAN WE KNOW THEM.
e. TO SPEAK OF GOD AS OUR FATHER IS SOMETHING THE JEWS WERE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO DOING, BUT WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO DO AND HOW JESUS WANTS US TO SEE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER
f. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS OUR FATHER:
i. LIBERATES US FROM FEAR
ii. GIVES US REAL HOPE
iii. SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF LONELINESS
iv. PROVIDES DIRECTION
v. GIVES THE SECURITY OF GOD MEETING OUR NEEDS
NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS, BEFORE OUR MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP MEAL TO LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO HALLOW THE NAME OF GOD
II. HOW DO WE HALLOW GOD’S NAME
a. UNDERSTANDING AT THE VERY ROOT WE ARE ASKING GOD TO SEE THAT HIS NAME IS HALLOWED
i. IT IS A REQUEST OR PETITION
ii. WE ARE NOT DECLARING SOMETHING ABOUT GOD
iii. WE ARE ASKING GOD TO DO WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO IN ORDER TO HALLOW HIS NAME
b. WHAT THIS SIMPLE PHRASE SHOULD BE TEACHING US
i. THAT IT IS THE TOP PRIORITY OF GOD TO HAVE HIS NAME HOLLOWED
1. GOD DOES NOT DO ANYTHING HE IS NOT INCLINED TO DO
2. NOTHING IS HIGHER ON GOD’S LIST – HAVE NO OTHER GOD’S BEFORE ME
ii. WITH THIS IN MIND, THEN OUR PRAYER AND PRAYER LIFE IS GOD’S WAY OF BRINGING OUR PRIORITIES IN LINE WITH HIS
c. IN A VERY SIMPLE SENSE, HALLOWING GOD’S NAME BEGINS BY BEING MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT GOD DESIRES THAN WHAT MAN DESIRES
Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
i. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME IS ACTIVE
ii. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME IS A CHOICE
iii. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME IS EXCLUSIVE
WHEN WE HALLOW GOD’S NAME, WE ARE SETTING HIM APART AND TREATING HIM AS HOLY. JESUS THEN IS ASKING US TO PRAY IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ARE ASKING GOD IN EVERY REQUEST ACT UPON WHAT WE ARE PRAYING ABOUT IN SUCH A WAY THAT HIS HOLINESS COMES THROUGH.
THERE ARE FOUR PASSAGES IN GOD’S WORD, WHICH GIVES US AN IDEA OF WHAT IT MEANS TO TREAT GOD’ NAME AS HALLOWED OR HOLY
III. HOW WE TREAT GOD’S NAME AS HOLY
a. Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
i. TO HALLOW GOD’S NAME FIRST MEANS TO BELIEVE IN HIM
ii. WE NEED TO TRUST WHAT HE SAYS
iii. MOSES DECIDED THAT GOD’S WORD WAS NOT ENOUGH AND SO HE ACTED OUT, AND IN THIS CASE, HE STRUCK THE ROCK FOR WATER INSTEAD OF ASKING GOD
iv. WE NEED TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIS WORD
v. 1 John 5:10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
1. WHEN WE MAKE SOMEONE A LIAR, THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF NOT TRUSTING THEM.
2. IN BIBLICAL TERMS IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF HALLOWING THE NAME OF GOD
SO WHEN WE ASK GOD’S NAME TO BE HALLOWED, WE ARE ASKING FOR GOD TO BE TRUSTED!
b. Isaiah 8:12–13 “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,
i. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME HERE IN THIS TEXT MEANS TO AVOID FEARING WHAT MEN FEAR OVER FEARING GOD
ii. WHEN GOD ASKS US TO TAKE A STAND FOR HIM IN A SITUATION, WE SHOULD FEAR DISPLEASING GOD OVER THE HOSTILITY MEN MAY HAVE OVER THAT SITUATION
iii. WHEN WE SET OURSELVES TO OPPOSE HIS WILL, THERE IS NO COMPENSATION FOR THE ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF THAT DECISION.
iv. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME IS ASKING GOD TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO HAVE SUCH A HIGH VIEW OF HIM THAT IT IS MORE SIGNIFICANT AND DREADFUL TO LOSE HIS APPROVAL OVER LOSING ANYTHING THE WORLD CAN OFFER!
WHEN WE SEEK TO BE MORE CONCERNED WITH GOD’S DISPLEASURE OVER MAN’SPLEASURE WE HALLOW GOD’S NAME
c. Leviticus 22:31–32 “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. 32Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy
i. THIS ONE IS A “NOBRAINER”
ii. HALLOWING GOD’S NAME MEANS TO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS
WHEN WE MAKE IT A POINT TO OBEY GOD WE HALLOW HIS NAME
d. Leviticus 10:3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: “ ‘Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’ ” Aaron remained silent.
i. WHEN WE HALLOW GOD’S NAME, WE ARE ASKING HIM TO:
1. CAUSE HIM NAME TO BE HALLOWED
2. HIS WORD TO BEBELIEVED
3. HIS DISPLEASURE TO BE FEARED
4. HIS COMMANDMENTS TO BE OBEYED
5. HIMSELF TO BE GLORIFIED
ii. WE HALLOW GOD’S NAME WHEN WE TRUST HIM, REVERE HIM, OBEY HIM, AND GLORIFY HIM
IV. STEPS TO PREPARING OURSELVES TO HALLOW GOD’S NAME
a. GET OUR HEART RIGHT WITH GOD – PETER TELLS US TO SANCTIFY, SET APART GOD IN OUR HEARTS
b. GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS – THE WRITER OF HEBREWS TELLS US TO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM
c. REMEMBER THAT GOD ACCEPTS NO ONE OR ANYTHING BEFORE HIM – HE MUST BE FIRST – AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE HIM SECOND
d. BE IN LOVE WITH GOD – GIVE HIM WHAT HE DOES NOT HAVE BUT SINCERELY DESIRES – OUR WORSHIP. GOD DESIRES WORSHIP SO MUCH THAT HE WOULD HAVE THE ROCKS CRY OUT
e. COMMITTING TO MAKE HIS WILL YOUR WILL – THIS IS WHEN OUR INTELLECTUAL CONVICTIONS AND OUR PRACTICAL ACTIONS ARE IN FULL SUBMISSION TO GOD
f. HONOR GOD BY OUR LIVES – MAKE IT A POINT TO BE OPEN ABOUT OUR FAITH.
