The Lord’s Prayer Choices---Part 2
Matthew 6:9-13
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and power, and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9-13)
Introduction: Henry Ward Beecher, famous preacher from early in the last century wrote of the Lord’s Prayer, “I used to think the Lord’s Prayer was a short prayer; but, as I live longer, and see more of life, I believe there is no such thing as getting through it. If a man, in praying that prayer, were to be stopped by every word until he had thoroughly prayed it, it would take him a lifetime.”
(Christian Reader, Vol. 34)
Prayer is fundamental to the Christian life. Prayer is to the believer like the air line to a deep sea diver. We cannot survive without it. It must and should be our first impulse, not our last resort! One writers says “Prayer is like the mortar that holds the bricks together, or the quiet pauses in a symphony. Without the mortar everything falls apart; without the quiet between the notes, no music. And without daily private prayer, Christians face spiritual anorexia.” (Mitch Finley in U.S. Catholic (Feb. 1987). Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 12. )
The Lord’s Prayer is part of the Sermon on the Mount, the most foundational extended teachings that Jesus gave his disciples. As such, it is at the root of the Christian life. In fact, rightly understood, the Lord’s Prayer is not so much about a formula for prayer or a particular ritual for worship, as it is about a way of looking at the Christian life. It is this concept that I want to explore over the next several weeks. We will look for lessons about prayer and more importantly about a praying lifestyle. Tonight we continue a very brief survey of the prayer.
Phrase by phrase, the Lord’s Prayer outlines the values and priorities that make possible the Christian lifestyle. Each part of the prayer confronts us with a fundamental issue of life and forces a choice. How will we look at life? How will we decide to live our prayer?
The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray can be divided into six sections or phrases. In Part 1, we examined the first three. The first stanza concentrated on the God to whom we pray—Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. The first phrase forces us to look at our identity as creations and children of God who are made to know and enjoy him forever.
A Sunday school teacher told of his class of youngsters had some problems repeating the Lord’s Prayer, but they didn’t lack in imagination. One child prayed, "Our Father, who art in heaven, how’d you know my name." ( C. L. Null, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom.")
It is God to whom we pray. A mother was tucking in her preschooler for the night when the little girl asked if could pray. Delighted, the mother told her it was a great idea to talk to Jesus. As she began praying, her words kept getting softer and softer until only her lips were moving. Then she said "Amen."
"Honey," mom said, giving her a hug, "I didn’t hear a word you said."
"That’s okay, Mama," she responded. "I wasn’t talking to you." (Helen B. Poole, Canon City, Colorado. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom.")
The second phrase speaks of hope—Thy kingdom come. They will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray to a sovereign God who is in control and whose will is always the best. It reminds us that our hope for the present and future is in the hands of the living God.
The third phrase asks for daily bread, not future needs or present wants, just daily provision. This is a prayer about security. Where does yours come from? There are two ways of facing life—with worry or wonder. To pray this prayer says we have chosen to trust the hand of God and not worry about the outcome.
This brings us to the last three phrases of the prayer. These stanzas speak of three great jewels of the Christian faith: grace, faith, and worship.
4. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. The fourth phrase is a reminder of GRACE.
We humans can relate to God in two ways, either by law/works/our own efforts and the resulting guilt—or by grace. There is a real difference. How do you stand before God? I know you have considered these two questions, but let me ask you again. If you were to die tonight, are sure you would go to heaven? Yes or no! If you were to die and stand before the Lord and he would ask you, why should I let you into my heaven, what would you answer? I would don’t pretend to tell you that the Lord will ever ask you that question in that way, but the answer speaks volumes. Your answers tells whether your standing before God is based on grace or guilt.
The Gospel makes no bones about which it should be. Listen to Paul: (2 Tim 1:8-10 NIV) . . . the gospel, by the power of God, {9} who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, {10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Or again in (Titus 3:3-5 NIV) At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. {4} But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, {5} he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
To pray “forgive us our debts” assumes you come to God with grace in your eyes. But note the other side of that statement “as we forgive our debtors.” Grace calls for graciousness. We can either relate to people by trying to get even or learning to get over the hurts they inflict on us. What we have learned from our relationship with God determines which way we live. To truly pray the Lord’s Prayer is choice about which it will be.
5. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. The fifth phrase speaks of FAITH.
You have two choices about how you will face the future. You either move toward tomorrow with self-sufficiency or God dependence. The Lord’s Prayer affirms that our choice is the later. We move toward the future believing that we need “leading” and “deliverance.” Without it, we will get lost and trapped. A lifestyle of faith means that at some fundamental level, we know that we don’t have everything under control. We face life without arrogance, with deep-rooted humility, knowing that we need God’s help.
This is how James taught us to live. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. {5} Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? {6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." {7} Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. {8} Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. {9} Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. {10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:4-10 NIV).
To pray the Lord’s Prayers says we have chosen a lifestyle of faith and humility before a Sovereign God whose blessing and strength we desperately need.
6. For thine is the kingdom, and power, and the glory forever. Amen.” This sixth and final section of the prayer is about WORSHIP. Actually, Bible scholars tells us that this is not technically a part of the original form of the pray. It appears to have been added when the early Christians started to memorize and recite this as a part of worship. This sixth phrase does bring the pray to a fitting ending.
All the words of this last part are terms of praise and worship. We humans can relate to God in two ways. We approach him with a sense of duty and guilt or joyous gratitude that seeks to give glory and honor to him. Which is it for you?
Whatever it is determines our view of worship. Many people view church meetings as a big self-help meeting. Church is a support group to help us. That’s not totally false. But is that all it is? For others, church is a big family reunion. We get to see all of our friends and loved ones. That is true too. But is there more? For many, church is like going to a theater to hear a play or a concert. For some, church is entertainment in the sense that we go to get the strings of our heart strummed or plucked. When the right spiritual note is sounded, we have worshipped. Again, not totally false, but isn’t there something missing from such a definition.
Two centuries ago, a Danish theologian Soren Kierkegard said that worship is like going to a theater. What the audience gets out of the experience is the critical matter. Only, he insisted, we have it backwards. We wrongly assume that we are the audience, the preacher and choir are the actors. Our experience is determined, we often conclude, by how well the actors did. Kierkegard said we have it all wrong. In the theater of Christian worship, we are the actors. The minister and choir are the prompters. The audience is but one—the Almighty God. True worship takes place when God is honored and gloried.
The Lord’s Pray says we have chosen which way it will be for us.
Conclusion: Martin Luther has a powerful comment about the little word “Amen” with which we customarily conclude our prayers including the Lord’s Prayer.
“Mark this, that you must always speak the Amen firmly. Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say "yes" to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone; rather, think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you, and you are standing among them in a common, united petition, which God cannot disdain. Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, "Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth." That is what Amen means.”
(Martin Luther, from "A Simple Way to Pray" (1535) in "Martin Luther--Later Years and Legacy," Christian History, no. 39.)
You have a choice. To prayer or not to pray. But once you decide to pray this prayer, you have made a number of other choices about life!
It is worth noting that there is no "I" in the Lord’s Prayer. To pray this prayer is to recognize that we are a part of a family bigger than ourselves. Prayer is first about God! Then it is about Us! There is no room left for Me!
You cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and even once say "I."
You cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and even once say "My."
Nor can you pray the Lord’s Prayer and not pray for one another.
And when you ask for daily bread, you must include your brother.
For others are included ... in each and every plea,
From the beginning to the end of it, it doesn’t once say "Me."
(Unknown, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3.)
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
