Lord, Teach Us To Pray

Sermon #3

 

Matthew 6:10

PRAYER IS ABOUT REIGNING

 

Intro:  As we continue to move through the phrases that make up The Model Prayer, I hope you can see that this prayer is building, one part upon another.  For instance, when you and I come to know God as our “Father;” we find out just how truly wonderful He is.  This creates a desire within us to see Him glorified, thus we pray “Hallowed be thy name.”  It also creates within us a hunger to see others come to know Him; thus we pray “Thy kingdom come.”

      To pray “hallowed be Thy name,” expresses a desire to see God glorified.  But, we must also know that He will never receive all the glory due His name until His kingdom becomes a reality both in us as individuals and in the world as a whole.  Therefore, we are told to pray “Thy kingdom come.”

      These three little words may be short in their length, but they contain a message that is truly immense.  Understanding what each of these words means can help shed some light on the power contained in this short phrase.

1.  Thy – This word is a pronoun.  It refers to the Father which is in Heaven.  This kingdom we are talking about is not human in origin.  It is not a kingdom like we visualize a kingdom with castles and motes, knights in shining armor and ladies in waiting.  This is a spiritual kingdom that belongs exclusively and totally to God.

2.  Kingdom – This word comes from the Greek word “basilia” and it means “royal power, kingship, dominion or to rule or to reign.”  So, to pray “Thy kingdom come,” is to pray for God’s reign to come upon the earth.

3.  Come – This little word is an imperative verb and it means “suddenly, insistently, and quickly.”  It has the idea of a sudden appearance of a new kingdom upon this earth that is under the total control of God Almighty.

      Thus, to pray “Thy kingdom come,” is to pray for the sudden and absolute rule of God over the entire world.  Therefore, real praying is about seeking God’s rule in the world.  I want to give you three conclusions that arise out of this understanding of the little phrase “Thy kingdom come.”  These three conclusions teach us the truth that Prayer Is About Reigning.

  I.                            THIS PETITION IS PROPHETIC

A.  It is clear when you read the Bible that God often promises that there will be a future kingdom of righteousness upon this earth.  When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are asking for our Father to bring this kingdom to pass on the earth.  Therefore, we are asking God to fulfill all His promises and prophecies concerning His earthly kingdom.

B.  Notice a few of the passages that speak to this thought:

·        Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

·        Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

·        Luke 1:32-33, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

·        Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”

·        Just as surely as Jesus was born on this earth; that He lived here and died here; there will come a day when He will reign and rule here in power, glory and righteousness!

C.  This future kingdom will be vastly different from any kingdom that has ever existed upon this earth.  All earthly kingdoms are tainted by the effects of sin.  There is evil at their core.  In fact, this world resides under the dominion of Satan right now, 2 Cor. 4:4.  Now, all creation groans to be free from its bondage, Rom. 8:22.  Now, all the world lies under the grip of sin.  But, there is a day coming when Jesus Himself will rule this world.  This is the clear statement of the Bible, Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

            Now, Satan is the god of this world, blinding men to the truth of the Gospel.  In that day, he will be cast into a bottomless pit, bound in chains and will unable to hinder or tempt anyone, Rev. 20:1-3.  Today Israel lives in blindness regarding their Messiah; then they will bow down to Jesus and worship Him as God.  Today creation groans to be delivered from bandage; then all the earth will be restored to what it was before sin tainted the world with its blighting touch.  Today the church of Jesus Christ exists in weakness and humiliation, tares and wheat grow up together; she is best by enemies from without and from within; then the church will be glorified, forever delivered from sin and perfected in His image.  What a day that will be!

            Jesus, and Jesus alone, can do these things and some day He will!  He will bind the devil, restore all creation, glorify His Bride and claim dominion over all the earth.  That is the essence of His coming kingdom!

D.  When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are echoing the groans of nature; voicing the great songs heard around God’s throne in glory, Rev. 4:8-11, Rev. 5:11-14; and we are sharing the same desire that resides within the heart of God.  We are praying that His righteous, absolute rule might be realized upon this earth.  That is a noble prayer!  And it is one that will be answered!  As Alan Redpath said, “For this world which has known the sweat and blood, toil and tears of the Man of sorrows will soon taste the glory of His reign.”

E.  By the way, when the time comes for Christ to establish His earthly kingdom, it will not be something that will come in increments.  When it comes it will be sudden and insistent, just as the word “come” implies.  Notice what Rev. 19:11-21.  His is a kingdom that will be established instantly by His Own power.  He will rule His kingdom with an iron fist, Rev. 2:27.  It will be a time of peace, prosperity and holiness such as the world has never known!

            Let us therefore pray, “Thy kingdom come.” And join our voices with John as he says, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

 

 II.                             THIS PETITION IS PERSONAL

A.  Just as surely as we are praying for the appearance of a future kingdom, we are also praying for His kingdom to be realized in our own lives.

B.  Remember, the word “kingdom” means “royal power, kingship, dominion or to rule or to reign.” When we pray “Thy kingdom come” we are praying for God to rule and reign in our personal lives.  This petition expresses a desire for God to be our “Lord, Sovereign and King.”

C.  This is ultimately a prayer that God will be enthroned within our hearts.  We should seek to see that we are dethroned; that Satan is dethroned and that God alone is enthroned in our hearts!

            The only was this can come to pass is if you are, first of all saved.  You cannot be under His rule until you know Him as Savior.  But, you cannot have Him as Savior unless you are will to also have Him as Lord.  He is the Lord Jesus Christ and His Lordship cannot be divorced from His role as Savior.  Jesus is not a buffet!  When you get Him, you get the whole package!

            That having been said let me say this: God’s kingdom in your life and mine is not a democracy!  Jesus does not come asking for you obedience.  He comes into our lives as a Dictator.  He wants and demands absolute Kingship over our lives.  (Note: By the way, the church is not a democracy either!  It is an absolute Theocracy, not under the control of a preacher or deacons, but under the control and authority of God alone!)

D.  A lot of people do not like this concept.  They want a Jesus they can mold into their image.  But, if you want the Jesus of the Bible, you must capitulate all to Him and His Kingship.  This desire is the mark of a real, genuinely saved believer, John 14:15!

E.  While the literal reign of Jesus is a future event, it is true that those who are saved by His grace are citizens of that kingdom right now, Phil. 3:20.  Ill. When you become a citizen of a kingdom, you are expected to keep the laws of the King.  We are to pray that His kingdom will be lived out through our lives for His glory.  And that everything having to do with our lives will be brought under His dominion.  Anything less is rebellion!  When there is no desire to see Jesus enthroned as Lord and King of one’s life, it may be evidence that a person is not truly saved.  If you can live like you want to, without regard fro His will, then you probably aren’t even saved, 1 John 3:7-8; 1 John 2:29.  Therefore, when we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are asking for our lives to be brought under the dominion of God’s Sovereign rule.

 

III.                             THIS PETITION IS PRACTICAL

A.  When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are expressing a desire to see His work, His Word and His will advanced in the world today.  Friends, we might as face this fact: we will not make this world any better through our efforts.  In other words, we will not be able to usher in His kingdom ourselves.  He will bring it when He comes and it will be established by His power alone.  However, we can have a part in seeing that our Lord’s kingdom is spread abroad in the world around us.

B.  There are several ways in which we do this:

      1.  Through Prayer – We are to pray for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done in the world around us.

      2.  Through Submission – We are to yield our lives to Him so that He can live through us.  As we do, He demonstrates His love, grace and saving power to a lost and dying world, Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 4:7.

      3.  Through Outreach – When we are properly burdened over a lost and dying world, we will go into that world and spread the Gospel message.  Our desire will be to see others saved and we will do everything in our power to bring that to pass.  This world might be in darkness this evening, but there is light in the church and that light must be shared with this world.  We have been commanded to do this, Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20.  And, we have all the resources we need, Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16.  May the Lord help us to get involved in His kingdom work in the world.

C.  We ought to ask ourselves this question: What are we doing as individuals and as a church to spread God’s kingdom in the world today; and what can we do to be more effective for His glory?

 

Conc:  “Thy kingdom come!”  Our Lord surely packs a lot into a few words!  With these things in mind this evening, where do you stand in relationship to the kingdom of God?  Are you praying for His kingdom to come in this world?  Are you doing all you can to see that the message of the King, the Gospel, is shared with the lost?  Are you as yielded to His Lordship in your own life as you should be?  Is He really your King, or are you still calling all the shots?  I ma sure there are needs this evening.  Why not bring them to the Lord Jesus evening?  Let’s come before Him and pray for His kingdom to come from a clean and sincere heart.  Will you do that?

      There may even be someone here this evening who is not in His kingdom.  Today would be a great time for you to come before Him and receive Him into your heart and live.

      Do you need Him?  If so, let’s come right now.