(#1008, Imperial, 1963)
Read Matthew 6:9-13.
The tendency today is for many Christians to imagine that
the Church can be conducted and led as a business concern with it's publicity,
sales talk, propaganda, etc. But the
Church of Christ can only be led in blessing and power by those who have been
broken and humbled at the Cross and have been taught to lay hold of God at the
throne of grace. The work of God goes
forth through Christians on their knees.
"Thy Kingdom Come": What do we mean?
Against the backdrop of a troubled world, feverishly preparing
for a third world war, there are many throughout the world praying this
prayer. But not all people mean the same
thing.
w Do
we mean that a Kingdom of God will be established on this earth? Yes!
w Do
we mean it will be established gradually by human effort aided by Christian
activity and missionary enterprises? No!
The Word makes clear that Christ will come before, not after, a reign of righteousness.
The Kingdom of Glory.
Passages such as Dan. 2:44, Matt. 25:31, & Rev. 11:15
speak of a kingdom of glory that is yet future. Today Satan is the prince of
this world; in that future kingdom he will be bound. The first dramatic event
to usher in the reign of Christ will be the rapture.
The Kingdom of Grace.
Not only for a Kingdom of Glory do we pray but also for a
personal Kingdom of Grace (Rom.
14:17). These two kingdoms are closely
associated. Unless Jesus Christ reigns
in my life, unless I am a born-again member of the Kingdom of Grace, I shall
never reign with Him in the Kingdom of Glory.
So when we pray Thy
Kingdom come ...
1. We
acknowledge that we cannot enter the Kingdom of ourselves. Jesus must come to us to inhabit our hearts.
2. We
acknowledge our willingness that Christ be the King of our lives. If we pray Thy Kingdom come while we hold idols in our hearts we are taking
His name in vain.
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