Thy Kingdom Come

(#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.

 

The Kingdom of Grace must be established in our hearts before we can pray for the Kingdom of Glory.

The Disciple's Prayer

(#1007, Imperial, 1963)

Read Matthew 6:9-13.

This prayer has been commercially called the Lord's Prayer but it might be more fitly called the Disciple's Prayer.  It is the prayer He taught His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1ff).  It is doubtful our Lord meant His disciples to use these exact words but to use it as a pattern.

Looking at the structure of the prayer we find...

w    It begins with worship and ends with praise.

w    There are 7 requests divided into 2 categories...

    1.  3 petitions concerning God.

    2.  4 petitions concerning ourselves.

At first sight and to the casual observer there seems to be little in it of Christianity.  The Lord Jesus Christ is not spoken of, there is no thought that we are forgiven by the blood, etc.  The fact is however that this prayer is full of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the first phrase when we realize we cannot come to God the Father except through Jesus Christ.  The "Amen" at the end likewise reminds us that Christ is the great AMEN!

ƒ      The beginning -

w    The prayer is begun with His Name Our Father.  This relationship of "father and son" is dependent upon birth into the family (Gal. 3:26).  All true prayer begins when I claim my relationship with the Father.

w    Prayer puts the glory of God first.  Note: Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will comes first; then "give us our daily bread, etc."  So often in our praying we reverse the order.

ƒ      Hallowed be Thy Name -

Prayer starts with worship.  To hallow is to pronounce holy, to esteem, to give honor.  His name is hallowed when we ...

w    Honor our relationship with Him.

w    Live - walk - act for His glory in every friendship, association, cherished ambition, book I read, TV program I view, habit I form, pleasure I seek.  

Failure to hallow God's name brings reproach on Him (Rom. 2:24), whereas when His name is hallowed in our lives others see His character expressed in our lives.

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Decisions of Destiny

(#1005, Imperial, 1963)

Read Hebrews 11:24-27.

In our text we see Moses making a decision of destiny.  David expressed the same sentiment in Psalm 84:10, as did Paul in Philippians 3:8.  Three great men of history making the same decision.  Look at Moses life and see this choice.

What Moses refused.

ƒ      Moses refused luxury and comfort, v24.  He could have had this as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

ƒ      Moses refused the pleasures of sin, v25.  Most people like to be happy.  There are many recipes proposed for happiness, most of them centering around the pleasures of sin.  That's because Satan has seen to it that there are pleasures in sin.

ƒ      Moses refused the treasures in Egypt, v26.  Again this was his as Pharaoh's grandson.

Why did Moses refuse all this?  Was it to gain honor? Was it to win the applause of men? Was it to attain position and power?  No! He refused it so that he might make a choice.

What Moses chose.

ƒ      Moses chose to suffer affliction, v25.  There is nothing glamorous about suffering.

ƒ      Moses chose the reproach of Christ, v26.  He sided with Christ, who was hated of men.  This was a choice to become the off-scouring of all things (Mark 9:12).

Why Moses made this choice.

If Moses had lived today and made such a decision most people would say, "Moses, you're the biggest fool that ever lived." But note...

    1.  The pleasures of sin are but for a season, v25.

    2.  The sufferings are not to be compared with the glories to be revealed, v26. (See Rom. 8:18.)

    3.  He had respect unto the recompense of reward, v26.

In other words Moses chose what would last rather than what was temporary.  David said he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of the wicked (Ps. 84:10).  Whatever a man rathers he is going to do.  If you would rather live for self you will lose out in the end.  Your decision determines your destiny.

"I'd rather have Jesus than anything."