Sermon Nuggets Mon June 20 THE LORD'S PRAYER
Verses- Matt 6:9-15
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)
The Lord’s Prayer – A Pattern
After discussing the preparation for prayer in the first 8 verses, Jesus gave his listeners a pattern for prayer. We commonly refer to this prayer as the Lord's Prayer.
Some people like to point out that this really isn't the Lord's Prayer it would be the disciples prayer, the Lord couldn't pray, "Forgive me my debts, trespasses, sins." The Lord's Prayer is really John 17 as Jesus speaks intimately with his Father regarding various concerns. The prayer listed here and Luke and Mark is a sample formula for disciples or followers of Jesus.
Jesus is teaching about prayer. He is not giving us something that we need to recite each Sunday. As a matter of fact, he is condemning public pretense and vain repetition, both of which can be abused by taking the sample prayer and repeating it all the time without thought or meaning. Of course people from various traditions pray this regularly and that has great meaning. I do not think there is anything wrong with that so long as its repetition causes us to mouth the words, and not think of the thoughts.
As a formula for prayer it may help you when you pray. That was the intent. You've heard sermons on this before. There are practical patterns for your personal and private prayer life too.
I was talking with a good friend of mine at the conference, Pastor
John Hoeldtke. We were having lunch together and he was sharing when he read this passage how God seemed to lay on his heart the thought this is not a prayer that you pray when everyone comes together on Sunday morning this is a prayer to pray in your private closet room, or in personal devotions. John Hoeldtke went on to say that at times he began praying this prayer in his personal time with God and it has been a tremendous boast in his devotions. This week I hope to show how you might use this sample in your prayer time to center your thoughts on God.
Today, take time to pray this prayer to the Lord and ask that God reveal some things in it that you might branch out in your personal words.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues June 21,
Verse: Matt 6: 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
PRAYER CENTERS ON GOD’S PRAISE
AS we mentioned Jesus is showing his disciples a pattern for prayer. They are not just praying privately, but addressing “our” Father, along with the other believers. We are reminded we are part of a body and a family too.
But personally as I think of praise, I praise the Lord for being my Father, saving me. I praise him that Jesus died for me and rose again that I too may have new and eternal life. Christ has ripped the veil of separation; and I have been adopted into the King's family.
Yet even though He is our Father, he is in heaven. He is the almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God. He is all holy and all powerful, all great and majestic. We really have no reason to come before his throne except by his grace.
Hallowed be His name. You cannot make God's name holy it is already holy. The fact that he revealed himself to a sinful world all the more makes his name is to be hallowed and revered not to be degraded with slang, or buddy, buddy type terms or frivolous manner.
As the prayer begins we notice the attention of our thoughts are on God. As we pray think about God and tell him of his grandeur and why you are thinking he is deserving of praise.
One of our tasks on Sundays is to worship. We seek to praise God in different ways. We want to focus on his character, and person, and works. We delight in his truth and read and study his revealed Word. Our purpose is to help us praise God in word and voice by reminding us of his many attributes.
Perhaps you want to recite as a prayer, a hymn or chorus of praise.
I sometimes take each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer and stop and think about how I want to add my thoughts to the Lord. What about God do you want to praise Him for today? I was walking to the Post Office and in this outdoor walk thanked and praised him for the flowers, for the color, for the green in the trees and grass and bushes, and all the shades of the beauty of color. I heard at least the songs of 7 different kinds of birds. I notice the power of weeds moving some of the brick and sidewalk and marvels at the power of a little weed seed that could break up concrete and mortar. I watch a humming bird take it's juice from a flower and recognized that physiologically he isn't suppose to fly with the body size compared to the wings. But He does darting up and down and around so very quickly.
Considering His creation is a ways of praising him with your eyes
open while your praying.
The word holy literally means to be separated or set apart. It can also mean whole, or being all in all. A holy temple is separated and different from other buildings in the Bible days. But it is also right and full with the presence of the Lord God. We set apart a day, the Lord's day to keep it holy, means to keep it different from the other days, to think of God and make the day special unto Him. A Holy person is one who is separated and different than other people and the world. He is made whole by the Holy Spirit as we walk in unity with Him completed.
In your praise think and meditate on God's holiness and tell him how much you do love him. Begin your prayers with praise and see what a difference it makes centered in on God. For if there is anything significant we can say about prayer it is that first and foremost it is worship. It is centering out thoughts on the divine nature of God and lifting our souls to Him who loved and created us and calls us to represent him to the world around us.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds June 22,
Verses – Matt 6: 10…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
PRAYER CENTERS ON GOD’S PLAN
The purpose of God is to expand his Kingdom and His Lordship over all the earth and it begins with us. We want God's will in our lives. We seek his direction and his power within our world that people might see He is King and Lord over all. God is to receive glory not only in our praise to him, but especially in carrying out his will in our lives.
Do you pray for God's kingdom to come? It begins with the kingdom people who live with inner righteousness and witness. His kingdom can only be seen in others around us if we are walking in the will of our Father.
You cannot be a disciple of Jesus without desiring to carry out his purpose in our lives. We cannot have a simple believism that teaches you to pray for forgiveness of sin without any desire of repentance. If you have little desire to obey and follow Jesus you are not a disciple of Christ. You are not saved. No, we are not going to be perfect, but we seek to do the will of God and pray for insight and power to that end. A saved person, has a heart that want to live for Christ. A saved person is one who wants Jesus to be in the driver seat of their life. An unsaved person wants to live for himself.
In your private daily prayer you would do will to plead with God to show you wisdom how you are to live and He will. Praying to discern God's wisdom is also part of our attitude.
Do you really want God's rule in your life, or only when you are in trouble? Realize God's sovereignty throughout the universe and ask today for his perfect will within your life as well.
"May your kingdom be evidenced in my life"..what does that mean? The
The quality of these verbs looks for an event in which all will be fulfilled. His name will be Hallowed, His Kingdom will come; His will shall be done. There is a longing for the believer for Jesus return. But that still does not bring to our life the reality and the need for his present Lordship.
Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires, but prayer is always an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God. As one person put it, "Prayer isn't getting man’s will done in heaven, but getting Gods will done on earth".
The first part of this prayer looks at God and after we fill ourselves with Him and seek His will then we look at the needs of man. For whatever you do without God you will either fail miserably, or succeed more miserably. He has the best plan. Seek to walk in it in obedience to his Word.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs June 23 Provision
Verse- Matt 6: 11 Give us today our daily bread.
PRAYER CENTERS ON GOD’S PROVISIONS
We praise God in part because of his gracious gifts to us for the needs of our lives. We are not to request all and everything we want. Notice Jesus is giving an example of daily bread, not even weekly bread. How many of us need to pray to our Father asking that we have food enough for today, or necessities to get us through the next 24 hours? Those going through disasters do that.
Last month I read June Pearson’s book, about the hard life of her grandmother who came over from Sweden. It took several years before her future husband could work to purchase land, to clear land and then by hand build a house until they got married in Maple Ridge. He was strong and years later when they could afford it, purchased and carried an iron stove on his back from Anoka walking the whole way. Those who settled this area struggled with very little.
It made me once again be aware of how simply and humbly people lived then compared to the expected style of living today. Yes it was hard. Everything was done by hand. No refrigeration, no air conditioning no electricity, no machine driven tractors, or cars, or automatic milkers, or plows or disks, or plumbing. They had hand tool and lots of work!
We are not worried about where our next meal is coming from. We have provision upon provision by God and still bellyache that we want more.
It is one thing to pray for the daily bread and something entirely different to pray for Jacuzzi’s and latest big screen TV and cabins by the lake. If God has given them to us, realize they are God's on loan to you to use for His glory and his kingdom. It is not what we have that is as important as what we do with what we have. And when we have daily needs obtain a grateful heart to our provider.
We need to be reminded that physical life-health, protection, clothing, housing- does not come too us naturally. It comes to us supernaturally. It is as much a working of God that we eat our lunch this afternoon, as it is that the Red Sea was parted for the Israelites. Although one defies natural law, both are provided by our gracious God.
In prayer we are to make requests and supplication. That is what the
Bible teaches here and elsewhere, but according to James we have not because we do not ask or we have not because we ask on our own lusts, or our own pleasures. God know your heart, He knows if the request comes after the part of really want his will. The Father knows how to sort out his children's requests granting them what is right and good, and denying them what is harmful. He may choose to delay his gifts for our patience, persistence, or involvement in ways that would not come about with immediate answers to prayer.
Yet he delights in the coming to him and sharing with him your thoughts and recognize he is the giver of all good gifts. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:32 "He that spares not his own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?"
One little boy was asked by his pastor if he prayed every day, He replied, "No not every day. Some days I don't want anything."
There are some people preaching a name it and claim it gospel which thinks we direct God to do our wills. Seeking his will is a priority before wanting his will and however he choose to display his glory by giving us provisions. Some understand prayer as only “gimmes”. We learn the maturity in Christ when we stop saying “give me”, and pray “Lord, Mold me”. Making Biblical request of need and provision delights our Lord. “Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.”
He does not get weary in showing himself powerful and gracious.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri June 24
Verses Matt 6:12-15 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)
PRAYER CENTERS ON GOD’S PARDON
We are asking God to display his wonderful gifts on his children by forgiving our sins. There are 5 Greek words for sin. This word means that which is owed against you and others. “Lord, I owe you so much forgive me for all those things and let me forgive others as well.”
When we are forgiven we owe a great debt to God for we have offended him and instead of holding us accountable to pay for our sins, he forgave us. Now as his followers he wants us to understand that same comassion and forgiveness that we can show to others. Confession is an ongoing quality of prayer. John was talking to Christians when he said, "If you confess your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive you your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness."
When two children were fighting, Ethel and Tom, it grieved their father. Ethel ran to her Father and put arms around him and said she was sorry she made him unhappy because she didn't want to hurt him. Yet while she was doing that she stuck her tongue out at her brother. Her father tried to teach her that he couldn't forgive her until she was ready to forgive her brother, because he loved them both. That was the teaching of Jesus. For the one who never forgives I hope never sins. If we want forgiveness we must be willing to forgive others of what wrongs they have done to us. Since we have freely been forgiven, so we need to freely forgive.
I know a man who refused to come to church for years because of a lady who inadvertently said something or did something that offended him. He chose to carry a grudge. If in private you pray, "Lord forgive me my sins as I forgive others their sins against me." The Lord will reveal to you people you do not get along with and in that context pray for them. Pray for your enemies, for those who despitefully use you and abuse you. Pray that you will have an open heart to others, all others.
Matt 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.(NIV)
Ask yourself, "Am I holding grudge and hard feelings about others. Then am I really able to ask God to forgive my wrongs an failings?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Sat June 25
Verse Matt 6: 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
PRAYER CENTERS ON GOD’S PROTECTION
We are completely depending upon God for all things, even the protection of our lives. Theologian Helmut Thielicke’s translation goes like this, "Let nothing become a temptation to me"- everything certainly can.” We need Gods' protection from the evil one and temptations that which would cause us harm and fall into sin.
Satan is doing what he can to cause you to fall and fail in your spiritual life. If he will not get at you, he will try to get at your family. Satan will cause your lusts to lead you from the Lord. We need to be alert to what is going around. Jesus warns his disciples elsewhere to be as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves. He talks about Satan going around like roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. We tend to forget how Jesus prayed for his disciples. He prayed to his Father for their protection. When they were to go into the Garden of Gethsemane it was again demonstrated. “Pray that you enter not into the temptation, the spirit is willing but he flesh is weak.”
Friends we will all fail and fall without continually and consistently putting ourselves under the protection and strength of the Holy One.
Pray not only to forgive sin, but that we may avoid it and overcome it instead of falling into it. “Lord, do not allow us to be led into temptation that it overwhelms us, but rescue us from that evil one who is seeking always to defeat and discourage us.” I sometimes wonder how we would feel if we had extra special eyes and see how much protection really is going on around us where Satan is willing to cause us harm?
All things can be tempting. Being poor can tempt us to steal, being rich tempts us to be selfish; Being healthy tempt us to be proud, and sickly of being self-pitied; Being in pain would tempt us to curse God, and in pleasure to be self-indulgent, Sin is all around us; pray that through the circumstances of our lives we not be led into the temptations that would hinder our walk and relationship with God.
Some versions have the benediction "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Amen"
It was not in the earliest of manuscripts which is why some versions include it as a footnote. But it is true regardless. For this praise and acknowledgment, the awareness of the one who gives all things and to whom all glory should be given is the center of prayer: personal and private.
Our prayers also call for response. It is important how we relate to God but also one another. It is not right to pray for one’s nakedness without giving them clothes if we have it. Nor to pray for ones loneliness neither without seeking to pay a visit, or to pray that God might help them, without thinking we might be the ones whom God wants to use to provide that help. We need to put feet to our prayer and do what we can to forgive and stay away from temptation, and read God's word to discern his wisdom.
The Lord prayer teaches us how to pray acknowledging God but enabling us to be part of the answer. When we pray for bread, forgiveness and protection they are prayers for the present the past and the future.
Note also how we understand the connection of prayer with the work of God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Asking bread from the Father, forgiveness is possible through the blood of the cross through Jesus Christ and protection and guidance in our daily lives as believer come from the Holy Spirit. We need awareness of daily dependence upon God for all immediate needs.
This week we looked at a sample prayer centering on God's praise, on God's Plan, on God's Provisions, On God's Pardon, and God's protection. It is centered on God. It can revitalize your private prayer life as these categories become springboards to put your own words and thoughts before our Lord.
Pastor Dale
