|
YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
MATTHEW 6:10
When I was just a lad I would stand and watch my father working in the shed.. hammering hot iron.. drilling holes.. and I would ask, 'What are you making,' Dad? Nearly always he answered, ‘You'll see.’ That aroused my curiosity.. but I would have liked to have been shown a picture.. and told, ‘I am making this,’ and invited to be part of what he was doing. In a similar way, I have asked, ‘what is God doing? Where is He taking life on planet earth? Where is life headed?’ Jesus answered this question in the prayer He taught us to pray. We are looking at this prayer on Sunday mornings. We have looked at ‘Our Father in heaven’ and reminded ourselves that we are His children, deeply loved and significant. Then we looked at ‘Hallowed be your name” and reminded ourselves that our purpose in life is to bring praise and honour to God. Today we look at these words: ‘Your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ When we pray these words we glimpse what God is doing.. where life on this planet is headed.. and find direction for our own lives. When we pray these words we are saying..
When we pray, Your kingdom come, we are saying we believe that there is such a thing as God's Kingdom and that we believe His kingdom will come - one day. Hundreds of years before Jesus, Daniel had a dream. He saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea. First he saw a lion, then a bear, then a leopard, and then a terrifying beast with huge iron teeth and ten horns. These beasts were four kingdoms.. the kingdoms that would rule the world.. and one by one they all came crashing down! Then Daniel says.. Daniel 7:13,14.. In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. This is what God is doing! He is at work in history taking it to a grand finale.. to the kingdom that will last forever with one like a son of man as King! Now let's move ahead to the time of Jesus. He announced the arrival of the kingdom of God.. demonstrated that by healings and miracles.... became a threat to the rulers of that time. They arrested Him and began to interrogate Him: Matthew 26:63,64.. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Do you hear what Jesus said? He said I am the Son of Man, the one who will come with the clouds of heaven, the one whose kingdom will not pass away. One day you will see me coming in power and glory as King! When we pray, Your kingdom come, we affirm our belief that this is going to happen! One day Jesus will be seen for Who He really is - the King!! He will come in power and glory! God is taking history to a grand finale in the kingdom of God with Jesus as King! History will turn out to be HIS story!
And when we pray this prayer we are saying..
When we go on to pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are saying something about the kingdom. We are saying that when God’s kingdom comes, the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.. that God's kingdom will be truly wonderful. Planet earth is a long way from that at present. People travel the world.. to see the wonders of nature.. mountains.. lakes.. forests.. rivers.. waterfalls.. and it is truly inspiring.. but night by night we listen to the news.. and hear what people are doing.. We hear of drugs, break-ins, murders, terror attacks, wars.. What is wrong? Where did all the evil come from? The first book in the Bible – Genesis - answers that. We read about how the universe began, how life on earth began, and how it all went wrong.. when the very first people exercised their free will to do things their own way instead of God's way. These people were banished from the presence of God and very soon their lives fell apart.. and suffering and sorrow became our lot on planet earth. But thank God, we look forward to a time when all will be changed.. when the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven! In Micah 4:3, the prophet Micah looks forward to that time. The LORD.. will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. And in Isaiah 65:17-19.. the LORD says.. Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create.. the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. These words.. were written hundreds years before Jesus was born. Almost 70 years after Jesus was born the Apostle Peter wrote.. 2 Peter 3:10-13.. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. A world where righteousness will be at home - and not evil! What a wonderful world that will be! The last book in the Bible pictures it.. Revelation 21:1-4.. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” A wonderful world free of pain, grief, death! Free of all that is evil!
When we pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are saying we believe that God's kingdom will be truly wonderful. And we are saying..
Why would we pray for God’s Kingdom to come if we thought we would be left out? But how can we be sure we will be part of it? Because of Jesus! Jesus said.. John 3:3,5,6.. I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.. no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Then He explained how we are born again.. in John 3:14,15.. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. In Moses’ day people bitten by poisonous snakes simply had to look to the bronze snake on the pole.. and all we have to do.. is to look to Jesus.. lifted up on the cross for us.. look and believe! The Colossians had believed in Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote to them.. Colossians 1:13,14.. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.. That is what God does when we believe in Jesus. He rescues us from the dominion of darkness.. and brings us into the kingdom of His Son.. NOW!! But what is this kingdom like? Here is one very clear description. Paul.. Romans 14:17.. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!! That is what the kingdom is like. When we believe in Jesus we enter that kingdom.. we taste it NOW.. and believe we will be part of it when it comes in all its fullness.. when all creation is filled with righteousness, peace and joy! Have we believed in Jesus? Not sure? Believe now. We have believed.. then.. let’s put our heart into this prayer.. Your kingdom come.. because when it comes.. we will be part of it!
And when we pray this prayer we are saying..
How we can pray, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ without saying ‘Your kingdom come in me, Your will be done in me?’ And when we do pray like that.. and mean it.. we will become part of what God is doing right now.. and find direction for our lives. We will find ourselves heading in the same direction as God is heading. And the kingdom difference will be seen in our lives. Now let’s be specific. Here are three things we will do when we let God rule in our lives.
1. We will purify ourselves. The Apostle John writes..1 John 3:2,3.. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. We shall see Him as He is.. and when we believe that.. we will purify ourselves as He is pure. Purity begins with the way we think. Let’s guard our thoughts.. what goes in.. what we read.. watch.. think about.. and purity in life will follow! The kingdom difference will be seen in our lives!
2. We will love others. Jesus raised the bar very high. He said.. Matthew 5:43-45.. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God wants us to love like He loves.. and when we do.. people will see the rule of God.. the kingdom of God in action.
3. We will tell others about Jesus. Jesus said.. Matthew 28:18-20.. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Let’s take that to heart.. and do as Jesus says.. and others will believe.. and become part of the kingdom. And when they let God rule in their lives.. they will purify themselves.. love others.. and tell others about Jesus.. and the kingdom will expand.. now!
This prayer is some prayer. It answers our big questions about where is everything headed.. gives us hope.. and gives direction to our lives. Pray it now.. pray it often!Pray it like this: I believe Your kingdom will come.. will be truly wonderful.. and I will be part of it. I will let You rule in my life.. I will be purify myself.. I will love others.. I will tell others about Jesus!
|