Lord, Teach Us To Pray Series

Sermon #8

 

Matthew 6:13

PRAYER IS ABOUT REJOICING

 

Intro:  If you read some of the commentators regarding this verse, they will tell you that these words are not in the oldest and best manuscripts.  Hence, they say that these words were not spoken by Jesus, but were added at a later time by someone as he copied the Scriptures.  However, I am of the opinion that God has preserved His holy Word.  He has guarded its transmission through the years and we have, in our hands, exactly what the Lord wants us to have.

      Now, that having been said, this precious prayer ends as it began.  Jesus taught us to begin our praying with praise.  We are told to pray “hallowed be Thy name.”  Now, we are called to rejoice in Who God is and in the power He holds.

      We have covered much ground in these sermons.  We have learned that:

·        Prayer is about Remembering – “Our Father which art in Heaven.”

·        Prayer is about Reverencing – “Hallowed be Thy name.”

·        Prayer is about Ruling – “Thy kingdom come.”

·        Prayer is about Resigning – “Thy will be done.”

·        Prayer is about Requesting – “Give us this day our daily bread.”

·        Prayer is about Releasing – “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

·        Prayer is about Relying – “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

·        Tonight, we will learn the truth that Prayer is about Rejoicing – “For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever, Amen.”

      In a world so filled with trials, troubles and problems, it is a comfort to serve a God Who is worthy of all the praise and glory we can give Him. It is a comfort to find someone and something to rejoice about.  Let’s dig into these precious words for just a few minutes this evening and learn the truth that Prayer Is About Rejoicing.

 

  I.                   WE CAN REJOICE IN HIS PREEMINENCE

“For thine is the kingdom”

A.  He Is Sovereign – When we say that God is sovereign, here is what we mean.  This word means “independent and holding complete power.”  It comes to English from the Latin language where it meant “over or above.”  That is what God is!  He is “over and above” this world.

            As we look around this world this evening, it may look like Satan and the forces of evil are running the show.  In fact, what we see is a visible, physical kingdom, dominated by fallen men and a creature called the devil, 2 Cor. 4:4.  What we cannot see is that there is also an invisible, spiritual kingdom dominated by an all-powerful God.  A God Who is working out a perfect, eternal plan in this world.

            The Bible is clear, the God we serve is all-powerful and in absolute control of all things.  Notice these passages:

·        Isa. 43:13, “Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?”

·        Isaiah 46:10-11, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”

·        Eph. 1:11, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

So, things may look like they are spiraling out of control tonight, but I want you to know that Bill and Hillary did not mess things us; George W. Bush and John Kerry aren’t going to derail the plan of God.  It may look like the world is going crazy, but I assure you that God is has the situation well in hand tonight!  All things, even evil things, are working out according to His plan.  And, when the smoke settles and the dust clears, God’s will is going to stand preeminent and His purposes will all be brought to pass!  Therefore, rejoice Christian!  Our Father is still on the throne and no one will ever dethrone Him, Psa. 45:6; Psa. 145:13.

 

(Ill. When this prayer was taught, we need to remember that the Caesar in Rome, in all of his power, literally ruled the world. The Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles, all the way across the Mediterranean, and as far away as India. Caesar had power over every man, woman and child in the known world. And yet, Jesus said to pray: "Thine is the kingdom..."

      This was a time when Caesar was ruling the world, with all of his royalty, his rings and robes, his power and all the pomp and circumstance of a great court. This was a man, who with the pointing his finger, snapping his fingers, could change a person's life. The signing of his name could literally change the course of history. At the time he was reigning, in a little town called Bethlehem, in a stable, a man was born. Those two kingdoms paralleled: Caesar's and Christ's - the palace and the stable. And one day they came into an open conflict, at the conclusion of which the stable emerged victorious. "Thine, Oh, Lord, is the kingdom!" When we pray this, as did the early Christians, not bowing to Caesar, but looking to God, they prayed, "THINE is the kingdom, not Caesar's."

      Don’t let a lost, cynical world tell you that God is out of business.  He is still on His throne and the kingdom of this world is His.  One day, the announcement will come from glory, Rev. 11:15.  What will be revealed to all on that day is a reality today!

B.  He Is Supreme – Our Lord rules this evening because it is His right to do so.  You see, when man was created and place in Eden, he was given dominion over this world, Gen. 1:26-28.  When man sinned, he gave that dominion away.  Now, Satan, not man, is the god of this world, 2 Cor. 4:4.  When Jesus Christ came into this world, died on the cross and rose from the dead He redeemed everything the first Adam had given away.  He paid the price and He stripped that evil pretender Satan of his dreams of ruling the universe.  Our God and not Satan in the Supreme being in the universe.  Since that is true, He alone deserves our worship, our love, our devotion, and our allegiance.

            Therefore, when we pray this prayer we acknowledge His supremacy and our own subjection to the Lord as our Sovereign Lord.  We are acknowledging that He is our King and we are His servants.  This implies that we are His and His alone.  Yet, we still use the word “My” to describe the things we claim to possess. “My money, my job, my life, my house, my family, my church, my this and my that, my, my, my.”  May the Lord help us all to remember that all we have and all that we are is due to the kindness, love and grace of our glorious King, 1 Cor. 15:10.

            All I am saying is that when we pray, we need to learn to humble ourselves before the Lord acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives and rejoice in His preeminence.  Since our Lord controls the kingdom, He has the authority to grant our requests.  And that is a reason to rejoice!

 

 II.                         WE CAN REJOICE IN HIS POWER

“And the power”

A.  His Power Is Enormous – We have established the fact that God is Sovereign that He is in control.  Now, we are told to rejoice in the fact that He has the power to control things as well.  Friends, we do not serve some anemic, weak God.  We serve a God of power and ability!  He can do anything He pleases to do, because He holds all power.  He is Almighty God!  Allow me to share some verses with you that showcase the power of God.

·        Gen. 18:14, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

·        Job 42:2, “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.”

·        Psalms 62:11, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”

·        Jer. 32:17, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”

·        Matt. 19:26, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

·        Mark 10:27, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

·        Eph. 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

It is far easier to list what God cannot do than it is to list what He can do!  You see, God cannot lie; He cannot change; He cannot make mistakes; He cannot fail!  When we come before Him in prayer, we can pray with confidence because He has the power to hear us and grant our requests!  Hallelujah!

B.  His Power Is Eternal – We are told that all these things, His kingdom, His power and His glory are “for ever.”  Another of the great attributes of our God is the fact that He is “immutable.”  This word means “unchanging or unable to change.”  That describes the Lord God, Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; James 1:17.  His power today is the same as it ever has been!  What confidence that should give us when we come to Him in prayer!  All God has ever been He still is and He will continue to be.  After all, He is “I AM.”

 

      (Ill. Do you need……….?  Well, He can do that!  Since our Lord has all the power, He has the ability to grant our requests.)

 

III.                   WE CAN REJOICE IN HIS PERSONALITY

“And the glory.”

A.  He Alone Deserves Glory – Everything God is doing as He exercises His preeminence and His power is for His glory. Psalms 8:1, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” He does what He does so that He might be honored by His creation.  He does what He does so that men might be drawn before Him in worship.  He does what He does so that His name might be exalted.  He alone is glorious and He alone deserves glory!

 

      (Ill. King Louis XIV was called, "The Proud Sun King," of France. The splendor of the sun radiated from Louis XIV, and he reigned until 1715, when he died. This man, who accomplished so much culturally, socially, and who did so many things for the French Empire, lacked in so many other ways.  He was immoral in many areas of his life, yet was acknowledged by all as a great king.

            When the day came for his burial at Notre Dame, that tremendous cathedral on the little island in the River Seine, in Paris, all the royalty and aristocracy gathered from around the world. The city was decorated; all the pomp and ceremony were carefully planned for the beautiful women and handsome men of the court. The priest gave the eulogy, paying final respect to Louis XIV, but an icy chill fell across the audience when he uttered these words: "Only God is great."

            As we pass through this life, we will often try to accumulate glory for ourselves.  However, God alone deserves all the glory, 1 Cor. 10:31.  If we could ever learn that simple truth, it would forever revolutionize our lives, our churches and our praying.

            Perhaps one reason we do not see our prayers answered is because we do not seek His glory first of all, James 4:3.  Perhaps one reason we do not see more people saved is because we do not desire that for His glory alone.  Perhaps one reason revival tarries in our day is because we do not seek it for His glory alone.

            Our God is a jealous God, and He will not share His glory with another, Ex. 34:14; Isa. 42:8.  When we come to prayer, let us therefore remember that not only does our Father have the authority and the ability to answer our prayers, but He also has the alacrity to answer them as well.  He wants to move in our lives, our homes, our churches and our world in power and for His glory, but He will only do so, when He and He alone receives all the glory!  Therefore, we can rejoice in a God Who had the ability, the authority and the desire to hear and answer the prayers of His children!  Praise His name!  And, my, what a promise!  His glory will never fade, but will endure forever!  And, those who know Him will share in that glory some day, John 17:24.

 

B.  He Alone Determines Glory – We are told that His kingdom, His power and His glory are “for ever.”  This is a great promise that we can rejoice in.  He will ever possess the kingdom, the power and the glory.  But, I just want to point out that He and He alone determines who will share His glory some day.  Only those who know Him in a grace relationship will be permitted to enter into His glorious kingdom at the end of the way, John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

            Are you saved?  If you are, then you know something of His preeminence, His power and His personality.  If you are saved, then one day you will share in His glory.  Not just for a few days, but forever!  That is something we can rejoice in!

 

Conc: This great Model Prayer closes with the word “Amen.” What does "Amen" mean? A lot of us say it, but we really never stop to think about how we use it. Here are some interesting facts about the word “Amen.”

·        It's the last word in the Bible.

·        Jesus' first word in John 1:51 was “Amen.”

·        Among the last words in the life of Jesus while He was on the cross was the word “Amen.” – Luke 23:43.

·        “Amen” is found 25 times in the Old Testament

·        “Amen” is found 125 times in the New Testament.

·        It's often translated in the Bible as, "Verily, verily."

      Sometimes we use it to sign-off in prayer, like, "Ten-four," or "Roger, over and out," or something like that. But that's not what it means in the Bible. It means, "So be it," "Let it be true," "I affirm this," and in some languages, such as in New Guinea, it means "True." If you were to go to the Parliament in Britain, you would hear someone say, "True! True!" And that is what he is saying, "Amen, Amen." It also means, "Yes."

      So when you see the word, "Amen," it means, "Yes," in Greek and Aramaic. Or, "True," or, "Let it be so." That's why in the Scripture it says, "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us,” 2 Cor. 1:20.  This means that "All the promises of God are YES in God."; "All the promises of God are truly, verily, true, let it be so - in Christ."

      When the last word is, “Amen,” it means, "Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, Yes! Truly, Truly! True! Verily, Verily! Let it be so! Amen and Amen!” So, when Jesus instructed us to pray like this, we end with that confirmation of His promises.  We say, “So be it - it's going to be just like You say it will be Lord!”

      As we close our thoughts on The Model Prayer, we are reminded that the God to Whom, we pray is the King of all Kings; the Lord of all Lords; and Altogether Lovely and glorious beyond words.  That should give us reason to rejoice, even as we journey though a world that is harsh, wicked and evil.  We should rejoice even as we fight our own battles in life.  Prayer is about rejoicing!  It is all about rejoicing in the Preeminence, the Power and the Personality of our Heavenly Father!  We are to rejoice because all that is His is ours because we are His, Rom. 8:17.