1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,440 Your kingdom come, your will be done 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,040 on earth as it is in heaven. 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,560 Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,160 as we also have forgiven our debtors. 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,400 And do not bring us into temptation, 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,720 but deliver us from the evil one. 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,200 Amen, this is God's word. 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:33,440 I wanna start this morning by telling a story 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,000 of a man named George Mueller. 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,280 Anyone familiar with the name George Mueller? 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,200 Yeah, a couple of them. 13 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,360 George Mueller was a man, a gospel man, 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,640 an evangelist in the 19th century. 15 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,640 And he's known for running orphanages, 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,600 developing, creating orphanages all around, 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,840 caring for thousands of children over his lifetime. 18 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,840 In fact, 10,024 orphans, to be precise. 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,800 Beyond that, though, he was also known as a man in England 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,800 who was accused of raising the status of the poor 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,560 above their natural position. 22 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,520 That he so had an influence on the poor 23 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,560 in the area that he ministered 24 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,680 that the different classes of people were upset 25 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,040 because he was raising them up out of poverty 26 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:30,520 with his ministry. 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,760 He established over 117 schools that enrolled 28 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,400 and taught and educated 120,000 students. 29 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,760 And get this, after his wife died, his first wife died, 30 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,560 he was 71 years old. 31 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:51,560 And at 71 years old, he began to go travel as a missionary. 32 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,920 At 71 years old, he began to go travel as a missionary 33 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,920 and went on to travel 200,000 miles from 71 until his death. 34 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,800 At his funeral, over 10,000 people gathered 35 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,640 to pay respects to him, including over 1,500 of the orphans 36 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:17,360 that he helped to raise. 37 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,080 One of the remarkable things about his time 38 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,120 in the orphanages and supplying for the needs 39 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,800 of these young children is that he never asked 40 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,880 for financial support. 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,280 Typically, in a situation like that, 42 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:33,840 you got a nonprofit, you got an organization, 43 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,920 you need to consistently raise support. 44 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:38,440 He refused to on principle. 45 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,040 He said that he would not raise support, 46 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,360 not raise financial support. 47 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,440 In fact, he had a motto that was more or less, 48 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,280 ask God, not man. 49 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,000 Ask God, not man. 50 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,760 And so one morning at the orphanage, 51 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,400 they go to the kitchen and there's no food. 52 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,720 No food for the orphans. 53 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,960 And so Mueller, George Mueller goes and gathers 54 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:03,600 all the children for their usual morning prayers. 55 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,560 And as a part of their morning prayers, 56 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,240 they give thanks to God for the meal 57 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,240 that hasn't yet materialized. 58 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:12,720 They give thanks to God for the meal 59 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,600 they haven't yet partaken. 60 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,160 And just as they finish praying, 61 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,240 there's a knock on the door. 62 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,200 And a local baker has a load of bread 63 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,040 and he said he felt led to bring bread 64 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:25,600 to the orphanage that morning. 65 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,160 And as soon as they bring the bread in 66 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,000 and they get it all set and they're giving glory to God, 67 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,760 there's another knock on the door. 68 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:36,760 And it turns out that a milkman had been passing 69 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,920 by the orphanage and his cart broke down right out front. 70 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,240 And instead of allowing the milk in his cart to go bad, 71 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,240 while he waited for repairs, 72 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,320 he decided he was going to donate the milk 73 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,600 to the orphanage that was right there. 74 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,800 And so they ate with glad hearts, 75 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,840 giving thanks to God for what he had given. 76 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,400 God knew their need and he provided exactly 77 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,160 what they needed just in time. 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,640 And that story highlights something 79 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,440 of what Jesus wants us to understand 80 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,280 in Matthew chapter six, verse nine, 81 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,400 that prayer is not about trying to convince 82 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,960 some distant God to listen. 83 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,160 Prayer is not about the endless repetitions 84 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,360 of the pagan's prayer. 85 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,760 It's not about reciting the right words 86 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,240 or earning his favor. 87 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,240 Prayer begins with this profound truth. 88 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,040 God is our Father. 89 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,560 We are in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount 90 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,160 as we're studying here in Matthew chapter six. 91 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,240 The greatest sermon that was ever preached. 92 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,840 In fact, Jesus and his teaching on prayer 93 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:45,920 that we're focusing on is actually at the center 94 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:47,520 of the Sermon on the Mount. 95 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,400 In other words, it's the focal point of the whole sermon. 96 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,040 Chapter five moves us toward it 97 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,000 and chapter seven moves us out from it. 98 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,320 And in the middle is the Lord's Prayer. 99 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:00,040 And what does that mean? 100 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:01,600 Well, it means it's important. 101 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,720 The sermon began with Jesus teaching us 102 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,960 the characteristics of a kingdom of God citizen. 103 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,440 What does it mean to be a kingdom of God citizen? 104 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,520 Well, back in Matthew chapter five, verse three, 105 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,280 he said, a kingdom citizen is like this. 106 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:19,400 Blessed are the poor in spirit, 107 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,720 for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 108 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,840 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 109 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,880 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. 110 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,600 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 111 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,600 for they will be filled. 112 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,440 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 113 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,840 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 114 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:41,560 Blessed are the peacemakers, 115 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,480 for they will be called sons of God. 116 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,640 And blessed are those who are persecuted 117 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,240 because of the righteousness, 118 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,480 for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 119 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,120 And so that's the basis, the beginning point, 120 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,120 that leads us to the focal point, which is the prayer. 121 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,080 And it's out of those characteristics of the kingdom 122 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,240 that God produces in the kingdom citizens, 123 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,360 those who have put their hope and faith in Christ, 124 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,240 that this prayer begins to flow, 125 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,760 that we can model or we can adopt the model 126 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,360 or pattern of the prayer. 127 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,320 And so Jesus now teaches his disciples 128 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,360 the kind of prayers that kingdom people pray. 129 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,240 And last week we did talk about how prayer 130 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,640 is not a performance, but it's a pattern. 131 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,640 This prayer is an opportunity for us to enter in 132 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,360 and to understand all that Jesus was getting at 133 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:30,320 as he laid it out. 134 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,560 And so it begins with the words, our Father in heaven. 135 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,720 To start praying like a kingdom citizen, 136 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:39,920 you've got to know something about your relationship 137 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,160 with God in this new world order. 138 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,400 He doesn't begin with our sovereign Lord, 139 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,560 though God is most certainly our sovereign Lord. 140 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,320 And he doesn't begin with our higher power 141 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:57,320 or the man upstairs or some simple generic term like God. 142 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:01,440 He says Father, and that tells us something 143 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,000 about how we are to come and to whom we are coming. 144 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,400 If you're taking notes, before we get to our Father, 145 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:13,920 there is that one word, our. 146 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:15,880 If you're taking notes, go ahead and write down 147 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,240 that this prayer is a family prayer. 148 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:20,640 It's a family prayer. 149 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,960 When Jesus begins a prayer with the word our, 150 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,120 he's doing something really intentional there. 151 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,160 He's putting us, he's pulling us away from this mindset 152 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,040 that prayer is somehow a solitary activity 153 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,920 meant to focus only on our individual needs. 154 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,480 Notice he doesn't say my Father, but he says our Father. 155 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,480 And this reminds us that when we come to God, 156 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,120 we're not coming to him alone. 157 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,600 We're coming to him as part of a family. 158 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,120 We live in a world that often over emphasizes 159 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:53,880 individuality, don't we? 160 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:55,600 We're taught to look out for ourselves 161 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,680 and to focus on our personal concerns, 162 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,000 but Jesus shifts that. 163 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:04,000 He moves the I and me to our and we and us. 164 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,920 No personal pronouns in this prayer. 165 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,400 Our relationship is very personal with him, 166 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:12,920 but it's not private. 167 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,480 He teaches us that prayer is something that we do 168 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,400 as a member of a community. 169 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,160 As believers, we belong to this family of people 170 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,080 and we pray to our Father. 171 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,240 We acknowledge that we're not isolated. 172 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,400 We're unified with other believers, 173 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,640 with brothers and sisters around the world, 174 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,640 and across time, with a shared Father. 175 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:36,200 Think about it this way. 176 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,680 Jesus could have easily made this prayer 177 00:08:38,680 --> 00:08:40,320 about personal connection. 178 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,920 Your personal line, your red phone direct to God. 179 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,160 He could have easily done that, 180 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:50,320 but he's calling us to come to him 181 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,520 but he's calling us into something much bigger. 182 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,880 Prayer is not just about my needs or my wants. 183 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,880 It's about being connected to the body of Christ, 184 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,080 through Christ our head, to our Lord. 185 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,680 Remember, Christ is the Son, 186 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:08,040 and it's our connection to Christ 187 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,920 that gives us audience with God the Father. 188 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:13,960 And so that brings us into not only Christ, 189 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:15,840 but into a family with one another, 190 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,680 and we begin with our, we come to God together, 191 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:21,360 and we're reminded that our faith journey 192 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,160 is not just some individual walk, 193 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:25,760 but it's a shared one. 194 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:29,880 We often approach life thinking, 195 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:31,880 I've got to handle things on my own, 196 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,680 but Jesus challenges us, 197 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:38,600 and he challenges the idea right from the start. 198 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:43,560 He reminds us that God's design for his people is community, 199 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:45,360 and we pray with one another, 200 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,240 and we pray for one another. 201 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,080 And oftentimes we are God's answer 202 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:52,680 to the very prayers we pray. 203 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,040 When we say our Father, we are acknowledging 204 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,920 that our prayers involve more than just ourselves. 205 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,000 They involve the needs, the hopes, 206 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,760 and the struggles of the family of God. 207 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:10,480 And this humbles us, and it begins to strip away 208 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,680 the kinds of prayers that we know God didn't design us for, 209 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:17,920 the kinds of me-focused, self-centered prayers. 210 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,760 And we begin to think of something bigger. 211 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,800 We're a part of something that God has brought us into. 212 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,480 So it means that when we pray, 213 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,760 we don't just think about ourselves, we lift up others, 214 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,880 we remind ourselves that we're a part of this thing, 215 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,200 and that prayer is not some private transaction 216 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,840 between you and God. 217 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,680 It's a family conversation you're invited into. 218 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:43,600 Number two, if you're taking notes, 219 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,760 write down it's a relationship, not a transaction. 220 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,600 A relationship, not a transaction. 221 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,840 When Jesus calls God Father, he's inviting us into 222 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,200 this radically different kind of relationship. 223 00:10:58,200 --> 00:10:59,440 In our human relationships, 224 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,440 we often think of things as transactional. 225 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,800 We can often fall into this in any of our relationships, 226 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,840 no matter how close, be it a husband and wife or a family, 227 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,240 that the basis on which we come, 228 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,320 or the basis on which we are approved, 229 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,440 is the transactions we engage in. 230 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:16,880 Do I bring enough? 231 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:18,040 Do I get enough? 232 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,160 If I perform well, I'm accepted. 233 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:23,960 If I don't, I'm rejected. 234 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,200 This kind of thinking is truly everywhere. 235 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,680 It's in the workplace, it's in our society, 236 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:33,120 it's in our homes even. 237 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,440 But Jesus is leading us to come to God the Father 238 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:39,680 in a different way. 239 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:41,880 We're not dealing with a business transaction here 240 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:43,040 when we come to God. 241 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:46,000 We're dealing with a relationship. 242 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,880 So think about the mindset that we oftentimes 243 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:50,240 will bring to prayer. 244 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,600 And that's, I've been doing well spiritually, 245 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,160 so my prayers are gonna be heard. 246 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,400 I've been feeling really good about my relationship 247 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,000 with God, my personal, private relationship with God. 248 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,400 I've been checking all the boxes, 249 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,120 I've been doing all the right things. 250 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,400 I think my prayers are now gonna be pretty effective. 251 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:11,960 That's transactional. 252 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,240 And the opposite side is true also, right? 253 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,200 I haven't been doing very well. 254 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,400 I missed three of my prayer times this time, 255 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,160 I didn't do any devotions. 256 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:25,040 I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna hit a brick wall here. 257 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,080 He doesn't wanna hear from me. 258 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:28,680 Why would he wanna hear from me? 259 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,840 A little while back we talked about the Daisy theology, 260 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:35,760 right? 261 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,680 He loves me, he loves me not. 262 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:40,320 He loves me, he loves me not. 263 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,120 And we oftentimes approach God that way, 264 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,680 thinking that that's how we're accepted. 265 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:47,400 Good days, woohoo, we're excited, bad days. 266 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,560 We're disappointed, we feel rejected, 267 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:51,000 we don't even approach. 268 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,520 That's not what we're being invited into. 269 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,720 That transactional mentality is like more or less saying, 270 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,320 I've paid my rent, I should be hurt. 271 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,560 How many of you guys have ever rented a place before? 272 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:05,760 You ever rented a place? 273 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:06,600 Yeah. 274 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,280 I'm paying my rent and this broke down, 275 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:10,400 I'm gonna call the landlord. 276 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:11,800 Why aren't they fixing my stuff? 277 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,000 Why aren't they taking care of their end of the thing? 278 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,000 I've got rights here, right? 279 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,720 I paid my rent. 280 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:19,360 And then the flip side is, shoot, 281 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,440 I missed a couple of months of rent. 282 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:22,960 I can't call the landlord. 283 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,400 I can't talk to him, I'm trying to avoid him, 284 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:26,720 I'm trying to stay away from him. 285 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,360 If he comes around, I hide, I close the blinds, 286 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,600 I hide out in the dark. 287 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:32,880 I don't wanna be seen. 288 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,880 I don't wanna be seen. Back and forth, back and forth. 289 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:40,600 I paid the rent, I deserve to be hurt. 290 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,280 I haven't paid the rent, I don't deserve to be hurt. 291 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,760 But Jesus flips this thinking 292 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,840 and he tells us that when we come to God, 293 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,640 it's not as a renter trying to meet our obligations, 294 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,920 but it says children to a loving father. 295 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:55,960 And that's different. 296 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,880 This shift is crucial because a father loves his child 297 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:04,480 because of who they are, not what they do. 298 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:10,120 Who they are, the status of who they are in relation to him, 299 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:11,360 not all that they can do. 300 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,440 And we know this, especially when our kids are young, 301 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,160 because they can't do a whole lot. 302 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:17,480 And then when they get a little older 303 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,840 and they're teenage years, they act like they can't do a lot, 304 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,520 even though they're totally capable. 305 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,480 And we still love them. 306 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:26,640 And then eventually they wake up 307 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,720 and they start doing a little bit more. 308 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:30,600 Hopefully, that's the hope. 309 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,960 But a father loves his children because of who they are, 310 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:37,040 not because of what they do. 311 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,320 And a good father will listen and provide 312 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,600 and care for his children regardless 313 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,720 of whether they've been perfect or they've messed up. 314 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,160 However they come, he wants to hear from them, 315 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:51,520 he wants to have a relationship. 316 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,000 He's not waiting for us to perform well enough 317 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,560 to deserve his attention. 318 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,360 We already have it because we're his children. 319 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,000 There was an illustration of an emperor in the Roman Empire. 320 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:08,000 He was on his great parade entering in to town 321 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,640 and it was all about the emperor. 322 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,440 I mean, pomp and circumstance, parade, 323 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,880 lines of crowds along the side, all about the emperor. 324 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,800 And out of the crowd breaks away a young child, 325 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:23,720 a young little girl, and she begins to run 326 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,360 toward the chariot that is carrying the emperor. 327 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:29,960 And before she gets halfway there, 328 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:34,360 a centurion, a Roman legion officer steps between us 329 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,240 and says, you cannot come here. 330 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,560 You cannot get near the emperor. 331 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,280 And this young little girl looks up at the emperor, 332 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,640 looks up at the legion, the soldier, the officer, 333 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:50,160 and said, he may be your emperor, but he's my father. 334 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,240 And upon seeing this, the emperor invites the young girl 335 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,760 into the chariot to sit with him, to be enthroned with him, 336 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,840 to receive all that is being brought to him 337 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,320 and to be a partner to it, a witness to it, 338 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,680 in the seat next to it, playing at his feet. 339 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,800 That reminded me of a picture I remember seeing growing up 340 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,800 of John F. Kennedy at the president's desk doing work 341 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,400 and out of the bottom of the president's desk 342 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,200 there's a little cabinet that opens up 343 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,400 and one of his kids is peeking through 344 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:23,840 out of the bottom of it. 345 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:28,840 He gets access to the Oval Office, to the inner courts, 346 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,000 to be with dad, and dad does what dad's gonna do 347 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,640 because dad's awesome, but the kid has access. 348 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,080 But just because we have access, 349 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,560 and because God is our father and we're invited in 350 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,240 to have that relationship, and we're invited in 351 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,280 to have that relationship, and we're not renters 352 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,600 trying to earn favors. 353 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,960 It's not a meritocracy where we have to merit his love 354 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,200 or merit a promotion in the kingdom. 355 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,440 We're children, as soon as we believe we're brought 356 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,120 into a family, that doesn't necessarily mean 357 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,240 just because we have access though and his attention 358 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,240 that we get everything we ask for, right? 359 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,200 A good father doesn't always give his children 360 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,680 exactly what they ask for. 361 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:20,320 A good father gives them exactly what they need 362 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,120 to flourish and thrive. 363 00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:27,640 Tim Keller put it this way, God will only give you 364 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,800 what you would have asked for if you knew everything 365 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:31,800 he knows. 366 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:36,640 He's that good of a father that he wants to hear 367 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,440 our prayers, he wants us to approach him, 368 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,720 and yet at the same time, he knows more than us. 369 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,720 He's good and powerful and able to do anything, 370 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:52,720 and yet what he does is he filters our prayers 371 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,440 and gives us what is best for us, what is good. 372 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,560 That's the kind of father he is, he always acts out 373 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:01,280 of his love and his wisdom. 374 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,080 He doesn't have a bad day where he wants his kids 375 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,800 to stop irritating him, so he pacifies them 376 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,040 with bad things for them, right? 377 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,920 Here, eat this ice cream, play with this iPad, 378 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,040 get lost for nine hours, go play in the street. 379 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,120 No, instead, he is an all loving, all wise, 380 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:26,200 all powerful father who wants to give us what we need 381 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,160 and knows enough to target that and give it exactly 382 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:32,120 at the right time. 383 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,160 Jesus wants us to see God as the ideal father. 384 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,440 He's perfect in his love and wisdom and his care, 385 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,600 and every father, every human father, no matter who they are, 386 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,520 has fallen short of the ideal, every single one of them. 387 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,560 And so whatever kind of father you may have had, 388 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,560 whether he was present or absent, 389 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,640 whether he was loving or distant, 390 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:01,520 Jesus is saying to you that God is the ultimate ideal father. 391 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,080 In fact, he's the basis by which you're evaluating 392 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:05,920 all earthly fathers. 393 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,880 When you say that father failed to be a good father, 394 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,480 what are you measuring it against? 395 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:16,200 God, the ideal father who knows what is good for us. 396 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,920 God is our father and we are always heard by him. 397 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,640 You don't need to earn his attention. 398 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,240 You are already accepted if you are in Christ Jesus. 399 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,960 You don't need to negotiate or bargain with him 400 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:32,880 to listen to you. 401 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,400 He is a father who listens because he loves you 402 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:37,920 and delights in you. 403 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,880 And so it frees us to pray, our father in heaven. 404 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,080 The final point, if you're taking notes, 405 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,600 God's character shapes our prayers. 406 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,320 God's character shapes our prayers. 407 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,400 When we began the Lord's Prayer with our father in heaven, 408 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:04,000 we're reminded that who God is shapes how we pray. 409 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:07,840 Jesus is teaching us that prayer isn't just about 410 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,680 bringing a list of needs before God, 411 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,800 but it starts with understanding who God is, 412 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,640 our personal loving and powerful father. 413 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,840 And this understanding should deeply affect 414 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,960 both the content of our prayers 415 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,520 and the posture of our hearts when we pray. 416 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,080 First, it shapes the content of our prayers 417 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:31,560 when we remember that God is our father in heaven. 418 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:36,200 We begin to focus on his concerns over ours. 419 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,000 Jesus shows us that the first priority in prayer 420 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,160 is to seek God's kingdom and his will. 421 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:45,760 Why? 422 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,160 Because God as our loving father knows what's best. 423 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,640 And when we start to recognize who God is, 424 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,000 as our loving father who knows what's best, 425 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,280 then our perspective changes 426 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,840 and we're no longer consumed by our own desires 427 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,200 and the kind of prayers that we're used to praying 428 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,680 for our needs, but instead we begin to seek 429 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,640 to align our hearts with his because he knows better. 430 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,960 His kingdom, his will, his glory. 431 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,160 And Jesus reminds us that God's concern 432 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,120 should take priority over ours 433 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:20,400 because he is all knowing and wise. 434 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,840 And a good father knows what's best for his children 435 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:24,440 even when they don't understand. 436 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:27,680 So when we say our father in heaven, 437 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,480 your name be honored as holy, 438 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:30,840 we are essentially saying, 439 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:34,200 father, your concerns are more important than mine. 440 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,840 Father, your concerns are more important than mine. 441 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,520 Help me to see things the way you see them. 442 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,200 And so what are God's concerns? 443 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,320 What does he make much of? 444 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,160 Well, I'm actually gonna leave that as a cliffhanger. 445 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,480 I'm gonna, Nick, our servant leader 446 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:57,480 will be preaching next week. 447 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,480 I'll be out of town in Guatemala. 448 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,720 And Nick is gonna dive deep into that second phrase, 449 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:05,720 your name be honored as holy. 450 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:07,840 What is God most concerned with? 451 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,440 We're gonna find out next week. 452 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,940 Same bat channel, same bat time. 453 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,040 Or you can go to the other service if you want. 454 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:18,880 Same sermon. 455 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,440 When we understand that God's character shapes our prayers, 456 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,760 it also shapes our posture of our heart. 457 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,560 We recognize God for who he is and we come to him 458 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,000 and we begin to trust with humility. 459 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:40,080 We bring our needs and our desires. 460 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,640 He doesn't want us to withhold those. 461 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,200 There's nothing about your needs or desires 462 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,760 that he wants you to leave out of your prayers. 463 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:49,520 But he wants you to properly place them 464 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,040 in the right hierarchy. 465 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,440 His name, his concern first. 466 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,720 His wisdom over my wisdom. 467 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,120 His provision over my provision. 468 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:02,320 Sometimes the very things that we want, 469 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,360 we want them in a certain way, a certain form. 470 00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:07,040 It reminds me of the comedian. 471 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:08,240 I don't know why this just popped in my head, 472 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,400 but there's a comedian who talks about taking his kid 473 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,920 into the store and finding a toy 474 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:14,680 and she plays with it the whole time. 475 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:17,920 And by the end of it, he's like, 476 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:19,600 okay, I guess I'll get that toy for her. 477 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,240 But he's like, but I want a new one. 478 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:22,560 She played with it the whole time. 479 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,800 We're in the store, so he goes over and gets the new one 480 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,760 and she's like, I don't want that one. 481 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,280 And now I don't want that one, this one. 482 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:30,920 And he's like, I'm not gonna buy the one you already used, 483 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,160 I'm gonna buy the brand new one. 484 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,200 And she's, no, I want this one. 485 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,440 This is the one I want. 486 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,560 And sometimes we ask for things, we have wants, 487 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,840 we have needs, and we want it exactly the way we want it. 488 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:48,680 And this prayer challenges us to let his wisdom rule supreme. 489 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,840 Let his wisdom usurp our wisdom and our understanding. 490 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,480 Let us live out truly what we, hopefully we believe 491 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,120 that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, 492 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:02,040 all-wise and all-loving. 493 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:07,040 And out of that character, why wouldn't we want him to choose? 494 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,760 Why wouldn't we want him to make the final choice? 495 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:14,080 He wants to hear from his children, 496 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,280 he wants to know their needs, 497 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,600 but why wouldn't we want him to make the final choice? 498 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,760 Why wouldn't we want him to make the final choice? 499 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:32,640 When this changes prayer, if God were this impersonal force, 500 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,560 this distant, unknowable being, 501 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,800 and we really couldn't dialogue with him, 502 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:41,960 we couldn't know him, he didn't reveal himself 503 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:46,520 through scripture, we would all begin to meld our concerns 504 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,520 with God's concerns and they'd be indistinguishable. 505 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,840 We wouldn't know what God's concerns are versus ours. 506 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,440 But because God is personal, because his character 507 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,120 is a personal God who can be known 508 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:00,360 and has revealed himself through scripture, 509 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:03,200 and is fully revealed in the person of Christ Jesus 510 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,720 and the work of Christ Jesus to redeem and to rescue 511 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,320 and to have a future, then we have something to hold onto, 512 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:11,800 we have something to trust. 513 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:14,880 We can know the God, because we can know him, 514 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:16,040 we have something we can trust, 515 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,840 we know something about his character, 516 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,160 so we have something we can hold onto. 517 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,520 John Stott, pastor and scholar once said, 518 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,320 it's always wise before we pray 519 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,520 to spend time deliberately recalling who he is. 520 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,400 What an exercise, just that one exercise. 521 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,160 If we took time, I wanna pray, Lord, 522 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,160 but I wanna remember first who you are. 523 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,240 And if I remember who you are, 524 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,480 that might shape my prayer a little bit differently, right? 525 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,320 I wanna know who you are. 526 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,760 We take the time to remember who he is, 527 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,160 it changes how we pray. 528 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,560 We trust him more, we submit our desires to him 529 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,400 more willingly, and we align our hearts 530 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,000 with his kingdom and his will. 531 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:11,040 Finally, it's important to recognize 532 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,400 that prayer isn't for the complacent 533 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:14,960 or the self-satisfied. 534 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,960 This is hard to hear, but the Sermon on the Mount 535 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:22,280 was framed first with the Beatitudes. 536 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,160 Blessed are the pure and hard, blessed are those who mourn, 537 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,520 blessed are the poor in spirit. 538 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:35,520 Theirs is the kingdom, theirs is the prayers of the kingdom. 539 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,720 The Lord's prayer isn't for the complacent 540 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,200 or the self-satisfied. 541 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,160 Jesus gives us the prayer for those who are dead 542 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,920 but those who are desperate for God, 543 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,160 those who want God above everything else, 544 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,360 those who recognize that this world is broken 545 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,720 and that only God can set it right. 546 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,680 The prayer is for the humble and the broken and the lowly, 547 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,240 but not for those who have found their joy 548 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:05,800 in the things of this world. 549 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,560 If you have found your ultimate joy 550 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,000 in the things of this world, 551 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,040 this prayer will be nothing but a recitation. 552 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:17,120 This prayer isn't for you, 553 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:19,160 the prayer is for the poor in spirit, 554 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,880 the one who mourns over his sinful condition, 555 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,480 the one who trusts in God and hungers in thirst 556 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:25,320 for righteousness. 557 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:27,560 It reminds me of George Mueller in that prayer 558 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:29,640 because he wanted to go to God first 559 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:31,240 and he wanted to trust God first. 560 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:36,240 He hungered for righteousness, he hungered for God first, 561 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,920 and he found his satisfaction there. 562 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,200 And then all the things that God could provide 563 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,920 on this earth, that's all bonus. 564 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,200 When we call out to our Father in heaven, 565 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,360 we are acknowledging that we need him 566 00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:56,160 and that true joy and life can only be found 567 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,200 in his eternal kingdom. 568 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,360 And that's one of the parts of this prayer 569 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:03,760 that is kind of always in the background 570 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:06,720 as you look at the whole of the Sermon on the Mount 571 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,280 and the whole of Jesus' ministry in the Book of Matthew 572 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,360 that he has come to reveal the kingdom 573 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:15,400 or to bring the kingdom to bear on this world. 574 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,280 In the background is the reality 575 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,680 that the end of the age was initiated, 576 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:23,200 commenced with Christ's coming 577 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,040 and will ultimately consummate it with his return. 578 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,320 And so his disciples understood, 579 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,400 oh, we're entering into a whole new world right now. 580 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,800 We're not praying like we used to. 581 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,880 We're praying in a new way with a new connection with God, 582 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:39,600 with a better understanding, 583 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,800 a corporate understanding of God's kingdom 584 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,080 and what God is doing here. 585 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:47,760 And what he's ultimately pointing to in the background 586 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,080 is that only with the coming of Christ, 587 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:51,160 the second return of Christ, 588 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,880 will the fullness of the kingdom come. 589 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:55,120 And so when we pray things like, 590 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,560 your will be done, your kingdom come, 591 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,120 we're asking for the end of this world as we know it. 592 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,480 We're asking for this age to come to a close 593 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,240 and the consummation of God's kingdom 594 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,200 to be fully revealed when we pray this prayer. 595 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,400 And so you can see how if your attachments, 596 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,600 if the strings of your life are all entangled with the world, 597 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:16,640 you're not gonna wanna pray that prayer. 598 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:19,240 If you're fully satisfied here 599 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,400 and your joy is fully satisfied here 600 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,240 in the things of this world, 601 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:27,760 this prayer might be hostile to your way of life 602 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,920 because it's calling you to call out to God 603 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,560 and ask for his kingdom to fully come. 604 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,280 And this prayer holds over the kingdom citizens 605 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,040 in the meantime, in the in-between. 606 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,120 It keeps us coming back to who God is, 607 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:47,920 what he is concerned with, 608 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,480 and how we might live while we wait 609 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,040 for his revealing at the end of all time. 610 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,640 They invite the worship team to come up and as they do, 611 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,760 I'll wrap up here with my conclusion. 612 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,320 The simple opening to the Lord's Prayer, 613 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:03,920 our Father in heaven, 614 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:09,440 carries truth that transforms the way that we approach God. 615 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,360 We come to God as part of a family. 616 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:17,000 When we say ours, we're acknowledging that we are not alone. 617 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:18,320 We are not alone. 618 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:19,560 We are not alone. 619 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:20,760 We are not alone. 620 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,160 We are not alone. 621 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,600 We come to God as his children. 622 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,480 He's not a distant deity or some business partner 623 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:30,680 demanding performance. 624 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,680 He is our loving Father who listens to us 625 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,280 because we are his. 626 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,240 We don't need to perform to be heard. 627 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,880 We are already heard because we are his children. 628 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:45,920 We recognize who God is. 629 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,680 It changes the shape of our prayers. 630 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,280 When we first go to him and we understand his concern 631 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:52,720 above all other concerns, 632 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,760 his kingdom above all other kingdoms, 633 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,000 it begins to shape and reshape our prayers 634 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,000 into ones that align with his will and his kingdom. 635 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,680 So how will this change your prayers? 636 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,200 How will this change your prayers? 637 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:12,880 The next time you begin with our Father, 638 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,640 remember that you're speaking to the one who loves you. 639 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,240 Remember that that love was fully revealed 640 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:22,240 in Christ Jesus when he called you. 641 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:23,440 And if you are in Christ, 642 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,880 when he called you unto redemption, 643 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:27,880 restoration with the Father, 644 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,880 when he gave you the Holy Spirit 645 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,000 so that it might cry out within you. 646 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,360 When you have no words and you have no way to express it, 647 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:38,320 no understanding of who God is, 648 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,520 and you feel blinded or in a fog, 649 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,440 that it will cry out, Abba! 650 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,000 It will cry out, Abba! 651 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,360 Which means Father, Daddy, Abba! 652 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,320 The Spirit within cries. 653 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:00,440 He cares for you. 654 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,400 He knows you better than you know yourself. 655 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,280 And he knows what you need before you ask him. 656 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,360 He's wise enough to give you, 657 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:13,280 bring about the ultimate flourishing as his child. 658 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,040 And he's wise enough to keep from you 659 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,120 the things that will hurt you. 660 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:19,680 That's good. 661 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:21,440 Let him decide. 662 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:23,680 I don't know about you, 663 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,520 I oftentimes, the way my brain is wired, 664 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,280 I get decision fatigue. 665 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:29,720 Anyone else get decision fatigue? 666 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,280 You're like, I don't care where we eat. 667 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:35,080 I don't care at all. 668 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,240 Of course, you always do care when they actually say somewhere, 669 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:45,240 but I do care, I don't wanna go there. 670 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,120 Life is a lot of decisions, 671 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,520 and God's wisdom can guide us. 672 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,920 I'm not saying this is some sort of, you know, 673 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:58,920 I don't know, that stick trick they used to do 674 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,040 to find oil or water, right? 675 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:02,200 This isn't something like that. 676 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:07,200 This is the wisdom of God revealed in his word. 677 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,800 The wisdom of God as it shapes us 678 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:11,320 through the receiving of his word, 679 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,120 as we've heard today, as we've studied our Father in heaven, 680 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,440 as we looked at that, 681 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:17,480 that shaped us to understand who he is, 682 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,640 and that shaped, hopefully shaped your prayers 683 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:20,480 a little bit more. 684 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,800 Which means that when decisions do come or times come 685 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,000 where there are things that you have to decide, 686 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:28,800 you will decide, hopefully, 687 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,400 with greater levels of God's wisdom as he has given it, 688 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,800 apportioned it to lead you. 689 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,280 To lead you through this life. 690 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,360 There are lots of decisions to make, 691 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,080 and not all of them are plain spelled out in the Bible. 692 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,920 And so we need his wisdom to lead and guide us 693 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,920 on all the in-between issues, on all the in-between things. 694 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:54,800 When you pray our Father in heaven, 695 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:58,000 you're praying to the one who provides and protects 696 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,640 and guides like the perfect Father that he is. 697 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:04,600 That doesn't mean that it will always be easy. 698 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,720 I'm gonna leave you with another George Mueller story. 699 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:13,920 Before he went on his lengthy missions trip at 71, 700 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:17,520 just blows my mind, anyone who's like, 701 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,040 oh, my time's done, really? 702 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:23,680 71 was the beginning of, I mean, went all over the place, 703 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,520 Singapore, Europe, Asia. 704 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,160 But one of the things that changed in his life 705 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:33,240 right before that was the passing of his first wife. 706 00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:36,560 And when she passed or she got ill, she had a fever, 707 00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:40,560 the kind of fever that takes you out in the 1800s. 708 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:41,960 I don't know which one, but. 709 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:49,240 He wrote in one of his writings, 710 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:51,280 the last portion of scripture which I read 711 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:53,560 to my precious wife was this. 712 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,760 The Lord God is a sun and a shield. 713 00:34:56,720 --> 00:35:00,120 The Lord will give grace and glory. 714 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,360 No good thing will be withheld 715 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:05,360 from them that walk uprightly. 716 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,400 Psalm 84, 11. 717 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:10,960 And this is George Mueller writing. 718 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,840 I said to myself with regard to the latter part, 719 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,280 no good thing will be withheld from them 720 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:18,280 that walk uprightly. 721 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,760 I am in myself a poor worthless sinner, 722 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,560 but I have been saved by the blood of Christ 723 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:26,000 and I do not live in sin. 724 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,240 I walk uprightly before God. 725 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:30,920 Therefore, if it is really good for me, 726 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:35,920 my darling wife will be raised up again, sick as she is. 727 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:37,760 God will restore her again. 728 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,720 But if she is not restored again, 729 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:43,960 then it would not be a good thing for me. 730 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,880 And so my heart was at rest. 731 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:49,880 I was satisfied with God. 732 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:54,760 And all this springs, as I have often said before, 733 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:59,040 from taking God at his word, believing what he says. 734 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,360 His wife died February 6, 1870, 735 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,160 and Mueller at that time was 64 years old 736 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,040 and he never wavered in his faith. 737 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:13,040 He even preached at her funeral, Psalm 119, 68, 738 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,840 thou art good and doest good. 739 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:20,560 You are good and you do good. 740 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,880 He recounted how he preached to her, 741 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,320 preached himself as she was dying. 742 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:26,840 At his funeral, he said, 743 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,200 this is how he preached to himself. 744 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:32,040 If God pleases to take my dearest wife, 745 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,960 it will be good, like himself. 746 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:40,640 What I have to do as his child 747 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,640 is to be satisfied with what my father does, 748 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,800 that I may glorify him. 749 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,120 What a reshaping. 750 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:58,120 What a reshaping, reshaping of the mind, 751 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:00,200 reshaping of the heart. 752 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,880 Jesus is inviting us to this kind of praying. 753 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:13,960 Father, we thank you God, 754 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,760 for the grace of your word, 755 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,320 the wisdom of your word to instruct our hearts. 756 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,920 May the seed of your word fall on good soil in our hearts 757 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:38,560 and yield a harvest of righteousness in our lives. 758 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:45,760 You are a father in heaven. 759 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:50,760 Your name be honored as holy back in Jesus' name. 760 00:37:50,760 --> 00:38:14,560 Amen.