1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,920 Good morning everybody, I'm Nick. 2 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:04,520 For those who don't know me, 3 00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:06,680 I am one of the Board of Servant Leaders here. 4 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,320 I'm not the pastor, but I'm gonna try my best this morning. 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,680 So let's get into my sermon because it's a long one. 6 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,920 This is my fifth or sixth time preaching. 7 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:20,000 I haven't done it a whole lot, 8 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,520 and I've realized that every time I do preach, 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,960 I'm convinced that this is the most important sermon 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,840 that I'll ever preach. 11 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,160 And I'll warn you now, I've done it again. 12 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,240 I am convinced to myself that this is the most important 13 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,240 sermon that I'm gonna preach. 14 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,520 So buckle in for it. 15 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,000 The title of my sermon is a bit strange. 16 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,280 If you care to write it down, if you got your thing, 17 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,040 the requests according to God's ultimate end, 18 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,280 or the requests to God's ultimate end. 19 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,840 We've been going over the Lord's Prayer, 20 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:52,920 and so I wanna say it this morning together. 21 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:54,320 So let's go ahead and stand. 22 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,840 Do we have the slide for the Lord's Prayer still, Brianna? 23 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,840 Hopefully we do. 24 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,280 I'm pulling a fast one on her. 25 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,160 We don't have the slide, we all know some rendition of it, 26 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:06,360 and it's gonna be fine. 27 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:12,840 Okay, so go from memory. 28 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,640 Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 29 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,760 Your kingdom come, your will be done, 30 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,480 on earth as it is in heaven. 31 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Give us this day our daily bread, 32 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:27,880 and forgive us our debts, 33 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,800 as we have also forgiven our debtors. 34 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,200 Lead us not into temptation, 35 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,920 but deliver us from the evil one, amen. 36 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:38,080 Go ahead and sit down. 37 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,600 A routine my wife and I have is that we pray together 38 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,760 right before going to sleep every night. 39 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,960 We've had our ups and downs in our lives, 40 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,240 and in our marriage, and our sleep schedules. 41 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,160 It has been an important routine that we've kept. 42 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,560 We each have a typical way of starting our prayers. 43 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,360 Nothing fancy, I usually pick heavenly father, 44 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,480 because I read this prayer before, 45 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,560 and she often goes with dear Jesus. 46 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,800 My wife then goes with the Sunday school style 47 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,840 for the second line, thank you for this day. 48 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:09,800 It's a classic, right? 49 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,520 Never goes out of style, thank you for this day. 50 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,320 I, on the other hand, don't have time for such pleasantries. 51 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,680 I got needs, and there's always one need 52 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,160 that I pray for first. 53 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,040 Give me rest. 54 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,560 Give us rest, rest in our house. 55 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,360 And as a father of four kids, 56 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,240 with a long history of uninterrupted sleep, 57 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,280 this is a deep, deep need. 58 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,280 What is your prayer, Joe? 59 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:36,480 What do you pray? 60 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,640 Do you go with thank you for this day, opener, 61 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:41,760 or do you keep it short and direct? 62 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,480 Jesus' focus was on much bigger things 63 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,320 than either of those. 64 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,080 This is our third week studying prayer, 65 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:51,880 and going through the Lord's Prayer. 66 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,800 I have been praying this prayer over and over and over again 67 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,120 last few weeks in preparation. 68 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,360 I wanted to really get it into my bones, 69 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,920 and my meditation on this second line 70 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,720 has drastically altered my prayer life. 71 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,840 And dare I say it, this little line is the key 72 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,480 to unlocking the power of your prayers. 73 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:12,480 Put my stake in the ground, 74 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,560 and we'll see if I can answer that. 75 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,160 My sermon is gonna focus on three key words this morning, 76 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,600 make, name, and holiness. 77 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,560 My first point for those taking notes is make. 78 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:25,720 And I put it in parentheses 79 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,960 because I have to admit this actually isn't in the text. 80 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,840 You didn't read it wrong, 81 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,240 but this line is a request, it's not a statement. 82 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,000 We probably all have some sort of knowledge 83 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,200 of the Lord's Prayer, some history with it. 84 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,560 You don't even have to grow up in church to know this. 85 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,400 A friend of mine this week said, 86 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:46,680 I didn't grow up religious, 87 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:48,600 but my mom made sure I knew the Lord's Prayer 88 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,800 and recited it. 89 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,440 And for most of us, knowing the Lord's Prayer 90 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,320 means reciting an old King James translation, 91 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:02,320 400 years old, that says, hallowed be your name, right? 92 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,760 And you probably never used the word hallowed 93 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,360 outside of this statement. 94 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,360 Like, do you even know what it means? 95 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:09,200 I'll tell you what it means. 96 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,200 It means be made holy, revered and honored. 97 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,360 It's a pretty easy definition, it's not complicated. 98 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,360 To hallow means to make something holy. 99 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,480 But if you're like me, there's a decent chance 100 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,120 that you might have been a little bit off 101 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,080 in your reading of this 400 year old phrase. 102 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,200 R.C. Sproul explained it this way. 103 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,320 We often confuse the words hallowed be your name 104 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,480 with part of the address on the first line, 105 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,920 as if the words were hallowed is your name. 106 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,040 And in that case, the words would merely be 107 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,320 an inscription of praise to God, 108 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,920 which is true, he is holy and it's good to say that. 109 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,720 But these words are actually a request. 110 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:54,560 The CSP removes the ambiguity by bucking the tradition 111 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,000 and expanding the word count for clarity. 112 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,120 So we read, our Father in heaven, 113 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,040 your name be honored as holy. 114 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,240 I hope you can hear it a little bit more clearly now. 115 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,720 The second line is not a statement of address. 116 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,480 It is a request for God to act. 117 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,320 God, please make your name be honored as holy. 118 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,840 Now, this is how we mean in the other phrases, right? 119 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:18,520 So this isn't kind of new. 120 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,320 Give us our bread, that's a request. 121 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,160 Your kingdom come, that's a request. 122 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:23,240 You make this happen. 123 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,160 Is anyone here making Christ's kingdom happen? 124 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,240 Anyone drawing up plans for the new Jerusalem? 125 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,840 Anybody gathering materials to build a throne for him? 126 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:34,320 No, it's a request. 127 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,160 Lord, you make your kingdom come. 128 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,680 You bring your kingdom to this earth. 129 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,800 I don't wanna vote anymore. 130 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,000 I can't handle any more political issues. 131 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:43,840 I can't handle any more political ads. 132 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:45,440 I don't care about these ballot measures. 133 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:46,560 Please come. 134 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,000 And this point is simple, but it's foundational. 135 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,320 Make, it's a request. 136 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,240 Jesus is teaching us to request things from God, 137 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,080 and not just small things, but the most important things. 138 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,400 So now that we know it's a request, 139 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,160 let's find out what we've actually been praying 140 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:08,680 all these years. 141 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,200 So first point, make, second point, name. 142 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,040 Reading the verse again. 143 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,920 Our Father in heaven. 144 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,640 I'm gonna add the word. 145 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:18,720 We can bring up that slide. 146 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,720 Make your name be honored as holy. 147 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,040 The first request of the Lord's Prayer 148 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,920 is for God's name to receive honor. 149 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,120 We don't have time to follow the rabbit hole of God's name. 150 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,520 There's too much to say there. 151 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,160 It is a glorious thing. 152 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,360 But I want to highlight just the one thing 153 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:38,600 for this morning. 154 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,760 Jesus is telling us to ask God to value his reputation. 155 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:48,080 We are told to pray and request that God would act 156 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,120 so his name be honored. 157 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,560 The good news is that God has always been concerned 158 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,280 about his reputation. 159 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:56,840 He has been concerned about his name. 160 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:59,240 The Lord cares deeply for his reputation 161 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,280 and is willing to defend it. 162 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:03,000 Let me give you a few examples. 163 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,400 Let's start with the rescue of Israel 164 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,320 out of slavery in Egypt. 165 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,320 The most important event in the Old Testament. 166 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,640 It was accomplished not because of Israel, 167 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:13,880 but God's great name. 168 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,840 For his namesake, hear this, Exodus 9 16. 169 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,720 But for this purpose, I have raised you up 170 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,360 to show you my power so that my name 171 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,720 may be proclaimed in all the earth. 172 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,840 Later on in the story, God spares Israel 173 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,840 from judgment after repeated and repeated disobedience. 174 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,240 Not because of something he could solve. 175 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,520 Not because of something he saw in them. 176 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,040 But for his namesake, we're reading Ezekiel. 177 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,360 I acted for the sake of my name, 178 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,920 that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations 179 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,080 in whose sight I had brought them out. 180 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:52,520 One last one. 181 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,640 In Psalm 106, we read a retelling of Israel's gory history. 182 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,760 A history of terrible sin, of abundant idolatry, 183 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,360 and continued rescue from annihilation. 184 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,760 We are told why God protected and saved Israel 185 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,320 again and again and again. 186 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,200 Reading, our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp 187 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,600 the significance of your wondrous works, 188 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,880 or remember your many acts of love. 189 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,680 Instead, they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. 190 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,920 Which means God did a thing, and immediately afterwards, 191 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:26,320 they rebelled against him. 192 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,360 Verse eight, yet he saved them for his namesake, 193 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,640 to make his power known. 194 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,200 I could go on all morning long. 195 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,600 There are 22 times God's name is labeled as his holy name. 196 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,680 37 times where God is concerned 197 00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:44,760 about his name being profaned. 198 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,280 44 times the phrase namesake is used about God. 199 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,640 Conclusion, God really cares about his name. 200 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,120 He defends himself from reputation attack. 201 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,720 He acts to protect his reputation 202 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,640 from being dragged through the mud. 203 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:07,120 His motivation for mercy and salvation is not you. 204 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:08,320 It's his namesake. 205 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,400 I am the Lord, that is my name, 206 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,000 and I will not give my glory to another. 207 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,120 We read in Isaiah. 208 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,120 If this is the first time you're hearing this idea, 209 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,320 stated so clearly, this may sound petty, and I get that. 210 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,200 Here's some questions you might be asking. 211 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,680 Why is God so concerned about his reputation? 212 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:31,680 Is he really concerned about his status 213 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:32,760 in front of us humans, 214 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,160 like he's a needy celebrity or something? 215 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,560 He is the creator and sustainer of the universe, 216 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:43,080 spinning galaxies on his fingers, 217 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,400 playing Legos with little corks particles. 218 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,000 He has all power and knowledge. 219 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,160 What does the opinion of a group of humans matter to him? 220 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:55,600 Good question. 221 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,680 And lucky for you, and for me, 222 00:09:58,680 --> 00:09:59,880 I have the answers. 223 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,240 But with big questions come big answers. 224 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,680 So point number three, holiness. 225 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:14,120 Holy, holy, holy is what the angels cry to the Lord 226 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,080 in the heavenly temple, according to Isaiah. 227 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,480 Holy, holy, holy, repeated three times 228 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,480 to signify completeness and fullness. 229 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,800 And when a person sees a glimpse, just a glimpse, 230 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,280 just a speck of God's holiness, 231 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,080 what is their response every time? 232 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:35,280 I'm gonna go ahead and lay down, 233 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:36,880 and I'm just gonna die now, okay? 234 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:37,720 I'm done. 235 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,120 I'm utterly ruined, I got nothing. 236 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,160 Experiencing holiness immediately exposes a human, 237 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,680 completely opens them up and says, 238 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:50,880 this is what you're worth, and it's nothing. 239 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,880 And it affects you so deeply that the only thing 240 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,320 you expect to follow is complete 241 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,080 and utter destruction of your being. 242 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,120 Every single person in the Bible 243 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,960 that experiences God's holiness, that is what they do. 244 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:04,960 They choose to do that. 245 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,280 Nobody tells them they have to do that. 246 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:08,920 This isn't bowing before a king. 247 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,960 So that is what holiness is like to experience. 248 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,520 Let's look at just briefly what it means. 249 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:22,520 The biblical dictionary definition of holy is set apart, 250 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,120 transcendent, holy other. 251 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:26,520 It's just a weird play on words, 252 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,120 but it works in English, holy other. 253 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,120 This definition is clear enough, it's not hard to get. 254 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,320 Scholars agree on it, and it makes sense. 255 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,320 God is completely separate from us and our sin, 256 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,320 and so from everything else, and so we see him, 257 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,920 and he is holy in his being, and we're not, 258 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,520 and we're not in his presence. 259 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,720 He is holy in his being, and we're not, 260 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,120 and so we just crumble under him. 261 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,920 And I've heard this definition many, many times, 262 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,120 but I've always felt that this definition 263 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,520 didn't go far enough to describe how God is holy. 264 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,120 Like I just wanted something a little bit more clear, 265 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,240 and I've had this burning question in my mind 266 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,800 for a very long time. 267 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,120 God has always been holy, which I believe, 268 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,600 I am not trying to say otherwise. 269 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,520 How could he be set apart, according to the definition, 270 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,720 when nothing else existed except for him? 271 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,200 How is he set apart from the nothing that is not there, 272 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:27,120 and it's just him? 273 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,040 And I feel like using set apart in this definition 274 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,920 is kind of like using the word in the definition of the word. 275 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,600 You know, that thing that we all learned in English, 276 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:37,440 which is a big no-no, 277 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,800 you can't use the definition in the word. 278 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,840 So I got hung up on this question for a really long time, 279 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,680 but not until I was struggling through a short book 280 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:48,360 by a guy named Jonathan Edwards, 281 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,440 who was a theologian from the 1700s, 282 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,000 did I finally hear a definition of holiness 283 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,040 that brought clarity. 284 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,160 In the book, The End for Which God Created the World, 285 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:01,680 Jonathan Edwards writes this. 286 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,200 The moral rectitude of God chiefly consists 287 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,080 in a regard to himself, 288 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,760 infinitely above his regard to all other beings. 289 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,120 None of us here is from the 1700s, 290 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:15,480 we don't use English this way. 291 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,000 So here's my paraphrase. 292 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,500 God's holiness is the infinite worth 293 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:21,840 that God has for himself. 294 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,520 God's holiness is the infinite worth 295 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,320 that God has for himself. 296 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:31,160 The word holiness is the infinite worth 297 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:32,680 that God has for himself. 298 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:35,440 So, what's the meaning of this? 299 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,200 Well, in this day and age, 300 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,800 we're getting into a time where God's holiness 301 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:41,800 that God has for himself. 302 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,480 This is the thing, this is it. 303 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,440 This is the insight that has affected me 304 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,680 and changed my prayer life. 305 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:56,200 And for us here, it's going to unlock your prayer life too. 306 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:57,480 Meditate on this thought. 307 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:02,480 God is valuing himself infinitely above everything else. 308 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,600 And then go and pray and ask him to keep doing that. 309 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:07,840 Everywhere. 310 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,600 And you will always pray according to the Lord's will. 311 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,440 And if you're trying to grasp this idea, 312 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,000 it's totally normal. 313 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,640 I've been shopping it around this week 314 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,080 and it's taken people time to get it. 315 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,560 And this may be the first time you're hearing this. 316 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,600 So let's unpack Jonathan Edwards' thesis a little bit. 317 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,320 The first question most people have when they hear this 318 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,600 is something like, that sounds like God is self-centered 319 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,200 and self-absorbed. 320 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:37,000 Elevating himself so highly, right? 321 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,360 Wouldn't it be sinful for God to think of himself so much? 322 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:44,280 Let's answer this important question 323 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,800 and I will start small and then build up. 324 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:47,640 So track with me. 325 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,480 We'll start with man, then move to God. 326 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,240 Simple question for all of us. 327 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,800 Is it good for us to sing songs to God? 328 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,160 Yes, we just did it. 329 00:14:58,160 --> 00:14:59,960 Simple answer, yes. 330 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:02,520 Actually, it's commanded 15 times in the Bible 331 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:04,480 for us to worship and praise God. 332 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,840 And why is it good to sing worship songs? 333 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,240 Why do we need to do those specific songs? 334 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,840 A worship song is a song that ascribes worth to God. 335 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:17,840 Like the song, Jesus, name above all names. 336 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,280 Apologize for my terrible singing. 337 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:25,040 Or, hey, how great thou art. 338 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,000 Both songs elevate God to the highest position 339 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,040 we can imagine, above all other names. 340 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,760 Unspeakably, unfathomably great. 341 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,960 It's good for us humans to sing these songs 342 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:43,960 because through them we ascribe worth or value to God. 343 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,440 We identify and praise his attributes and accomplishments. 344 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,240 Let's take it one step further. 345 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:51,520 Let's get really difficult. 346 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:52,960 How would you feel if God sang 347 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,720 either of these songs about himself? 348 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,840 Would it be good for God to praise himself 349 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,640 for being unfathomably great? 350 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:02,200 You just did. 351 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,240 How about him singing about how he is worthy of praise 352 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,040 for rescuing us from sin? 353 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,640 Would it be boastful or prideful for him? 354 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,040 That's a hard question. 355 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:19,480 But it wouldn't be. 356 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:20,920 He's not proud. 357 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:22,440 It would be good. 358 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:28,440 It is good for God to accurately esteem his worth and value. 359 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:33,440 Since he is infinitely greater than all other beings, 360 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,920 it is good for him to recognize that about himself. 361 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,720 He needs to see that in himself. 362 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:40,760 And since he did save us from our sins 363 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,120 and defeated death on our behalf, 364 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,320 he can correctly acknowledge his accomplishments. 365 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,520 Is he not the most worthy of all beings? 366 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,440 Is he not of infinite worth? 367 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,360 His glory, his glory, his glory, 368 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,640 his love, joy, and greatness are infinite, 369 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,680 and so is his worth. 370 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,120 Any greatness or worth compared to this infinite God 371 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:07,760 should be considered like nothing. 372 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,160 Jonathan Edwards says, it's like dust left on the scale. 373 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,960 Here are two quotes from Jonathan Edwards to drive it home. 374 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,520 God must chiefly consist in giving due respect 375 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:24,360 to that being to whom most is due, which is God. 376 00:17:24,360 --> 00:17:27,160 For God is infinitely the most worthy of regard. 377 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,760 And another, if God respects things 378 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:32,000 according to their nature, 379 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,360 he must necessarily have the greatest respect to himself. 380 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:37,600 It would be against the perfection of his nature, 381 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,760 his wisdom and holiness and perfect rectitude 382 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:42,360 to suppose otherwise. 383 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:46,760 Meaning, because God is God, 384 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,760 he must value his infinite worth greater than anything else. 385 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:51,960 He must do it. 386 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,360 Doing otherwise would be a misjudgment on his part, 387 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:56,560 and he would fail to be God thereafter. 388 00:17:57,360 --> 00:17:59,560 He is the only being with infinite worth. 389 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,160 It is just him, nothing else. 390 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:07,760 God's infinite regard to himself is a good, righteous act 391 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,360 because of who he is. 392 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:11,160 This is his holiness. 393 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:17,560 As you chew on this, let me give you a second 394 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,360 to think about the importance of this. 395 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:23,360 Let me give you a silly analogy to try to explain it. 396 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,560 I'm the father of four kids, said that already. 397 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:31,960 If I sat them down and told them 398 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:33,560 that they don't need to listen to me anymore 399 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,960 because I am elevating their position 400 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,160 to be equal with me as parents. 401 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,160 I have an 11th month old and a two month old. 402 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,960 They are just eager to take that. 403 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:47,960 We all have the same authority now. 404 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,160 And I have to respect their choices 405 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,960 as much as it might have to respect my own. 406 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,960 Our positions in the family are equal. 407 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,160 So they get to set their own rules. 408 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,560 You know what my kids would do immediately? 409 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,360 All of them would run to our candy drawer, 410 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:05,160 grab a handful of candy, run to our couch, 411 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,760 turn on the TV, and then not move for as long as they can. 412 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,960 The chaos and fighting would show up eventually, right? 413 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:15,760 It would come. 414 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,960 And in the long run, it would actually make my kids 415 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:20,960 emotionally unstable and fearful. 416 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:22,960 Why? 417 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:24,360 They get to have everything they want. 418 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:25,960 They get to do it as they want. 419 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:29,560 But they wouldn't be happy. 420 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,360 Because they want me to exercise my position. 421 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:35,160 They want me to act like their dad. 422 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,760 Which means I need to recognize that my thoughts, wisdom, 423 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,160 and plans are above theirs. 424 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,960 Not because I'm selfish, not because I'm self-absorbed, 425 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,360 but because I love them. 426 00:19:46,360 --> 00:19:49,160 If I don't see that my abilities are greater than theirs, 427 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:50,160 it would hurt them. 428 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,160 I feel the same way about God. 429 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:01,160 I, me, 35-year-old Nick Rozema, am a scared little child 430 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,160 in this ever-expanding cold universe. 431 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:06,760 I don't know the future. 432 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,360 I can't control any of it. 433 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:13,360 If I eat bread like a normal person, I get sick for weeks. 434 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,360 I need help in my life. 435 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:18,160 That's what I need. 436 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,560 I want an infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, 437 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,760 infinitely good God to be in control. 438 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,560 And I want that God to act and direct the universe 439 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,960 according to his infinite wisdom, infinite power, 440 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,160 and goodness. 441 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,160 And I want him to esteem his qualities 442 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,760 infinitely valuable above mine, 443 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,360 because that's the way they are. 444 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:40,360 This is God's holiness. 445 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:43,160 God's holiness is the infinite worth 446 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:44,760 that God has for himself. 447 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,760 This is God esteeming himself and his attributes 448 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,360 as higher than all others, more valuable than anyone else, 449 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:56,360 and acting to make them known across all time and space, 450 00:20:56,360 --> 00:21:00,560 which again, is the outpouring of his wisdom and love. 451 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:04,160 That was a lot. 452 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:05,160 That was a lot. 453 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:07,960 It was a lot. 454 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:08,760 I know it was a lot, 455 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,560 because it takes a really long time to chew on this 456 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:12,760 and work through it. 457 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,160 I recommend a long walk later today in thinking about it. 458 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:20,960 What is God's holiness? 459 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,760 What do I want God to be doing? 460 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,160 Let's take a deep breath. 461 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:31,960 Let's move back down to earth. 462 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,360 Let's come back here. 463 00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,160 We all have a Monday. 464 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,760 It's gonna come at us real fast tomorrow. 465 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,760 Let's figure out how the holiness of God helps us in prayer. 466 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,360 It's what my sermon is about, right, I think. 467 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:47,960 Praying that God would make his name to be holy. 468 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:49,960 So how do we apply this to our prayers? 469 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,760 How do we do this for our kids, our parents, 470 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,960 our tests coming up in a week? 471 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,360 How do I make this part of my life? 472 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:00,960 Let's talk about Plinko. 473 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,160 Right, this is a good right turn. 474 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,960 Here's the image of a guy playing Plinko on the prices right. 475 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:10,960 I assume everybody has seen the prices right, 476 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,160 but just in case you haven't or you forgot. 477 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:15,160 You place a disc at the top. 478 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:16,160 There's some slots up there, 479 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:17,160 and you place it there, 480 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,160 and you kind of aim for what's on the bottom, 481 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,760 because the bottom tells you what prize you get. 482 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,160 And the closer to the middle, 483 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:25,160 the middle is the best, 484 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,960 and then you get some other prizes on the sides. 485 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,360 But it's a bunch of bouncing around. 486 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:31,160 You don't really get to aim it. 487 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,360 And I was talking to someone in a small group this week, 488 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,160 and she described her prayer life 489 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,760 as constantly trying to figure out 490 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,160 what answer God is gonna give her, 491 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,560 then adjusting her prayers to match the possible outcomes. 492 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,760 She's stuck playing Plinko in her prayers. 493 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,560 Her theology is good, don't get me wrong. 494 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,160 God is in control and he will answer my prayers. 495 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,160 But she is left trying to calculate 496 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:01,760 what the answer's going to be, 497 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:02,960 so she can change her words, 498 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:04,760 so she can pray according to God's will, 499 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,560 and then she can get the right answer to what God wanted. 500 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,760 And she constantly has to be playing the game 501 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,960 in her mind and her heart as she's praying. 502 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,160 What is God's answer gonna be today? 503 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,360 Or, oh, that person got changed in their sickness, 504 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:17,760 so I should pray differently. 505 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,560 Whatever it's gonna be, she keeps having to adjust it. 506 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,160 I'm guilty of this, I've done it. 507 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,760 I wanna pray that God will change my prayer life 508 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,960 and I wanna pray big, but then I can start conditioning 509 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,160 my words, kinda put some clauses in there, 510 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,760 just in case God doesn't answer the way that I wanted him to. 511 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,360 And I've been in prayer groups with you guys. 512 00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:39,560 I'm not alone. 513 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,160 Do you know what the cure for this is? 514 00:23:44,260 --> 00:23:47,960 Pray for God to make his name be honored as holy, 515 00:23:49,660 --> 00:23:52,060 as the first thing. 516 00:23:52,060 --> 00:23:54,060 And then have every other request yield 517 00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:56,160 to that ultimate request. 518 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,160 You love God, that's what you've been praying. 519 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,060 You've been praying the Lord's Prayer. 520 00:24:00,060 --> 00:24:01,860 Your name be honored as holy. 521 00:24:03,260 --> 00:24:06,260 On Friday, I went to a memorial service of a good friend. 522 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:09,560 He's three years older than me. 523 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,060 He died after eight years of battling stage four cancer. 524 00:24:13,060 --> 00:24:16,360 He left behind three girls about the same age as mine. 525 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,760 I feel so deeply for his family. 526 00:24:20,660 --> 00:24:23,360 And his daughters, growing up without a dad, 527 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:26,260 he loved them and he tried so hard. 528 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,660 And I've prayed for years for him to be healed, 529 00:24:31,660 --> 00:24:32,860 but the Lord never did. 530 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,060 Should I ask why my prayers weren't answered? 531 00:24:39,460 --> 00:24:40,660 Why didn't God heal him? 532 00:24:40,660 --> 00:24:43,260 I prayed for that, like those were the words I said. 533 00:24:46,060 --> 00:24:47,860 Why didn't God hear my prayers? 534 00:24:47,860 --> 00:24:49,160 Why didn't he answer me? 535 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,860 Sure, my prayers for healing weren't answered. 536 00:24:52,860 --> 00:24:55,160 That's clear and obvious. 537 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,060 But if I was praying according to the Lord's Prayer, 538 00:24:58,060 --> 00:25:01,960 my ultimate prayer will always be answered. 539 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,560 Father, make your name be honored as holy. 540 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,560 But how can kids growing up without a dad 541 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,260 be a way for God to be honored? 542 00:25:12,660 --> 00:25:13,760 I don't know. 543 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,760 I don't have an answer for that right now. 544 00:25:16,660 --> 00:25:19,960 But I know that God is infinitely good and infinitely wise 545 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,160 and infinitely loving, and he should use 546 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,960 all of who he is to work all things to bring him honor. 547 00:25:27,460 --> 00:25:29,960 Maybe I'm expecting too much from God. 548 00:25:31,060 --> 00:25:34,460 But this is actually what Jesus prayed at the tomb of Lazarus. 549 00:25:36,260 --> 00:25:40,160 Lazarus died so God would get glory. 550 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,760 And Jesus prays for this directly in front of his tomb. 551 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,760 John 11, 36, if you wanna look it up. 552 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:49,660 Or how about in the garden? 553 00:25:49,660 --> 00:25:51,060 Jesus prays in the garden. 554 00:25:51,060 --> 00:25:53,160 He sees his death coming in the morning. 555 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,360 He's gonna be betrayed by a close friend. 556 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:57,660 What does he pray in John 17? 557 00:25:57,660 --> 00:25:59,860 Father, the hour has come. 558 00:25:59,860 --> 00:26:04,160 Glorify your son so that your son may glorify you. 559 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:08,760 Jesus had spent his whole life aiming towards this thing. 560 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:09,860 And what does he ask for? 561 00:26:09,860 --> 00:26:11,060 Does he ask for strength? 562 00:26:11,060 --> 00:26:12,360 Does he ask for faith? 563 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:15,160 Does he ask to keep going? 564 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,060 Please, God, no. 565 00:26:17,060 --> 00:26:21,960 His first request is that God would be glorified. 566 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,860 Jesus modeled the Lord's Prayer in all of his prayers. 567 00:26:24,860 --> 00:26:26,360 Go read them. 568 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:28,560 By first seeking God's name to be honored. 569 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,560 So if you want to enjoy praying more, 570 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,760 if you wanna feel like your prayers actually mean something, 571 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:36,960 which is really hard to do, 572 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,460 sometimes you just feel like you're hitting the ceiling, 573 00:26:39,460 --> 00:26:41,260 pray the Lord's Prayer. 574 00:26:41,260 --> 00:26:42,560 And request for the Lord 575 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,060 to make his name be honored as holy. 576 00:26:45,060 --> 00:26:46,860 If you pray for anything more, 577 00:26:46,860 --> 00:26:49,660 let it just fall under that one thing. 578 00:26:49,660 --> 00:26:51,060 Just, sure, keep praying. 579 00:26:51,060 --> 00:26:51,860 Jesus kept praying. 580 00:26:51,860 --> 00:26:53,760 Other people keep praying throughout the Bible. 581 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:55,760 But they always let it fall under, 582 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,760 let your name be honored as holy. 583 00:26:58,660 --> 00:27:01,060 I've changed how I've started my prayers now. 584 00:27:01,060 --> 00:27:04,960 This is my first request every time, make your name holy. 585 00:27:06,260 --> 00:27:08,260 And then I pray for whatever I need to. 586 00:27:09,860 --> 00:27:11,560 I gotta be honest. 587 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,560 It has given me so much freedom in prayer. 588 00:27:15,460 --> 00:27:16,560 And I'm not a praying person. 589 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,360 It is not something that comes out of me. 590 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:19,360 I'm not like Mira. 591 00:27:24,460 --> 00:27:27,660 Everything I pray for yields to that request. 592 00:27:27,660 --> 00:27:30,860 My sleep or lack thereof falls under his honor. 593 00:27:30,860 --> 00:27:33,560 My kids' obedience, church stuff, 594 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,060 sickness of my friends or family, 595 00:27:36,060 --> 00:27:37,860 relationship problems, 596 00:27:37,860 --> 00:27:42,560 all yield way to God being honored as holy. 597 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,260 So if I get what I requested, praise the Lord, he's holy. 598 00:27:46,260 --> 00:27:49,260 And if I don't get what I asked for, 599 00:27:49,260 --> 00:27:52,760 praise the Lord, he is making himself holy in my lack. 600 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:57,760 And if I pray and I don't know what's gonna happen 601 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:58,960 for months or for years, 602 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,260 which is a very common way to pray, 603 00:28:01,260 --> 00:28:04,260 I trust that he is working out the perfect plan 604 00:28:04,260 --> 00:28:06,160 to make his name holy. 605 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,760 There are many things I am still waiting to be here 606 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:09,600 to answer on. 607 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:13,960 But I wait eagerly to know how he will make 608 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,460 his name holy in it. 609 00:28:16,460 --> 00:28:18,360 And I urge you, try it. 610 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:19,260 Try this. 611 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:22,060 Whenever you're praying, just use the Lord's Prayer. 612 00:28:22,060 --> 00:28:22,900 Start with it. 613 00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:24,360 That's what we did this morning in our prayer time. 614 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:26,860 We just started with the Lord's Prayer. 615 00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:28,660 If you aren't sure how to even pray, 616 00:28:28,660 --> 00:28:30,860 just say the Lord's Prayer, just do that one. 617 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,460 Pray it in a group. 618 00:28:33,460 --> 00:28:35,060 Get some people together. 619 00:28:35,060 --> 00:28:36,860 Just say the Lord's Prayer together. 620 00:28:37,860 --> 00:28:39,560 Most people know some form of it. 621 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,160 They have got some experience with it. 622 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:42,560 Pray it to yourself in a quiet room 623 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:44,360 if that's what you need to do. 624 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,060 Be the person who prays like this over a meal. 625 00:28:47,060 --> 00:28:49,860 Heavenly Father, thank you for these tacos. 626 00:28:49,860 --> 00:28:51,260 Bless the hands that made them. 627 00:28:51,260 --> 00:28:53,660 Above all else, make your name be honored as holy. 628 00:28:53,660 --> 00:28:54,500 Amen. 629 00:28:55,860 --> 00:28:57,760 It's not magical. 630 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:58,660 You knew that. 631 00:28:59,860 --> 00:29:03,060 It doesn't get you a new job, a prettier spouse, 632 00:29:03,060 --> 00:29:04,860 more obedient kids, 633 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:09,260 but it will release your heart to pray with all fullness. 634 00:29:09,260 --> 00:29:12,660 That the Lord's name be honored, valued, 635 00:29:12,660 --> 00:29:15,260 esteemed as infinitely worthy. 636 00:29:17,060 --> 00:29:20,060 And through this prayer, your life will be changed 637 00:29:20,060 --> 00:29:22,460 to be like the generations and generations 638 00:29:22,460 --> 00:29:24,060 of Christians before us 639 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:29,660 who are now basking in the Lord and in His holiness, 640 00:29:29,660 --> 00:29:31,460 praising Him for His infinite worth, 641 00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:35,460 and seeing through their lives how they're suffering, 642 00:29:35,460 --> 00:29:38,060 how their accomplishments, how their wins, their losses, 643 00:29:38,060 --> 00:29:41,260 and everything else all fell under 644 00:29:41,260 --> 00:30:07,460 how God made His name holy in their lives.