1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,280 shows off his strength. In our text today though, we will see something. 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:11,680 God is majestic, absolutely, but he's merciful and he has compassion on his 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,400 children. Look at verse 11. We think about this and 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,280 just gloss over it. Give us this day our daily bread. Notice 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,560 first of all before, notice he says give us our bread. He 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:27,680 doesn't say sell us bread. Isn't that awesome? We come to our 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:35,520 father as children asking for a gift knowing that he is generous and gracious. 8 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,960 We're not asking God to loan us bread. We're not asking to sell us bread. 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,520 God would you give it to us? Why? Because he's a great giver 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:48,000 of all things. James 1.17 says every good and perfect gift 11 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,560 cometh from above and comes down from the father of lights. 12 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,120 Jesus, every good thing in your life friend. It's a gift from him. 13 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,320 Now I will tell you studying for this, I did not know this next word was so 14 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,320 controversial. We see the word daily, our daily bread. 15 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:08,080 It's a really interesting word. It's a hard word to translate 16 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,000 because there is a word for daily. It's common and it's used often in the New 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,520 Testament, but it's not the word being translated here. 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,480 So there is some debate on how this word should be translated and what it 19 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,480 actually means. This word daily only occurs in the 20 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,760 Lord's Prayer and the Lord's Prayer only occurs in Matthew and Luke 21 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:30,720 two times. Once in Matthew, once in Luke. So the word appears nowhere else in the 22 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,440 New Testament, but it also does not appear anywhere 23 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:38,160 else in ancient Greek literature. So it appears to be a word that was coined 24 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:43,840 by the apostles and it is the word epiousias. 25 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:50,400 It comes from two words, epi, above, super if this is a good word, hyper it 26 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,480 might be another word, usia and usia means being 27 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,040 or substance or essence. So if this were the way it should be 28 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,440 translated and some will say this, this and then stay with me here, it would 29 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:09,120 be translated like super substantial, super substantial bread. Bread that is 30 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,440 super in essence. And others say no no no it's actually 31 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,840 related to the word epiousia found in Acts 16 11 where it's 32 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,280 that word epiousia is translated the following day. 33 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,640 Okay so there's that's an adjective modified. 34 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:28,800 So in this way we could say bread for the following day. 35 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,200 All right now which would it mean? Is it is it super substantial bread or bread 36 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,440 for the following day? Well Christ tells us to pray if it's 37 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,240 if it's bread for the following day that means Christ is telling his 38 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,920 followers to take care and pray for the needs of tomorrow taking 39 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:46,720 our life one day at a time. And by the way I think this fits the 40 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,680 context very well because later on in Matthew 6 he's going to say take no 41 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,760 thought for the tomorrow don't worry about what you're going to 42 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,520 eat or drink or what you're going to put on. 43 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,680 So I think that's the context. But let's take for example it would 44 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,600 mean super substantial bread. And then if that's the case people 45 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,480 say well that's an obvious reference to the Lord's Supper. 46 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,520 But the Lord's Supper had not been instituted yet. But let's take for 47 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:12,880 argument it is. One author said this, it is the bread for the nourishment of our 48 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,120 immortal soul. This living super substantial bread is 49 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,680 Christ himself. In the Lord's Prayer then we're not asking merely for material 50 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,880 bread which is for physical health but for the 51 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:29,920 spiritual bread of eternal life. Another said no it's a request for God's 52 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:34,400 daily provision for physical needs. Deborah Anstra writes the Matthew 53 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,640 context is a sermon on the mount. It emphasizes trusting in God for 54 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,560 today's provision not worrying not striving or scrambling for 55 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,560 selfish gain. Jesus teaching here also resonates with 56 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,760 the Israelites memory of manna. The bread in the wilderness which 57 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,160 Israelites could not store ahead or hoard. 58 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,680 They had to depend on God to supply it each day. 59 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,080 So you're saying well what do you think it means? Is it super substantial bread 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:05,680 or is it bread for tomorrow? And I'm going to suggest to you it's both. 61 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,000 We pray for our physical nourishment. But friends we pray for our spiritual 62 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,480 nourishment as well. We come to God our father each day 63 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,600 asking him to supply both our physical needs and 64 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:22,080 our spiritual needs. So in this part of the prayer in this confession 65 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,520 we are confessing our dependence on God for everything. 66 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,640 Physically, spiritually we confess that we are weak 67 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,960 and we are needy and we are poor. You and I do not have what it takes 68 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,920 but we're also confessing that God is good and God is the giver. 69 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:43,200 Now this is not a petition for riches. It's not a petition for abundance 70 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,360 but enough for what we need each day. Enough Lord as if we're praying this at 71 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,560 the end of the day enough for the following day is all masking. 72 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,840 It's what the proverb the author proverb said in Proverbs 30. 73 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:58,560 Don't give me poverty nor riches. Friends we could preach a while in our 74 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:03,120 culture to this. Feed me with the food allotted to me. 75 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:09,520 Why? Lest I be full and deny you which is what a lot of rich people do 76 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,920 and say who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and still and profane the name 77 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:19,200 of my God. We petition God for daily sustenance 78 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,400 but that's just what the old covenant people did. That's what Israel did in the 79 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,520 desert right? They're wandering about in the desert. 80 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,280 There's not a lot of food there. They need to be kept alive and God is the one 81 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:34,480 who supplied their daily needs through manna. Daily manna. Every day it 82 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,800 appeared. As we go to the time of our Lord most 83 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,680 laborers were paid daily. So if they did not work for that day they could not buy 84 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,720 their food. They could not buy the bread sufficient for that day. They did not eat. 85 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,280 That's just how life was. So it made sense for anyone listening to the Lord that day 86 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:58,400 praying for daily or the next day's meal. But the lesson shouldn't be lost on us. 87 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,960 Likewise you and I we come to God and we ask him that we might have everything we 88 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,960 need for life. Lord in your mercy give us all the 89 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:13,920 necessary provisions. And it's a reminder every single day 90 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,480 that we need God. God we have to have you. So when he's talking about bread here 91 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,960 he's not just talking about yeast and dough. It's a metaphor 92 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,800 for the substance of life. That which is necessary for life. That's what he's 93 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,160 referring to here. And again what is what is Jesus doing? 94 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,920 He's revealing to his disciples that we are dependent upon God even for the 95 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:37,280 basic necessities of life. Everything. But I also see in this an 96 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:41,120 act of faith. Because we believe not only that God can 97 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:46,080 meet our needs because he's all powerful but that he's willing to do so. 98 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,000 Because he's our father. He is to be revered. He's to be held in the highest 99 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,640 esteem. But he's concerned about me. That's 100 00:06:54,640 --> 00:07:00,240 fantastic. Martinoid Jones he said is not this one 101 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,040 of the most wonderful things in the whole of scripture. 102 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,720 That the God who is the creator and sustainer of the universe. 103 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,320 The God who is forming his eternal kingdom and who will usher it in at the 104 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,320 end. The God to whom the nations are about as a small dust of the balance. 105 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,240 That such a God should be prepared to consider your little needs 106 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:24,080 and mine even down to the most minutest details in this matter of daily bread. 107 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,520 But that is the teaching of the Lord everywhere. 108 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:32,800 If only we could grasp this fact that the almighty Lord of the universe 109 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,120 is interested in every part and portion of us. 110 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:44,720 You know what this does? It dispels fear. It dispels anxiety. It dispels worry. 111 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,760 Because he's the creator and sustainer in the universe and he 112 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:54,320 cares for me. When we get that friends it changes us. But our Lord wasn't just 113 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,080 teaching about material needs. He goes on he says 114 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,600 in verse 12 forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. If you're used to 115 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,800 the King James as I am forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 116 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,960 those who trespass against us. If you look over in Luke 11 you don't 117 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,920 need to do that right now. The word the Greek word there he says 118 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,240 forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 119 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,680 So you have trespasses you have debts and you have sins. So what's this all 120 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,280 about? Well there's five words in the New Testament 121 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,400 that are all used to describe sins. We'll go through these real quickly. 122 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,840 You have the word debts that's used here in Matthew 6. Ophioloma. 123 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:32,000 Ophiola means it's a moral fault. It's something you owe someone something 124 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,200 that's due them. Okay then you have the word just 125 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,320 translated sin. Hamartia. In fact in theology 126 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,640 hamartiology is a study of sin. So hamartia this is the most common 127 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,840 word that's used in the New Testament and most of you know what this means. 128 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,680 It means to miss the mark. Well how's that? So you're missing the standard of 129 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:53,440 God's righteousness. God has a bullseye here and we never hit 130 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:57,280 the bullseye. We always fall short. We miss the mark. But then you have the 131 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,360 word trespass. Paroptoma. That's the sin of slipping or 132 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,960 falling. But listen it's due to more to our 133 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,800 carelessness. It's usually not an actual deliberate 134 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:15,200 action. Okay you you carelessly sin. Then we have the word transgression. 135 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:20,400 Parabasis. This now is a deliberate stepping across the line. This is what my 136 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:24,800 children do. They're transgressors. Okay because you're like do not do this. 137 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,560 Okay you eat your food at the table. You don't eat it in the living room. 138 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:31,920 Do you understand? Yes daddy. And where do you find them eating? In the living 139 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:33,920 room. They are not trespassing. They're 140 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:38,240 transgressing. It's not foolishness. They deliberately stepped across the line 141 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,160 and you and I have done this. God says don't and you did. And the 142 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,240 last one is lawless. It's anomia. And then literally it means without 143 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,080 law to God. This is open rebellion against God and his authority. 144 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,680 They're like what's the point pastor? Five words and they all mean the same 145 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:55,760 thing. They're giving us a full robust picture. 146 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,600 They said don't focus on debts versus trespasses versus transgressions. 147 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,680 Matthew the Greek word is ophioloma and it does refer to debt 148 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:07,840 but it's a spiritual debt to God that must be paid. 149 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,880 Now you might be saying but how are we indebted to God? 150 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,800 My soul. In every way possible. He has commanded us 151 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,920 be holy even as I am holy. How are you doing there? 152 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,800 He has commanded us be perfect even as your father in heaven is perfect. 153 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,960 How are you doing there? He has commanded us you must live up to my glory in 154 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,920 Roman streets as we all fall short of the glory of God. 155 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,720 How are you doing? We are so indebted to God there could be never 156 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:41,200 any hope for any of us unless God was a forgiving and gracious God. 157 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,880 We are indebted to him. Everything. So in this prayer 158 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,880 you and I are reminded of our fallenness. You and I are still sinners 159 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:53,280 despite having been redeemed. We are the sons of God but we still find ourselves 160 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,120 transgressing and transpassing and sinning. 161 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:01,440 We are not yet what we should be. Therefore we need daily 162 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:06,960 forgiveness. You need daily bread. You need daily forgiveness. Our hope is in 163 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,840 the grace of God. See the message the central message of 164 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:14,400 Christianity is that God forgives. The Christian is a forgiven 165 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,680 person. We are declared in the courtroom of 166 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:20,800 heaven righteous because of what Christ has done and 167 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:25,840 his righteousness has been imputed to us. Praise God for that. So now we have a 168 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:30,960 proper standing before God but we still need his forgiveness because 169 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:36,160 we still fall into sin after being saved. This daily 170 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:40,640 forgiveness does not come from God as our judge. 171 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:45,120 It comes from God as our father. See we're still walking through the sin 172 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,280 curse world and we're still being defiled by it. 173 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,440 You don't need to be saved again but you do need to have your relationship 174 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:57,280 restored. How? Confessing our sin and receiving the 175 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:02,400 forgiveness of Almighty God. In John 13 there's an interesting passage 176 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,200 here that you probably never thought about when Jesus goes to wash the 177 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:10,080 disciples feet. Do you remember Peter says no Lord you're not washing my feet. 178 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,040 Let's pick it up from chapter six because it or verse six because it really 179 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,080 instructs us on this passage here in Matthew six. 180 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,240 Peter said to him Lord are you washing my feet? 181 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,400 Jesus answered and said to him what I am doing you do not understand now but you 182 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,800 will know after this. It really is an object lesson about 183 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,200 cleansing that the Lord will do at the cross. 184 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,840 Verse eight Peter said to him you will never wash my feet. 185 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,760 Jesus said okay Peter if I don't wash you 186 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,960 you're not mine. You have no part with me. Simon Peter then said okay 187 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,560 well if that's the case don't just wash my feet, wash my hands, wash my head. Hey 188 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:52,880 let's give me a bath over here. Verse 10 Jesus said he who is bathed 189 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:57,200 needs only to wash his feet but it's complete needs only to wash his feet 190 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,920 but it's completely clean. Now you're like what's going on here? 191 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:06,080 In the ancient near east in Israel the person who was bathed they took about 192 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,840 they were clean head to toe right but they would put on their sandals and 193 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,880 walk the dusty roads of Palestine. Now when they got to their destination 194 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,760 they didn't need to take another full bath they were clean 195 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,440 but what did they need to do? Wash their feet. 196 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,800 What's the point? In salvation you and I have been 197 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:31,440 bathed, cleansed by God through the blood of Christ. We have been washed, cleansed 198 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:37,440 by Christ. You're clean but our feet still get dirty 199 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,280 spiritually speaking. You don't need another bath friends. You don't need 200 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:45,600 another baptism. You're clean in Christ. You don't need 201 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:50,560 to be saved again but you need to clean your feet. What do 202 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:53,760 you mean? Well you're still sinning daily. 203 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,640 That's what daily confession does metaphorically. 204 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:02,400 It's cleansing our feet. Every day we go to God and ask him for pardon. Lord 205 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,640 forgive us our debts because we've not done 206 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,160 what we should have done today for you and we're falling short of your glory. 207 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:12,400 Now I don't need to be made whole again. I'm clean in Christ 208 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,160 but my feet are dirty. So we ask him to forgive us and God 209 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:21,760 is gracious to forgive us and the scripture tells us we're sin abounded, 210 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:27,360 grace super abounded, much more abounded. I love the psalmist when in psalm 103 he 211 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:33,200 said the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. 212 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:37,280 You're plenteous in sin and he's plenteous in mercy. 213 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:43,360 Who God forgives he no longer holds their sin against them. 214 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,280 It's not brought back up to us and then now 215 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,880 we who have received that we do the same to others. 216 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,640 Look at verse 12. Look at the latter part. Forgive us our debts 217 00:14:54,640 --> 00:15:00,880 as we forgive our debtors. Now this is a big problem here. If you 218 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,400 and I were forgiven in proportion to the way that we forgive others 219 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:10,080 I suggest you would be in deep trouble. We would be left hopeless. 220 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,280 Yet this is something this Christian aspires to and we'll talk about it at the 221 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:18,240 end for just a moment. We aspire to reflect the mercy and 222 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,760 kindness and forgiveness that God has shown to us. 223 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,600 The man who's received God's forgiveness for his enormous 224 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,840 debt of sin will want to forgive others their paltry 225 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:36,240 debt against him. That's Matthew 18. You are the 10,000 226 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,240 talent debtor. I preached on that one that was snowy a few weeks ago. 227 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,800 Forgiving others friends is a hallmark of the born-again person. 228 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:51,520 Ephesians 432, be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, how? 229 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,280 Just as God in Christ forgave you. 230 00:15:55,280 --> 00:16:00,640 It's deep. J.C. Ryle says the plain object of it is to remind us that we must not 231 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:04,080 expect our prayers for forgiveness to be heard if we 232 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,880 pray with malice and spite in our hearts towards others. 233 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,040 To pray in such a frame of mind is mere formality and it's hypocrisy. 234 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,800 And by the way what's the Lord railing against in Matthew 6? Hypocrisy, 235 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,000 particularly in prayers. You cannot be right friends 236 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,480 with God and withhold forgiveness from anyone else. You cannot do it. 237 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,640 The Puritan Thomas Merton said, there is none so tender to others 238 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:30,880 as they which have received mercy themselves. And that's a true statement. 239 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,080 For they know how gently God has dealt with them. 240 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,920 What Thomas Merton's saying, friends if you understand what God did in forgiving 241 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,080 you it softens you because you're like I'm 242 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:46,320 amazed that God has forgiven me. I can forgive others. I certainly can. 243 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,680 If God can forgive me of my enormous debt that I could never 244 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:54,560 up to pay, I can forgive others. Do you see what the Lord's doing in 245 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,400 this prayer with his disciples? Getting out of hypocrisy. And the final 246 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:03,440 petition, look at verse 13, reveals our weakness. Do not lead us into 247 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,560 temptation but deliver us from the evil one. 248 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,000 Here we're acknowledging that we're still prone to sin. 249 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,440 If we weren't, why are we praying don't lead us into temptation? 250 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,120 God's going, we're praying that God will watch over us. God direct our steps. 251 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:22,720 God lead us away from danger. We're praying that God would keep us 252 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:26,240 from running headlong into that which would injure our soul. 253 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,160 Do you believe that you are capable of making shipwreck of your life? 254 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,920 You ought to believe that. See I'd be praying God don't let me go that way. 255 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,440 There's a way that seems right into a man and the end thereof are the ways of 256 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,240 death. So this posture is the opposite of 257 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,120 arrogance. Because the arrogant man believes he 258 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:47,920 would never fall into gross sin. He thinks no way would I ever fall 259 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,080 into that. And the humble man says yet for the grace of God 260 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:58,240 I would make a complete ruin of my life. I believe that. I have friends who are 261 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,720 smarter, who are wiser, who I thought were godlier, 262 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:06,080 who are in prison. Who are now out of the ministry. 263 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,960 We must pray desperately folks. God you must keep me or else I fail. 264 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,360 God you must hold me fast. Lead me away from the temptation that would cause me 265 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:19,920 harm. God don't let me go into there. Again 266 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:24,800 J.C. Rahel, I just like him. He says we confess that so long as we're 267 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:30,960 in the body we are constantly seeing, hearing, and feeling the presence of evil. 268 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,800 It's about us, it's within us, it's around us on every side. 269 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,560 And so we entreat him who alone can preserve us 270 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,560 and to be continually delivering us from its power. 271 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:47,760 Again this is a prayer of dependency folks. We recognize that we are inadequate. 272 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,800 Therefore we must rely on his strength to keep us from evil and the evil one. 273 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,440 See we live in a sin-cursed world, we know that. Man sin is rampant, we see that. 274 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,440 Evil is around us, temptation is around us, but the most dangerous thing is the 275 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,640 sin that is within you. You have a flesh, it's a traitor living 276 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:11,120 within you. And on your own you will not resist the 277 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:17,520 temptation or lure of the devil. You will not. So we lift up our hands 278 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,280 and we flee to God, protect me Lord, deliver me. 279 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,480 This is what Jesus said, hey guys pray that. Remember in the garden when his 280 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,320 disciples he says watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Why? The 281 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:33,520 flesh is weak. The spirit's willing. He's talking to 282 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,920 those who are walking with him daily and he says your flesh is weak. 283 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:43,200 Watch and pray so you don't be led in temptation. 284 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,960 J.R. Miller, he's summarizing this, he said we put our hand into God's in the 285 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,720 morning and we ask him to lead us through the day. 286 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:55,280 We know not what experiences may come to us and we ask him not to bring us into 287 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,120 sore testings. The prayer is a request that in the doing 288 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,800 of God's will for the day we may not be brought into places where it 289 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:07,680 will be hard for us to be faithful. Order my steps today. 290 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,760 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way. 291 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,160 This is the prayer. Now it comes to a close and we come full circle. 292 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:22,160 For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 293 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,160 It starts with God, it ends with God. He alone 294 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:32,720 possesses the kingdom. He alone has the power and he alone is worthy 295 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:38,560 to receive glory. That's it. He, that's it. So Jesus is starting 296 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,880 there saying he's worthy of being revered and hallowed 297 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,840 and at the end you better understand it's his kingdom, it's his power, and it's his 298 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,320 glory and then if it's yours. You're reminded of his transcendence 299 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,200 once again. Now if you ever written a letter and 300 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,560 forgot to say something, often you'll put a PS in there, you'll 301 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,080 put a postscript right? Two-minute drill. Let's look at the last 302 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,600 two verses here. Verse 14 says this is a PS to the prayer if you will. 303 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,360 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive 304 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:07,040 you. But if you don't forgive men their 305 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,520 trespasses, neither will your father forgive your 306 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:15,120 trespasses. Okay so here Jesus had a little PS to the prayer. 307 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:19,200 Verse 12 forgives our debts as we forgive our debtors. 308 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,480 This is an elucidation, it's an elaboration on that verse. 309 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:27,440 He's been speaking to his followers in the presence of hypocrites. 310 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,720 Scribes and Pharisees are there listening to him and they are very much 311 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,680 hypocritical in their giving and they're praying and even in their 312 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,800 fasting. All right it's all to be seen by men. 313 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:42,080 And so there is hypocrisy in prayer. This is how you play the hypocrite. When 314 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,600 you go to the Lord asking him to forgive you of your debts, 315 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,480 your wrongs, your sins, and you refuse to forgive others who have 316 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:53,360 wronged you. You can't do it. 317 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:56,800 MacArthur says to receive pardon from the perfectly holy God 318 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,400 and to refuse to pardon others when we are sinful men is the epitome 319 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,520 and abuse of mercy. 320 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:08,240 See the nature friends, you've been born again. The nature of the redeemed 321 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:12,160 is to forgive because that's the nature of God. 322 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,960 And you've been born again into him. He's simply asking you to do 323 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,920 for others what he has already done for you 324 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:28,560 in Christ. Do you see it? Do you see how what a great sin it is to not forgive? 325 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,760 Alexander McLaren, I read this last night so I put it in there. Here's my PS to the 326 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:35,680 sermon. In a very real sense our forgiving is 327 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,120 the condition of our being forgiven. Now listen what he says, I thought this 328 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,000 is brilliant. You and I are accustomed to hear that 329 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,400 faith and repentance are conditions of receiving divine forgiveness. 330 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,360 Right faith and repentance but they're gifts of God. 331 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:53,360 But that very same disposition which when directed toward God produces faith 332 00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:57,040 and repentance, when that same disposition is directed 333 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:03,040 toward men, it produces a forgiving temper. This is the manifest evidence of 334 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,680 God's grace. God's grace reveals itself in your 335 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,480 faith and your repentance. God's grace reveals itself in your 336 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,960 forgiving others. A deep sense of my own unworthiness and 337 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:18,560 of having no ground of right to stand on will surely lead me to be lenient and 338 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:22,400 placable to others. We can't cut our lives into halves and 339 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,960 be inwardly filled with contrition and yet outwardly assert our own rights. 340 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:32,800 Now we cannot plead with God to do for us 341 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:37,920 what we refuse to do for others. That's hypocrisy. 342 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,120 This is the Lord's Prayer. It's a lot deeper isn't it than what we thought. 343 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,440 When you look at it, it is absolutely perfect. It is profound in the deepest way 344 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,640 and it's the prayer that our Lord taught his disciples. Now this doesn't mean that 345 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,960 you merely say the words every time but what you see the context it 346 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,640 begins with adoration. It leads you to confession. It leads you 347 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,160 to admission of weakness. It leads you to forgiveness and it brings 348 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:06,240 you back to worship. That's what prayer does. 349 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,400 Now friends we're going to pray and prepare to come to the table of the Lord. 350 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:16,480 Let me just say this church. Rejoice you have been forgiven completely in 351 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:21,600 Christ. Be thankful the broken body of our 352 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,160 Lord and the shed blood of our Lord has cleansed us 353 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:29,680 from all our guilt. You're saying for whom? 354 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,960 1st Corinthians 11 Jesus said this is my body 355 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:39,680 which is broken for you. Who's the for you there? 356 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:45,040 For sinners. For you as the ones who were children of wrath 357 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:49,600 and who have been made children of God by his sovereign grace. 358 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,000 Thank you friends. Worship your God. Pray to him. 359 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,280 Get on your face if you will and let us remember 360 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,680 the Lord and what he has done for this is the grace of God that has been given 361 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:07,760 to you fully and completely in Christ. Let's pray. 362 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,360 Lord we thank you for today. Lord I thank you for your word and 363 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:16,720 God would you deliver us forgive us. Lord of our hypocrisy. 364 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,160 Where the danger is that we can be hypocritical and not even know it. We 365 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,560 can deceive our own selves. Father help us to live in the body with 366 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,680 people around us who shine light on our own darkness. 367 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,880 Would you through your spirit show us ways that Lord 368 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,480 we have either hard hearts or bitter hearts or unforgiving hearts. 369 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,760 Or forgive us show us ways that we're itching for the commendation of man or 370 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,920 we're doing acts or to be seen by others. 371 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,200 Lord not only would you forgive us. Lord would you reveal that to us and Lord let 372 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:50,560 us repent. Father I thank you.