WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 Today, I'm going to read a very familiar portion 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.620 of the Word of God to you. And immediately when 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:08.919 I say it's from the sixth chapter of Matthew, 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:14.880 you know that this chapter contains the Lord's 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.480 Prayer. And the Lord's Prayer is the most important 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:24.620 of all the Christian documents. It was very carefully 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:30.170 constructed by Jesus himself. with certain very 00:00:30.170 --> 00:00:40.869 clear ends in view. It's a most important document. 00:00:41.789 --> 00:00:46.329 But we do not dare take it out of context. And 00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:49.649 that is the reason why I shall begin reading 00:00:49.649 --> 00:00:54.070 with the very first verse of this sixth chapter 00:00:54.070 --> 00:01:00.649 of Matthew. Take heed that ye do not your alms 00:01:00.649 --> 00:01:05.049 before men to be seen of them. Otherwise ye have 00:01:05.049 --> 00:01:07.670 no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 00:01:08.930 --> 00:01:15.689 Now here is a very clear -cut statement. Stop 00:01:15.689 --> 00:01:23.030 just a minute. Analyze this. Take heed. heed 00:01:23.030 --> 00:01:28.730 that ye do not your arms before men, to be seen 00:01:28.730 --> 00:01:34.890 of them. Otherwise ye have no reward of your 00:01:34.890 --> 00:01:40.590 Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou 00:01:40.590 --> 00:01:44.790 doest thine arms, do not sound a trumpet before 00:01:44.790 --> 00:01:48.269 thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues 00:01:48.269 --> 00:01:52.159 and in the streets, that they may have glory 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:58.620 of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:05.579 reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:10.139 left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that 00:02:10.139 --> 00:02:14.120 thine alms may be in secret, and thy father, 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:17.960 which seeth in secret himself, shall reward thee 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:26.129 openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not 00:02:26.129 --> 00:02:30.770 be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:34.449 standing in the synagogues and in the corners 00:02:34.449 --> 00:02:38.629 of the streets that they may be seen of men. 00:02:39.909 --> 00:02:45.490 Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 00:02:47.050 --> 00:02:52.560 But thou, when thou prayest, Enter into thy closet, 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:56.620 and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy 00:02:56.620 --> 00:03:01.520 Father which is in secret. And thy Father which 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:08.280 seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:15.860 when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as a heathen 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:20.919 do. Don't pray the same thing over and over. 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:26.550 over, it isn't a matter of saying prayers. Use 00:03:26.550 --> 00:03:33.189 not vain repetitions as the heathens do, for 00:03:33.189 --> 00:03:36.409 they think that they shall be heard for their 00:03:36.409 --> 00:03:41.289 much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto 00:03:41.289 --> 00:03:45.909 them, for your father knoweth what things ye 00:03:45.909 --> 00:03:52.909 have need of before ye ask him. Now comes that 00:03:52.909 --> 00:03:59.969 important part of this entire chapter. It's not 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:03.069 really the Lord's Prayer. It's the prayer that 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:08.990 He taught you and He taught me to pray. And it's 00:04:08.990 --> 00:04:14.610 most important, again I say, this prayer is the 00:04:14.610 --> 00:04:17.730 most important of all the Christian documents. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:27.800 It was carefully constructed by Jesus. After 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:33.540 this manner, therefore, pray ye. And here it 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:40.339 is. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:44.680 be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:49.540 in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 00:04:49.540 --> 00:04:52.480 our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:56.019 forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation 00:04:56.019 --> 00:05:02.040 but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:12.040 and the power and the glory forever. Amen. But 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:16.589 it doesn't stop there. For... If ye forgive men 00:05:16.589 --> 00:05:22.329 their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also 00:05:22.329 --> 00:05:27.629 forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their 00:05:27.629 --> 00:05:31.870 trespasses, neither will your Father forgive 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:40.449 your trespasses. You know, of all his teachings, 00:05:40.870 --> 00:05:48.370 this prayer, is by far the best known, the most 00:05:48.370 --> 00:05:52.250 often quoted. There are literally thousands and 00:05:52.250 --> 00:05:58.250 thousands who quote it every Sunday. It's indeed 00:05:58.250 --> 00:06:03.009 the most common denominator of all the Christian 00:06:03.009 --> 00:06:06.930 churches. Every one of them, without exception, 00:06:07.329 --> 00:06:10.930 uses the Lord's Prayer. It's perhaps the only 00:06:10.930 --> 00:06:17.290 ground upon which they all meet. Every Christian 00:06:17.290 --> 00:06:23.350 child is taught the Lord's Prayer. If your youngster 00:06:23.350 --> 00:06:27.750 goes to Sunday school, that youngster is always 00:06:27.750 --> 00:06:31.970 taught the Lord's Prayer. Any man, any woman 00:06:31.970 --> 00:06:35.089 who knows absolutely nothing about the Word of 00:06:35.089 --> 00:06:38.290 God, whenever you speak of the Lord's Prayer, 00:06:38.509 --> 00:06:42.319 perhaps he does not quote it correctly. or perhaps 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:47.360 only a sentence or two, but he can quote even 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:52.519 those few words. And any Christian who prays 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:58.040 at all says it almost every day. Its actual use 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:04.959 probably exceeds all other prayers put together. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.939 Undoubtedly, everyone who is seeking to follow 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:14.170 along The way that Jesus lived should make a 00:07:14.170 --> 00:07:18.930 point of using the Lord's Prayer, using it intelligently. 00:07:20.430 --> 00:07:29.689 I repeat, using it intelligently every day. Now, 00:07:29.709 --> 00:07:35.470 in order to do this, we should understand that 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:41.870 the prayer is carefully constructed. As a whole 00:07:41.870 --> 00:07:46.649 and constructed by Jesus himself. You know, many 00:07:46.649 --> 00:07:50.810 people just rattle through it like a train just 00:07:50.810 --> 00:07:55.310 going through a small railroad station. It's 00:07:55.310 --> 00:07:57.649 just a matter of words to them, something that 00:07:57.649 --> 00:08:01.329 they've memorized. Forgetful of the warning that 00:08:01.329 --> 00:08:07.209 Jesus gave us against vain repetitions. And of 00:08:07.209 --> 00:08:10.930 course... No one derives any profit from that 00:08:10.930 --> 00:08:14.610 sort of thing. It isn't just saying the Lord's 00:08:14.610 --> 00:08:17.910 Prayer. It isn't just repeating the Lord's Prayer. 00:08:19.889 --> 00:08:23.649 If every Sunday morning you just repeat the Lord's 00:08:23.649 --> 00:08:27.930 Prayer with your mind a thousand miles away, 00:08:28.029 --> 00:08:32.809 probably on last week's business or planning 00:08:32.809 --> 00:08:36.070 the business for the new week or thinking about 00:08:36.070 --> 00:08:43.960 the one standing next to you. No. Even the Lord's 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:53.659 prayer can be a vain repetition. This great prayer, 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.899 the most important of all the Christian documents, 00:08:59.100 --> 00:09:05.379 is a compact formula for the development of the 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:10.820 soul. It's designed with the utmost care. for 00:09:10.820 --> 00:09:16.120 that purpose, so that those who use it regularly 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:23.240 with understanding, and I come again, with understanding, 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:33.080 will experience a real change of soul. I mean 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:40.299 exactly that. You cannot. have a real spiritual 00:09:40.299 --> 00:09:45.419 understanding of this, the prayer that Jesus 00:09:45.419 --> 00:09:49.879 taught you and taught me to pray, and pray it 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:53.799 every day without having something happen to 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:59.299 you. It's just like that. The only progress is 00:09:59.299 --> 00:10:05.200 this change, which the Bible refers to as the 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.610 born -again experience. this wonderful experience 00:10:09.610 --> 00:10:16.730 of regeneration. You cannot have a clear, thorough 00:10:16.730 --> 00:10:23.250 knowledge of this prayer and pray it constantly 00:10:23.250 --> 00:10:26.690 without having this marvelous experience happen 00:10:26.690 --> 00:10:30.350 to you, this experience of regeneration. It's 00:10:30.350 --> 00:10:34.090 like that. After all, it's the change of the 00:10:34.090 --> 00:10:41.240 soul that matters. just a mere acquisition of 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:47.559 fresh knowledge received intellectually. That 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:52.379 will never change a soul. That will never give 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:54.759 you this wonderful experience of regeneration. 00:10:56.940 --> 00:11:01.919 The Lord's Prayer is especially designed to bring 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:08.220 this change about and when it is Used regularly, 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:14.320 it does that very thing. Now, the more one analyzes 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:18.279 the Lord's Prayer, the more wonderful is its 00:11:18.279 --> 00:11:22.600 construction to be seen to the individual. It 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:28.879 meets everyone's need just at his own level. 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:34.460 if that only provides a rapid spiritual development 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:36.600 for those who are sufficiently advanced to be 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:41.700 ready. But in its superficial meaning, it supplies 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:47.019 the more simple -minded and even the more materially 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:52.779 -minded people with just what they need at the 00:11:52.779 --> 00:11:58.700 moment if they pray this prayer sincerely. It 00:11:58.700 --> 00:12:05.019 all depends... on how you pray it. It all depends 00:12:05.019 --> 00:12:08.399 on the spiritual revelation that you have received. 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:18.940 It all depends on your own sincerity. And it's 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:23.259 just like that. When we get into this prayer, 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.340 you'll understand what even the first two words 00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:37.269 mean. Our Father. You cannot even pray those 00:12:37.269 --> 00:12:40.610 two words without having something happen to 00:12:40.610 --> 00:12:47.070 you inside. If you are absolutely sincere when 00:12:47.070 --> 00:12:50.789 you pray those two words and you have the spiritual 00:12:50.789 --> 00:13:01.879 meaning of those two words. Now, This greatest 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.240 of all prayers was designed with still another 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:11.179 purpose in view, quite as different as either 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:17.059 of the others. Jesus foresaw that, as the centuries 00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:23.279 went by, his simple, primitive teaching would 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:30.710 gradually become over. laid by all sorts of external 00:13:30.710 --> 00:13:34.070 things which really have nothing whatsoever to 00:13:34.070 --> 00:13:40.389 do with it. He foresaw that men who had never 00:13:40.389 --> 00:13:45.750 known him, relying, white sincerely no doubt, 00:13:46.009 --> 00:13:52.789 upon their own limited intellects, would build 00:13:52.789 --> 00:13:59.720 up theologies. and doctrinal systems, obscuring 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:04.000 the direct simplicity of the spiritual message, 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:09.740 and actually erecting a wall between God and 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:13.159 man. It's the easiest thing in the world for 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:17.779 even doctrine to build up a wall between the 00:14:17.779 --> 00:14:22.100 Heavenly Father and man. It's the easiest thing 00:14:22.100 --> 00:14:30.110 in the world. Theology can separate man from 00:14:30.110 --> 00:14:34.190 God because many of these things are just intellectual. 00:14:36.110 --> 00:14:40.090 But it's the simplicity of the spiritual message. 00:14:41.230 --> 00:14:45.190 Oh, the simplicity of the relationship between 00:14:45.190 --> 00:14:48.370 man and God. The simplicity between the individual 00:14:48.370 --> 00:14:56.419 and his heavenly Father. And God designed this 00:14:56.419 --> 00:15:01.919 prayer in such a way that it would pass safely 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:05.940 through those ages without being tampered with. 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:12.159 He arranged it with such skill so that it could 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:16.320 not be twisted or distorted or adapted to any 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:22.519 man -made systems. So that in fact it would carry 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:26.960 the whole whole Christ message within it and 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.379 yet not have anything on the surface to attract 00:15:29.379 --> 00:15:34.480 the attention of the restless type of man or 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:39.840 woman. And so it turned out through all the changes 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:47.139 of Christian history, through all the changes 00:15:47.139 --> 00:15:53.639 of man's thinking through intellect, through 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:58.659 all the generations since the time that Jesus 00:15:58.659 --> 00:16:04.379 himself gave it. This prayer has come through 00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:14.000 to us uncorrupted and unspoiled. As simple as 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:21.899 when Jesus gave it to us through his own lips. 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:37.100 As powerful as God himself. As powerful as all 00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:43.419 of the promises of the word combined. Read it 00:16:43.419 --> 00:16:48.740 again. The sixth chapter of Matthew.