Prayer (part 2)

Bethlehem Bible Church iconBethlehem Bible Church

1 view

0 comments

Bodies In The Wilderness: An Object Lesson For The Church (part 3) - [Hebrews 3:7ff]

00:01
He was beloved by all his students We affectionately called him prof
00:09
Most evangelical Christians might never have heard of him. He's in glory now how we
00:14
Hendricks Many people sat under his tutelage that you have heard of men like Chuck Swindoll and Steve Lawson And I remember as a young 22 year old
00:27
Who was eating up every word while at seminary a young theologian as I was I remember as if it was yesterday prof
00:35
Made this statement in a moment of honesty with his students. He said That my theology on the one hand is so strong But yet my practice of that theology on the other hand is not up to par to what
00:52
I know my theology on the one hand is strong, but Practicing that theology is not always up to par to what
01:02
I know And I think that is true as I thought about that statement over the years and even in preparation for this
01:08
Message part two of our message on prayer. I think that would be very true I would venture to say in the area of prayer
01:15
Not just for myself, but even for many of us here today So if you would turn with me to the book of Matthew the gospel of Matthew chapter 6 as we close out this message on prayer
01:26
Matthew chapter 6 verses 5 through 15 The greatest sermon ever preached the
01:33
Sermon on the Mount Matthew chapters 5 through 7 by the greatest preacher Truly the
01:39
Prince of preachers our Lord Jesus Christ These words are from the lips of our
01:45
Lord. So it would be important for us to listen to what he has to tell us this morning Prayer as we saw last week in this particular part of the
01:57
Sermon on the Mount is part of a greater section The section on prayer is from verses 5 as you see in your bulletin to verses 15
02:06
But it's within a greater section that begins in verse 1 and ends in verse 18 And this greater section is introduced by verse 1
02:17
Verse 1 says Jesus speaking beware of practicing your righteousness
02:23
Before other people in order to be seen by them For then you will have no reward from your father
02:32
Who is in heaven? The very first word itself is significant beware because in this
02:39
Sermon on the Mount chapters 5 through 7 Only one other time does Jesus use that word and that's in Matthew 7 15
02:46
Where he tells us to beware of false prophets Who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves
02:56
So it's significant that our Lord mentions this caution not only about false teachers but he says be cautious a strong warning about practicing your righteousness before other people
03:12
And This is a general statement that he makes in verse 1 and the specifics of practicing your righteousness before other people are in the areas of giving verses 2 to 4
03:23
Prayer, which is we're studying verses 5 through 15 and fasting verses 16 to 18
03:31
The outline is very simple from verses 5 to 15. There's two points to the outline
03:37
The first one is the prerequisites of prayer What are the prerequisites of prayer that Jesus lays down for us as a foundation to our prayer life and we know he's talking about prerequisites simply if you notice with me in verses 5 and 7 he begins in both those verses by saying and when you pray and When you pray these are the prerequisites when you pray, what's the first one he lays down?
04:04
The first prerequisite he lays down is humility Humility notice verse 5 the full verse and when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites
04:15
Why for they love to stand and pray where in the synagogues and at the street corners?
04:23
Why for what purpose that they may be seen? by others
04:31
Truly I say to you they have they receive their reward verse 6 but in contrast when you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret and Your father who sees in secret will reward you humility
04:52
Isn't humility required to come to faith in Christ to salvation Unless we humble ourselves and come to the end of ourselves in brokenness acknowledging that we are sinners in desperate need of the
05:05
Savior and How much less once God saves us one of the marvelous privileges that we have
05:13
Included with forgiveness of sins and the fellowship and communion of the Saints and eternal life is this privilege of prayer?
05:19
How else would we come to him to the throne of grace other than? with a humble heart
05:27
Humility it's interesting in our text in verse 5 That when
05:32
Christ uses the word they love to pray in the synagogues and at the street corners the
05:38
Greek word for street there in verse 5 is Different from the same word in our English text in verse 2 notice verse 2 thus when you give to the needy saw no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
05:55
Same English word two different Greek words What a great language Greek is isn't it?
06:01
But as pastor Steve would say I digress Verse 2 Christ is speaking.
06:07
The Greek word is a lane a small street surrounded on both sides by tall buildings
06:14
Can picture some European cities are like that. It's the image of a small street the word that's used there a
06:20
Lane literally surrounded by tall buildings whereas in verse 5 where they want to in arrogance display their
06:28
Hypocrisy and practice their righteousness and prayer the word street is a broad street in an open area
06:34
Where everybody can see there's nothing hiding that street and that's what he actually adds in verse 5
06:41
Jesus does and that the street what? corners a public display parading their piety
06:51
Humility is the first prerequisite for prayer Now this does not mean if you enjoy praying outside where you might be seen by others don't pray outside That's not the point.
07:03
It's the attitude of our hearts because prayer is more than just words It's how we come to the
07:09
Lord in humility The second prerequisite we looked at besides humility was number two
07:16
Avoiding meaningless repetition and that's in verse 7 Avoid meaningless repetition in your prayer life verse 7 and when you pray
07:23
Jesus said do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard for their many words and Verse 8 direct command do not be like them why for your father knows what you need
07:43
Before you ask him He knows what you need before you ask him don't use meaningless repetition.
07:49
This was a pagan practice That's why Jesus said as the Gentiles do the Gentiles who do not know
07:56
God first Thessalonians verse 4 It was a pagan practice like the prophets of Baal we looked at last week who would just repeat the same phrase over and over And again like a mantra some kind of magic prayer that because of that God would answer don't do that Christ says avoid meaningless repetition
08:14
Now that does not mean that in our prayer life. We become accustomed to using certain phraseology
08:21
That's not the point. Jesus is saying here. The point is not to use a prayer Mantra reading just through a prayer without thinking about it what it means but to pray from your heart
08:32
We said that the Jews used to do that at the beginning of the day back in Jesus's day and at the end of their
08:37
Day, they would pray the Shema. They would just repeat it Deuteronomy 6 Here are Israel the
08:42
Lord your God the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart soul Mind and strength they would just repeat it endlessly
08:51
Like some churches do today Humility and avoid meaningless repetition.
08:57
That's the first part of our outline and today we get into the new material The prerequisites of prayer number two part of the outline is the pattern of prayer and that begins in verse 9 the pattern of our prayer life
09:11
Jesus says in verse 9 pray then like this or the
09:17
New American Standard Which I know some of you have still and didn't switch over to the ESV, but that's okay
09:22
It says pray then in this manner Correct translation. It's not a prayer to just be repeated after all.
09:30
He just said don't use meaningless repetition It's a model for a prayer life Pray then in this manner or like this and we're going to break this down just by the phrases very simple in the prayer first one our
09:44
Father Now this was radical he's teaching this the
09:49
Sermon on the Mount the crowds are listening specifically the disciples Who as Jews they knew they could not pronounce the name of God the tetragrammaton the four -letter name of God the unpronounceable
10:02
Holy Name of God, which we have as Yahweh today and Now Jesus you're telling us to address him as our father
10:11
This is radical for the disciples to hear this when you pray pray like this our
10:18
Father Because after all we have not been given a spirit of slavery right Romans 8 15
10:24
But a spirit of adoption as sons whereby we cry out ABBA father
10:30
We address him as our father second phrase in heaven our father in heaven
10:40
That should make us think of three in particular attributes of God First of all his transcendence which is
10:49
Beautiful how Jesus puts it because our father Shows us the nearness of God that we have that intimacy with him, but now he is our father
10:58
But who is in heaven his transcendence the prophet Isaiah put it this way or God speaking through the prophet
11:04
Isaiah For my thoughts are not your thoughts Neither are your ways my ways declares the
11:10
Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
11:20
Isaiah 55 8 through 9 our father is in heaven because he is transcended
11:26
He's near us yet. He is still transcended the term heaven should also make you think of his sovereignty
11:33
His sovereignty the psalmist put it best Psalm 115 verse 3 our
11:38
God is in the heavens he does all That he pleases
11:45
God is sovereign and Thirdly the term heaven should make us think of his omniscience that he is all -knowing
11:54
Psalm 33 verses 13 to 15 the Lord looks down from heaven
12:00
He sees all the children of man from where he sits enthroned
12:05
He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all
12:12
Their deeds Nothing the writer of Hebrew said is hidden from his sight
12:19
He is our father. We have that adoption that intimacy we can call him as his as his children
12:24
Abba father He is in heaven. He is transcendent. He is sovereign and omniscient
12:31
So as we come to God in prayer we have to know who we are addressing our father in heaven
12:37
Our 3c scroll put it well quote we do not come rushing into God's presence arrogantly
12:43
Assaulting him with our petty requests forget in whom we are addressing. We are to make certain that have properly
12:52
Exalted the God of creation only after God has been rightly honored Adored and exalted do the subsequent petitions of God's people
13:02
Assume their proper place It's acts the kids in I want to know this in VBS ACTS a stands for what?
13:15
Adoration, that's how we begin The next phrase in the prayer that Jesus teaches verse 9 the second part
13:24
Hallowed be your name Hallowed be your name. It's a reflection of the holiness
13:30
God of the holiness of God It's not saying Jesus is not saying that we may
13:35
God holy He is intrinsically by nature. Holy. He's a thrice.
13:41
Holy God Isaiah 6. So what does it mean? Augustine put it very well,
13:47
I think in explaining what Jesus is intent is here He said quote this is prayed for not as if the name of God were not holy already
13:56
But that it may be held holy by man That God may so become known to them that they shall reckon nothing more holy in which they are afraid of offending
14:10
He is holy Therefore I want to hallow your name Hold it as holy in my life the next one verse 10 your kingdom
14:26
Come your kingdom come now before I offer you the three options that scholars and interpreters give here
14:38
I think many times I had done a Sunday school once a few years back about Being like a triage nurse where we distinguish those things that are of primary importance
14:47
Secondary importance and tertiary importance and it's not mine. I got that from dr Moller the things that are primary importance are those that have to relate to Soteriology our salvation is it not things that we do not compromise on Justification by faith
15:06
Substitutionary atonement The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ salvation by faith alone in Christ alone the deity of Christ the humanity of Christ secondary issues have to do with the doctrine of the church ecclesiology in Terms of the modes of baptism and the modes of church government the third category not as important has to do with eschatology the doctrine of end times
15:35
So somebody might believe the difference in end times. I'm not necessarily going to break fellowship with them
15:41
There's still my brother and sister in Christ, and they'll figure out the truth when they get to heaven But nonetheless we need to address this here because this is part of one of the possible
15:51
Interpretations the first the three options for what does it mean your kingdom come when Jesus teaches this? The first option and they're easy to remember there would begin with e is the ethical option that means
16:03
People say that you submit to Christ as the King remember Matthew presents Christ as what the
16:09
King you submit to Christ as the King in your heart, and I'm all for that I fought against it back in my seminary days when
16:18
Pastor MacArthur wrote his book the gospel according to Jesus and the whole Lordship salvation debate And they were fighting and bickering with Dallas seminary
16:27
It is important that when we come and submit to Christ for salvation. We don't just take a piece of the pie
16:32
He's not just our Savior But he is our King our Lord But is that what
16:37
Christ is referring to here? the problem with that Interpretation the ethical one where we just submit in our heart to Christ that the
16:44
Bible teaches We need to do that is what the angel said to Mary in Luke 1 He said and the
16:50
Lord God will give to him to Christ the throne of his father David And he will reign
16:58
Over your heart no over the house of Jacob Forever and of his kingdom there will be no end
17:07
That's one option the second option which I Think I love because I'm all for it, and we are all here about it in BBC is the evangelistic option
17:17
We love to do evangelism even for those of us who are afraid of it They say the scholars and interpreters when
17:23
Jesus says your kingdom come it means the expansion and growth of his kingdom by adding new souls
17:30
Through the preaching of the gospel. It's missionary work. It's evangelistic work
17:37
It's possible. The only problem is the Greek term that's used for come is the
17:42
Greek word At home it it's not the Greek word for growth Growing a kingdom which is the word of Sano that when
17:52
Jesus uses later on in Matthew to talk about the growth of the kingdom For example the parable of the mustard seed
17:59
Jesus said in Matthew 13 He put another parable before them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in This field it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown
18:13
Expansion Evangelistic it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree
18:19
That is not the word that's used here. It's a word a literal kingdom to come not for growth
18:25
Now I love evangelism. It's not that even as I'm studying this and I think of your kingdom come.
18:30
Oh, I think evangelistically Oh Lord, please. I don't want to think of the gospel preaching it to others. Of course not I was in Dallas for a conference recently for work and The man who picked me up from the airport
18:41
I had about a 20 minute to half an hour ride to our hotel So I'm thinking well, how can
18:47
I enter the gospel into this conversation? So he struck a conversation and I told him my background that I was
18:53
Greek and I asked him where he was from And he said Ethiopia That was my entry point.
18:59
I said you are not the first Ethiopian I met The first Ethiopian I have ever met is in the
19:06
Bible. I said, are you familiar with a Bible? I saw a bunch of religious paraphernalia in his car He said I am familiar with a
19:11
Bible in Acts 8 There was an Ethiopian who was reading from the Old Testament I told him and Philip came up to him and said do you understand what you're reading of course not unless somebody explains it and he gave him
19:21
The good news and as I was telling him the story I proceeded to give him the good news of the gospel So don't misunderstand.
19:28
We're not where you are for evangelism. But what is Jesus really getting at here? The third option I believe is what he's getting at.
19:34
It's the Eschatological option that this will happen in the consummation at the second coming
19:41
Let me give you just some verses some from Matthew and some from the other Gospels just to understand how
19:47
Jesus uses the term Kingdom Just listen carefully Matthew 16 28
19:52
Jesus said truly I say to you There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the
19:59
Son of Man coming in his kingdom Matthew 25 When the
20:04
Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him Then he will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another as a
20:18
Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will place the sheep on his right but the goats on the left
20:26
Then the king will say to those on his right come you who are blessed by my father
20:32
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Luke 17 verse 20 being asked by the
20:41
Pharisees when Timeline when the kingdom of God will come he answered the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed
20:52
Luke 19 as they heard these things he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near to Jerusalem and Because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately
21:05
Luke 22 verse 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until when until the kingdom of God comes and Last two from the gospel of John you're familiar with these
21:21
Jesus before Pilate and Pilate is interrogating him Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world
21:28
If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the
21:34
Jews but my kingdom is not from this world and In John 3 his interaction with Nicodemus.
21:42
We're very familiar with that Jesus answered him verse 3 of John 3 truly truly
21:48
I say to you unless one is born again He cannot see the kingdom of God Jesus is referring here in our prayer and the way he used the term kingdom throughout the
22:01
Gospels as recorded in Scripture as a visible physical kingdom Pastor MacArthur writes this concerning the
22:09
Greek term Vasilia, which is translated kingdom Vasilia does not refer primarily to a geographic territory
22:16
But to sovereignty and dominion Therefore when we pray thy kingdom come We are praying for God's rule through Christ's enthronement to come his glorious reign on earth to begin
22:27
Come translates the aorist active imperative of Edelman. What does that mean?
22:32
It means a sudden Instantaneous coming it is the coming millennial kingdom of which the
22:38
Lord is speaking Not an indirect effort to create a more godly society on earth through the progressive human oriented work of Christians The objection to that option is this
22:55
Well if God's kingdom gonna come why do I need to pray about it? I'll add answer that question with another question.
23:02
Do you pray for your unsafe family and friends? Why? If God has appointed them to eternal life
23:10
They'll believe anyway Because God has ordained not only in the end by them, but the means it's the same thing
23:18
I pray that God if this person that I spoke to or my family member or my friend on the on the bus from the airport on the on the on the plane
23:28
Open their eyes to the truth Give them a heart of flesh their heart of stone And if they are appointed for eternal life acts 1348, they will believe it's the same thing here
23:37
We pray for God's kingdom to come and it will Come next one your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
23:50
Your will be done the the reading of that in the English text gives the idea Okay, I want to submit to the will of God Your will be done on earth here in my life as it is already done in heaven with the angels
24:02
Do we want to submit to the will of God? But of course, we are to live in obedience to the
24:07
Lord. That's one of the true evidences of salvation first John 2 3 But the Greek text really reads like this.
24:14
You need to take the family mass who literally means may your will happen
24:20
Not just your will be done, but literally may your will happen. It's referring to God's predetermined plan
24:27
It's the idea when Peter was preaching on Pentecost and he said to the Jews He says you kill them with the hands of lawless men this
24:35
Jesus whom God had Predetermined that's the idea that Jesus is using here
24:40
May your will be done and it's consistent if your kingdom come is referring to his future kingdom
24:48
That'll happen Martin Lloyd -jones Quote here again He says we are looking forward to the coming of the kingdom because this petition your will be done
24:58
Will never be fulfilled and granted until the kingdom of God shall indeed be established here on earth amongst men
25:07
Then the will of God will be done on earth as it is done in heaven
25:12
There will be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as is in heaven
25:27
And now there's a little transition in verse 11 Going from hallowed be your name to your kingdom to your will to talking to bring in our requests and petitions before him
25:36
The next one is found in verse 11. Give us this day our daily bread this day
25:43
Daily we look to the Lord for provision daily Now there are two extremes to avoid
25:49
When it comes to praying this petition and to illustrate them I would have you just turn to two passages with me in the
25:54
Old Testament To the children of Israel turn to numbers chapter 11 if you will verses 18 through 20
26:02
This is the first extreme to avoid when it comes to praying this petition numbers 11 18 through 20
26:08
Little did the children of Israel know that they would be used for illustrative purposes But listen to what was going on and what they were saying
26:17
This is the one extreme to avoid when we pray give us this day our daily bread Looking to the
26:23
Lord for provision numbers 11 18 through 20 and say to the people
26:35
Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord Numbers is the wilderness wanderings, right?
26:42
You have wept in the hearing of the Lord Saying who will give us meat to eat for it was better for us in Egypt Can you imagine that I'll pause there for a second.
26:54
They're grumbling and complaining to God It was better for them when they were slaves in Egypt. They were wandering in the wilderness
27:01
Verse 18 continues. Therefore the Lord will give you meat you shall eat You shall not just see one day or two days or five days or ten days or twenty days
27:12
But a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you
27:18
Because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him saying why?
27:24
Did we come out of Egypt? they lost sight of God's deliverance and Even in their times when they didn't seem that God was providing he was
27:35
They were grumbling one extreme to avoid when you look to the Lord for provision. You might not think
27:40
I have what I Want or what I need God does provide the second illustration is found in Deuteronomy 8 turn to the next book
27:50
Deuteronomy 8 the other extreme of the spectrum We are people of the pendulum when we go from one extreme
27:57
We tend to go to the other extreme as we pray Give us this day our daily bread as we look to the
28:02
Lord to provide for our basic needs We want to avoid this first extreme of grumbling, but yet we want to avoid this other extreme
28:09
Deuteronomy 8 beginning in verse 11. What does he say to the children of Israel?
28:18
Take care Lest you what forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes
28:25
Which I command you today Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them and when your herds and flocks
28:32
Multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied Verse 14 then your heart be lifted up and you forget the
28:44
Lord your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness?
28:51
With its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water who brought you water out of the flinty rock
28:58
Who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know that he might what?
29:03
Humble you and test you to do you good in the end Beware lest you say in your heart my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth
29:16
You shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth
29:23
Take note of that it is he who gives you power To get wealth
29:29
Now the book of Proverbs has much to say about laziness and having diligent hands and we are of all people
29:35
Christians should be the best workers on their job bar none But as we look to God for provision
29:41
We have to avoid the one extreme of complaining in the other extreme of arrogance where we say it's the power of my own
29:49
That has gotten me this wealth Give us this day our daily bread
29:56
Verse 12 Now we get into some touchy ground Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debt our debtors
30:09
Some translations say our trespasses But debts by ESV is very good because forgiveness is exactly that is releasing somebody from a debt
30:18
Somebody might owe you money physical debt, but this is a spiritual debt that they owe you and forgiveness is saying
30:24
Yes, you owe me, but I'm going to release you from what you owe me It's a parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18 don't turn there you're familiar with the story you have the first master
30:36
Whose servant owes him? 10 ,000 talents now Jesus uses this parable to illustrate the big difference between what was owed between the two servants
30:46
One talent was equal to 20 years of wages one talent and he owed him 20 ,000 10 ,000 rather one talent 20 years of wages multiplied 20 years by 10 ,000
31:01
Give you a little more perspective what he owed him Those days the total of the revenue collected by the
31:06
Roman government every year was every year annually 900 talents in this slave owed his master 10 ,000 talents
31:16
And he pleaded with him he begged him Cancel my debt and The master was merciful.
31:24
Well that slave was a master to another slave Who that servant owed him only a hundred denarii three months of wages?
31:35
Didn't forgive him did not cancel his dead thus the parable of the unmerciful servant forgive us our debts as Our text says the term as a significant because it shows there's a connection between the vertical and the horizontal there is a direct connection between our vertical relationship with God and our
31:57
Horizontal relationship with people and notice what the text says Jesus's words as we also past tense have forgiven our debtors father forgive us our debts as we have already forgiven our debtors and the last petition is in verse 13 and Lead us not into temptation
32:22
But deliver us from evil The term evil typically in the
32:28
New Testament many times is in the neuter But not in this case. It's in the Masculine gender it's literally and some translations rightly put it deliver us from the evil one
32:39
And that's consistent with the top context is it not who is the tempter? Satan lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil on the one who is the tempter
32:50
And we know that temptation doesn't come from God James 1 13 through 15 Let no one say when he is tempted
32:57
I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one
33:04
It's pretty direct, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire
33:10
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death
33:20
We pray and look to God for provision and now after praying for pardon
33:26
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors now. We look to him for protection from the evil one from temptation
33:35
That's the end of the prayer, but not the end of the section verse 14
33:43
For Connective term very important term. What part of the prayer does
33:51
Jesus connect read follow along with me for if you forgive? Others their trespasses
33:58
Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses
34:10
It should strike you that after Jesus gives the model prayer the only
34:17
Commentary the only exposition as it were that Jesus gives of the prayer is only on this part of it unforgiveness
34:26
That's why I said it's a touchy subject and Jesus knows it Why why does he not expose and expose it in common about the other parts of the prayer?
34:36
I'll tell you why because We compartmentalize in the
34:41
Jews of his day did it all the time We compartmentalize our horizontal our vertical relationship with God from our horizontal relationships
34:51
We do it all the time and they did it as well That's why earlier in the Sermon on the Mount you don't have to turn there you can it's just a chapter over Matthew 5 23 to 24
35:01
We see it very clearly there So if you are offering your gift at the altar that was their worship at that time
35:06
Worship towards God if you're offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you
35:14
It's interesting Christ doesn't say there and there remember that if you have something against your brother
35:20
Now in the Greek community, they say you know what if my brother has something against him let him come to me
35:27
That's not what Jesus says if you remember not that you have something against your brother, but that your brother has something against you
35:35
Leave your gift there before the altar and go first Initiative priority be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.
35:48
Okay. I got one for you husbands I'm one so it hits me at home, too Just mark the reference first Peter 3 7 this is
35:55
I'm giving you reasons why Jesus exposes only this part of the prayer and makes commentary on that and or none other because of the
36:02
Compartmentalization we do between the vertical and the horizontal First Peter 3 7 Peter says who was listening to this on the
36:09
Sermon on the Mount Likewise husbands live with your wives in an understanding way
36:14
Showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel since they are heirs with you of the grace of life
36:20
So that your prayers may not be hindered
36:26
Men, if you're not living with your wife in an understanding way stop praying You can tell pastor
36:33
Mike I told you to Because they're hindered you can't disconnect the vertical from the horizontal and that's why
36:41
Jesus comments about it in this prayer Now the question is is he talking about judicial forgiveness or is he talking about parental forgiveness?
36:49
Well, my two favorites one who is in glory Martin Lloyd -jones and one who's still ministering. Dr. MacArthur Look at it from two different sides
36:58
Lloyd -jones says this is judicial meaning this has to do with your justification. He says this quote
37:05
It means that the proof that you and I are forgiven is That we forgive others
37:11
If we think that our sins are forgiven by God and we refuse to forgive somebody else
37:16
We are making a mistake. We have never been forgiven says
37:22
Lloyd -jones Reminds me of my friend my good friend Petro Peter in New York years ago when we lived in New York He went to visit his mother and he came back from his trip and I asked him
37:34
Petra. How was your trip? How was your visit with mom? He had a sad look on his face. I said what happened?
37:40
He said all my mom could talk about in her elderly age is all the people who've wronged her and She names the name of Christ I'm concerned if she's genuinely saved
37:52
MacArthur on the other hand says this is not talking about judicial forgiveness, but parental forgiveness That this is not your sins forgiven once and for all past present and future
38:04
MacArthur says this is like 1st John 1 9 that would the daily confession if we confess our sins he is faithful and just it's the
38:10
Illustration of the washing of the disciples feet. Remember what happened there Jesus bends down The humble servant washes the disciples feet and Peter says what no.
38:19
No, you're not gonna wash my feet Jesus says him if I don't wash you, you know, you have no problem with me
38:26
Oh in that case wash my hands in my and in my head And Jesus responds to Peter in John 13 10 the one who has bathed does not need to wash
38:36
Except for his feet feet, but it's completely clean. We have full forgiveness
38:42
But this is more parental forgiveness And I think this is what's happening here. I'll give you the right answers what
38:49
I'm telling you Well, I'll tell you why I think this is because the prayer begins with how who are we addressing our father our father
38:59
I Think he's talking about parental forgiveness That we have full forgiveness Now it's also a matter to the attitude of the heart
39:09
That's how Jesus began when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites humility Now there could be on one hand.
39:14
Somebody says like this. I'm a Christian. I know it Two different stances. I'm a
39:20
Christian and I know it but you know what that person did to me I will never ever forgive them for what they did ever
39:26
But I claim forgiveness of God. He's forgiven me on the other hand
39:32
There's this person over here who says, you know what you did to me what they did to me. It was really
39:39
Offensive and hurtful. I'm having a hard time forgiving them But I want to honor the
39:44
Lord because I know how much he's forgiven me I know that I hold him 10 ,000 talents and he canceled my debt and I'm gonna hold a 300
39:54
Denarii against you. That's the true heart of forgiveness By the way, two things that will cause you to end up a bitter grumpy old man
40:04
Number one is if your life doesn't turn out the way you had expected and number two lack of forgiveness
40:11
Bitterness will ruin you That was my uncle. I did his funeral a few years ago He went to his grave a bitter old man
40:22
Let me give you two quotes from my two favorites Martin Lloyd -Jones on this issue since Jesus comments about it
40:27
The only thing from the prayer Martin Lloyd -Jones and MacArthur Lloyd -Jones says quote I say to the glory of God and in utter humility that whenever I see myself before God and realize even
40:38
Something of what my blessed Lord has done for me. I'm ready to forgive anybody
40:47
Anything and for MacArthur usually my Routine Saturday night as I come home from work around 930 and if I'm preaching
40:55
I'll go over my notes One last time and if I'm not preaching but nonetheless, I always do this. I sit down and watch pastor
41:01
MacArthur I want to watch a sermon to get me prepared for Sunday morning and last night I just happened to click on one about forgiveness and usually
41:07
I just watch it for mountain refreshment And he said something in there. I had to write it in my notes
41:12
It was so powerful so strong that I said I needed to hear this. We need to hear it and here it is
41:19
Quote the injuries against you the offenses against you Listen to this are the trials that perfect you
41:30
If you respond with vengeance MacArthur says you are literally Interrupting the best word
41:36
God can do in your life. You need to be offended Your pride needs it your self -will needs it your independence needs it all the difficulties that you have in life all the
41:48
Offenses that come against you you need to learn to embrace those offenses All the criticisms all the injustices all the persecutions all the mistreatments all the misunderstandings all the
42:03
Misrepresentations all of those which you look to which to you look to be wounds and severe attacks are in fact
42:10
The very trials that perfect you that is why
42:18
That's the only part of the prayer Jesus exposits Let me give you some practical takeaways as we close
42:28
Very simply when you pray begin with praise and worship some of you are already doing that if you do I commend you keep doing
42:34
Even more as Paul says to the Thessalonian Church What I do is I do it three ways. I use scripture
42:39
I go to some major portions of scripture like Isaiah 40 or Psalm 145 that highlight the character of God and I pray through those
42:46
Scriptures and just worship and praise God another thing. I do if you've never done is great is open your hymn book and Pray through the verses like this at one of the hymns we sang today and a third thing
42:59
I've done one of my mentors Gave it to me as a young Christian a list of the attributes of God and each day pick one from your list and Praise and worship
43:07
God for that in your prayer life So when you begin with prayer begin with worship number two pray through the scriptures a lot of times in our
43:17
Devotional time our quiet time whatever you would like to call it We read the Bible whatever we're reading through we close the
43:23
Bible and then we pray and what we pray has nothing to do with what? We just read So what's good to do is if you're reading let's say
43:30
Matthew 6 1 through 18 Pause every couple verses and pray to God what you just read then continue the next few verses
43:37
It'll really be a refreshing time Number three for those of you who have parents who are parents of young children as I am family worship
43:47
Don't just read the Bible with your kids Pray with the kids and don't you be the one doing all the praying have the kids pray and teach them when we address
43:56
God It's not dear Jesus, but it's Heavenly Father Explain to them that we come to the
44:03
Father in the name of Christ on behalf of what he's done and on his merit and fourthly as Jesus Exposited and commented on this one and only request from the prayer resolve any unresolved conflict and reconcile any unreconciled relationship
44:22
Because otherwise your prayers are Hindered the prayer begins with our
44:30
Father Do you know God as your father this morning as you sit here?
44:36
Are you able? To address God as your father. The only ones who are able to do that.
44:41
The Bible says are those who are children of God Who by faith have received the
44:47
Lord Jesus Christ. He gave them the power to become children of God You need to come and understand that you are a sinner and your offense no matter what others have done to offend you
44:59
Your offense is much greater against the thrice. Holy God and Jesus Christ came here to earth to pay the penalty on your behalf
45:07
Would you come to him alone? Let's pray father. Thank you for your word
45:13
Thank you for the master teacher Jesus Christ and thank you for the Spirit of God The Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth we pray these things in Christ's name.