Your Kingdom Come

Well this morning as we once again return to Matthew's Gospel We return back to the section that we began last week in the Lord's Prayer. And we want to recall that last week we began with the address Regarding our Father who is in heaven and then we talked about that first petition Praying Hallowood be your name.

And in that we saw that Christ begins His teaching us how to pray With God the very first thing that we even start with is God with who God is. With the way in which we even have access to enter in to the presence of God.

And with this desire That his name would be glorified his name would be honored his name would be exalted his name would be treated as Holy before Christ begins any other piece he brings us to this place of Understanding and Recognition That the glory of the Father Must take first place in Our lives.

The Kingdom Petition and God's Reign

And as we move this morning from the first petition into the second petition We will see that he continues this focus on God. Now I will go ahead and tell you that although the second petition Contains only three words These words have tremendous weight.

In fact, they carry with them one of the great themes that runs throughout all of Scripture. They carry with them the Theme that Matthew's gospel has brought us through so far and will continue through Regarding the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.

And so our task this morning will consider how this particular petition relates to the petition of hallowing the name of God and And How and what we are asking for when we pray regarding this kingdom What it means in the life of us as a believer and Exactly whose kingdom are we discussing.

So as we work through these words you will see that This is not Just a line in a prayer that is concerned with something that is far and in the distant future. That there is an implication In our life today for how we worship how we live how how we understand our obedience before the king to whose kingdom we come.

But as we begin this we Want to once again keep it grounded within the larger context and so as we have done in the previous weeks we will read Matthew's gospel the sixth chapter beginning in the fifth verse and following down through the 15th verse and so if you have not already done, so please turn in your copy of God's Word to Matthew's gospel the sixth chapter and Having found your place I would invite you to please stand with me in reverence for the reading of God's holy inerrant infallible authoritative sufficient and complete and certain word.

Beginning in Matthew's gospel the sixth chapter in the fifth verse and following we find these words. And when you pray You are not to be like the hypocrites. Well, they love to stand and pray in synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.

Truly I say to you they have their reward in full. But when you pray Go into your inner room and when you have shut your door pray to your father who is in secret and Your father who is in secret who sees what is done in secret Will reward you.

And when you are praying do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them for your father knows what you need before you ask him.

Pray then in this way. Our father who is in heaven Hallowed be your name your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.

Do not liver do not lead us into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the power and the glory in the kingdom forever and ever. I'm in. For if you forgive others for their transgressions Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, then your father will not forgive your transgressions. Most gracious Heavenly Father as we come now under the teaching of your word. We pray that your spirit guides our hearts and minds Into greater understanding.

That as we see your word that this desire Should be in our hearts that that your kingdom would come. Father as we see this truth, we pray that it would deepen our faith our worship And our obedience. We thank you for the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That gift by which we are brought into this kingdom into this family. Father we acknowledge before you that he is our portion. He is our fullness. He is our righteousness. For it's in his name that we pray these things.

I'm in maybe seated as we begin the passage and and although the answer may seem obvious Because the words are plain We are forced to deal with an immediate question when we pray your kingdom come. And so we need to establish the truth of the kingdom that is presented here.

Now because it immediately follows our father which aren't in heaven or who is in heaven grammatically we understand that the the kingdom that we are Addressing is the kingdom of God that it is his kingdom.

However without the full context of scripture we can drift into a misunderstanding of exactly what that kingdom is. In fact, we can ultimately end up seeing this as a different kingdom. Some can even begin to see it as their own Kingdom.

The scripture does not allow us to separate This kingdom The kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven from the kingdom of Christ. We need to understand that these are the same. That the kingdom for which we pray is God's kingdom and that the father has appointed the son to reign in that kingdom as King.

Now that may sound like just a play on words, but it is an important distinction because as we Pray as we receive this teaching that Christ gives us The first thing we see happen is that he removes us from the center of it.

Now we may be tempted to go well He did that in the first but he continues to do that and that's important because we are very apt To drift towards making ourselves the center. We're not asking for our kingdom to come.

We're not asking for our rule to begin. This is God's kingdom. It is not a request that God would answer advance our plans or our ambitions or our Desires or institute the things that we thought or or the causes that we think are the most important at the moment you know, we have a Tendency to apply whatever we're focused on at the moment to being the most important thing.

And so we we pray this we're like, okay. Well God when we pray your kingdom come what we're really asking is that you accomplish these tasks because it's necessary. For you accomplish these tasks for your kingdom when reality what we're at what we want is for you to accomplish them for our benefit and These aren't necessarily bad things that we're talking about.

But we need to understand that when we pray this prayer. We are asking for the advance of his Kingdom. The petition here Before God to Have his kingdom come is Dependent on a true understanding of what that kingdom is.

You see the Jews in the first century would have absolutely agreed That they wanted God's kingdom to come. But they saw it as a physical Immediate kingdom whereby Christ would enter as King. Remove them from the oppression of Rome remove them from the oppression that they were facing within the Jewish leadership and physically rule over them here on earth.

It's easy to misunderstand exactly what this kingdom is. But as we study scripture We see that that God's purposes God's authority God's glory governs this request. When we study scripture we see that this kiss kingdom Consists of those things and that his authority his purpose his glory will clearly be displayed.

One of the mistakes that gets made sometimes as we have this opinion that Matthew Introduces this kingdom of heaven as being something new something different something that's being ushered in by Christ that has not Previously existed which is not what Christ teaches he teaches that the kingdom is at hand.

But it is a kingdom that has been displayed for us throughout scripture. Second first Chronicles 29 verse 11 David praise yours. Oh Yahweh. It's the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty indeed Everything that is in the heavens and the earth yours is the kingdom.

Oh Yahweh and You exalt yourself as head over all. So the first thing that we kind of have to deal with as people in modern society is That the existence and the reality of God's kingdom is Not dependent on our Acknowledgement of it.

He does not need our approval. He does not need our permission. God's Kingdom exists because he is God. Psalms 103 19 declares Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all.

We see in Daniel a beautiful picture when Nebuchadnezzar is finally brought to the end of his lunacy and Clarity finally reigns in this mind and he states these words. But at the end of those days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes toward heaven and My knowledge returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him who lives forever.

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from Generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing but he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the Inhabitants of the earth and no one can strike against his hand or say to him.

What have you done? At that time my knowledge returned to me and my majesty and splendor will return to me. For the glory of my kingdom and my high officials and my nobles began seeking me out. So I reestablished my kingdom and extraordinary greatness was added to me because He acknowledged his place before the Most High.

Because he acknowledged the truth of the kingdom. Was that the Most High rules and His kingdom is the one that has dominion forever and ever. So we need to understand that there is any a sense in which the kingdom of God existed Prior to Matthew's gospel prior to Christ being born.

But what we need to understand is that this kingdom actually exists in Some way in some sense in the fullest form possible. God is absolutely sovereign over everything. That doesn't change that hasn't shifted from beginning our beginning to eternity.

He is sovereign over all that there is no corner. There is no as it were and Sproul used to say maverick molecule that exists outside of the authority and reign of Almighty God and so his his kingdom is in one sense as Complete as possible.

There is no other Kingdom that competes. Satan is not an equal power. For whatever reason we've elevated him to this level in society and in churches and that's not the case. There is no equal. God is eternal.

God is sovereign over all. God has everything. And so the question that obviously comes to mind. When we recognize that this truth exists is well, if that's the case, then why do we pray? Thy kingdom come.

The Father's Kingdom and Christ's Kingship

Well, first of all, we see that there is this universal sovereignty of God that we've already been speaking of. But then there is a particular request that is being made here what we see is that this is a a Way that scripture speaks of God's kingdom.

It is a way that the kingdom is approached. And and how his reign exists in and through you and I this becomes important when we recognize that God's sovereign reign hasn't ceased. His throne has no need to be established.

His providential government does not need beginning. Which means that this petition must mean more. We don't stop because we go. Oh, well God's always had a kingdom. We understand that because there is a different interaction in and through us.

Regarding the kingdom that this is why we come. We also see in Scripture it speaking of his kingdom in terms of his gracious rule. Through his word and through the Spirit we see the willing submission of those who belong to him.

We look at the Psalm. Psalm chapter 2 verse 6 records the father saying but as for me I have installed my king Upon Zion my holy mountain. And then if you move down to verse 8, he says ask of me saying this to the king and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession.

Again, the kingdom belongs to the father. The father has appointed the son to reign. Daniel demonstrates this. Long before it became a reality. We see a picture in the end or in Daniel chapter 7 that speaks of Christ's ascension of Christ's enthronement.

We read these words. Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 and 14. I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming. And he came up to the ancient of days and came near before him and to him was given dominion glory and a kingdom.

That all the people's nations and men of every tongue might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting Dominion which will not be taken away and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. The kingdom is Everlasting the kingdom is Forever.

The kingdom cannot be destroyed. We come into the New Testament. We have in Luke chapter 1 this beautiful pronouncement from Gabriel regarding the birth of Christ. And he says to us in Luke 1 32 33 He will be great and would be called the son of the Most High and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and there will be no end of his kingdom.

So when we have this proper understanding of Scripture we have this prevention of ever thinking that the Father's kingdom and Christ's kingdom are somehow separate and distinct. In truth as we study Christ's earthly ministry it becomes very apparent how Greatly he was concerned with the truth of this kingdom.

His ministry began with the proclamation repent. For the kingdom of God is near for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We established earlier in our series working through Matthew That We the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same that the one whose King had come and Because he had come because the kingdom was being revealed by him in a new and decisive way.

This is what we see as Christ begins his ministry. This gives us a another point of clarification. It gives us the point that this is not some abstract thing. We are praying about this is a Tangible reality.

This is the reign of God through Christ Jesus. Paul writing in Colossians 1 verse 13 Writes who rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the son of his love. See again how scripture Naturally speaks in terms of the kingdom.

Regarding the father and the son together in the same sense. The father rescues the father transfers his people Into the kingdom of his beloved son the kingdom that has been granted to him to reign. Thomas Manton is helpful.

He explains that God's universal kingdom provides the foundation for our confidence. While the kingdom particularly intended in this petition when we pray your kingdom come. Is the gracious kingdom that is administered through Christ.

The rain that comes externally through the gospel the rain that comes internally as sinners are brought into submission under Christ. And that word submission is an important word you see just as God doesn't need our authority to have a kingdom Christ does not need our authority to be a king.

Where there is a kingdom there is a king and and where there is a king by necessity a king possesses authority. You know a lot of times we are willing to speak very readily of Jesus the Savior. Churches around the globe will profess quickly Jesus the Savior but as we begin talking about Christ as King Things begin to get uncomfortable.

Because you see a king has authority a Savior just comes along and does something for you a king expects from you. Scripture does not allow us to divide Christ's offices in such a way as to eliminate this Savior and King and Just leave it as Savior.

We have to deal with all of us all of it. We have to understand that that Christ who saves is Christ who reigns. The gospel announces the reign of a king and it is a king who? Who saves and those whom the king saves find themselves gladly Submitting under his Authority.

He is not king by virtue of our acceptance. He is not king by virtue of our acknowledgement. Our obedience is Irrelevant to the truth that in to that truth in the sense that it does nothing to establish the kingdom.

Those are the sisters you can be obedient all day long that doesn't make Christ King. Christ was already King. He calls us to be obedient again obedience is what faith Produces in our lives, but those who belong to the kingdom increasingly recognize The rightful rule of Christ in our lives we increasingly Submit ourselves to him because we increasingly come becomes become aware of this authority and This is the foundation for this petition.

Christ teaches us to pray your kingdom come he he is teaching us to desire the advance of the reign of the Son. That reign that belongs to God that is a minister through Christ. Kingdom belongs to God the King is Christ and We live under his authority.

That reality naturally connects that first petition. How would be your name with this second position petition? Because we we understand based on the first petition that the great end is God's glory and this second petition begins to show us the primary means one of the primary means by which that glory is Manifested, but this raises another question for us.

The Kingdom Already Present and Still Coming

It raises the question of what exactly are we asking for? When we pray your kingdom come Jesus said to us repent the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Meaning it was imminent. It was here. So if it's here, what are we praying for?

What what are we asking for as? We study scripture. We see that it is clearly presented as both a present reality and a future reality. That it already exists, but it has not yet come into fulfillment.

The King has come. With the King coming the kingdom is manifested. Jesus says in Matthew 1228 but I cast out demons by the Spirit of God if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

The kingdom has arrived the evidence. The kingdom has broken through into this present age. Because of Christ. Yet Christ still teaches us to pray your kingdom come this in it is in and of itself should tell us that there is a Future reality to this that there is that there is a truth that the kingdom has come.

But that there is a sense in which it is still coming and as you study the New Testament You see that this tension runs throughout it that the kingdom has arrived that Christ now reigns. But that not all has been brought into final Submission.

Some will say well, how do you get that quite simple really? Sin exists still death remains an enemy. The opposition Continues its assault and people still reject the king. We see scripture display for us that in the final consummation.

That this will no longer be the case. This understanding helps to get give us a picture of the breadth of the petition when we say your kingdom come. It's not just a simple minor thing. We are praying for the advancement of the gospel.

We are praying that Christ gathers his people into his kingdom through the Advancement not that our prayer is necessary for that work to a cat happen you understand. But we still pray for it. We still seek it.

The Gospel Advances and the Spirit Transforms

The king sends his disciples to make disciples. Matthew 28 18 through 20 Jesus came up spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore make disciples of all the nations.

Teaching them baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them all that I have commanded you. Behold I am with you always even to the end of the age. This is the command that has been given so we pray That my kingdom come your kingdom come we're we're asking for the gospel to be advanced but that the advancement of the kingdom is Inseparably connected with the proclamation of the gospel.

Why. Because God has chosen to use the means of us failed miserable Unworthy individuals as Those who would proclaim his truth. This is his means. Christ advances the kingdom through the word that is proclaimed with the Spirit Bringing sinners to repentance and faith.

We just talked in Sunday school this morning answering the 34th question of the Baptist catechism regarding exactly How this happens, how does the Holy Spirit Bring us into this relationship. Manton describes this aspect of the petition as our asking that the God's gospel be published that the church be Established and preserved and that people be drawn into communion with God through the power of his spirit.

Pink does the same and he includes the outward spread of God's grace to the preaching of the gospel and the strengthening of the church. But also says that our petition does not stop with this outward visible spread of the gospel.

Because the kingdom also needs to come within. This is not an outward thing. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 3 That unless you be born again You cannot see this kingdom of God. He says in verse 5 unless one is born of water and spirit.

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Entrance into the kingdom requires more than just hearing about the king. It requires the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit within the person. The father doesn't just tell us to how that there is a better kingdom available.

Remember Colossians 1 13 earlier. He rescues us from the kingdom from the authority of darkness and transfers us Into the kingdom of the son of his love. There is something real that happens in a believer by grace.

You and I are transformed the kingdom is received the rule of Christ begins and it is manifested in our lives. Paul describes the kingdom in Romans 14. Verse 17 when he says the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Now obviously that's not an exhaustive definition of the kingdom of God, but but it demonstrates this character that is produced in Those who are citizens of that kingdom. This is the internal working of the Spirit.

Increasingly shaping our lives to more and more and more reflect Christ. This is why commentators Speak of Christ establishing his throne in the heart and of the kingdom. Continuing to increase through holiness and obedience and sincere submission to him.

The petition is not Lord bring other people into your kingdom because I'm already hearing I'm good. The petition is your kingdom come there is a personal dimension. We are asking Not just for the gospel to be spread outwardly But for the gospel to be spread inwardly.

Brothers and sisters if you ain't preaching to just the gospel to yourself every single day you need to start. Because we need a reminder every single day. If you don't believe me go to Walmart. Y 'all know I Walmart just hmm.

My personal little devil resides at Walmart. Right. I mean he's there time I get there. He jumps on my shoulder. It's like man, these people won't get out of my way trying to hurry. I'm a buyer not a shopper.

My wife will tell you real quick, I don't go in there to look around. I target. You hunters know exactly what I mean. I Ain't looking. I'm getting. Okay, and so We have this change that we are asking to occur in our life.

We are asking that the gracious rule of Christ be increasingly evident in us that we and others but but we see areas of submission in our own life. Places where we need to bow before the throne of Almighty God sin that we need to put to death.

Error in our ways error in our thoughts error in our desires and. What happens is as we pray this prayer that your kingdom come our desires are reordered. Our priorities are changed all things that we are are progressively brought under the authority of Christ.

The Kingdom's Final Consummation

But even that. Even the proclamation and the spread of the gospel outwardly and the spread of the gospel inwardly. Doesn't exhaust this petition because the other thing that's occurring is that we are looking forward to a day When a kingdom that is presently known to us by faith will be seen by sight.

Paul wrote 1st Corinthians chapter 15. Then comes the end. When it when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father. When he has abolished all rule and all authority and power for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

He must reign. Christ is reigning, but that reign continues to move forward because there is a divinely appointed in Toward which we are moving. And at that divinely appointed in every enemy will be subdued in full.

Hopefully you've read Revelation, right? You're like, oh man, that's too scary. I don't like horror stories read Revelation. Read the beauty that we see there Revelation 11 15 then the seventh angel sounded and There were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he Will reign forever and ever.

So when we pray thy kingdom come. Not only are we praying for the gospel to go outward not only we were praying for the gospel to come inward. But we are praying looking forward to that day where every rival kingdom is brought down.

Satan is finally and utterly defeated sin is removed death is no more and the redeemed dwell unhindered and in the presence of Almighty God that day where We will be with him and he will be with us and he will wipe away every tear.

We understand all of these things. It helps to read to prevent us from reducing this Petition to just this idea that we will someday see heaven. Or just this idea that we just want better stuff now. Unfortunately, it does get reduced that way and so we've already seen that despite this being only a three-word petition It has enormous impact.

Enormous impact because if you and I are genuinely praying This prayer if if the things which we have talked about or what we are genuinely asking God for then our lives must be transformed. And we must ask the question What does that petition require of us who already?

Profess Christ is King your kingdom come the kingdom. We've already established. The kingdom is here. How do we live as citizens of the kingdom? Well, you may recall that a while back we went through the Beatitudes and we talked about how those were characteristics of the kingdom, but again there is a truth here.

Because the truth is that we can't simply See this as a doctrine that we affirm a future that we await. Because it reaches Into our hearts we Crisis led up to this dealing with our heart continuously as we work through the part of the Sermon on the Mount that we've worked through.

He continues to move us forward. We get to Matthew 6 33 which will deal with him a three or four months because it'll take that long to get there. I'm just picking but when we get to Matthew 6 33 we see Christ teach but seek first His kingdom and his righteousness about the practical weight of that petition.

He's not teaching us something that that we are we are acknowledging. He's not teaching us about something that it just exists regardless. He is teaching that the kingdom becomes the governing Priority in your life and in mine.

Above and beyond all other things and we see that as it really becomes that governing priority that Things are changing. Things are different, but you'll notice that the truth is that Christ brings the truth of the kingdom and the required righteousness Together.

Kingdom Obedience and Righteousness in Christ

You see this is one of the beauties of truly studying scripture folks. It's not just picking a section out and going. Well, this is great by itself. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can win Super Bowls. Whatever when we really begin to understand what God is doing Christ has been working us through this already. This has been a thread that we have been following. You remember verse 20 chapter 5.

For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees You will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You recall that after he makes that statement to us then he talks to us about the inward conformity of our heart and then he brings us to verse 48 of chapter 5 and Just when we think man, we're doing good because yeah, we look this is how we look most of the time.

We're great. He lays for us this foundation of the true standard and he says to us therefore be perfect. Just as your heavenly father is Perfect. Then immediately he moves into a warning regarding our outward acts of righteousness being done for performance.

Immediately he moves us into giving and praying. Immediately he begins showing us how things that are and could be righteous acts are corrupted by wrong motives motives that Aren't truly kingdom oriented.

And so we pray. We're praying this prayer and and we're knowingly resisting the authority of a king demonstrates a huge contradiction Between the words of our lips and the direction of our lives. Based on the truth of our heart.

How often do we ask for his kingdom to be advanced when we're still holding on to portions of that kingdom? Wanting to retain the authority over these specific places in our lives in the kingdom of God this can never be because the kingdom is a reality that governs and shapes our priorities that transforms our lives.

It directs our worship because our worship belongs to the king. Drives our obedience because the commands of Christ are not suggestions Offered for our consideration. They are words of the king to those whom he has redeemed.

Cyril of Jerusalem wrote a pure soul can say with boldness thy kingdom come for he who has heard Paul saying let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body and Has cleansed himself indeed and thought and word will say to God thy kingdom come.

Spurgeon wrote we are not satisfied that thou shouldest be anything less than King. Our hearts desire is reign gracious God over us and over all men and That phrase over us is important because here's what happens.

It moves us from being able to just focus outwardly and make sure we're remaining to focus inwardly. Yes, we want the unbeliever converted. Yes. We want culture transformed. Yes. We want Rick wickedness restrain.

We want church's strength and we want the gospel carried. But we want to do that without Christ reigning in our hearts. We want to do that Detached from his kingdom. We want the outward appearance without the inward transformation.

Again, we can't hear this and we can't imagine the kingdom. Righteousness is something that is produced that we produce So that we can gain entry. This is not a set of rules that allows you entrance into the kingdom.

There is only one way. There is only one path. There is only one hope the king himself. The one who commands the obedience is the very one who perfectly obeyed the father. It's his righteousness counted to us those who are united to him by faith.

The king has accomplished redemption for his people and For those whom he justifies. He will not leave us Unchanged and so we return to Paul's words in 1st Corinthians 15 Verses 24 and 25. We saw that Christ must put rain Until he has put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy is abolished. But we also see that the son himself will be Subjected to the one who subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all. There is this transition that happens as Christ Hands over the kingdom to the father.