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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 4th March 2007 PMYOUR KINGDOM DONE, YOUR WILL BE DONE Pastor Linton SmithThis week it was reported that the population of Perth is now 1.5 million and the population of Western Australia 2 million. The population of the State had been growing at 767 a week! Do you ever wonder where it is all headed? What Perth and W.A will be like in 20 years time? Where you will live, work, how you will get to work? On a worldwide scale the violence continues to rage in Iraq, there is still trouble in Afghanistan, and Iran is determined to go nuclear. Raises big questions. Will Iran get nuclear weapons? Will terrorists get them? Where is it all headed? Currently we are looking again at the Lord’s Prayer.. the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Tonight we are looking at this prayer.. Your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. These words answer our question. When we pray these words we are saying..
When we pray, Your kingdom come, we are saying we believe that there is such a thing as God's Kingdom and that we believe His kingdom will come - one day. Hundreds of years before Jesus, Daniel had a dream. He saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea. First he saw a lion, then a bear, then a leopard, and then a terrifying beast with huge iron teeth and ten horns. These beasts were four kingdoms.. the kingdoms that would rule the world.. and one by one they all came crashing down! Then Daniel says.. Daniel 7:13,14.. In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. This is what God is doing! He is at work in history taking it to a grand finale.. to the kingdom that will last forever with one like a son of man as King! Now let's leave Daniel and think about Jesus. He announced the arrival of the kingdom of God.. demonstrated that by healings and miracles.... became a threat to the rulers of that time. They arrested Him and began to interrogate Him: Matthew 26:63,64.. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Do you hear what Jesus said? He said I am the Son of Man, the one who will come with the clouds of heaven, the one whose kingdom will not pass away. One day you will see me coming in power and glory as King! When we pray, Your kingdom come, we affirm our belief that this is going to happen! One day Jesus will be seen for Who He really is - the King!! He will come in power and glory! God is taking history to a grand finale in the kingdom of God with Jesus as King! History will turn out to be HIS story! When we pray these words we are saying.. · WE BELIEVE GOD'S KINGDOM WILL BE TRULY WONDERFUL.When we go on to pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are saying more about the kingdom. We are saying that when God’s kingdom comes, the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.. that God's kingdom will be truly wonderful. Planet earth is a long way from that at present. People travel the world.. to see the wonders of nature.. mountains.. lakes.. forests.. rivers.. waterfalls.. and it is truly inspiring.. but night by night we listen to the news.. and hear what people are doing.. We hear of drugs, breakins, murders, terror attacks, wars.. What is wrong? Where did all the evil come from? Genesis answers that. We read about how the universe began, how life on earth began, and how it all went wrong.. when the very first people exercised their free will to do things their own way instead of God's way. These people were banished from the presence of God and very soon their lives fell apart.. one son killed the other. The world of people is a mess! But thank God, we look forward to a time when all will be changed. When people in God's kingdom will willingly and happily obey Him. Micah describes that time.. Micah 4:1-3.. In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. A time when people will listen to God and walk in His paths.. will obey God. That was written about 700 years before Jesus was born. Almost 70 years after Jesus was born Peter wrote.. 2 Peter 3:10-13.. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. A world where righteousness will be at home - and not evil! What a wonderful world that will be! The last book in the Bible pictures it: Revelation 21:1-4.. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” A wonderful world free of pain, grief, death! Free of all that is evil! When we pray, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are saying we believe that God's kingdom will be truly wonderful. When we pray these words we are saying..
Why would we pray for God’s Kingdom to come if we thought we would be left out? But how can we be sure we will be part of it? Because of Jesus! Jesus said.. John 3:3,5,6.. I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.. no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. Then He explained how we are born again.. in John 3:14,15.. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. In Moses’ day people bitten by poisonous snakes simply had to look to the bronze snake on the pole.. and all we have to do.. is to look to Jesus.. lifted up on the cross for us.. look and believe! The Colossians had believed in Jesus. Paul wrote to them.. Colossians 1:13,14.. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.. That is what God does when we believe in Jesus. He rescues us from the dominion of darkness.. and brings us into the kingdom of His Son.. NOW!! But what is this kingdom like. Here is one very clear description. Paul.. Romans 14:17.. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!! That is what the kingdom is like. When we believe in Jesus we enter that kingdom.. we taste it NOW.. and believe we will be part of it when it comes in all its fullness.. when all creation is filled with righteousness, peace and joy! Have we believed in Jesus? Not sure? Believe now. We have believed.. then.. let’s put our heart into this prayer.. Your kingdom come.. because when it comes.. we will be part of it! When we pray these words we are saying..
I cannot see how we can pray, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven without saying Your kingdom come in me, Your will be done in me! And when we do pray like that.. and mean it.. we will become part of what God is doing right now. We will see His kingdom in action now.. we will see God making a difference now! Let’s think about three ways God wants to make a difference in us and through us.. right now. He wants us to.. #Be pure. 1 John 3:1-3.. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. We shall see Him as He is.. and when we believe that.. we will purify ourselves as He is pure. Purity begins with the way we think. Let’s guard our thoughts.. what goes in.. what we read.. watch.. think about.. and purity in life will follow! The kingdom difference will be seen in our lives! #Love others. Jesus raised the bar very high. He said.. Matthew 5:43-45.. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. And the Lord spoke through Isaiah these very challenging words.. Isaiah 58:6,7.. Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Here we see the heart of God revealed. We see kingdom values revealed. God wants us to love like He loves.. and when we do.. people will see the rule of God.. the kingdom of God in action. #Tell others about Jesus. Matthew 28:18-20.. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Let’s take that to heart.. and do as Jesus says.. and others will believe.. and become part of the kingdom. Then they will make a difference as they live pure lives.. and love others.. and tell others.. and the kingdom will expand.. now! This prayer is some prayer. It answers our big questions about where is everything headed.. gives us hope.. purpose.. and a huge challenge. Pray it now.. pray it often! I believe Your kingdom will come.. will be truly wonderful.. I will be part of it.. I will obey You.. I will be pure.. will love others.. will tell others about Jesus! |