A Greater Purpose

N Hunter Strength

Beacon Youth Group

Lord’s Prayer Series #3

In Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” he says that effective people are those who “begin with the end in mind.” You know, whenever I wake up in the morning, I have the same argument in my head every day over whether I want to go to the gym or not. Now I pack up all of my gear and everything the night before but it doesn’t make it much easier because the bed is just too comfortable, but the thing that makes me get up is that I have a goal in mind. My family has a history of high blood pressure, heart disease, and dementia and these are things that weightlifting can help combat. So, whenever I don’t feel like lifting weights, I remind myself of the reason I do it to begin with and that is to be a healthier person for my family. Now, if we were to look at your life to ask why you do what you do, would you say you live it with an end, or a goal, in mind? Well, before the Apostle Paul died, he wrote, “6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” He could speak this way because he lived his life with the end in mind. And as we look in Matthew 6 today, we will find that the end goal, or the purpose, for our lives is to bring glory to the name of God. It is in this passage that we will find both our purpose for life and our blueprint for prayer in that short phrase, “...hallowed be Your name.”

But what does it mean to hallow the name of God? In the book of Ezekiel 36, we find that the people of God have disgraced His name with their behavior, but in Ezekiel 36:23 God says, “And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.” This passage is a promise of the work of God in His people where He will work in their hearts to create a people who will adore and honor His name and through the work He does in their hearts, His name will be honored throughout the world. As Jesus is teaching us to pray that God’s name be hallowed, He is teaching us to pray that God’s name be honored, glorified, praised in the lives of His people. He is teaching us to be a people who genuinely seek the glory of God first foremost in their lives. That this is the purpose from which everything we pray for and live for should come from. This is the blueprint for our lives and for our prayers.

So, what does it mean to hallow the name of God? It means that we, as His redeemed children, should live to glorify Him. John Calvin said, “No man has a sufficiently earnest desire to promote the glory of God, unless he forgets himself, and raises his mind to seek God’s exalted greatness.” As we’ve seen the last few weeks, there are things that will distract us from this duty of ours if we do not keep our eyes focused on the end game and this is where I want to make our first point of application which is:

1. When I take my eyes off of the reality that my life is for the purpose of God’s glory; I begin to live for things that only give temporary enjoyment, not eternal benefits.

Just like the story in verse 5 of those that pray in the public places for the admiration of men, not the audience of God Himself, they have their reward and it is pitiful in comparison to the life of a genuine believer who lives for the glory of God. This can also be like Solomon warns us about in Ecclesiastes where we pursue things that just don’t matter in the end. Is this the case in your life? Have we taken our eyes off of the end game, the greater purpose? John Piper said that when reading this passage, he wrote this in his journal:

My One Great Passion! Nothing is more clear and unshakeable to me than that the purpose of the universe is for the hallowing of God’s name. His kingdom comes for that. His will is done for that. Humans have bread-sustained life for that. Sins are forgiven for that. Temptation is escaped for that…

Lord, grant that I would, in all my weaknesses and limitations, remain close to the one clear, grand theme of my life: your magnificence.

As I read this passage and read his comments on it, my heart was stirred to think of the reality that all of the other things we will cover in this passage are all for the purpose of this one thing. So, we could pray, “Lord, may I be an instrument for the expansion of your kingdom for your glory.” or “Lord, give me grace to forgive those who have wronged me that you might be seen in me.” or “Lord, I have so many needs in my life, please teach me contentment and trust that I might honor you in trusting in your providing hand” So, in light of this passage, how is God’s name honored in my life? And as I thought of that question, I had a million different things come to mind, and we could really talk about this all day, but I will say that in light of this passage:

2. His name is hallowed when I run to Him as my Father when I find myself with physical problems (daily bread), relational or emotional problems (Our debtors), and moral problems (temptation). We hallow His name when the prayers of our heart are in line for the glory of His name

We also hallow His name when we profess His as our own, just as Christ instructed us to pray, “Our Father.” Think of the implications of that for your life. That you know you can run to Him in prayer with the burdens of your life, that you live your life as a child of the most High Go to represent Him, to honor and glorify Him and to tell others of His grace.

But this isn’t all, we hallow His name when we view the day to day events of our life in light of His glory. Remember, that whatever happens, He will use it for your good and for His glory.

So, as you head back to school tomorrow and you pull into the parking lot and remember you left your lunch at home, or as you head home from practice and you’re exhausted but your siblings are bouncing off the walls and driving you crazy, or as you lay in bed looking at your phone and texting your friends, remember that it is in everyday moments like these, that God has put in your path to hallow His name. So ask yourself right now, the day is halfway over, Lord, how am I to honor you with it? Or as you think about all that you have going on tomorrow as yourself, “Lord, how can I honor you with it?” When we think this way, we are thinking as people who have the end in mind. And the end goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.