Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 6:10

Introduction: We know that prayer is a conversation with God.

But how does prayer become a partnership with God?

We can see God’s Kingdom throughout His story.

The Church, made up of followers of Christ Jesus, is God’s Kingdom.

People should be able to see God in action through us and in our churches.

Are we praying for opportunities to be His Kingdom in our communities?

This is a prayer God promises to answer because we are asking for His will to be done.

“Kingdom” is a term that we don’t think about often in a modern democracy.

It is relegated to history or fictional stories.

When you think of the word “kingdom,” what comes to mind?

In his essay The Kingdom Life, Dallas Willard notes that theological books often use words like “reign” and “rule” to describe God’s Kingdom, but for ordinary people, “it is more informative to say that the Kingdom is God in action.”

Willard then says that at the center of biblical teaching on Kingdom “is the idea of an all-loving and all-powerful God who is in action for us and with us.

He is not passive.

He is not distant.

He is not indifferent.

God certainly isn’t dead.”

But how does our prayer life become a partnership with God in His kingdom?

We are going to look at this as a five act play:

Act 1: Creation and the Fall

Act 2: Israel

Act 3: Jesus Brings the Kingdom of God into the darkness

Act 4: The Church

Act 5: Completed Redemption

I. Act 1: Creation and the Fall

A. God created the world and said it was good.

He gave us an extraordinary gift in the world He made, in the relationships He gave us, and in the way He didn’t leave us in the garden doomed in sin.

Talk about the Kingdom being present in the Garden and how sin separated the two.

(Picture of God’s kingdom)

(Picture of God’s kingdom and the kingdom of darkness)

B. Psalm 8:3–4 portrays David’s awe at God’s graciousness and the wonder of His kingdom.

Ps 8:3-4

In this Psalm - David is looking up at the heavens and thinking about the vastness of the works of God.

Have you ever done that?

Have you ever thought about how much more we know now?

The pictures that have been sent back by the Hubble space telescope are awesome.

Stuff we can’t see with just our eyes, yet there is still enough that we can see to warrant wondering why God even cares about us.

Really - Why are we so special when compared to all that He has created?

Even with all of God’s creation He created man last and in His image.

He breathed life into mankind and walked in the garden with Adam.

We were made for relationship, we were made to be partners in His kingdom.

II.

Act 2: Israel

A. We tend to not think of God’s Kingdom in the Old Testament, but we see a loving God in action in the Old Testament as He chooses and guides His people for His redemptive purposes.

The question is how did God use the people of Israel for His redemptive purposes?

(Show picture of how Israel with the law and temple brings the two together)

B. We see God in action and His love and power throughout the Psalms.

He is a God who is present and active in our lives.

We are in His Kingdom!

We are in His kingdom because the church has become Israel by the Spirit.

Psalm 145:8–13 is a strong example of this.

If we take a look at this portion of this Psalm it shows some of the ways His kingdom spills over into the Dominion of darkness and how we partner with God in His Kingdom through Prayer and deed:

v 8 & 9 - He is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness and good to all.

What do you think things would be like if He weren’t.

What would it be like if He treated us the way we should be treated based on the things we do?

v 10 - His works give thanks to Him - have you ever sat quietly and listened to the birds sing God’s praises?

Or the trees tell us of His wonderful works?

We too can give thanks to Him and bless Him through our worship and our prayers as we go about our day.

v 11 & 12 - We can spread His fame and let others know about Him.

That’s what we should be doing anyway.

Preaching the gospel to all creation.

Telling others about His mighty works and His lovingkindness towards us; and especially about how He redeems us from the Dominion of darkness through the sacrifice of His Son that we may be children of God.

C. Look for God’s Kingdom when you’re reading the Old Testament and the Psalms.

Especially the Psalms.

The Psalms continuously speak of God’s acts within His Kingdom.

The things He does for us and His creation.

There are constant reminders in the Psalms of what God is doing for us, His loving kindness, grace and mercy.

Psalm 103:2-4 says:

And then look at your own life, can you see these things.

Can you see His hand upon your life?

III.

Act 3: Jesus Brings the Kingdom of God into the darkness

A. Jesus refers to the Kingdom repeatedly in the New Testament.

In the Lord’s Prayer, He teaches the disciples, and us as well, to pray “your kingdom come.”

He invites everyone into His Kingdom.

All it takes is faith - whosoever believes shall have eternal life.

Have you received His invitation?

1.

We can’t have the Kingdom without Jesus, without His death, burial, and Resurrection.

When we enter His Kingdom, we become His disciples.

After becoming a disciple we desire to be conformed to the image of Christ so we can represent the Kingdom for people to see what God in action looks like.

Christ brought the kingdom of God into the darkness.

He brought the kingdom into the darkness to redeem it, to bring it back into conformity with God’s will.

Every time someone accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior the light shines a bit brighter and God’s kingdom grows.

(Show the picture of the Holy dots in the kingdom of the world)

2. Colossians 1:13–14 shows us how Jesus is the key to God’s Kingdom: Co 1:13-14

Have you ever been lost in the woods as night was falling.

The darkness is closing in around you, you don’t know which way to go, your tired and hungry, you need help.

Then you see lights flickering between the trees and you hear people call your name.

The lights grow brighter and the voices louder.

Finally you call out and those who are searching for you find you.

They rescue you from the darkness in the woods.

You are no longer alone and lost.

They get you to their vehicle and take you home.

This is what Jesus did, He came into the darkness, found you alone and lost, He took our hands and led us into the light.

He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and took us home to His kingdom.

He redeemed us, He bought us back from the evil one with His own blood, and then as a bonus he forgave us of our sins.

B. The Holy Spirit guides those in the Kingdom.

1.

The Holy Spirit is the one who guides us into living like Jesus in His Kingdom.

He gives us the power to live out God’s Kingdom on earth.

2. Paul shows us how we can have the Kingdom now in our lives: Rom.