Your Kingdom Come

Bottom line

Whose will are you trying to accomplish; yours or God’s

Opening Line

Have you ever known someone that was stuck in the past?

Introduction

You know the person I’m talking about. Maybe their taste in music is a little dated, but they maintain that the new stuff doesn’t stand up to the new stuff. Maybe it is someone that you work with, and they’ve been with the business for a really long time and they like to talk about the good old days, when so and so worked and they did the craziest things.

I feel like the church is full of these kinds of people. Some churches are still singing hymns from the old hymnals and can’t figure out why the worship times aren’t connecting with their young people. I can’t believe how many churches still teach from the King James Version and believe that it is more accurate then the original languages. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the King James Version was the first English translation of the Bible, and was written in 17th century English. It really takes you back to the days of studying Shakespeare.

Main Point

Now I want to be clear in what I’m saying. There is nothing wrong with hymns. There is a beauty and richness in the old hymns that can’t be missed. If you have grown up with the KJV and that is what you are comfortable with, awesome. I’m glad you have a Bible that you can engage with and challenges you.

However, it is also important to remember that God and His kingdom continue to move forward, and the old ways aren’t always the best ways. The old ways worked best in their time, but culture, language, and methods change, and it is important that God’s people and His church adapt accordingly. The truths of Scripture will never change, but the ways in which we communicate it needs to.

Why it matters

This is important to understand because if you get stuck in the past, you can actually become an anchor to progress instead of being the sails that helps drive things forward. It is why over the next number of weeks I’m encouraging us to re-learn the Lord’s prayer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the old way, but if you want to teach a new believer to pray, why would you teach them something in old English when the Bible has been updated to meet them where they are at? Plus, as you are going to see this morning, I believe that there is something really profound in the way that the NLT communicates the words of Jesus that will hopefully challenge you in a way that you may have missed all these years of saying the Lord’s prayer.

So with that, we are going to say the Lord’s Prayer. As I said last week and will say every week, please follow along with the way it is written on the screen.

Scripture

Matthew 6:9–13 NLT

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

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So we are on v.10, and what I’m going to do to hold the old and new versions of the prayer side by side, and bring out the strengths of each.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven

The structure of the old way communicates as a declaration, and I believe that the declaration here serves as an important reminder of truths you need to keep in front of you at all times.

“Thy Kingdom Come” is an important reminder that God’s Kingdom is coming. I believe that people often lose sight of this reality and choose to live their lives however they see fit. But the end of all things you see before you is coming to an end, and I believe that it is sooner then you think. Look at the words of Jesus here in Matthew 24:4-8

Matthew 24:4–8 NLT

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

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So let me unpack a few details for you in relation to this passage of scripture. There will be war and threats of wars. Did you know that since 1945, the conclusion of WWII, there has only been 26 days where there wasn’t a war being fought somewhere on the planet. 26 days since 1945! Let that sink in a bit in light of Jesus’ words here.

There will be famines. The latest stat is that approximately 9 million people die a year due to starvation and hunger related disease. Obviously these happen primarily in third world countries, but it doesn’t change the tragedy of the number.

There will be earthquakes. In 1976, a geological survey team discovered that the tetonic plates that the earth rests on started shifting in news ways. The results of these shifts will cause more frequent and more intense earthquakes than any time in recorded history.

Jesus said these are the signs that the end is near, but these are just the birth pains, and there is more to come.

Now I could keep going with Matthew 24, but I think I will save that for another series. I mean, unless no one here is interested in what the Bible has to say about the last days and all that is to come.

But here is the point. The truth is that God’s Kingdom is both here and coming. Jesus has already conquered sin and death, and yet the final victory is yet to come. Despite humanity’s best efforts, God’s will shall be accomplished, all that is wrong with this world shall pass away and a new Heaven and new Earth shall take it place. This is the hope of every believer, that one day you and I shall enjoy eternity in the presence of God Almighty.

But remember that this is not simply a creed that you are declaring as a reminder of everything you believe. Jesus is teaching you to pray, and when you pray you don’t have to tell God what he already knows and is going to accomplish; prayer is actually meant to bring you into alignment with God’s plan and will.

Which brings us back to the way the NLT translates the prayer.

May Your Kingdom Come Soon

This is the shift. Instead of merely stating the fact that God’s kingdom is coming, this is a plea to your Father. Father, please hurry your kingdom along because I can’t take the corruption and devastation of the current state of things. Father, please establish your perfect reign here so that death and sin can stop having it’s way on our lives.

But on the flip side, just like last week when you prayed, “May your name be kept holy,” it is a call to you to play your part. Peter writes this:

2 Peter 3:10–15 NLT

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—

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Peter says that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, the same words that Jesus uses later on in Matthew 24. So what does Peter say in light of this unexpected day, a day that not even Jesus knew of while he was doing his earthly ministry? Live holy, godly lives, making every effort to be found pure and blameless in His sight.

But there was something else really important you need to see. In verse 12

2 Peter 3:12 NLT

looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

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You should not only be looking forward to the day of the Lord, but you should be hurrying it along. How can you hurry along the Kingdom of God? By praying for it to come soon, thus Jesus’ words in this prayer, may it come soon. But we can also hurry it along in our sharing about our faith and giving people the opportunity to repent and find new life in Christ.

Matthew 24:14 NLT

And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Matthew 28:19–20 NLT

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

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The prayer is not simply stating that God’s kingdom is coming. It is asking your Father in heaven to bring it quickly, and a reminder to you to play your part, to live out the Great Commission and share Jesus with the world.

MAY YOUR KINGDOM SOON

May Your Will Be Done

Again, this is a request, not of your Heavenly Father but you. The truth is that God’s will shall be accomplished. The question is whether you are going to be the one who helps bring it about and experiencing the blessing in that, or are you going to miss out.

The church so often treats God’s will as if it is this unknowable mystery, but it doesn’t have to be. Scripture is very clear that God’s will can in fact be known.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 2:15 NLT

It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

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Which brings me to one of my favorite verses in Scripture. It is both convicting but a great reminder, especially when it comes to know the will of our Father.

Romans 12:1–2 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

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MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE

Transition to Application

I hope that is an encouragement to you. As you re-calibrate what it means to pray the way Jesus taught us, it is a reminder that not only is God close enough that you can call him Father, but he is close enough that you can know his will for you.

Main To Do

But in order to know God’s will for your life, it requires a sacrifice. It requires you to open your hand and release everything you hold dear and give it to God. Your hopes, your dreams, your ambitions, your possessions, everything. Make your body, which is symbolic of all of you, a living sacrifice to God. Give it all to him, and allow God to change the way you think, the way you feel, the goals you set for yourself, ensuring that what you want aligns with what He wants. Then you will be in a position to know the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Why it matters

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those that seek the will of the Father, and those that seek their own will. Often it feels like you are giving up a lot, but what you will discover if you give God the reins is that he will give you a new heart, and the things that you thought you wanted to pursue will pail in comparison to the desires he gives you.

On the other hand, if you want to pursue your way, God will let you. God is terrifyingly fair. You want your will, you can have it. You want your kingdom, you can have it. However, if you walk down that path, and if you don’t like where it ends up, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Closing Line

Our Father in Heaven, may your kingdom come soon, may your will be done on earth as it is in. May we, as your sons and daughters, devote our lives to making those two things a reality.

Discussion Questions

What stood out?

How can you identify if you are more focused on your own will rather than God's in your daily life?

In what areas of your life do you feel challenged to let go and submit to God's will?

How does understanding the Kingdom of God coming soon influence your daily decisions?

What steps can you take to align your ambitions with God's plans for your life?