A Greater Righteous (11)

Greeting

Good morning! My name is Joel Cossins, and I’m the pastor here at Libby COTN. I’d like to welcome all of our guests here today, especially to those of you checking us out online. Hello! If you’ve not yet visited us in person, I look forward to the day we can welcome you to our fellowship. You should know when you visit, you will most likely be invited to stay after, as we have a potluck every Sunday after the service—unless otherwise noted. So, come hungry for an encounter with JESUS and bring your appetite for food, as well!

Announce text: Matthew 6:9-15

Key Text: Matthew 6:9-15

Review

insert BP review video > BP_Cartoon_Religious-Deeds (5.37)

Ok, so that was a BP video that serves as a great review of where we were prior to the start of Lent. You should recall—mainly because I was “beating a dead horse” on the matter—that we were looking at the pattern found in chapter 6—the middle part of Jesus’ teaching in the SOTM. The pattern we could clearly see in that passage was this: (religious activity) action + (heart) motive = reward. Of course, maybe you’re like me and that phrase “religious activity” and/or wording like that has a negative connotation to it for you. It feels like performance which is the very thing Jesus was addressing in that chapter and where we derived the pattern. The Lord says in 1 Samuel 16.7,

1 Samuel 16:7 NASB95

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “ … man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

It’s not the activity that is the problem, it is the motive behind the activity that determines the reward. If the righteous deed (or work) is done with a pure heart then an eternal reward from the Father awaits.

This is probably a good time to review our definition for the word working in a proper context of religious practices. Remember, the word working can also be any derivative of the word or any synonyms, e.g., like performing, practicing, etc.—these words might be used to describe how we carry out these religious practices. It’s important to remember this perspective—this is what we mean when we use those words in that context.

Working is partnering with GOD, not trying (striving/efforting) to earn HIS Favor.

So, having wrapped up the righteous deeds from chapter six: giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting in the context of the pattern we have observed, we’re going to return to the middle of the chapter, which also happens to be the center of the SOTM. This morning, we’re going to look at an introduction to The Lord’s Prayer.

any additional review followed by the relational mapping for the sermon topic: address people (different groups within the big/little brother, churched/unchurched focus)

You may recall a couple Sundays before the Lenten Season, we touched briefly on the subject of prayer, as Jesus used the pattern—action + motive = reward—to contrast how not to pray with the proper way to pray. In those few verses, Jesus was discussing the disposition and/or the manner in which we pray. We discovered that prayer is one of the most important and diverse spiritual disciplines we have at our disposal in this journey with CHRIST. It is a lifeline—meant to be continual in our daily lives—as it is the means to the abiding Presence of GOD JESUS talked about in the book of John. The power of prayer is transformative in both the lives of individuals and in communities.

don’t know how to pray like that

someone really

Yet, when it comes to corporate prayer—praying in front of others—it is often something we shy away from. We talked a bit about this before, too, and it bears repeating this morning. Have you ever been in a situation—let’s use the Wednesday night Bible study as an example—where the leader—in this case, Linda—asks if anyone would like to pray? What do you do? Does your Bible suddenly seem captivating to you, as you seriously gaze with furrowed brow into the depth of the papyrus sheets searching not for answers but a disposition that suggests, “I’m intently studying something so important, that you shouldn’t bother to call on me”? Maybe you’re thinking, “Don’t look them in the eye! Don’t look them in the eye! Don’t look them in the eye!” Perhaps you turn to the person next to you, and ask a very insightful question or make a riveting comment like, “I’m sorry. Did you say something? No? Oh, because I thought you said something. Are you sure you didn’t say anything?” to carry out the conversation until someone else is selected to pray. Maybe you shift from a position that’s really been bothering you, and you just happen to move behind the person beside you to conveniently block the view of the leader from seeing you. Maybe you’re thinking, “Pick Dorie! She’s really good at prayer.” Right? Anyone? I’m really trying to have fun with this, but has anyone ever tried to avoid being selected in some way?

Public prayer can be intimidating. How do I pray? What do I say?

add transitional statement to redirect to GOD’s perspective on the topic

We’re actually going to back up a few verses to read this section in its entire context. So ...

Announce text again: Matthew 6:6-15

… beginning with v.6:

Scripture Reading

Matthew 6:5–8 NASB95

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the 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. 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “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. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Matthew 6:9–13 NASB95

9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

Matthew 6:14–15 NASB95

14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Prayer for added blessing to the reading of the Word

Message

The title for today’s message is Prayer: The Divine Dialogue of Dependence and Devotion.

In Matthew 6:9-15, Jesus provides a profound teaching on the nature of prayer, illustrating it as a dialogue between the believer and God that acknowledges His holiness and our need for sustenance and forgiveness. The Lord's Prayer encapsulates the essence of a believer's relationship with God as Father, showcasing how prayer is both an act of devotion and a necessity for spiritual vitality. The prayer serves as a framework for expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, and interceding for our needs in a relational manner, demonstrating how prayer can shape our spiritual life.

Big Idea: Authentic prayer transforms lives by deepening our dependence on God and enhancing our devotion, ultimately reinforcing our identity as His beloved children and instruments of His purpose in the world.

This morning, we will focus on the significance of approaching God with reverence while also recognizing our vulnerabilities and dependencies. This is an invitation to reflect on how prayer integrates worship, confession, intercession, and supplication, thus enabling us to develop a holistic approach to our spiritual disciplines.

Introduction

At the very center of this central section sits the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). Jesus places this short poem at the very center of the Sermon to emphasize its importance. The prayer is not a new prayer; rather, it draws deeply from Jewish tradition. Similar themes from The Lord’s Prayer appear in ancient prayers like the Kaddish (pr. Kah-deesh), which was recited in synagogues during the Second Temple period. Jesus gave His disciples a model prayer that fits within this tradition but carries His own unique stamp.

In the broader context of Jewish life, prayer was a daily rhythm. Observant Jews prayed the Shema three times a day. Jesus instructs His followers to weave this prayer into that same rhythm. Early Christian communities continued this practice. The Didache (Did-ah-que), one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, instructs believers to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.

The Lord’s Prayer is formative. Through repetition, it shapes the imagination and desires of those who pray it. It teaches us to view God as Father, to long for the arrival of his Kingdom, to depend on him for daily needs, to practice forgiveness, and to trust him in times of testing. Liturgy and repeated prayer are not empty rituals; they are tools the Spirit uses to form our hearts. As one scholar notes, “We are what we love,” and practices like this prayer train our loves toward God’s Kingdom.

The Lord’s Prayer is perhaps the most famous prayer in the history of the world. It is actually appears in two places in Scripture. Obviously, the first occurence is here in Matthew; but the second occurrence is found in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 11: 1-4. The first verse in Luke is where I want to begin this morning.

The disciples recognized there was something lacking in their prayer life. They lacked the power and authority Jesus demonstrated in prayer.

Luke 11:1–4 NASB95

1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3 ‘Give us each day our daily bread. 4 ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

The disciples' request to learn how to pray illustrates their longing for a deeper relationship with God. As we heard earlier, the culture in which the disciples lived included a daily rhythm of prayer multiple times a day. So, they have prayed many times. They’re not telling Jesus that they don’t know how to pray, right? No! They recognize there is something different about the prayers of Jesus. There is a power and authority by which He prays. They see that He is always escaping the public eye to seclude Himself in prayer. They understand there is something connecting His wonderous prayer life in public with His personal, secluded and secret life of prayer. They longed to pray in the way of the Master. He was their rabbi, after all, and so, just as John taught his students, so, too, does this disciple ask his Rabbi to teach them to pray.

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to be a disciple of Jesus? Have you ever wanted to hear Him teach, to preach, and to pray? Wouldn’t you want to follow Him to listen in on what He was praying in secret? Of course, He would know you were there. What was He praying, I wonder? How much was directed toward supplications, and how much was intercession? Knowing Jesus, I’m sure it was heavy on intercession, and any supplication was likely for others—His disciples, the crowds, and so even then it was like intercession.

Scripture tells us that even now, He is interceding for you and me—and that continually before the Father.

Romans 8:34 NASB95

34 … Christ Jesus is He … who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Hebrews 7:25 NASB95

25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:1 NASB95

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

Hebrews 4:14–16 NASB95

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So, Jesus is currently seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us continually—advocating for us when we sin—and is sympathetic with our weakness. Can you just hear Him pleading with the Father on your (and my) behalf? “This one is ours! My blood covers this one, Father! My righteousness is the one’s righteousness!” The thought of this never-failing intercession ought to be very precious to us, and if we are to be like the Master, we, too, should be inspired with a hope to live like Christ a life of prayer—especially intercession, as the very nature of intercession focuses on the benefit of others—placing other’s needs before our own. After all, as we read in v.8 of our text ...

Matthew 6:8 “8 “ ... your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

The Father knows us so intimately, He knows our needs—notice the word is needs not wants. Sometimes our wants are at odds with our needs, and we pray amiss. Yet, the old saying rings true, “Father knows best.” But I’m getting ahead of myself here. We’ll talk more about this later.

The request of this disciple ought to inspire us to make the same request of Jesus. Lord, teach us to pray! Lord, teach me to pray! Such a request leads to an understanding that prayer is a conversation that brings us closer to the heart of God. Just as for Jesus—when we follow His leading—prayer is an ongoing dialogue that strengthens your and my spiritual life, making us more like Christ.

Have you ever asked Jesus to teach you to pray? Have you ever longed for His teaching in this area of your life? Do you long for greater power and authority in your prayer life? All you need is but ask Him, and the greatest Teacher will delight in your request and bring you up with Him to teach you.

The problem is we don’t like school.

So many times, we look at the lives of people we admire spiritually, and we long to be like them. In fact, at times, the infatuation can grow dangerously close and quite possibly be jealousy over how God is using someone. Even if we’re not jealous, we still wish we could still live spiritually the way they do. We see how God uses them, and we wish God would use us the same way. I mean, why wouldn’t God want a bunch of Billy Grahams running around winning souls for Jesus everywhere? Well, maybe He does. Maybe the problem isn’t with God, but the problem is with you and me.

You know what we don’t see? The years of dedication, the perseverance in the face of hell, the struggling with their faith, the trials and tribulations they’ve had to endure and the lessons they have learned in the school of spiritual life to get to the place we see them operating in. We want the result, but we don’t think about or know what that person went through to refined by Holy Spirit to arrive at that point of their journey with Christ. If we did know what it cost that person, we might say, “Forget it. I don’t want it.”

As this relates back to our lack of power and authority in prayer, the problem for us is that we are woefully unfit for what we long for. We are often lazy in our life with Christ, and we don’t want to put in the effort to learn from the Master. Many of you may know the name, Andrew Murray. He was a famous South African writer, teacher, and pastor who served in the Dutch Reformed Church for 57 years during the 18 to early 1900s. He has authored many famous books to help cultivate a deeper walk with Jesus. Listen to what he has to say on this subject:

Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeble child can pray, yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise. It is fellowship with the Unseen and Most Holy One. The powers of the eternal world have been placed at its disposal.

It is the very essence of true religion, the channel of all blessings, the secret of power and life. Not only for ourselves, but for others, for the Church, for the world, it is to prayer that God has given the right to take hold of Him and His strength. It is on prayer that the promises wait for their fulfilment, the king. dom for its coming, the glory of God for its full reve-lation. And for this blessed work, how slothful and unfit we are. It is only the Spirit of God can enable us to do it aright. How speedily we are deceived into a resting in the form, while the power is wanting. Our early training, the teaching of the Church, the influence of habit, the stirring of the emotions-how easily these lead to prayer which has no spiritual power, and avails but little. True prayer, that takes hold of God's strength, that availeth much, to which the gates of heaven are really opened wide-who would not cry, Oh for some one to teach me thus to pray?

Jesus has opened a school, in which He trains His redeemed ones, who specially desire it, to have power in prayer. Shall we not enter it with the petition, Lord! it is just this we need to be taught! O teach us to pray.

Having recognized our need, let us be encouraged by the Jesus’ response to His disciples.

Jesus hears and responds to the disciples request.

Jesus doesn’t ignore the request or tell them they’re not anointed for prayer or any other discouraging thing. Instead, Jesus teaches them a model prayer. It is simplistic, yet powerful. It is short, but it is powerful and to the point.

Scholars and theologians are divided on whether the version of The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is the same recorded instance of the prayer in Luke. Some think it is the same event with the variations of the prayer owing to the differences in both the characteristics of each author—how God wired them in their creativity—as well as the intended audiences (Jews/Gentiles). Others believe because the culture—the daily rhythms of prayer we talked about earlier—this prayer was a separate instance with accurate, yet different wording.

In either case, the first lesson we can learn from Jesus in the school of prayer is that the words we use aren’t nearly as important as that we engage in a daily rhythm of prayer and pursuing His Presence by focusing on honest communication with the Father. Jesus focuses more on the sequence of ideas expressed in the prayer. We’re going to dig into these in further detail perhaps in the coming weeks. For now, it is enough to know Jesus heard the request of His disciples and immediately responds with a model for them to use in their spiritual formation. It is about creating a habit of repetition, and ritual every morning and evening and every moment in between. So, Jesus, and by His instruction His disciples would have prayed this (and other prayers) hundreds of thousands of times throughout their life.

The point of this is through repeating this prayer over and over it is engraining into our core something about those ideas when prayed not flippantly but with sincerity of heart. There is something the disciples needed to hear in this prayer every day, and we need to hear it too. The God of the universe is our Father, that we anticipate the arrival of His Kingdom in fullness, and the arrival of His will, so that His reputation is restored. We ask for just enough supply for each day. We recognize we fall short of and fail to live up to Jesus’s teachings. We realize that every day we will be presented choices that will test our faithfulness to God our Father and to others.

There’s something about that prayer that Jesus wanted His disciples to pray multiple times every day.

If Jesus taught that to His disciples, than we need to engage with and participate in praying the prayer, as we are His disciples, also.

Jesus will also teach us to pray with power and authority.

The power and authority come from intimacy with the Father. It is the power of His Spirit living within us.

Let me again quote from Andrew Murray on this point.

We have heard the promises given to Thine apostles of the power of prayer in Thy name, and have seen how gloriously they experienced their truth: we know for certain, they can become true to us too.

… teach us to pray so too. The promises are for us, the powers and gifts of the heavenly world are for us. O teach us to pray so that we may receive abundantly. To us too Thou hast entrusted Thy work, on our prayer too the coming of Thy kingdom depends, in our prayer too Thou canst glorify Thy name; "Lord, teach us to pray.'

At first there is no work appears so simple; later on, none that is more difficult; and the confession is forced from us: We know not how to pray as we ought. It is true we have God's Word, with its clear and sure promises; but sin has so darkened our mind, that we know not always how to apply the Word.

It must be to the glory of God, in full surrender to His will, in full assurance of faith, in the name of Jesus, and with a perseverance that, if need be, refuses to be denied. All this must be learned. It can only be learned in the school of much prayer, for practice makes perfect.

Amid the painful consciousness of ignorance and unworthiness, in the struggle between believing and doubting, the heavenly art of effectual prayer is learnt.

Let but the deep undertone of all our prayer be the teachableness that comes from a sense of ignorance, and from faith in Him as a perfect teacher, and we may be sure we shall be taught, we shall learn to pray in power.

Yes, we may depend upon it, He teaches to pray.

There is no one who teaches like Jesus. He knows what prayer is and is constantly praying for us. Nothing will delight Him more than to take His followers—His brother and sisters—into the throne room of the Father’s Presence, those who He can “clothe with power to pray down God’s blessing on those around them” and to train to be His fellow intercessors by which the Kingdom of heaven is revealed on earth.

He teaches not only by thoughts on what to say but by breathing His Spirit of prayer living within us as the Great Intercessor.

So, pj … What’s the point?

Conclusion

As we close this morning, remember the heart of Jesus’ teaching: Authentic prayer is not a performance for others — it is a divine dialogue of dependence and devotion. It is the place where we come as beloved children to our Father who already knows our needs, and there we learn to trust Him completely.

Jesus Himself is the perfect model of this kind of prayer. He who now sits at the right hand of the Father continually intercedes for us is the same One who invites us into the same intimate conversation. Through Christ we have bold access to the throne of grace. In Him we find both the pattern and the power to pray.

Here is our next step this week:

Will you commit with me to develop a daily rhythm of prayer after the model Jesus gave us?

This week, choose a secret place—a quiet spot where you can close the door and meet with your Father in secret. In that place, pray for transformation:

In your own life and your family

In Libby Church of the Nazarene and our church family of Libby

In the town of Libby

At the same time, commit to reciting and meditating on both the Shema and the Lord’s Prayer at least three times each day. You can do this at each meal, when you first wake up, sometime during the day, and again before you sleep. Let these ancient words sink deep into your heart until they shape your desires, your thoughts, and your actions.

Imagine what could happen if every one of us took this step together.

Imagine a church family that rises each day with hearts tuned to the Father’s voice.

Imagine homes filled with dependence on God instead of anxiety.

Imagine a town that begins to feel the quiet, powerful influence of a people who pray the way Jesus taught.

That is the kind of community Jesus is forming in us.

Let’s pray together right now:

First, The Shema.

Hear, O Libby! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Next, The Lord’s Prayer.

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 also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

Closing prayer & benediction

Thank You that You already know what we need before we ask.

Teach us to pray as Jesus prayed.

Shape us into a people of dependence and devotion.

Give us the grace to begin this rhythm this very week,

and may Your Spirit use these simple prayers to transform our lives, our families, our church, and our town.

We pray all of this in the name of Jesus, our perfect Intercessor.

Amen.

Numbers 6:24–26 NASB95

The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

Scripture records the following words in v.27:

Numbers 6:27 GW

“So whenever they use my name to bless the Israelites, I will bless them.” 

So, receive and go with the blessings of YAHWEH!