Sermon On The Mount

Imagine someone walks up to you and says that they are a millionaire and they want to play a game. they tell you they have a million dollars with them and they are going to give it to you if you can say every single word in a song. It can be any song at all. I want you to think about what that song is that you know better than any other song in the world. We dont have a million dollars, but we do have some candy. The song has to be a normal song. it cannot be fewer than like 50 worlds.

What would your song be?

Have you ever noticed that you can hear a song, love it, memorize it, and then after a while its not that big of a deal to you. Like is still love Jesus take the wheel, but I don’t listen to it all that much and there are other song that I love. Its like, you can listen to a song so much that you just kind of zone out.

Keep this funny game in your mind because it is actually going to come back up in the lesson.

By the end of this lesson, we want students to know that: They have access to God through prayer.

Salt and Light

Anger

Lust

Divorce

Oaths

Retaliation

Love Your Enemies

Giving to the Needy

The Lord’s Prayer

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

Do Not Be AnxiousJudging Others

English Standard Version Chapter 7Judging Others

Ask, and It Will Be Given

The Golden Rule

A Tree and Its Fruit

I Never Knew You

Build Your House on the Rock

This is where Jesus’ ministry begins to

This is where Jesus’ ministry begins to Really take shape. Many people

Jesus talk about prayer is not so outstanding to us because we have heard it plenty of times and we are also not the same audience Whom Jesus was talking about. In fact, Jesus is saying this for a really important reason. There are some things that Jesus said prayer should NOT be like. Let’s find those.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus warned against in v. 5-8

Praying in the synagogues - publicity

Praying on street Corners - publicity even in religious meeting settings

Praying for the purpose of being seen

Heaping up empty phrases- saying many words

It is interesting to see how Jesus talks about prayer here. Prayer is a time of talking connecting with God and Jesus is highlighting some common prayer practices that dont connect you with God at all.

There were religious leaders called Pharisees who allowed prayer to become a presentation for people instead of a connection with God. They focused on the specific words they used and they had prayers they would say over and over and over and over.

Here are some examples...

now i lay me down to sleep I pray the lord my soul to keep… did anyone ever pray that?

God our father, God our father,

once again, once again,

We will ask your blessing, we bow our heads and thank you

amen, amen,

Other prayers are not so obviously overused.

“God, thank you for this day, thank you for everything you've done for us...”

I want you to know that all the things I am saying are not BAD things to say when you pray. This is not what Jesus is saying here. The thing is tho, we can get into a rut of saying the same things over and over and after a while, we aren't even thinking about it and we forget that God is on the other side of those prayers.

Now that we have been warned, lets look at what Jesus says our prayers should be like.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

“Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

hallowed be your name.

Jesus is pointing out that God wants prayers from the heart and He wants you to pray in order to connect with Him.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

Worship

on earth as it is in heaven.

Our Father in Heaven

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(1) Prayer is to begin with worship. God is addressed as Our Father in heaven

12 and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Surrender

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(2) Reverence is a second element of prayer, for God’s name is to be hallowed, that is, revered

Your kingdom Come your will be done

Surrender

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(3) The desire for God’s kingdom—Your kingdom come—is based on the assurance that God will fulfill all His covenant promises to His people.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(4) Prayer is to include the request that His will be accomplished today on earth as it is being accomplished in heaven, that is, fully and willingly.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(5) Petition for personal needs such as daily food is also to be a part of prayer.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(6) Requests regarding spiritual needs, such as forgiveness, are included too.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:5–15 (Luke 11:2–4)

(7) Believers recognize their spiritual weakness as they pray for deliverance from temptation to evil

What Jesus is pointing out tho is that God wants prayers from the heart and He wants you to pray in order to connect with Him.

The creator of the world, the maker of heaven and Earth allows for you to connect with Him directly. He doesn't want to hear the same fake prayer over and over again. You have the attention of almighty God. If you are a christian then you are a child of God, and He has a plan for your life.