Pray the Lord's Way
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro:
Intro:
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TS: Jesus has been contrasting religion with righteousness. People were good at religion, but keeping the religious traditions had made them terrible at righteousness.
Last week, we examined ch 6 where Jesus challenged his listeners to practice their righteous acts for God in secret rather than in public to be noticed. The main point was don’t act righteous just so others will see you.
Of the 3, giving of alms, prayer, and fasting, Jesus went beyond just the instructions to pray in secret. He also addressed another bad habit which had crept in and gave a pattern for prayer. This prayer is often called “The Lord’s Prayer”, but it is better named, “The Model Prayer”. John 17 is more properly called the Lord’s prayer since that is His priestly prayer for His disciples.
RS: We all can improve our prayer lives. As we look at today’s text, let us learn more which will deepen our prayer lives.
First, Jesus addresses.....
Pious Prattle
Pious Prattle
“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.
He had already said to pray in secret rather than to be noticed by others.
Now He addresses the prayers we pray.
He challenges them not to heap up empty phrases.
To understand this better, we need to grasp what His original audience would have thought.
Jewish scholars were debating the use of fixed prayers in this period; they generally held them to be acceptable if one's intent was genuine.
Greek prayers, such as Jesus mentioned here, sometimes piled up as many titles of the deity addressed as possible, hoping to secure his or her attention.
Pagan prayers typically reminded the deity of favors done or sacrifices offered, attempting to get a response from the god on contractual grounds.
Bible Background Commentary - The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament.
I’ve performed for you… so you perform for me.
Their ritual had turned into trying to get God’s attention.
This borrowed from pagan practices.
Perhaps it was due to the deterioration of their righteousness. They had substituted rituals for relationship. They made a great show of piety, but it was all pretense.
This reminds me much of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel
The great showdown
And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
They both set up their alters.
And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.
And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Prayers are not to be recited thoughtlessly
We are not working magic here.
We don’t “say the magic word” and obligate God to perform parlor tricks for us.
Thoughtless repetition is meaningless.
Jesus also addresses why there is no need for empty repetitions
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
God already knows our needs!
He doesn’t have to be informed.
He doesn’t need to be awakened.
He knows, like a loving Father, what is best for us and what needs we have.
Then Jesus explains.
Prayer’s Pattern
Prayer’s Pattern
Pray then like this: “Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus sets out for us a model to follow.
This is not another ritual to be recited.
3 aspects are directed to God and 3 towards our needs.
Praise
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Prayer begins with worshipping God
Praising Him
Focus on Him
His nature
His names
His mighty works
He is the focus and object of prayer
Prostration
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
This is an acknowledgment of God’s Lordship
He is sovreign
He is king of kings and lord of lords
We acknoweldge that and join Him
Your Kingdom come Your will be done.
How is it done in heaven?
Carreied out at the thought or word
We pledge ourselves to obey the same way.
We join Him in His work
That is all that matters anyway
Petition
Give us this day our daily bread,
Seek God to provide our needs.
Penitence
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
We seek God’s forgiveness
Confess sin
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
confess = agree with God
View sin as He does
It is wrong
utterly and completely unacceptable
There is no excusing sin
There can be no compromise with sin.
Protection
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
God does not tempt men
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
He does allow us to face trials to strengthen our faith according to James, but He never tempts us.
It is not His will to trick us into sinning
In fact, God makes a way of escape out of temptation
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
We seek God’s protection from the evil one
Satan and all of his forces.
He is the real enemy
He wants nothing more than to pull us down.
He is described:
Father of lies
A roaring lion seeking to devour us.
There is no compromise with Him.
Praise
The New King James Version Chapter 6
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
We end where we began
It is all about God!
It is for His honor and glory.
We are to gratefully acknowledge that in our prayers.
This is a declaration of faith
All power and glory go to Him.
Peculiar Footnote
Peculiar Footnote
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If you lift these verses out of context, A BAD IDEA, you miss the point.
This isn’t saying
earn forgiveness by forgiving
forgive or lose your forgiveness.
All who are in Christ have the permanent and complete aquittal from guilt and punishment of sin.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
So what does Jesus mean?
God disciplines His children
If we walk around without forgiving those who have wronged us, we walk in sin and thus come under judgment in this life.
Praying in such a state is hypocrisy.
We must confess our sins, not hold onto them
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Pray!