Sermon Tone Analysis

II. Introduction

Why do we do what we do?

I hope you all are aware of what we are doing here.

Today is the fourth time we are look into the series ‘Why do we do what we do?’.

First, we’ve looked at the worship itself, and then we talked about preaching being in the center of the worship, and last week, we talked about the prayer that we do in the service as well as the prayer itself, right?

Hope you remember these.

Do you remember what did we actually talk about prayer?

Since, today, we are also going to talk about prayer, it might be good to remember some of the things we’ve said last week.

I hope you all are aware of what we are doing here.

Today is the fourth time we are look into the series ‘Why do we do what we do?’.

First, we’ve looked at the worship itself, and then we talked about preaching being in the center of the worship, and last week, we talked about the prayer that we do in the service as well as the prayer itself, right?

Hope you remember these.

Do you remember what did we actually talk about prayer?

Since, today, we are also going to talk about prayer, it might be good to remember some of the things we’ve said last week.

I hope you all are aware of what we are doing here.

Today is the fourth time we are look into the series ‘Why do we do what we do?’.

First, we’ve looked at the worship itself, and then we talked about preaching being in the center of the worship, and last week, we talked about the prayer that we do in the service as well as the prayer itself, right?

Hope you remember these.

Do you remember what did we actually talk about prayer?

Since, today, we are also going to talk about prayer, it might be good to remember some of the things we’ve said last week.

Hope this helped you remember some of the things that we’ve learned last time.

So, today, we are going to talk about How then we can pray.

Have you ever struggled with prayer?

Did you have those moments when you doubt yourself whether you were praying rightly or well enough after praying before the crowd?

I wonder if you have those experiences where you don’t actually have anything to say to God but everybody around you were praying passionately, so what you could do was just sitting there trying to come up with something to pray or just repeat the same prayer you’ve already prayed twice.

And you know what, it gets worse when you start to get used to that.

After getting used to those prayers, your prayer will be very good to hear because you now figured out how to pray in terms of the expressions, but the prayer will easily become hollow, have no actual contents and meanings.

And without contents and meanings, you cannot say that you prayed with your heart and soul, even if you spent hours in praying.

So, we should learn how to pray following the teachings in the Bible.

And, to that end, there is no greater teacher than Jesus himself and no greater example of prayer other than the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.

III.

The Structure

Lord’s prayer can be divided into three big parts.

Lord’s prayer can be divided into three big parts.

If we want to cover all things there are in Lord’s prayer phrase by phrase, we would need much more time.

Instead of doing that, we are going to divide the Lord’s prayer into three blocks, and then try to learn from Jesus’ teaching.

Ok?

If we want to cover all things there are in Lord’s prayer phrase by phrase, we would need much more time.

Instead of doing that, we are going to divide the Lord’s prayer into three blocks, and then try to learn from Jesus’ teaching.

Ok?

If you look at the Lord’s prayer carefully, you will find that the whole prayer can be divided into three main parts.

The first one is the first part of verse 9.  “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven’” which is the calling of the father.

This part tells us to whom we are praying.

The second part is from the second half of verse 9 to verse 10. “hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

And here we pray things about God.

The first one is the first part of verse 9.  “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven’” which is the calling of the father.

This part tells us to whom we are praying.

In the third part we pray about things about ourselves, which is from verse 11 to 13. “11 Give us today 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 the evil one.”

So, let’s look at some of the details in each part, shall we?

IV.

Who do we pray to?

We pray to God in heaven who is our father

First, Jesus teaches us to pray to God in heaven.

But not just any God in heaven, but God in heaven who is the father of ours.

You know, Israelites prayed, too.

We know from the Bible Daniel prayed even when King forbade praying to other than himself.

Nehemiah prayed when the King he was serving asked him the reason why he looked so sad in his face.

But, we don’t see anywhere in the Old Testament we could pray to God who is in heaven by calling him our father.

First, Jesus teaches us to pray to God in heaven.

But not just any God in heaven, but God in heaven who is the father of ours.

You know, Israelites prayed, too.

We know from the Bible Daniel prayed even when King forbade praying to other than himself.

Nehemiah prayed when the King he was serving asked him the reason why he looked so sad in his face.

But, we don’t see anywhere in the Old Testament we could pray to God who is in heaven by calling him our father.

I wonder how much of you are appreciated being sons and daughters of your current father and mother.

Some of you might have only father or only mother.

That counts as well.

And we can ask them when we need something.

From the very small things such as a quick ride to the nearby dollar tree, or buying a pack of donut on their way home, to the very big things such as paying for the college tuitions or helping you find a place to live when you have to live out of town because of the college or work.

They might say ‘no’ to you, but you can still ask them.

And even when they said ‘no’ at the first time, we could always ask them again, right?

I have a little brother in Korea who is three years younger than me.

And when I was in high school he was in middle school.

We loved playing video games.

Because I was older than him and thought that I knew our parents better than him, I said ‘no way’ when my little brother asked me if we have to ask dad for a play station one.

Yes, that’s true.

Play station one.

Hope this makes you respect me some more for having played the legendary game console.

I thought there is no way our strict mom and dad would let us buy the gaming console, right?

Guess what?

When my little brother asked them, they agreed to buy that!

I was so surprised.

I should have just asked, right?

Anyways, we could play that together all along.

And, two year, I think, has passed and my brother came to me and said to me again.

Hyong, Hyong, Do you think we can ask dad for play station 2? I was so sure that time.

I said, No— you would only make dad mad, there is no way he would buy that to us.

To my shame, my little brother went for it anyways.

But guess what?

Dad gave us an affirmative answer!

What?

How is that possible?

Anyways, we went to this game place and bought the play station 2 with happiness.

And we donated our play station 1 to the other kids who lived in china back then.

What do you think made my little brother dare to ask mom and dad for the gaming console, not only once but twice!? Yes, I do think it was possible for him because he was younger and had little understanding of financial things compare to me.

But still I do think he had this faith that he could ask anything to the father.

The answer could be no.

But he did not afraid of taking that answer.