The Paternity of Prayer- Part 2

Bill Woody

The Lord's Prayer • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Matthew 6:5–15

Prayer

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The Paternity of Prayer Part 2

Text: Matthew 6:5–15 (KJV 1900)

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:

* I want to interject right here, before we read any further this morning, and remind you that the text that we are dealing with this morning, The Lord’s prayer, is a continuation of the Sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5.

* Remember that the main, or over reaching theme, of the entire Sermon on the Mount, or what we call the Beatitudes, is to show that the religion that the scribes and the Pharisees were teaching the people was entirely inadequate.

* Matthew 5:20 is the key to the entire Sermon on the Mount, which includes our text this morning in chapter 6, The Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 5:20 (KJV 1900)

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

* Now I want you to see that the praying of the scribes and the Pharisees did not meet God’s standards, because of a very specific and simple reason-

* The scribes and Pharisees had the attitude that prayer was for them! Their praying was all wrong!

* Now, as we deal with the Lord ’s Prayer for the next few weeks, we are going to see that in the Lord’s prayer, Jesus teaches that the true purpose of praying, is that prayer is for God, and not for us!

* We have been taught that prayer is for us to get God’s attention, in order to get God to do things for us- and that is entirely backwards!

* Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer that the true purpose of Prayer is for God to get our attention, in order that we might do things for Him!

* In the Lord’s Prayer we have several phrases:

- First of all- “Our Father which art in Heaven” indicating right off the bat that the purpose of praying is for “Our Father.”

- Then we have the phrase, “hallowed be thy name” indicating that praying is for the purpose of hallowing the name of God.

- Then we have the phrase, “thy kingdom come,” indicating that praying is for the purpose of furthering the kingdom of God.

- Then, and only after we have firmly established that the purpose for praying is for God, do we have the phrases “Give us- our daily bread”- and “Lead us not into temptation,” and “Forgive us our debts.

* Now, with this in mind, we see another indicator that the purpose of prayer is not primarily for us, but for God. Look with me at our text in Matthew 6 and verse 8

Matthew 6:8 (KJV 1900)

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

* Again here we see that the primary purpose for praying, is not for us to tell God things he doesn’t know- the purpose for prayer is not change God’s mind into helping us with our agenda-

* but the purpose for prayer is for changing our minds to line up with the Father’s will, and to teach us to hallow the Father’s name, and to teach us to further the Father’s kingdom causes!

* This is exactly why Jesus said “Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you!

* Now, as if to underscore the significance that praying is for God, and not for us, Jesus closed the Lord ’s Prayer once again with the phrase:

Matthew 6:13 (KJV 1900)

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

* Notice the colon and then Jesus plainly states the purpose for praying…

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

* Now, with this in mind, we find Jesus telling his disciples in the Lord’s Prayer not to pray like the scribes and Pharisees pray,

because their praying is inadequate, -their praying, like their teaching of the Law, did not measure up to the standards of God.

* In this study we will be looking at what Jesus emphasizes as correct praying in contrast to how the scribes and the Pharisees prayed.

* In verse 5 or our text, Jesus said:

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:

* In our study we will see that the kind of praying that God honors will always be focused on God and His will and purposes in our life, and when that attitude is right, then we can pray for our needs and desires according to the will of God and have our prayers answered.

* We are so ignorant about how we should pray that the Holy Spirit has to come help us pray!

Romans 8:26–27 (KJV 1900)

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:

but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,

because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

James 4:2–3 (KJV 1900)

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

* Oh how our Heavenly Father is patient with us in prayer because of our ignorance!

* Now, with all these things in mind, let’s go back and read our entire text, the Lord’s Prayer, again:

Text: Matthew 6:5–15 (KJV 1900)

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:

for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

( For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.)

Introduction:

* For the sake of time this morning, I will try not to repeat any of the information that we have already covered in this series of sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, but I will need to stick to the particular phrase of the Lord’s Prayer that we are dealing with this morning.

* Look with me now at our test in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 9 at the first phrase of what we call the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father, which art in Heaven…

* We covered some things that did not tell us about praying last Sunday.

* We saw that Jesus doesn't teach us a specific time, a specific place, a specific posture is any better than another when it comes to praying, but that everything Jesus taught in the Lord’s prayer had to do with the attitude of our heart about God.

* In verse 10 in our text Jesus said:

“Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

* As with anything else in the Christians life, true prayer focuses on God’s will, and not our will.

* In verse 10 Jesus also said:

“Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…

* The kind of praying that pleases God will focus on God’s kingdom, and not our kingdom that we have created for our own selves, on this earth.

* Jesus said in verse 7 of our text:

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

* In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gave us a model prayer, not to be used as a prayer that we quote verbatim, the way that we normally use the Lord’s Prayer, but as a guide to helps us shape our praying into praying that will please the Father.

* This series of sermons that we are in this morning is broken down into an outline that teaches us what our focus should be when we pray.

I. God’s Paternity

* The pattern Jesus gives us to pray correctly begins with God's paternity, Our Father who art in heaven.

II. God's priority

* And then we see that prayer should focus on God's priority, His Holiness… hallowed be Thy name."

III. God's program

* And then we see we are to focus on God's program, "Thy kingdom come."

IV. God's purpose

* And then we see that we are to pray according to God's purpose, "Thy will be done."

V. God's provision

* And then we see that we are to pray for God's provision in His own way, "Give us this day our daily bread."

VI. God's pardon

* And then we are to pray remembering how that God has pardoned us, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…"

VII. God's protection

* Then Jesus teaches us to pray for God's protection against evil, "Lead us not, but deliver us from evil…"

VIII. God's preeminence

* And then Jesus teaches us that we are to pray see God's preeminence in prayer, He says “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.”

* Jesus taught us that all prayer should focus on God and His Glory if it is to be prayer that is not like the hypocrites pray.

* Now I want you to understand this morning that a man's concept of God, or in other word, what a man sees in his mind that God is like, determines the attitude with which he prays to God.

* W looked last Sunday at the first point of Jesus outline for praying, The Paternity of God…

The first phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is “Our father which art in Heaven…

* We only made it through the first point of our sermon about “Our father which are in Heaven.

* I will attempt this morning to take up where we left off last Sunday as we talked about the phrase “Our father which art in Heaven:”

Illustration:

Jesus Points Us to the Father-Heart of God

* When Jesus was on earth, His whole message was: “Come meet My Dad!”

* “Look at Me,” He said, “and see what My Father is like.” “See how I imitate Him!”

* Jesus pointed people to the Father-heart of God.

* Jesus came to this earth to make known to men who the Father is and what the Father is like.

* When Philip came to Jesus asking for Jesus to show Him the Father, He informed Philip “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

* Jesus came in order to reveal the Father to us. The book of Hebrews says that Jesus is the “the exact representation of the Father’s being” (Heb. 1:3).

Illustration:

* When asked what do you perceive a father to be? A young child answered:

* “What is a father?” A boy answered, “A father is a person who has pictures in his wallet where he used to have money.”

* Just as this child saw his father as someone who would give all his money to care for his children, we too are to perceive our heavenly father to be one who is will to give all he has from his great store in Heaven, in order to show his love for us!

* Our Father proved this when He gave His precious Son to be sacrificed on the cross to pay for our sins.

John 3:16 (KJV 1900)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

* We can see that our Heavenly father is willing to give us all that He has Romans chapter 8 and verses 31-39- Turn with me now and let’s look at this passage for a minute.

Romans 8:32–39 (KJV 1900)

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

What exactly did Jesus mean when He said to pray to Our Father which art in Heaven?

* I Think that it is important to note that we have an example of Jesus Himself praying in the Garden the Night before He died on the cross.

* I think in this prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden, He illustrated for us what he meant when He taught us to pray “Our Father which art in Heaven.

* In that intimate prayer between Jesus and His Father, Jesus does not use the Generic word for a father, but He used a particular word- Jesus used the Aramaic world Abba, which is the same world a little child would have used when he was in his father’s lap.

* In the English language the closes word to Abba is daddy.

* Charles Spurgeon said of this word:

“I think this sweet word, “Abba,” was chosen to show us that we are to be very natural with God, and not stilted and formal.

We are to be very affectionate and come close to Him, and not merely say “patçr,” which is a cold Greek word, but say “Abba,” which is a warm, natural, loving word, fit for one who is a little child with God, and makes bold to lie in His bosom and look up into His face and talk with holy boldness.

- Spergeon

* We as believers are encouraged to use the same sweet word when we pray to our “Father which are in Heaven also in:

Romans 8:15 (KJV 1900)

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:6–7 (KJV 1900)

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

* If you want to know how God feels about his children that come to Him in prayer, then consider how you feel toward your own children when they suffer.

* I had a dream once that my youngest son was driving his car down the road and a great hole opened up and my son feel down into that hole.

* I think I must have been yelling down into that hole all night long in my sleep. When I woke I was in a wild panic! My heart was aching out of my chest as I had been crying out in agony for my son!

* It seemed that all night I had been in agony trying to save my son who was separated from me and afraid in that great deep pit!

* I have never felt any pain in my life like I was feeling as I woke up from that awful dream!

* My dear friends, I wish I could show you how vivid the picture of our Father’s love for is in the Bible!

* Please hear the message of encouragement from the lips of Jesus this morning for all those who have believed the Gospel and have God as their Father!

Psalm 103:8–14 (KJV 1900)

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide:

Neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

* Now here is the verse I want you to remember from this sermon this morning…

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

* Jesus says to us this morning that God is our Heavenly Father and He pities us like a father pities his child!

* God has implanted in the nature of his creatures on earth an illustration of His relationship to us- The Illustrations of the natural love of a father for his children!

* “Our Heavenly father who art in Heaven,” does not deviate from the natural instincts that He has given earthly fathers toward their children!

* We can learn from how we love our children, how our Heavenly Father, “which art in Heaven” loves us!

I. A loving father pities his children because they are ignorant!

* A loving father gives special care to not expect too much of his children because they don’t know anything!

* Your heavenly father knows your ignorance this morning, and is patient with you, and by the work of the Holy Spirit that He has placed within you, teaches us from His Word how to live in this world!

* You wouldn’t send your 4 year old out to change the tire on the car, and neither would your Heavenly Father expect of you more that you know how to do!

* When we first begin to learn to pray, James says that we don’t pray like we should:

James 4:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

* Jesus taught that the goal of Prayer is not to get what we want from God,

but true and right praying is seeking God in prayer, so that He might get from us what He wants from us- and that is the outline Jesus gave us here in the Lord’s Prayer:

* Our Heavenly Father is patient with us in prayer because of our ignorance! Prayer in not about us, it’s about Him!

* We are so ignorant about how we should pray that the Holy Spirit has to come help us pray!

* Oh how our Heavenly Father is patient with us in prayer because of our ignorance!

Preferring The Nickel

* A little girl approached her father and said, “Father, I want a nickel.” The father drew out his wallet and offered her a neat five-dollar bill.

* The little girl, being ignorant of what a five dollar bill was worth, would not take it.

* She said “I don’t want that, I want a nickel.”

* Most of the time we pray to our heavenly father like this little girl dealt with her earthly father.

* We spend our prayer time asking our Heavenly Father for some small favor, and miss out on blessings from our father a hundred times more valuable than what we pray for!

* Too often we pray in ignorance, spending all our time instructing God on how we think He should direct our lives and meet our needs in our little kingdom that we have built for ourselves here on this earth.

* In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us that we should instead be praying with the attitude that God might provide for us in the best way to serve His kingdom and His Will and His program for our lives!

* Oh how our Heavenly Father is patient with us in prayer because of our ignorance!

II. The second way in which we can learn about our heavenly father’s love for us, from how we love our own is the a loving father pities his children in their weakness.

* We don’t get mad at our children because they aren’t very strong, we pity them because their little bodies are weak.

* We are delicate and tender with our children because they are small and weak, and so our Heavenly Father is with us:

Psalm 103:14 (KJV 1900)

14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust…

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,

* When we come to God having to confess to him our failures, he pities us because of our weakness and is merciful to us because of our weakness.

* Now understand that God, just like an earthly father must discipline us when we fail, but He does not harden his heart against us.

* When our heavenly father disciplines us He hurts for us and with us, he pities us in the pain and discomfort of our discipline.

* I can understand the doctor or surgeon who is able to harden his compassions toward a child’s pain as he applies some painful medical treatment for his own good, but the father can’t take it like the doctor can- he has to leave the room!

* Many times the parents have to leave the room because they can’t take it!

Illustration:

Tim- Daddy, their killing me! Why are you letting them kill me!

* They can barely endure the grief that they are feeling because their child is suffering!

* This is the nature of a father’s pity for his children, and that is the nature of our Heavenly Father’s pity toward you and I when we suffer under the discipline of our heavenly father!

* When we endure the trials of our faith that intended to strengthen our faith- Our “Father in Heaven” pities his children!

* Even thought our heavenly father knows that our trials will work for our good, still He pities us and suffers with us!

Lamentations 3:31–33 (KJV 1900)

31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

III. Not only does our Heaven Father pities us because of our ignorance, and our weakness, but He pities us because of our foolishness.

* Have you ever been in a store or a restaurant when a child is acting unruly or foolish?

* I know we have all experienced this! You are in Wal-Mart, and all through the store some kid is screaming to the top of his lungs, cursing and swearing at his mother, pitching a temper tantrum!

* My reaction, because I am not the parent of this little hoodlum is tell the mother “why don’t you bust his little “asprin” and put a stop to this foolishness!

* But the parent doesn’t see things the same. They are looking at the child differently!

* Parents don’t stay mad at their children when they act foolishly, but they love them in spite of their foolishness!

* And so God pities his children when they act foolishly!

IV. Not only does our Heaven Father pities us because of our ignorance, and our weakness, and our foolishness, but He pities us when we sin against him.

* A loving father pities his children when they need forgiveness.

* Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? How that he demanded from his father everything that he was going to give him in an inheritance, and left home?

* Most of us think that this story was about the foolishness of the son, but the truth is that this is a story that represents the way God loves his children.

* The story of the Prodigal son is about a loving and patient father who loved both is sons- one who was un-righteous, and one who was self-righteous.

* In the same way, God, our heavenly father, loves us when we are unrighteous, and when we are puffed up in our own self-righteous, those are the two kinds of lost people in this world too, and both need to come to a father who is patient and loving, and wants to give them all that He has if they would only repent and come to Him for forgiveness!

* The father in the story represents how that God loves and pities his children, even when they sin.

* The father of the prodigal son did not treat his son with shame or in anger, but he had been waiting there for him, all the while he was living in sin.

* All the while the prodigal son was living in sin, the father was grieving for him!

* When the prodigal son found himself suffering in shame because of his sin, with nothing to eat by pig’s slop,- the father was pitying his son, and grieving because of his suffering!

* When the prodigal son came to his senses and repented, the father pitied him and received him back into his home, and the Bible says that he fell on his neck and Kissed him!

Psalm 103:8–14 (KJV 1900)

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide:

Neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

* Now here is the verse I want you to remember from this sermon this morning…

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

IV. Not only does our Heaven Father pity us because of our ignorance, and our weakness, and our foolishness, and our sin, but He pities lifts up his children when they are fallen!

* How many times do we remember as parents our children falling and hurting themselves!

* We sorrow for their pain! We rush to heal their wounds! We rush them to the emergency room or the doctor!

* When our children fall we pity them and lift them up, and take them to the doctors that they might restore them!

* God is not any less pitifully to his children when the fall!

* When our children fall in the mud and injure themselves, we don’t leave them lying there! – and neither does our Heavenly Father!

* David fell and mired himself up in sin with Bathsheba and he cried out to his heaven father and God had pity on him!

* We have the prayer that David said in Psalm 40:41:

Psalm 40:1–2 (KJV 1900)

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

V. Not only does our Heaven Father pity us because of our ignorance, and our weakness, and our foolishness, and our sin, He pities lifts up his children when they are fallen, but he delivers us from our fears like an earthly father!

Needless Fear

* The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves.

* On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test.

* He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone.

* Until this night, the boy had never been away from the security of the family and tribe.

* But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.

* When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods, and he was terrified.

* Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest.

* Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path.

* Then he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

* There is no need to fear this morning, He is always there to help us. He is only a prayer away!

Matthew 28:18–20 (KJV 1900)

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,

I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Romans 8:35 (KJV 1900)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 8:37–39 (KJV 1900)

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

VI. Our father also defends us when someone wrongs us!

* Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!

Mark 9:41–42 (KJV 1900)

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Conclusion:

* I will close my discussion of the phrase “our father which are in Heaven,” with a simple story that I read once:

In one of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman’s meetings a man arose to give the following remarkable testimony: “I got off at the Pennsylvania depot as a tramp, and for a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said, “Mister, please give me a dime.”

“As soon as I saw his face, I recognized my father. “Father, don’t you know me?” I asked. Throwing his arms around me, he cried, “I have found you; all I have is yours.” Men, think of it, that I, a tramp, stood begging my father for ten cents, when for eighteen years he had been looking for me to give me all he was worth!”

* I also say to you this morning- Think about it-

* “Our Father which art in Heaven” is looking for you to hear your prayers and give you everything he is worth!

* With this attitude, Jesus opens up his lesson on how to pray!

7140 To Make Sure Of Visits

One of Rabbi Ben Jochai’s scholars once asked him, “Why did not the Lord furnish enough manna to Israel for a year, all at one time?”

The teacher said, “I will answer you with a parable. Once there was a king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying him the entire sum on the fixed date. It soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day in the year when the father ever saw his son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day that which sufficed for the day; and then the son visited his father every morning. How he needed his father’s unbroken love, companionship, wisdom and giving! Thus God dealt with Israel and deals with us.”

III. We will go a step further now. In children there is something much worse than ignorance and weakness, and that is their childish follies.

You know how Jesus prayed for his murderers—“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And the Son is very like the Father: our Father does the same with us, he forgives us because we “know not what we do.”

IV. But children have something worse than follies, they have faults to be forgiven.

Now, our Father pities the faults of his children, and he shows his pity by this fact, that he has provided for their cleansing, and he freely gives them the use of that provision, and readily forgives them their iniquities

A good child, when it has done wrong, is never satisfied until it gets to the father and says so, and asks the father’s forgiveness. Some fathers, perhaps, think it wise to withhold the forgiving word for a little time; so may our great Father, but as a rule is it not wonderful how readily he forgives? He does for a little time, perhaps, make us smart under the sin for our good, but it is not often: as a rule, the kiss is on our cheek almost before the confession has left our lips.

So we see Peter in company with John and the rest of the brethren within two or three days of his committing that serious trespass

(The illustration of Jesus and going after the one that was lost)

( The illustration of the woman caught in adultry- "Neither do I condemn the, go and sin no more."

V. Go a step further. A father’s pity tenderly lifts up those that fall

5353 Father More Anxious To Find Boy

One Sunday night D. L. Moody preached in a big circus tent near the Columbian Exposition in Chicago from the text, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save the lost.” After he had finished, a little boy was brought to the platform by an officer who had found the child wandering in the crowd, lost. Mr. Moody took him in his arms and asked the crowd to look at the lost child. Said he: “The father is more anxious to find the boy than the boy is to be found. It is just so with our Heavenly Father, for long years He has been following you, oh, sinner. He is following you still!”

At that moment a man with a blanched face elbowed his way to the platform. The boy saw him and, running, threw himself into his father’s outstretched arms. The multitude that witnessed the scene, broke into a mighty cheer. “Thus,” cried Mr. Moody, “will God receive you if you will only run to Him today.”

The illustration by Jesus of the story of two sons.

SUGGESTED SERMON

The Elder Brother Syndrome

Adapted from a message by Andrew Murray

Scripture: Luke 15:11–32, especially verse 31: And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.”

Introduction: The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the best-loved of our Lord’s stories, but we often neglect the plight of the elder son who complained that though his father had made a feast for the prodigal, he himself had never received so much as a kid that he might make merry with his friends. The father’s answer was, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” If we’re honest, many of us are suffering from the “Elder Son Syndrome.” Notice:

1. The High Privilege of the Children of God. Verse 31 contains two rich privileges for Christians:

A. Unbroken Fellowship with the Father. “Son, you are always with me.” God is always near us; we can dwell every hour of our lives in His presence. In the Old Testament, Enoch and Noah walked with God (Gen. 5:22; 6:9). God told Jacob, “Behold, I am with you” (Gen. 28:15). He told Moses, “My presence will go with you” (Ex. 33:14), and God’s presence with Israel distinguished them from other nations. Our Savior promised He would be with us always and that the Father and Son will make Their abode with us. Christians should live every moment in fellowship with God. That presence is with us wherever we go; and in all kinds of trouble, we have undisturbed repose and peace.

B. Unlimited Blessings from the Father. “And all that I have is yours.” In Matthew 7:11, Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” John 1:16 says, “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” (niv). Ephesians 1:3 says that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Also see 1 Cor. 1:4, 5 and 3:21–23.) Is not that the meaning of the wonderful promises given in connection with prayer? Whatever you ask the Father, He will give (John 15:16). Yes, there it is. That is the life of the children of God, as He Himself has pictured it to us—unbroken fellowship and unlimited blessings.

2. The Low Experience of Too Many of Us. But he enjoyed neither. The elder son had served his father “these many years,” yet he complained that his father had never given him a kid, though the prodigal received a fatted calf. His father gave him everything, yet he never enjoyed it. Is this not the life of many a believer?

3. The Cause for This Discrepancy Between God’s Gifts and Our Low Experience. Why this discrepancy? Simply because, not believing he would get it, he lived in constant murmuring and dissatisfaction. The elder son thought he was serving his father faithfully in his father’s house, but it was in the spirit of bondage and not in the spirit of a child, so that his unbelief blinded him to the conception of his father’s love and kindness. He was unable all the time to see that his father was ready, not only to give him a kid, but a hundred, or a thousand, if he would have them. If our experience is similar, it is because of unbelief in the love and power of God. Unbelief made the wilderness experience a wilderness experience for the Israelites, and for many of us. If we really believed in the infinite love of God, His power and promises, what a change it would make!

4. The Way to Restoration. The younger son “came to himself,” (v. 7), that is, he came to his senses and turned his steps toward home. That’s also the first step for those who have been living in the Father’s house but not trusting His love, enjoying His presence, or claiming His promises. The Father says to us, “You must repent and believe that I love you, that I am always with you, and that all I have is yours.”

Conclusion: Many children of God need to confess that though they are His children, they are not willing for God to fill their hearts all day long with His blessed presence or to fill their lives with His blessings. May the Lord God work this conviction in the hearts of all cold believers, so that they may be led into the blessedness of His presence and enjoy the fullness of His power and love.

When your child falls down, as children are very apt to do, especially when they first begin to walk, do not you pity them? Is there a nasty cut across the knee, and it cries, the mother takes it up in her arms directly, and she has some sponge and water to take the grit out of the wound, and she gives a kiss and makes it well.

Have not some of you felt that you would gladly take your children’s pains if they might be restored?

Paying the Price

In his book More Than a Carpenter, Josh McDowell uses a simple illustration to show what God was doing for us at the cross of Christ. He wrote: An incident that took place several years ago in California illuminates what Jesus did on the cross.… A young woman was picked up for speeding. She was ticketed and taken before the judge. The judge read off the citation and said, “Guilty or not guilty?” The woman replied, “Guilty.” The judge brought down the gavel and fined her $100 or ten days. Then an amazing thing took place. The judge stood up, took off his robe, walked down around in front, took out his billfold, and paid the fine. What’s the explanation of this? The judge was her father. He loved his daughter, yet he was a just judge. His daughter had broken the law, and he couldn’t just say to her, “Because I love you so much, I forgive you. You may leave.” If he had done that, he wouldn’t have been a righteous judge.… But he loved his daughter so much he was willing to take off his judicial robe and come down in front and represent her as her father and pay the fine.

It were a pity that they should be willing to lie in the mire; but when they are up again, and begin crying, and the wound bleeds—well, let them not keep away from God, “For like as a father pities his fallen child, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.”

David said that God picked him up out of the miry clay and set his feet upon a rock!

Well, it may be others of you have children who have mental troubles; the body is healthy, but the little one has a fret and a worry. I hope you sometimes have seen your children weeping on account of sin; it is a blessed grief, and the sooner it comes the better. In such a grief as that, as indeed in all others, I am quite sure you pity your children. So ever doth your Father pity you. Broken heart, God’s heart is longing to heal you. Weeping, weeping for thy transgressions, the Father longs to clasp thee to his bosom.

When God chose to enter His own creation in the form of his own son, Jesus the Living World of God, a permanent change was made in the third part of the God-head! When Jesus ascended back to heaven, He was not changed back into what He was before He became a man, but He ascended back into Heaven the the form of a man! A man who has experienced the sorrow and pain of life in this world! An the Bible says that He is at the throne of the father where He is making intercession on behalf of us, having experienced life on this earth as a man. And this very moment Jesus is still a man! "Rev. the son of man"

I want you to know that your sufferings touch the tender, compassionate heart of God when you pray! When the apostle John prayed Jesus put his hand on his shoulder and said "don't be afraid."

Jesus is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother!

VI. Still passing on, our children have our pity when anybody has wronged them.

I have heard say that there are some men that you might insult, almost with impunity, and should you even give them a blow they would stop to ask the reason before showing any resentment; but if you put a hand on their children, you shall see the father’s blood come up into his face, and the most patient man will, of a sudden, become the most passionate.

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?” I tell you that he will avenge them speedily, though he bear long with the adversary. “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.”

Christ seemed to sit still in heaven till he saw the blood of his saints shed, and then he stood up as in indignation when they stoned Stephen. You remember how he cries, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” It was himself that suffered, though his saints were made to die. Leave, then, your wrongs with God. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,” and let your reply be always gentleness and kindness towards those who hate you for righteousness’ sake.

VII. And now, once more, the father will pity his children so as not only to set right their wrongs, but to remove his children’s dreads.

There are some people in the world that seem to take delight in frightening children with old bogey stories so that they hardly dare go out at night, but a kind father, if he finds his child frightened so, explains it all to him,—he does not like to see him blanched with fear or haunted with terror

There are some of our hymns that always speak of death as associated with pains and groans and agonizing strife. Very much of that is old bogey.

Go to your heavenly Father and tell him you are frightened, and he has ways of taking away these fears, for though they may be ridiculous to some, a child’s dreads are never too frivolous for the sympathy of a loving father, but he meets them as if there were some great reality in them, and so sets them aside. Whatsoever then your want, your woe, your grief, hie away to your great Father’s mercy-seat and spread it there, and he will give you comfort; and ever more believe from this night forward that God does pity all them that fear him, and whatever he sees of weakness in their nature and of sorrow in their lot he will help them.

Conclusion:

The attitude of Obedience to the Father:

Matthew 7:21 (KJV 1900)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

John 14:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Matthew 12:50 (KJV 1900)

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Proverbs 3:11–12 (KJV 1900)

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; Neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Hebrews 12:9

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Suffering the chastisement of a loving father:

Hebrews 12:5–13 (KJV 1900)

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

So the heavenly Father is waiting for you. Why not receive the unsearchable riches in Christ now?

1 Peter 5:5–7 (KJV 1900)

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

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Psalm 103:1–13 (KJV 1900)

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness And judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: Neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

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The attitude of Faith in the Father's goodness:

Psalm 34:7–10 (KJV 1900)

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: For there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

His goodness as a provider:

Matthew 6:24–34 (KJV 1900)

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 7:7–11 (KJV 1900)

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Luke 11 (KJV 1900)

11 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

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The attitude toward God a one who freely forgives:

Luke 15:11–32 (KJV 1900)

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Our status as children of God will affect our attitudes about prayer:

John 1:12

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Galatians 4:3–7 (KJV 1900)

3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Romans 8:14–28 (KJV 1900)

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

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Stats, Stories and More

He Owned It All

In west Texas there is a famous oil field known as the Yates pool. During the depression this field was a sheep ranch, owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family, like many others, had to live on a government subsidy. Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling west Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would be able to pay his bills.

Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told Mr. Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease.

At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve, giving 80,000 barrels a day. In fact, thirty years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed that it still could flow 125,000 barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he purchased the land he received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he was living on relief. A multimillionaire living in poverty: What was the problem? He did not know the oil was there. He owned it, but he did not possess it. That is like many Christians today who don’t realize how rich they are in Christ.—Parables, Etc.

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHERHOOD OF GOD

I. Old Testament

A. There is a sense that God is father by means of creation:

1. Gen. 1:26–27

2. Mal. 2:10

3. Acts 17:28

B. Father is an analogy used in several senses:

1. father of Israel (by election)

a. “Son”—Exod. 4:22; Deut. 14:1; 34:5; Isa. 1:2; 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:19; 31:20; Hosea 1:10; 11:1; Mal. 1:6

b. “firstborn”—Exod. 4:22; Jer. 31:9

2. father of the king of Israel (Messianic)

a. 2 Sam. 7:11–16

b. Ps. 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5

c. Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:15

3. analogy of a loving parent

a. father (metaphor)

(1) carries his son—Deut. 1:31

(2) disciplines—Deut. 8:5; Pro. 3:12

(3) provides (i.e., Exodus)—Deut. 32:1

(4) will never forsake—Ps. 27:10

(5) loves—Ps. 103:13

(6) friend/guide—Jer. 3:4

(7) healer/forgiver—Jer. 3:22

(8) mercy giver—Jer. 31:20

(9) trainer—Hosea 11:1–4

(10) special son—Mal. 3:17

b. mother (metaphor)

(1) will never forsake—Ps. 27:10

(2) love of a nursing mother—Isa. 49:15; 66:9–13 and Hosea 11:4 (with the proposed textual emendation of “yoke” to “infant”)

II. New Testament

A. The Trinity (texts where all three are mentioned)

1. Gospels

a. Matt. 3:16–17; 28:19

b. John 14:26

2. Paul

a. Rom. 1:4–5; 5:1, 5; 8:1–4, 8–10

b. 1 Cor. 2:8–10; 12:4–6

c. 2 Cor. 1:21; 13:14

d. Gal. 4:4–6

e. Eph. 1:3–14, 17; 2:18; 3:14–17; 4:4–6

f. I Thess. 1:2–5

g. 2 Thess. 2:13

h. Titus 3:4–6

3. Peter-1 Pet. 1:2

4. Jude—vv. 20–21

B. Jesus

1. Jesus as “only begotten”—John 1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9

2. Jesus as “Son of God”—Matt. 4:3; 14:33; 16:16; Luke 1:32, 35; John 1:34, 49; 6:69; 11:27

3. Jesus as Beloved Son—Matt. 3:17; 17:5

4. Jesus’ use of abba for God—Mark 14:36

5. Jesus’ use of pronouns to show both His and our relationship to God

a. “My Father,” e.g., John 5:18; 10:30, 33; 19:7; 20:17

b. “your Father,” e.g., Matt. 17:24–27

c. “our Father,” e.g., Matt. 6:9, 14, 26

C. Family metaphors to describe the intimate relationship between God and humankind:

1. God as Father

2. Believers as

a. sons of God

b. children

c. born of God

d. born again

e. adopted

f. brought forth

g. family of God

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Rev. C. H. Spurgeon,

at the music hall, royal surrey gardens.

“Our Father which art in heaven.”—Matt. 6:9.

I think there is room for very great doubt, whether our Saviour intended the prayer, of which our text forms a part, to be used in the manner in which it is commonly employed among professing Christians. It is the custom of many persons to repeat it as their morning prayer, and they think that when they have repeated these sacred words they have done enough. I believe that this prayer was never intended for universal use. Jesus Christ taught it not to all men, but to his disciples, and it is a prayer adapted only to those who are the possessors of grace, and are truly converted. In the lips of an ungodly man it is entirely out of place. Doth not one say, “Ye are of your father the devil, for his works ye do?” Why, then, should ye mock God by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven.” For how can he be your Father? Have ye two Fathers? And if he be a Father, where is his honour? Where is his love? You neither honour nor love him, and yet you presumptuously and blasphemously approach him, and say, “Our Father,” when your heart is attached still to sin, and your life is opposed to his law, and you therefore prove yourself to be an heir of wrath, and not a child of grace! Oh! I beseech you, leave off sacrilegiously employing these sacred words; and until you can in sincerity and truth say, “Our Father which art in heaven,” and in your lives seek to honour his holy name, do not offer to him the language of the hypocrite, which is an abomination to him.

I very much question also, whether this prayer was intended to be used by Christ’s own disciples as a constant form of prayer. It seems to me that Christ gave it as a model, whereby we are to fashion all our prayers, and I think we may use it to edification, and with great sincerity and earnestness, at certain times and seasons. I have seen an architect form the model of a building he intends to erect of plaster or wood; but I never had an idea that it was intended for me to live in. I have seen an artist trace on a piece of brown paper, perhaps, a design which he intended afterwards to work out on more costly stuff; but I never imagined the design to be the thing itself. This prayer of Christ is a great chart, as it were: but I cannot cross the sea on a chart. It is a map; but a man is not a traveller because he puts his fingers across the map. And so a man may use this form of prayer, and yet be a total stranger to the great design of Christ in teaching it to his disciples. I feel that I cannot use this prayer to the omission of others. Great as it is, It does not express all I desire to say to my Father which is in heaven. There are many sins which I must confess separately and distinctly; and the various other petitions which this prayer contains require, I feel, to be expanded, when I come before God in private; and I must pour out my heart in the language which his Spirit gives me; and more than that, I must trust in the Spirit to speak the unutterable groanings of my spirit, when my lips cannot actually express all the emotions of my heart. Let none despise this prayer; it is matchless, and if we must have forms of prayer, let us have this first, foremost, and chief; but let none think that Christ would tie his disciples to the constant and only use of this. Let us rather draw near to the throne of the heavenly grace with boldness, as children coming to a father, and let us tell forth our wants and our sorrows in the language which the Holy Spirit teacheth us.

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