Disciples Devotion: Prayer

Review:

We have covered Matthew 5 so far in our study of the Sermon on the Mount which covers Matthew 5-7. It’s the Manifesto of Kingdom Dwellwers. When I say that, I’m referring to those who are in the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is the focus of the Sermon on the Mount it is a “discipleship moment” or I prefer the concept of “Spiritual Formation” That as we are transformed by learning (Romans 12:1-2) we are shaping our spirit or our soul into Christlikeness.

Now I want to briefly share where we’ve been and where we are going today -

A Disciples Attitudes - Matthew 5:3-12

A Disciples Influence - Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus the Law and Prophets - Matthew 5:17-20

Kingdom Righteousness - Matthew 5:21-48

Kingdom Reality vs Pharisaical Hypocrisy (THIS IS WHERE WE WILL BEGIN TODAY) - Matthew 6:1-34

Wisdom and Folly Personified Matthew 7

Two things are important to remember as you study the sermon on the mount

Jesus is talking to Disciples - those who are born again. In fact the Sermon on the Mount is an impossibility without Saving Grace

The Sermon on the Mount runs on two tracks Blessed - “markarios” How to have the blessed life. The life of joy and of divine approval. and “teleios” or perfect, mature, Christlike.

Introduction:

In this idea of Kingdom Reality vs Pharisaical Hypocrisy Jesus uses the three major forms of piety we might call them means of grace to show the difference between thos who are in His Kingdom and those who are not or Kingdom Righteousness and The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. Remember Jesus contrasts those all the way through this sermon.

The three things Jesus uses to contrast these are:

Almsgiving - Matthew 6:1-4

Prayer - Matthew 5-15

Fasting - Matthew 5:16- 18

Then Jesus takes a little switch and begins to talk about Kingdom dwellers and wealth and worry - that should be fun when we get there...

But we have four more session left so I want ot break this chapter up just a little - we are going to get out of order Chronologically but that is ok - it shouldn’t mess with the meaning of the Word at all.

Today I want to focus on the main means of Grace that Jesus did Prayer.

A few caveats before we begin -

I have not mastered the art of prayer - I’m still learning to pray

I’ve had enough prayers answered to keep on trying to learn - so I appreaciate anytime Jesus or the Bible gives any instructions on prayer at all.

Read: Matthew 6:5-15

Lets read the scripture - When we get down to verse 9 would you read out loud or quote the Lord’s prayer with me please -

Matthew 6:6–15 KJV 1900

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. 14 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.

In this teaching on prayer Jesus does more than teach about the words we say - We could outline this section like this

Jesus teaches where we should pray Matthew 6:5-6

Jesus teaches How Not to Pray Matthew 6:6-7

Jesus Teaches How To Pray Matthew 6:9-5

Where to Pray - Matthew 6:5-6

Matthew 6:5–6 KJV 1900

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. 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.

The first thing to note is that Jesus uses a word that he hasn’t used before - we will talk more about this word tomorrow - but he uses the word “hypocrites”

What is a hypocrite? Briefly; “The term hypocrite comes from the ancient Greek “theater” and refers to a person who plays a role rather than being that person in real life. We take the English derivative to mean not practicing what your are preaching a phony. That’s not the meaning of the word in original context. The actor isn’t trying to be the person he depicts he is simply playing a role. In the church leaders play roles that do not represent what they are living out of or into. Jesus doesn’t want actors or pretenders.” Ben Witherington

So don’t play pray but truly pray.

Now Jesus never condemns them for standing when they pray, In fact standing is the normal Jewish posture for prayer.- but he does condemn praying to be seen of men and not heard by God.

Prayer isn’t to be used to build a reputation for piety but solely for engagement with God. The “hypocrites” pray to be seen of men to make then look spiritual (By the way - the Scribes and Pharisees are called hypocrites by Jesus at least 7 times in Matthew 23 alone - I have no doubt that is who he is referring to in this passage as well.)

Jesus is showing us Kingdom Reality versus Pharisaical Hypocrisy

Hypocrites love the glory, and status, and being in the sight of men - instead of their Father’s reward.

I think that is one of the saddest scriptures in the Bible - “ Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

I sometimes tease my boys around the fourth of July - there is something about boys, noise, and blowing things up but in reality you are just letting your money go up in smoke - you could use those funds to purchase something that would give you a lifetime of enjoyment - but fireworks are so temporary - as soon as the wick and pyowder is gone you’ve had your reward

Jesus is saying there is a Heavenly reward that is worth striving for - a promise in Kingdom Praying.

Jesus goes on and says

Matthew 6:6 KJV 1900

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.

Now this is not excluding corporate prayer - like the early morning prayer service, or when we have prayer together in church - but that should not be our only times of prayer - and the promise of reward is there for those who enter into the closet to pray.

I like that word - “Thy Closet” - that word referred to a storage room or where you kept supplies, or treasures -

It implies that treasures are already waiting on us when we pray.

There are many Open rewards to Hidden prayer we could list and that would be a tremendous study I wish I had time to go into here but we will have to forego that for now.

So where to pray - its not wrong to pray in public - Jesus isn’t condemning that - but it is wrong to pray to be seen of men

You are more apt to pray in the proper attitude at home in secret

But its not just where to pray - Jesus next gives instruction on...

How Not to Pray Matthew 6:7-8

The Danger of vain repetitions -

Its how the heathens try to attract the attention and favor of their gods

We have a totally different God - who never slumbers or sleeps - you don’t have to get His attention. He doesn’t take journeys off into far distant places - He doesn’t get so busy with other people or creating other planets that He doesn’t have time for you. You don’t have to yell to get HIs attention

One of the biggest oxymorons in the Bible is when wwe have to refer to God as The Living God

The gods of man made by human hands are lifeless

They have ears but they can’t hear

They have eyes but they can’t see

They have hands and feet but they can’t act

The Living God - The I AM - Yahweh

Doesn’t have ears but can hear

Doesn’t have eyes but can see

Doesn’t have hands and feet but can act.

We dont’ have incantations, or spells or specific prayers - we don’t even have to repeat the same phrase over and over to be heard.

I realize out of desparation or for emphasis or intensity of praying we do but we don’t have to

I would encourage you to go through and read all of the prayers in the Bible and let God use those to teach you how to pray.

What Jesus is teaching is to pray in faith - Your Father the Living God knows what your needs are before you ask him - If he already knows, you don’t have to worry yourself over whether or not he will hear you.

So Jesus has said, where to pray, how not to pray Now he tells us..

How to Pray (Matthew 6:9-15)

Now I understand the danger of cold formality - but I think Protestant Christianity has done itself a disfavor by only using this as a pattern. I know Jesus says “after this manner” but if you read Church History and I don’t mean just from a few hundred years ago - early early Christianity prayed this prayer often.

By the second century in the Didache (deed- a - kay) it says to pray it three times a day.

There are three forms of the Lord’s Prayer as we have come to call it in early Christian literature

Two in the New Testament and the other in the Didache (deed- a - kay) which is not considered scripture it was a teaching mechanism of the early church.

Matthew records his version here where Jesus is teaching Kingdom Dwellers how to properly and improperly pray contrasting the hypocrite and the righteous

Luke 11:2-4 records the prayer as an answer to the Disciples request: “Lord teach us to pray”

I am texted occasionly a devotional by a Church of God Holiness Pastor and one of those recently was on the Spirit of the Lord’s Prayer. I appreciated this and want to share it with you

A. The Unselfish Spirit (Our)

B. The Filial Spirit (Father)

C. A Reverent Spirit (Hallowed) be Thy name

D. A loyal spirit (Thy Kingdom Come)

E. A Submissive Spirit (Thy will be done)

F. A dependent Spirit (Give us this day our daily bread)

G. A Penitent Spirit - (forgive us our debts)

H. A Humble Spirit - (Do not lead us into temptation)

He goes on to say the spirit in which we pray is more important than the words - I would tend to agree.

A few things to note:

Jesus says to pray “Our Father” he doesn’t use big ambiguous vague non relational word - but he gets to one of the most intimate of relationships - FATHER

He wants us to recognize not just our position - but in Salvation it is a RELATIONSHIP as Kingdom Dwellers, yes we are subject to the Ruler of the Kingdom but that ruler just happens to be Our Father.

Next he says “Hallowed by Thy name” we sometimes say Glorify Thy name or Sanctify Thy name - Sometimes I’m afraid we forget how HOly HIS NAME IS!!! There is a reason we are commanded to Honor HIs Name and not take it in vain.

“Thy Kingdom Come” Now there is a controversy among scholars as to what Jesus is talking about here - was He referring to the Kingdom Jesus came to pout together or is he referring to when Jesus comes again?

“God’s will be done” This is interesting if God is sovereing and in complete control which I believe He is - why does he say to pray this? “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”

I think for a couple of reasons

He is bringing Kingdom Dwellers into participation with the plan of God

He is bringing about a submission in our praying to the will of God

Give us this day our daily bread - dependence upon God for the very sustenance of life.

There was a tall commercial grain silo in Beersheva, at the center of the biblical Negev, which had a quote from Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah painted on the side: “Without bread [literally “flour”] there is no Torah; without Torah there is no bread!” (m. Avot 3:18). This seems like a “Catch-22”. If you do not have bread, you will die of starvation and not be able to study Torah. On the other hand, if you do not read and obey the Torah then God will not send the rain in its season and you will not have grain to make bread! The bottom line is this: If you want bread, study and obey the Word of God

Forgive as we forgive - Now Matthew uses the word “debts” Luke uses the word “sins” which I think Jesus is refering to in both places. But do Kingdom dwellers sin? Do Christians sin? Can I shock you and say YES

Now before you call me a heretic let me explain - I did not ask do Christians sin willfully - I asked do Christians sin

The Bible talks about four types of sin - Four types of sin

Willful Sin against the known law of God EXAMPLE Adam

Deception – Violating God’s Word - but you now believe what you once thought was wrong is now ok. EXAMPLE Eve John 7:17 to protect from deception

Highhanded - Knowing violation of God’s Word you don’t care

Sin of ignorance – Violate God’s word unknowingly EXAMPLE Lev 4 Numb 15 Sins of surprise (Ignorance)

We as Holiness people like to simplify the concept of sin and perhaps rightfully so as “a willful known transgression. But our Standard of Sin or what makes a sin is a Violation of Scripture (The BIBLE) Never the Absolute Perfection of God Himself.

I John 3:4—Classic passage that defines an act of sin -- “sin is the transgression of the law” The standard for conduct and for determining sin is God’s law – His Word. Sin is sin because it transgresses God’s Word. Other NT passages that provide definitions of sin are:

Romans 14:23 – whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

James 4:17 - he that knoweth to do good and doeth it not is sin.

1 John 5:17 - all unrighteousness is sin.

So what sin Is Jesus talking about here?

Have you ever really looked at 1 John 1:7

1 John 1:7 KJV 1900

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

That word “Cleanseth” is in the present tense meaning if we are walking in the light we are currenlty being cleansed the opposite of that is true if we are not walking in the light we are no longer being cleansed.

Here is my take on it - I don’t think Jesus is referring to highanded sin or willful sin or deliberatly going against what God has said - but we are human and we do things that are against God’s Word and will because we do not know yet. and it is up to the Soveriengty of God to tell us when or if we need light on that issue but I believe it is of utmost importance that the Kingdom dwellers pray this prayer.

Wesley would often include a prayer like this in his prayers “forgive my sin” or something similar - why because we may be doing something that God sees as wrong but we don’t know it yet -

There is also another stipulation here for our forgiveness - Our forgivness if Jesus meant this literally is contigent upon our forgiving of others - if we refuse to forgive it sounds like He refuses to forgive us.

and Forgiveness is measured to us as we forgive others.

I think God finds forgivness of extreme importance. Look at Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 6:14–15 KJV 1900

14 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.

The Lord’s prayer can also be used as a pattern to pray by splitting it up into praise and worship, supplication, confession, and end in praise.

Tomorrow we will see how this fits with the rest of the section.