April 3, 2022 Sunday Worship Service (Roy)

Typically we, when we pray.

We ask the Lord for things that we want. But when Jesus teaches us about prayer. He's teaching us that we need to ask for the things that God wants and Jesus was teaching that we do not have a kingdom. But his father has a kingdom. And so, we are to pray for his kingdom and not arching. Not our desires, not our will not our wants, but he is And so, Jesus brings his teaching that is rather astonishing. I supposed to the people especially to his disciples. and, like, you and like me, they were praying all their lives, but they wanted to understand more about Jesus, and his previous prayers. Teachers to pray. They asked him. And so as we have been doing, we've been considering how to ask God. For the desires of his heart, because prayer is about praying for rain Reign rain.

Kingdom Authority. In other words, we bow before. God we say you are my king. Let me ask you. For the desires of your heart, do the things that you want me to do in your kingdom. And May It Be Your Will not my will. And these are significant. Things that Jesus is really teaching his disciples and really teaching us. And like the apostles, we need to unlearn some things about our prayer life and instill these Concepts. And these principles that Jesus has been teaching about. You're probably aware that there is just prayer of serenity. A lot of the company's businesses. They have this prayer. A lot of people have these this prayer in their cubicles at their desk or wherever they work, and it's called The Prayer of Serenity. And I think it's an excellent prayer was written sometime ago, but a minister and they became world no world right now. God grant me the serenity to accept the things. I cannot change courage to change the things I can. And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day, at a time. So far. This is a Jesus prayer. Enjoying one moment. At a time, accepting hardships, as the pathway to peace, taking as he did this sinful world as it is not as I would have it. Trusting that he will make all things, right. if I surrender to his will, That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with him forever in the next. Amen. And the church said, amen. That's a worthy prayer to say. Amen. To And that is a scriptural prayer. This is exactly what Jesus has been pointing out to us, in this model prayer and what we have been talking about now. That's the prayer of Serenity, but there is also probably of the third, most famous prayer called the prayer of senility. And this says, God grant me this and militie to forget the people. I never liked anyway, the Good Fortune to run into the ones that I do and the eyesight to tell the difference. that's the prayer of senility, but consider the the context of what we've been talking about this morning, we were talking about Three challenges, three challenges that affected the first century, Christians, three challenges that affect us when it comes to our lives and our in our prayer life. And that is our daily bread. And forgiveness. That is asking, God to forgive us. As we forgive others. And so these are three challenges that come to us every single day. And so the daily challenges that Jesus has been talkin about within this very context. You know that this prayer is within the greatest sermon ever taught the sermon on the map. And in that sermon Jesus was talking about, not living for tomorrow, but living for the now living for today. It goes on to say, you know, today is the day that you need to concern yourselves with. Don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has a lot of trouble coming. So don't even worry about tomorrow today has enough trouble of its own. And Jesus said, you know, on a daily basis you need to fight against lust. People were struggling against lust. Is that true today? You betcha Christians struggle against lust? So much so it can produce adultery. That's what Jesus was talking about. And then he says, we have to struggle against anger. We can become hot headed. We can blow up. And Jesus said, that's not the way to go. Jesus said, we need to be, we need not rise to the anger, that's explosive. Now, there's this idea that you can have a consistent anger without blowing up. Because it's the blowing up type of anger that leads to murder.

And Jesus was saying, that's where murder begins in the heart. And if you are upset at somebody or something. It's Beginning there, that's where the anger is. That's where the murder begins within the heart. They start talking about. The idea that we need to rely upon him and trust in him that we know don't need to worry. We are not to have any anxiety that we are. Any says, doesn't the father take care of the birds of the air? Doesn't he take care of the flowers in the meadow? Aren't those things less than you and if they're less than you don't, you think logically that he does care for you more so than he does for a bird or plant. Course. So he says don't worry about tomorrow. Don't worry about these basic necessities of life. Because tomorrow is going to have its own problems, worry about today. And so Jesus says, give us this day, our daily bread, our daily bread. That's what we're going to be looking at here because it's through prayer. We get through each day, through prayer, we get through each day.

When we pray for rain, we get through each day and when we pray for rain we get serenity. When we pray, and we don't pray for rain. His will his authority. Then we wind up with anxiety because what we were doing is we're ignoring the fact that his kingdom exists. That were in the Kingdom. Double arms to him. Who he's the caretaker of? And we raise and Elevate our own kingdom. To satisfy ourselves. So what are you do? Understand the significance of just what it means not to have our own kingdom. Not to have our own desires, but the pray. Pray for his desires to be our desires. Why we live on this Earth.

That's some packing job right there. Evidently this took place in New Hampshire. And this guy did a great job of packing, but evidently he got a ticket for being overloaded and being overloaded. We got a ticket and that's kind of, like the way we are. You know that car is not built to be that way. Neither are we we're not built to be overloaded with cares with fears weather in zayat. He's in fact, the Proverbs writer says, worry weighs a person down and encouraging word. Cheers, a person up. Up and down, we're down with anxiety. Were up with encouragement. Right? Well, that's exactly. What we need to think of when we pray and when we do that were also mindful of what Peter tells us in 1st Peter 5:7. And he says it very clearly. He says, cast all your fears and or anxieties upon him, because he what he cares for you. He loves you and he wants the best for you. He wants the best for me. And what do we do? We don't go to him in prayer. And if we do go to him in prayer, we don't cast our anxieties upon him. What we pray to him for his help, me, get out of this Jam.

Let me get away with this. Just this one time.

but we also, we pray for the, we pray for those things in such a way that we Demonstrate to him. That he's not first in our lives. The whole purpose of prayer that Jesus is pointing out is that the father comes first. We need a Halo, his name. So that means we need to glorify him even in our prayer life. Emelie Hollow him. What we're saying is, May your kingdom Reign and rule in my heart. And when his kingdom Reigns and rolls in your heart. He is winning in ruling your heart. Had a kingdom. What's the kingdom? We talked about that and bible class today, the kingdom of God kingdom of God, it can mean his people, the church, and it can mean heaven. The most of the time, it's referring to the people of God, those who follow Jesus Christ. That's the kingdom. And Jesus will return one day and he will deliver the kingdom the church, back to the father. So when we pray we're saying bye. The week knowledge, your kingdom. We acknowledge your rule and help us spotted to live by that rule. Why will be done? Not my will? We got to understand that that's important, these things. We kind of have them in the back of her mind, but we put them way to the back of the mine and we always continue to ask. Let me have this. Let me have that. Let me have this. Do this and do that. Help me. Help me. Help me. But the prayer that Jesus is showing us is that it begins with an acknowledgement of his sovereignty. Begins with the Indulgence of his desires for us. And therefore if we're going to pray, pray according to his will James says, we need to pray what he wants us to pray for. No, he does want us to pray for ourselves and that, right. But not first. There's always that order. It's a perfect illustration of Joy, right? We always say that around Christmas time. What's Joy Joy to the World. The others yourself in that order? That's the way that's a permanent principal all throughout the Bible. Especially New Testament, consider others better than yourselves. You know, I'm good, but Larry's better. Right. I need to pray for Larry. I need to know what's going on in Larry's life. I need to pray for Maggie. Because Maddie is better than me. If we had that reciprocating attitude, 12, another, I wonder how far our relationship would go. I wonder how far our marriages would go. We're putting others first. I'm nothing. Right. I'm not. We can always say, I need two of us can say that without Jesus Christ. I am nothing. And so, Jesus says, I want you to have that same attitude when it comes to others without them. Without you. I'm nothing. And when it comes to your life, I'm nothing. You do last means everything to me. That's what that means. And that's a hard thing to do. Because when we pray, it's all about me. It's all about me. You know, we have this prayer list here. It's there. Every Sunday. Is there in the bulletin there's names on here. Names of people that we love we claim to love, you know. Prayer is one of the most great of the greatest demonstration of what love is. I'm praying for someone is because I love them. Jesus prays for us because he loves us. How can we say? We love our brothers and sisters and not pray for them? Prayer means that everything because that's the Avenue in which we connect with God. And we connect spiritually with one another because we're praying for God to intercede in your life and mine if we're praying for one another. Pray for the well-being of each person. Pray for their work in the Kingdom of each person. Pray that they stand up to Temptation and that they win their battles. Against Satan prayer is effective. Prayer is needed. And that's what we need to understand how important this is when we do pray. So he says, give us this day, our daily bread.

So much so we have to use the other for you.

I wonder if we're laughing, that's funny. But I wonder if God laughs at us like that, you know. They're ringing the bell and he's built and we get that, you know, that hand of authority come in here. You can have it here. You can have it all your ring, your bell. Okay, and bring mentality, right? And Jesus, the Same. Listen, you cannot buy ring and he will bring, but you also need to I ring and he will bring things concerning the kingdom. Things concerning the work of the Lord. things concerning his cause and his efforts and even things concerning how we give our own money. It all we also pray for things and rightly. So, but we can good overboard in the things that we pray for it until we pray for houses and cars and clothes, and we pray for all these things. And then at some point in time, we would like to pray for a bigger car, a better car, a nicer home nicer clothes, edition of that. I came across this quotation from a book by John Piper and I thought this is an extremely great, great understanding of what we're talking about. What Jesus is talking about? God is Not glorified when we keep for ourselves. No matter how thankfully what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of an evangelist uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions. The evidence that many professing Christians have been deceived by this Doctrine is how little they give and how much they own God has prospered them. And by almost irresistible law of consumer culture, baptized by doctor of health, wealth and prosperity. They have bought bigger and more houses, newer, and more cars, fancier and more clothes, the better and more meat. By the way. Have you ever seen the price of meat now, right? You go to the store. There's a Japanese brand of meat. I never heard it before, never really thought about it, but it's a Japanese brand of meat and it goes for $300 a pound.

That is amazing to me. $300 a pound that the hot dogs, right? And all manner of Trinkets and gadgets and containers and devices and equipment to make life, more fun. They will object does not the Old Testament promise that God will prosper his people and he got increases our yield. So giving we can provide argue, we can prove are you is not our God. God does not prospering business so he can afford to a Cadillac, God prospers a business. So that $17,000 each people can be reached with the gospel be prosperous the business so that 12% of the world's population can move a step back from the precipice of starvation. I thought that was very profound and it's exactly on point as to what Jesus is talking about. Panda. And what was not quoted, here is found in another book and I want to share that with you. There are three levels of how to live with material things. Number one. You can steal and get them to you can work to get them. Number 3, you can work to get in order to give Too many profession Christians live on level 2, we glorify workover against stealing and mooching and feel. We have acted virtuously if we have spurned spilling and Motrin and given ourselves to an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. That's not a bad thing. Work is better than stealing in the kitchen, but that's not what the Apostle cause us to do. Almost all the forces of our culture, just to live on level to work to get. But the Bible pushes us relentlessly to level 3 work to get an order to give God is able to make all grace abound to you. So that having all sufficiently in all things at all times. You may abound in every good work, 2nd Corinthians 9:8. Why does God bless us? With abundance, so we can have enough to live on and then use the rest for all manner of good. Works that alleviate spiritual and physical misery, temporal and eternal suffering enough for us, abundance for others. And really God teaches us in his word about being content with what we have. You know, it's great to make money. It's great that you can have success in life. But that's success. Breeze, responsibility in God's eyes, and God's eyes you saying, listen, you have enough to be content with why don't you be content, and give it to others? Why won't you be content and get it back to me? That was the problem going on in the Book of Malachi. God spoke from heaven and he said, will a man rob God. The refrain was, of course, look at us. We hold back all the time, but we could give we go. And that's what Malachi was pointing out to the people there. The issue is not how much a person makes big industry and big. Salaries are fact of our times and they are not necessarily evil. The evil isn't being deceived into thinking that a large salary. Must be accompanied by a lavish lifestyle to be conduits of his grace, the dangerous and thinking that the conduit should be lined up with Goal. It shouldn't copper will do copper can carry unbelievable riches to others and an every process that giving we enjoy. The greatest blessing. I say all that to say. Amen. I couldn't say it better. I'll let John Piper said for us. Those are some great words to live by because they're scriptural and they are true that we hold back from God and many things, not just in giving that we hold back, Even in our own spiritual lives. The whole purpose of God and living for God, is that we give everything to God, right? Paul says that our bodies are a Living Sacrifice here. I am God. Here, I am put me on the altar. Willie.

That's what it means to love God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. It means giving up everything for him. That's right. We sell out for Jesus. We still up for the Lord, we sell out for his kingdom. That's what that means.

The world wants to ingratiate itself and make itself lies. Make a selfie. And Jesus comes around. He says. Army. And make yourself rich spiritually. That's the problem. The world thinks of now, but there's a later to come. There's a later coming. And we need to be prepared for that. And one of the ways in which we prepare ourselves is through the Avenue of prayer. Because there are so many struggles that we face on a daily basis, which is why he says, don't worry about tomorrow worry about today. It's got all the problems that you can handle today. And now, when we think about that, when we think about the idea of forgiveness, we need to forgive people, because we've been forgiven You know our heart is a receptive to all the grace that God gives and I say here in my heart like I you and I normally do or who we are, but we make it a link. We make it a lake and all that Grace Just fills up, right? Just fills up. Do what Jesus tells us. It says don't make it a late. No, worse, Don't. Damn It Up. Van Damme, that Lake and let it flow like a river to others. You've been given Grace, you've been blessed. Therefore, if you've been blessed you bless others. If you've been given Grace, yes, what you give Grace to others and all of us have been wronged by somebody. All of us. Some of us carry grudges because we've been wronged by somebody. Can you imagine sitting at your dinner table? And you're sitting across from a family member and those two family members are talking to one another because they're ones holding a grudge against another. I wonder, how does that make mom and dad feel? And I wonder, how does that make our father feel when we do the same thing? You know, we have to open up that Lake. We have to offer their forgiveness that we have been. Given that we provide the same forgiveness. You know, why? Because I'm not worth being forgiven. But Jesus says, I am. Someone else might not be worth being forgiven, but Jesus died for them as well. And because he's forgiven me. Why on Earth will I not forgive someone else? People carry these grudges way too far. And so, When Jesus walked this Earth. Have you just read what he walked this Earth? He says, now glorify me for, I have done what you have told me to do. Jesus could say that. Jesus could actually say, look what I have done for you. Now, if you can say that to the father. You'll be the first since Jesus because I know this. I don't give a shite as I should. I don't do the things that I should. And you're in the same boat? And so we find the necessity to understand that, it's not what we do, but it's about him. It's about what we just pretend, it's about that. It's about his blood. It's about his forgiveness, through his blood that you and I are stray, not by what we do.

Yes, doing something important. The one we moved out all the way. It comes down to the blood of Jesus Christ. And it's not about doing. It's about wanting to please your father. It's wanting to please your Lord, because of what he's done for you. So if you've been forgiven, remember the words of Jesus at the very end of the Beatitudes. He says if you will forgive others your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their offenses neither, will your heavenly father forgive you? Imagine that? It's imperative. We be for a forgiving people. It's imperative to understand that you can leave yourself out of Heaven, simply because you hold a grudge.

Well, it's about forgiveness. It's about giving people Grace and you know, what? Grace is giving something to someone getting something, what they need rather than what they deserve. You and I just heard he'll just simple as that. But instead we got the blood of Christ and through his grace at, through his Mercy, we've been forgiven. And so Jesus, guess says you, go tell others about that, good news and you share that forgiveness with them. How about you? You want to pray to the father. Remember begins with God and ends with God. It's about doing his will not ours. And Jesus says he that believes and is baptized shall be safe there that get you right on the road to Grace. That put you in tries to put you in the church that put you in his blood. The Bible tells us that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus in Christ Jesus. We are baptized into Christ. Jesus. That's what gives you the blessings. That's what we need to share with the world. If everybody had the same blessings, there would be no need for the gospel. There would be no need for the Great Commission to go into all the world and preach that. Spoil. If everyone's the same and everyone receives the same thing. There's no need for me to be here. There's no need for you to be here. But there is a need, and you and I are here today and we need to understand how much God if you lying upon you and me, not only to preach the gospel to people. But the offer them, the grace, and the Forgiveness that we also have. If you've been baptized into Christ, you put on Christ and that's great. But perhaps, you haven't live, like Christ in Jesus says, here's what you need to do. Just repent and come back. I'll forgive you. And that's a promise. God can't go back on his promises. And so, all you need to do is say Lord. I'm sorry. I'm going to do better beginning today. If you substitute imitation today, once you come forward by faith, that's together, we stand,