1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,380 Well, please open your Bible at Matthew’s Gospel and chapter 6. 2 00:00:05,380 –> 00:00:10,260 Today we’re beginning a new series on the Lord’s Prayer entitled, 3 00:00:10,260 –> 00:00:13,700 Six Things to Ask of God. 4 00:00:13,700 –> 00:00:23,020 Now, in any time of crisis the first duty and the first instinct of God’s people, is to pray. 5 00:00:23,020 –> 00:00:25,660 But what are we to pray? 6 00:00:25,680 –> 00:00:31,040 What exactly are we to ask of God? 7 00:00:31,040 –> 00:00:35,560 Prayer, I think is an area where all of us need to grow. 8 00:00:35,560 –> 00:00:40,740 I think it’s an area in which all who really love the Lord Jesus Christ wants to grow. 9 00:00:40,740 –> 00:00:48,619 I’ve met over the years a few folks who would style themselves as experts in evangelism, 10 00:00:48,720 –> 00:00:51,740 experts in youth work or in men’s ministry. 11 00:00:51,740 –> 00:00:59,900 I have never yet met a Christian who thinks of him or herself as an expert in regards 12 00:00:59,900 –> 00:01:00,900 to prayer. 13 00:01:00,900 –> 00:01:10,199 All of us feel that we need to stand with the disciples and to say, Lord, teach us to 14 00:01:10,199 –> 00:01:17,680 pray and aren’t you so glad that Jesus answered that question of the disciples and that we 15 00:01:17,699 –> 00:01:21,239 have the answer of Jesus to that question. 16 00:01:21,239 –> 00:01:28,059 Teach us to pray right in front of us here in the Scriptures today. 17 00:01:28,059 –> 00:01:38,660 What we have here then is the Son of God teaching us how to pray and who would not want to pull 18 00:01:38,680 –> 00:01:47,760 up a chair and to sit down and to hear him as he teaches us today. 19 00:01:47,760 –> 00:01:54,760 Now I’ve called this series six things to ask of God because there are six petitions 20 00:01:54,760 –> 00:01:56,500 in the Lord’s Prayer. 21 00:01:56,500 –> 00:02:03,360 Three of them relates to God’s glory and three of them relate to our good. 22 00:02:03,620 –> 00:02:10,839 In relation to God’s glory, we ask first that God’s name will be honored, then that his 23 00:02:10,839 –> 00:02:15,600 kingdom will come, and then that his will should be done. 24 00:02:15,600 –> 00:02:22,339 And then, in relation to ourselves, we ask that God will provide what we need, that God 25 00:02:22,339 –> 00:02:29,339 will forgive our many sins and that God will deliver us from evil. 26 00:02:29,860 –> 00:02:36,860 So 6 things Jesus teaches us we should ask of God, and all that we could ever ask, all 27 00:02:39,119 –> 00:02:46,119 that we need ever ask can be included under one of these six petitions. 28 00:02:47,100 –> 00:02:53,600 So the Lord’s Prayer is really like a kind of template for praying. It gives us a plan 29 00:02:53,600 –> 00:02:58,020 for prayer. It gives us an outline, it gives us a framework, 30 00:02:58,199 –> 00:03:05,199 it teaches us how to pray. So if you were to take, for example, a jotter and you were 31 00:03:08,360 –> 00:03:15,360 to divide a page into six very simple sections, you could call them God’s Name, God’s Kingdom, 32 00:03:17,699 –> 00:03:24,699 God’s Will, God’s Provision, God’s Forgiveness, and God’s Deliverance. 33 00:03:25,460 –> 00:03:32,460 And on that page, in these six sections, you would have a perfect outline for prayer. You 34 00:03:34,600 –> 00:03:39,419 could use it in two ways when you have it in your jotter. You could first start with 35 00:03:39,419 –> 00:03:44,899 the headings and then just fill in under each of them things that you think you ought to 36 00:03:44,899 –> 00:03:51,399 pray in relation to each of these six petitions. Or you could do it another way. You could 37 00:03:51,940 –> 00:03:58,139 with what’s on your mind. You have a friend who is in some need. They need help and they 38 00:03:58,139 –> 00:04:03,080 need support so where does that belong? Well, of course, that’s part of what God would provide 39 00:04:03,080 –> 00:04:08,320 for them so you write that down there. But then you think to yourself, now wait a minute, 40 00:04:08,320 –> 00:04:15,320 what else do I need to pray in regards to this person? I mean, what would it mean for 41 00:04:15,720 –> 00:04:22,720 God’s name to be honored in this situation that this person is facing? What would it 42 00:04:23,559 –> 00:04:30,559 mean for God’s will to be done in their situation? So the requests of the Lord’s Prayer, they 43 00:04:34,619 –> 00:04:41,619 are really like six pegs on which you can hang all of your other prayers. The Lord’s 44 00:04:42,359 –> 00:04:49,359 Prayer is given to us in order to shape our prayers. It is Jesus teaching us how we should 45 00:04:54,980 –> 00:05:00,339 pray. Now my aim in this series is that through 46 00:05:00,339 –> 00:05:07,339 these six petitions, we will learn better how to pray, that we’ll learn to pray more 47 00:05:08,100 –> 00:05:15,100 effectively. And it is for this reason that Jesus has given us the Lord’s Prayer. Lord, 48 00:05:15,220 –> 00:05:22,220 teach us how to pray. Using the Lord’s Prayer as a template in this 49 00:05:27,700 –> 00:05:34,700 way, it’s not something new. You know, Martin Luther used the Lord’s Prayer as a template 50 00:05:35,179 –> 00:05:42,179 for his own prayers throughout his entire life and he commended this practice in a delightful 51 00:05:43,119 –> 00:05:50,119 little book called A Simple Way to Pray. This book was written by Martin Luther for 52 00:05:50,519 –> 00:05:57,519 his barber. And my imagination just runs into overdrive with this, I picture Luther sitting 53 00:05:57,899 –> 00:06:04,899 in the chair getting his hair cut. And he leans back in the chair and the barber begins 54 00:06:06,839 –> 00:06:13,200 to shave the stubble from his chin and, as he’s doing this delicate work, he says to 55 00:06:13,200 –> 00:06:20,200 Luther, Pastor Martin, I have a question, how should I go about praying? And I think 56 00:06:20,540 –> 00:06:26,299 I should go about praying. And I think to myself, well maybe Luther just said at that 57 00:06:26,299 –> 00:06:32,459 point, my friend, please just focus on what you’re doing with that razor blade. I’ll 58 00:06:32,459 –> 00:06:38,359 answer your question but let me do it later. I’ll write you a book entitled A Simple 59 00:06:38,359 –> 00:06:42,940 Way to Pray. And that’s what Luther did. He wrote this marvelous little book for his 60 00:06:42,940 –> 00:06:48,700 barber telling this man, who wanted to know how to pray more effectively, how to do it 61 00:06:48,720 –> 00:06:58,519 by using the Lord’s prayer as a template for his own prayers. And Luther says in this book, 62 00:06:58,540 –> 00:07:05,239 I do not want you to recite all these words in your prayer. In other words, he’s saying, 63 00:07:05,239 –> 00:07:11,660 this prayer is not given simply so that we use it as a repeated recitation. No, Luther 64 00:07:11,739 –> 00:07:21,799 says, here’s what I want you to do. I want your heart to be stirred and to be moved by 65 00:07:21,799 –> 00:07:29,239 the thoughts that are prompted from the Lord’s prayer. In other words, use this as a template. 66 00:07:29,239 –> 00:07:37,640 Use each of these six petitions as pegs on which you will hang your prayers, a framework 67 00:07:37,640 –> 00:07:44,720 on which you will build the prayers that you offer to God. And this simple way to pray 68 00:07:44,720 –> 00:07:51,920 was not simply Luther’s idea of you know, what a barber should do. This is what Luther 69 00:07:51,920 –> 00:08:01,299 did himself, throughout his entire life. He says this, to this day, I suckle at the Lord’s 70 00:08:01,899 –> 00:08:11,920 prayer like a child. And as an old man, I eat and drink from it and never get my fill. Well 71 00:08:11,920 –> 00:08:20,660 friends, that describes exactly what I want us to do over these next weeks together. I 72 00:08:20,920 –> 00:08:35,039 us to suckle at the Lord’s prayer. To learn from Jesus Christ himself, how we should pray. 73 00:08:35,039 –> 00:08:44,780 Now today we look at the first petition of the Lord’s prayer, Hallowed be your name. 74 00:08:45,280 –> 00:08:51,020 We’re going to look at the relationship in which this prayer is prayed, we’re going to look 75 00:08:51,020 –> 00:08:57,080 at the prayer itself and its meaning, we’re going to look at the ways in which it is answered, 76 00:08:57,080 –> 00:09:02,020 we’re going to look at the challenge that it brings, and then we’re going to look at 77 00:09:02,020 –> 00:09:07,799 the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then at the end I want us to take time to 78 00:09:07,799 –> 00:09:17,559 pray from this prayer together, hallowed be your name. Now let’s start here, because this 79 00:09:17,559 –> 00:09:24,039 is where Jesus begins with the relationship, Matthew Chapter 6 and verse 9, Pray then like 80 00:09:24,039 –> 00:09:35,739 this, Our father in heaven. It’s very important. The 6 petitions of the Lord’s prayer are all 81 00:09:36,059 –> 00:09:45,640 addressed to our Father in heaven. In other words, this is a prayer for God’s children. 82 00:09:45,640 –> 00:09:53,299 These are prayers that are to be brought by those who have been reconciled to God through 83 00:09:53,299 –> 00:10:00,299 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s a very important reminder for us because by 84 00:10:00,739 –> 00:10:07,739 nature, we simply cannot pray this prayer. The Bible makes it very clear that by nature, 85 00:10:08,580 –> 00:10:15,580 we are alienated from God and we are dead towards him. By nature, we are more concerned 86 00:10:16,539 –> 00:10:23,539 about our name than we are about God’s name. By nature, we tend to think that life revolves 87 00:10:23,539 –> 00:10:30,539 around us and so if we’re left to ourselves, if we were to pray at all, we begin with ourselves 88 00:10:31,179 –> 00:10:35,539 and we begin with our needs and we never really get any further. 89 00:10:35,539 –> 00:10:42,419 But Jesus came into the world to bring us into an entirely new and different relationship 90 00:10:42,419 –> 00:10:49,419 with God. God is his Father and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to know 91 00:10:50,260 –> 00:10:57,260 God as our Father as well. Jesus brings you into a new relationship with God, in which 92 00:11:01,080 –> 00:11:08,080 you love him, you trust him, you worship him, you serve him and you obey him. 93 00:11:10,919 –> 00:11:17,919 In love for this perfect Father, you will discover a new peace, a new strength, a new 94 00:11:20,400 –> 00:11:27,400 hope and a new joy. How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we 95 00:11:30,400 –> 00:11:37,400 should be called children of God! In Christ, we are adopted into the family of God and 96 00:11:40,280 –> 00:11:46,239 that’s why God sends his Spirit into our hearts, the apostle Paul says, to cry out 97 00:11:47,219 –> 00:11:48,619 father. 98 00:11:48,619 –> 00:11:54,780 So the Lord’s Prayer has six petitions and they are all addressed to our Father in Heaven. 99 00:11:54,780 –> 00:12:00,140 They are all prayed out of this relationship in which, through faith in the Lord Jesus 100 00:12:00,140 –> 00:12:07,140 Christ we are reconciled to God. Father Hallowed be your Name. Father let 101 00:12:07,419 –> 00:12:13,380 your Kingdom come and your will be done. Father give us this day our daily bread. Father forgive 102 00:12:13,380 –> 00:12:20,380 our sins and Father deliver us from evil. These are the prayers of a Christian Disciple. 103 00:12:21,739 –> 00:12:27,380 They are not the things that we would ask of God if we were left to ourselves. They 104 00:12:27,380 –> 00:12:34,380 are the prayers that Jesus brings us into. They are the prayers of God’s own children 105 00:12:34,580 –> 00:12:41,580 and so you want to pray as Jesus taught us to pray. Here is where we must begin. We must 106 00:12:42,000 –> 00:12:49,000 enter by faith in Jesus that relationship in which we come to know God as our own Father. 107 00:12:50,239 –> 00:12:57,239 We come to the Father only through Him and John makes this very clear in his Gospel where 108 00:12:58,119 –> 00:13:05,119 he says to those who received him that is received Jesus. To those who believe in his 109 00:13:05,659 –> 00:13:12,659 name God gives the right that they should be his own children. If you want to know God 110 00:13:14,159 –> 00:13:21,159 as your own Father. If you want to learn how to pray as Jesus teaches us to pray, you must 111 00:13:22,900 –> 00:13:29,900 receive Jesus as the Lord and as the Savior of your life and you do this by believing 112 00:13:29,900 –> 00:13:36,900 I listen. That is where all true prayer begins. Now what a marvelous thing it is to know the 113 00:13:48,760 –> 00:13:55,760 Sovereign Lord of the universe as your own heavenly Father. 114 00:13:56,580 –> 00:14:03,580 Dr Jim Packer has a wonderful little image and phrase on this that has been very helpful 115 00:14:03,919 –> 00:14:10,000 to me. I just call it because it sticks in my mind Packer’s pendulum. And here’s what 116 00:14:10,000 –> 00:14:17,000 Dr Packer says. Let your thoughts flow to and fro like an accelerating pendulum. 117 00:14:17,000 –> 00:14:24,000 Taking ever wider swings. He is my Father! He is God in heaven. He is God in heaven. 118 00:14:32,099 –> 00:14:39,099 He is my Father. Packer’s pendulum. Try and take this in that when you come before 119 00:14:39,599 –> 00:14:46,599 your Father in prayer, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are speaking to the 120 00:14:46,760 –> 00:14:53,760 sovereign Lord of the universe, our Father in heaven. 121 00:14:53,960 –> 00:14:59,020 When Jesus brings you to know that his Father is your Father, you will have such a great 122 00:14:59,020 –> 00:15:06,119 desire to pray. You will love the Father for his love. You will love him for his love for 123 00:15:06,260 –> 00:15:13,260 you will love the Father from your heart, and because you love him, well, your first 124 00:15:13,940 –> 00:15:19,940 desire will be that his name should be honored. 125 00:15:19,940 –> 00:15:21,059 That’s the relationship. 126 00:15:21,059 –> 00:15:27,299 Then let’s look together at the prayer itself, and what this prayer actually means. 127 00:15:27,299 –> 00:15:34,299 Praying like this, Jesus says, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 128 00:15:34,880 –> 00:15:41,880 Now, what exactly are we asking God to do when we pray this prayer? 129 00:15:43,679 –> 00:15:48,960 What does it mean, hallowed be your name? 130 00:15:48,960 –> 00:15:55,960 Now, I want you to notice that heaven frames the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. 131 00:15:58,840 –> 00:16:00,200 Did you notice that? 132 00:16:00,200 –> 00:16:04,260 Your father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 133 00:16:04,260 –> 00:16:09,700 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 134 00:16:09,700 –> 00:16:16,700 In other words, heaven frames the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. 135 00:16:18,320 –> 00:16:21,260 Hallowed be your name on earth as it is in heaven 136 00:16:21,260 –> 00:16:23,960 Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven 137 00:16:23,960 –> 00:16:27,979 Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 138 00:16:28,919 –> 00:16:35,059 Now you see that invites us immediately to think about the scene 139 00:16:35,059 –> 00:16:38,719 as it is described to us in the Bible in heaven itself. 140 00:16:38,719 –> 00:16:40,260 What is the scene in heaven? 141 00:16:40,260 –> 00:16:44,340 Well, angels cry out in heaven right now, 142 00:16:44,340 –> 00:16:47,219 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord! 143 00:16:47,219 –> 00:16:52,000 In fact the worship in heaven, the exalting of the Father’s name in heaven. 144 00:16:52,000 –> 00:16:54,659 It never ends! 145 00:16:54,659 –> 00:17:01,059 The Scripture says day and night they, that is the heavenly creatures, 146 00:17:01,059 –> 00:17:03,059 never cease to cry, 147 00:17:03,059 –> 00:17:08,180 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty 148 00:17:08,180 –> 00:17:13,819 who was and is and is to come. 149 00:17:13,819 –> 00:17:18,939 Every creature in heaven without exception joins in saying, 150 00:17:18,939 –> 00:17:23,680 to him who sits upon the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honour 151 00:17:24,160 –> 00:17:27,880 and glory and might for ever and for ever. 152 00:17:29,599 –> 00:17:33,920 That’s the scene in heaven. 153 00:17:33,920 –> 00:17:38,520 Unceasing worship, God’s name 154 00:17:38,520 –> 00:17:42,920 exalted and God’s name 155 00:17:42,920 –> 00:17:46,199 adored. 156 00:17:46,199 –> 00:17:49,520 Now what about the scene on earth? 157 00:17:49,560 –> 00:17:52,959 Listen to how that’s described by the prophet Isaiah. 158 00:17:54,020 –> 00:17:56,339 God says through Isaiah, 159 00:17:56,339 –> 00:18:00,660 continually all the day 160 00:18:01,939 –> 00:18:04,520 my name is despised. 161 00:18:06,459 –> 00:18:07,979 That’s the reality on earth 162 00:18:09,219 –> 00:18:11,920 and it could not be more different 163 00:18:11,920 –> 00:18:15,439 from the reality right now in heaven. 164 00:18:16,420 –> 00:18:19,540 In heaven, God’s name worshipped, 165 00:18:19,540 –> 00:18:22,880 adored without ceasing on earth, 166 00:18:22,880 –> 00:18:27,380 his name despised, blasphemed, 167 00:18:28,319 –> 00:18:30,339 all day long. 168 00:18:32,180 –> 00:18:34,380 And it’s into that chasm 169 00:18:35,319 –> 00:18:37,459 of the difference between the reality 170 00:18:37,459 –> 00:18:39,479 in heaven and the reality on earth 171 00:18:39,479 –> 00:18:43,319 that we pray the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer. 172 00:18:43,319 –> 00:18:45,260 Hallowed be Your Name. 173 00:18:46,199 –> 00:18:49,819 Let Your Name, O Father, be exalted, 174 00:18:49,819 –> 00:18:51,979 worshipped, treasured, and adored 175 00:18:51,979 –> 00:18:54,520 on earth as it is in heaven. 176 00:18:56,300 –> 00:18:58,900 We are asking when we pray this prayer 177 00:19:00,040 –> 00:19:03,800 that God will so move in this world 178 00:19:05,119 –> 00:19:07,160 that God will act in such a way 179 00:19:07,160 –> 00:19:11,040 that people around the globe will come 180 00:19:11,040 –> 00:19:14,280 to worship Him, to treasure Him, 181 00:19:14,280 –> 00:19:16,800 to adore Him, to live for Him on earth 182 00:19:16,800 –> 00:19:18,680 as it is in heaven. 183 00:19:18,680 –> 00:19:22,000 Father, please bring people to love 184 00:19:22,000 –> 00:19:25,520 and worship and trust, and adore You. 185 00:19:26,900 –> 00:19:31,180 Father, make that true of us in Your Church. 186 00:19:32,420 –> 00:19:37,160 Father, make that true of me in my life today. 187 00:19:38,319 –> 00:19:40,140 Now notice this is very significant 188 00:19:40,140 –> 00:19:42,760 for a person who really comes to know 189 00:19:42,800 –> 00:19:46,380 God as Father, and truly to love Him. 190 00:19:46,380 –> 00:19:48,579 Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 191 00:19:48,579 –> 00:19:52,859 the very first request that Jesus teaches us to pray. 192 00:19:52,859 –> 00:19:56,439 He says, begin here, not with yourself and your own needs, 193 00:19:57,979 –> 00:20:02,979 but with God the Father, and His name, and His glory. 194 00:20:05,060 –> 00:20:06,319 That’s the first petition. 195 00:20:07,959 –> 00:20:12,040 Now that’s the prayer, what about the answer? 196 00:20:13,160 –> 00:20:15,160 Will this prayer be answered? 197 00:20:15,160 –> 00:20:16,520 I guess that’s the first question 198 00:20:16,520 –> 00:20:19,000 that comes to our minds in regards to any prayer, 199 00:20:19,000 –> 00:20:21,760 will this prayer be answered? 200 00:20:23,579 –> 00:20:26,939 And, of course, the answer to that question is yes. 201 00:20:26,939 –> 00:20:31,000 Our Lord Jesus Christ did not teach us 202 00:20:31,000 –> 00:20:33,280 to pray futile prayers. 203 00:20:34,160 –> 00:20:36,040 And, you know, one of the wonderful things 204 00:20:36,040 –> 00:20:37,880 about using the Lord’s Prayer 205 00:20:37,880 –> 00:20:40,160 as a template for your prayers, 206 00:20:40,199 –> 00:20:42,619 these six petitions as pegs, as it were, 207 00:20:42,619 –> 00:20:44,979 on which you can hang your own prayers, 208 00:20:44,979 –> 00:20:47,280 one of the wonderful things about doing that 209 00:20:47,280 –> 00:20:49,959 is that when you frame your prayers in this way, 210 00:20:49,959 –> 00:20:52,839 you can always pray with confidence. 211 00:20:52,839 –> 00:20:54,359 You will always be able to know 212 00:20:54,359 –> 00:20:56,459 that you are praying in God’s will 213 00:20:56,459 –> 00:20:58,359 because these are the things 214 00:20:58,359 –> 00:21:03,040 that your Lord Jesus Christ taught you to pray. 215 00:21:04,619 –> 00:21:07,439 Each of these petitions 216 00:21:07,459 –> 00:21:11,540 has a wonderful double answer. 217 00:21:13,239 –> 00:21:17,319 Each will be answered when the Lord returns 218 00:21:18,339 –> 00:21:21,920 and each has an answer that we can experience 219 00:21:21,920 –> 00:21:24,479 in our lives here and now. 220 00:21:24,479 –> 00:21:29,160 In other words, for every petition of the Lord’s prayer, 221 00:21:29,160 –> 00:21:34,160 there is a now answer and there is a then answer. 222 00:21:34,760 –> 00:21:39,079 When Christ returns, in power and in glory, 223 00:21:39,079 –> 00:21:42,000 God’s name will be hallowed and honored 224 00:21:42,000 –> 00:21:44,140 and glorified and exalted. 225 00:21:44,140 –> 00:21:47,000 The Bible says the earth will be filled 226 00:21:47,000 –> 00:21:51,199 with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. 227 00:21:51,199 –> 00:21:55,520 You know, when Jesus Christ returns in power and in glory, 228 00:21:55,520 –> 00:22:00,239 this world is going to become the home of righteousness. 229 00:22:01,199 –> 00:22:06,319 Never again on this planet will God’s name be blasphemed. 230 00:22:07,280 –> 00:22:09,599 His name will be honored, loved, treasured, 231 00:22:09,599 –> 00:22:12,959 adored on earth as it is in heaven. 232 00:22:14,000 –> 00:22:18,699 All of God’s people will love him, worship him, 233 00:22:19,599 –> 00:22:24,359 walk with him, forever and forever. 234 00:22:24,359 –> 00:22:28,859 Lord, hasten that day when this prayer will be answered. 235 00:22:31,119 –> 00:22:35,520 But how can the prayer be answered here and now? 236 00:22:35,520 –> 00:22:37,319 There’s not only a then answer, 237 00:22:37,319 –> 00:22:41,219 there’s also a now answer to this prayer 238 00:22:41,219 –> 00:22:43,359 and to all the other petitions 239 00:22:43,359 –> 00:22:45,479 in the Lord’s prayer as well. 240 00:22:45,479 –> 00:22:48,040 How can this prayer be answered here and now 241 00:22:48,040 –> 00:22:52,359 in a world that still despises 242 00:22:52,359 –> 00:22:55,359 and even blasphemes God’s name? 243 00:22:56,359 –> 00:22:59,959 What is God’s answer to a world 244 00:22:59,959 –> 00:23:02,439 that blasphemes his name all the day long? 245 00:23:04,000 –> 00:23:07,579 Well, God himself tells us in the prophecy of Isaiah 246 00:23:07,579 –> 00:23:09,520 that we looked at earlier, 247 00:23:09,520 –> 00:23:14,520 continually all the day God says my name is despised, 248 00:23:15,599 –> 00:23:18,260 there’s the awful reality on earth, 249 00:23:18,260 –> 00:23:20,119 but here’s the answer. 250 00:23:20,119 –> 00:23:22,319 Therefore, God says, 251 00:23:22,359 –> 00:23:26,180 my people shall know my name. 252 00:23:27,280 –> 00:23:32,280 You see God’s answer to a world that despises his name 253 00:23:33,680 –> 00:23:37,219 is a people who know his name. 254 00:23:38,859 –> 00:23:42,119 Hallowed be your name. 255 00:23:43,359 –> 00:23:46,599 That’s not a prayer for some kind of a change in God. 256 00:23:46,599 –> 00:23:49,680 It’s a prayer for a change in us. 257 00:23:49,699 –> 00:23:52,780 We’re not asking God to make himself more holy. 258 00:23:52,780 –> 00:23:54,280 How could that be? 259 00:23:54,280 –> 00:23:56,239 God is holy, holy, holy. 260 00:23:56,239 –> 00:24:00,359 He is infinite and perfect and complete in his holiness. 261 00:24:00,359 –> 00:24:03,239 He cannot be more holy than he already is. 262 00:24:04,219 –> 00:24:09,219 So when we pray, Father, hallowed be your name, 263 00:24:10,739 –> 00:24:14,839 we are asking God to raise up here on earth 264 00:24:14,839 –> 00:24:18,479 people who know him and who love him 265 00:24:18,479 –> 00:24:21,959 and who treasure him more than life itself 266 00:24:22,959 –> 00:24:26,000 so that in a world that still despises 267 00:24:26,000 –> 00:24:28,420 and blasphemes God’s holy name, 268 00:24:28,420 –> 00:24:31,979 his name may be honored by these people. 269 00:24:33,219 –> 00:24:35,500 That’s how it’s answered here and now. 270 00:24:37,979 –> 00:24:40,359 Dear friends, that leads us on very quickly then 271 00:24:40,359 –> 00:24:43,260 to the challenge that this prayer brings to us 272 00:24:43,260 –> 00:24:46,260 and the challenge that we face when we pray it. 273 00:24:47,180 –> 00:24:51,719 Playing the Lord’s Prayer will change your life. 274 00:24:53,319 –> 00:24:57,040 And as we go through this prayer together, 275 00:24:57,040 –> 00:24:58,760 we’re going to see that the Lord’s Prayer 276 00:24:58,760 –> 00:25:00,540 is not for the faint hearted, 277 00:25:01,579 –> 00:25:04,540 it searches us out, 278 00:25:04,540 –> 00:25:07,920 it plumbs the depths and the motives of our own hearts 279 00:25:07,920 –> 00:25:11,079 even as these petitions get into us 280 00:25:11,079 –> 00:25:14,180 and as we get on the inside of them. 281 00:25:15,060 –> 00:25:19,040 Lord, I want your name to be hallowed, 282 00:25:20,859 –> 00:25:25,520 and so dear Lord, let my life bring honour to you. 283 00:25:27,979 –> 00:25:29,119 Think about this, 284 00:25:30,560 –> 00:25:35,560 who bears God’s name in this world? 285 00:25:38,560 –> 00:25:41,380 The answer is we do. 286 00:25:41,819 –> 00:25:45,900 Brothers, sisters, we are his people. 287 00:25:47,420 –> 00:25:50,900 We are the sheep of his pasture. 288 00:25:51,579 –> 00:25:55,760 Peter says very clearly to Christian believers, 289 00:25:55,760 –> 00:26:00,500 you are a people for his own possession. 290 00:26:00,500 –> 00:26:01,660 You’re his people. 291 00:26:03,060 –> 00:26:08,060 And you are his people in order that you may proclaim 292 00:26:09,060 –> 00:26:13,579 the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness 293 00:26:13,579 –> 00:26:16,140 and into his marvelous light. 294 00:26:18,219 –> 00:26:19,819 You are the ones 295 00:26:20,619 –> 00:26:25,260 who will honor God’s name on Earth as it is in heaven. 296 00:26:27,939 –> 00:26:29,819 Now, we saw a few moments ago 297 00:26:29,819 –> 00:26:32,859 that God’s answer to a world that despises his name 298 00:26:32,859 –> 00:26:35,560 is a people who know his name. 299 00:26:35,560 –> 00:26:38,000 And here’s the challenge that that brings. 300 00:26:39,060 –> 00:26:42,739 The apostle Paul quotes the words of Isaiah 301 00:26:43,599 –> 00:26:48,599 that God’s name is despised all day long. 302 00:26:49,020 –> 00:26:52,359 He takes up that quotation from Isaiah chapter 52 303 00:26:52,359 –> 00:26:55,079 in Romans chapter two and verse 24, 304 00:26:55,079 –> 00:26:56,540 for it is written, 305 00:26:56,540 –> 00:26:59,060 here’s the quote from Isaiah, 306 00:26:59,060 –> 00:27:03,479 the name of God is blasphemed 307 00:27:04,160 –> 00:27:05,719 among the Gentiles. 308 00:27:06,660 –> 00:27:10,979 The nations of the world Paul says blaspheme, 309 00:27:10,979 –> 00:27:12,020 the name of God. 310 00:27:13,660 –> 00:27:15,739 Now you would expect him to say, 311 00:27:15,739 –> 00:27:18,579 because he’s quoting from Isaiah and chapter 52, 312 00:27:18,579 –> 00:27:19,900 you would expect him to say, 313 00:27:19,900 –> 00:27:22,579 but as Isaiah says, 314 00:27:22,579 –> 00:27:27,579 God’s answer to a world that blasphemes His name 315 00:27:28,839 –> 00:27:32,140 is a people who know His name. 316 00:27:32,160 –> 00:27:35,719 But that’s not what the apostle Paul says. 317 00:27:35,719 –> 00:27:39,819 Instead, there’s a sting in the tail, 318 00:27:40,959 –> 00:27:42,920 Romans chapter two and verse 24. 319 00:27:42,920 –> 00:27:44,180 This is what it says. 320 00:27:44,180 –> 00:27:46,000 For as it is written, 321 00:27:46,000 –> 00:27:50,699 the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles 322 00:27:50,699 –> 00:27:52,800 because of you, 323 00:27:54,780 –> 00:27:55,880 because of you. 324 00:27:56,619 –> 00:28:01,560 Brothers, sisters, we all know what this is like. 325 00:28:03,119 –> 00:28:06,420 We’ve seen the damage that comes to the name 326 00:28:06,420 –> 00:28:11,420 and the reputation of our holy father, 327 00:28:11,599 –> 00:28:16,599 when the world sees someone who bears his name 328 00:28:17,599 –> 00:28:22,339 and then acts in a way that is obviously inconsistent 329 00:28:22,339 –> 00:28:25,300 with the faith that he or she professes. 330 00:28:26,619 –> 00:28:29,160 And you see what the Apostle Paul is saying here? 331 00:28:29,160 –> 00:28:31,800 He’s saying to people who bear the name of the Lord 332 00:28:31,800 –> 00:28:32,640 in the world, 333 00:28:32,640 –> 00:28:35,719 you ought to be the answer to the world’s blasphemy 334 00:28:35,719 –> 00:28:38,140 and actually you’re becoming the cause of it. 335 00:28:39,280 –> 00:28:42,400 And if you live in a way that is inconsistent 336 00:28:42,400 –> 00:28:44,459 with the name that you bear, 337 00:28:46,560 –> 00:28:49,140 then you invite the world to blaspheme 338 00:28:49,140 –> 00:28:51,800 God’s holy name all the more. 339 00:28:52,439 –> 00:28:55,979 I told you this wasn’t a prayer for the faint hearted. 340 00:28:58,300 –> 00:29:01,900 It searches us to the very core of our being. 341 00:29:03,239 –> 00:29:05,280 Praying this prayer, brother, sister, 342 00:29:05,280 –> 00:29:06,920 really will change you. 343 00:29:06,920 –> 00:29:09,119 And it really will change me. 344 00:29:11,560 –> 00:29:14,079 It will light a fire within you 345 00:29:14,079 –> 00:29:17,920 to live in a way that honors your Father in heaven. 346 00:29:17,920 –> 00:29:20,800 Father, hallowed be your name. 347 00:29:22,459 –> 00:29:27,459 Lord, I want your name to be honored. 348 00:29:29,339 –> 00:29:33,380 Let me never act or speak 349 00:29:33,380 –> 00:29:38,380 in a way that dishonors your holy name. 350 00:29:40,579 –> 00:29:41,680 That’s the challenge. 351 00:29:44,780 –> 00:29:46,839 And now, fifthly, the example. 352 00:29:47,780 –> 00:29:49,760 And we’ll ask this question each time 353 00:29:50,079 –> 00:29:52,000 and we’ll ask this question each time 354 00:29:52,000 –> 00:29:56,579 as we go through the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. 355 00:29:57,520 –> 00:30:01,680 Did Jesus ever pray this prayer himself? 356 00:30:02,959 –> 00:30:05,839 And the answer is yes, he did. 357 00:30:05,839 –> 00:30:08,959 He prayed each of the petitions of the Lord’s prayer, 358 00:30:08,959 –> 00:30:13,119 either for himself or for others. 359 00:30:14,199 –> 00:30:16,060 And John records in his Gospel 360 00:30:16,060 –> 00:30:18,040 how our Lord Jesus prayed 361 00:30:18,040 –> 00:30:20,319 this first petition of the Lord’s Prayer. 362 00:30:20,319 –> 00:30:24,140 It’s in John chapter 12 and verse 27. 363 00:30:24,140 –> 00:30:24,979 Jesus says, 364 00:30:24,979 –> 00:30:27,500 Now is my soul troubled. 365 00:30:28,780 –> 00:30:30,079 And what shall I say? 366 00:30:31,199 –> 00:30:33,619 Father save me from this hour, 367 00:30:35,119 –> 00:30:39,380 but for this purpose, I have come to this hour. 368 00:30:39,380 –> 00:30:43,459 Father glorify your name. 369 00:30:46,420 –> 00:30:47,239 Now you see that prayer 370 00:30:47,239 –> 00:30:49,939 of Jesus father glorify your name. 371 00:30:49,939 –> 00:30:54,939 That’s Jesus praying the first petition 372 00:30:56,060 –> 00:30:57,239 of the Lord’s Prayer. 373 00:30:58,400 –> 00:30:59,880 And I want you to notice this 374 00:30:59,880 –> 00:31:01,339 because it’s very significant 375 00:31:01,339 –> 00:31:03,339 that Jesus prayed the first petition 376 00:31:03,339 –> 00:31:06,859 of the Lord’s Prayer when his own soul was in trouble. 377 00:31:08,260 –> 00:31:11,839 Our Lord faced the prospect 378 00:31:11,839 –> 00:31:14,500 of unspeakable suffering. 379 00:31:15,339 –> 00:31:19,859 He would be scourged, he would be mocked. 380 00:31:19,859 –> 00:31:21,619 He would be crucified. 381 00:31:21,619 –> 00:31:25,859 He would bear the curse of all our sin. 382 00:31:25,859 –> 00:31:28,160 He would plumb the depths 383 00:31:28,160 –> 00:31:30,619 of the darkness of hell itself. 384 00:31:32,020 –> 00:31:34,819 And as he thinks about what lies ahead of him, 385 00:31:34,819 –> 00:31:38,239 his own soul is troubled. 386 00:31:38,239 –> 00:31:39,939 What will he do? 387 00:31:40,859 –> 00:31:45,859 Will he say, Father, save me from this hour? 388 00:31:46,119 –> 00:31:47,520 No, he’s not going to do that. 389 00:31:47,520 –> 00:31:48,880 It was for this very hour 390 00:31:48,880 –> 00:31:51,880 and for this very purpose that he came into the world. 391 00:31:52,939 –> 00:31:57,859 So he says, Father, glorify your name. 392 00:31:57,859 –> 00:32:00,540 He prays the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer 393 00:32:00,540 –> 00:32:01,780 right there and then, 394 00:32:01,780 –> 00:32:05,760 honoring the Father’s name was everything to Jesus, 395 00:32:05,760 –> 00:32:09,020 everything to Jesus, even he. 396 00:32:10,660 –> 00:32:15,140 Now, friend, there may come a time in your life 397 00:32:16,060 –> 00:32:20,099 when you find yourself facing great darkness 398 00:32:20,959 –> 00:32:25,520 and even looking into the face of unspeakable evil. 399 00:32:27,180 –> 00:32:31,579 And you wonder how could God’s name 400 00:32:31,579 –> 00:32:34,020 possibly be honored here? 401 00:32:35,979 –> 00:32:37,239 And here’s your answer. 402 00:32:38,180 –> 00:32:40,599 God’s name will be honored 403 00:32:41,780 –> 00:32:46,239 when even here you love him 404 00:32:47,040 –> 00:32:49,439 and you trust him still. 405 00:32:52,040 –> 00:32:53,099 Now I want you to notice 406 00:32:53,099 –> 00:32:55,180 that when Jesus prayed this prayer, 407 00:32:55,180 –> 00:32:59,020 he received an immediate answer. 408 00:32:59,020 –> 00:33:00,859 The very next verse, we read, 409 00:33:00,859 –> 00:33:04,300 Then a voice came from heaven, 410 00:33:05,300 –> 00:33:11,180 I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. 411 00:33:11,180 –> 00:33:12,640 Now notice again here 412 00:33:12,640 –> 00:33:16,979 that there is a now and a then answer to this prayer. 413 00:33:16,979 –> 00:33:21,979 When Jesus brings the first petition glorify your name, 414 00:33:22,280 –> 00:33:23,359 there’s an immediate 415 00:33:23,359 –> 00:33:27,959 and there’s an ultimate answer to this prayer. 416 00:33:27,959 –> 00:33:32,000 I have and I will. 417 00:33:32,000 –> 00:33:33,839 I have glorified it. 418 00:33:34,619 –> 00:33:36,540 That is God’s name was glorified 419 00:33:36,540 –> 00:33:40,140 by what Jesus did in submitting to the cross. 420 00:33:40,140 –> 00:33:43,599 And God’s name is glorified here and now 421 00:33:43,599 –> 00:33:45,800 in this world that still despises him 422 00:33:45,800 –> 00:33:50,800 by people who love him and people who trust him 423 00:33:51,219 –> 00:33:55,400 even in the darkest place as Jesus did. 424 00:33:57,239 –> 00:33:59,140 That’s how God’s name is honoured now, 425 00:34:00,300 –> 00:34:01,520 but then the father says, 426 00:34:01,520 –> 00:34:03,579 I will glorify it again. 427 00:34:04,800 –> 00:34:07,180 See, God’s name was glorified 428 00:34:07,180 –> 00:34:11,219 not only by what Jesus did in submitting to the cross, 429 00:34:11,219 –> 00:34:15,780 but in what the father did by a raising him from the dead. 430 00:34:15,780 –> 00:34:17,760 And one day, brothers and sisters, 431 00:34:17,760 –> 00:34:20,500 our faith is going to be turned to sight. 432 00:34:20,500 –> 00:34:24,000 We’re going to see our risen Lord Jesus Christ 433 00:34:24,000 –> 00:34:26,780 face to face. 434 00:34:26,780 –> 00:34:30,060 And when He comes in power and in glory, 435 00:34:30,060 –> 00:34:33,600 darkness will be dispelled and a new day will dawn. 436 00:34:33,639 –> 00:34:36,860 Our souls, they’re going to be made perfect, 437 00:34:36,860 –> 00:34:39,439 when we see Him, we’ll be like Him, 438 00:34:39,439 –> 00:34:43,300 and our bodies will be transformed. 439 00:34:43,300 –> 00:34:46,879 God will be with us, we will be with Him, 440 00:34:46,879 –> 00:34:51,879 and we are going to exalt His name forever and forever. 441 00:34:54,320 –> 00:34:57,600 Do you know, there’s a very good reason 442 00:34:58,280 –> 00:35:03,280 why this is the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer? 443 00:35:06,139 –> 00:35:10,679 And surely among other reasons, there is this, 444 00:35:12,000 –> 00:35:16,560 that when all the other petitions 445 00:35:16,560 –> 00:35:18,719 of the Lord’s Prayer have been answered, 446 00:35:20,439 –> 00:35:23,800 this will still be the first and the greatest desire 447 00:35:23,800 –> 00:35:26,260 of all our hearts to all eternity? 448 00:35:27,840 –> 00:35:30,439 Think about it, in the presence of Jesus, 449 00:35:30,439 –> 00:35:33,979 no one will be saying, give us this day our daily bread, 450 00:35:33,979 –> 00:35:35,580 because all will be provided? 451 00:35:37,199 –> 00:35:39,939 No one will be saying, Father, forgive us our sins, 452 00:35:39,939 –> 00:35:41,719 because sin will be no more. 453 00:35:43,360 –> 00:35:45,840 No one will be saying, deliver us from evil, 454 00:35:45,840 –> 00:35:48,500 because evil will be banished 455 00:35:48,500 –> 00:35:52,719 to the lake of fire forever and forever. 456 00:35:52,719 –> 00:35:54,919 No one will be saying, your kingdom come, 457 00:35:54,959 –> 00:35:57,080 because the kingdom in all its fullness 458 00:35:57,080 –> 00:35:58,959 will be all around us. 459 00:35:59,879 –> 00:36:02,959 And no one will be saying, Father, your will be done, 460 00:36:02,959 –> 00:36:06,320 because our wills will be one with his will 461 00:36:06,320 –> 00:36:09,060 forever and forever, and in that we will find 462 00:36:09,060 –> 00:36:12,159 perfect freedom and perfect joy. 463 00:36:14,360 –> 00:36:19,360 But God himself will be honored forever and forever, 464 00:36:19,659 –> 00:36:24,360 and that will always be the first and greatest desire 465 00:36:26,659 –> 00:36:30,199 of our redeemed and glorified hearts. 466 00:36:32,179 –> 00:36:36,060 Will you join with me in praying this prayer? 467 00:36:40,040 –> 00:36:45,040 Our Father in heaven, we bow before you in worship today, 468 00:36:45,800 –> 00:36:49,280 and we exalt you for who you are 469 00:36:49,280 –> 00:36:51,899 and for all that you have done for us 470 00:36:51,899 –> 00:36:54,239 in your Son Jesus Christ. 471 00:36:55,600 –> 00:37:00,600 You are love, and in love you gave your Son for us. 472 00:37:02,040 –> 00:37:07,000 You are just, and justly you made Him our substitute 473 00:37:07,000 –> 00:37:09,639 and allowed Him to stand in our place. 474 00:37:11,159 –> 00:37:12,939 You re sovereign, and by your power 475 00:37:12,939 –> 00:37:14,979 you have raised Him from the dead. 476 00:37:16,060 –> 00:37:21,060 You are gracious, and by your Spirit you drew us to Christ, 477 00:37:21,659 –> 00:37:25,860 made us alive in Him, and pardoned our many sins. 478 00:37:26,879 –> 00:37:28,479 And God, you are faithful, 479 00:37:29,500 –> 00:37:32,820 for all the times we have doubted you 480 00:37:32,820 –> 00:37:35,659 and for all the times we have failed you, 481 00:37:36,679 –> 00:37:39,760 you have kept us, and father, 482 00:37:39,760 –> 00:37:42,399 you have never, never let us go. 483 00:37:43,939 –> 00:37:45,979 Father, we exalt your holy name. 484 00:37:47,060 –> 00:37:49,219 Right now, the angels surround you 485 00:37:49,219 –> 00:37:51,800 and cry out holy, holy, holy 486 00:37:51,800 –> 00:37:55,199 and we gladly join them in worship. 487 00:37:56,659 –> 00:37:59,679 Father, we grieve that this world does not know you. 488 00:38:00,919 –> 00:38:04,899 We grieve that millions can study the order 489 00:38:04,899 –> 00:38:07,080 and the beauty of all that you have made 490 00:38:07,080 –> 00:38:09,459 and yet give no thanks to you. 491 00:38:10,320 –> 00:38:12,879 We grieve because instead of praising 492 00:38:12,879 –> 00:38:16,040 the works of your hands many rage against you 493 00:38:16,040 –> 00:38:18,860 as if you were the author of all evil. 494 00:38:20,800 –> 00:38:22,959 Father, the world doesn’t know you. 495 00:38:24,479 –> 00:38:29,159 We grieve that your name is blasphemed all day long 496 00:38:29,159 –> 00:38:33,760 across every continent of this world that you have made. 497 00:38:33,760 –> 00:38:37,820 Father, how great is the hatred 498 00:38:37,820 –> 00:38:39,600 of the human heart against you. 499 00:38:41,040 –> 00:38:42,780 And how great is the love 500 00:38:42,780 –> 00:38:45,580 that you should love a world like this 501 00:38:46,939 –> 00:38:49,659 and send your son knowing that we would scourge him 502 00:38:49,659 –> 00:38:52,860 and spit on him and crucify him. 503 00:38:54,879 –> 00:38:56,179 Oh Lord, have mercy on us. 504 00:38:58,219 –> 00:39:00,500 We are so thankful that in your grace 505 00:39:01,659 –> 00:39:03,260 you have made us your children 506 00:39:03,600 –> 00:39:05,719 and that we can call you our father. 507 00:39:07,500 –> 00:39:10,060 We bear your name in the world 508 00:39:10,060 –> 00:39:15,060 and we tremble to think that anyone would despise you 509 00:39:15,219 –> 00:39:17,360 because of what they see in us. 510 00:39:19,540 –> 00:39:22,300 Deliver us then from merely calling you Lord 511 00:39:22,300 –> 00:39:24,500 and not doing what you command us. 512 00:39:26,020 –> 00:39:28,280 Let us be done with living for ourselves 513 00:39:28,280 –> 00:39:30,899 and help us live in a way that honors you. 514 00:39:31,820 –> 00:39:36,320 We pray today for friends and loved ones 515 00:39:36,320 –> 00:39:38,780 who are under great pressure, 516 00:39:38,780 –> 00:39:41,060 who endure great distress 517 00:39:41,060 –> 00:39:42,840 and who face great darkness. 518 00:39:44,020 –> 00:39:47,080 Grant that your name will be honored 519 00:39:47,080 –> 00:39:52,080 as they trust you and love you even in this. 520 00:39:53,800 –> 00:39:55,820 And as your son glorified your name 521 00:39:55,820 –> 00:39:57,199 by enduring the cross, 522 00:39:57,379 –> 00:40:00,040 so grant them endurance 523 00:40:00,040 –> 00:40:02,580 that they may reflect your sons likeness. 524 00:40:04,239 –> 00:40:06,899 Father, we long for your name to be hallowed. 525 00:40:08,399 –> 00:40:11,000 Please move and act in this world 526 00:40:11,000 –> 00:40:13,699 in such a way that more and more people 527 00:40:13,699 –> 00:40:17,300 will treasure you above all else 528 00:40:18,219 –> 00:40:20,699 and make that true of us. 529 00:40:21,820 –> 00:40:22,719 We pray. 530 00:40:23,479 –> 00:40:28,639 We bless you for our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ. 531 00:40:28,639 –> 00:40:31,399 We often think of his great love for us, 532 00:40:31,399 –> 00:40:35,500 but today we are reminded of how much he loves you, 533 00:40:37,439 –> 00:40:38,979 and we want to be like him, 534 00:40:40,620 –> 00:40:42,600 not just in this service of worship 535 00:40:42,600 –> 00:40:46,919 but in every hour of every day of our lives. 536 00:40:48,820 –> 00:40:51,979 So Lord, hasten the day when our faith will be sight, 537 00:40:53,439 –> 00:40:55,020 and until that day comes, 538 00:40:55,020 –> 00:40:58,840 let us be done with exalting ourselves, 539 00:41:00,340 –> 00:41:03,419 and let us live for your praise, 540 00:41:03,419 –> 00:41:04,419 your honour, 541 00:41:05,360 –> 00:41:10,360 your glory alone through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 542 00:41:12,540 –> 00:41:13,379 Amen.