1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,880 You may be seated. Our sermon title this morning is 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:17,440 How Kingdom people Pray and a Saint of old called Teresa of 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:18,920 Avila. She wrote this. 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:24,400 She said prayers, nothing else then an intimate sharing between 5 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,000 friends. It means taking time frequently 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,320 to be with Him who we know loves us. 7 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,600 Is prayer optional, as in, does it matter? 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,640 How often should we pray? If it does matter, or what 9 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,600 should our prayers consist of? How long should they be? 10 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,400 These and many other questions that people wonder about could 11 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,080 be asked. But even though these questions 12 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:00,920 may be real on the matter of prayer, they're not the heart of 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,280 the matter. In short, prayer is connecting 14 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:10,240 with God by being with God, talking and listening to God and 15 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,720 listening from Him. It happens in the context of 16 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,080 relationship. Prayer is a very key and 17 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,560 important part of the Christian's life. 18 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:22,560 Without prayer, we cannot connect with God. 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,680 Prayer has been studied, written about, taught about, preached 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:32,600 on, and it'll continue. True prayer and relationship 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:38,400 cannot be separated in relationships, in good 22 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,600 friendships. That's the place where people 23 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:49,120 let down the guard, the fears melt, the walls disappear, 24 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:56,000 respect goes up, trust deepens, commitment and surrender invade 25 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,360 the whole atmosphere. I read something this last week 26 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:04,280 about friendships that caught my eye and I copied it and I want 27 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,040 to share that here this morning before we dig into the passage 28 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,280 itself, that we want to speak on Matthew chapter 6, verse one and 29 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,960 on written by a man. This article is written by a man 30 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,840 named Frederick Beechner many years ago, and just let me share 31 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,960 this here. He said friends are people you 32 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,920 make part of your life just because you feel like it. 33 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,560 There are lots of other ways people get to be part of each 34 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,240 other's lives, like being related to each other, living 35 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,800 near each other, sharing some special passion or interest with 36 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,480 each other, and so on. But though all of that may be 37 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,200 involved in a friendship, those things are secondary to the 38 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,000 friendship if it's a real friendship, he says. 39 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,800 Basically, your friends, meaning true friends, are not your 40 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,120 friends for any particular reason. 41 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,560 They're your friends, not because of the job you do, the 42 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,080 family you have, the way you vote, the major achievements and 43 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,400 blunders of your life, your religious convictions or lack of 44 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,280 them. Those things are real, but 45 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,480 they're all somehow set off to one side when the two of you get 46 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,800 together. If you're old friends, you know 47 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,160 all these things about each other, and a lot more besides. 48 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,280 But those things are beside the point even if you talk about 49 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:16,920 them. Those things, they're beside the 50 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,880 point in a friendship, humanly speaking, when stripped of its 51 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,840 bare essentials. You are the point, and your 52 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,800 friend is the point. The usual distinctions of older, 53 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,080 younger, richer, poorer, smarter, Dumber, male, female 54 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,800 even cease to matter. You meet with a clean slate 55 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,640 every time on equal terms and anything may come of it or 56 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,160 nothing may come of it. Doesn't matter. 57 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:47,560 Only the meeting matters. I'm a very blessed man to be 58 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,640 able to every, not every, but most Friday mornings at 6:00 AM 59 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,480 to meet with my sons, three of our sons at Tim horton's. 60 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,680 We don't come with an agenda. The meeting is the point to just 61 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,120 shoot the breeze, just talk, just be there. 62 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,200 That's the point and that aligns with this. 63 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,200 Bickner then quotes the verse out of Exodus 33 verse 11 where 64 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,240 it says so the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man 65 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,920 speaks to his friend. The words of the Bible. 66 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,040 Let's let this sit. Let this sit for a second. 67 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,320 There was a lot of prayer going on for Moses towards God. 68 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,960 He was listening a lot, but it was the relationship that 69 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,600 mattered. The book and and Bickner goes 70 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,360 on. He says in Isaiah 41 verse 8, it 71 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,520 says this, but you Israel are my servant Jacob, whom I have 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,800 chosen, the descendants of Abraham. 73 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:46,800 My friend Beacon writes, he said this is a staggering thought. 74 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,920 He continues the love of God, the mercy of God, the judgement 75 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,080 of God. He says you take your shoes off 76 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,760 your feet and you stand as you stand before this as a before a 77 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,200 mountain or the edge of the sea, but says, but then the 78 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,440 friendship of God, it's he said it's not something God does. 79 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:10,080 It's something Abraham and God or Moses and God do together. 80 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:13,720 And you may disagree with this, but let me just read this and 81 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,480 you can argue with me later on. He says not even God can be a 82 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,720 friend all by himself. Apparently in other words, to be 83 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,840 a friend, you need someone to be a friend too. 84 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,480 Abraham spending time with God, they simply being together, 85 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,480 being themselves. He asked the question, Is it a 86 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:35,560 privilege only for patriarchs? Not as far as Jesus concerned, 87 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,600 at least, he continues. You're my friends, Jesus says, 88 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,440 if you do what I command. The command, of course, is to 89 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,720 love one another, as he puts it, to be his friends. 90 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,520 That is to say, we have to be each other's friends, 91 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,600 conceivably even lay down our lives for each other. 92 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,400 It's a high price to pay, he says, and Jesus does not pretend 93 00:05:55,760 --> 00:06:00,600 otherwise. I want to just let that sit for 94 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,920 a second and think about this, to be in friendship and 95 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:10,080 relationship with Jesus. And that happens in the context 96 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,960 of prayer. There's nothing on this earth 97 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,760 that's higher than that, deeper than that, more powerful than 98 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,800 that. There's no acting, no pretense 99 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,080 involved. And when talking about prayer, 100 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,680 it's important that we also know it takes many different forms. 101 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,160 It comes in many different ways. The Bible has an awful lot to 102 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:30,920 say on it. There's not only one kind of 103 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,040 prayer, one type of prayer, one style of prayer. 104 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,320 It can take many forms and expressions. 105 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,160 In our passage today, we'll find Jesus gives instructions to his 106 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:40,920 audience on the subject of prayer. 107 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,000 Not because they're not praying. They were praying. 108 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,200 They were praying an awful lot. Those people were and given 109 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,240 instructions how not to pray as well as how to pray and the 110 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,400 instructions that Jesus gives. They were instructions giving to 111 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,640 God fearing Jews. These people were not pig and 112 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,080 unbelievers. These Jewish listeners, they 113 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,360 would have been well familiar with the subject of prayer. 114 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,440 Oh yeah, yeah, we do it five times a day, that kind of thing. 115 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,520 I don't know exactly how often Jews pray, but they do pray in 116 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,160 rituals. Our relationship with God does 117 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,240 not exist for the sake of prayer. 118 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,080 The praying we do is the envelope in which the 119 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,600 relationship is carried. The relationship is the point. 120 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,320 In other words, physically, people don't live so they can 121 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:27,960 breathe. They breathe so they can live. 122 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:29,960 Breathing serves the purpose of living. 123 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,360 Prayer serves the purpose of sustaining and nurturing a 124 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,040 relationship with God. Breathing is to the body what 125 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,480 prayer is to the soul. Prayer is the pathway, the 126 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,120 channel through which we connect with God. 127 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,720 We do not worship prayer. In prayer, we worship God. 128 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,720 We pray because we desire God. We pray because we want to speak 129 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:49,720 to God. We pray because we want to hear 130 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,360 Him, but most importantly, want to be with Him. 131 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,880 So how now do we pray? Or rather the text says, how 132 00:07:57,880 --> 00:07:59,680 should we not pray? In order to pray right now, 133 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:03,000 let's read our text. Matthew chapter 6, five to 18. 134 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:07,080 Matthew 65 to 18. Last time we talked about 135 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,640 giving, doing good. Well, here goes to prayer. 136 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,760 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they 137 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,000 love to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the corners of 138 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,600 the streets, that they may be seen by men. 139 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,000 Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 140 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,680 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you've shut 141 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,560 your door, pray to your Father who's in the secret place, and 142 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,960 your Father who sees in secret, will reward you openly. 143 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,880 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen 144 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,919 do, for they think that they will be heard for their many 145 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:42,480 words. Therefore do not be like them, 146 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,680 For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask 147 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:49,160 Him in this manner. Therefore pray our Father in 148 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:54,040 heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be 149 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,120 done on earth as it is in heaven. 150 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,800 Give us this day Our Daily Bread, and forgive us our debts, 151 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,560 as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into 152 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:05,040 temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 153 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,640 For yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. 154 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,200 Amen. For if you forgive men their 155 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,080 trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 156 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,240 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will 157 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,160 your Father forgive your trespasses. 158 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,200 Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a 159 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,600 sad countenance, for the disfigure their faces, that they 160 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,360 may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they 161 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,200 have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint 162 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,760 your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to 163 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,600 be fasting, but to your father who's in the secret place, And 164 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,800 your father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. 165 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,240 So first here what we see is do not pray to get people's praise 166 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:48,760 or attention. So what I've just said by the 167 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,600 way of introduction to this, we, it's obvious, do not pray to be 168 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:54,840 seen, to be noticed or to be recognized. 169 00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:01,080 Jesus forbids his people any kind of prayer with the mouth 170 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,400 when the mouth and the mind is not is not engaged when that's 171 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,920 separate. If we pray with her mouth, but 172 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:11,920 our hearts of energy says don't, don't. 173 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,280 Let's continue now with this passage. 174 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:23,840 Go back to chapter 5-6, verse 5. When you pray, you shall not be 175 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,880 like the hypocrites. They had prayer, a lot of it. 176 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,600 They love prayer. So I want to be careful what I 177 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,560 say here, but ask, do we love prayer? 178 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,000 Do we? So when prayer meetings come, do 179 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,200 we come or do we have prayer meetings on the side? 180 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,160 I'm not judging those who don't come to prayer meetings here 181 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,040 necessarily. Are we people of prayer? 182 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,640 So they had that going for them. They love to pray, but the 183 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:50,640 motives were wrong. They prayed to get human 184 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,120 attention and Jesus, that's not how you do it. 185 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,240 They wanted to be noticed, to be seen. 186 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:01,680 I come. I was born into the traditional 187 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:05,440 conservative Mennonite culture where praying in public would 188 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,360 never happen, at least not to my knowledge. 189 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,040 We never did it and so we took passages like this while we're 190 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,080 not supposed to pray for public attention, and if you do it in 191 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:16,960 public, then we can get proud and so we don't do it. 192 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,000 Were we perhaps in the same vein, just proud from the 193 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000 reverse side? Good question. 194 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,120 Pride prevented us from doing what they did with pride. 195 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,600 So the Jews had their regular prayer times and specific 196 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:37,880 prayers that they would pray. I've, I've mentioned this in my 197 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,880 sermons here in this church before, that Satan doesn't care 198 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:43,760 on which side of the path you fall off the path to the right 199 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,160 or to the left, as long as you fall off. 200 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,160 For the Pharisees, they fell into legalism, perfectionism, 201 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,600 performance. They're praying lots of prayers. 202 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,760 It's a good thing to pray, but the reason why they were praying 203 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:57,120 was bad. I'm reminded in the book of 204 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,000 Amos, in the Old Testament, there were people who were 205 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,440 worshipping. God was not pleased with the 206 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,160 worship they were doing. They had prayer, they had 207 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:04,560 worship, and they had lots of it. 208 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,920 By the way, I trust the Lord is pleased with what we did this 209 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,200 morning. I trust now if everybody's doing 210 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,000 it for the right reason, I can't judge that the Lord knows. 211 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,840 But let me read Amos chapter 5, verse 21 and 24. 212 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:23,040 And this is tough. Amos 521 says I hate, I despise 213 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,760 your feast days. I do not savor your sacred 214 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,320 assemblies. Though you offer me burnt 215 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:29,600 offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept 216 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,200 them, nor will I regard your fat and peace offerings. 217 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,400 Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear 218 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,080 the melody of your string instruments. 219 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:44,200 Ouch. For God to look at a worship 220 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,480 service of His people and say that, that's heavy. 221 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,960 That says a lot about what he was thinking of their worship 222 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,000 service. They were not in relationship 223 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,760 with God. They had their programs, no 224 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,600 doubt well done professionally, maybe. 225 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,920 God, I hate it. I'm just, I despise it. 226 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:06,400 I despise your feast. Stacy says it's entirely 227 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,880 possible to have a large gathering, a large crowd, 228 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,080 professional, everything, and not have any connection with God 229 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,040 at all. God just says stop, stop, stop. 230 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:17,520 Get it away from me. I don't want it. 231 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:19,760 I'm not I can't, I can't stand it. 232 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:26,520 He doesn't like it. He's he's turned off. 233 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,440 But then he says something else. But let justice run down like 234 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:36,760 water and righteousness like a mighty stream. 235 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,800 Let your worship of me consist of in living righteous holy 236 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,200 lives, like being the salt of Jesus. 237 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,240 Matthew 5 being the light in the community. 238 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,360 Make a change, make a difference. 239 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,000 Well, Jesus continues on verse 6 is but when you pray go into 240 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,160 your room when you shut your door, pray to your father's in 241 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,360 the secret place and your father sees in the secret will reward 242 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,880 you openly. Jesus was not pleased with the 243 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,000 style of praying the Pharisees were doing, but he does not 244 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,800 leave his audience blank and how to do it. 245 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,160 He gives his audience direction how to pray properly. 246 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,920 He just go into your room by yourself. 247 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,680 You and your father. Notice this word, Father. 248 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:17,800 I underline it in my Bible. There's numerous times he 249 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:19,480 doesn't say go on to you and pray to your God. 250 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,960 He doesn't say that when you pray, go on to you and pray to 251 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:24,880 your father, not to your God. It's your father. 252 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,480 There's a relationship there. He frames everything in this 253 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,400 relationship. Pray to your God in secret. 254 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,920 Pray to your no, he's pray to your father who's in secret. 255 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,680 It's, it's, it's a relationship not meant to be displayed and 256 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:45,240 paraded for show. Does this now mean that all 257 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,560 praying should be done as one-on-one with our Father 258 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:49,440 alone? No, that's not what Jesus is 259 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:51,680 saying. He himself prayed in public 260 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,680 numerous times. We have stories in Old Testament 261 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,640 when people prayed corporately, King David, Solomon, Moses, they 262 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,040 prayed publicly. There's a great need for 263 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:02,640 corporate prayer. And I will say this, as 264 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:04,640 churches, we don't do it enough. We should do more. 265 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,800 The new book, the New Testament, the book of Acts chapter 4 was 266 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,480 23 and 31 to 31, that whole story where the apostles were 267 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,760 arrested and charged with preaching in this man's name. 268 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,920 You told you to stop. You don't stop. 269 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:19,920 They beat them and then they let them go. 270 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:21,680 And what do they do? They go and have a church 271 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,600 gathering and they prayed, they worshipped and the earthquake 272 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,960 and all that stuff. Acts chapter 12 is another 273 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,760 story. Peter's been arrested, James 274 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:31,600 been killed, Peter's arrested, thrown in jail. 275 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:37,080 And Angel comes in the night and hits Peter on the side and says 276 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,520 get up, put your clothes on. And then they walks him out of 277 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:41,800 prison in the middle of the night sometime, don't know what 278 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,320 hour it was, but Peter finds out, oh, I'm not dreaming. 279 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,320 I'm actually free out of prison. And he goes to the House of Mary 280 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:48,680 and they're all together praying. 281 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,880 Not one-on-one and all each and one closet. 282 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:55,560 They're all together praying. There's many stories of people 283 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,000 praying together, Paul and Silas. 284 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,160 They pray publicly saying praises and worship public in 285 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,320 the prison Philippi and it was pretty loud, pretty noisy 286 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,560 because the prisoners heard them singing and it was they were 287 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,200 they were singing and and all of a sudden, the night God sends an 288 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,960 earthquake shakes the foundation chains fall off prison doors 289 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:13,200 swing open. The jailer wants to kill 290 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,600 himself. Paul yells, don't, don't. 291 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,040 We're all here. And result is the prisoner. 292 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:18,520 I mean the jailer, he's the real prisoner. 293 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,800 He gets saved and his household gets baptized and God is 294 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,880 worshipped. Praying in groups in public is 295 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:26,360 not what Jesus is condemning or against. 296 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,760 No, it's good. It's fine, it's good, but the 297 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,360 point of this is, is the relationship happening? 298 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:33,800 Is the connection with God happening? 299 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,520 That's the question. Then he says in verse 7, don't 300 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,680 use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think 301 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:41,320 they'll be heard of their many words, and there's plenty of 302 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,920 evidence of that too. Repetition, flowery language 303 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,000 doesn't impress God. I'm not saying we shouldn't use 304 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:51,160 good words, but you see, the deepest, most sincere prayers 305 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,000 are often the quietest, sometimes with the fewest words. 306 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,120 I'm not saying it's never a time to break out and joyful shout 307 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:59,680 and raising hands and loud praises. 308 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:01,760 That is, that's, that's fine, that's great. 309 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,240 But you see, when life falls apart and everything becomes 310 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,160 desperate, there are times when only words, the only words you 311 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:09,400 can say, simpler. Lord help. 312 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,319 And that's it. That's all you need. 313 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,319 Let me ask ourselves, are we committed to God as our Father 314 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,599 or are we committed to a God of our imagination? 315 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,280 Are we desiring to become more like our heavenly Father or are 316 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,359 we simply imagining him in our own human way and trying to 317 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,280 connect with a self-made image of what we would like him to be? 318 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:34,560 In the Old Testament there was a lot of idol worship. 319 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:38,240 People were bowing to statues of wooden stone. 320 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,160 They believed in different gods for different circumstances, God 321 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,560 of rain and God of harvest and all those kinds of things and 322 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,080 carve themselves statues to represent these gods and had 323 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:51,280 these elaborate ways of communicating with them. 324 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,800 Jesus talks about the Pharisees, talks about the heath and he 325 00:17:54,800 --> 00:18:01,440 says stay away from it. They're praying from a self 326 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,680 perspective. They're focusing on themselves. 327 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,760 It's almost like standing in front of a mirror looking at 328 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,600 themselves and how good they are and it's all about them. 329 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,160 They love to pray for the purpose of attention and 330 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:15,720 recognition. He says in verse 8. 331 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,200 Therefore, do not be like them, for your Father knows the things 332 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,920 you've need of before you ask him. 333 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,480 There's nothing that we can say to God He doesn't already know. 334 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,960 He knows what we need, just like a parent knows what the child 335 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,640 needs or will need, and yet the parent wants the child to 336 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,240 connect, say, come and talk to me. 337 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,360 He knows what we need. He wants to give us what's good 338 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:43,040 for us, but He wants to do it in the context of a father's child 339 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:49,120 relationship. Then he says in verse 9, and 340 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:51,880 here's where I'll go a little bit more further, he says, and 341 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,440 this manner, therefore pray our Father in heaven, hallowed be 342 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,520 your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it 343 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,560 is in heaven. Give us this day Our Daily 344 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,880 Bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and 345 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,440 eat us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 346 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,840 For yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. 347 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,720 Amen. For if you, if you forgive men 348 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,880 their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 349 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,160 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will 350 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,280 your Father forgive your trespasses. 351 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:22,640 So we know how not to pray. Now here we know how to pray. 352 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:26,880 Pray in a relationship of worship, trust, dependence, and 353 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,880 faith in God. This prayer is known as the 354 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,240 Lord's Prayer. It's a prayer that Jesus taught 355 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,840 his disciples. And it's a good prayer, and we 356 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,880 should pray it. And we do pray it, but it's not 357 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,400 the only way to pray. It's a template, a blueprint, if 358 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,480 you will, on what Jesus wants us to think about when we pray to 359 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,280 God. One commentator I read outlines 360 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,480 this prayer in seven points, and I want to briefly touch on each 361 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,360 of them. So we come to God our Father, 362 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:58,160 and the first thing we do is we Orient, we align, we calibrate 363 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,000 ourselves to be in line with him. 364 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,360 And so we say, our Father in heaven. 365 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,520 We're here, He's here, we're the child, He's the Father, We're 366 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:13,440 the we don't get to to dictate. We listen, we request, we don't 367 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,680 say my God in heaven. We could say that, but that 368 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,200 would have it carry a different message. 369 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:23,440 As he is in heaven, his domain is in all places, everywhere in 370 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,880 the world, in the universe of all times, in all places. 371 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,080 We give recognition. The word father is a close word 372 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,920 Addressing God in that way speaks again of relationship. 373 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,320 Our father, my father. In another passage, we read the 374 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,640 word ABBA. Father means daddy. 375 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,400 Think about that coming to God and say hey, hey, dad, I need 376 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,880 hey dad, thank you. Hey dad, I praise you or I 377 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,080 worship you. Just something kind of off with 378 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:50,320 that. Maybe because we're not, we're 379 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,880 not acclimatized to it, but that's what Jesus did with this. 380 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,840 I know for some people, the word father evokes dark memories. 381 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,560 They didn't have a father or the father they had was very broken 382 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,960 and, and an ungodly man perhaps. And so this evokes dark 383 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,600 memories. I would encourage, if that's you 384 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,200 seek help because that's not the father of the, of the, of the, 385 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,520 of the, of Jesus, the father of us, the Christians. 386 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:17,520 That's not the father we're talking about. 387 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:19,080 The father that Jesus talks about. 388 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,440 Is this loving, all-encompassing, eternal, 389 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,840 glorious being God, who's our Father, who wants the best for 390 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,320 us, who sent His Son to die for us? 391 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,800 The image of a father is the closest word picture that can be 392 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,840 given in explaining how much God as a Father loves and cares for 393 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:39,360 His people and all creation. Next to you says hallowed. 394 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:43,160 Be your name. Don't take His name lightly. 395 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,160 His name is holy to be respected. 396 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:50,400 When we carry His name as His follower, we carry a powerful 397 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,880 message. This goes back to what we talked 398 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,560 about earlier in our sermon series about swearing, oaths, 399 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,680 and so on. How do we carry His name? 400 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,800 How do we value His name? Are we careful that what we do 401 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,720 lines up with carrying His name? Do our lives carry that 402 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,960 reputation to hallow God's name? We say and do as He does in 403 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,360 keeping with the holy standards. From there, then, we Orient 404 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:17,600 ourselves in a bit different directions. 405 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,520 Now we turn to our needs. Your Kingdom come. 406 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,000 Jesus says. We want God's Kingdom to come to 407 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,080 us here on earth. Now, today we know it's in 408 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,600 heaven. It's our desire to come here. 409 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,000 Many people cannot pray this with an honest heart. 410 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,280 They do pray this, but in their hearts the meaning is different. 411 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,280 What they truly want is for their Kingdom to come. 412 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,200 As human beings, we're notorious for building our own little 413 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:54,800 kingdoms where we're in control and things were our way and, and 414 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,560 often times we work extremely hard to get established and have 415 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,200 a home and raise a family, have a job, run a business and save 416 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,880 for the future. That's all good. 417 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:04,760 Where the problem comes in is when our Father is not the 418 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,440 center of it, when he's marginalized and excluded and 419 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:12,640 has no room in it. If we want God's Kingdom to 420 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,000 come, we need to first look at Him as our Father and see what 421 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,960 are you doing? How can I align myself with you? 422 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,240 Am I aligning with you? But then the next one's a bit 423 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:26,200 more, a bit harder yet He says your will be done on earth as it 424 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,880 is in heaven. Really, we pray your will be 425 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,360 done on earth as it is in heaven. 426 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:34,920 That's what we pray. But in their hearts it was 427 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,440 translated according to the intention of it. 428 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,920 If we had an intention translator, imagine that. 429 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:41,800 What's he saying? He's saying this, what's he, 430 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,600 what's he intending? He's intending that if we had an 431 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,800 intention translator that don't exist, I don't think, but anyway 432 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,400 we would say this may my will be done in heaven as it is on 433 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,640 earth. That will be much more like it. 434 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,640 Lord, will you make sure that my plan succeed. 435 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,120 Can you align things to what I want will happen. 436 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,120 That's what we mean often times in case we doubt that. 437 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:06,920 How many times do we get into a situation, a struggle. 438 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:10,040 Whatever we come up with, ideas and plans, we organize and 439 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,600 desperately want God to make it work and nothing. 440 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,800 We shouldn't plan, but then when it doesn't, then the whole life 441 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,000 is shattered. Where was the anchor? 442 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:22,360 In God or in the plan? Our first priority should always 443 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:24,560 be to come before God. Allow Him to speak into our 444 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,280 hearts and minds, and with that move forward and follow His 445 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,080 leading. We need to be guided by His 446 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,080 principles, His Word, His Spirit, and only then. 447 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,640 Oh yeah, According to what I understand God to do, I think we 448 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,880 should do this and that's fine. Then pray, but then he goes into 449 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,400 the more clothes. Did Our Daily Bread give us Our 450 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,080 Daily Bread. Notice what he's not saying. 451 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,160 Give me this year my yearly provision. 452 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,160 He's not saying that the focus is trust him as a child. 453 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,760 Trust the father. A child that your five year old 454 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,400 don't say. Hey Daddy, do you have enough 455 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,400 money to feed us all next year? Children don't do that. 456 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,960 Hey mom, I'm hungry. Hey dad, I'm hungry. 457 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,200 That's it. He's not condemning having 458 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:07,680 extra. He's not condemning having a 459 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,200 savings account. We're told to be frugal and safe 460 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,800 for, to be generous to others and so on to live in the moment. 461 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,880 We must ask when we start our day, we must ask, ask ourselves, 462 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,040 what's my desire today? Is my heart's desire today to 463 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,320 live first and foremost in relationship with God And then 464 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,600 from there, everything else? Or is it first? 465 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:27,800 How am I going to make it today? How am I going to get enough 466 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,560 food today? And I want, we need, I want. 467 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,800 And then God comes in last. We will see in later verses in 468 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:36,880 this chapter, we're not to worry for the next day. 469 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:39,720 We'll get there down the road in our sermon series. 470 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:43,200 We're to be diligent in our work, but not to worry. 471 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,680 And then Jesus goes into where it spiritually says the whole 472 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,400 thing is spiritual, but where it gets, it's kind of ramping up 473 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,960 here and says forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. 474 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,120 The assumption here is that as God's people, we're in the 475 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,120 practice of forgiving those who wronged us. 476 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:00,840 We're to forgiven, set them free. 477 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:05,000 What makes this passage so powerful is that Jesus says as 478 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,520 we forgive, if we want to be forgiven, we have no choice, 479 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,960 then we want to forgive. There are other scripture 480 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,360 passages where Jesus teaches us that if we don't forgive, we 481 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:18,880 will not be forgiven. If we refuse to set others free 482 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,640 who wronged us, we cannot count on God allowing us to go free 483 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,320 from having provided His commands. 484 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:29,800 Folks, we cannot manipulate this. 485 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,280 We may pretend to, but it's not real. 486 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,280 Story is told of two men in a village many years ago. 487 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,120 I don't even know if it's a true story, but illustrates a point. 488 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,760 So they were in conflict with each other, couldn't get along. 489 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,960 We're in fighting and just constant conflict. 490 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,360 One guy gets sick, ends up in the hospital, is going to die. 491 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,800 Well, he knows he's got some some some issues to to settle 492 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,160 with his neighbor and he's sorry. 493 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,000 He wants to ask for forgiveness, calls the neighbor over, sends a 494 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,200 message. Can you come over to the 495 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:58,440 hospital? I'm here, I'm dying. 496 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:03,160 He comes over and says, hey, that stuff between us, I'm 497 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:04,520 sorry. I just want to know if you can 498 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,480 forgive me. OK. 499 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,720 Yeah, I'll forgive you. That's that. 500 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,560 But then the man in bed who's dying, he says, but just 501 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,320 remember, if I get out of here, this doesn't count. 502 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:22,040 That's not real. That's not true forgiveness. 503 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:27,800 That's not reconciliation. Forgive us our debts as we 504 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:33,320 forgive our debtors. Jesus says, Jesus will use my 505 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,000 response, how I forgive my neighbor to say that this is how 506 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,080 you forgive your neighbor. That's the standard you've set 507 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:41,440 for forgiveness in your life. And the final one, number seven 508 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,040 says, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from 509 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:46,880 the evil one. We're asking God to protect us. 510 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,840 We're asking God to watch over us, to guide us, lead us away 511 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,040 from things that would distract and lure us into sin. 512 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,680 If we're going to be delivered from the evil 1 and not to be 513 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,320 LED into temptation, then we need to intentionally stay away 514 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,160 from what we want Him to help us stay away from. 515 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,040 Reminded of a story of a young Christian dating couple. 516 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,160 They plan to spend some time together by themselves. 517 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,640 They would they pray that God would protect them. 518 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:18,040 And then they went on a stroll at night on a moonlit beach. 519 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:24,360 They're asking for trouble. We cannot expect God to step in 520 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:27,960 and stop us if we're willfully, willfully engaging in activities 521 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,280 that compromise our relations with God our Father, to pray for 522 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:34,520 protection and put ourselves into bad situations, tempting 523 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,840 situations, that's just foolish, Richard Gardner's commentary and 524 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,520 Matthew writes in praying the final petition, we ask God to 525 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,240 protect this relationship. Do not bring us into situations 526 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,480 that might overwhelm our faith, but rather deliver us from every 527 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:54,240 peril that awaits us. Are we doing that with our 528 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:59,680 relationship with God? Or protect me from anything that 529 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,920 would harm my relationship with you. 530 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:06,120 And that protection can come in very painful ways because God 531 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,520 will start carving out and chipping away things that 532 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,480 disrupt that. We do want a relationship with 533 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,040 God, and that relationship is dependent on our surrender and 534 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,440 our loyalty to Christ. And again verse 14, he says, for 535 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,960 if you forgive them in their trespasses, your heavenly Father 536 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:22,840 will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive them 537 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:24,800 in their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 538 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,360 trespasses. Again, it goes to forgiveness. 539 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:32,520 I would say this gently but firmly because this is so 540 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,800 important. Our relationship with God is 541 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,160 contingent and dependent on both God and the person He's relating 542 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:44,560 to, both wanting it. If only God wants a relationship 543 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,040 with me, but I don't want it with him, nothing will happen 544 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:49,960 and I remain in my lost condition. 545 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:53,000 But if God wants a relationship with me, and He does and I want 546 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,800 it to, then the miracle of spiritual life happens. 547 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:02,240 In that context where our focus is, we'll decide how our 548 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,880 relationship with God will go. If we do not forgive others, 549 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,000 Jesus says God will not forgive us. 550 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,200 Now we want to be careful with this too. 551 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,760 This does not mean now that I have to remember every single 552 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:15,400 last bad word that somebody said to me. 553 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,280 I have to have forgiven for that word and for that word and for 554 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:18,880 that word. No, it's not talking about that 555 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,960 or I remember every single last thing I've said to somebody. 556 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,920 Oh, I forgot I said that. No, the repentant heart is the 557 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,840 question here releasing each other. 558 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,240 The question I must ask, am I holding another person hostage 559 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:33,760 in my heart and not setting them free? 560 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:35,960 They may have repented a long time ago. 561 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:37,880 I'm the one. I'm the one who's the prisoner. 562 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,320 The bottom line is for me to have a relationship with the 563 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,760 Father and pray to the Father, and I cannot hold people 564 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,360 hostage. I want to also add that 565 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,400 forgiving someone else does not mean we must not trust that 566 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:50,960 person. They may have heard us and 567 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,520 betrayed us very, very deeply. And there's a time for trust to 568 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,960 heal, trust to build. It's earned. 569 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:02,480 Trust is not just given freely in Matthew 6. 570 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,200 Here we've been learning about giving and about prayer. 571 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,800 Now these adds one more element to his teaching as he did and 572 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,800 then giving and praying. The question is not if they give 573 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,000 if they will pray was given the context of fasting. 574 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,600 He says in verse 16. Moreover, when you fast, do not 575 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,600 be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance, for they 576 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,320 disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting 577 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:22,880 assured. They say to you they have the 578 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,960 reward, but when but you when you fast anoint your head and 579 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,360 wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting. 580 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,640 But your father was in the secret place and your father who 581 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:35,000 sees in secret will reward you openly fast for the purpose of 582 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,560 connecting with God. Fasting was a given in that call 583 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,680 from people fasted regularly. That is something I say to maybe 584 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,080 my own embarrassment and shame I don't do enough of. 585 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,600 There's something that's really fallen by the wayside with me 586 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,320 and I should do this at different times, but something 587 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,400 I'd have to grow in. And I think as a church we need 588 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,000 to grow in this. We find many times in the Old 589 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,480 Testament people fasted regularly. 590 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,520 The story of Esther in the Old Testament, she fasted because 591 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,360 there was a there's a need for people who were going to be 592 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,280 slaughtered. And so she went without food for 593 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,680 three days. The New Testament people fasted 594 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:11,960 and prayed and Jesus said the religious leaders fasted in a 595 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,760 way that everybody could see they were fasting. 596 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:16,240 They needed others to know, hey, we're fasting. 597 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,400 In the Gospel of Luke chapter 18, the story of the Pharisee 598 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,920 goes to the temple of pray says in verse 1818, verse 12, the 599 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,680 Pharisee says, I fast twice a week. 600 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,920 I give ties of all I possess this figured face, sad looking 601 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:29,840 face. He's fasting. 602 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:37,760 You know what, in reality, as far as Jesus was concerned, this 603 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,920 man was sinning twice a week because of the reason he was 604 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,960 fasting. He had his sinning sessions. 605 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,040 He thought he was doing good. He says there's nothing in it, 606 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:52,880 it's dead, means nothing. Fasting is good and should be 607 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,880 practiced more more in our time, but it's not an outright command 608 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,520 as far as I can tell, in the sense that praying is a command 609 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,680 over and over. Fasting was I think once or 610 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,280 twice commanded the Old Testament if I have my 611 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,000 scriptures correct, but we don't find it commanded. 612 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,840 But it says when you do this, how you do it was assumed in 613 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:09,360 that culture. They did it a lot. 614 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,440 And even if it's done right, it's a healthy thing to 615 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,360 concentrate our minds on God. But here is what fasting is not. 616 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:18,360 You can argue with me, argue with me, and later on this, 617 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:19,280 that's fine. I don't care. 618 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,720 I don't believe fasting is when we deny ourselves an addiction. 619 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,160 And you know what? I'm going to fast from social 620 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,000 media for a week. That's not fasting. 621 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,560 Or the drunk says, you know what, I'm going to fast from 622 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,440 beer for a month. Giving up the bottle is not 623 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,600 fasting. I don't believe quitting an 624 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,400 addiction is fasting. Fasting do I understand, is to 625 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,960 deny myself the things I legitimately need for the 626 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:53,040 purpose of a higher good. When we fast, we deny ourselves 627 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,240 something we legitimately need in order to make room in our 628 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:57,720 life for the good we should do and want to do. 629 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:02,240 That's fasting. A person may take in less food 630 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,760 for a time. You have more time to pray. 631 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,120 That's good. Jesus teaches this is a 632 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,719 relationship matter between you and Heavenly Father, not 633 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,360 something for the community to be aware of. 634 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,040 All of what Jesus has been teaching this passage in the 635 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:20,840 Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, all of it is intended to Orient, 636 00:34:21,159 --> 00:34:26,199 Orient people toward God. This is all inward here, but 637 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:31,639 people do it for outward show, giving you the giving money to 638 00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:36,440 the poor, praying, fasting. All of us directed toward how we 639 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,840 relate, to, connect with our Father and our relationship with 640 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,719 our Father cannot be contaminated with any kind of 641 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,679 self focus, either by giving or by praying or by fasting. 642 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,440 Daniel Henderson in the book titled Transforming Prayer 643 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,040 writes this. He says the world is not 644 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,120 transformed by relevant Christians, strategic 645 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,040 Christians, visionary Christians, leadership savvy 646 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,960 Christians, wealthy Christians, attractive Christians, educated 647 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,600 Christians, active Christians, or articulate Christians. 648 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,760 He says these are all interesting qualities and might 649 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:06,560 be helpful on occasion in building and religious 650 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:08,200 organizations, selling books, and so on. 651 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:13,000 The point is, these things are not what God is after. 652 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,680 They can serve a good purpose. He wants the person, the heart. 653 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:21,400 He wants a relationship. I think it's this way. 654 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:27,960 God changes the world by changing people one heart at a 655 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,640 time. A man by the name of Reuben 656 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,080 Archer Tori said this. He said an utter transformation 657 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,840 came into his experience when he learned not only to pray and 658 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,880 return thanks, but to worship. Asking nothing of God, seeking, 659 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:45,320 seeking nothing from him. In other words, just when God 660 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,480 was at the core of everything he says, then we're satisfied, then 661 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,680 we're at rest, then we're at peace. 662 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,920 It does come back to being in relationship with Jesus as the 663 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:57,480 foundation for all our existence. 664 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,280 And that's nurtured, maintained through prayer. 665 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,200 In the end, whether we do good deeds, giving to the poor, spend 666 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:10,480 time in prayer, spend time fasting, all of it must be done 667 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:14,680 in a context of relationship. Prayer is the link, the 668 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:20,280 connecting point, the channel, the avenue, and it can come in 669 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,200 many different ways. You know that LEMC, we do have 670 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:24,360 prayer time between our services. 671 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:28,280 You're welcome to join. Invited to join regularly. 672 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,920 Sunday after service, the first service, 10/15 or so, we meet 673 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:33,080 for prayer. I know not everybody can 674 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:34,600 something to go teach under school and that's fine. 675 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:37,760 And even in our church service, sometimes I've seen an 676 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,200 individual here, individual there, two people here, two 677 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:41,280 people there. They pray for each other. 678 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,120 That's great, that's glorious, that's awesome. 679 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,120 Not because of its show. They don't. 680 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,320 They do it silently or quietly, not to show off. 681 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:49,640 Don't be afraid of public praying. 682 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:55,360 Do it for the right motive. I want to encourage us as a 683 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:59,560 church to be people of prayer, people of worship. 684 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,680 I want to remind us Jesus desire desires us to be in that 685 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:11,960 relationship. Let's pray Lord, when you 686 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:17,320 created Adam and Eve and place them in the garden, it was your 687 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:20,240 desire Lord to see them enjoy your creation, take care of it 688 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:23,480 and above all to do it in a father child relationship. 689 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:25,920 We know the story and didn't last. 690 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:29,560 Today the human race has lost its compass, so much chaos. 691 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,520 There's a deep need of meaning, of purpose and direction. 692 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,440 You offer that in the person of your Son Jesus Christ. 693 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,880 You want to connect with us, You want us to connect with you. 694 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,600 So we ask you, Lord, to come help us to open up to you. 695 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:44,920 We pray that we be humble people, surrendered and 696 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,480 committed. Lord, I pray that as we do so, 697 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:51,000 we'll experience that rich, joyful, all-encompassing 698 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,640 relationship. In your name we pray. 699 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:53,240 Amen.