Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · August 23, 2009

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord; today we walk in the light of your love. We are guided by your presence. Give us knowledge to look toward your bold, new future, and faith to trust you to guide us as we live day by day. Thank you for Broadway Christian Church and the great future you are unfolding before us.  Amen.

Scripture

Matthew 6:9-15

“Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

   hallowed be your name.

   Your kingdom come.

   Your will be done,

      on earth as it is in heaven.

   Give us this day our daily bread.

   And forgive us our debts,

      as we also have forgiven our debtors.

   And do not bring us to the time of trial,

      but rescue us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Message

The Lord’s Prayer

Larry Gallamore

Today I want to speak about the most important of all Christian documents, the Lord’s Prayer. It was very carefully constructed by Jesus with certain ends in view. Of all the teachings of Jesus, the Lord’s Prayer is by far the best known and most often quoted. It is a common denominator of all Christian churches. In fact, it is perhaps the only thing upon which all churches can agree.

If you desire to follow the teachings of Jesus, your understanding of the Lord’s Prayer is paramount. I mean understanding it rather than just rattling through it. This prayer is designed to bring about change when regularly used, and it invariable does so.

Let’s analyze its construction. In one simple prayer, we have a definite and complete system of theology.  Every word is important.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “My religion is summed up in the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer.”

Most of us would agree. The words, “Our Father,” establish and identify a relationship between humans and God. It is a relationship between a child and a parent. While cruel and wicked parents can sometimes be found, let me assure you that you have perfect parent in God. God is my Father, and your Father, John’s Father, Jane’s Father, Billy’s Father, Susan’s Father, and so on.  No matter who you are, you have a loving Father. Do you see what Jesus did with only two words? He swept away 99% of the old theology with its avenging God. God exists as the Eternal, All-Powerful God, and All-Loving Father of humankind. Knowing this, none of us ever live to ourselves. We have a Heavenly Father who lives forever and ever with us.

Once you know you have a loving Father, it is only natural to ask where he is. God is in heaven. Now, here is where 99% of religious people get confused.  In religious phraseology, heaven is the term for the Presence of God. Since God is present everywhere, God is right here, right now. All the good you see expressed in this world is God’s Presence. All the evil is man’s demonstration or presence. Every good feature of your life comes from God. Heaven is experienced every time you experience good. If you want more experiences of good in your life, keep doing good, and recognize the good occurring in your life daily. Do not do evil. If you do evil, you’ll bring into your life heaven’s counterpart which is always something bad.

Notice the prayer goes almost immediately to “Hallowed by your name.” What does the word “hallowed” mean? Trace it back to the Old English, and you’ll be surprised. It means the same as “holy,” whole, wholesome, and healed. The nature of God is always toward wholeness, healing, and holiness, since God’s nature is only good. God can only produce good.

Any sane person will say I want good in my life, so we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are praying for a kingdom filled with only good things. It’s our duty to be ever occupied in praying for the kingdom. Our work is to manifest more good so that God can be manifested upon the earth. That’s what we are here for. The old saying that, “God has a plan for mankind, and God has one for you,” is quite correct. God has a splendid career full of interest, life, and joy for each of us. If your life is restricted or dull, it’s not God’s fault. It’s yours. Find God’s plan for your place in life and be completely happy as you experience good day after day.

Next, we find the words, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Children naturally look to their parents to supply their needs. If you have faith in God and understand God, you’ll never look in vain. What Jesus is referring to is the Bread of Life. Daily contact with God is essential. When we seek to live in God’s Presence, our needs will be supplied. We can trust God to supply our every need.

The next clause is, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” The focus of the prayer shifts here. We are given a strategic key to life. Having told us what God is, what man is, how the universe works, how we are to do our work, the salvation of humanity and of our own souls, Jesus addresses forgiveness of sins which is the central problem of life. 

Sin is separation from God. It’s trying to live apart from God. Jesus says you must forgive everyone that hurts you if you want to be forgiven. And you must forgive yourself as God forgives you. The teaching of forgiveness is simple. The only thing that is essential is your willingness to forgive. If you desire to forgive an offender, the greater work of forgiveness is done. Now, let me assure you that to forgive someone doesn’t mean you have to like them or like what they’ve done. Often it means you forgive them, wish them well, and move on. Holding resentment, hating, or despising the offender will come back on you. Forgive another, wish them well, and go about your business.

Next comes the phrase, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Some of you may be thinking God doesn’t lead us into temptation. Why do we need these words? You may not need these words now, but let me assure you, you’ll need them later on as you grow spiritually.

Here is how it works. The more sensitive and spiritual you become, the more powerful and effective you become, your prayers are answered more easily, and you advance rapidly. Hence, you become more susceptible to forms of temptation that simply do not beset you at an earlier stage. Ordinary things, little things may start to bother you. You may even lapse into a condition of superiority and self-righteousness. Sound familiar? You’ll be tempted to criticize others, condemn others, and correct others. That’s not your job. That’s God’s job. Great knowledge brings great responsibility, great character, and great empathy.

The next words are, “…for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory, forever.” This sums up the statement that God is everything. The power, of course, is God’s power. The kingdom is God’s kingdom. It is forever. It has no end.

The wonderful change that comes over us as we realize what the omnipresence of God really means transforms our lives.

Now, I want to close this sermon with the best of Methodism, since I have been privileged to serve you as both a Methodist pastor and a Disciples of Christ pastor. Many of our Disciples of Christ churches have discovered “Three Simple Rules,” a Wesleyan way of living first advanced by the founder of the Wesleyan Covenant, John Wesley. Use these three simple rules with the Lord’s Prayer and you’ll change your life:

1.      Do no harm.

2.      Do good.

3.      Love God.

Do no harm by any word or deed. Do good wherever there is need. Remain attentive to God’s Word. Stay in love with God. Stay in love with God. (John Wesley)

So be it. Amen.

Benediction

Jesus, there are so many things you have taught us in word and deed. We thank you especially for the manner of prayer you gave us in the Lord’s Prayer. Please keep it fresh on our lips and in our hearts, that we might deepen our relationship with you and praise of you with its every familiar word. Amen.