Good morning! It’s good to see all of you here this morning! I’m glad you were able to make it to church today! And, of course, welcome to those of you who are joining us online. My family and I were among you last week, watching online as we drove home from North Carolina - so wherever you are in this wide world, thank you for being here with us today.
We are in the 4th and final week of our ‘How to Pray’ series, and I have the distinct privilege of wrapping it all up today!
For 4 weeks now, we’ve been talking about The Lord’s Prayer - and somewhere in the middle of it, the thought occurred to me - I don’t remember ever learning the Lord’s Prayer. Now, I know that sounds a little ridiculous, because I must have ‘learned’ it at some point in my life - I’ve had it memorized since I was a little kid. But what I mean is: I don’t remember having to learn the Lord’s prayer, In the same way that I don’t remember having to learn the Happy Birthday song.
“Happy Birthday to You…” Nobody had to teach me that song. I don’t remember learning it, because it’s just always been there! Think about it! Was there ever a time when you didn’t know how to sing Happy Birthday? It’s just kind of second nature to most of us. It’s always existed in the recesses of our memory.
And that’s how it is for many of us when it comes to the Lord’s Prayer.
It’s just sort of always been there, burned into our memory.
Personally, I can’t remember a time in my life when I couldn’t quote the Lord’s Prayer verbatim. And maybe it’s like that for some of you, too.
Like, If I’m at a church service, or a wedding, or a memorial service, and we all rise to say the Lord’s prayer - sometimes - (now, you’ll have to forgive me for what I’m about to say. I’m a picture person, and sometimes the pictures I see in my head are a little strange), but I feel in those moments, when we corporately rise to say the Lord’s Prayer together - I feel like I become a prayer Pez dispenser.
I assume the position, unhinge my head from my heart and out pop the words ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven…”
It’s like I’m on auto-pilot and the words just come out! ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name…’ and it’s always just like that, it’s always the King James for me.
‘Our Father who ART in heaven… hallowed be THY name. THY kingdom come, THY will be done… For THINE is the kingdom…”
Apparently, when I’m on autopilot, I speak the King’s English, and usually in the same monotone, rhythmic voice that I used in Sunday School as a kid. “Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” I’m on Autopilot!
And in just under 30 seconds, when my auto-pilot shuts off, and my head snaps back into place… the prayer is over. And I’ve just recited the “Our Father” for the 100 thousandth time.
Now, we’ve been talking about the Lord’s Prayer for a couple of weeks now, and Barry opened his message last week by telling us about some of the bad prayer habits that Jesus addressed in His sermon on the mount. Actually, both Amy and Tim also spoke about some of these bad habits in each of their messages from the previous weeks.
Amy talked about the bad habit some had in Jesus’ day, of babbling on and on when they prayed, thinking that they could somehow impress God - or impress those around them - with their many words, or lofty language. She reminded us that:
When we pray, we are praying for an audience of one.
She talked about ‘sacred space’ - space that is just between us and God. Prayer is a sacred thing, and we have direct access to the Father when we pray.
And Tim mentioned the bad habit some had in Jesus’ day, of praying loudly in public in order to make themselves the center of attention. Jesus called them hypocrites. He said don’t be like them! Don’t pretend and put on a big show when you pray. Instead, we should speak from the heart when we pray to God. Tim encouraged us to:
Keep it simple, direct, and honest.
And Barry reminded us last week that prayer begins with our posture. The posture of our hearts. When we pray, we bow our hearts low. We submit ourselves to the Holy One, before asking for anything, because that’s what Jesus taught us to do. Barry said:
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to focus first on His desires, not our own.
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We come to our Father with the right ‘heart posture’ when we declare that our deepest desire is for His kingdom to be established here on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
This is important. This is how Jesus, Himself, taught His followers to pray. By addressing these ‘bad habits’ that people had in regard to prayer, he showed them - He showed US - how to correct them.
And admittedly, my bad habit of launching into auto-pilot mode when I say the Lord’s Prayer, needs to be corrected. And we’ll get to that in a minute. But first, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up to Matthew chapter 6, that’s on page 803 if you’re using a house Bible. Of course you can follow along in the Grace Church app as well. And as you’re turning there, to Matthew chapter 6, I’m going to pray for our time together:
[PRAY]
Father, you are steadfast and true. You were faithful then, and You are faithful now, today!
Amen!
So today, we’re looking at the latter half of the Lord’s prayer, the part that’s about us. In fact, verses 11-13 are known as the ‘us’ petitions. The first 2 verses of the Lord’s prayer center our attention on God the Father, and the latter 3 verses address our needs, our ‘asks’, and our petitions.
Well, here, just take a look at Matthew 6, starting at verse 11. Jesus taught us to pray:
11
Give us today the food we need,
12
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
The word “us’ appears 5 times in this prayer!
These 3 verses are so powerful and loaded with meaning. when I disengage my head from my heart and assume the “Pez dispenser” posture of autopilot, I miss out on so much! In order to correct my posture, and fix my bad habit, I need to slow things down. I need to allow these words to linger, as I meditate on what Jesus is teaching me to pray for.
So today, in order to really really slow things down, and help us to exercise our brains in a slightly different way, we’re going to take a look at these 3 verses one by one, but in reverse order. Ok, we’re going to walk through this passage backwards, starting with verse 13, and working our way back up to verse 11.
So, beginning with the 2 ‘us’ petitions we see in verse 13: Jesus taught us to pray:
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Or as the New Living Translation puts it:
13
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Now, bear with me for just a minute. If you’re following along in the house Bible - that’s the New Living Translation - or if your personal Bible is say, an NIV - a New International Version, or an ESV - English Standard Version - or a handful of others, the version of the Lord’s Prayer that you see in your Bibles ends right there. RIGHT THERE!
Don’t let us yield to temptation, and rescue us from evil. Then it moves right into:
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
And if you’re accustomed to the version of the Lord’s Prayer that I grew up with, you may be wondering about the ‘For THINE is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever’ part. Why is that not in there!
On the other hand, if you’re looking at the King James Version, or the New King James version, or the NASB, or a handful of others, you see it right there, in your Bibles, “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever! Amen”
So what’s that about??!!
Well, the version that most of us are familiar with, the one that ends with ‘For yours is the Kingdom,’ that translation contains an additional doxology that isn’t part of Matthew’s original text. That’s why some Bibles have it, and some don’t.
Are you with me?
It was common for Jewish prayers to end with this kind of praise or doxology. Look at
1 Chronicles 29:11:
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11
It made sense to early translators to attach a traditional kind of ‘conclusion’ to the prayer. We start with praise, and we end with praise.
That was the tradition. And it’s not at all bad. Yours IS the Kingdom! Yes! We see it right there in Chronicles 29. Yours IS the power and the glory! Yes! Also, right there in Chronicles 29. YES AND AMEN!
I know this may seem like a bit of a tangent, but I didn’t want you to be surprised if you look down at the Bible you’re holding and don’t see the old familiar closing sentence.
It’s ok. The version most of us are familiar with was just translated to end the same way it began - it starts with praise, and it ends with praise! Alright? Can I get an amen? Glory to God, ok…
Now, back to Verse 13. Jesus prays:
Matthew 6:13
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
Jesus knew that we would face temptations and trials of all kinds. And He knew that these temptations would threaten our well being, and could be hazardous to our faith. So, he taught us to pray for God's intervention when we face temptation.
By praying the words ‘lead us not into temptation’ we’re acknowledging that the struggle is real! We’re going to face temptations! That’s a fact of life! In this broken world we live in, we will face all kinds of trials and tests.
James says
James 1:14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
So in essence, Jesus was teaching us to pray, “Father, help us not to be drawn away by our own desire for sin. Sin that will ultimately us lead to death!”
And right after that he says, ‘but deliver us from evil”
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Or put another way:
Matthew 6:13
but rescue us from the evil one.
The word used here for Deliver or Rescue, literally means ‘to draw to oneself.’ And I love this word! It’s one of those words that helps bring the whole picture into focus for me.
Remember, James said that temptations come from our own desires which entice us and drag us away, putting distance between us and God. One of my favorite song lyrics comes from the old hymn ‘Come thou Fount of Every Blessing’ :
“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love…”
Drawn away by my own desires and enticed. Prone to wander. Jesus knew that his followers would be prone to wander, and in constant need of rescue. That’s why, a few chapters later, he said in the parable of the Lost Sheep:
Matthew 18:12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?
Shepherd Hook 1.jpg
The prophet Isaiah said “All we like sheep have gone astray.” ALL we, like sheep.
That’s us right there! That’s me! That’s you! Prone to wander! Prone to leave the God we love. We are all in need of rescue - to be drawn back to our Father, and away from the threat of evil.
When we pray “deliver us from evil” It is an appeal for protection. Protection is a fundamental human need. Aren’t you so glad that Jesus understands our humanness?
Jesus showed us that we can honestly and fearlessly present our needs to the Father. His love is steadfast and true. He was faithful then, and He is faithful now, today!
He knew that we would be tempted, drawn away by our own desires and enticed, and so he taught us to pray:
Rescue us! Deliver us from evil! DRAW us back to yourself! Draw me to your side, Father. Right now, I need for You to help me resist temptation. I need your protection. Faithful Father, draw me close, and deliver me from evil. I know You are faithful. Faithful, now, today.
That’s verse 13, don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
And as we continue to rewind our way through this passage, we read in verse 12:
12
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
Now, I’m going to be brutally honest with myself, and vulnerable before all of you, when I confess that one of my biggest temptations in life is the temptation to harbor unforgiveness in my heart toward others. Forgiving, in general, has never come easy to me - and there are plenty of reasons for that. My own brokenness, brokenness and dysfunction in my family of origin, some real bad habits that were passed down to me, regarding forgiveness.
For me, the idea of forgiving those who have hurt or offended me is the biggest, and most challenging posture adjustment in the entirety of The Lord’s Prayer. I’m just being honest.
I can bow before God and posture my heart in humility - no problem. I can ask Him for forgiveness, I can pray that He will rescue me from evil, and help me not to give in to temptation, but this particular temptation… The temptation to hold on to my anger and my hurt, the temptation to clench my fists and hold my breath and be drawn away by my own desire to cling to my pain like a security blanket - this is the struggle of my life.
And it’s something I’m struggling with even now as I speak.
Scripture tells us to confess our sins to each other, and pray for each other so that we may be healed.
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Last week, as I was preparing this message, I knew that I was in a ‘stuck’ place. I don’t want to be a hypocrite, standing up here, talking about forgiving those who sin against me, when I know that’s one of the hardest things for me to do. I felt hopelessly stuck. Like I was spinning my tires in the mud. I couldn’t get anywhere. I couldn’t make progress. I knew I needed help.
So I confessed to a friend that I was stuck. You know when you’re spinning your tires in the mud, and that friend comes along to help push your car back on the right path? That’s what happened. I was spinning my wheels, struggling to get a grip on forgiveness. And then my friend came along, and gave me a gentle push.
There’s a situation in my life, where I’ve asked myself over and over again: ‘Have I truly forgiven them?
What does forgiveness even look like in this situation?
Does it mean welcoming this person back with open arms - like nothing ever happened, whether they are sorry or not?
Does it mean I have to make myself vulnerable to more hurt and abuse?
Can I forgive and still uphold my boundaries?
I’ve said in my heart that I forgive this person, so then why do I still feel pain each time I think of them? Like a fist turning in the center of my chest. Why does it still hurt so much?
Maybe I haven’t forgiven at all? Or maybe I just don’t understand what forgiveness really means…’
Can you hear my wheels spinning? I was stuck. And I think my friend could see that I was stuck. Wheels spinning, flinging mud everywhere - I was a mess. So they stepped in to give me a little push.
Confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16
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Confessing to my friend that day was taking another step forward toward healing. Like pushing my car back on the road.
Within 24 hours they had left a book in my mailbox, called ‘Forgiving What You Can’t Forget” by Lysa TerKeurst.
Ya’ll, when I tell you that this was one of those books - where I’m highlighting things IN THE INTRODUCTION! I haven’t even gotten to chapter one yet and I’m already marking it up, because it’s already speaking to me.
Over the next 3 days I devoured that book! If forgiveness is a struggle for you like it has been for me, I highly recommend it: “Forgiving What you Can’t Forget” by Lysa TerKeurst. I put a link in the app notes for those of you who may be interested.
In this book, Lysa details how forgiveness is both a decision and a process. It’s a decision you make, AND a process you go through.
She says forgiveness isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress.
And suddenly my wheels caught traction. I realized that I am still in process. That’s why things still feel raw, I’m still in process - but - I am in progress. I am not as stuck as I think I am. As long as I am acknowledging my need to forgive and seeking the wisdom of my Father for help, I AM moving forward. I am not as stuck as I think I am.
FORGIVENESS IS BOTH A DECISION AND A PROCESS.
I said I forgive them, I made the DECISION in my heart to forgive, but I still feel some kind of way. My hurt is still raw. I’m still in process.
But the point is that I am making progress. I haven’t hardened my heart toward the notion of forgiveness. I want to let go. I want to be healed. This is just my heart in process.
Lysa wrote:
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that trust is immediately restored, or that hard relational dynamics are instantly fixed. The point of forgiveness is to keep your heart swept clean, cooperating with God’s command to forgive and keeping yourself in a position to be able to receive God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn’t always fix relationships, but it does help mend the hurting heart.
I love that imagery - the idea of keeping my heart swept clean. I want that! Daily! Because I know all too well that ignoring my hurts and offenses just compounds the agony, as it creates layer upon layer of rock hard unforgiveness. I need my hard heart softened. I want a heart swept clean.
Jesus showed us that we can honestly and fearlessly present our needs to the Father. His love is steadfast and true. He was faithful then, and He is faithful now, today!
Dear God, forgive my debts, as I forgive those who owe a debt to me!
Forgive me of my offenses, as I continue in the daily process of forgiving the offenses of others. Keep my heart swept clean!
I know that my Father stands ready, and able to help me forgive.
So Father, today, I am holding on to faith. I decide, again, to forgive him. To forgive her. To forgive them - even though I may not feel much like forgiving. Right now my feelings are lagging behind what I know is right. I recognize that. And so I’m not going to go with my feelings on this one.
I’m going to lean into You, Your truth. I choose right now to obey the command you set before us when you taught us to pray - Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Father, “I forgive them as much as I am capable of today. And I trust Your love to cover the rest. I know that love covers a multitude of sins, and you, my heavenly Father, are perfect love. So I lean into your perfect love, today. Help me to forgive. And forgive me, father, as I forgive others.”
And you know what? God will hear that prayer, that honest prayer, and He will help us to forgive.
He was faithful then, and He is faithful, now, today!
Lamentations 3 says:
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!... His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22 & 23
His mercies begin afresh each morning!
New mercy with each new day! Mercy enough for that day - for THIS DAY!
I can forgive on a daily basis, because His mercy is there, waiting for me, new and afresh each morning.
Which brings us all the way back to verse 11 and the part about our daily bread.
“Give us, this day, our daily bread.” Or as it’s worded in our house Bibles:
11
Give us today the food we need,
That idea of giving us the bread we need for today, goes hand in hand with what we just read in Lamentations, “His mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Some of you may recall the story in the Old Testament, in Exodus 16, where the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness and the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.
That’s the picture here, fresh food, fresh mercy, each morning, as much as we need for that day! Give us today the food we need.
Jesus showed us that we can honestly and fearlessly present our needs to the Father, His love is steadfast and true. He was faithful then, and He is faithful now, today!
Give us what we need for today! It’s so simple. In Jesus’ model prayer, we’re not asking for too much, and we’re not asking for too little. We’re simply asking our Father to provide what we need. By acknowledging that He is provider, we are, again, correctly aligning the posture of our hearts. We’re saying “I am not going to rely on my own self-sufficiency. Instead, I’m going to rely on Your provision. You are provider. You are the sustainer of life. You are my faithful Father who gives me just what I need. And I don’t have to worry! You can make something out of literally nothing! You can rain down food from heaven! So Father, this day, give us just what we need. Give us, this day, our daily bread.”
Now, it’s interesting to note that the word we see here for ‘Bread’ or ‘food’ is the Greek word ‘artos.’ It’s the same word Jesus uses when he refers to himself as the ‘bread of life.’
Jesus said in John chapter 6:
“I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Bread. Artos. Give us that bread every day!
Bread - representing everything from our most basic food needs, necessary to sustain life, to our deepest spiritual needs, necessary to give us new life, eternal and abundant LIFE!
Jesus says:
John 6:48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
We’re about to enter into a time of communion. And please if you haven’t already or if you missed it on the way in, we have communion tables set up at each of the doors. Go ahead and take what you need as we prepare to receive communion together. And if you’re watching online, - feel free to take communion with us now or maybe even do it later - when you have something that can represent his body, and something to represent his blood.
Wherever you are, here in this room or anywhere else - right now - we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. His life for ours. His rescue mission, to deliver us, to draw us near to him, because all of mankind had gone astray. We were wandering. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, like sheep without a shepherd, mankind was wandering. But our loving and faithful father, the Good Shepherd, gave his life for the sheep, so that we could be brought near to him again! That’s the sacrifice we remember each time we share the Lord’s Supper together. Each time we take the bread and the cup.
Christ gave his life on the cross, so that He could draw us to himself! Through the death of Christ Jesus, we have been brought near to the Father. You who follow the teachings of Jesus, you are his disciples, and you have been given direct access to your Faithful Father God! Don’t be afraid!
Jesus showed us that we can honestly and fearlessly present our needs to the Father, His love is steadfast and true. He was faithful then, and He is faithful now, today!
So will you take a moment to do that right now? Slow down with me. Present your needs to the father.
What temptations are you facing? Confess them, right now to the Father. He sees. He knows. And His mercies are new every morning.
Are you standing in need of forgiveness this morning? Or are you struggling to forgive someone? Confess that to the Father! He is listening. Maybe you’re not as stuck as you think you are. Maybe you’re still in process. But process those feelings with you loving Father. Turn those thoughts over to Him. And confess your sins one to another, that you may be healed!
Do you have a need for God’s provision this morning? A ‘daily bread’ type need. Remember that His Grace is sufficient for you. Our God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory! He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He is the bread of Life, who came down from Heaven to give life to the world! The bread of life.
Don’t let this moment of sharing Communion together turn into another one of those auto-pilot moments. Slow down with me. Look deep into the symbolism and the significance of this sacred ritual.
I will read from 1 Corinthians 11, and as I do we will take the bread and the cup together. And when we are finished, we’ll pray the Lord’s Prayer together.
Scripture says:
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Let’s receive the bread together as we remember Christ’s sacrifice, his life for ours.
25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Let us take the cup together, the cup of our salvation.
Father, thank You for showing us that we can fearlessly present our needs to You. Your love is steadfast and true. You were faithful then, and You are faithful now, today! And so we pray together:
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 forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.