THY KINGDOM COME Luke 11 2 4 Luke

THY KINGDOM COME! Luke 11: 2 -4

Luke 11: 2 -4 King James Version And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Apollo 15 – James B. Irwin Astronaut James Erwin is one of but a few men to walk on the moon. As he stood upon the lunar landscape and looked up at the earth, he prayed for the first time in his life. He thought about the strife among nations, poverty, hunger, and rampant evil; and he thought to himself: "What is more important than man walking on the moon is that God should walk on earth. " This is the desire we express when we pray, "Thy Kingdom come. "

The King and His Present-and-Future Kingdom The prophet Isaiah offers a wealth of prophecy about the coming Messiah � He reveals that one day God’s Son will establish His Kingdom “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9: 7, NLT) � The word “kingdom” = “rule” or “reign” � God’s Kingdom is unique Earthly rules and kingdoms rise and fall God’s will PREVAIL for an ETERNITY

The King and His present-andfuture Kingdom Pilate asked Jesus what kind of king He was � Jesus didn’t fit Pilate’s definition of a king Jesus was no Caesar Jesus would say to him “My kingdom is not of this world” Jesus would tell His followers “The kingdom of God is within you” � Both Jesus and John would begin their ministries proclaiming the kingdom of God was close (John) or here (Jesus). � When we pray “Thy Kingdom Come” We are asking God to advance and expand that Kingdom in the hearts of people We are anticipating the day when that Kingdom literally comes when Jesus returns.

The Many Facets of This Request “Thy Kingdom Come” is an evangelistic prayer � We are part of the answer to our own prayer It is a call to God to increase His Kingdom Convert the hearts of unbelievers Draw people to Himself It is a prayer of revival within the Church It is a missions prayer for home and overseas � God can answer this prayer through us-we can be the means for bringing people into His Kingdom as we share the Good News that Jesus saves.

The Many Facets of This Request “Thy Kingdom Come” is an ethical prayer � When John said “the kingdom of God is at hand” – he called people to repent � If we are to see this “kingdom” in our lives – it calls us to live accordingly Christian culture vs. worldly values “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14: 17, NIV) It’s a call to holy living We can’t pray it if we don’t mean it � "Thy Kingdom come" means we are under the Lordship of Christ.

The Many Facets of This Request “Thy kingdom come” is a prophetic prayer � One day Jesus will return We don’t know exactly how this will play out Pre-tribulation vs. Post-tribulation But we know God is in control of history – concludes with His Kingdom We are to watchful and mindful We are to be people of the Great Commission living on principles found in the Great Commandment � “Thy Kingdom Come” = equals Rev. 22: 20 “Come, Lord Jesus. ”

The Many Facets of This Request "Thy Kingdom come" is a protest prayer. � We are opposing every worldview that is contrary to God. Prayer is political action and social energy. David Wells of Gordon-Conwell Seminary calls this kind of prayer a "refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. “ God wants us to process our strong feelings about life through prayer.

The Many Facets of This Request "Thy Kingdom come" is also a warfare prayer, a battle cry. � There is another kingdom = the kingdom of darkness. There is enemy opposition to God’s Kingdom. We are engaged in spiritual warfare and we’re praying for victory. Paul writes, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm" (Ephesians 6: 12). God’s wrath is certain and His Truth is marching on! Are we prayer warriors?

The Many Facets of This Request "Thy Kingdom come" is a submissive prayer. � The function of prayer is not to inform God of our plans but to call on Him to fulfill His plans Proper prayer is that God’s kingdom be extended. Jesus tells us to "seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness" (Mt 6: 33). "Thy Kingdom come" is a comforting prayer. � Anxiety should be a reminder for us to pray, to "cast our cares" on God. Life may seem chaotic, unpredictable, and harsh, but we belong to a Kingdom that will overcome the world. “I will defend your cause. ” (Jeremiah 51: 36) When this Kingdom comes in its fullness we will be freed from all suffering and sorrow.

The Many Facets of This Request "Thy Kingdom come" is a unifying prayer. � There are not many Kingdoms of God, only one. It is not divided along denominational lines. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. "Thy Kingdom come" is an identifying prayer. � As Christians, we hold dual citizenship. We are governed by human law, but also by Biblical truth. Paul states, "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil 3: 20). Paul explains that God "has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1: 13 -14). When we pray "Thy Kingdom come" we identify ourselves as subjects of the King of kings.

The Many Facets of This Request "Thy Kingdom come" is a realistic prayer. � Some people view faith and prayer as some sort of emotional escape from reality. Karl Marx called religion the “opiate of the masses. ” When we pray, it is not to escape reality, but to find it. We are journeying to the Kingdom, our true home, and this world is but a shadow of the reality that awaits us. “Thy kingdom come” is that "request for eternity to break into the present. "

Conclusion We obtain this Kingdom by trusting Christ as our King, by receiving Him as our Lord. Then whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer we indicate our desire for the dominion of God and the success of the Gospel. We have a Kingdom worth praying for! One day, yet future, the forces of evil will be finally routed by the host of heaven. In the meantime, we pray, "Thy Kingdom come. "