East Cooper Baptist Church
August 10, 2014
Thy Kingdom Come
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven
“Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God in the name of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.”
Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 178
“As Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at his feet. A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us then even a consciousness of our own guilt. May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him.”
Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, “Evening”, June 3
“Regarding Mark 7:24-30: “But how is it that many more have heard this good news concerning Christ, who have not followed him and did not esteem it as good news? Answer: The physician is helpful and welcome to the sick; the healthy have no use for him. But this woman felt her need, hence she followed…Therefore, all is in vain, however friendly and lovely Christ may be pictured, if man is not first humbled by a knowledge of himself and possesses no longing for Christ, as Mary’s Song says, “The hungry he has filled with good things; and he rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53) All this is spoken and written for the comfort of the distressed, the poor, the needy, the sinful, the despised, so that they may know in times of need to whom to flee and where to seek comfort and help.”
Sermons of Martin Luther, Volume 2, p. 149
Your Kingdom Come
“The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realized, is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world toward the eventual redemption of all creation. The kingdom of God is an invasive power that plunders Satan’s dark kingdom and regenerates and renovates through repentance and faith the lives of individuals rescued from that kingdom. It therefore inevitably establishes a new community of human life together under God.”
Gospel Coalition Confessional Statement, Article 10, “The Kingdom of God”
Q. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. In the second petition, which is,Thy kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 102
Q.Which is the second petition? A. “Thy kingdom come"; that is, rule us so by thy word and Spirit, that we may submit ourselves more and more to thee; preserve and increase thy church; destroy the works of the devil, and all violence which would exalt itself against thee; and also all wicked counsels devised against thy holy word; till the full perfection of thy kingdom take place, wherein thou shalt be all in all.
Heidelberg Catechism, Question 123
I. Submit ourselves more and more unto the Lord.
“The verb “be filled” is in the passive voice. The thought is: let the Holy Spirit fill us. How? Since the Holy Spirit is a Person, the only way we can continue to be filled with him is to continue to yield ourselves fully to him. We must take away the obstacles that stand between us and full commitment to God; we must be willing to listen to the Spirit’s voice and to follow the Spirit’s leading.
A few New Testament passages describe being filled with the Spirit as consisting of walking or living by the Spirit. What does it mean to live or walk by the Spirit? I would suggest two things: living by the Spirit’s guidance and living in the Spirit’s strength.
Living by the Spirit’s guidance means waiting on the Spirit, asking what the Spirit would have us do, and where the Spirit would have us go. This entails daily study of the Bible, since the Spirit does not lead us apart from the Word. The better we know the Scriptures, the better shall know how to live by the Spirit. Negatively, living by the Spirit’s guidance means to silence the clamor of fleshly voices, to quell the energy of fleshly haste, to restrain every impulse until it has been proved to be of God. Positively, it means to be guided by him, to listen to him as he reveals himself in his Word, and to yield to him continually.
Living by the Spirit’s strength means leaning on him for the necessary spiritual power. It means believing that the Spirit can give us strength adequate for every need, asking for that power in prayer whenever we need it, and using that power by faith in meeting our daily problems. The only way we can live by the Spirit’s strength is to keep in constant touch with him.”
Anthony A. Hoekema, Saved by Grace, p. 53
II. The kingdom of grace will be advanced in the church.
III. Destroy the works of the devil.
“Probably the most common cause of demonic influence is unresolved anger and bitterness. Churches that keep a safe distance from sin, rebellion, and the occult are often safe havens for the bitter and resentful. Many Christians are not aware that unresolved anger is an open door to demonic hosts. Ephesians 4:26-27 is very explicit about how anger that isn’t handled quickly gives the devil a foothold. Unforgiveness and unresolved conflict have devastating results, not the least of which is easy exploitation by the enemy.”
Chip Ingram, The Invisible War, pp. 171-172
“23So ifyou are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24
IV. Mind renewal under the power of the Holy Spirit through the authority of the word of God. (Matthew 4:4, 7:10; Ephesians 6:17)
*Day of Prayer and Fasting, August 22
*Next weeks’ sermon: Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven (Agents of Change)