WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.220 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:10.300 recent sermons and more. 00:00:10.860 --> 00:00:15.080 Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library if you'd like to automatically 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:16.820 receive new episodes each week. 00:00:28.200 --> 00:00:29.500 Well, good morning, church. 00:00:30.560 --> 00:00:35.720 If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Matthew 00:00:35.720 --> 00:00:37.880 chapter 6. 00:00:38.620 --> 00:00:43.240 If you do not have a Bible and you would like one, we would love to give one to you. 00:00:43.540 --> 00:00:47.420 Back at the back at the Connections table, where I will be with my wife Erin at the end 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:50.340 of the service, we have these black Bibles back there. 00:00:50.440 --> 00:00:52.840 Please stop by if you do not have one and you would like one. 00:00:53.160 --> 00:00:58.920 It would warm our hearts and encourage us to be able to give you a copy of God's Word. 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:02.740 And we want to thank you guys for all of us, first-time guests, everybody, for being here 00:01:02.740 --> 00:01:04.020 with us. 00:01:04.320 --> 00:01:06.900 We are going to talk about prayer this morning. 00:01:07.380 --> 00:01:13.040 And I want to share with you a specific way, a little bit selfishly, I want to be candid 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:18.120 and honest with you, but you can be praying for me, and I'll share Joel Van Ham and this prayer 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:19.820 request as well. 00:01:20.180 --> 00:01:27.640 This past year, Joel Van Ham and I, praying through with our wives, made the decision and 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:34.020 made the commitment to go back to school, to work on, and to finish our doctorate. 00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:41.100 Now, I want to tell you guys, we had our first in-person class this past week, and when you 00:01:41.100 --> 00:01:47.220 walk into the room and you're two of the three oldest guys in the room, even older than the 00:01:47.220 --> 00:01:51.020 professor, you need a little bit of encouragement. 00:01:52.020 --> 00:01:59.200 Then as we're going through, so we're sitting in a circle, and the professor's, you know, 00:01:59.260 --> 00:02:02.600 he's teaching, brilliant, brilliant, brilliantly humble man. 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:10.600 It was a joy to be able to sit under his teaching for four days, from 8 to 5.30 every day, for 00:02:10.600 --> 00:02:11.280 four days straight. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.780 But he, we're sitting in a circle so we can see each other, and he put us in alphabetical 00:02:16.780 --> 00:02:23.740 order, so Bradbury, Van Ham, we can see each other, like facial contact, and he would say 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:33.660 words, and I would look at Joel and go, and Joel would respond with the, and just like fake 00:02:33.660 --> 00:02:34.580 it till you make it, right? 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:37.960 Like, yeah, I know what a pericope is, I have no clue. 00:02:38.140 --> 00:02:42.360 I've Googled it, he used it a thousand times, I've read the definitions, I still can't tell 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:45.800 you how to properly use that word in a sentence, other than the sentence being, I don't know 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:46.880 what a pericope is, right? 00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:52.980 And so, so, so that was the week, but seriously, wonderful time, wonderful time, God teaching 00:02:52.980 --> 00:02:59.080 us a lot through there, and seriously, in prayer, just praying for us, as we're walking through 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:04.380 this for the next three years, for our wives and our kids, as they walk through this with 00:03:04.380 --> 00:03:08.440 us, graciously and kindly, as we struggle through the things that we're going to struggle 00:03:08.440 --> 00:03:12.320 with, but yeah, so wonderful time, when being there, we're going to be working, 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:16.540 and I do want to say this, I talked to Joel about this this morning, because part of the 00:03:16.540 --> 00:03:20.540 excitement, because it's not about chasing a degree, it's not about chasing a title, like 00:03:20.540 --> 00:03:25.380 you guys know, like I'm comfortable being called Bo, that's who I am, and I love it, that the 00:03:25.380 --> 00:03:29.240 fact that I'm Bo, but it's not about any of those things. 00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:34.700 The degree is in expository preaching to help us grow to become better preachers and teachers 00:03:34.700 --> 00:03:38.120 of God's word, and that's what we want to do, and that's our heart, to be able to do 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:42.440 that both here, and on the mission field, and in our student ministry, and children's 00:03:42.440 --> 00:03:46.540 ministry, and so in all seriousness, other than words that I don't know what they mean, 00:03:46.880 --> 00:03:50.360 and I would come home every day with a list of words that I'd have to sit down and search 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:56.280 so I could try to understand them beyond that, but just prayer of what God would be able to 00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:00.200 do with this, and the opportunity that we have, and so some of you know that we're going through 00:04:00.200 --> 00:04:04.620 this program, but we wanted to share that with you guys, and ask for your prayers as we 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:08.920 go through this. Well, before we jump into Matthew, I would like to go to the Lord in 00:04:08.920 --> 00:04:14.180 prayer this morning. God, thank you. Thank you for our time, that we could be here, and 00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:17.880 that we could be gathered here today. God, thank you for what a wonderful privilege it 00:04:17.880 --> 00:04:24.740 is to open up the word of God, to be able to read it, to be able to speak to it, but more 00:04:24.740 --> 00:04:31.460 importantly, for your spirit to speak to us as we do, and so God, have your way in this 00:04:31.460 --> 00:04:36.720 place. God, may you be exalted and glorified in all that is done, and all that is said, 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:43.720 and Lord, if any of this is of me, is from me, is by me, Lord, remove it. Remove it. Get 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:49.120 it out of the way, because Lord, I don't want anything to come between people coming to know 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:56.720 you, and Lord, people making decisions to follow you at greater levels of obedience in their day-to-day 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:01.500 life. So, Lord, be glorified in what's done, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:05:02.060 --> 00:05:08.620 We are in Matthew 6, and in just a moment, we'll start reading in Matthew chapter 9. As we're 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:14.780 working through this series in Matthew, we are looking at the Sermon on the Mount. This is the 00:05:14.780 --> 00:05:21.500 longest sermon given by Jesus recorded in the Bible, and last week, if you had the opportunity 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:26.700 to be with us, we started in chapter 6, and we began to go through, and Jesus is giving 00:05:26.700 --> 00:05:33.980 warnings about not to practice religious acts, specifically the act of giving, the act of 00:05:33.980 --> 00:05:44.220 prayer, and the act of fasting from a false heart of hypocrisy. And what Jesus does as he walks through 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:52.900 each and every one of these is he sets forth not just the do not do, but the assumption is that as 00:05:52.900 --> 00:05:59.980 people of God that we are doing these things, that we are a people of giving and of generosity, that we 00:05:59.980 --> 00:06:08.940 are a people of prayer, that we are a people who fast. And so, he exhorts us to do these in manners of 00:06:08.940 --> 00:06:15.880 which are reflective of our heart for God. So, it's not that we have to, but it's a heart of getting to. 00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:23.000 It's not out of a heart of self-exaltation or self-glorification, but it's done to bring glory and honor to 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:29.880 the name of Jesus. Now, concerning prayer that we're going to specifically look at this morning, 00:06:30.260 --> 00:06:38.280 Jesus says, do not be like the hypocrites who both pray in the synagogues, so he's speaking to a 00:06:38.280 --> 00:06:43.680 religious crowd, to the synagogues and to the street and on the street corners. Now, what's wrong with 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:48.880 praying in the synagogue? Nothing. We just prayed here together. What's wrong with praying in public? 00:06:48.880 --> 00:06:56.240 Nothing. I hope you pray and pray quite often in public. I hope you pray silently in public. I hope 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.740 you pray out loud in public. I hope you pray with people and I hope you pray for people. 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:06.100 We should be people who gather together and pray. We should be people who go and scatter and pray. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:12.800 It should be who we are. But his warning of the hypocrites is not to do this so that their goal 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:22.580 is to be seen by others, to impress others so that others will hear their prayers, to see their self-works 00:07:22.580 --> 00:07:29.600 of righteousness and give them praise and glory. Jesus says, don't be like that. Jesus says, don't be 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:36.480 like the Gentiles. You see, Gentiles, they prayed. They prayed to their multiple gods, to their pagan gods, 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:42.360 and when they would come in, it was a journey of running a marathon of babbling words over and over 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:51.520 and over again. Words and phrases that didn't make sense, that had no meaning, but it was fill the time. 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:57.600 Much like a politician who stands up and says, I'm going to continue to go on and on and on and on for 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:03.980 hours by just doing whatever. This is what the Gentiles would do. And evidently, that had crept 00:08:03.980 --> 00:08:13.980 into the practice of some. And Jesus says, do not do this either. Then Jesus, in all of his grace and 00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:21.380 mercy and his kindness, he says here, starting in verse 9, he says, pray then like this. Pray then like 00:08:21.380 --> 00:08:34.700 this. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:46.240 is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:55.900 debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their 00:08:55.900 --> 00:09:03.600 trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:13.820 neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Church, you cannot read the Bible. You and I cannot read 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:21.180 the Bible and come to any other conclusion that prayer is to be a continual active part of our day-to-day 00:09:21.180 --> 00:09:29.400 life. It's vital and it's essential. Some grabbing verses and putting them into context here. We are told 00:09:29.400 --> 00:09:36.160 to pray in every circumstance. We are told to pray without ceasing. We're told to bring everything to 00:09:36.160 --> 00:09:45.880 Him. The list goes on and on and on. The Bible records the prayers of men and women in Scripture to show us 00:09:45.880 --> 00:09:54.080 the evidence of the expectation of God and the response of His people. And as Jesus has taught us 00:09:54.080 --> 00:10:00.840 how not to pray, now Jesus will teach us how to pray. What a loving, beautiful picture in the aspect of 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:08.360 God. Think about this in the ministry of Jesus. When Jesus is teaching them, He's not saying, 00:10:08.580 --> 00:10:12.840 well, don't do, don't do, don't do, don't do, don't do. There's definitely those aspects. 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:21.720 But Jesus, in the midst of appealing to them to not be like the hypocrites, to not be like the pagans, 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:34.180 He sits down and says, then pray like this. Pray like this. Now, I believe when we see this, Jesus 00:10:34.180 --> 00:10:40.360 is not giving them, I'll call it like a step-by-step formula, but Jesus is giving a rhythm. 00:10:41.300 --> 00:10:46.540 Jesus is giving them a rhythm of prayer. Now, does that mean that you and I should not memorize 00:10:46.540 --> 00:10:52.660 Scripture, that we can't memorize prayer and offer those prayers back to God? Absolutely, we can. 00:10:53.220 --> 00:11:02.340 We can and we should. But Jesus here isn't pursuing the academic approach of memorization and saying, 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:12.940 regurgitate this back to God. Jesus is saying, when you pray, let me give you this rhythm. Pray 00:11:12.940 --> 00:11:24.500 like this. What a beautiful picture of what He is giving us. But isn't that how Jesus lives His life? 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:30.980 That Jesus didn't come. If you're here and you're, you're trying to wonder and you're trying to figure 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:38.120 out and you're trying to understand who Jesus is, praise God that our Lord and Savior did not come 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:46.780 to this world with a list of you better not do's. And it ends there. Yes, He comes with the do nots, 00:11:46.920 --> 00:11:53.860 but He says, and I'm going to show you by my life what it looks like to pray. I'm going to show you by 00:11:53.860 --> 00:12:00.260 my life what it looks like to serve. I'm going to show you by my life what it looks like to love. I'm 00:12:00.260 --> 00:12:07.300 going to show you what it looks like to worship. That we see all of this in the beautiful life of Jesus 00:12:07.300 --> 00:12:14.920 Christ moving forth in His death, His burial, and His resurrection. In Jesus' life, we see His full 00:12:14.920 --> 00:12:22.520 obedience in His life, not only in His perfect teaching, but in every aspect of who He is and 00:12:22.520 --> 00:12:31.040 what He's called us to be. And He sits down with a group of people who are obviously struggling with 00:12:31.040 --> 00:12:37.480 hypocrisy, which if you were here last week, we acknowledge that we do too, you and I. We struggle 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:43.000 with these areas within ourselves in a heart that seeks self-glory versus a heart that seeks God's 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:53.160 glory. And He sits down with them and He simply says, pray then like this. When we look at Jesus' 00:12:53.420 --> 00:13:02.700 prayer, we see multiple petitions and requests that Jesus makes. But we see two main areas of focus that 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:08.980 I want us to look at this morning. Two main areas of focus that you and I can take and that we can apply 00:13:08.980 --> 00:13:20.960 to our prayer life. The first focus is on the exaltation of God. On the exaltation of God. Do I think that it was 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:29.720 intentional that Jesus starts His prayer with this? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. What did I just say just a moment 00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:37.700 ago? We are called to bring our cares, our concerns, our worries, our needs before the Lord. But I think 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:45.580 from this, as Jesus begins in His prayer with an exaltation of God, I think the caution for you, and I know 00:13:45.580 --> 00:13:52.700 it's the caution for me, is that I can approach my prayer time with God, here's the list of all the things that I need you to do, 00:13:52.800 --> 00:14:01.980 that I need you to fix, that I need you to give. That in here, I can be the subject of my own prayer life. 00:14:03.060 --> 00:14:07.660 God, heal me, work in me, move me, give me this, give me that. 00:14:08.340 --> 00:14:19.680 And Jesus, Jesus begins His prayer with the exaltation for the glory of the Father. 00:14:20.660 --> 00:14:27.720 Folks, prayer is a privilege that God gives us, gives us to approach Him, that gives us to stand 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:36.400 before Him, that gives us to speak to Him, and we should do so with sincerity and honor. 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:43.220 In this very first verse, in verse 9, to look at the words that Jesus says, He says, 00:14:43.380 --> 00:14:47.900 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:14:48.760 --> 00:14:52.940 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:14:53.540 --> 00:14:58.240 There is something brilliantly beautiful that Jesus does here. 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:05.580 Jesus, in saying, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, He speaks to both the closeness 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:10.440 of who God is and the holiness of who He is. 00:15:11.300 --> 00:15:18.440 You see, in verse 9, what we see here is the work that Jesus is going to do in salvation for us. 00:15:19.540 --> 00:15:23.580 The holiness of God and the closeness of God. 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:29.580 You see, hallowed means holy, set apart, sacred, above all. 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:38.160 Jesus says that God, God the Father is holy, He's set apart, He's sacred, He's above. 00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:44.200 Look, this God that is above all, this God that is holy, this God that is perfect, 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:47.700 that we should treat and acknowledge Him as such. 00:15:48.760 --> 00:15:52.160 And if you're like me, just within that, there's beauty within there. 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:57.920 But man, I don't know, I don't even know how to begin how to approach a God who's like that. 00:15:58.560 --> 00:16:08.000 I don't know how to approach a God who's so holy and set apart that I'm not worthy to come to Him. 00:16:08.800 --> 00:16:11.160 I think that's a natural process for us to go through. 00:16:11.540 --> 00:16:14.260 So, what does Jesus say? 00:16:14.940 --> 00:16:21.060 Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:29.160 Jesus, in doing this, is drawing what is far away to be what is nearby. 00:16:29.560 --> 00:16:36.100 As here, God is Father, He's close, He's loving, and He's personal. 00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:40.160 The beautiful picture of who God is. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:47.100 That God can be both holy and set apart, and close in relationship. 00:16:47.820 --> 00:16:48.680 How does this happen? 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:49.840 By the work of Jesus Christ. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:56.200 That when we put our faith, our hope, and our trust in the work and person of Jesus Christ, 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:03.180 and in the power of the resurrection, that sinless man and holy God can be brought together by the blood of Christ. 00:17:03.900 --> 00:17:04.720 That's it. 00:17:06.260 --> 00:17:10.720 So, am I worthy to come and stand before Him in who I am? 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:12.200 Absolutely not. 00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:21.640 But am I worthy to come and plead before Him because of who Jesus is and who Jesus is for me? 00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:22.820 Absolutely. 00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:24.700 Absolutely. 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:32.220 Folks, this is the beauty of the depth of His love for you and for me. 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.860 He is holy, and He is near. 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:40.180 And there's beauty in that. 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:45.740 Not only in the exaltation of God do we understand and say who He is, 00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:49.760 but we see and desire the coming of His kingdom. 00:17:50.560 --> 00:17:59.980 Jesus says your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:08.760 You think, well, that's a request that is made for us to be the beneficiary of the kingdom of God. 00:18:09.580 --> 00:18:15.080 But I would say when we look at this a little bit more and understand the plead that Jesus is giving here, 00:18:15.080 --> 00:18:16.940 it's on the focus of who God is. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:23.960 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:29.380 is the appeal for the rule and reign of God and our surrender to that. 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:33.120 In exalting who He is. 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:39.120 How many times have you and I watched the news and what we find and what we see of the stories of today 00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:43.980 are the chaos and the ungodliness of this world and thought, come Jesus, come. 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:51.020 Is it right to eagerly want and desire and to wait for the return of Christ? 00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:53.300 Absolutely, we should be. 00:18:54.120 --> 00:18:59.540 You and I should want to be a part of a day and a time that will come when there is no pain, 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:01.160 no more suffering, no more sin. 00:19:02.080 --> 00:19:06.260 And what we get to live in and experience in the fullness of who God is. 00:19:06.260 --> 00:19:16.140 And so we echo the prayer of Jesus, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:19.160 And so what does the application of that look like? 00:19:19.780 --> 00:19:24.860 If we're going to pray that prayer, not as the hypocrites and not as the Gentiles, 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:27.980 then what does it mean for us? 00:19:28.060 --> 00:19:31.880 It means that we desire for that in our life. 00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:36.400 That we are saying, God, I don't want what I think is my best. 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:41.600 I don't want what I think I deserve or what I should get or what I should work for. 00:19:41.600 --> 00:19:48.880 But God, for me to desire your kingdom come and your will to be done means I want your rule 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:55.160 and your reign in every area, every thought, every deed, and every word of my life. 00:19:58.280 --> 00:20:08.600 Man, I know what my prayers would begin to sound like if I did not just simply echo the moments of what I wanted to confess. 00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:16.060 But instead, God, remove from me anything that is not of you and your kingdom. 00:20:16.540 --> 00:20:22.940 God, may your kingdom come and your will be done fully in every aspect of who I am. 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:27.320 Your rule in my life. 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:35.760 But also, God, may your kingdom come and your will be done in our world. 00:20:37.040 --> 00:20:41.700 Folks, we should be praying for the situations all over our world. 00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:46.900 We should pray specifically for God's will to be done. 00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:52.840 The plural situations that are happening all over the Middle East. 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:55.340 God, I pray for your will to be done. 00:20:56.380 --> 00:21:00.540 To pray, as I got information this week of things that are happening in India, 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:05.500 all over northern India, specifically in the state where our partners are, 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:09.360 where radical Hindus are shutting down churches and Christian schools. 00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:16.980 Beating and assaulting the men and women of their churches. 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:23.640 We should pray that God's kingdom would come and that his will would be done. 00:21:24.600 --> 00:21:30.520 We should pray for marriages that are broken by the darkness of sin to be restored. 00:21:31.080 --> 00:21:36.500 That his kingdom come and his will be done in the lives of these husbands and wives. 00:21:37.300 --> 00:21:46.360 We should pray as we see crimes being committed against children. 00:21:48.280 --> 00:21:52.760 Oftentimes, by those who claim faith in Christ. 00:21:54.080 --> 00:21:57.920 And we should pray, God, your kingdom come, your will be done. 00:21:59.080 --> 00:22:02.220 We pray for justice and for healing. 00:22:03.840 --> 00:22:06.500 Our prayers are not out of a heart of politics. 00:22:07.120 --> 00:22:10.000 Our prayers are not out of a heart of Western ideology. 00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:15.680 Our prayers are from the mind of the simplicity of man. 00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:20.520 But to see and desire that the will of God be done. 00:22:20.860 --> 00:22:28.920 God, may your kingdom come and God, may your will be done. 00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:34.340 Because you are holy and you are father. 00:22:36.600 --> 00:22:43.700 The second focus that we see is the humble appeal of man. 00:22:44.840 --> 00:22:47.580 The humble appeal of man. 00:22:48.540 --> 00:22:52.280 I gave the list earlier and I want us to live in this tension. 00:22:52.520 --> 00:23:03.920 To be careful that we're not approaching a God with our list the way that a child or maybe an adult, if you're me, writes their Christmas list out, right? 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:10.220 We want to make sure that we are careful in the sincerity of what we're bringing before. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:20.860 But that we understand that God is desire, God desires from us to bring our needs before him. 00:23:21.820 --> 00:23:28.160 And he gives us three different examples of what this should look like in the life of believer. 00:23:29.140 --> 00:23:35.740 He comes and he says, listen, give me your physical and your spiritual needs of this life. 00:23:36.320 --> 00:23:39.620 And think about that, the God who created the heavens and the earth. 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:45.260 The God who created the universe loves you enough. 00:23:46.360 --> 00:23:57.520 He loves you enough that he cares for your moment by moment daily needs of your life. 00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:01.700 That's how much he loves you. 00:24:02.940 --> 00:24:05.220 The appeal that Christ gives us is what? 00:24:05.820 --> 00:24:09.520 Give us this day our daily bread. 00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:13.800 Give us this day our daily bread. 00:24:14.780 --> 00:24:20.100 And if you're thinking like me, like, hey God, daily bread's nice, but what about a weekly steak, right? 00:24:20.320 --> 00:24:22.500 Like, what about more? 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:25.140 But bread, bread here is significant. 00:24:26.280 --> 00:24:27.980 Bread here is intentional. 00:24:29.060 --> 00:24:31.920 Bread is a purposeful word in the Bible. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:37.400 In John chapter 6, Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life. 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:44.760 In Exodus chapter 16, God feeds his people with the bread and the manna daily. 00:24:44.760 --> 00:24:48.660 He tells them to only take what they need from day to day. 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:53.520 It's not to take extra so that they will trust him with what he's doing. 00:24:54.340 --> 00:25:16.960 Daily and consistent prayer allows you and I to bring our daily needs before God, and it communicates and helps to develop within us the mindset and perspective that, God, I need you. 00:25:17.800 --> 00:25:35.940 God, God, God, God, God, God, God, I need you. 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:41.460 God, God, God, God, I need you for my marriage and I need you for my church. 00:25:42.460 --> 00:25:45.780 I need you for my mind and I need you for my heart. 00:25:46.600 --> 00:25:51.280 I need you for the food on my table and the food you will feed me through your word. 00:25:52.580 --> 00:26:00.080 God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, I need you. 00:26:00.080 --> 00:26:04.120 God, God, I will need you just as much tomorrow as I do today. 00:26:04.560 --> 00:26:08.560 So, God, give me this day, Lord, my daily bread. 00:26:10.280 --> 00:26:20.180 We come before the Lord dependent on him and thankful for him. 00:26:21.540 --> 00:26:36.140 Because now in this moment, when we become to recognize that we are dependent on everything for him, our list of what we're dependent on is equal to the list that we're thankful for. 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:37.700 Right? 00:26:38.020 --> 00:26:40.220 So, God, here's what I need. 00:26:40.520 --> 00:26:42.080 Here's what only you can provide. 00:26:42.420 --> 00:26:43.860 Here's what only you can do. 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:46.080 God, I'm thankful for all that you've done. 00:26:46.260 --> 00:26:48.100 I'm thankful for all that you've provided. 00:26:48.100 --> 00:26:51.780 God, I'm thankful for all that you've given me in which I needed. 00:26:52.800 --> 00:26:53.020 Right? 00:26:53.060 --> 00:26:59.020 The beautiful picture of dependence and gratitude in the moment. 00:26:59.780 --> 00:27:01.140 So, we should come to him. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:03.580 Bring to him your physical. 00:27:04.300 --> 00:27:06.120 Bring to him your spiritual needs. 00:27:07.040 --> 00:27:08.740 Celebrate him when he says yes. 00:27:09.140 --> 00:27:10.720 Celebrate him when he says no. 00:27:11.260 --> 00:27:13.940 Celebrate him when he says not right now. 00:27:15.620 --> 00:27:18.720 Don't get your theology from Garth Brooks. 00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:27.720 Next, we see our dependency and our need for the fullness of forgiveness. 00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:32.080 He says in two sections of this passage, 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:35.860 Forgive our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. 00:27:36.760 --> 00:27:42.020 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 00:27:42.120 --> 00:27:42.900 Verse 15. 00:27:43.560 --> 00:27:50.840 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you in heaven. 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:57.080 As a follower of Jesus Christ, let me tell you where you stand in relationship to him. 00:27:58.040 --> 00:28:06.700 As a person who's trusted in the work and the fullness of the perfect life, the perfect sacrifice, and the power of the resurrection. 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:09.740 You stand not in your guilt. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:12.260 You stand not in shame. 00:28:12.260 --> 00:28:14.600 But you stand fully forgiven. 00:28:15.500 --> 00:28:20.160 Every sin past, every sin present, and every sin future. 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:26.320 Well, brother, then why do I need to say, forgive us our debts? 00:28:27.360 --> 00:28:34.620 Because when you and I, when we live with the desire for the daily confession of our sins to the Lord, 00:28:34.800 --> 00:28:38.980 we live with a heart that every day that says, 00:28:38.980 --> 00:28:46.400 Jesus, I need what you did on the cross to apply to me right now. 00:28:47.300 --> 00:28:53.800 Jesus, I need to live in the fullness and the power of the resurrection right now. 00:28:54.380 --> 00:29:00.820 That the cross of Jesus Christ is not what we celebrate at Easter and the work that he did there 00:29:00.820 --> 00:29:03.780 and the fact that the tomb was empty on that one day. 00:29:04.260 --> 00:29:09.120 And it's not just what we celebrate every single Sunday as we gather together, 00:29:09.120 --> 00:29:14.480 but every moment when I say, Lord, forgive me, every moment when I say, Lord, I need your grace, 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:16.920 every moment when I say, Lord, I need your forgiveness, 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:21.440 I'm celebrating the work that happened on Calvary and the fact that the tomb was empty 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:25.260 when you saved me today and every day for the rest of my life. 00:29:25.260 --> 00:29:29.520 Because daily I sin and daily I need your forgiveness. 00:29:29.900 --> 00:29:32.040 And God, thank you so much that you do that. 00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:40.520 That your love and kindness and forgiveness of me is the beauty of the overflow of grace in my life. 00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:44.520 Lord, we praise you and we thank you. 00:29:44.760 --> 00:29:55.340 And that from the overflow of that, as we experience and we live in the grace that we do not deserve, 00:29:56.160 --> 00:30:04.100 we forgive others as they have sinned against us. 00:30:05.620 --> 00:30:06.900 I know this is hard. 00:30:09.080 --> 00:30:10.740 It's not just hard for you. 00:30:11.760 --> 00:30:12.900 It's hard for me. 00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:17.760 I love the lie of a good grudge. 00:30:20.580 --> 00:30:27.300 I love the lie of Satan, that it's easier to hang on than it is to surrender. 00:30:28.940 --> 00:30:30.300 I want to encourage you. 00:30:31.260 --> 00:30:36.580 When it comes to forgiving others, would you bring that before the Lord as well? 00:30:37.800 --> 00:30:44.660 Would you pray in sincerity, acknowledging that it's not easy? 00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:52.920 Acknowledging that it may take time, but praise God that God is in the miracle-working business. 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:55.540 In the work of what God does. 00:30:56.660 --> 00:30:59.760 God who loves you and who hears you. 00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:07.560 And who knows what you ask for before you even ask it. 00:31:09.040 --> 00:31:10.660 Even if it's merely a mumble. 00:31:12.180 --> 00:31:13.280 That's who God is. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:15.780 That's what God does. 00:31:17.040 --> 00:31:20.240 And that's what he invites us into for prayer. 00:31:22.040 --> 00:31:30.260 Lastly, we see, in the call of God and in the work of what he's called us to in prayer, 00:31:31.760 --> 00:31:35.300 of daily guidance and delivery, 00:31:36.580 --> 00:31:44.180 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:49.040 Lord, every day, in the embarkment of my journey. 00:31:50.040 --> 00:31:55.620 Lord, as I get ready to get on that mess of I-20 and I-26. 00:31:57.360 --> 00:32:02.920 Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. 00:32:04.040 --> 00:32:11.420 Lord, as I'm going to be way longer than I need it to be. 00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:12.740 And I'm in a hurry. 00:32:12.740 --> 00:32:19.600 Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. 00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:31.440 As we face the circumstances that the day, could you and I acknowledge that there is an enemy 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:41.520 who prowls and who seeks to destroy and kill all that's in his path. 00:32:41.520 --> 00:32:55.160 And who knows that when you are saved by Jesus, that he cannot remove you from the hand of God, 00:32:55.720 --> 00:33:01.080 but he can destroy the testimony that you carry. 00:33:01.080 --> 00:33:11.100 Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:14.380 Spiritual warfare is real. 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:20.380 And guys, we need help. 00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:32.580 We aren't called to live this life like the commander-in-chief of our own heart, of our own plans, of our own agenda. 00:33:33.400 --> 00:33:41.060 Instead, you and I are called to live this life as the faithful soldier that God has called us to be. 00:33:41.860 --> 00:33:49.960 Living for him, in his name, in his plan, for what he has for us. 00:33:50.920 --> 00:33:56.020 I know, every day falls into the routine. 00:33:57.060 --> 00:33:59.280 Every day falls into the norm. 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:05.440 I'm going to do this Monday what I did last Monday, and Tuesday from Tuesday, and Wednesday from Wednesday. 00:34:06.600 --> 00:34:08.000 But what would it look like? 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.060 What would it look like? 00:34:10.900 --> 00:34:17.240 Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 00:34:18.120 --> 00:34:24.680 See, what that means is God's setting the plan, and God's fighting the battle. 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:31.260 God's setting the plan, and God's fighting the battle. 00:34:33.100 --> 00:34:39.640 To pray, God, this day, set me on my path. 00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:41.720 My path for you. 00:34:42.620 --> 00:34:43.860 And Lord, I know me. 00:34:44.740 --> 00:34:49.060 And I'm going to want to take every exit ramp that Satan throws. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:54.240 Lord, in your goodness, in your kindness, keep me on the path that you have for me today. 00:34:55.740 --> 00:35:00.460 Lord, I know that at some point in time today, darkness is going to come. 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:04.460 A thought of sinful desires. 00:35:05.260 --> 00:35:07.880 A desire to speak death. 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:12.120 A moment to lash out in my own personal wrath. 00:35:13.080 --> 00:35:17.660 But when darkness comes, Lord, help me see the light. 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:23.300 And Lord, help me be the light that you've called me to be. 00:35:25.660 --> 00:35:31.420 And God, and when I do slip today and I fall, because I will. 00:35:32.420 --> 00:35:36.000 I fall daily, and I fall often. 00:35:37.520 --> 00:35:38.620 God, rescue me. 00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:40.560 Rescue me. 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:43.980 Jesus, thank you for saving me. 00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:52.180 And thank you for continuing in every day, in every moment, to continue to save me. 00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:57.900 I'm going to ask the worship team and the prayer team if they'll come forward. 00:36:00.720 --> 00:36:05.320 Church, may we not be a person who simply prays. 00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:12.740 You see, a person who prays is a person who feels in the moment that this is what they should do. 00:36:13.500 --> 00:36:15.960 A person who sets reminders for themselves. 00:36:16.560 --> 00:36:22.680 A person who prayer becomes a box that they must check, a religious work that they must do. 00:36:23.740 --> 00:36:27.140 But may we be people of prayer. 00:36:28.200 --> 00:36:29.240 Talk to God. 00:36:29.960 --> 00:36:30.700 He hears you. 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:33.200 Talk to God. 00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:34.060 He hears you. 00:36:35.380 --> 00:36:37.000 But my words are simple. 00:36:37.940 --> 00:36:39.440 My words are plain. 00:36:40.160 --> 00:36:40.700 Well, guess what? 00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:43.700 There ain't a single person here who can impress Him. 00:36:44.420 --> 00:36:45.340 So stop trying. 00:36:46.340 --> 00:36:49.540 And come to Him with the language from your heart. 00:36:50.720 --> 00:36:54.740 He already knows the depths of it. 00:36:56.740 --> 00:37:00.160 I want to close with this passage of Scripture. 00:37:01.640 --> 00:37:05.580 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 17. 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:09.420 I need this verse in my life. 00:37:11.520 --> 00:37:14.420 Not because of circumstances, but because of who I am. 00:37:14.420 --> 00:37:17.820 Apostle Paul writes, 00:37:19.320 --> 00:37:20.180 Rejoice always. 00:37:22.080 --> 00:37:23.080 Pray without ceasing. 00:37:24.860 --> 00:37:26.680 Give thanks in all circumstances. 00:37:28.120 --> 00:37:30.860 For this Bo Bradbury. 00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:42.540 For this Willow Ridge Church is the will of God in Christ for you. 00:37:43.540 --> 00:37:46.320 Would you join me in prayer? 00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:49.880 God, we thank you. 00:37:51.560 --> 00:37:52.840 That you are holy. 00:37:54.840 --> 00:37:56.960 And God, we thank you that you are perfect. 00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:01.940 And God, we thank you that your ways are higher than ours. 00:38:04.220 --> 00:38:05.660 And in your holiness. 00:38:07.180 --> 00:38:08.660 And in your goodness. 00:38:10.200 --> 00:38:15.420 God, what you desire in relationship with us. 00:38:18.500 --> 00:38:22.920 And God, you didn't call us to fix it. 00:38:24.560 --> 00:38:29.380 You didn't call us to make right what we've made wrong. 00:38:30.660 --> 00:38:38.180 Father, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. 00:38:40.180 --> 00:38:42.400 Offering the perfect sacrifice. 00:38:43.680 --> 00:38:49.000 And through the power of God, though he was dead for three days, to rise again. 00:38:50.980 --> 00:38:55.740 And it is upon his work that we're brought into relationship. 00:38:56.260 --> 00:38:58.480 To covenantal relationship with you. 00:38:59.380 --> 00:39:00.980 A covenant that you formed. 00:39:01.500 --> 00:39:02.720 That you called. 00:39:03.100 --> 00:39:04.220 That you chose. 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:08.640 And God, you give us. 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:10.800 Your Holy Spirit. 00:39:12.280 --> 00:39:13.440 At salvation. 00:39:13.680 --> 00:39:19.380 The very Spirit of God in us. 00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:30.540 So that we can pray and be in community and fellowship with you. 00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:36.680 So God, may we depend on you for all that we have. 00:39:36.980 --> 00:39:38.440 For all that we need. 00:39:38.780 --> 00:39:40.200 For all that we long for. 00:39:44.060 --> 00:39:45.400 God, may we. 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:48.320 God, will you forgive me. 00:39:50.160 --> 00:39:51.460 For my sins. 00:39:53.120 --> 00:39:54.340 For my doubt. 00:39:55.940 --> 00:39:57.140 For my anger. 00:39:59.640 --> 00:40:00.840 For my bitterness. 00:40:02.440 --> 00:40:05.160 For all that is ungodly in me. 00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:31.660 God, may we do as your word commands. 00:40:31.660 --> 00:40:33.080 God, may we do as your will in Christ Jesus for us. 00:40:33.080 --> 00:40:48.220 And it's in his name we pray. 00:40:49.220 --> 00:40:49.640 Amen. 00:40:52.440 --> 00:40:54.180 That's it for this week's message. 00:40:54.700 --> 00:40:56.980 Be sure to check back next week for a new episode. 00:40:57.580 --> 00:41:01.780 And in the meantime, you can visit us online at willowridgechurch.org. 00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:06.180 Or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 00:41:06.620 --> 00:41:07.580 Thanks again for listening. 00:41:16.140 --> 00:41:17.140 Thank you.