Kingdom Prayer Matthew 6:5-15 (NASB) Purpose: to bring our prayer life in line with the Jesus’ Kingdom 1. Are You Seeking Man’s Praise or God’s Glory & Reward? Matt. 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Jesus’ Main Kingdom Principle 2. Now Not-To Pray Matt. 6:5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; The wrong motive leads to no reward from God Whose approval do you seek? Who are you trying to impress? The right motive leads to reward from God Himself 3. Why? Or Why Not? Because Your Father Already Knows! Matt. 6:8b for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. How would your current prayer life change if you realized this truth? 4. How Jesus’ Kingdom People Pray Matt. 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way: “˜Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 “˜Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 “˜Give us this day 1our daily bread. 12 “˜And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 “˜And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ 14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. God is Father, He is Holy His Kingdom Both in Heaven AND on Earth Unceasing Absolute Dependence Upon His Provision God is Forgiving, and So Must We Forgive Everything Is His
Practicing Your Righteousness for God’s Glory Matthew 6:1-4 (NASB) Purpose: to practice our faith for God’s glory and His reward 1. Are You Seeking Man’s Praise or God’s Glory & Reward? Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Jesus’ Main Kingdom Principle The wrong motive leads to no reward from God Whose approval do you seek? Whose approval is most important to you? 2. How Not-To Practice Righteousness Matthew 6:2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. Reward in full from man, but nothing from God 3. How To Practice Genuine Righteousness Matthew 6:3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. You get no reward from man, but God Himself will reward you
Kingdom Mission Matthew 24:14 Matt. 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Purpose: for believers in Jesus Christ to remain faithful and on mission, even in times of trouble Central Truths of Matthew 24: 1. Don’t be misled! The Command Warning “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 23-28) 2. Don’t be afraid! The Command “See that you are not frightened” (Matt. 24:6-10) 3. Why? Because Jesus is the only true King (Matt. 24:27-31) 4. When? The Final Judgment is Imminent but Not Predictable (Matt. 24:2, 21-22, 29-31) 5. Who? We will not need anyone to tell us when Jesus Comes back! (Matt. 24:25-27) 6. So Be On Mission! Jesus’ primary concern is for His followers to remain faithful, preaching the gospel to all the nations, enduring to the end (Matt. 24:4, 6, 13-14, 20, 23-28). Conclusion: Why did Jesus warn His disciples about false Christs? What was Jesus’ main concern for His followers? That they know the end time, or that they remain faithful and obedient to preach the gospel to the nations? Should we be more concerned with the wars or with our daily faithfulness and the preaching of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ to all nations? What specific areas of your life or faith need to change?
Kingdom Mission Matthew 24:14 Matt. 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Purpose: for believers in Jesus Christ to remain faithful and on mission, even in times of trouble Central Truths of Matthew 24: 1. Don’t be misled! The Command Warning “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 23-28) 2. Don’t be afraid! The Command “See that you are not frightened” (Matt. 24:6-10) 3. Why? Because Jesus is the only true King (Matt. 24:27-31) 4. When? The Final Judgment is Imminent but Not Predictable (Matt. 24:2, 21-22, 29-31) 5. Who? We will not need anyone to tell us when Jesus Comes back! (Matt. 24:25-27) 6. So Be On Mission! Jesus’ primary concern is for His followers to remain faithful, preaching the gospel to all the nations, enduring to the end (Matt. 24:4, 6, 13-14, 20, 23-28). Conclusion: Why did Jesus warn His disciples about false Christs? What was Jesus’ main concern for His followers? That they know the end time, or that they remain faithful and obedient to preach the gospel to the nations? Should we be more concerned with the wars or with our daily faithfulness and the preaching of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ to all nations? What specific areas of your life or faith need to change?
Kingdom Attitudes: The Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-16 Purpose: to rediscover eight blessings or attitudes of Kingdom people 1. The Poor in Spirit get the Kingdom Matt. 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 2. Those who Mourn are Comforted Matt. 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 3. The Gentle Inherit the Earth Matt. 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 4. Those Who Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness Are Satisfied Matt. 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 5. The Merciful Receive Mercy Matt. 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 6. The Pure in Heart Shall See God Matt. 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 7. Peacemakers Are God’s Sons Matt. 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 8. Persecuted for Jesus Get the Kingdom Matt. 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Why all of this? Matt. 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Matt. 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a 1hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. This is the opposite of “squeaky wheel” spirituality The real heroes in God’s Kingdom are those who are blessed in these eight attitudes
Kingdom Birth and Sight John 3:1-21 Purpose: Unless you are Born Again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God 1. Jesus’ says you must be “Born Again” to See the Kingdom of God How is the Spirit of God described here? See John 3:8 and compare to Gen. 2:7; Ezekiel 37; John 20:22; Acts 2:2 Concerning the statement itself, is being “born again” necessary for salvation? John 3:3 “unless . . . cannot see” John 3:5 “unless . . . cannot enter” John 3:16, 18 the alternative: non-belief leads to “perish” and judgment So this is THE primary threshold issue for whether one is saved or not! 2. Jesus shows us HOW TO be “Born Again” to Enter the Kingdom of God How many times is Jesus referring to being “born”? v. 3 Born again v. 5 Born water and the Spirit v. 6 Born of flesh; Born of Spirit v. 7 Born again v. 8 Born of the Spirit How many times does Jesus refer to “believe”? vv. 12, 15, 16, 18 and see v. 36 What, exactly, does Jesus say must be the object of one’s “belief”? Therefore “born again” = “born of the Spirit” = “believe in Him” = “believe in the only begotten Son of God.” It is not enough to know about God or about Jesus. You must know Jesus! John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. Have you been born again? Have your received Jesus? Have you believed in His name? Personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to get into heaven!! If not, you will not see the kingdom of God, but if so, you have eternal life.
Kingdom Proclamation: Preach the Word! 2 Tim. 4:1-4 Purpose: to unwaveringly uphold the biblical message of the kingdom 1. We Must Fear the Appearing of God! (2 Tim. 4:1) The “charge” comes in verse 2, but the foundation on which the charge is made is here See also 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Jesus will judge, Jesus will return, and Jesus is the King of the Kingdom 2. We Must Feed the People of God! (2 Tim. 4:2) 5 Commands in the Charge to the Pastor What? 1. Preach the Word When? 2. Be Ready How? 3. Reprove 4. Rebuke 5. Exhort What do we “feed” on? See also 1 Peter 2:1-5. What will you do in your life to grow from this kind of teaching? 3. We Must Fight for the Truth of God! Verse 3-4 are the explanation, the reason why the charge of v. 2 is so important Who, exactly, will turn to myths? Can you think of when people favor other things as more important than God’s Word? What is at stake concerning right teaching from God’s Word? See 1 Timothy 4:16
Kingdom Obedience Matthew 7:13-28 Purpose: to hear and obey the teachings of Jesus Christ 1. Jesus Teaches the Way to Life (Matthew 7:13-14) Only two roads to take, which one are you on? 2. Jesus Warns About False Prophets (Matthew 7:15-20) Again, only two possibilities: good or bad, life or thrown into the fire 3. Jesus Reveals the Final State of the False Ones (Matthew 7:21-23) Only two options See John 6:29 Do we truly do God’s will? “¦ or not? 4. Jesus’ Parable of the House’s Foundation (Matthew 7:24-27) Again, only two options: The False hear and do not obey, theirs is the life built upon shifting sand The True hear Jesus and obey, theirs is the life built upon the rock Which one are you? Will you survive the storms of life? Will you be in heaven?
Kingdom Faithfulness Matthew 25:14-30 Purpose: to be faithful until the end with what the Lord has given you 1. Stewardship of the Lord’s Kingdom Given to Us (Matthew 25:14-18) 2. Faithful Investment of the Lord’s “Property” (Matthew 25:19-23) 3. The Lord Expects Return on His “Investment” (Matthew 25:24-28) 4. The Final Accounting (Matthew 25:29) How have you served Jesus the King and how may that affect your eternity? Only two outcomes: faithful or wicked, saved or lost, heaven or hell And it is reflected in the way you invest all that the Lord has given you now This parable is not just about money, it’s about Kingdom stewardship of your whole life Will God proclaim over your life, “Well done! Good and faithful servant”?