Thy Kingdom Is Come
December
1, 2013
In the Lord's Prayer we find reference to the Will of the Father.
- We must pray for
that
will to be done in earth.
- For His Kingdom to
come.
Matthew 6:9 After this
manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Matthew 6:10 Thy
kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:11 Give us
this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:12 And
forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:13 And lead
us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Before Jesus presented this prayer, the same sermon showed Him saying this:
Matthew 5:34 But I say
unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Matthew 5:35 Nor by
the
earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the
great King.
That statement came from here:
Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith
the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the
house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of
my rest?
So, prayer that His will be done in earth as it is in heaven, is like
saying HIS WILL BE DONE AT
THE FOOTSTOOL AS IT IS AT THE THRONE.
Heaven is where the throne is, and is
the throne.
- Earth is the footstool.
- So let's look at what the Bible says
about the THRONE IN HEAVEN.
The idea of Jesus on the throne with
mention of his footstool is found in the most commonly quoted Old Testament verse
in the entire New Testament.
Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The
LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool.
Psalm 110:2 The LORD shall send the
rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
The throne is IN ZION, but it's a
heavenly ZION, not earthly, because we have already come to it.
Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto
mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels,
Jesus went to that throne when He
ascended into heaven.
Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had
spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God.
Jesus explained that Psalm 110:1 shows
the Father speaking to the Christ/Messiah.
Matthew 22:42 Saying, What think ye
of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them, How
then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
Matthew 22:44 The LORD said unto my
Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Matthew 22:45 If David then call him
Lord, how is he his son?
The "LORD" said to David's "Lord".
Paul also referred to this Psalm:
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him:
Notice terminology.
"The God of our Lord Jesus Christ."
- "The Father of glory."
- He needs to give us a spirit of wisdom
and revelation in knowledge.
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:19 And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power,
Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places,
SIT THOU AT MY RIGHT HAND.
All of these New Testament writers are
basing their thoughts on truth that Psalm 110 provided.
The Father of glory raised Christ from
the dead.
- Set Him at His own right hand in the
heavenlies.
When the Father did that, He told
Christ, "SIT UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL."
There is an important point that yet
ANOTHER New Testament passage makes about this.
Hebrews 10:11 And every priest
standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never
take away sins:
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he
had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:13 From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Sitting down is contrasted from standing
because the work is never done.
Jesus finished all the work He would do.
- They offered sacrifices one after
another that could never remove sins.
- So they stood, always working.
- Jesus offered one and sat down, having
perfected forever them that are sanctified.
- Perfected means He COMPLETED.
This goes on to say our sins are not
even remembered.
Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of
these is, there is no more offering for sin.
No more offering.
Since Christ made that offering, He is
to SIT until THE FATHER MAKES HIS ENEMIES HIS FOOTSTOOL.
Jesus had perfect obedience.
Philippians 2:8-10 And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth;
"EVEN TO" means the ULTIMATE level of
obedience.
So, the cross was Christ's obedience to
the Father.
- He sits after his perfect obedience.
- It was so perfect that the Father was
pleased and told Him to sit.
- We all know how perfect His obedience
was!
- That is what the Father relied upon in
order to do the work of bringing down His enemies.
He is seated in Heaven.
- Does He have any of those enemies in
heaven?
- No.
- Yet we read that He not only sits until
his enemies are made his footstool, but that he RULES IN THE MIDST OF THOSE
ENEMIES.
- Those enemies are going to be pulled
under his feet.
- He rules IN THEIR MIDST.
This brings us to something wonderful.
He is not the only one seated on that
right hand throne.
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead
in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We are seated WITH HIM.
PERFECT WORK:
We think of how perfect a work Christ
accomplished in order for the Father to tell Him to now SIT until He makes His
enemies his footstool.
- But when it comes to US SITTING, and the
perfectly obedient work being finished, we instinctively think it's OUR work
that must be done, so we HESITATE TO SIT.
- It's so hard for us to accept HIS
PERFECT WORK for our blessings.
- We still lack faith in this.
- But His perfect obedience was HIS DEATH.
- And we were BAPTIZED INTO THAT DEATH.
- We were baptized INTO HIS PERFECT
OBEDIENCE!
- Now you are to REST IN HIS PERFECT
OBEDIENCE.... NOT YOUR OWN!
We think that more enemies need to come
down, so we need to WORK MORE.
- But we need to TRUST MORE that His work
was what is required for our blessings!
Otherwise it is OUR KINGDOMS we seek.
- Otherwise, we'd be praying for OUR
KINGDOMS TO COME.
He is in heaven, and we are in the earth.
We are to pray the Father's will in
heaven be done in earth.
- We already read the Father's will was to
put Christ's enemies under his feet like a footstool.
- And we also read the earth is his
footstool, while at the same time we are seated with him while we are in this
earth.
We can understand what it means for Him
to rule in the midst of His enemies while He actually sits in heaven by the
fact that WE ARE HIS BODY
- We experienced His death (His act of
perfect obedience) by baptism.
- We're baptized into His perfect
obedience!
- We are part of Him now.
- Since we are both HIS BODY and we are
SEATED WITH HIM WHILE IN THE EARTH, this explains how He rules in the midst of
His enemies.
- HIS POWER WORKS THROUGH US in this earth
where his enemies are.
- The only way in which He could rule in
the midst of his enemies, when He is in heaven where no enemies exist, is for
his rule to extend into the earth, and for us (who are part of his body, and even
said to be seated with him) to rule with him.
Christ extends His power through us.
He rules in the midst of his enemies
that are on earth, while he sits in heaven because we are his body and we are in
this earth where his enemies are.
Look how he phrased it in the book of
Hebrews.
- It brings more meaning out.
- He sits "expecting his enemies to be
made his footstool."
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he
had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:13 From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
The Father told Him to sit until He
makes His enemies His footstool.
- He rests in what the Father told Him.
- Faith is seen in his expectation.
- He heard the Father speak and HE SITS ON
THAT PROMISE.
- He now expects the Father to do this.
And I am sitting with Him, not because
of my perfect work, since my work could never earn me anything, but BECAUSE OF
HIS PERFECT work of OBEDIENCE!
MY ENEMIES WILL NOT COME DOWN DUE TO MY
PERFECT WORK, BUT DUE TO MY COMPLETE TRUST THAT HIS PERFECT WORK IS COUNTED
FOR MINE, AND THAT'S THE ONLY WORK GOD PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO.
"Sitting" means all the work He could do
is finished, and that work was the work of the cross.
- We're supposed to be seated with Him.
- You might think you must DO MORE when
you see more enemies.
- But REST IN THE FINISHED WORK OF THE
CROSS and TRUST GOD TO BRING THOSE ENEMIES DOWN.
The Lord's prayer shows the key.
We pray that the will of the Father --
who dwells in heaven -- be done in earth as it is in heaven.
- Not only does that mean the state of
heaven can invade the earth, but that His will for THE SON TO SIT IN HEAVEN until
He brings down His enemies, is to be done in earth where WE SIT WITH CHRIST,
UNTIL THE FATHER BRINGS DOWN OUR ENEMIES!
- His enemies are our enemies since we're
one with Him!
- Our enemies are His enemies!
Notice that we have to pray for this.
SO, PRAYER is part of HOW HIS WILL AT
THE THRONE IS DONE HERE AT THE FOOTSTOOL!
- If we have to pray for His will to be
done in earth, then prayer is required for the Father to work.
- The more you SIT, or in other words,
TRUST the work of Jesus required to bring the enemies down was finished on the
cross, and he just needs to sit there and expect in faith, THE MORE GOD CAN WORK!
Grace means IT IS HIS WORK.
- You cannot earn this.
- Christ earned it.
- And when you try to do the work and
strain and fuss, YOU ACTUALLY FRUSTRATE THE
- GRACE OF GOD. Gal 2:19.
So remain seated!
Remain in the position of trusting that
the work of the cross was all that had to be done.
Notice what else we pray to the Father
about.
Give us our daily bread,
Forgive us as we forgive,
Lead us not into temptation,
deliver us from evil.
FOR THIS IS YOUR KINGDOM...
Forgiving others and being forgiven is
so VITAL for the will of the Father to be done in our earth.
- Lack of this will hinder His will from
being done.
- It will hinder Christ's enemies from
being put beneath his feet by the Father of glory.
- Lack of forgiving others...
- Lack of being forgiven by the Father...
- Lack of being led the narrow way by the
Father...
- Lack of not being led into temptation...
- Lack of not being delivered from evil by
the Father...
- Lack of not receiving our daily bread
from the Father.
- All of that hinders HIS WILL being done
in earth.
We want that kingdom to come.
- For righteousness to be in the earth.
- All the elements of the prayer are the
work of the Father, since it is to Him we pray these things.
- So, PARTLY, the Father's work of
bringing Christ's enemies down is by delivering us from evil, forgiving us, leading us
not into temptation, etc.
We see Jesus as the Lamb with seven eyes
and horns go to the throne in Revelation 5.
- He is seen standing as He had been slain
-- past tense.
- And when he takes the book to see all
the wrath and fury of God loosed upon the sinful world, showing THE EARTH is going
to have HIS HOLY WILL accomplished there, look at what the saints cry!
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou
wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation;
Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto
our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
ON THE EARTH!
That blood he redeemed us with is what
WE OVERCOME WITH!
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,
which accused them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not
their lives unto the death.
Thee blood redeemed them because HIS
DEATH was what SAVED US.
- And THAT SAME BLOOD -- THAT SAME DEATH
-- IS WHAT WE OVERCOME WITH!
- It's what WE DEPEND UPON FOR the enemy's
destruction!
He defeated the devil with it, we might
as well, too!
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the
same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil;
Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.