I’m sure that Romulus and Remus couldn’t have imagined that when they had set up a city on a hill in what is now Italy that they would be the twin founders of a kingdom that lasted for multiplied hundreds of years reaching places that they never knew existed. The city of Rome became the capital of the empire of the same name and exerted its influence on everything it touched. It conquered other kingdoms and grew and grew until it was said that all roads lead to Rome.
In this prayer through which Jesus teaches us to pray we come to the words, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As Jesus has been teaching us to avoid entertaining false ideas of praying that are ineffective and to diligently cling to the kind of prayer that is a vital link between ourselves and God we find that this simple phrase (Your kingdom come) can have far reaching effects if we know what it is we are asking. But before we delve into this phrase let’s review the purpose of this prayer as we had mentioned last week.
As we started to look at verses 9-13, we discussed the fact that Jesus has given us a pattern to follow for our prayer. In other words, when we pray, what should our prayer be like? Jesus begins verse 9 with these words, “Pray, then, in this way.”
As I noted, this prayer (often called the Lord’s prayer) at which we are about to look is neither intended as a formal prayer prayed in a public setting to receive man’s favor nor a ritualistic prayer to be repeated again and again to receive God’s favor. To do so would be to neglect Jesus’ teaching of the previous four verses. Last week Jesus told us to avoid seeking man’s favor and reject the idea that repetitious prayer can cull God’s favor. So let’s recognize that this prayer is not something to be instituted in our services so as to impress people who come with how lofty prayer can sound. And neither is it something that Jesus gave as a prescription (take two “Our Fathers” and call me in the morning) for people to pray according to memory as if the words were the formula for gaining God’s attention.
Then what is this prayer that Jesus gives to His disciples in verses 9-13? When Jesus says, “Pray then in this way” He is not telling us to parrot the words of this prayer. It is a model that should encompass each aspect of our devotional prayer life. This prayer should cause us to focus on how we should pray not what words we should pray. We looked at the first aspect of this prayer last week. We saw that it included reverential worship. Let’s now look at the second aspect of this model prayer.
B. A request to expand God’s kingdom
The second aspect of this model prayer is a request to expand God’s kingdom. Jesus reveals another necessary aspect of our prayer life when He says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Literally it is “Let your kingdom come.” It is not that we, by some effort or willpower of our own, are forcing God’s kingdom to come. But it is a request that God would bring to pass the establishment of His kingdom here on earth. In essence, we are asking God to expand His kingdom in our midst.
So the question that begs to be answered is, “What, then, is God’s kingdom?” There are two main features in understanding God’s kingdom. First, God’s kingdom refers to a future time on earth when Christ Himself shall rule and reign from Jerusalem. His kingdom will be characterized by a tremendous peace, joy and righteousness that the world has never before known. The world will experience such peace, joy and righteousness because God will be directly ruling in the affairs of mankind. And there will be no fear of mistreatment or wickedness arising in the world.
So, in one sense, when we pray, “Let your kingdom come” we are asking God to completely bring in His righteous rule upon earth through the visible presence of His Son on earth. It is similar to John’s prayer at the very end of the book of Revelation. When Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly” John prayed, “Even so come Lord Jesus.” Why should we pray for this end? All injustices will be made right. The world will know true peace. Sin will be put down and righteousness exalted. And God will be dwelling with people on earth.
The other feature of God’s kingdom is simply the working out of His rule in the lives of people today. When we ask for God to expand His kingdom in our midst we are seeking for God’s rulership to be evidenced in us. And it is precisely when this takes place that we can experience this unprecedented peace and joy in our own lives as we seek to let God rule us.
God’s kingdom is simply His rule in our lives however that is worked out. And I see that the request to expand God’s kingdom includes three areas. When we pray we need to ask God to work in these three distinct areas.
i. personal submission to God’s rule
The first area in which we need to ask God to work is in personal submission to God’s rule. If God’s kingdom, His rule is going to be expanded in our midst it needs to begin with me. If we want to see the world around us revamped and changed for God’s glory then we need to allow the work of God to begin right in our very hearts.
When Jesus says that we are to seek first God’s righteousness and His kingdom it means that our desire must be to let God reign in our lives. When we continue the way we are, when we allow that same sin to that so easily besets us to control us we are not letting the light of God’s kingdom to reach into the recesses of our lives. When we pray that God would expand His kingdom in our midst we need to back that prayer with action. When God, through the light of His Word, exposes our sin we must be ready to put it off as part of the Christian growth process. If you are seriously praying that God would expand His kingdom in your life then you have to be ready for what He is going to show you. And at that point you cannot argue with God and say but can’t you show me something else because I love that particular sin too much.
Where are the men in Christ’s church who want to be real men? We need men who aren’t afraid to humble themselves and admit when they have sinned and wronged another. Where are Christ-like men who want to take responsibility for their families and be the spiritual head to nurture godliness in their homes?
Where are the women in Christ’s church who want to be real godly women? Women who are brave enough to not lower their exalted position as a woman to the world’s image of a successful woman. The world’s woman finds it distasteful to waste her life shaping and molding the character of the next generation of children for God (Her children).
Where are God’s people who will find satisfaction in seeking God’s kingdom? The world’s satisfaction is found in climbing the corporate ladder and making a million. But what the world doesn’t tell you is that a million can never buy eternal treasures. And if our focus is on this world and its treasure then we are not seeking God’s kingdom to indwell our lives. Jesus said you cannot serve God and money.
When we want God to expand His kingdom in our lives we are going to have to ask the tough questions about our lives. We are going to have to ask ourselves questions like: “What is there in me that is not reflecting the light of God’s kingdom but the darkness of Satan’s kingdom?” “In what way must I become more Christ-like?” “What is it that I have to put off so that I can put righteousness on?”
The reason we have to start here in personal submission to God before we move to any other area of the expansion of God’s kingdom is because of Jesus’ words to us in Matthew 7. He says, “First take the log out of your own eye and then you will clearly see to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” You and I need ask God to expand His kingdom in our lives personally if we are ever to see God’s kingdom expanded in the lives of others. When others see righteousness and joy and peace in our lives then they will want what we have. And what will it be that we have? It will be the outward expression of the inner working of God’s kingdom in our lives.
We know that God’s kingdom, His rule in our lives consists of living righteously, and experiencing peace and joy. The apostle Paul says in Romans 14:17 that the kingdom of God is . . . “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. These three cannot be separated. You cannot have true God given peace and joy if you do not have righteousness. They go hand in hand. Don’t think that you can have one without the other. The kingdom of God is made up of these three elements. And I think that they are as inseparable as the Trinity. Why do I say that? Because these three elements of the kingdom of God relate specifically each person of the Trinity. Christ is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Paul says, “You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us . . . righteousness.” Before our conversion we were at war with the Father. By faith we were given the righteousness of Christ that resulted in peace with God the Father (Rom. 5:1). And this faith brings about the Holy Spirit dwelling within us who gives us His joy. This is what Paul said to the Thessalonians, “you received the Word in the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
If we neglect one of these aspects, the kingdom of God will not be evident in our lives to others. Many times people seek for peace and joy without righteousness. Others have righteousness, that is right living before God, but they don’t have peace or joy. This is just as a bad testimony as a Christian who isn’t living righteously.
If you are a sour puss Christian you are not experiencing the rule of God in your life. You can be as righteous as Christ Himself but if you are always complaining about your job, about your neighbors, about your house, about your spouse, you need to repent. A complaining sour puss Christianity is one of the worst examples to the world. The world takes one look at that and says I don’t want it. We end up sounding like Eeyore, the donkey, in Winnie-the-Pooh. All he could do was complain. Richard has a stuffed Eeyore, that when you press his belly begins to sing in a dejected tone, “Good day to you, so nice of you to notice me. Looks like rain, wait and see. It’ll likely rain all over me here in my gloomy day.” Who wants to be around that? How many Christians sound like that when they always are complaining about something? Without the joy of Jesus Christ we will not see His kingdom expanded.
In the same way, if we are Christians without peace we are not allowing God’s rule in our lives. If we are worried about what is happening to us then we are not trusting the Lord to work out all things together for good to us who love Him.
And what we have to understand more than anything else is that God’s kingdom, that is the evident working of His rule in our lives, can only come about by God’s power. And this is what Jesus wants us to understand about prayer. We can ask God, according to His will, that He would expand His kingdom in our midst. We can ask that He would make us like Himself and so bring about righteousness and joy and peace in our lives. But we must be willing to let Him work.
This time of year we (homeowners) see the necessity of scraping out our gutters. Leaves and muck have accumulated in there and it is not pretty. But though it is not pleasant to clean that out we know that it is necessary for the proper operation of our gutters. If the water is going to flow properly through the gutters they need to be cleaned. All kinds of bad things can happen to your house when the water is blocked from flowing through your gutters.
In the same way asking God to expand His kingdom in our personal lives may have to result in the mucking out of the gutters of our hearts. But when we do we allow the water of the Holy Spirit to flow through us and produce in us righteousness and peace and joy. It is the only way that this is going to happen. So that “Rivers of living water,” as Jesus said will flow out of our innermost being.”
ii. corporate submission to God’s rule
The next area in which we need to ask God to work is corporate submission to God’s rule. If we want to see God’s kingdom expanded we need to ask God to work in the lives of those around us in our church. This is corporate submission to God’s rule. As we ask God to clear out in our lives that which does not belong in God’s kingdom of righteousness and joy and peace we need to likewise be praying for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The apostle Paul said, in Ephesians 6, that we need to pray for all the saints. That means we are to be praying for each other continually. We need to be on our knees for each other. Instead of gossiping about one another we need to be praying for each other that God will expand His kingdom in the life of those in our church.
Jesus’ story about removing the log in our own eye before we remove the speck in our brother’s tells us something about ourselves. We are often too quick to judge another instead of helping them. We often magnify the problems of others while minimizing our own. We want to talk about others but we fail to give them any help. I know of no other greater help, besides strong biblical counsel, than praying for our brothers and sisters. We need to claim this prayer from Jesus and call out to God for their help. Each one of us struggle in some way and we need to be sensitive to each other’s need for prayer that we might all be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. If you find yourself talking about another person’s sin or difficulties stop wasting all that precious energy and pray for them. We would accomplish a lot more for the advancement of the kingdom of God if we would merely do what Jesus tells us to do and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is the second step in seeing God’s kingdom making progress in our midst. Unless God begins to change me and then begins to change you we will not see God’s kingdom expanded beyond our walls. So you first must begin to ask God to expand His kingdom in your life and then call out to God to expand His kingdom in the lives of the believers around you.
iii. pagan submission to God’s rule
The third area, in expanding God’s kingdom, is asking for pagan submission to God’s rule. We don’t want God to stop working when He is changing us into the image of Christ. When we see Him working in the lives of the believers around us we see another reason to keep calling out to Him. Now we want others who do not know the Savior to come to know Him as well. This is the third aspect of the prayer to ask God to expand His kingdom in our midst. Let Your kingdom come calls God to act in the lives of unbelievers and bring them to faith in Christ.
We know that we must be praying for the salvation of people because the Scripture says that it is impossible without God’s intervention. The Scripture says that Satan has blinded the minds of those who do not believe lest they should see the glorious light of the gospel. Satan has trapped those who are part of his kingdom from escape. He has blinded their eyes so that they cannot see. He is preventing them from seeing the light. If God is to bring these people into the kingdom of His beloved Son then He must act to open their eyes. You have to recognize what a dire situation that people are in. If we are not fervently praying for them they will have no responsiveness to the Gospel. They will not be burdened about their sin. They will not be concerned about heaven or hell. This is why we must pray. This is a spiritual battle in which we are engaged. And if we are too busy to be concerned that God’s kingdom be expanded in our midst then multiplied millions of people will go to hell. Satan would rather have us ignorant of it so that we would have no concern for those around us who are perishing. Yet the Scripture says that the fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. But if we have no concern for the lost, if we are not crying out for them then we will not see God change our community for Christ. We will not see God’s kingdom expanded in our midst.
I hope you realize the amazing things God can do in a community when His people pray. Jesus is saying that we need to have in our heart the burden to pray that God would expand His kingdom in our midst. When God’s kingdom, His rule, comes into a person’s life it changes that person. When God’s kingdom comes into a church it changes that church. When God’s kingdom comes to a community it changes that community.
Prior to the Awakenings that took place in England in the 18th century, 1 out of every 6 stores was a liquor store. Hangings were a daily spectator event in which people cheered the deaths of those hung. But when the Awakening hit, the society was transformed. Crime dropped drastically. Families were restored and the love in homes was rekindled. Police found themselves without work. God’s kingdom was evidencing itself in great and powerful ways. And He wants to do the very same thing in our midst. But we must pray for God to bring His kingdom in with all its power. And we must be serious with God about wanting to please Him and bring ourselves under His rule. We must be willing to trust Him and do what He says.
We will never have the peace of God nor the joy of the Spirit of God nor the righteousness of the Son of God if we continue to pray, “Let my kingdom come.” The righteousness of our lives and the joy and peace in our hearts only come when we begin to pray, “Lord, let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (in my heart as it is in heaven).”
Let me close this section by adding that prayer, at least this authentic kind of prayer is truly the beginning of spiritual warfare that we will cover in more detail when we come to Ephesians 6.
When we pray that God would expand His kingdom in our midst we must be aware that that means we will be rolling into territory controlled by Satan and his minions. When that takes place what we have to remember is that no army, no people ever give up their homeland, their abode, without a fight. So when we pray that God would go before us and expand His kingdom in our midst, when we ask God to reclaim territory that is rightfully His we must be ready for the turmoil that will break out. For Satan does not want to lose one piece of ground that he controls but will do everything in his power to wreak havoc against those who desire to see God’s kingdom come. When you begin to pray be ready for opposition. When you seek to read God’s Word diligently and to come to church regularly be ready for opposition. You are never as tired or as diverted as when you want to give yourself to serious prayer. Why? It’s the beginning of spiritual warfare. If we are just playing at these things Satan will not seek to stop us for he knows that they have no power. But when we get serious, I’m telling you, be ready for opposition.
Now we can still have righteousness, joy and peace in the midst of this trouble and affliction. But we must be aware of the potential for difficulties and we must have a stomach for this spiritual battle. Satan will seek to pit one believer against another. He will do anything in his power to seek to break up a work that is praying for this end. But we must not allow him to break us from our resolve that God’s kingdom should come in all its power in our midst. Winston Churchill said, “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” If we are to see the kingdom of God expanded it means that we must be willing to stand for Christ no matter what is thrown our way as we pray for God’s kingdom to come. For God says that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us so. It is clear from Scripture that this battle is raging about us.
Paul mentions this very struggle in his first letter to the Thessalonians. He tells them in chapter 3, “We sent Timothy . . .to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass . . . For this reason . . . I also sent to find out about your faith; for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.” There was a real concern on the part of Paul whether these attacks by the tempter would discourage the believers to the point of making them ineffective for Christ. Yet Paul said it was something about which he told them. And Paul says that their response was one of rejoicing even in the midst of difficulties. Paul noted that, “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the Word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.”
All this struggle in 1 Thessalonians is definitely related to the advancement of God’s kingdom because Paul notes that the purpose in their preaching the Gospel to them was so that they would walk worthy of the God who called them to His own kingdom. We are to live under the rule of God. So God’s kingdom is to be evidencing itself in our lives as we experience the righteousness of Christ and the peace of God the Father and joy of the Holy Spirit.
And we should desire it in our own lives, we should want to see it in the lives of those believers around us and in those who have not yet come to Christ as their Savior.
Let me speak to you who are here this day without Christ. You have never placed your trust in Him to give you eternal life. God says that if you have never come to Christ then your sin is ever before God and God’s wrath abides on you. He is waiting to pour out His wrath upon you. Yet even now His grace restrains His wrath from being poured out. He is giving you opportunity to repent and turn to Christ. What God says you must believe is that Christ died on the cross to remove your sin and give you His righteousness. He has paid the debt for your sin if you will only receive it. Let His kingdom come into your life. Submit to His rule in your life.
Now let me speak to you who have received Christ as your Savior. Are you going to pray that God’s kingdom be expanded in your life? Are you willing to get rid of the sin that is keeping you from experiencing the flood of God’s power? When I see my gutters clogged, I can talk about how I would love the water to flow through them all I want but nothing will happen. It is not until I am willing to clean out the gutters that the pure water is going to flow. Unless we are serious before God about letting Him clean out the gutters of our heart the power of His Spirit is not going to be flowing in our lives.
Are you willing to pray that God would expand His kingdom throughout our community? Will you commit yourself to that? If we really understood the spiritual warfare that is going on to keep men blinded about their sin then we would be more fervent in prayer for them. If we would realize that only the power of God is going to break them out of this then we would be diligently praying. In Jim Cymbala’s book, “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” he described how prayer changed the life of the Brooklyn Tabernacle from a church that was doing nothing for God to one that is doing a work for the Lord. When he came to the realization for the need to pray he said, “From this day on, the prayer meeting will be the barometer of our church.” What happens on Tuesday night will be the gauge by which we will judge the success or failure because that will be the measure by which God blesses us. If we call upon the Lord, he has promised in His Word to answer, to bring the unsaved to Himself , to pour out His Spirit among us. If we don’t call upon the Lord, he has promised nothing – nothing at all. No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend on our times of prayer.” I believe this with all my heart. A new building will not bring in the lost. A new pastor will not change the community. Only God’s power will accomplish these things. And He has promised in His Word that if we are serious about calling out to Him for His power He will answer. If we are serious He will take us up on our offer. He will begin to reveal wrong motives and actions in our lives. He will start to knock off whatever in our lives does not conform to the image of Christ. Some of it may be painful but it will be worth the finished product if we will only look to the goal. Job said, “When He has tried me in the furnace I shall come forth gold.” So I ask again. Are you willing to have God expand His kingdom in your midst? Are you willing to go through the furnace so that you can come forth as gold? Will you let Him be God in your life and let Him rule it? Will you let get the waste out of your life and make you into a clean vessel ready for the Master’s use?
I don’t do this often but during the invitation I am going to ask you to come forward and stand in front of the pulpit if you are willing to commit yourself to pray that God’s kingdom would be expanded in your life. And then I will pray and ask God to grant our request. Please don’t come if you are not serious about putting off sin in your life. Come if you are willing to seek God’s direction for your life and to live by His power. Don’t come because you see your friend coming or because your spouse’s look tells you to come. Come because you truly want to submit to God’s rule in your life. If you are willing to submit to Him, then come.