OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN

Transcription

1 1 OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN Hosea 11:1-9; Matthew 6:7-15, 7:7-11 First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown, Texas Dr. Michael A. Roberts August 23, 2015 Matthew 6:5-15 Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [a] 7 When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then in this way: Our Father 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 our daily bread. [b] 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, [c] but rescue us from the evil one. [d] 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. We say it together, almost every week. We conclude the prayers of the people with "in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray together saying Our Father." And we're off! We say the words strongly, confidently- we know this prayer. It s not like the Apostle's Creed- where we sometimes stumble, our minds failing to kick into gear at the next phrase. It s not that way at all with the Lord's Prayer. We know this prayer. We could say it in our sleep. In a sense, we are over-familiar with the words. The words often slip out without much thought. As with any formal liturgy- the words of this prayer carry great power, if we are sincere. If we honestly mean what we say. Nothing wrong with formality, everything wrong with insincerity.

2 2 No prayer is more accepted than this one. It is prayed in hundreds of languages around the world. There are probably few moments in time when someone on the planet is not praying the Lord s Prayer. Today, we begin a sermon series on the Lord s Prayer. For six weeks, beginning today we will plumb the depths and hopefully gain guidance from Jesus on prayer and life and God s purpose for us. We will consider the significant phrases of this prayer each in turn seeking their relevance for our lives. It is my hope in this sermon series that we can put the prayer into slow motion in order to reflect and appropriate for our lives what we say every week in this prayer. The prayer Jesus offers us is found in two places in the Bible: in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. When we look at the context of these two passages, it is ironic what we have done with this prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus challenges an insincere approach to prayer. He says in verse 7: When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him. Then Jesus tells them to pray like this: Our Father. I like the way the New International Version puts verse 7: when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans. Don't babble. The quantity of words will not get God's attention. Christian prayer is not like magical incantation. Sadly, some Christians have babbled the Lord s Prayer far too many times. Even we, who don t claim to be babblers, often don t really think about what we re praying. What God desires is heartfelt sincerity. What God desires is what any person desires in a relationship- someone who will talk to them- honestly and in a genuine way. The Lord's Prayer can be prayed that way- I m convinced. The prayer also occurs in Luke 11. The prayer there is shorter and likely the more primitive version of the prayer. The context in Luke is also different than the one in Matthew. One of Jesus disciples said to him, "Lord teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples to pray." Prayer is something that you learn. It s not something that you were born to do easily. Few people are natural prayers. All of us can learn to pray more effectively. Notice that Jesus in his instructions does not offer his disciples guidance on the proper posture for prayer. Or on what to wear during prayer. Or on what time we should pray. Instead, Jesus gives us his thoughts on the kinds of things we should be concerned about and praying for. The Lord s Prayer is simple enough in structure. There are three petitions that affect God directly: hallowing God's name, God's kingdom coming, and God's will being done on earth. Three petitions affect us directly: provide us with daily bread, forgive our sins, and protect us from evil. The prayer begins with a focus on God: "Our Father, who art in heaven". As we begin to pray, the ultimate question for us is whom we re praying to? Jesus wants to settle the question of identity before the petitions begin. The reason is that our image of God affects our prayer life more than

3 3 anything else. It was J.I. Packer who once said: People often have a problem with prayer because they are in a muddle about God. If our image of God is that of a harsh, stern, authority figure then we won't pray because this God would not be sympathetic to our needs. If our God resembles Santa Claus, then we ll present all our requests to this god and inevitably become disappointed. If our image of God is that of a creator distant from the world then we ll wonder if this God is interested in what's going on in our lives. Our conception of God dramatically impacts our prayer lives. So Jesus says "Our Father". When Jesus says that he is highlighting the goodness of God. God is ultimately good. And God is ultimately approachable. That s what father means. In Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus says Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? The answer is no. Or if a child asks for a fish, will give a snake? Of course not. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! If we are still tarnished by sin and we give good things to our children, then God who is totally good will surely give us all good things. God is ultimately good. Many Christian people have difficulty believing in the goodness of God. Studies have shown that our view of God is often affected by our parents. My experience is that folks often have difficulty moving beyond an image of God that was portrayed by their parents. If our parent was stingy with affection, we may have difficulty believing God loves us. If life was chaotic in our home, then God can seem unpredictable. If our parent was harsh, then God may seem judgmental. If our parent was warm and accepting, then God seems loving and supportive. Our image of God affects our prayer life. Jesus is saying when he addresses God as Father that God is ultimately good and ultimately approachable. It is for this reason, by the way, that many people have difficulty with the very word Jesus used for God- Father. I have talked with people in my ministry whose image of God is seriously tarnished because of the way their human father treated them. Because of the way their fathers treated them they do not see God as good or approachable. Even Jesus admitted fathers can be evil- they can be distant, abusive, undependable. For some people who have been hurt by human fathers, it is difficult to pray to God as Father. The name Father is only one of many names for God in the Bible. In fact, except for Jesus this name for God is relatively rare in scripture. The word Father for God occurs only 15 times in all of the Old Testament. There are other common names for God. Names like: Everlasting God, Lord Almighty, the Holy One, Gracious God, Redeemer, Savior, Loving God, O God Our Help, Comforter, Our Refuge and Strength are all very common names for God.

4 4 You need to know that when the church has said God is Father this does not mean that God is literally male. In scripture, God is spirit. God is spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth, as Jesus said in John 4. God is like a Father resembling the care and attention an ideal Father gives. The word Father is an analogy to describe God. The church's best interpreters agree on that. We do not pray "Our Parent" because it lacks the personal, approachable dimension that was at the heart of Jesus' name for God. I don t know about you but I didn t address my Father as Parent. We re more personal than that. Jesus wanted us to get that right before we prayed. God is approachable. There are people and there may be people here today who have difficulty praying to God as Father because of their past. That should not inhibit them from finding another rich biblical name to address God with that is personal. In the Bible, it is Jesus primarily who speaks of God as father. That s why in our Brief Statement of Faith it says we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve we trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In the gospels the word Father occurs more times than in the rest of the Bible combined. Jesus expresses, for example, a unique relationship to his Father in Matthew 11:27: "All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." When Jesus was praying, he almost always referred to God as father. In John 17:11 Jesus prays for his disciples this way Holy Father, protect them in your name you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. And in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed Abba, Father for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me (Mark 14:36). The Aramaic word Abba is saying more than Father. It was a word by which a little child in Palestine addressed their father within the family. There is only one possible English translation of this word and that is Daddy (Barclay p. 31). Young children call their father Daddy. With this word, there is a trust and knowledge that their father is caring and very near to help. It is this God that we can be honest with, share our doubts with, and make our petitions to. With little fanfare, Jesus offers the word Father to his disciples. They and we have the privilege to address the majestic, creating God as Father. And when we do, it lowers our anxiety level, our tension. When we approach this God who is ultimately good, it calms our hearts and minds. And enables us to pray with confidence. Notice that we pray Our Father. Although we can say My Father, that is not what Jesus is instructing us to pray. God is not our individual, private God. Prayer is never addressed to our own personal genie god. We cannot possess or control God. God is Our God, the God of all of us. When we pray Our Father we are also acknowledging that we can't pray in such a way that it will harm our brothers and sisters in the faith. We can't pray for our team to win at the expense of another. We do not pray to a national God, or a Presbyterian one. We pray to Our Father. All

5 5 of God s people are in this together. This is a prayer we pray together. Notice there is not one singular pronoun in the whole prayer. It is our daily bread, forgive us our debts. Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil. We jointly, corporately join together in this prayer. It is also comforting to know that we do not pray this prayer alone. All Christians in this place, indeed around the world pray the Lord s Prayer. When I say these words, I know there are believers who pray this prayer with me in Georgetown, California, Mexico, Congo, and every place on the globe. This prayer helps us know what to pray. There are times when we re not sure exactly what to pray. There are times when we are weary and don't feel all that creative in our praying. We discover in those moments that the Lord's Prayer is of great help. For there are times in our lives when we simply can't think of what to pray. It could be a time of crisis or confusion. It could be a time of praise or perplexity. The Lord's Prayer is a prayer which assists us when we don't know what to pray. For in these simple words, we know the mind of God. When I pray, I will pray for the church and our ministry together. I ll pray for members of my own family. I ll give thanks for the way God was present with me yesterday. I ll ask God for strength and guidance for the day to come. Often I will conclude those times of prayer with a slow, reflective praying of the Lord s Prayer. For no matter what I ve prayed up to that moment, I know that when I come to these familiar words of the Lord s Prayer that I am surely seeking what God values and desires in the world and in my life. I look forward to exploring these words with you in the coming weeks.

6 6 PRAYER OF THE PEOPLE Loving God, we come before you this morning, as your people have done in all times and in all places, to offer our praise for the way you have intervened in the world and brought meaning to our lives. Our lives are not the same as they would have been without you. You bring comfort, and strength, and wisdom. We are your grateful people. As your people, Loving God, we gather together not only to praise but also to make petition of you. We recognize that we are not masters of our fate. Try as we might, we can not control our destiny. We give the appearance of strength when inside we are weak. We admit this day that we need you. We need your strength, your comfort, the courage that you provide. We pray, Our Father, for the many in our congregation who are hurting. We pray for those who are anxious about their health, provide your dear presence and strength to them; for those for whom family life is troubled now, provide your calm and wisdom; for those who struggle in their relationships with children and siblings and parents, give your patience and courage; for those seeking to discern your call for them, provide your clear guidance in the days to come; for those who were overwhelmed by life in the past week, provide your relief and your perspective. We can t fail to pray for the world you gave your life for, Lord Jesus. The world is not the way you want it to be, not the way we want it to be. There is too much suffering, violence, hunger, and uncertainty. We pray this morning for our troubled world, especially for leaders who seek to serve your people. Give them this day your great wisdom, bountiful compassion, courage, and deep perseverance. Dear Jesus, you are Head of the Church, head of this church. We actively begin the ministry of education during this month. You call us to disciple-making, to baptizing and teaching. We pray for the many children, youth, and adults who will attend our ministries this year. May this year be one of learning and growing in our understanding of you. Be with all the teachers of this congregation: our Sunday School teachers, our Logos teachers, our Presbyterian Women Bible leaders, our adult teachers- may this year be one of growth for them as well. We thank you for their great commitment to serve our young people and adults. Give them patience, time to study, enthusiasm, imagination, and love. Help us to be your people, to be your church. We pray these words in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying