God verses Science...

God verses Science...

A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

“Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper found in the New Testament or Christ’s Law…

The Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper found in the New Testament or Christ’s Law…

Mat 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:23-29, Acts 20:7, Acts 2:42-46

Introduction:

1. Little Johnny, came home from Sunday school and his mom asked what did you learn. Little Johnny says, we read about Moses and the Egyptian army. How that Moses was in battle and running from the Egyptians, when they had to helicopter a bridge to go over the Red Sea. Then they blow up the bridge with the Egyptian Army on it and won”. The mom says, Little Johnny is that really how the story went?” He said no but if I told it like my teacher then you would never believe it.” Little Johnny had the right idea concerning wanting to make people believe but failed to realize that adding to God’s word was wrong. When we say that Christmas is a Holy day or a part of the Christian’s life we make a mistake.

2. All of us keep some form of memorials. We all have anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and other such special occasions we keep as tradition. Christmas is one such holiday, in which there is no religious authority given by the Bible to celebrate, yet many of us celebrate it as a religious memorial. Today I want to talk about the greatest Bible memorial given to us as Christians: The Lord’s Supper.

3. When the Israelites were being held in bondage as slaves after the time of Joseph. God sent the Pharaoh of Egypt 9 plagues before He told Moses of the final plague, the first borne. He warned the Israelites of the 10th and final plague. He told them to kill a perfect Lamb without blemish and put its blood on the doorposts and lintel of their houses. Because the Lord was going to take all of the 1st borne children except those with the Lamb’s blood.

4. When the Jews or Israelites came out of Egypt and were set free, God instituted a memorial feast. Each year the Jews had to participate in the Passover Feast. God wanted His people to remember what great things He did in order to redeem them from the Egyptian bondage. It is human nature to forget and we, especially us guys forget important stuff like birthdays, anniversaries, and so on. We all forget and when we do not take time to remember our commitments, our goals, our family, and then sometimes we forget why we are doing things.

5. God knows this and He instituted a Memorial feast to cause the Jews to remember being delivered out of physical slavery. As Christians today, God has done the same for us. We have been given the Lord’s Supper to help us remember and treasure being delivered from Spiritual bondage or slavery. In this lesson, I want to talk about the Institution, The Significance, The Frequency, and the Focus of the Lord’s Supper.

I. Institution

A. The Time of the Jewish Passover

1. It was during the time of the Jewish Passover that the Lord instituted the Lord’s supper

2. The Jewish Passover Explained

a. The Passover was one of the 3 great feasts for the Jew (Passover, Pentecost, Booths or tent)

b. Accompanying the Passover was the feast of unleavened bread which was a 7 day observance. On the 14th day of Nisan was the paschal meal observed. (Nisan was the Jewish month that relates to our time period of mid-March and mid-April 30 days total)

3. The order of Events (Ex 12:1-14)

a. The Lamb without blemish was sacrificed in the Temple (The Law required the Lamb be slain between the evenings, which were from 3pm to Sunset and from Sunset to 9am).

b. It then was roasted and cooked

c. Unleavened loaves were made (unleavened = without yeast)

d. Wine was prepared

e. Herbs were provided

f. They would eat the Paschal Meal which was prepared and eaten around sunset.

B. The Lord’s Command

1. The Passover for the Jew was a reminder to their freedom of their physical bondage

a. It was a shadow of the Lord’s Supper or an anti-type. It was a deliverance from death by a sacrificial Lamb and was a symbol for the real thing to come in the future.

2. The Event (Mat 26:26-29)

a. Took unleavened bread and blessed it, broke it, and then gave it (unleavened due Passover requirements) (26)

b. This is my body, took the cup and gave to those there

3. This is the blood of the New Testament

a. It was an Eastern practice to confirm a covenant with blood (Ex 24:6-8)

b. Jesus represents Himself as the victim to which the blood was taken as a seal

c. The fruit of the vine represents the sealing blood of the covenant of man and God

d. The Forgiveness of sins shows us the purpose of the Lord being our Paschal Lamb

e. Luke 22:19 includes, “This do in remembrance of me”

II. The Significance

A. The Representation for us to remember

1. It reminds us of the shedding of Jesus blood for our own sins

a. It is a reminder that Jesus took our pain and suffering so we could live.

2. The Bread is a reminder of Jesus physical body being beaten, bruised, and slain

a. Jesus took our punishment on the chin, so you and I would not be punished.

b. He was punished as if He broke all Ten Commandments even though He had never broken any.

3. The Fruit of the Vine is the symbol for His atoning blood shed for us

a. Heb 10:1-4, says that the blood of bulls and goats could never fully remove sin

b. Jews had to offer up yearly the blood of bulls and goats for sins

c. Jesus being more perfect offered His blood once for all time and for all of creation

B. It Proclaims the Lord’s Death until He comes (1 Cor 11:26)

1. Each time the Christian takes of the Memorial Feast, he says the Lord died for me!

a. Each time we participate, we say the Lord is the One that died so I could be forgiven

b. We each confess we have been baptized and raised by partaking

2. When the non-Christians see the observance, they ask questions.

a. They will want to know what is going on. Then once understood, they realize Christians are remembering and reliving the sacrifice Jesus made for them.

3. By participating the Christian is saying thank you Jesus for dying for me

C. It is a time of Self-Examination (1 Cor 11:28-29)

1. The Memorial if for those who are Christians only

a. For those who have not obeyed the Gospel of Christ, it is a time to think about Jesus and why He died.

b. It is a chance to take seriously, the death of Jesus. To reflect on their sins and weigh the question, Did Jesus do that for me and do I want to be forgiven?

2. The Christian before he takes needs to examine Himself

a. The Lord died in order to forgive us and cleanse us. When a Christian is not living like a Christian then we are laughing at what Jesus did for us. We disrespect the greatness of a sacrifice the Lord made to save us.

b. It is a time to remember the punishment and power of our personal sins. He died so I could live a better life, why then I am living like those in the gutter?

3. Our Self-Examination causes us to Love the Lord More

a. By remembering the sacrifice, we realize each time we have sinned, we have put the stripes on his back and the nails in his flesh.

b. It creates a sense of conviction of sin and a commitment to avoid sin at all costs

c. It causes us to repent of any un-confessed sin and seeking to be forgiven.

d. We can say I may have sinned, but because I became a Christian I have been forgiven

III. The Frequency

A. The Apostles Teaching

1. After the church was established on Pentecost they continued in breaking of bread (Acts 2:42)

a. The Apostles clearly taught the observance of the Lord’s Supper (vs. 42, and also had fellowship meals vs. 46). The 1st Christians observed the Lord’s Supper.

2. The Approved Example of When to Observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7)

a. The first day of the week. Sabbath was the day of rest and was the last day of the week

b. Sunday is the first day of the week.

c. The Disciples came together to break bread and Paul preached

d. They were having church service

3. Since we have an example of an Apostle and the disciples observing we do the same

a. The Apostles taught to observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11. Acts 2, and Acts 20)

b. This is the only example of which day they observed it on and so that is why we come to service on Sundays because it is the first day of the week.

c. Since there is a first day of the week, each and every week: We meet every Sunday to observe and remember the Lord’s Supper and Sacrifice for our sins.

IV. The Focus

A. It is a time to look up to God

1. We remember God and His Love for us (John 3:16-17)

a. It shows that we are worthy in God’s eyes. God counts you so worthy that He was willing to die for you.

b. God loves us and wants what is best for us that is why He died for you. Because you are worthy of His love and sacrifice.

2. It is a time of communion with Jesus and our Father

a. We can all look up to God and realize that He thinks we are precious to Him

B. It is a time to look inward

1. Time to take self-inventory and evaluate

a. Again we can see if we are living up the price paid for our freedom

b. We can re-position our lives back at the foot of the cross

2. Time to look inward at our love for God and His love for us

a. We can thank God in gratitude for the second chance on our spiritual lives

b. The church of Christ is the hospital for the sin sick and Jesus gives us all a second chance on life. We should be grateful for the opportunity to be an heir of eternal life.

C. It helps us to look forward

1. As we participate we know one day the Lord will come back and take us home

a. The day is coming when the Lord will come and measure out justice and vengeance on them, that do not know the Lord and obey not the Gospel of Christ(2 Thes 1:7-8)

b. For those who are prepared and living right it is day to look forward to and pray for.

c. For those who are not it is day to run from and be fearful of.

2. It helps build expectation and hope of the Day of the Lord

a. The Christian builds his hopes on things eternal. As we participate in the Lord’s Supper it is a time to realize the value of eternal life and the punishment of sin

D. It can also cause damnation

1. 1Co 11:27-29 KJV Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

b. If you are living unfaithful to Jesus and then pretend to be right with Him by partaking of the Lord’s Memorial Feast, we commonly c all the Lord’s supper…you may as well be drinking damnation or God’s wrath.

c. You are in the congregation and can be right with God by confession of sin to the elders…there is no need to be wrong with God…all has been provided so you can be saved.

d. By not partaking you are showing an open confession of I am not right with God.

Conclusion:

1. The Lord’s Supper causes us to be reminded of the value God places on each Christian. It shows the Love of a Savior and the need of the sinner. It reminds of how we would end up if Christ had not died for us.

2. It carries us back to the cross:

a. Jesus was mocked by the courts, Annais, and Caiaphas

b. Where Jesus said I am the Son of God (Mark 14:62) and because of that was then Struck by the officer of the High Priest, after having false witnesses accuse Him Then Was delivered to Pilate as an evil doer though He was innocent.

c. In front of Pilate He was accused of: (1) Forbidding to pay tribute (Mk 12:17) (2) Making himself a king, Jesus was the spiritual king and never intended to be a physical king.

d. Sent from Pilate to Herod,who wanted to see a sign and then sent back to Pilate

e. Then was scourged

f. Given a crown of thorns, purple robe, and a reed to be mocked as king by Roman soldiers that hit and spit on Him

g. The robe then taken off ripping the dried blood off from the scourging

h. Due to the loss of blood fell beneath the load of the cross as he carried it to the place of His death

i. Hung Him to an open shame by nailing His feet and hands to the cross.

j. Then Jesus suffocated for our sins. Our sins caused Jesus to no longer breathe and in agony He died for our sins.

3. Jesus suffered more than we will ever know. It is God’s will for us to live for Him and not ourselves. Jesus died for you because you are worthy of His love and sacrifice. Let us all take hold of eternal life before it is too late. Have you been baptized into Christ? Yes or No. Will you be baptized into Jesus Christ? Yes or no? Jesus said…He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieves shall be condemned…

Father…please meet our soul’s deepest needs and forgive the unforgiven…and confirm the Truth with us in Jesus of Nazareth’s name amen.

Jesus teach us to pray...

Intro:

1. Prayer is a large subject and yet simple. Prayer defined would be communication between man and God. When we read the Bible that is when God speaks to us and when we pray that is when we speak to God. Prayer is one of the most valuable gifts God has given man. The Gospel is the power to save and change the lives of men, women and children. Prayer is the power to change the mind of God. Dan Gilbret has said that prayer moves the hand that moves the universe.

2. Some may ask why should I pray? God knows everything he even knows what I am thinking? Well this may be true that God knows everything, but He wants us to pray so that we can create a desire and dependence on Him for the things we want in this life. Prayer is extremely important in the lives of Christians.

3. Christians that do not pray are like fish that do not swim, or like humans that do not breathe. Prayer is that important. As Christians we can not survive without it. It is through prayer that we are able to ask God to forgive us of our wrongs, it is through prayer that we are able to ask God to provide our food, or help in anything. Prayer is expressing our hearts desire to God. Prayer should by used in our everyday life if we are following Jesus.

I. Why Pray?

A. Jesus Set The Example

1. After being baptized Jesus prayed (Luke 3:21)

2. Before selecting the 12 Apostles Jesus prayed all night (Luke 6:12)

a. The example is when facing a very big decision Jesus prayed all night

b. The 12 Apostles he was about to chose would be the ones who established Jesus’ Church after he had been resurrected and was seated at the right hand of God.

c. These 12 would be some of the most influential and important men of all time

d. Jesus prayed all night before making the extremely difficult decision on the 12 Apostles

e. How much should we pray when facing difficult decisions? You can never pray too much about extremely important issues.

3. Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father in prayer (Mat 14:23)

a. If we never spend time in prayer with our Heavenly Father we will not grow closer to Him.

b. Jesus had been busy teaching all of those people and then he took some alone time for himself so He could “talk” to God.

c. A regular private devotion with God everyday will bring us to a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father.

d. Devotional should include at least one of the following: singing to God, reading His Word (the Bible), and praying.

4. Jesus because of all the people following Him rose up early before anyone else and went off by himself and prayed (Mark 1:35)

a. Jesus sacrificed some of his sleep in order to draw closer to God.

b. Jesus must have considered being alone with God an Important part of His life

c. How much should we consider praying to our Father in Heaven important?

B. The Disciples Prayed Much

1. The Apostles taught Christians they should pray

a. After the church was established in Acts chapter 2, the disciples or followers of Jesus continued in the Apostles teaching which included prayer (Acts 2:41-42)

b. It has been said that there was nothing that the early Christians did not pray about

c. If it is important to you then it will be important to our Heavenly Father

d. God wants us to be happy but He will not hear us unless we are following Him or obeying Him.

2. The Different Churches were told to pray

a. The Church at Rome (Rom 12:12)

b. The Church at Corinth (1 Cor 7:5)

c. The Church at Ephesus (Eph 6:18)

d. The Church at Thessonalica (1 Thes 5:17-18)

e. These are only a few examples

II. Conditions of Answered Prayer

A. God always hears prayer

1. He always gives us an answer

a. Could be a no

b. Could be a yes

c. Could be later

d. You are not ready for this blessing right now.

2. He hears his children’s prayers

a. Be righteous: “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Pet 3:12), so we must be righteous in God’s eyes in order to have our prayers answered. Being in Christ makes us so. If you walk with Jesus according to His word then you are said to be righteous or justified. Another way to say it is “just-as-if-I’d- not sinned.

b. Your mom and dad will hear you because you are one of their children. The same is true with God. He knows those that are His and He listens to them so He can take care of them and bless them.

B. How do you get God to answer your prayer?

1. Be obedient children: “and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). If we are doing what God wants us to do then He is more willing to answer our prayers.

a. It is like your dad our mom, if you have been bad or been misbehaving and you ask you mom or dad to go skating then you know they will say no. However if you have been good and done what they asked you to do, then you know they will carry you.

2. Ask in faith: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.(Jam 1:5-8)

a. If we ask something from God and do not believe that He will give it to us do you think He will? We are to ask in faith.

b. Faith can be defined as a strong conviction. If we truly know that God is good and He wants to make us happy then that conviction will cause us to believe that He will give us what we ask from Him.

c. Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please God, he that comes to God must believe that He exists and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”

d. If you do not believe that God is real then it will be impossible to receive anything from Him.

3. Have the Right Motives: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (Jam 4:2-3)

a. You do not have because you do not ask. If you never pray to God for things in your life then He will never give you the desires of your heart.

b. However if you are asking for stuff that you want that has no purpose whatsoever then He is not likely to give it to you.

c. In a conversation with man God is asked, “God how long is a million years to you?” He answers, “It is like 1 second’. The man then asks, “How much is a million dollars to you?” God answers, “It is like 1 penny.” The man then asks, “Well God can I have a penny?” God answers, “In just one second”.

d. God may not give you a million dollars so you can be rich, but if you asked for a million dollars to build a homeless shelter them He would have reason to give it to you.

4. Pray in Jesus’ Name

a. Jesus said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:13-15)

b. What does it mean to ask something in Jesus name?

c. If I was a policeman and I said stop in the name of the Law, then I would be saying stop because the law gives me the authority to make you stop. So in the same way to say in the name of Jesus, is another way of saying according to Jesus and His will or authority.

d. We can not pray in the name of men and please God; Jesus was not a man? He was and is God.

III. How do we pray in a way that pleases God? (Mat 6:5-15)

A. To be seen of men (Mat 6:5-8)

1. Not like a hypocrite (Mat 6:5)

a. The word for hypocrite gets its meaning from actors that put on a face or mask. It is to be someone who pretends to be something else. To act like a Christian, instead of being a Christian.

b. Standing in the street corners: The Jews Jesus was calling hypocrites were required to pray at certain times of the day. It was easy for then to be found at a busy street corner when it was time to pray. By doing so they could be heard by all those who were passing by.

c. Standing in the synagogues: Those religious leaders would also be sure to be in, or at the “church building” at these times so they could impress those that heard them pray to God.

d. They have their reward: Instead of praying to God, they were praying so they could impress the people that heard them. By doing so, Jesus said that is their reward. They get a reward by those that heard them saying man that guy sure knows how to pray, instead having the prayer heard and answered by God.

2. The Father sees in secret (Mat 6:6)

a. Enter into your closet: It was a custom for the Jewish people to have an upper room in which they could pray. Sometimes these rooms would be roofs, inner rooms, but usually was an upper room. It was a place where they could be alone with God and pray to Him alone. If you are in your bedroom alone and you pray to God, then whom are you trying to impress? God is the only one any of us should try to impress.

b. He will reward you openly: The hypocrites prayed outwardly so they could be heard and impress people. Jesus wants us to pray to God inwardly and impress Him. By praying only to God so He can hear our hearts desires then He will give us those things we ask for. By answering our prayers we are rewarded for all to see how God has blessed us.

3. Do not use vain repetitions.(Mat 6:7)

a. Vain repetitions: another word for vain is empty. The heathen are those who do not know God. In Jesus time they were people who would worship idols or man made objects. They would repeat their desires over and over again in order that their false god may hear what they were asking.

b. It could be like a poem. Sometimes a poem expresses a thought then repeats it another way in the following lines over and over only re-wording the theme. By repeating themselves over and over again they thought that they would be heard better by their false gods.

4. Your Father knows what you need before you ask (Mat 6:8)

a. Those that were heathens were praying to gods that were not real. Jesus draws a picture that is different for our God. Our God is so great that before we even ask He knows what we need. We do not need to repeat ourselves in our prayer to God. Our God is not deaf He knows what we need before we ask.

b. Why do we need to ask then? So we can create a dependence, desire, and faith in God for providing us with the things we need and want.

B. The Model Prayer (Mat 6:9-15)

1. The Benediction (Mat 6:9)

a. Our Father: Signifies a close relationship to all those that are praying with the one leading the prayer. Those that were hypocrites would cast insults to those that were not as pious or good as themselves. It also gives the idea of a family and not that of separation.

b. Which art in Heaven: Instead of being as one of the false gods, He was the one true God that created the Heavens as His dwelling place…Who lives there where we want to be one day.

c. Hallowed by thy name: Hallow means Holy, as in Holy is your name. Holy is a word that is used to separate the common things from the things of God. He is saying Your name and person is set apart in out hearts as Holy; or as above all other things. Your ways are higher and better than our ways.

2. Submission (Mat 6:10)

a. Thy kingdom come: Your kingdom is our desire. We want you to reign over all the earth and in our hearts and minds. Let all those who do not know you come to know in the same ways we know you as our God and King.

b. Thy will be done: You are the Creator of all that is and will be, You are the all-powerful. All knowing, all present God. Whatever you say may it be done in us and in the world that does not recognize you as their God and King.

c. In earth and in Heaven: In Heaven only those that love God are there. If we love God then we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). So all those in Heaven are seeking to please God. However we have been given free choice as humans to love and obey God or to reject and hate Him. So we are to pray that even as God’s will is carried out by those who dwell in Heaven may it be carried out by all that dwell in the earth below Heaven.

3. Necessities (Mat 6:11)

a. Give us our daily bread: By praying for the provision of food daily, we are taught a dependence on God for our life. This daily food helps keep us healthy and able to do God’s will. It could also be our spiritual food so we can grow in Christ as well as our physical food.

4. Forgive us as we have forgiven others (Mat 6:12)

a. God’s will is supreme and when we break His law it is far worse than hurting our friends’ feelings. So if we can not forgive our fellow man of these small things, then why would God forgive us of our sins against Him? Everyday each of us has to ask for forgiveness of something. None of us is perfect and anyone that says he has not sinned is a liar.

b. It took me a long time to figure out that being a Christian was not about being perfect. No matter how hard I tried, I always messed up somehow and I would beat myself up each time I did sin. Until one day I heard someone say that Christianity is not about being perfect but is about being faithful. No one can be perfect, but let each of us ask God to forgive us so that we can try to do better each time we sin.

5. Lead us not into temptation

a. God knows everything, and He can prevent certain circumstances from happening to keep us from being tempted. He has promised that “he will not tempt us above that which we are able and with the temptation will make a way of escape” 1 Cor 10:13. How many times though do you and I look for the door that leads away from the temptation?

b. He can allow circumstances to happen to build our characters, but it will not allow circumstances that are to great for us. Jesus was saying we should pray to be lead away from such temptations that could make us fall away from God.

6. Deliver us from evil

a. There are two types of evil. One is the devil and his angels a spiritual evil. The devil can cause us many heartaches and pains by being around us. The other type of evil would be calamities or physical evil caused by the devil. Things like earthquakes, tornadoes, house burning down, circumstances that would make our lives hard to live. He was saying to deliver us from the devil and all that could cause us harm.

7. Doxology (Mat 6:13)

a. For yours is the kingdom: No matter what men may do here on earth, your kingdom is still the greatest and the best. Everything belongs to You and Your sovereignty.

b. Thine is the power: Submitting to the power of God. God is all-powerful. He is self-sufficient. He does not need anything other than Himself to survive but we are His dependents. We depend on Him and His power for deliverance from evil and sin and every other thing we need.

c. The Glory: God is Glory. In other words there is nothing greater than God is. We may see a fireworks display and think that is glorious, but to see God would make a fireworks display look like a handclap. God is the Glory, we look at the stars and think they are glorious when God is the one that: thought of them out of nothing, made them, weighed them, placed them in there places, and set a time for them to last.

C. Forgive or forget about being forgiven (Mat 6:14-15)

1. Forgiveness is required to be forgiven

a. If we are willing to forgive our fellow man the things he may have done us wrong in, then God will be willing to forgive us of our wrongs we have done to Him.

b. If we are intolerant of the sins or mistakes of our brothers and sisters then God will be intolerant of our mistakes and shortcomings.

c. Jesus also said, “blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy” Mat 5:7

Conclusion:

1. We have discussed a lot about prayer in this lesson. We know that in order to be a Christian we have to pray. Jesus taught his disciples to pray He prayed himself. His disciples taught us to pray. They even told the churches they established to pray. For a Christian prayer is a must.

2. In order to have our prayers answered we have to be one of God’s children and live like He wants us to. We must ask our prayers in faith knowing that God hears us and will do what is best for us. We must have the right motives when we pray seeking God and His will for us. We also must pray in Jesus name, meaning according to Jesus’ will or authority as God.

3. We are not to pray in order to be seen of men. Men who are asked to lead prayer in worship sometimes may fall into this trap. A quick way to check the heart is to ask one’s self, “Am I praying for prayer’s sake or am I praying for my sin and theirs?” It is out of a sincere desire that one must pray; we are not to pray in order to receive prestige, or to be patted on the back by our fellow man as a man that can pray. We are to lead God’s people in a prayer that will be heard by God and not by our fellow men.

4. We have gone through the model prayer which is so simple and complete. May we all keep the spirit of prayer alive in our lives. You can pray to God at anytime and anywhere. You can even be in a conversation and being praying to God as to what to say next. Pray is vital to the Christian. Christians can not be Christians without prayer.

Father…please hear our prayers concerning forgiveness, reconciliation and repentance…In Jesus of Nazareth’s name amen.

Try…A…Daily Pause for Prayer and Devotional a Wellsaid Christian Devotional about the teachings of Jesus… https://www.anopenbiblestudy.com/blog-by-ben-the-friend...

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