Detailed Notes: COV011       18.9.20

Your kingdom come 1

Dear brethren,

I have been considering with you it is feasible for believers to learn and grow and have an abiding sense of true peace and well-being under all circumstances

• whether it be the current pandemic or whatever we may have to go through in the future
• and how this can be true for our personal lives and our working out together.

From what I can understand, if we are able to absorb the truths we have been considering in these sharing and set our hearts to work at it, they can help us nurture a strong foundation in the Lord and enable us to learn and grow well under all circumstances.

One vital area we need to pay attention to: pure in heart.

Nurturing a heart that is increasingly pure in meaning and quality is what the Lord Jesus seeks to bring about in our lives - at the core centre of His preaching and teaching

• including His teaching us how to pray.

Matt. 6:9–13 is an important passage in the Scriptures on the subject of prayer.

All true prayer ought to flow forth from and reflect the deep longings, burdens and concerns in our hearts reflected in these verses.

I have considered with you v.9

“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

We need to pay close attention to the meaning and implications of what the Lord Jesus teaches in this passage on prayer in Matt. 6:9–13.

It is the prayer of one who is pure in heart

• the prayer of one whose life is consecrated to God, whose heart is devoted to God, who is committed to God, God's name and glory, God's kingdom and God's will.

Today we continue to reflect on the first part of: Matt. 6:10

Your kingdom come.

The Lord Jesus is teaching us what ought to be the primary longing of our hearts.

When we come before our Father in heaven in prayer,

what are our burdens and the longings of our hearts?

What should be our priority, focus, consuming passion?

Hallowed be Your name → Your kingdom come.

Hallowed be Your name

Our primary concern - the desire and longing of our hearts

• that God’s name, God, be properly acknowledged, recognised, honoured, worshipped - by all
• zeal and fire in our hearts for God’s honour and glory.

When this is true in our hearts, it ought to go together with, and move us to pray:

→

Your kingdom come

God's kingdom: is where God’s sovereignty and kingship is acknowledged and God’s will, ways reign supreme and God's glory shines forth.

We need not wait until Christ comes again and then see this take place in God's eternal kingdom.

It can take place now - while we are still in this fallen world.

It is incredible but true.

Because of the Cross and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it can take place now - in the hearts and minds of God’s people

• in the heart and mind of each child of God
• and in the church, the body of Christ
• in the local church and in the universal church.

Yes, we are living in a fallen world.

Our hearts ought to mourn for the people living in this dark, fallen world of sin, wickedness and suffering

• and so much taking place that grieve the heart of God.

But even while living in this fallen world, it is feasible for men to enter God's kingdom and submit themselves to God's reign in their hearts.

The Lord Jesus tells us it is feasible to receive and to enter the kingdom of God:

Luke 18:16–17  

16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

17 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

But more awaits us.

Those who love the Lord and walk with Him can meaningfully look forward to the Second Coming of Christ and entry into heaven and God's eternal kingdom - where much more awaits us - and there will be no more opposition to God’s will and reign – in the age to come.

Your kingdom come

Can be meaningfully appreciated from two angles:

1. Looking forward to the future in heaven, in God's eternal kingdom - where there will be no more opposition to God’s will in heaven, but joyful worship, submission to God's reign and rejoicing in the unceasing manifestation of God's glory and all that God has in store for us in His eternal kingdom

• expressing our longing for this time in heaven.

2. Longing for and working towards increasing manifestations of God's glory and reign and submission to God's will – during this phase in the unfolding of God's purposes – before the Second Coming of Christ

• especially in the hearts and minds of men
• the conversion of non-believers
• and the growth in spiritual health and maturity of God's children
• resulting in increasing quality of our submission to the reign of God in our hearts and the manifestation of God's glory in and through our lives
• while living in this fallen world
• this is the advancement of God's kingdom.

‘Your kingdom come’ is the longing for and working towards the advancement of God's kingdom.

What are the implications, and what ought to be the perspective and attitude of Christians on earth?

Philippians 3:20  

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

We live as citizens of heaven in this fallen world

• manifesting the perspective and values of God's children in God's kingdom
• while looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ and readiness to meet Him.

We are ambassadors for Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation - to reconcile all men to God through Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:18–20  

18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

God's kingdom, Christ's kingdom, is not of this world

John 18:36  

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus: My kingdom is not of this world, not of this realm

It is not a visible, temporal, earthly, worldly kingdom.

It is the invisible, spiritual, eternal kingdom of God.

Helpful to bear in mind:

God's ultimate goal is the advancement and building up of His eternal kingdom.

His ultimate goal is not to rebuild the ruins of this fallen, rebellious, perishing world.

We must learn to align our hearts with God's heart.

How much does God’s kingdom and the things of God's kingdom mean to us?

The importance of our preparedness to give our all for the kingdom of God and the things of God's kingdom comes through powerfully in two parables told by the Lord Jesus:

Matthew 13:44–46  

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Q. What are we building, doing with our lives?

Are we giving our all to the building and the advancement of God's kingdom?

Is that our consuming passion, foremost priority, ultimate goal in life?

Anything unrelated to God’s eternal kingdom is temporary and will perish.

However, we should not live as if the visible world does not exist, is not relevant to us - as if we are already in heaven - have nothing to do with this world.

It is not true that to live a deep, spiritual life, we ought to go up to the mountains, find a cave somewhere – and devote our life to prayer and the reading of the Scriptures – so that we can be undistracted, untainted by the world.

It does not mean we are irresponsible in our work place.

But it does mean we live ever conscious of the fact that we are citizens of heaven living in a fallen world, and our ultimate goal and the primary concern of our hearts is the building and the advancement of God's kingdom.

The Lord Jesus wants us to be in the world but not of the world – as reflected in His prayer to God the Father:

John 17:15–18  

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

The principle of being in the world and not of the world means we are to live in this world with a deep sense of purpose and meaning – not be distracted nor absorbed in the things of this world and the affairs of this life – but to learn, grow - and be effective ambassadors for Christ and witnesses to the truth.

Our values, motivation, strength, perspective is not of the fallen world - they flow forth from our understanding of the realities in the spiritual realm of God's eternal kingdom.

While living on this earth, we do have our respective contexts, roles, responsibilities and relationships.

We seek to fulfil them in the way the Lord desires of us

• as His children, manifesting the attitude, perspective and values of God's children
• testifying to the truth of the gospel in words and life
• loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbour as ourselves
• thereby fulfilling the instruction of the Lord Jesus to be the salt of this earth and the light of the world.

How to live out our lives as citizens of heaven in a fallen world is covered in greater detail in my book The Two Kingdoms.

The teaching of the Lord Jesus on the path of true discipleship is the way to live out such a life.

The Sermon on the Mount teaches us what ought to be the attitude and inner qualities of God's children and how to live as citizens of heaven in this fallen world

• the beatitudes
• to love our enemies
• how to give, pray, fast
• not to worry about food and clothes but to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
• not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth but treasures in heaven…

Throughout our time on earth, whatever our contexts and whatever we may be doing, the primary concern and burden in our hearts is: Your kingdom come

• the thrust of our lives and wise stewardship of resources, preoccupation
• each one and together as God's people

• to participate in bringing to completion the fulfilment of God's purposes
• on the basis of what Christ accomplished at the Cross
• fulfilling the part God desires of us what has been in His heart before the foundation of the world - the mystery and the fulfilment of God's purposes
• all these are directly related to the advancement of God's kingdom.

Concluding remarks

We noted in Matt. 6:9-13, the Lord Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray and what to pray for.

As true prayer ought to flow forth from and reflect the deep longings and burdens of our hearts, the Lord Jesus is also teaching His disciples what ought to be the primary concerns of our hearts – especially Matt. 6:9-10:

 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Reflecting on the meaning and implications of these two verses will also help us understand the primary concerns in the heart of the Lord Jesus – and what He is trying to transmit to us – by teaching us to ‘Pray, then, in this way…’.

It is the prayer of one whose life is consecrated to God, whose heart is devoted to God, who is committed to God, God's name and glory, God's kingdom and God's will.

Is our primary concern - the desire and longing of our hearts - that God’s name, God, be properly acknowledged, recognised, honoured, worshipped - by all

• zeal and fire in our hearts for God’s honour and glory
• that God’s sovereignty and kingship is acknowledged and God’s will, ways reign supreme and God's glory shines forth.

God's ultimate goal is the advancement and building up of His eternal kingdom.

We must learn to align our hearts with God's heart.

How much does God’s kingdom and the things of God's kingdom mean to us?

What are we building, doing with our lives?

Are we giving our all to the building and the advancement of God's kingdom?

Is that our consuming passion, foremost priority, ultimate goal in life?

The Lord willing, I intend to continue in my next sharing on the theme: Your kingdom come.

In fellowship,

Kou