"THY KINGDOM COME"

MATTHEW 6:1

A. THIS PART OF OUR LORD'S PRAYER INDICATES CLEARLY:
  1. That there are two opposing kingdoms:
    1. The kingdom of Satan! He claims that the kingdoms of this world belong to him because they had been given to him - Luke 4:4-6. Our Lord recognized this usurpation by Lucifer. Said he, "And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" Matt. 12:26. He speaks of Satan as "the prince of this world" - John 12:31; 16:11
    2. The kingdom of God - "thy kingdom come". It is the realm where God is king, controlling the affairs of His kingdom - Isa. 52:7; Ps. 22:28. For God is still governor of the nations - Dan. 2:44; Ps. 22:28. Lucifer came in possession of this kingdom through lies and falsehood -- beguiling Eve and Adam to sin against their Maker, making them to believe a lie - Luke 4:1-6; Rom. 6:16; Gen. 3:1-6
B. NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
  1. Presently it is the kingdom of grace:
    1. It functions within the heart - Luke 17:20, 21; Col. 1:27
    2. This phase of the kingdom of God was set up before the foundation of the world, but became active after Adam and Eve fell - 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; Gen. 3:15
    3. It is known, also, as the kingdom of grace -- grace reigning in the heart - Rom. 5:21
  2. All believers are subjects of the kingdom of grace:
    1. Paul teaches this truth - Tit. 2:11; Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 5:17-19
    2. The Bible is full of references about this part or phase of God's kingdom - Gen. 6:8; Jer. 31:2; Ex. 33:12, 16; Zech. 4:8
    3. It is during this part of God's kingdom that we are made ready for the kingdom of glory - Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; John 3:16
  3. The functions of the kingdom of grace are symbolized by:
    1. The seed cast into the ground - Mark 4:26
    2. The grain of mustard seed - Mark 4:31
    3. A leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal - Luke 13:21
C. "THY KINGDOM COME"
  1. This has been the desire of all God's children in all ages:
    1. They were so raptured by God's promise of a kingdom that they freely confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers - Heb. 11:13
    2. They looked for a city that has a foundation, whose Builder and Maker is God.
    3. People refused deliverance from suffering and pain because they looked forward to the kingdom of God - Heb. 11:36-40
  2. Not only have God's children prayed for the kingdom of God to come:
    1. They proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom -
      1. Enoch did - Jude 14, 15
      2. Seth, too, proclaimed the message of the coming kingdom - Gen. 4:26
      3. Noah was a preacher of the righteousness that will be the rule in God's kingdom - 2 Pet. 2:5
  3. This gospel of the kingdom centers in the person of Jesus Christ:
    1. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:16
    2. He, and He alone, can bring about the consummation of the kingdom of God - Acts 4:12; Luke 23:42-44
    3. It is He, who teaches us to pray, "thy kingdom come" - Matt. 6:9-11
    4. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He sets up His throne in our hearts; He reigns in our hearts through the Holy Spirit - Rom. 5:17
    5. To sum it up, the kingdom of God, for which we are praying, is, actually, the restoration of the first dominion lost through sin - Mi. 4:8


Design © John Bryant 2011