Aligning Our Lives with God's Kingdom and Will

 

Summary

In our journey through the Lord's Prayer, we find ourselves at the profound petition, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." This prayer is not just a request for divine intervention but an invitation to align our lives with God's will. The kingdom of God, as Jesus taught, is not a distant reality but a present opportunity available to all, even to those who feel broken or unworthy. It is a realm where God's will is perfectly enacted, unlike our world, where multiple wills and kingdoms coexist, often in conflict.

The concept of God's kingdom is both "already" and "not yet." It is fully present because God is fully present, yet it is not fully realized due to the presence of other wills. This duality invites us to live in the tension of the now and the not yet, actively participating in God's work while acknowledging the world's brokenness. God's will is not about dictating every choice we make but about developing our ability to choose wisely, to cultivate a "good chooser." This freedom is essential for genuine love and relationship with God.

Our personal kingdoms, the spheres of influence we have over our lives, are gifts from God. However, sin distorts these kingdoms, leading to selfishness and conflict. The call to surrender is not about passivity but about aligning our desires with God's greater good. The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is about human flourishing, where we do good, live well, and experience emotional well-being.

As we pray for God's kingdom to come, we are not asking for an escape from our circumstances but for God's reality to invade our world. This prayer extends to every aspect of life, from personal relationships to global conflicts. It is a call to action, to live out the values of God's kingdom in our daily lives, making "up there" come "down here."

Key Takeaways:

1. The kingdom of God is both present and future, inviting us to live in the tension of the "already" and the "not yet." This duality challenges us to actively participate in God's work while acknowledging the world's brokenness. [02:06]

2. God's will is not about controlling every decision but about developing our ability to choose wisely. This freedom is essential for genuine love and relationship with God, allowing us to cultivate a "good chooser." [05:22]

3. Our personal kingdoms are gifts from God, but sin distorts them, leading to selfishness and conflict. Surrendering our desires to God's greater good is not about passivity but about aligning with His will. [06:05]

4. The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is about human flourishing, where we do good, live well, and experience emotional well-being. [10:29]

5. Praying for God's kingdom to come is not about escaping our circumstances but inviting God's reality into our world. It is a call to action, to live out the values of God's kingdom in our daily lives. [12:34]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:39] - Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
- [01:02] - The Kingdom of God Explained
- [01:36] - Heaven and Earth: A Contrast
- [02:06] - The "Already" and "Not Yet" Kingdom
- [02:35] - God's Will: Antecedent and Consequent
- [03:04] - The Pizza Analogy
- [04:04] - Personal Kingdoms and God's Treasure
- [05:22] - Developing a "Good Chooser"
- [06:05] - Surrendering to God's Greater Good
- [06:40] - Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
- [08:19] - Human Flourishing and Shalom
- [09:42] - Peace and Emotional Well-being
- [11:07] - The Prayer for Today
- [12:34] - Conclusion: Make "Up There" Come "Down Here"

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Your Kingdom Come"

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:9-10 (The Lord's Prayer)
2. Romans 14:17 (The Kingdom of God)
3. Psalm 23:4 (God's Presence in Difficult Times)

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the phrase "Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven" suggest about the relationship between heaven and Earth? [01:36]

2. How does the sermon describe the concept of God's kingdom being both "already" and "not yet"? [02:06]

3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of developing a "good chooser" in the context of God's will? [05:22]

4. What are the characteristics of the kingdom of God as described in Romans 14:17? [06:40]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the duality of the "already" and "not yet" kingdom challenge believers to live in the present world? [02:06]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that personal kingdoms can be distorted by sin, and how does this affect our relationship with God? [05:37]

3. How does the concept of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit relate to human flourishing according to the sermon? [07:30]

4. What does the sermon imply about the role of prayer in inviting God's kingdom into our daily lives and circumstances? [12:34]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal "kingdom" or sphere of influence. How might sin be distorting it, and what steps can you take to align it more closely with God's will? [05:37]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of developing a "good chooser." What decisions are you currently facing where you need to exercise wise and godly choice? [05:22]

3. Consider the areas of your life where you experience conflict or brokenness. How can you actively invite God's kingdom to bring peace and restoration in these areas? [12:34]

4. The sermon describes the kingdom of God as characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy. Which of these attributes do you feel is most lacking in your life, and how can you cultivate it? [07:30]

5. How can you make "up there" come "down here" in your community or workplace? Identify one specific action you can take this week to reflect God's kingdom values. [12:34]

6. Reflect on a time when you felt God's presence in a difficult situation. How did that experience shape your understanding of God's kingdom being present in your life? [11:19]

7. The sermon calls for action in living out God's kingdom values. What is one practical way you can demonstrate these values in your relationships this week? [12:34]

Devotional

Day 1: Living in the Tension of God's Kingdom
The kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope. This duality invites believers to live in the tension of the "already" and the "not yet." While God's kingdom is fully present because of His presence, it is not yet fully realized due to the existence of other wills and kingdoms in conflict. This tension challenges believers to actively participate in God's work, acknowledging the brokenness of the world while holding onto the hope of its ultimate restoration. By embracing this tension, believers are called to be agents of change, bringing glimpses of God's kingdom into their daily lives. [02:06]

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in bringing God's kingdom into your daily life, even amidst the brokenness you see around you?


Day 2: Cultivating a "Good Chooser"
God's will is not about controlling every decision we make but about developing our ability to choose wisely. This freedom is essential for genuine love and relationship with God. By cultivating a "good chooser," believers learn to align their choices with God's will, leading to a life that reflects His love and wisdom. This process involves growing in discernment and understanding, allowing God's Spirit to guide decisions in a way that honors Him. As believers develop this ability, they experience a deeper relationship with God and a more meaningful life. [05:22]

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ." (Philippians 1:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one decision you are facing today where you can practice being a "good chooser" by seeking God's wisdom and guidance?


Day 3: Surrendering to God's Greater Good
Our personal kingdoms, the areas of influence we have over our lives, are gifts from God. However, sin distorts these kingdoms, leading to selfishness and conflict. Surrendering our desires to God's greater good is not about passivity but about aligning our will with His. This act of surrender involves trusting that God's plans are better than our own and that His will leads to true fulfillment and peace. By aligning our desires with God's, we participate in His kingdom work and experience the joy and peace that come from living according to His purposes. [06:05]

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to surrender to God's will? How can you begin to align this area with His greater good today?


Day 4: Experiencing the Kingdom's Righteousness, Peace, and Joy
The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is a realm where human flourishing occurs, where individuals do good, live well, and experience emotional well-being. This kingdom reality is not just a future hope but a present experience for those who align their lives with God's will. By living according to the values of God's kingdom, believers can experience the fullness of life that God intends, marked by peace and joy that transcend circumstances. [10:29]

"For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate an environment of righteousness, peace, and joy in your home or workplace today?


Day 5: Inviting God's Reality into Our World
Praying for God's kingdom to come is not about escaping our circumstances but about inviting God's reality into our world. This prayer is a call to action, urging believers to live out the values of God's kingdom in their daily lives. By embodying these values, believers make "up there" come "down here," bringing God's love, justice, and peace into every aspect of life. This transformative prayer extends beyond personal relationships to global conflicts, challenging believers to be agents of change in a world in need of God's presence. [12:34]

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to bring a piece of God's kingdom into your community or relationships?

Quotes


The kingdom of God is real it has always existed through Jesus it has now become present and available to you and me and to want that Above All Else else is what we're and so we pray God your kingdom come your will be done on earth right here where we are make up there come down here. [06:18]

The kingdom of God is not a matter of legalism of um eating and drinking righteousness doing good peace doing well and joy in the Holy Spirit and so now we pray this is the prayer today not whatever as you go through the day um think choose desire that's a really good thing and then surrender that oh God your kingdom come. [10:29]

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking which is what they were turning into back in Paul's day in the Church of Rome all these rules about dietary laws and so but of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit now let's unpack that for a minute ml wolf is a theologian at Yale. [06:53]

God is unlimited creative will and constantly invites us even now into an Ever larger share of what God is doing that's why in the Bible the idea is we're going to end up sitting on Thrones our prayer is not whatever we're not called to passivity we are called to choose and to Will and to submit our Wills to his. [09:00]

The kingdom of God is really about human flourishing he said basically there's three elements to human flourishing one is uh I will enter into Shalom or flourishing when I do good when I become a person who just genuinely from the inside is truthful and generous and loving towards other people and uh live with a kind of peace. [07:48]

When sin gets into me then that's not present and I am not what Paul calls righteous that's righteousness is that genuine kind of good and I violate other people's kingdoms years ago a group of folks from the church where I worked went to visit Jim Collins and Collins talked about the big problems at work. [08:14]

We all have our own little kingdoms and it's very important that you understand that God Treasures the fact that you have a kingdom that you have a will that's why God gave you a body our bodies are that little sphere in which we're first able to understand about kingdoms because I can make my body do what I want it to do. [04:06]

It's very important that you know that part of God's will for you is that you choose is that you will I was talking to a friend quite recently whose daughter just chose what college he was going to go to and he was saying man I was so proud for her it's very important you understand very often when you think about what God's will for my life. [04:18]

The kingdom of God is not a matter of circumstances but that's not what Paul writes I I get real scared about the future I don't mean that I used to be scared about the future and I have delivered in that I think in these days a lot um yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil because you are with me. [11:07]

Pray your kingdom come your will be done right here in this world uh as it is in heaven heaven is that place where everything is the way that God wants it to be everything runs according to God's will in this world God's kingdom is present God's will God's person is here but other kingdoms are present as well. [01:36]

The primary message that Jesus brought of course was uh about the kingdom of God and that's just simply God's action God being at work and his good news was not that the Kingdom of Heaven is come into being it is always existed his good news is that now through Jesus it has become available to ordinary messed up Fallen and screwed up people like me and like you. [01:02]

The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is about human flourishing, where we do good, live well, and experience emotional well-being. As we pray for God's kingdom to come, we are not asking for an escape from our circumstances but for God's reality to invade our world. [10:29]

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Transcript
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