Embracing God's Kingdom: A Call to Submission

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we delved into the profound depths of the phrase "Your kingdom come" from the Lord's Prayer, exploring its implications for our lives and the world. This prayer, taught by Jesus, is not a mere collection of words but a radical invitation to align ourselves with the divine narrative of God reclaiming the world through Christ and establishing a people who live under His benevolent reign.

The word "Your" in this phrase refers to our Father in heaven, the one to whom we pray—a Father who invites us into an intimate, familial relationship through adoption in Christ. We are His children, and as such, we have the privilege of communing with Him, the Creator and Sustainer of all.

The term "kingdom" is not about geographical boundaries but about the dynamic activity of God's rule and reign. It is the manifestation of God's sovereignty in action, permeating every aspect of creation. When we pray for God's kingdom to come, we are yearning for His rule to be evident and active in our lives and throughout the world.

Jesus' ministry on earth was the embodiment of this kingdom. He gathered people to Himself, taught them the ways of the kingdom, and demonstrated the kingdom through acts of healing and love. The Sermon on the Mount, spanning Matthew chapters 5 through 7, is a blueprint of life under the rule of King Jesus—a life marked by flourishing, wholeness, and righteousness.

The kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope. It is "already" here in the sense that Christ has inaugurated His kingdom through His life, death, and resurrection. Yet, it is "not yet" fully realized, as we await the day when His rule will be complete and all creation will be restored.

As we pray "Your kingdom come," we express our deep longing for the fullness of God's reign to be realized. We are invited to trust Jesus as King, to reorient our lives around His leadership, and to participate in the unfolding story of redemption. This prayer is a commitment to let Jesus be the King of our hearts and to work towards the manifestation of His kingdom in every corner of the earth.

Key Takeaways:

- Praying "Your kingdom come" is an act of submission to God's sovereignty and a declaration of our desire for His rule to be evident in every aspect of our lives and the world. It is a prayer that aligns our hearts with God's purposes and invites His transformative power into our daily experiences. [49:33]

- The kingdom of God is not a distant or abstract concept; it is the active reign of Christ that brings healing, wholeness, and righteousness. When we embrace Jesus as King, we experience the life-giving rule that He intended for humanity from the beginning—a life of co-reigning with God in a world marked by His love and justice.

- Jesus' ministry was a foretaste of the kingdom, demonstrating what life looks like under His rule. As we reflect on His teachings and actions, we are inspired to live out the values of the kingdom in our own contexts, becoming agents of His healing and peace in a broken world.

- The kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope. While we experience aspects of God's reign now, we also anticipate its full realization when Christ returns. This tension between the "already" and the "not yet" fuels our prayers and our mission as we seek to embody kingdom values in anticipation of the day when God's rule will be all-encompassing.

- Our hunger for God's kingdom reflects our recognition of our need for His rule in our lives. As we pray and seek God's kingdom, we are reminded that our ultimate satisfaction comes from living under the authority of King Jesus, who loves us and gave Himself for us. This hunger should drive us to seek Him earnestly and to align our lives with His kingdom purposes.

Study Guide

### Bible Reading

1. Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)
> "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'"

2. Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
> "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

3. Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)
> "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"

### Observation Questions

1. In Matthew 6:9-13, what are the specific requests made in the Lord's Prayer?
2. According to Matthew 4:17, what was the central message of Jesus' early ministry?
3. In Isaiah 52:7, what is the significance of the messenger's proclamation, "Your God reigns"?

### Interpretation Questions

1. What does it mean to pray "Your kingdom come" in the context of the Lord's Prayer? How does this reflect our desire for God's rule in our lives and the world? [35:01]
2. How does Jesus' proclamation in Matthew 4:17, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," challenge our understanding of repentance and the immediacy of God's kingdom? [42:06]
3. How does the imagery in Isaiah 52:7 of the messenger bringing good news relate to the concept of God's kingdom being both a present reality and a future hope? [56:06]

### Application Questions

1. Reflecting on the phrase "Your kingdom come," how can you actively seek to align your daily life with God's kingdom values? Are there specific areas in your life where you need to submit to God's rule? [49:33]
2. Jesus' ministry demonstrated the kingdom through acts of healing and love. How can you embody these kingdom values in your community? What practical steps can you take this week to show God's love and justice? [01:02:23]
3. The sermon mentioned the tension between the "already" and the "not yet" of God's kingdom. How do you navigate this tension in your personal faith journey? What practices help you stay hopeful for the future while engaging in the present? [01:12:17]
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of reorienting our lives around Jesus' leadership. What specific changes might you need to make in your priorities, relationships, or habits to better follow Jesus as King? [01:08:37]
5. Considering the call to "hunger and thirst for righteousness," what are some ways you can cultivate a deeper desire for God's kingdom in your life? How can you encourage others in your small group to do the same? [01:13:32]
6. The sermon highlighted the idea of co-reigning with God. How does this concept influence your understanding of your role in God's kingdom? What responsibilities or opportunities do you feel called to take on as part of this co-reigning? [49:01]
7. Reflect on the invitation to trust Jesus as King. Are there areas of your life where you struggle to trust His leadership? How can you take steps to grow in trust and surrender to His will? [01:09:02]

Devotional

Day 1: Submission to Divine Sovereignty
In praying "Your kingdom come," one enters a posture of humility and submission, recognizing the sovereignty of God over all aspects of life. This prayer is not a passive wish but an active declaration of desire for God's rule to be evident in the world and in personal circumstances. It is an acknowledgment that true power and authority belong to God and that aligning with His will is the path to transformative experiences. By inviting God's kingdom to come, individuals open themselves up to the work of the Holy Spirit, allowing divine purposes to shape their actions and attitudes. This prayer becomes a daily commitment to seek God's guidance and to live in a way that reflects His kingdom values. [49:33]

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

Reflection: How can you actively demonstrate submission to God's sovereignty in a specific area of your life today?

Day 2: The Active Reign of Christ
The kingdom of God is not a distant or abstract concept; it is the active reign of Christ that brings healing, wholeness, and righteousness. Embracing Jesus as King means experiencing the life-giving rule that He intended for humanity—a life of co-reigning with God in a world marked by His love and justice. This active reign is not confined to spiritual experiences but is meant to transform all areas of life, including relationships, work, and community engagement. As believers live out the values of the kingdom, they become agents of change, bringing the light of Christ into dark places and demonstrating the power of His love in tangible ways. [49:33]

"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: What is one tangible way you can bring the healing and righteousness of Christ's reign into your community this week?

Day 3: Jesus' Ministry as Kingdom Blueprint
Jesus' ministry on earth provided a clear example of what life looks like under the rule of God. His teachings, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, offer a blueprint for living in the kingdom of God—a life characterized by flourishing, wholeness, and righteousness. By reflecting on Jesus' actions and words, believers are called to embody these kingdom values in their own lives, becoming beacons of His healing and peace. This involves a commitment to understanding and applying Jesus' teachings, allowing them to inform daily decisions and interactions with others. [49:33]

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

Reflection: Which aspect of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount can you more intentionally apply to your life today?

Day 4: The Kingdom's Present Reality and Future Hope
The kingdom of God is a present reality that believers can experience now, yet it is also a future hope that awaits full realization. This tension between the "already" and the "not yet" fuels the mission of the church as it seeks to embody kingdom values in anticipation of the day when God's rule will be all-encompassing. Believers are called to live in this tension, embracing the aspects of God's kingdom that are present while working and praying for its future completion. This dual perspective encourages a life of active faith, characterized by both celebration of the current work of God and earnest prayer for the ultimate fulfillment of His kingdom. [49:33]

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." (Romans 8:19 ESV)

Reflection: How does the "already" and "not yet" of God's kingdom influence your perspective on current global events?

Day 5: Hunger for God's Kingdom
A deep hunger for God's kingdom reflects an understanding of the need for His rule in every aspect of life. This hunger drives believers to seek God earnestly and to align their lives with His kingdom purposes. It is a recognition that ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment come from living under the authority of King Jesus. As individuals pray and seek God's kingdom, they are reminded of the love and sacrifice of Christ, which compels them to pursue a life that honors Him and advances His kingdom on earth. [49:33]

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6 ESV)

Reflection: What specific action can you take today to satisfy your hunger for God's kingdom in your personal spiritual journey?

Quotes

1) "When we pray 'Your kingdom come,' we are aligning with the biblical story of God reclaiming his world in Jesus and forming a people who will live under the reign of this king." [01:07:12] (Download)

2) "The kingdom of God is here. It's the most core sense of what Jesus came to do and he is telling us that." [47:11] (Download)

3) "Jesus associated what he was doing on the earth as kingdom work. That's how he viewed it. I just showed you in chapter four, that's his first words. He's like, repent, the kingdom of God is here." [47:11] (Download)

4) "Jesus goes around acting like he owns the whole place. And it's like he does that because he does own the whole place." [01:02:13] (Download)

5) "Jesus says those of you out there who are hungry and thirsty for this, it's going to turn out really good. You should be hungry and thirsty for this." [01:13:27] (Download)

6) "The king that rules this kingdom is on record of loving his enemies and loving his enemies so much that he would actually give his life so they could be welcomed in." [01:07:12] (Download)

7) "The word kingdom... doesn't so much refer to a place as it does to an activity. What this word is actually saying is that the kingship or the reign or the rule of God." [40:56] (Download)

8) "God puts humanity in this incredible seat of kings and queens co-ruling with God on the earth." [49:41] (Download)

9) "Theologians like to refer to this as already not yet. That there's the dynamic at play. Jesus has been enthroned. Jesus has conquered sin, death, Satan and all of our enemies. He is ruling and reigning, but he is not fully set up his kingdom here." [01:12:12] (Download)

10) "Matthew is saying the world that Jesus leads is a world of flourishing and health. If you're nervous about this new king, take a look at this. Take a look at what the world looks like when Jesus takes over." [01:05:57] (Download)

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?