Text: Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Title: "Our Father, What my Church Family Means to Me”
Remember that the Lord Jesus loved the Church.
(Eph 5:25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
In our text, we have a comparison between cold, dead religion, and what is true faith. Jesus demonstrated what is true faith by giving us the simple, but profound, outline of the Lord’s prayer. I want my Church to be founded upon these principles.
“This Church is my Family”
(Mat 12:48-50) But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
1. God is the Father of our family.
Jesus begins by calling God our Father. That is a radical teaching at the time in history. For the most part, God had always been thought of as an angry God who lived upon Mount Sinai, The great Lawgiver and Judge of the universe. Now Jesus refers to God as "Our Father."
This Pastor is not the Father of our Church. Jesus is. When we come together for worship each Sunday, we are gathering at the Father’s table. We are to hear the instruction of Our Father.
2. You can be apart of our family.
God is called "Our Father." If you would accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you could call him Father too! "For as many as received him, to them gave he the power to be called the sons of God." (John 1:12) We can call him "Abba Father: (Galations 4:6)
3. Every family member has a special purpose.
"Thy will be done." You are special in God’s family. You are to be apart of our Church body. There is a special work for you to do in the realm of our local Church. Pray that God will help you to know and to do "his will."
4. As a family we have an obligation to one another.
"Give us this day our daily bread." The Church is a family. We are sitting at the Table. Let us be aware of those who are sitting at the table with us. May everyone receive a portion of the bread. May we take note of needs of everyone in our congregation.
5. Our family is worth fighting for.
"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Because we are family, we are close. Familiarity does sometimes breed contempt. A Church family will not survive without grace, God has forgiven us of our long list of sins. May we learn to practice that same "Amazing Grace" that we so often sing about when it comes to those who have "trespassed against us."
We also need to remember that every family member is in daily conflict with the world. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The word "lead us not into temptation," could have been also translated, "leave us not in the hour of temptation." (McGee) Let us pray for one another in the Church family. We are all fighting our separate battles with the flesh and against the Devil.
6. Our family needs to meet as a family.
Every thing about the Lord’s prayer, is said in a plural form. "Our Father," "Give Us," "Our daily," "Our Sins," "We forgive," "Lead Us," and "Deliver Us."
When the family meets to sit at the family table, you need to be there. You and me make "us and we."
7. Our family will prevail.
"Thy Kingdom come.... to thine be the glory and the power forever. Amen." When Heaven and Earth has passed away, and all things are made new. There will be but one family left standing. It will be "The Family of God." The Church is the Bride of Christ. we will be standing at the side of our Savior. Are you apart of the "Church Family?" Have you placed your faith in the Living Christ?
Prayer: "Thank you Lord, for my Church family. Help me to be the family member that you would have me to be."
