Pastor Mark Driscoll compares Religious vs. Spiritually prayers by looking at The Lord’s Prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer: #3 January 23-24
Religion is Repugnant
Matthew 6:5-6 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Religion is a boxed lunch – formal, traditional, structured
- Hypocrite – 27X NT actor playing a role to hide their true identity
- XN is not a hypocrite – they say they are a sinner & are honest
- Non-XN religious person a hypocrite – Judas
- Religious hypocrites care more about their public than private life
- Religious hypocrites care more about wowing people than worshipping God
- Religious hypocrites store up their treasures on earth and don’t make it to Heaven
- Religious hypocrites don’t understand the Father heart of God
Guy at the airport (looked like a kid w/an awful dad)
Spirituality is Silly
Matthew 6:7-8 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Spirituality is a salad bar – informal, progressive, unstructured
Gentile – spirituality w/o the Spirit
- The Law of Attraction – how you think & feel changes the universe
- The Guy in Sedona stacking rocks, buying crystals, chanting to red mountain
- It’s good to take God seriously but not yourself
- To be for someone/something is to be against someone/something else
- A prayer & a bank deposit both need to be put in the right account
- Dearly belovedisms
“When God closes a door He opens a window” – 1 Nowhere 2:3
“Send good thoughts out for the universe to bless you” – 2nd Nonsense 6:66
Wailing Wall prayers spoken & written (don’t need plane, guard, wall, pen–Jesus!)
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-15 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. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
1.Our
- XN has new 1. Father 2. Big Brother Jesus 3. Family
- Do you have a relationship w/the church but not the Father?
- Do you have a relationship w/the Father but not the church?
- not just a personal relationship
- 56X NT “one another” – cannot obey the Bible apart from the church
- healing church hurt & connecting with a church family
2.Father
- OT – lots of fathers & genealogies, 15X in reference nation Israel
- Jesus Revolutionary Word – 65X Matt-Lk; 100+X John
- Zero indication Jews used Father before Jesus
- Abba – not Daddy but Father (young & old children)
Why pray if God is sovereign? Pray because the sovereign is your Father.
3.in heaven
- 2 realms form 1 reality
angels, watchers, holy ones, hosts, the seat of the gods, court in judgment, the host of heaven, the prince of the host, cherubim, seraphim, archangels, the commander, prince chief, lord, divine counsel, stars, morning starts, sons of God
- Jacob, Daniel, Isaiah, John
- Prayer & worship connects the realms
Rev. 5:8-9 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, our Father rules all resources in both realms
4.hallowed be your name.
- Balance – Personal & Respectful
5.Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. –
- 2 cultures – invited heaven down or pull hell up
- our lives should help answer our prayers
6.Give us this day our daily bread
- much of the world still gets their food daily like the Exodus
- practical needs for us & others
7.forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
- Mirror vs Binoculars
- Jesus never prayed for His forgiveness
- Lk. 11 “sins” used for “debts”
8.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- Evil is like gravity & is a powerful force in the world whether you believe it or not
- Behind evil is the evil One
- Your personal relationship w/God involves 3 persons
9.For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Discussion w/Ashley about forgiveness & our family