Remembering "Our Father" daily - Luke 11- Wednesday evening meeting notes

Luke 11

Mark 9:38-41

And John answered Him, saying, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, but he followeth us not, so we forbad him because he followeth not us.

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

The disciples were saying we saw someone doing great things in your name but they didn’t go to our church, they weren’t part of our club so we forbid them to continue with their work..

This spoke to me partly because it is our nature to behave exactly as did these disciples but more pointedly I was pleased to note how the response of Jesus is manifested here, in our ministry, as is reflected in the strong diversity of our bible study on many levels..

It struck me that anyone who wants to think of themselves as an exception or as exceptional , spiritually, needs to take a good long look at Mark 9 and these 2 verses… Jesus said “do not stop him”….He who does a miracle in my name can’t say anything bad about me. Anyone who gives a cup of water in my name will not lose their reward…. Abbreviated… No matter how insignificant the act, it becomes significant if done in the name of Jesus..

As we go forward living our lives in our own way the common thread of the spirit of Jesus runs through our works and binds us in a commonality which is above the superficial nature of our individual history, in or out of Christ…As we demonstrate through our living.. through our behaviours.. as our spirit shines through, in all that we do.. remember that even the smallest , honest, and beautiful thing done in the name of Jesus is noted and remembered by our Lord..

In this our humility is required not a feeling of exclusivity or exceptionalism as was exemplified in Lukes account of this interaction as he counts a cup of water given in the name of Jesus side by side with the casting out of demons … But with this humility and sincerity comes the power and glory of God in our lives..Why? Because God makes everything possible in the first place…. Understanding this makes it easy to give God the credit that is due Him..and this defines humility.. It’s quite an easy thing if you really consider it…

Have you ever wondered if you had the right to perform an act or deed in the name of Jesus? Have you felt timid in the past to pray for a healing power in the name of Jesus ?.. or even to baptize a friend in the name of Jesus or the father, the son and holy Spirit…. Jesus said Do not stop him … In other words don’t interfere with a man doing righteous work in my name…

If you pray for the healing of others does this make you a healer.. If you dare put your hand on a person and pray for their healing in the name of Jesus does this make you a healer? Maybe …it depends on how you look at this.. Through the grace of God we can make our prayers known to him..We can make our requests and then it is up to God… We cannot do these things with a guarantee because we do not command or control God.. God is God..We are only his creation..his children…But we do know and can be assured that in the name of Jesus, God hears our plea and he will answer our prayer … Seek and you shall find…Knock and it shall be open to you…Ask and it shall be given unto you….

In this way every time we ask that someone be healed in Jesus’ name we evoke healing.. We can be healers of men through Jesus but only through Him… We don’t need to be as dramatic as Elijah calling fire down from heaven to smite the Canaanites… 1 Kings 18…..

So go forth in your own way with faith and hope in your mind and heart.. irrespective of former denominational affiliations…If you believe and you are moved by Jesus Christ almighty , in his name, let his light shine through you without fear or timidity…” For the spirit that God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self-discipline”.. 2 Timothy 1:7

Just be sure of your motivation and that should always be addressed and resolved through prayer ..

On that note Let us pause for a moment in prayer …

Dear Lord,

We are grateful for our gathering this evening … Open the scriptures to us tonight so that we may take from this meeting all that you had intended to gift us with… We pray for our brother Bob tonight who will be heading for surgery tomorrow on his hand. Guide the hands of his surgeon and let his healing be complete.. Help us Lord to exercise wisdom, as we go forth each spreading the gospel of Jesus as their individual talents and resources will allow, to behave in accordance to your will and through Christ be a light in the world….We are ever grateful for prayers answered , for your faithful guidance and your steadfastness in your love for us, even in the face of our gross imperfections.. we don’t deserve it Lord but we are thankful for it….

We ask these things and give thanks in Jesus’s name….

Amen



Praise God…

It's very difficult to be praising when you're pouting.

When you're pouting it just sort of takes all your energy; and conversely, it's difficult

to be pouting when you're praying and praising.

Remember last Wednesday when we were together, in this book, there was that great little story at the end of

chapter 10, that we couldn’t get to, where two sisters Mary and Martha had Jesus over at a house.

Martha was busy cooking, preparing; Mary was sitting and worshiping.

Martha started pouting while her sister had been praising: "Don't you care, Lord, that

I'm doing all this work myself?

Tell my sister to get up and work."

You know what it's like to just have all of your focus on "poor little me,"--

Well, in that room, at that home, on that occasion were Jesus' closest followers, the Apostles, who were hearing the conversation.

Moreover, in chapter 11 they will be watching Jesus as he is praying, and Luke ties these

two events together nicely.

But what Luke wants us to do is to bring these elements together in our minds.

He wants to show us that the disciples have been noticing and watching the prayer life of Jesus and also the pouting and praising of Mary and Martha.

And he ties these two elements together in chapter 11.

Notice in verse 1, "Now it came to pass, as he [Jesus] was praying in a certain place."

"When he ceased, that one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'

" They had noticed something dynamic in the life of Jesus that perhaps they were lacking.

They certainly noticed that Martha had lacked it.

Now, what's interesting is this is the only thing, this is the only request the disciples

ever ask Jesus to teach them, that I am aware of.

The disciples never said, "Jesus, teach us to preach.

We want to be in your school of ministry.

We would like to attend your theological seminary.

Teach us to administrate and teach us to preach and teach us to church plant."

It's interesting, the only thing they requested is, "Lord, teach us to pray."

Because if you got that right, you'll get the rest right.

If you'll get connected with heaven and you have a dynamic prayer life, all the rest will

come, and it came with them.

"Lord, teach us to pray."

Now, again, notice how it's worded.

They didn't say, "Lord, teach us how to pray."

They were Jewish. They grew up praying their whole lives.

They had recited prayers: prayers for special events, prayers for the Sabbath.

But more than just how to do it, teach us to do it.

Big difference.

We all know how to do it.

"And so he said to them, 'When you pray, say' "---

what we have now is what is typically called the Lord's Prayer.

It is misnamed, really, I believe.

We call it the Lord's Prayer because the letters are in red.

He's speaking it, so we think this is the Lord's Prayer.

This is really the disciples' prayer.

Jesus' prayer, the real Lord's Prayer is John, chapter 17.

That's Jesus connecting with his Father in that intimate moment before the cross.

But this I prefer to see as the disciples' prayer, and it is a template for prayer.

I think it's something that is to memorize it, to say it.Or if you don't want to do that, to use it as a template, that you work through the generalities of this prayer.

Now, some of you may say, "Oh but we're not supposed to recite

it, because Jesus said, 'Don't use vain repetitions.'

" Well, if you say it from your heart, it's not a vain repetition.

Just mean it when you say it.

Don't just spout it out loud.

Many of us grew up with memorized prayers and My friends could do Hail Mary's and Our Fathers and Glory Be's all night.

But if you mean it from your heart, then it's not a vain repetition.

"He said, 'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

" You'll notice something: the first part of this prayer is all about God.

He doesn't say, "When you pray, immediately say, 'Lord, give me this and give me that.

But rather, make sure that when you talk to your Father, your prayer life is balanced,

so that the first part you're recognizing and giving honour to whom you are praying.

As we mature with the Lord we that the nature of our prayers evolve as well.. for example:

As I grew older, my relationship with my parents changed.

When my mom, before she passed away, my dad, before he passed away---I didn't get on the

phone and go, "Mom, I want this and I want that.

No.

I, hopefully, had matured a bit since I was a baby.

And now my conversations were more like this: "How have you been, Mom?

Boy, it's great just to talk to you.

I'd love to just spend some time hanging out with you."

Now that's a mature relationship.

And I think the older we grow in the Lord, that's what it's like when we pray: "Lord, here I am.

'Our Father.'

" Please hear this, it's not "Lord of the most high the mightiest of the mighty. ." He is all of that, but

he's more than that.

He's your dad.

And Jesus said he wants to be approached like that.

Oh, it's good to recognize the power and majesty and might of God, but it's very important

that you recognize the relationship that you have with him, "Our Father."

And it's not just "Our Father," but it's "Our Father in heaven."

And I recognize that from heaven you have a vantage point that I don't have.

You see things I don't see.

Now, I tell you why I think this is important. Because when you pray knowing to whom you are speaking

and with whom you are dealing, it's easy for you to have faith in your own prayer..

Case in point, Acts, chapter 4, the disciples were confronted by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish

council, that they couldn't preach the gospel anymore in Jerusalem.

It was now illegal.

With that threat, they went to a prayer meeting, and this is how they prayed.

They didn't say, "O God, help!"

Listen to how they prayed: "Lord, you are God, you made the heaven and the earth and

the sea, and everything that is in them."

That's how you start a prayer.

You know, we'll come to God and say, "Lord, I have a cold.

I know you can heal that.I pray you would, in Jesus' name."

But what if it's a different C? What if it's the big C, it's cancer?

"O Lord"---wait a minute.

That's no harder for the Lord than a cold.

If God is doing the work, difficulty must always be measured by the capacity of the agent doing the work.God is doing the work.

"Our Father in heaven," and then it's "Holy is your name," "Hallowed be your

name."

I recognize that you are to be honoured and glorified.

"Your kingdom come," is the next part.

What does it mean when you pray, "Thy kingdom come"?

Well, it means, in one sense that you are praying for his coming kingdom.

"Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Come fix this earth. We're a mess.

Come set up your kingdom."

But he's going to do that whether you pray that or not.

But that is our hope and it's good to voice our hope in prayer.

One of my favourite verses is Revelation, chapter 11, "The seventh trumpet sounded: And the

voices in heaven said this: 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of

our Lord and of his Christ.'

But one day it's going to come.

There'll be a millennial kingdom.

He'll show us how it's supposed to be done.

But I believe that when I pray "Thy kingdom come," I'm praying for more than just Jesus

to come back and establish his worldwide kingdom on earth and the eternal state in glory.

I think it's more personal: "Lord, I'm inviting you to sit on the throne of my life and to

be my King."

"I'm inviting your kingship to be things that dictate my future.

I want to do things according to your kingdom.

I want to make decisions that further your kingdom…

And that's followed by, "Thy kingdom come.

Thy or your will be done."

Is God's will being done today?

It's a trick question, because on one sense you can answer it, based on the sovereignty

of God and say, "Of course, it's always being done."

Or you could look at the sinfulness of man and say, "Not so much."

But I'm going to answer it this way: it all depends. For example:

When I was running from the Lord that was not God's will.

When I see somebody dying in their sins that is not God's will.

"For God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

"Thy will be done on earth"---

It bears the mark of an incredible Creator.

However, as I look around the world today, this is not what God intended.

I know that, because what God intended he will do, I believe, in a thousand-year period

upon the earth, according to the Old and the New Testament.

He will showcase a redeemed creation, saved, operating completely under his will.

So that's the first part of this prayer.

It's all "you," "your."

And now we turn to the second part of the prayer.

And it's not about "me" or “I”

It's "our."

Isn't it interesting this plural in this prayer?

It's not "My Father who art in heaven . . . ," it's "Our Father . . . ." And then notice the language,

verse 3, "Give us day by day our daily bread."

This is where when we pray we recognize we're part of a family.

I love the idea of a personal relationship with Christ, but I am afraid that we

evangelicals have taken that to mean a private relationship with the Lord.

No, not just.

We have a personal relationship with Christ.

He knows our individual needs, but I'm part of a group.

I'm part of a body.

And when I pray, I recognize I have brothers and sisters as well, so it's "our."

"Give us day by day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

It's my belief that our God wants us to depend on him daily.

"Give us day by day our daily bread."

It’s a daily dependence. Asking for His help daily.. this is what He wants…This is what we need…

And then we also recognize that we need forgiveness and we need to forgive.

It seems to me, and I think it's a biblical principle, that vertical forgiveness, that interaction between God and us is intertwined with a type of horizontal forgiveness of brothers and sisters forgiving one another.

We have been forgiven much, Jesus told us in another place.

If we have been forgiven so great a debt by God himself, then certainly we can forgive

others who are guilty of a much lesser debt than we owe to God.

Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ

has forgiven you."

Same principle.

" 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Moving on….

And he said to them, 'Which of you shall have a friend' "---and this is now particular to

the gospel of Luke.

" 'Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend,

lend me three loaves."

Now, honestly, when I read this, I think, "I don't have a friend like that."

I mean, I wouldn't get out of bed at midnight and go do that, and I wouldn't expect any

of my friends to be calling me at midnight.

However, I UNDERSTAND that in the Middle East, especially in the summertime when it's really hot, its probably much like the Philippines was pre-covid in some ways where we are limited in the heat of the day… but there, in that arid ,desert area it was typical to travel at night instead of the heat of the day especially in the days of Christ… Before a/c’s and SUVs….

So they would often travel at night…

So, it was not uncommon to have somebody knock at your door at midnight.

They would understand that.

A friend might show up at somebody's house and that person, that host doesn't have the

wherewithal to feed, to house, to help

" 'And"'And he says, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me

on his journey, I have nothing to set before him"; and he will answer from within and say,

"Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot

rise and give to you"?

I say to you, though he will not rise to give to him because he is his friend, yet because

of his persistence' "---keeps banging at that door---" 'he will rise and give him as many

as he needs.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and

it will be opened to you.

God isn't a cranky neighbor.

He's not comparing him, he's contrasting a grumpy neighbor with a gracious God.

Jesus says…" 'So I say to you, ask' "---now that's a commandment.

After telling the story, now Jesus applies it and he gives them what's called a present

active imperative in the Greek language.

It's in the present tense.

It's in the active voice.

It's in the imperative mood.

And what it means is this: "So I am telling you this as a commandment of mine to you:

Keep on and never stop asking.

Keep on and never stop knocking and seeking."

Keep doing it throughout your life as a matter and manner of lifestyle.

That you will continually and always bring everything before the Lord in prayer, because you secure in the knowledge that you have a gracious heavenly Father.

Well, Paul said it this way: "Pray without ceasing."

That's the idea.

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will

be opened."

So we have a promise attach to a command.

I've often wondered why Jesus needed to command his disciples to pray to him.

Why would God ever need to give you a commandment to pray?

An invitation, we would understand, but why would God need to command you to pray?

Well, I'll tell you a few reasons that come to my mind: I forget because I'm human.

I can get into periods of doubt, because I'm human.

I can get into periods of despair. etc

All of those reasons might cause a person to need a commandment.

So here's Jesus commanding you: "Don't give up.

Keep talking to me as a manner of your lifestyle about everything that goes on in your life.

Do it daily.

Jeremiah 33 verse 3 is a similar command.

God commands, "Call unto me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty

things, which you know not."


let's not pout, let's pray.

Father, thank you for just the sheer joy of sitting in your presence with brothers and

sisters in this living room of technology, in this simple house, a house that has been filled with praise.

And then to hear truth, the words of Jesus himself, and apply them to us, to see how

they were applied then and what they could mean now. Bless this gathering Lord and all who would seek fellowship here let them find it….

We are thankful for prayers answered, for your love and guidance every day…

Because of that, Lord, we have faith and our faith is increased.

"For faith comes by hearing, and hearing is possible through and by the Word and your grace.



amen.