Turn with me to Matthew chapter
6. On Sunday morning, Dad's scripture
reading was from Matthew 8, mostly. And he started it out by giving
a summary of chapters 5 through 7. And as I'm going to preach
from Matthew 6, I thought it was wise to steal some of his
words. Matthew 5 starts with what we
call the Sermon on the Mount. And in the sermon, our Lord gives,
starts out with the Beatitudes. Blessed are they. He then deals
with adultery. divorce, the proper manner of
both giving our gifts and prayer, that we shouldn't sit in judgment.
And he gave us what we call the golden rule, which we surmise
as do unto others, as you would have others do unto you. Tonight,
I intend to speak on our needs supplied from verses 9 through
13. which is commonly called the
Lord's Prayer, but more correctly should be called the Disciple's
Prayer. Our Lord's Prayer is given in John 17. This is the
prayer in which he taught us the manner in which to pray.
So let's read the first 13 verses of Matthew 6 together. Take heed that you do not your
alms before men to be seen of them. Otherwise, you have no
reward of your father, which is in heaven. Therefore, when
thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may have glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, they
have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let
not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine
alms may be in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret,
himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites, 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. 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. But when ye pray, use not vain
repetitions as the heathern, for they think that they shall
be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto
them, for your father knoweth what things ye have need of before
ye ask him. After this manner, therefore,
pray ye, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Let's bow together in a word
of prayer. Our gracious, holy, heavenly
father. Lord, we come to you tonight.
Much aware, Lord, of. The weakness of this flesh. But, Lord, we desire. And we
long to worship you tonight. Father, send your spirit among
us. Oh, Lord. Strengthen me. Oh, pour out your
spirit upon me that I might exalt and under and magnify Christ
as I speak. Lord, open blind eyes and deaf
ears tonight. Lord, give us all. An outpouring of your spirit. that
we might worship. In spirit and in truth. Father,
we are indeed thankful for all that you've done for Jim. Oh,
we're so glad to see him back in services with us. Lord, we
pray that you'll continue to keep your hand upon him and heal
his body. Lord, for those that are missing
among us for. The various trials and tribulations
that they're going through. Those who are sick in body, Lord,
we bring them to you. Do for them what you can. Oh,
anoint their bodies and strengthen them if it be your will. The
Lord, we especially pray for their spirits. Let them not be
dismayed. Let them not despair. But send
your word to them to comfort and help them. Father, for those
that are traveling, we pray that you'll give them traveling mercies
and see them safely to their destinations. And Lord, we look
forward to having Brother Donnie back. Lord, continue to keep
him safe as he comes home. Father, for Kathleen and her
family, we especially remember her. Lord, we ask for your abundance
of grace and mercy towards her, and Lord, let them Let us all
see the brevity of this life and cause us to run to Thee,
flee to Thee for mercy. Father, forgive us of our sins.
We ask these things in our Lord Jesus Christ name. Amen. Most of you in here have probably
heard this story before, but some of you may not have. Pastors
Henry Mahan and Scott Richardson were on a trip together. And
as they drove along on their trip, a conversation came up
between them of, how can I know if my gospel is the gospel? And this conversation was brought
to my remembrance not too long ago. And I went and found a message
by Brother Henry about it. And he gave eight points as to
how they knew that their gospel, the gospel they preached, was
the gospel and the gospel that we believe. And the first of
this was it's true to the Old Testament scriptures. It gives glory to God alone and
no one else. Our gospel is true if it demonstrates
that God is just and the justifier of sinful men. It meets the sinner
where he is, dead, and gives him life. Our gospel is true if it gives
hope to the very chief of sinners. If it's a gospel that I can die
with, if it meets my every need." And his last point was, it's
the gospel that actually saves. It's finished. While I was going
over these, the seventh point is what caught my attention.
Our gospel is the true gospel if it meets my every need. A while back, and I suppose every
parent has had this conversation, I can remember my parents having
it in some form or fashion, but I got into a discussion with
a lady at work about how difficult it is in today's age to teach
your children the difference between a want and a need. economy, our way of life, our
way of thinking has become, we have abundance. There is seldom
anything that we want that we can't just go out and get it. Might have to save for a couple
of months, but generally speaking, if we want it and want it badly
enough, we're going to have it. And those things that just a
couple of years ago were nice to have are suddenly a must-have. We can't live without them. How
often we have witnessed, just in the past couple of years,
what Paul said to the Corinthians, the fashion of this world passeth
away. So how are we to know what a
need truly is. Same way we know all things.
What saith the word of God? What do the scriptures say about
a need? Glance over your page there at
verse 25 of Matthew 6 verse 25. Therefore I say unto you take
no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall
drink, nor yet for your body. What ye shall put on is not your
life more than meat, and the body more than raiment." Our
Lord summarizes here the true needs of this earthly body. Food, drink, and clothing. Doesn't matter if you're up in
Alaska or somewhere on the equator where it doesn't get cold and
you can live without a house. Every child of Adam needs food,
drink, and clothing for this world. Now that's quite the contrast
to what we call a need. But even in the days that Christ
walked this earth, the needs of the people were greater than
these. Look at Luke chapter 18. We'll consider the rich young
ruler for a moment. Hold your place there in Matthew
6, if you haven't lost it already. Luke chapter 18, beginning at
verse 18. Luke 18, beginning at verse 18. And a certain ruler asked him,
saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is
none good save one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments.
Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear
false witness, honor thy father and thy mother. And he said,
all these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard
these things, he said unto him, yet lackest thou one thing. Sell all that thou hast and distribute
unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And
come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was
very sorrowful, for he was very rich. This young man had need
of his riches, and he clung to them, and he lost eternal life. Now, I'm not preaching against
comforts. I enjoy them very much myself. But what I am saying, that a
true earthly need as revealed in the scripture is much less
than what we consider a need. We need our food, our drink,
and our clothing. The rest is luxuries. Now turn
over to Luke chapter 10. Luke 10, verse 38. Luke 10, verse 38. Now it came
to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village.
And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet.
and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about
much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not
care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore
that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many
things, but one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good
part, which shall not be taken away from her." Our Lord says
here there is one thing needful. Until studying for this message,
I'd never actually noticed what seems secondary but is actually
primary there in that verse 39. Mary, which also sat at Jesus'
feet. How do we all know Mary? She
sat at Jesus' feet. But if you take away that enclosed
comma phrase that says, which sat at Jesus' feet, we read,
Mary heard his word. This is the one thing the Lord
said is needful. Hearing his word. She didn't hear his words. Christ
had one message, his entire ministry. Repent for the kingdom of God
is at hand. Turn back with me to Matthew
chapter six. As I mentioned earlier, verses
9 through 13 give us the disciples' manner in which to pray. In this
prayer, not only are we taught the manner of our prayer, but
we're taught our spiritual necessities. What I found very interesting
was in verse 8, he says, knoweth what things ye have need of before
ye ask him. And immediately after that phrase,
he teaches them how to pray. So let's go through this prayer
together, line by line, while we learn of those things that
are necessary to our eternal well-being. Verse 9. Our Father, which art in heaven,
The first revealed need is that we need a relationship with God
the Father. Now it has been argued, I suppose
for all time, that God is the Father of all men. He created
Adam, and therefore, as Adam is our Father, God must be our
Father as well. That is a flawed argument. Prior
to the fall of Adam, Adam's relationship with God was not that of a father
to a son. It was that of the creator to
the creature. Adam knew God only as his creator,
as his sovereign. But it wasn't until he fell that
Adam knew of God as a father that pitieth his children. That is when Adam gained his
relationship to God as his father. In order for any of the rest
of this prayer to be applied to us, we must first have the
relationship of a child of God before we can enter into it.
The nature that we inherit from our father Adam is that of the
child of a devil at enmity against God. The only way we have the ability
to call God our father is if he makes us his child. And he does that through adoption. Now, when Someone has decided
to adopt a child, even in this world. The child doesn't get a lineup
of parents and say, I want you to be my dad. It is the father
who does the choosing. The father of the child to be
adopted goes and sees the child and says, I love that child. bring it into my home. And with
the calling, with the choosing, with the adopting, comes the
right to go into the Father's presence. And that isn't the,
as Adam did before the fall, of going into the Creator and
asking something. This is a child going into his
Father making a request of things that he already knows that the
father has, and he expects to receive it freely. Now that's not to say that everything
that we ask for in prayer is going to be given to us, because
that child that comes to the father and asks for something
may ask amiss, may not understand the dangers in what's being asked
for, And the father knows best and won't always answer that
request. But he always supplies what is
needed for that child. He is our father in heaven. I hope the rest of you don't
have the problem I do. I can get so wrapped up and so
involved with this world that I can forget that he is my father
in heaven. He is spirit. I am of the earth,
dust. And yet my flesh rises up and
considers itself to be something. And it does so continually until
the spirit of Christ comes and reveals my father is in heaven
and has done whatsoever he will. And when that comes in power,
the pride within me is made to be nothing. His glory and majesty subdues
the old man. Last part of verse nine says,
hallowed be thy name. In our carnal nature, that nature
we've inherited from our father Adam, we have absolutely no reverence
for God, no honor towards him, because we think that he is just
as we are. And we see no reason to bow before
him. How can we think otherwise? We've
been told all our lives, let Jesus save you. A sovereign isn't
let to be done anything. You bow down and worship a sovereign. And it's only when we hear the
gospel with the anointing power of the Holy Spirit, do we make
much of God's name and are taught to revere and esteem his holy
character. Verse 10, thy kingdom come. We set up kingdoms all around
us. We have our family kingdom. We
have our friend kingdom. We have our work kingdom. All
these kingdoms we set up and we protect them. We're comfortable
in them. They bring us joy. They bring
us pride. And we're set there. And we consider ourselves reigning
there. Let a little sickness come into
our house and disrupt our little kingdom. And we defend it at
all cost. But when the word enters, When
Christ comes in power and breaks down your little kingdom
and sets up his kingdom in your heart. What a kingdom that is
then. Safe and secured. But what is
his kingdom that comes? Turn over to verse 33 of Matthew
6. but seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness. The kingdom of God is God, God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Oh, that he might reign and set
up his kingdom in my heart. and subdue all enemies against
that kingdom. Thy will be done in earth as
it is in heaven. The one thing needful is his
word subduing my rebellious nature. My old man, Adamic nature within me rises
up and says, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God. It's in the power of God's word
applied that my will is subdued. And I desire his will be done
for he is the sovereign Lord of all. Verse 11, give us this day our
daily bread. Bread is a staple of life. It's
not a rich delicacy, but it is food to nourish and sustain us. And not only do we need bread
for this body, but we have to have that bread of life, the
bread of heaven, to nourish and sustain our walk with Christ
while we continue in this world. We're dependent upon our Father
for every need, not just our spiritual needs, but our physical
as well. And just as obtaining the bread
that we need for our bodies requires sacrifice, so does obtaining
that spiritual that heavenly bread. Our sacrifices for this body,
we go to work. We sacrifice our time. We sacrifice
our time with our family. We sacrifice our liberties of going fishing, of
enjoying things. We sacrifice those that we can
earn money to go buy our bread. Shouldn't we do the same for
that heavenly bread? And I'm not talking about works
here. The spiritual bread comes with a sacrifice. This
rebellious nature does not like picking up these scriptures and
studying them and searching out Christ within them. It's hard
labor on the body. You can pick up any book, fiction,
novel, and read it for hours and not get sleepy. Five verses and your mind starts
wondering. On a good day. But, oh, we can live coming and
gathering together a couple of times a week. We can sustain
on meeting together in worship. But how much richer is the meal
when we've spent some time alone in study before coming in to
the worship service? Dad and I were talking about
this, and it's only been recently that I can do this. A man will be preaching up here,
and I'll be reminded of another verse that accompanies the message. And I get a double blessing from
it. I get what the man is saying, but the Lord has revealed something
in his word to me privately. while sitting there. Our Lord gives us our daily bread,
but shouldn't we long for it and go after it? He's given us
his word. Let's spend time in it. Verse 12, forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors. There's only one person, one
type of person who needs forgiveness. And that's a person who has offended. And when you obtain forgiveness
from someone, is there anything sweeter than to be made reconciled
with someone you've offended? Our debts are mounted up high. We have sinned against the holy,
just, true, and righteous God. It was just one little offense
that Adam committed. Don't eat of that fruit. He ate
of the fruit. He sinned, and he condemned the
whole of humanity to death. We inherit from Adam that sin
of rebellion, and then we add sin upon sin to our
charge. And there is a price that justice
demands for sin. It's death. We can't pay that price. We've
nothing to pay. There's no life in us. We are
born dead in trespasses and sins. So with nothing to pay for those
debts, with nothing to rectify ourselves or reconcile ourselves
to God with, what will become of the guilty? He will be cast
out and die that second death. Unless there is found one that
is willing and able to pay for those debts. For our God is a
just God. He must be just. And he can in
no wise forgive the sinner while the debt is left unpaid. But there is a man and he is
God. And he took upon himself the
likeness of sinful man. No one looked for him, no one
asked for him, and yet he came of his own accord. This God-man came and he walked
the earth in the flesh. He, out of love for those that
he came to save, walked before God and men perfectly. He fulfilled God's law in every
thought, word, and deed. And then, at the hour appointed,
he was taken by wicked and sinful men. He was mocked, beaten, tried,
sentenced to death upon a Roman crucifix. And yet he had no sin of his
own. He hung upon that tree with his blood being shed, and yet
was perfect before God and men. But then the hour comes and he
cries out, it is finished. And he gave up the ghost. No
man took it from him. He laid it down of himself. A sinless man died? Death can't come to one who has
not sinned. This one who walked perfectly,
who upheld the law perfectly, who is God, became sin. God the Father placed the sin
of my guilt, the saints that came before, the saints that
are to come, and the saints of today. All the sins of all God's
chosen elect children were placed upon God the Son. And the wrath
of God went forth, just as finding sin upon the Holy One of Israel
smoked the shepherd. And he died. Bearing our bodies,
bearing our sin in his body, he suffered. and contained, absorbed the wrath
of God for his elect people. He gave his holy soul an offering
for sin, and with his death, justice was satisfied. His lifeless body was taken down
from that tree, wrapped and laid in a tomb, and three days later, because the sin debt was paid
in full, death could not hold him. He satisfied God, and he
walked forth out of that tomb, and he gave to us, the adopted
children of God, his righteousness. And we now live having forgiveness
because Christ lives in us. Thank God for his forgiveness,
his mercy towards us. As we are taught how great a
price our forgiveness came, we also learn to forgive others. We, by our nature that we were
born with, We are unable to forgive others. Now, we'll say, I forgive you. But let a little time go by.
And somewhere along the way, we're going to remind you of
just how much we've forgiven you. To forgive, to truly forgive,
means there was never an offense. Think on God's forgiveness. Because of the salvation obtained
by Christ, those redeemed are holy in God's sight. They've
never done anything amiss. Perfect. The accuser before our
God says, Obi is an unbelieving heretic. And I say, yes. The thrice holy God says he's
my son, holy and without blame. May God teach me to forgive. Verse 13. Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. At a great price, we've been
forgiven, but we are still weak, sinful creatures in this flesh. We need to be kept as Mary, hearing
the words of Christ, that we be not led into temptation. But
we're also like Martha, We're careful and troubled about many
things and we fall into diverse temptations. When we do, may
the Lord turn us by his word to Christ, our great deliverer. We all know, and it's becoming
more and more evident daily, that death has a strong grip
on this world. From Methuselah, who lived 969
years, to that infant who dies in the mother's womb, the curse
of sin is upon all of Adam's descendants. For this life, we
need food, drink, and clothing, but none of that can put off
forever the inevitable consequence of our father's Adam's sin and
his rebellion. One day, our physical needs will
end. And in that day, if we haven't heard it and haven't
learned it before then, we will learn there is one thing needful. Our Lord told Martha, one thing
is needful. and Mary hath chosen that good
part. Mary sat and heard his word. All that is needed for our eternal
good we find in Christ Jesus. Being found in Christ, we are
accepted before the thrice holy God as his own son. In Christ, we are able to revere,
honor, and glorify God's holy name as it should be. Christ in us gives us a love
for him, a desire to seek his face, his will, and his righteousness. May God grant that that grows
within each of us. Christ alone is able to subdue
our rebellious sinful wills and give us a new nature that submits
to God's will. Christ alone supplies for my
every need. I look to him for my daily bread
that I need for this life. He alone is that bread from heaven
that feeds my soul. It is through Christ and his
shed blood, death, and resurrection that we have been given forgiveness
for our sin. When the tempter comes, who so
easily beguiled our mother Eve, it's to Christ that we must flee
to be led aright. He alone can deliver us from
evil. Our one thing needful is Jesus
Christ. He is the kingdom. He is the power, and he is the
glory of God forever. Amen. Let's bow together. Thank God for letting us meet
together. Our gracious Heavenly Father.
Lord, thank you. Thank you for giving us the time
and the place to worship and the desire, Lord. Oh, thank you
for giving us a desire to come and hear of Christ. Father, I pray the message has
been honoring and glorifying to you and a hope and a notification
to those of us here. Lord, again, we ask that you
remember the sick among us and those that are traveling. Lord, not only them, but remember
those of us in this meeting together. Father, be merciful to us. Grow us in the grace and knowledge
of Christ, all that we might see more of him and be made like
unto him. Thank you for your mercy. Thank
you for your love towards us. Thank you, Lord, for your son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, who came and shed his blood for wicked, vile sinners such
as we. Lord, keep us by your grace.
For it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen. You're dismissed. Lord willing,
we'll see Donnie on Sunday morning.