All right, join with me in prayer. Let us pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you and give you honor and thanks for your mercy toward us and in establishing your reign. and bringing us into your protection through the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask that you would teach and instruct us now, that you would stir us up by the reminder of these things, that we might walk in true piety before you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Today we come to question 102 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism as we go through the final part of the catechism that looks at the Lord's Prayer, speaking of how we should pray, how we should diligently use this means of grace. Also, in speaking of how we should pray, it also is speaking of our hopes, what God has taught us to hope for, to expect and desire, and to appeal to Him for, to ask These things of Him that this is what He would want us to pray for. First we looked at the beginning, our Father who art in heaven, who we are praying to. Next we looked at Hallowed be thy name. Speaking of God's glory and honor, that we would honor His name and that His name would be honored throughout all the earth, regarded as holy. Now we come to the second petition, which is addressed here in question 102. The question is, what do we pray for in the second petition? Does anyone want to recite it from memory? Yes. That's right, yes. Let's say it all together. I will say the question, what do we pray for in the second petition? in the second petition which is thy kingdom come we pray that satan's kingdom may be destroyed and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened the greek word for kingdom is basalia and it refers to the rule of the king and to the people being ruled. We might say to his reign and to his realm. The shorter catechism refers to the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. The larger catechism in its answer on this question adds the kingdom of his power as well. But these are different aspects of the one kingdom of God. It's spoken of in different ways in the Bible, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, But there are different aspects to it. God rules by his power over all. He rules by his grace in his people. And by his grace and power, he will make his kingdom glorious in the end. And so the kingdom of glory refers to that final consummated state of his kingdom at Christ's coming. Now, to begin with, what kingdom is hostile to the kingdom of God? And what kingdom is the kingdom of God hostile to? Oh, Callan. Satan's kingdom. That is correct. The kingdom of Satan. Do you remember when the Bible first speaks of hostility or enmity? Alfred is nodding his head. in the Garden of Eden, right? There will be enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, the woman and the serpent. There is enmity between these two kingdoms. God's kingdom comes at the expense of Satan's kingdom. They're fighting over the same thing, right? They're fighting over God's creation, God's world. The one seeking to corrupt and destroy, the other seeking to restore and perfect and glorify. In this history, in this age, God is taking back his world. Now what do we pray for with regard to Satan's kingdom? Let it be destroyed, right? It must be destroyed. I think there was a Roman saying that became famous that Carthage must be destroyed. Well, we pray that Satan's kingdom be destroyed. What is Satan's kingdom? What is Satan's kingdom? What are we asking be destroyed here? What is Satan's kingdom? Or what characterizes it? What's it like? Rebellion, yes, because after all the true king is the the Lord God of hosts It's characterized by rebellion. It's a rebellious kingdom Right, it's the reign of sin the reign of evil and death and corruption now some of that's the the actual rebellion and then some of that's the consequences the misery that that brings upon those who rebel and But yeah, it's a reign of sin and death. The Bible talks about it as being the domain of darkness in Colossians 1, or we could speak of it as the house of bondage, kind of typified by Egypt that Israel left. Satan keeps people in bondage, in slavery, through the fear of death. So Satan's kingdom is the fallen world. Those who have joined his revolt against God and have become enslaved to sin. Again, we can kind of speak of in terms of his reign and his realm. It's a reign of sin and death. It's a realm that is the fallen world. The larger catechism expands on this a little bit by saying, acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed. Right? So that is where now in the fallen world, by nature, we all begin, but for God's grace, we pray that this sin of Satan, this kingdom of sin and Satan be broken, be destroyed. Fallen man dwells in the domain of darkness. Jesus called the devil the ruler of this world in John 12, John 16, as well as the strong man who guarded his house. Now, what is the condition of Satan's kingdom currently? How's it doing? Yes? It seems to be everywhere, seems to be growing. His head has been crushed. So on the one hand, it's still present. On the other hand, it's been decisively defeated. Because in those same texts that speak of the ruler of this world and the strong man and the domain of darkness, in those very verses, Jesus told of Satan's defeat, definitive defeat through the cross. and a progressive defeat, more and more. So he says the ruler of this world, it's time for him to be cast out, right? Cast out of his power. The strong man is going to be bound so that his house can be plundered, right? And that's what Jesus is doing now, plundering his house. But Satan's going to fight to the end, right? He is, even if he knows himself to be doomed or can see it coming, he is rebellious unto, really, forever. He is going to continue to fight. But Jesus now plunders Satan kingdom and destroys his hold over mankind. Why did Jesus come? He came to destroy the works of the devil. Hebrews 2 talked about how Satan keeps people in slavery through the fear of death, but Jesus partook of our flesh and blood that he might destroy him who had the power of death. In fact, Paul says in Romans 16 that God will soon crush Satan under your feet, speaking to the saints in Rome. We have overcome the evil one, as John says in 1 John. So what does it look like for Satan's kingdom to be destroyed? Well, yes. Right, right. We pray against the influence of false teachings and false religion that would lead people astray to death. For God to destroy Satan's kingdom is to destroy his power, his influence over mankind, to destroy the power and corrupting influence of sin as it's worked its way into this world. to take people out of his kingdom, right? That's one way it's destroyed is by delivering people from it. And to shrink the size and influence of his kingdom on earth. We pray, for example, in Psalm 68, let God arise, let his enemies be scattered. Let them also that hate him flee before him, right? We want God to put his forces to rout. We pray as we put on the armor of God. Pray for his blessing upon our fighting the good fight against the schemes of the devil. Now, when we are brought out of Satan's kingdom, into what kingdom are we brought? Yes. The kingdom of his dear son. The kingdom of his dear son. So thinking in terms of Colossians 1. Were you going to say something else? The kingdom of grace, yeah, in terms of the catechism question. We're not quite yet to the kingdom of glory right away, but we're brought to the kingdom of grace. So we are brought into the kingdom of God in the sense that it is the kingdom of grace. In the sense of his kingdom of his power, of course, everyone is already under it, right? It's already there. But in the sense that it's his kingdom of grace, his administration of grace, his rule in our hearts, his protection of his people, that He brings us into it. In saving us, God makes us subjects in good standing of His kingdom under its protection. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. So, this kingdom of grace considered as a gathered people is also called something else. What do we call that gathered people that is under God's protection? The church, yes, yes. The people of the kingdom is the church. Now, who is the anointed king of God's kingdom? Jesus, that's right. He has set his anointed on Zion's hill, right? It's the son of God. Jesus is the king of God's kingdom, the heir of David. I don't know that I have to prove that. I mean, there's a lot of Bible passages about that. Psalm 2, for example, the Father has given Jesus authority, all authority in heaven and on earth in His capacity as the Redeemer, that He might bring this world back to God, that He might subdue the elect to Himself, rule and defend us, and restrain and conquer all His and our enemies. So His kingdom is a, we could call it a redemptive kingdom, an administration for our salvation and sanctification. So what do we pray for with regard to the kingdom of grace? Not that it be destroyed, right? That it be Right, right, that it be advanced, that it grow, and that ourselves and others be brought into it. It's a good thing to be in this kingdom and kept in it. Paul writes that he prays, for example, that his fellow Israelites would be saved. All right, a prayer for salvation, or in Romans 10.1, or we could turn to 2 Thessalonians 3.1, a passage we'll come to again in this lesson. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you. So that there is a prayer that the kingdom of grace might be advanced, of course, by his means. He also says, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. So again, there's that kind of negative side too. Protection. Now, where does this kingdom come from? We say thy kingdom come. Where is it coming from? Heaven, that's one reason it's called the kingdom of heaven, right? On earth as it is in heaven, as we'll get to at the end of this first part of the Lord's Prayer. It's coming from heaven, and heaven is, he is submitted to, he reigns, it is the kingdom of heaven, and where does it come to? The whole earth, yes. Yes, and when does it come? as the gospel is preached, so more and more and more. We could say now. Now and more to come. It began to arrive, especially with Christ's first coming. It comes more and more throughout this age. As the gospel advances, it will come in its final condition when Christ returns. It's presently an advancing kingdom of grace, but it shall come in the end as an eternal kingdom of glory. Now, what are some of the parables that Jesus uses to describe the kingdom of God? Just, you know, the parable of the The pearl of great price, right? The kingdom is something precious. It is a possession, right? It's something we inherit. It's something to be sought after as the most precious of all things. It's like what? leaven in the dough that's right you know a little bit of leaven big thing of dough but in the end it fills the whole dough uh the kingdom is it demonstrates its progressive growth in the world as a transforming force the whole dough gets leavened by the leavened the kingdom of heaven is also like a Like a mustard seed, yes, again, emphasizing the growth from a very small beginning to the largest, the largest of the plants, as a shelter for the nations, right? The birds come and take refuge in its branches. A similar language used of King Nebuchadnezzar of old and also one of the prophecies in Ezekiel. Yeah, it's a refuge, but it starts small and grows progressively to be big, the greatest. The stewards are to invest in the shepherds and the sheep. Yes, yes. I don't know if the last one's called a parable or not, but there's parable elements to it. So the kingdom of heaven is like the virgins that are waiting for the bridegroom, right? And then there's a final culmination. That's another theme in a lot of these parables, that it's present and yet there's an expectation and it kind of gets all sorted out in the end. As the virgins, some of them are ready for the bridegroom's return and some of them are not. There's the wedding feast that people are invited to and some come and some don't. But in the end, the wedding hall is going to be filled. But then again, there's a final testing at the end as the guy inspects the guests in his wedding hall. We could say the kingdom of the sower. The word of the kingdom is the means by which this kingdom grows as the seed is planted. The field grows and some of the soil receives it differently, but the word of the kingdom bears fruit in the good soil. There's the similar parable of the wheat and the weeds. Again, there's seeds. The kingdom is present in the world. It's mixed with hypocrites that can kind of look like the seeds in the world. But in the end, the world becomes the kingdom as the field is, the weeds are taken out of the kingdom where they were and the kingdom is purified by the final judgment as the wheat is harvested. Pearl of, there's also the parable of hidden treasure, similar to the parable of Pearl of Great Price, and the parable of the net, that the net is thrown out, the kingdom of heaven's like this net that gathers up a bunch of fish. It's a visible people gathered by the word. Again, we could call that the church. It's mixed for a time, but as it's brought out, then it's sorted out and purified in the end. And so the kingdom comes, even now, more and more. The kingdom comes as the word is preached, as disciples are baptized and trained, and as they obey the king willingly in all areas of life, more and more. In the end, the world and its peoples are transformed by this process. As Satan sought every person and every square inch, so Christ's gospel is proclaimed to every person and claims every area as well. It is a spiritual kingdom and does not replace natural institutions. And to the extent that the language of two kingdoms makes a point, I think that the basic point is that the kingdom of God does not subvert or replace natural institutions like family and society, but rather restores and perfects them. It's a spiritual kingdom, but neither is it sealed off from them. It restores them. Now, while the people of the kingdom is the church, and it is through the means of grace that people are renewed and discipled, the kingdom of God is not confined to the sphere of the church. As A. A. Hodge notes, the kingdom of God on earth is not confined to the mere ecclesiastical sphere, but aims at absolute universality and extends its supreme reign over every department of life. Again, we can kind of see how the kingdom is spoken of as the realm, as the people of the kingdom, and also as the reign, the reign of God, which ought, of course, to be recognized in every respect and everywhere. Now the larger catechism is more detailed in speaking of how the kingdom of grace is advanced and how we should pray for it. It's in your notes there, the larger quote. I'm just going to kind of read the middle portion there. It starts that we pray that the gospel propagated throughout the world. The Jews called. The fullness of the Gentiles brought in. The church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances. purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate, that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted, that Christ would rule in our hearts here and hasten the time of his coming, Let's break that down just a little bit. So, the first thing we pray for is that the gospel be propagated throughout the world. Again, 2 Thessalonians 3.1 had that very prayer. And we can expect such a thing as indeed scriptures told us that all the families of the earth shall be blessed through Christ. And how are they blessed? Through Christ, but through the gospel being propagated to them. We pray that the Jews would be called. That is the fullness of the Jews. There's already a remnant of the Jews, if you will, in the church since the days of the apostles, but we pray that the fullness would be brought in. As Paul describes in Romans 11, if their hardening meant good for the Gentiles, even now where we have a remnant, how much more their fullness, how much more their full inclusion. This is something that we should pray for and expect in the future. Just to quote that more precisely, he says, now I'm speaking to you Gentiles and as much as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump. Actually, I meant to read the paragraph ahead, although that's relevant too. But he goes in verses 11 through 12 says, so I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? Speaking of those Jews who had not received the gospel in Paul's time. By no means, rather through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? Later on he speaks of how a partial hardening had come upon Israel, but he looks forward here to a full inclusion of that people, a turning of that people to Christ. That as their rejection meant riches for the Gentiles, so the fullness of the Gentiles coming in would mean blessing for the Jews, that they would receive the gospel too, and then that would mean even great prosperity for the world, spiritual prosperity of like life from the dead. Of course, the more basic point is that we should pray that the Jews be called like Paul did in chapter 10. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Related to that, of course, is the next thing, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in. Right. Right, right. Yeah, that's that remnant chosen by grace that he speaks of. He's like, have the Jews all rejected? Well, no. Like myself, I'm a Jew, right? There is 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal. There is a remnant chosen by grace. And he continued to work to evangelize them. And that's continued throughout history, that it's only been a partial hardening, not not a full one, and so we should preach the gospel to them like to every other creature, but with an expectation here of something greater to come, which is kind of also what happens for the Gentiles too, that we preach the gospel to them. Not everyone receives it, but we can do so with hope that the fullness of the Gentiles will come in. Also in Romans 11, that all nations will be blessed. We should pray as Psalm 67 does, right? That all peoples might praise him, that might know his glory and worship the true and living God. We also pray that the church be furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances. Pray that laborers be sent into the harvest. The fields are white. Jesus told us that. This is how the kingdom advances. We pray that the church would be purged from corruption. That they might speak a pure speech, that error and corruption might be uprooted from them, that they might offer a pure offering, like Malachi 1.11 says. We also pray that the church might be countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate. Something we're told to pray for in 1 Timothy 2, pray for civil magistrates so that we might live a life that is both honest, you know, with regard to men, and godly, right, with regard to God. That we pray for civil magistrates to that effect, but it's also prophesied in Isaiah 49 and 60 that kings and queens shall be nursing fathers, nursing mothers to the church, to strengthen the church, protect the church. It would be an aid, something we already see a foreshadow of in the favor that kings like Darius and Cyrus gave to the church even in the Old Testament. We also pray that the ordinances of Christ might be purely dispensed and made effectual. Well, to what? Effectual to the conversion of those who are yet in their sins and to the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted. It's kind of what we've already described about the means of grace in previous questions, that they would be effectual. and that Christ would rule in our hearts here, as Paul prayed in Ephesians 3, that Christ might dwell in your hearts, that he would rule in our hearts here, as well as hasten the kingdom of glory. Now, what can members of the kingdom of grace look forward to? What can we look forward to? The kingdom of glory, is that what you're going to say? What was he saying? Yes, yes, which is connected there, right? Look forward to the coming of Christ. The kingdom of glory is but a flowering of the kingdom of grace. It's the same kingdom of God, but in its final form, in glory. It's eternal. It's something inherited by the saints. It's our goal and prize. And we wait for it and we hasten it. 2 Peter 3, 11 through 13 speaks of this. This idea of hastening the day. And second Peter. Since all these things are to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn. But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So we are waiting for it, hoping for it, but also hastening it. Now, how do we hasten the day of God? Well, I think in part by continuing to share the gospel, to be built up in Christ, you know, to do all these things that are done in this age, but also we pray, right? We pray that God would advance His kingdom of grace and hasten His kingdom of glory. It's similar to the prayer of Paul, our Lord come, in 1 Corinthians 16.22. It is the consummation of all our hopes and its coming include all the intermediate hopes, right? The hastening of the kingdom of glory includes all those other good things we might hope for on the way there, right? That He would hasten all those things too, but He would hasten the kingdom of glory because that is the consummation of all the good things that we might desire in this life. I kind of already said, what do we pray for with regard to the kingdom of glory that it may be? hastened, right, that it would come, that Christ would hasten the time of his second coming and are reigning with him forever, as the larger catechism puts it. I know we're kind of coming to the end of our time here. How far does the authority of Christ the King extend? What was that? Yeah, and heaven too, right? All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. So all people ought to receive him as their king, otherwise they fall under his judgment as rebels. He has authority over all by right. Psalm 2, Revelation 1 describes this. John 17 says, you have given him authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. Ephesians 1.22 says, and he put all things under his feet, that is, God has put all things under Christ's feet, and gave him as head over all things to the church. So, what purpose does he have in governing all things? To protect, provide, build up his church. That's the object of his special care and protection, that he wields this universal dominion. Four, the advancement of His kingdom of grace and the hastening of the kingdom of glory and the destruction of the kingdom of Satan. And does Christ have power to back up His authority? Does He rule just on paper or does He have power to accomplish this, to exercise it? Yes, yeah, He has power. And so, He directs all things for His purposes. And so the last aspect the larger catechism describes is the kingdom of his power. And so lastly, what do we pray for regarding the kingdom of his power? Does it come? It's already here, right? Like he already has power over all things. So what do we pray for with regard to the kingdom of his power? So we, I mean, and that's kind of related to the kingdom of grace, that all people be brought into it, all people recognize it, or even to the previous petition, that all people hallow his name. But how do we want God to exercise his power? Right, right, so kind of what we've already said, to use his power to these ends. Yeah, so as the larger catechism says, we pray that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world as may best conduce to these ends. Right, so use your mighty power to destroy the kingdom of Satan, to advance the kingdom of your grace, to hasten the kingdom of glory, to accomplish these ends. May his kingdom come. It's something we want and it's something we expect, yeah. So let's go ahead and pray, even as we look forward to these good hopes that we have, both in this age and in the age to come. Dear Lord, our God, we give thanks to you indeed for your grace and mercy, for your mighty power, which is good. We take refuge in you and your protection, and we rejoice in the power that you exercise on our behalf and not for our condemnation and judgment, we ask that you would continue to deliver people from the kingdom of Satan, to destroy his hold over people, to destroy that kingdom, and to advance the kingdom of your beloved Son throughout this age, throughout this world, and in the end, in that kingdom of glory, that we might have a place in it and rejoice in your salvation. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.