Well, good evening, brothers and sisters. Coming back to the Lord's Prayer tonight and recording this in the airport so you may hear some background noise. I apologize for that. But we're going to be continuing our study and looking at that second petition once again and just continuing opening that up tonight. First, what I'd like to do is read from Revelation 21. If you could turn there in your scriptures. Revelation 21, almost to the end of your Bible, the chapter before the last. And here we see John, the Apostle John, writing about the new heavens and the new earth. Let's give attention to God's word. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then he who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexual, immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Thus far in the reading of God's word. Amen. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we ask now that you would add your blessing to the reading of your word, that you would help us now as we continue to seek, Father, to learn the Lord's Prayer and how, Father, we can use it to draw even closer to you, to get into a deeper union and communion with you, our heavenly Father. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray these things in his precious name. Amen. Well, as we've been studying the Lord's Prayer, what we're doing is just opening this up and using, in part, the Westminster Shorter Catechism to do that. And the purpose is that we would be growing, certainly individually, but also as a church, as the local body of Christ by the Spirit. to pray rightly and to pray in a way that our Lord has taught us and and to really open up what this uh what this model prayer is teaching and how we can use it uh not not only to our benefit but to the glory glory of God and here it is this is from Matthew chapter six in this manner therefore pray 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 forgive our debtors and do not lead us into temptation. But deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Amen. So this is what we've been studying. Just a quick review of where we've been so far. We've opened up the preface. to the Lord's Prayer, which is our Father, which art in heaven. And as we did so, what we did was we said, well, we can take at least three things away from this, that we, as we pray to God, our Father, we're praying as a child to our Heavenly Father, and we're praying to God as the only one who is ready and able, we could also put in here willing, desire us to help, and then as we pray to God we do that with and for others, and we do that in faith. Faith is unnecessary. To say ingredient is probably saying it too lightly. Faith is necessary. We need to be praying in faith, and when we pray our Father, then we are praying in faith. Well, that's the preface. What was the first petition? We know that was hallowed be your name. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. We broke that down into, again, three points. We discussed what a petition was. We discussed what the significance was or is of God's name. And how do we hollow it? And that's what we did is we broke down that first petition. Remember, there are six petitions. We're going through each of them. And we're just reviewing at this point in time. We're going to be getting to the second petition and opening that up a little bit more here in a moment. But as we opened up the first, we really were focusing upon God's name. And as we did so, we saw that it's much broader than merely Yahweh, or Jehovah, or the Lord of hosts, or God Almighty. It's all of his titles, all of his attributes, all of his ordinances, His word, His works, whatsoever He's pleased to make Himself known by, that's what we are called to hallow. That's what He hallows. And in order to hallow something, we saw last time that it was that idea of honoring, of sanctifying, not only as we pray, but in the whole Course, and as Watson puts it, the tenor of our lives in everything we do. As we pray that prayer, we are asking that the Lord would cause us to hallow, to honor, to sanctify His name, His works, His words, His attributes, everything by which He's made known in our entire life. That's our petition. We're asking that he would enable us, cause us, to do that. Well, last week we got to the second petition. We began to open that up. We're going to continue to do so tonight, and this is an incorrect slide. It should say last week. Last week we began to open up, and that second petition is your kingdom come." And then as we opened up the Westminster Shorter Catechism, what we saw was as they answered that question, what do we pray for in the second petition, thy kingdom come, we pray, first, Satan's kingdom may be destroyed, secondly, that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it, and thirdly, that the kingdom of glory may be hastened. And as we opened this up, as we consider this just a bit, we looked at Satan's kingdom. We considered briefly the kingdom of grace and also very, very briefly the kingdom of glory. We're going to dig into those tonight again a little bit deeper, at least the latter two. When we talked about Satan's kingdom, we were asking that question. We don't even see that referenced hear thy kingdom come. Where is Satan's kingdom? Well, Satan's kingdom is clearly a real kingdom. It's clearly set forth in scripture. We saw it as Jesus was being tempted, as Satan offered to give him all the kingdoms of the world, meaning that he possessed them in a way, and he had the ability to give those to Jesus if he were to worship him. And so we know the idea, the concept, the reality of Satan's kingdom is clear, and that must be removed, it must be destroyed, such that God's kingdom can fully and completely come into existence come into, and that's a poor choice of words, so it can come. Let's just leave it at that. So that God's kingdom can come, Satan's kingdom must be destroyed. And knowing that Satan is active, that as we pray this prayer, we're praying that the activity of Satan would be reduced, would be restrained, would be hampered, such that he wouldn't be able to do those things that he desires to do, and that indeed his kingdom would continue to be destroyed. As we looked at the kingdom of grace last week, we were considering what kind of a kingdom is this kingdom of grace. It's certainly not political, it's not an earthly kingdom, it's a kingdom which is within our hearts, isn't that we considered. It's that which arises in our hearts, it's the grace which continues to work in our hearts, drawing us closer to God, closer to Jesus Christ by the work of the Spirit, that that which He gives us may be increased. That's what we're praying for in part as we pray for the kingdom of grace. to advance. That faith, that love would grow, increase within us. That's what we're thinking about. That's what we're meditating upon. That's what we are praying for. That's our part of our petition. And then we consider very briefly the kingdom of glory. that the kingdom of grace was militant, the kingdom of glory is triumphant. We need to go through the kingdom of glory to get into the kingdom of grace. They're so closely joined together we really can't separate them, but there is a way in which we can and we're trying to do that even tonight. And then we saw the kingdom of glory really is that which is referred to in the last verse of the scriptures, if not the last, almost the last. He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming soon. The Lord Jesus will ultimately usher in the kingdom of glory on the day of judgment. So that's where we have been tonight. We want to continue to open up this second petition, focusing primarily upon the kingdom, primarily upon the kingdom, the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. And that's where our focus will be tonight. And we've already gone through this, the second, the shorter catechism, praying that Satan's kingdom would be destroyed, that the kingdom of grace would be advanced. ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it, and the kingdom of glory may be hastened. Well, Satan's kingdom destroyed. Just one thing I wanted to bring back to us tonight, one example of how we can use Other scripture verses, either expressly or have them in our minds as we're praying, your kingdom come, is here, right here, is Psalm 7. As we're thinking about the destruction of Satan's kingdom, oh Lord my God. In you I do take refuge. Refuge from what? Well, from Satan's work, from Satan's kingdom, from his darts and arrows, from what he's trying to do. Save me from all my pursuers and deliver me. From who? Well, from the powers of the prince of the air, from Satan himself. He's the one pursuing. He's the one who wants to take us captive. Lest like a lion they tear my soul apart. Satan would like nothing better to tear our souls apart, that we would never enter into the kingdom of glory. So we can see how we can use, and it's appropriate and it's good for us to use, other Scripture passages as we're praying the Lord's Prayer, or at least thinking upon the Lord's Prayer, that these other passages would enter into our hearts, and really open up the idea of the petition that God's kingdom would come, that He would continue to give us refuge from the evil one. that he would deliver us from Satan's roaring, his desire to tear us apart. Kingdom of Grace, we spoke about this again last time, but what I really wanted to do tonight was for us to consider what might be on our hearts and minds as we ask that ourselves and others be brought into it and kept in it. We kind of defined what the Kingdom of Grace was last time, seeing that we would want the Kingdom of Grace to advance in our hearts, that's the idea. But what would be on our minds as we consider that others might be brought into it and kept in it? What should we be thinking? What's the petition there? Well, first, as we pray your kingdom come, our thoughts should clearly, and maybe obviously, be on evangelism. Isn't that the work of evangelism, that others would indeed be brought into the kingdom? Yes, I think so. As we pray, your kingdom come. We'd want to be at a minimum thinking, but probably adding to that, Lord, be with your evangelists. Encourage them, give them courage. You might be thinking or praying specifically for missionaries, or maybe for our own speech and behavior among the lost and the dying. Your kingdom come. Think of Psalm 105, I'll give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Well, who's supposed to do that? I think each one of us. Each one of us are to be making known the deeds of God among all peoples. Wouldn't it be then appropriate as we pray your kingdom come to be praying at the same time with a heart for evangelism? Lord, please help us. Help us to make known your deeds among the peoples that your kingdom of grace would advance. What about 1 Peter 3? In your hearts honor Christ as the Lord, excuse me, Christ the Lord is holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Wow, we should be adding that to our prayer, or at least meditating and thinking about that as we're praying your kingdom come. Lord, work in my heart that not only would I be honoring Christ, the Lord is holy, But as I do, that you would also be preparing me to make a continual defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within me. Your kingdom come. Yes, these are good and right to keep before us. And certainly the great commission, all authority in heaven on earth has been given to me, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. We, as we pray your kingdom come, we should be praying that the Lord would be with our missionaries, that He would be with those who've gone out making disciples of all the nations, that they would be giving them strength, that they would be good teachers, that they would be seeking to raise up, or not they, but the Spirit would be raising up men in their own home countries to plant churches, to pastor congregations, All that is included in your kingdom come. I'm hoping you're seeing the broadness of the Lord's Prayer and all that it includes. Secondly, as we consider this idea of praying that others will be brought into it and kept in it, we may also want to meditate upon the petition and petition the Lord for His continued work of grace, for assurance, and for an increase in the certain hope in Jesus Christ. Wouldn't that be part of your kingdom come? That we would continue to be assured, or that our assurance would grow, that the assurance of the saints of God would continue to increase. Just consider Romans 5 as we've been studying that in the afternoons on Sunday through him. We have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. Father, we thank you for that grace in which we stand. Not only that, we rejoice in our sufferings and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts. What an assurance. God, we should be praying that God would be reminding us that His love has indeed been poured into our hearts, that we would experience that love by and through the work of the Spirit, that we would be kept in His kingdom, that we would be assured of that, not only us, but those who we pray for. It's part of your kingdom come. And then think of Hebrews chapter six. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Do you see how we can be using these verses, these truths, to be petitioning God? Your kingdom come. Would you, Lord, continue to give us that strong encouragement that we might continue to hold fast to the hope set before us, kept in the kingdom of God, in the kingdom of grace. Well, here's really what I wanted to spend a little bit more time on this evening, is the kingdom of glory, kingdom of glory. This is the third part of that second petition. As we pray your kingdom come, we need to be asking what does that mean in regard to the kingdom of glory? Certainly we're asking that it would come quickly, but how are we to think of the kingdom of glory? What should be going through our minds as we utter this second petition, your kingdom come, with respect to the kingdom of glory. Well, Jesus, as he's speaking to Nicodemus, speaks to him of the kingdom of God. Unless one is born again, he cannot see it. And he repeats this in a way, as he's speaking to Nicodemus, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot even enter. The kingdom of God, is that the kingdom of glory we're speaking of? In a sense, yes. In a sense, yes, but in another sense, no. For here, Jesus is really speaking about the kingdom that he has ushered in already through faith. And we can enter that kingdom today through faith. Here's a quote from Ligonier.org, written, I believe, by R.C. Sproul. that the kingdom of God was near, and we see that throughout scripture, the kingdom of God was near because the king of the kingdom was present, Jesus himself. He inaugurated God's kingdom. He didn't consummate it, but he started it. And so as we pray about the kingdom of glory, that it would come quickly, there's a bit of a difference between that and the reference to the fact that the kingdom of God has come upon you. The kingdom of glory must differ in a certain respect from that of which Jesus spoke. We don't want to create so bright a line that we're thinking of two different kingdoms, but we want to recognize that, as we have been speaking, the kingdom of grace is that which is working in our hearts, through which ultimately we will be entering the kingdom of glory. So as we think of the kingdom of glory, we're thinking of the new heavens and the new earth. We're thinking, of Revelation, the end of Revelation. And here we see Revelation 21 at verse 9. Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, come, I will show you the bride, the wife, of the lamb and he carried me away to the spirit in the spirit to a great high mountain showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God having the glory of God and its radiance like a most rare jewel like jasper clear as crystal that's the kingdom of glory And if we were to read on, we would see how it's described in greater detail. And we should continue to read on. We're not going to do that right now. But it's good to read Revelation 21, Revelation 22, and meditate upon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. and the beautiful description that we have of the new heavens and the new earth, and thus the kingdom of glory. Indeed, it's a glorious picture of God dwelling with his people. There's no need for any light, because God and the Lamb are the light. It's a glorious picture of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of glory. But is that where we stop? It's a wonderful picture, but how can we meditate upon this in addition to the scriptures, or at least taking the scriptures and breaking them down a little bit, and as we pray, your kingdom come, as we're thinking about the kingdom of glory, as we're thinking about the new heavens and the new earth, as we're thinking about being with God, dwelling with God for eternity, what might we be fixing our minds upon what might be included within our prayers. Well, just a few things from Thomas Watson. If we were to take them all, we'd be here all night. But first, first, as we consider the kingdom of glory, as we consider being in glory, as we're considering this prayer, your kingdom come, Watson writes that we shall be freed from original corruption, the root of all actual sin. What a wonderful thing to meditate upon as we're praying the Lord's Prayer, as we're opening it up. We don't need to pray those specific words. We can pray, Lord, give us The picture of what it will be is we're freed from original corruption. Help us to, even today, desire that with everything that's within us, that we would not be chained Now, I know we're not chained today. Jesus Christ has broken our chains to sin. But yet the old man still resides, and the old man resides only because of original corruption. The old man resides because we still have that sin nature that remains. Like gum on the bottom of your shoe, we can't get it off yet, but there will be a day he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, and neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away, freed from original corruption. That should be part of our prayer. That should be part of that thought, that meditation, that petition as we pray your kingdom come. Watson continues that we shall be beyond the reach of temptation. What a thought. Just think upon how many times today you've been tempted. Maybe we don't even know. I certainly don't count. It's more than I'd want to count, but that's just today. In a kingdom of glory, there will be no temptation. Watson Rice, the saints shall be freed from the red dragon who is cast out of paradise and shall be forever locked up in chains. I think Thomas has, excuse me, Watson has the idea, but it's even better, I think, than what he writes. If you look at Revelation 20, the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Yes, an idea locked in chains, but never to escape. Suffering for their wickedness for eternity. No longer able to tempt, no longer able to lead the saints away, even if that were possible. Temptation done, over with. No more lusting. no more divorce, no more adultery, no more lies, no more bitterness. What a glorious thing to consider. Lord, hasten the coming of the kingdom of glory. Watson continues that we shall be freed from all doubts. and society with the wicked. How many times do we doubt? In how many different ways? Lord, do you still love me? I'm going through a trial. I'm afflicted. Are you still near? Do you see? Are you really coming for me? freed from all doubts. Not a single one will enter into the kingdom of glory. What a blessed place. Nothing rattling around in our brains that would tend to move us away from God. Nothing that would tend to injure our faith. Freed from doubt. And then freed from the society of the wicked or society with the wicked. We are here today to do good work amongst those who are lost and in darkness, to shine the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is weariness in that. It's a blessing, but there's weariness. and in glory will be freed completely from society with the wicked. Revelation 21, but nothing unclean will ever enter it, meaning the kingdom of glory, meaning God's kingdom, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. That's it. It is an exclusive place Only for those who love the Lord Jesus. Only for those who God has worked powerfully in to change their hearts. Freed from doubts and from society with the wicked. And then, this may be one of the greatest truths. as one enters into the kingdom of glory, every single one will have, as Watson puts it, an immediate communion with God himself, who is the inexhaustible sea of happiness. And what he means there is that there will be no requirement any longer for a mediator will have immediate communion. Think of what Adam and Eve had in the garden. They had immediate communion. And you see the picture there, face to face, just as we have in 1 Corinthians 13. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. Now Paul's not saying we're going to know as God knows. We're not divine. We never will be divine, not even in glory. But there is this union and communion that we don't have today. We have a taste of it. We have the greatest taste of it when we go to worship and corporate worship. But in glory, we'll have an immediate communion with God. That's hard to grasp. But as we pray your kingdom come, we should be having this upon our minds that, Lord, you'd give us a glimpse, a greater glimpse of what it would mean to have that immediate communion with you, which will give us such a longing and desire to be with you. And here's part of that immediate communion. As Watson writes, we shall see with these eyes the glorified body of Jesus Christ. That's beyond words. It's beyond my ability to comprehend seeing Jesus Christ glorified. That was his prayer. That was the Lord's prayer while he was still here in this realm, in this world. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me because you love me before the foundation of the world. Do you see? That was Jesus's prayer. And the Father always gives the Son what he asks for. If you're trusting tonight in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will see him in his glorified body in glory. As we pray your kingdom come, that is part of our prayer. Lord, we cannot wait for the day that you allow us with these eyes and this body to see the glorified Son of God, the glorified Christ. Hasten that day. Watson writes in the kingdom of heaven, we've been speaking of this as the kingdom of glory, but he writes in the kingdom of heaven there shall be inexpressible or incomprehensible joy. And he quotes Aristotle. Aristotle says joy proceeds from union. When the saints' union with Christ is perfected in heaven, their joy shall be full. Oh, brothers and sisters, how much do we know that that is true? Remember, as Christ told the parable of the talents, his master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful. over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. As part of the prayer, your kingdom come. Father, hasten the day that as we come into union and communion with you, with your son, when we see his glory, Father, help us again to have a glimpse of that joy. For today, we don't know it. Today, our joy is not full, not like this. Hasten the coming of the kingdom of glory. Hasten the return of your son. Well, all of that, and there's so much more that's caught up in the second petition, Your Kingdom Come, three words. It's got so much meaning in it, so much for us to be, at a minimum, thinking about, meditating upon, And then maybe even expanding that prayer as we pray it, as we use this as a model prayer, it should be leading us to be praying about these other things. Lord, destroy Satan's kingdom. Hamper his roaming about the earth. Do not allow him to continue to devour Father, pray that your kingdom of grace would increase within our hearts, within the hearts of my brothers and sisters, that their love, their faith, their assurance would increase, that you would cause them, Father, to to love your word, and as they do so, that the kingdom of grace would be increasing in their hearts. And then, Father, we pray that you would allow the kingdom of glory to come quickly, that you'd allow Jesus Christ to return in your good time, for we are so looking forward. to that immediate communion with you. We want to see the Lord Jesus Christ glorified. We want to see his glorified body. We want to experience that inexpressible joy of being with you and that perfect worship All that should be included as we consider that second petition, as we pray that second petition. It's so rich, brothers and sisters. What a blessing that the Lord Jesus Christ has given it to us. Well, Lord willing, next week we will jump into the third petition. Your will be done. So as we conclude tonight, let's go before the throne of grace once again. Father, we thank you so much for Jesus's teaching. We thank you so much for the prayer, the model prayer that he gave his disciples. And Father, as we even tonight open it up just briefly, just a bit, we thank you for the depth, the richness. all that you have included within it, Father, and help us to mine its depths even further. Help these things to be in our mind, Father, upon our hearts as we come before you. Help us never to repeat this prayer in such a way that's rote, that we're not thinking, that we're not meditating upon all the things that are within it. Guide and direct our hearts, Lord, that first you would be glorified, that our hearts would be setting your name and word and works apart as we seek to hollow it or ask you that you would hollow it. And Father, we pray that your kingdom would come, that you would indeed destroy Satan's kingdom, that you would cause that kingdom of grace to well up and increase within our very souls. Jesus would return quickly. Father, we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.