Rev. David Holwick ZC First Baptist Church Ledgewood, New Jersey September 15, 1996 Matthew 6:9 HALLOWING OUR HEAVENLY FATHER =============================== I. God doesn't get much respect. A. This is a tough time for God. Kenneth Woodward, writing in Newsweek magazine this summer, noted that God the Father is being ignored. Evangelicals focus on the Son, Pentecostals on the Spirit, Catholics on Mary and liberals erase maleness everywhere. "Few theologians these days seem to want a God who takes charge, assumes responsibility, fights for his children, makes demands, risks rebuffs, punishes as well as forgives. In a word, a Father." #3836 B. Before we pray, we should recall who God is. 1) He is first priority, our needs come second and derive from him. a) Note the structure of the Lord's prayer: b) 3 petitions to God; 3 toward humans. Carson 1> Parallel with Ten Commandments. 2) Where does your faith focus? a) On God? b) On yourself? C. It matters what kind of God we pray to. Stott 1) What is your image of God?... (grandpa, divine principle...) 2) He is personal. a) Many liberal theologians reduce him to "the ground of our being" or a cosmic architect. b) Bible portrays him as personal and approachable. 3) He is loving. 4) He is powerful - not only good, but great. II. Importance of "Father" in Jesus' theology. A. Unique emphasis on an approachable God. 1) Jews saw God as distant. 2) Only Jesus prayed to God as Father. Jeremias a) Abba not as juvenile as Daddy but more like Papa. 3) He gives Christians the same great privilege. Rom 8:14-16 a) Still a distinction between him and us. John 20:17 b) Apart from human fathers, only God should be a father-figure to us. Matt 23:9 B. Father of all humanity? 1) Great theme of turn-of-the-century Liberalism. a) In one sense he is father, and we are offspring. Acts 17:29 b) But born-again Christians note that Jesus is talking about a special spiritual relationship here. 1> "Our" refers to Christians, not world. 1 John 3:1 2> A distinction is made. 2) Danger - assuming we have God locked up. a) Many Christians are very arrogant about how does, and doesn't, belong to God. (As far as the fifth pew, but not the sixth...) b) Wedding yesterday. Lots of Catholics - last line of Lord's Prayer was a solo by me. Afterwards several told me it was a beautiful service, and there is only one God, after all. c) We should acknowledge the generous spirit here. 1> But also note that if Jesus makes a distinction, we cannot paper it over with wishful thinking. 2> It is what he teaches that matters. C. "Our" Father. 1) Don't pray (be) in isolation. 2) We are part of a believing community. 3) Isolated Christians tend to be ineffective. III. He is in heaven. A. "Who" or "which" is interchangeable. (Greek) 1) "Who" is more personalized. B. What is heaven? 1) More than "up there." 2) Heaven is where God's will is perfectly accomplished. 3) Quality in view more than God's residence. C. Updating our image of heaven. 1) More than clouds and harps. (Book of Revelation) 2) Intensity of glory of God. 3) Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 - inexpressible. Our low view of heaven hurts our witness. Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists of this century, indeed of all time. He did not think much of churches or religion. But it wasn't because he was a natural skeptic, but because religion's view of God seemed so shallow. Charles Misner, a scientific specialist in general relativity theory, expressed Albert Einstein's thoughts this way: "The design of the universe ... is very magnificent and shouldn't be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion, although he strikes me as a basically very religious man. HE MUST HAVE LOOKED AT WHAT THE PREACHER SAID ABOUT GOD AND FELT THAT THEY WERE BLASPHEMING. HE HAD SEEN MUCH MORE MAJESTY THAN THEY HAD EVER IMAGINED, AND THEY WERE JUST NOT TALKING ABOUT THE REAL THING. My guess is that he simply felt that religions he'd run across did not have proper respect ... for the author of the universe." There is a lot of truth in this. In our worship services God simply doesn't come through for who he is. He is unwittingly belittled. Missionary John Piper says: For those who are stunned by the indescribable magnitude of what God has made, not to mention the infinite greatness of the One who made it, ... the steady diet on Sunday morning of practical "how to's" and psychological soothing and relational therapy seem dramatically out of touch with Reality - the God of overwhelming greatness. #3808 D. Proper balance of intimacy and respect. 1) Jews saw God as awesome, but unapproachable. 2) Christians sometimes see God as too approachable. a) We overemphasize intimacy with God and loose sense of awe. b) "He's a great big wonderful God" is too trite, almost irreverent. IV. Hallowed be name. A. Obscurity of "hallow". 1) Young boy's prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven, how did you know my name?" a) Halloween is related term. 2) Means to "treat as holy." a) Concept of unclean > clean/common > holy in OT. b) Modern people treat all things as common. c) But some things should be special. 3) Divine passive - not so much that we can make his name holy, but that he will. a) This is a request that God hallow his own name, but also means WE will hallow God's name. In other words, Christ's followers are asking their heavenly Father to act in such a way that they will reverence God, glorify him, consider him holy, and acknowledge him. [Carson] In a way, to pray, "Hallowed be your name" is to pray, "Make me holy. Grant that I may reverence you." But goal of petition is not that we be holy so much as God will be considered holy and special. B. Meaning of "name." 1) Not just a word(s) attached to a person. G-O-D a) Represents whole person, their character. b) Special place of names of God in Bible focus on his character and glory. 2) Don't profane God's name. Exodus 20:7 V. How to really honor God. A. Accept what he says. B. Commit daily life to him. C. Witness for him and his values. [for documentation of illustrations, download database at http://illust.holwick.com]
First Baptist Church; Ledgewood, New Jersey
This document last modified May 16, 1999