Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on July 12, 2015

Open your Bibles to Psalm 2. Today marks our second week of our Summer of Psalms. Next week we will take a short break while we are at the park and I will be preaching the basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Next Sunday would be an excellent time for each one of you to invite someone who is not a follower of Jesus Christ. As for today, however, we will be examining Psalm 2. Therefore let us read, pray that God would open they eyes of our heart, and examine the Word of God.

• Psalm 2 – “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3“Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
  
  

Psalm 2 is considered a Kingship or Royal Psalm. These types of Psalms focus on the role of a King over God’s chosen people. Other Psalms that fall under this genre include, but are not limited to, are Psalm 18, 20, 21, 45, 47, etc.

As we look at Psalm 2, we can see that there is no indication of its Author. Some Psalms have the Author listed at the beginning, but Psalm 2 does not. Having said that, Peter in Acts 4 tells us who wrote Psalm 2 and he credits it to two authors, David and the Holy Spirit.

David's Kingdom

First, let us begin by talking about David. David was the second King of the nation of Israel around the time of 1000 B.C. He was chosen by God through the Prophet Samuel to replace King Saul. We see the narrative of this story in 1 Samuel 16.

• 1 Samuel 16:1 – “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.””
  
  
• 1 Samuel 16:13 – “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.”
  
  

And there is no doubt that the Spirit of God rested upon David, for there was no greater King born of man then King David. God poured out His grace upon David and made him a mighty warrior. In fact, one of the songs sung by Israel concerning David's might said, “Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7). It was through King David that the Sovereign God continued his ordained plan for Israel and secured the Promised Land for his chosen people. Having said that, this security was not without the shedding of blood.

Upon David taking the throne of all of Israel, God began to use David to subdue the enemies of Israel. And this is the best way to understand the role of David. He was not a defensive King, but instead an offensive King. He did not sit around waiting for the attacks of the surrounding nations, he moved forward and conquered.

Interestingly, the first place David conquered was none other than Jerusalem. We see this documented in 1 Chronicles 11:4

• 1 Chronicles 11:4-5,9 – “And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David….9And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.”
  
  

So starting in Jerusalem, otherwise known as Zion, God began to subdue the surrounding nations and lay them at the feet of King David. 2 Samuel 8 lays out these military victories. After securing Jerusalem, David defeated the Philistines, followed by Moab, then Zobah, then the Syrians, then Edom. 2 Samuel 8:14 sums up why David was so successful.

• 2 Samuel 8:14 – “And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”
  
  

And it is out of this reality that Psalm 2 is written. These nations that surrounded Israel had no hope of success in defeating David, for the Lord was with him. There attempts to defeat Israel while David was King was utterly futile. No matter what strategy they employed and no matter how many alliances they had, they had zero likelihood of having success. God had determined that the Kingdom of Israel would be secure under the rule of David and no one or no thing could change that ordained reality.

Foreshadowing of Christ

When David was writing this Psalm, he was writing in the context of his life. He saw these words in Psalm 2 as applying to him and his role as Israel's King. Having said that, many of you know that the Old Testament is a foreshadow of Christ, and this is especially true for David. David is considered a type of Christ. By this I mean that God used David to point to the coming of the Messiah. And as we read Psalm 2 from the other side of the cross, we can easily see this deeper meaning. This Psalm is not just about David, it is about Christ. In fact, it is primarily about Jesus, and secondarily about David. We know this because of Acts 4 that I mentioned earlier. If you recall, I said that Psalm 2 had two authors, David and the Holy Spirit.

So please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 4. Acts 4 is the narrative of the early Church right after the ascension of Jesus into Heaven. In Chapter 3, Peter and John were arrested for preaching the Gospel. In Chapter 4 we see them making their defense before the council, the same people who voted to crucify Jesus, and before these rulers Peter says in verse 11 and 12, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among menc by which we must be saved.” After this statement, the council threatened Peter and Paul and told them to stop sharing the gospel. Now look at verse 23.

• Acts 4:23-31 – “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,d said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
  and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’e--27for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, look31 upon their threats and grant to your servantsf to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Peter makes it very clear, Psalm 2 is all about Jesus. And as you look at the words of Psalm 2, this, to us seems obvious. Verse 7 says, “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” Words like this remind us of verse like John 3:16 which say, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Likewise in verse 2 we see the word “annointed” which in Hebrew is “”mashiach”, which is the word Messiah. So, like Peter who stood on the other side of the cross, it is clear that Psalm 2 is about King Jesus.

So the question is, what is it telling us? I belive it is telling us four things 1) God's Enemies, 2) God's Sovereignty, 3) God's Victory, and 4) God's Appeal.

God's Enemies

Look at verse 1-3, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3“Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

Since the moment of Jesus arrival over 2000 years ago, the world has hated his name. In Isaiah 53:3, we are told he was destined to be “despised and rejected by men” Right out of the gates there was a hit put on his head by Herod. Even his hometown of Nazareth tried to throw him off a cliff.

Jesus was very tuned into this reality. He says in John 15:18, ““If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” The raging of the world against Christ is as old as the world itself, whether it was raging against the shadow of Christ or raging against the substance of Christ. Whether it was Nero, Diocletian, Joseph Stalin, or Kim Jung Un, it is nothing new. It is estimated that 70 million Christians have been killed for their faith since the death of Christ.

We, here in America, have been living in a bubble. The rage of nations is something that we are not familiar with, at least not firsthand. However, I believe this is changing. You can sense the rage rising in our news, our work, our communities, an even our families. Having said that, there efforts to destroy Christ, as it says in verse 1, is vanity.

God's Sovereignty

Look at verse 4-7, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”

God's laughter is not comedic. God's laughter is one of absurdity. The nations have no clue who they are waring against. If they did, they would not fight, but instead lay down their arms. God is infinitely powerful, and the nations are nothing compared to God.

• Isaiah 40:15 - “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.”

It is pure silliness for rulers and nations to believe they can prevail against the creator of the Universe.

As it says in our text, God has decreed that Christ is to be on the throne. The decree of God is not like a decree of man. It is a guarantee. It is locked in stone. It is a decree that will become reality. Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.“ Isaiah 46:9-11, “for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose”

No matter how hard ISIS fights, no matter how many Christians are locked up and murdered in North Korea. No matter how much Iran hates Christians and Jews, God's sovereign plan of Christ on the throne will not be defeated. As we read in Hebrews 12 today in Sunday School, it is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

God's Victory

In fact, the victory is already ours. Verse 8-9 says, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Upon the cross Jesus was victorious. In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus speaks of this victory when he says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ” The work is over, Christ is on the throne. Not only was it decreed by God, but it was fulfilled in Christ. And some day, one way of the other every knee will bow to Christ. The question is not will Jesus be King. The question is will you submit before it is too late.

God's Appeal

Which leads us to God's gracious appeal, which in my opinion is the primary purpose of Psalm 2. God has laid out his Sovereign Plan before us. He is not hiding the ball. He has determined and proclaimed that the Universe will revolve around his anointed, only begotten Son. And not only will the Universe revolve around Christ, but he will rule. He will be King. This is the will of God. This is the purpose of Creation.
 Failure to accept God's will, failure to submit to God's plan of Christ-centeredness results in perishing. This is the second week we have seen this word, perish. We saw it last week in Psalm 1 when God said “but the way of the wicked will perish.” Now in Psalm 2 we see perishing as the destiny of those who fail to kiss the son.

Failure to receive eternal life will not be because of lack of warning, it will be because of the lack of submitting. The only way in which we, or anyone else on this planet avoid the wrath of God, is by loving Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life, no one gets to the father but through him (John 14:6).

This Kiss of the Son is not a kiss of Judas, which was a kiss of hypocrisy. Instead the Kiss of the Son is one that is more like the sinful women in Luke 7:38 which says, “and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.”

Kissing the son is humbling ourselves and embracing him for who he truly is and what he truly has done for us. It is recognizing that he is a suffering King, who died in our place. It is recognizing that he is the anointed Son of a loving God, who was sent to ransom a wretched people for his own possession.

Conclusion

So in summary, what is Psalm 2 about? It is about God's soverign plan that cannot be defeated. It is about the Messiah who will reign. It is about the gospel message of God's love through His Son. It is about proclaiming these truths to the nations that rage. We should see Psalm 2 just like Peter saw Psalm 2. After he quoted Psalm 2 what was his prayer? “And now, Lord, look31 upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on December 24, 2014

Once again, I want to welcome everyone here tonight who has chosen to spend Christmas Eve with us here at Cornerstone Church. I do not think you will regret it. I don’t say that because of me, or because this building, or even the company or cookies, but because of God and what he has for us tonight in His Word. The only reason we have this Holiday is because of this book and what it says. It only makes sense for us tonight to sit at the foot of God’s throne and soak in His Word.

With that said, I want to encourage each one of you to start a new Christmas tradition this year, that is, if you don’t do this already. Before you open presents, I encourage you to open up the Bible. Spend time reading about the love God as is displayed in Jesus Christ. My suggestion for this year is to read Romans 8. It is not the Christmas story, but it is why we celebrate the Christmas story. After you read this passage, pray and tell God thank you for all He has done through Christ. I cannot think of a more important Christmas tradition than this.

Now let us turn our attention to tonight’s message. Open your Bibles to Matthew 4:12-17. Here at Cornerstone we have camped out in this text for a little over three weeks. Let’s read it pray, and then see what God has to say to us this Christmas Eve.

• Matthew 4:12-17 – “Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  
  

This text talks about three things 1) darkness, 2) the Light and 3) the Kingdom of Heaven.

Darkness

Darkness is simply the absence of light. Where there is light there is no darkness. Where there is darkness there is no light. The darkness as mentioned in this text, however, is not material darkness it is a spiritual darkness. The light is God, the darkness is the absence of God. Therefore this darkness is a reference to a people who live separated from God. The darkness mentioned in verse 16 is not exclusive to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. The dominion of darkness covers the entire planet. All you have to do is watch the news to figure this out. The darkness encompasses all humanity, because we are all sinners. We all run from the light into the domain of darkness. As it says in John 3, people love the darkness.

This darkness, that we love, is not a good thing. Living in darkness results in fear, anxiety, lostness, futility, dysfunction, suffering, and anguish. The sin in your life may feel good in the moment, but it produces a wake of disaster in your life. This is the world we live in, broken, rebellious, living as if God is dead to us. However, this is not the worst of it, for this darkness is just a taste of the ultimate and eternal spiritual darkness, Hell. Jesus calls Hell the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, and this is the guaranteed destiny for everyone absent a Solution.

Light

Which leads me to point number two, the answer to the darkness is singular. Remember, darkness is just the absence of light; therefore to remove darkness you must have light. Nothing else resolves the problem of darkness, other than light. And what is the answer to the spiritual darkness? What is the solution to the highway to Hell that every man walks upon? Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus stands up and proclaims in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The answer to the darkness, the answer to the dysfunction, the answer to the suffering is Jesus Christ. No matter where the darkness lies, the answer is the same. Jesus, the Light of the World. This is why the angels proclaim in Luke 2:10 to the Shepherds, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Jesus is not the answer for some, he is the answer for everyone!

The question I ask everyone tonight is are you following the Light? Do you follow Christ? And I am not asking do you go to Church from time to time, or are you a good person. I am asking do you love Jesus? Have you laid your life down at the foot of the cross and said, “I am yours.” If you have not yet chosen to follow Christ, then you are still are a citizen of the domain of darkness? This means that the suffering you are experiencing now is nothing what is waiting for you in Hell.

Kingdom of Heaven

The question is how does this occur? How does one go from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of Heaven? What does Jesus do?

• Matthew 4:17 - “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
  
  

The way that you are transferred from the domain of darkness is the proclamation of repent and turn to the King. The way this occurs is by doing exactly what I am doing right now. You preach the truth. You talk about the darkness, you talk about sin, you warn people of the wrath of God, that could come crashing down at any moment. And you tell them the good news of Jesus Christ and you plead with them to turn and follow Christ. Just as the angles did, you proclaim to the good news of great joy.

It is the Word of God and the power of God that pierces the hearts of man and awakens them to their need for Jesus. The Gospel message opens their eyes to the depravity of darkness and the treasure of the Light of Christ.

• Colossians 1:13 – “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”
  
  

This is the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the Kingdom of the Beloved Son. It is a Kingdom that began with the dawning of the Light of Christ, 2000 years ago and continues to expand from heart to heart with the preaching of the good news of great joy. For those who follow Jesus, you are citizens of the Kingdom of the Beloved Son, and have within you the light of life. God has signed your citizenship papers with the blood of His Son. And right now we are in fact experiencing the blessing of that citizenship. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are receiving the fruit of that relationship; things such as love, peace, joy.

Having said that, we still live in this darkened world, not of it, but in it. We still live in a world that is full of sin, dysfunction, perversion, brokenness, rebellion, suffering and anguish. We still feel the weight of this, to an extent. This is a reality for all Christians. We are Citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven, however, for a moment; we live in the domain of darkness.

And despite the love, peace and joy that we have in Christ, and is an undercurrent to our lives, we still mourn, weep, and suffer. We still get cancer. We still struggle with our flesh. The road for a believers is not easy street, it is hard, it is narrow, but it is good. Because we know where our journey ends. It ends with God.

• Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
  
  

This is a guaranteed reality for all who follow the Light of Christ. He will lead you out of the wilderness of this darkened world and into the presence of God. In the presence of God, it is better than anything you can ever imagine. The joy that you have tasted now, pales in comparison to the fullness of joy you will have with God. The pleasures of this world are not worth comparing to the pleasures of God that continue for all time. God is so good to us, not only does he promise us this and achieve it in Christ, but he also gives us a glimpse into it. This is what God tell us about the Kingdom of Heaven that awaits us.

• Revelation 21:3-7 – “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. “
  
  
• Revelation 21:23 - “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
  
  

What is Christmas about? It is about that. It is about Jesus Christ securing for us an eternity that has no darkness, no mourning, no crying, no pain. That is the end goal. That is what Jesus had in mind when he died on the cross for your sins. That is why the Lamb was slain. To ransom you with His blood. That is good news! That is great Joy! That is Christmas.

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on August 17, 2014

Today marks our third and final week on the topic of money. My goal from this short sermon series was to put money in its proper place and God in His. As I stated last week, I believe that we in America have reversed their respective roles. We have used God to serve our love for money instead of using money to serve our love for God. If the self-proclaimed Christians would recognize that money is a gift from God to be used for the glory God, we would start to move some major mountains in this fallen world; even us, tiny little Cornerstone. If you don’t believe me, listen to this text regarding the poor and afflicted Churches in Macedonia.

• 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 – “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—“
  
  

What an amazing testimony of a small collection of Churches, despite their extreme poverty and their sever afflictions they gave, not out of burden, but out of joy. This is where I want us to be in our relationship with money. I want us to be so Christ centered and selfless that we are begging to provide relief to the saints. God has blessed us with wealth so that we can be be a blessing to others. It is time that we stop hoarding and start giving.

In light of this goal, today we are going to explore one of the major obstacles that prevents us from giving, fear. Because of the uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring we cling to every last cent that we have. However, today I am not going to limit myself to talking about anxiety as it relates to money only, but anxiety in general. So lets is read our text, pray and turn our eyes to God's Word.

• Matthew 6:25-34 – “"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
  
  

As our text for today’s says days are full of trouble. No matter how good we have it, there is trouble looming like a dark cloud over your head. Robin Williams’ death this last week is evidence of this reality. He was successful, rich, popular, he had a wife and three beautiful children, but the trouble in his life was overwhelming, to the point of taking his life. We can all agree, that no matter what you think about him, or why he committed suicide, he was personally overcome by his troubles.

This week there has been a flurry of tweets, posts, blogs and articles written about the death of Robin Williams, with everyone grasping for straws seeking answers and solutions. Many of these people never once thought about what God says about the topic. I don’t believe it is an accident that today we here at Cornerstone arrive at a text that provides the solution. However, before we get there, I want to us to understand something about Jesus.

In verse 34 Jesus says, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” This understanding of trouble is not a distant understanding. Jesus is acutely aware of the difficulties of life. He knows what it is like to be hungry. He knows what it is like to have enemies. He knows what it is like to have burdens. Why? Because we have a God who came down from his throne and dwelt among us. Listen to Hebrews 4:15-16.

• Hebrews 4:15-16 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
  
  

What a beautiful place for us to start. We have a High Priest, Jesus, who understands. He has walked a mile in our shoes, and in the midst of our darkest days, we can draw near to him. My heart breaks for those who attempt to fight the demons of their life without the power of Jesus Christ. They have nothing to draw near to but the darkness of the World. If we want to love those who are battling anxiety and depression we need to bring them to the throne of grace. We need to bring them to Jesus. Now with this said, I am going to focus on three things today: God’s will, our problem, Jesus’ solution.

God’s Will

First let us talk about God's will as it relates to anxiety. In our text we see Jesus say three times “do not be anxious”, verse 25, 31, and 34. This word anxious in Greek is merimnaō. It means to be troubled, worried, concerned, to overly dwell upon something. I think we can all agree that all of us have been troubled, worried, or overly concerned about something in our lives. Perhaps as I speak right now you are only half listening because something is weighing heavily on your mind. Perhaps you didn’t sleep very well last night because you were worried about your finances, work, kids, your marriage, school, politics, the economy, insurance, your health, the middle east, etc. The list can go on and on. The bottom line is that we are worriers, and therefore this scripture is extremely relevant to our lives.

In our text Jesus makes it abundantly clear that God’s will for your life is for you not to worry. His desire for you is that you not be anxious about any of those things I just listed. He does not want you to lose sleep over money problems, food problems, and relationship problems. God wants you be free from the slavery of anxiety.

I think this understanding is extremely important for Christians. So many times, Satan convinces us that God doesn’t care about our day to day activities, baloney. God cares. He cares about the nervousness we feel as we drive down the interstate. He cares about the cold sweat we experience when we are interviewing for a job. He cares about the sickness in our gut when we are waiting for the phone call from the doctor. God cares. We need to know and be reminded that the Sovereign God of the Universe is 100% for you. He wants his children to be cured of this condition of anxiety, and this text is proof. So first of all we need to hear loud and clear that God’s will for your life is that you an anxiety free.

Our Problem

Let us now turn to the problem. Why do we feel anxious? Why do we work ourselves up into a frenzy, or become so overwhelmed about things that we can barely get out of bed? The answer is in our text.

• Matthew 6: 30 – “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
  
  

Jesus tells us that our problem is not our problems. It is not the lack of money that produces our troubled spirit. It is not the broken relationships that cause the endless worrying. That is not the issue. As we just said, Jesus says in verse 34, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Meaning that as long as there is a tomorrow, there is one thing that we can count on, trouble. Troubles will never disappear until we die, or until Christ returns. And the reality is that if we die without Christ, our troubles aren’t ending, they have only just begun. It is not a coincidence that Hell is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. These are two things you do when you are troubled.

No the source of our anxiety is not a world problem, it is a heart problem. We worry because we have “little faith.” Our lack of faith produces the anxiety, the worry, the concern. Our problem is a trust issue. Now when we hear faith, we should never let that word be an end in itself. For faith must have an object. Faith in what? Jesus is referring to faith in God. Now this is important, because many people when they say have faith, they are not saying have faith in God, they are instead saying have faith that everything will work out. This is the health and wealth movement of Joel Olsteen. God never promises a change to your troubles. But he does talk about a changed heart. They are talking about outcomes, not God.

We need to be clear hear, that Jesus is not talking about outcomes, he is talking about God. Our problem is that we do not have faith in the Sovereign God of the Universe. Turn with me to Mark 4:35-41.

• Mark 4:35-41 - “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
  
  

In this story we see two responses to the trouble that was at hand. One response was the response of the disciples, afraid. The other response was the response of Jesus, asleep. One event, two responses. The difference between the two responses is one thing, faith. Jesus has perfect faith, and the disciples have no faith. It is the presence of faith that makes all the difference.

This truth is important for us to know. Jesus, who is the Author of Life, has diagnosed our illness as a lack of faith in God. Now that we know the problem, we can figure out the solution. Now we can move forward. Therefore the next time you find yourself being anxious we can pinpoint that the cause is not the situation, but our little faith in God.

The Solution

So if our little faith is the problem, what is the solution? This is what I love about the Bible, Jesus gives us practical advice that can easily implement in our life. Today we will very quickly touch on five ways to overcome anxiety. The first one is common sense, but important. 

1.  Worrying doesn't help.

 Verse 27, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” No matter how long you stay up at night and trouble your spirit about your finances, it don't add a second to your earthly existence. God tells us that our days our numbered, and worrying doesn't change that number. You will die when you die. This is so important, we spend so much time worrying as if our worrying has power. It doesn't, so stop. Worrying is one of the most worthless things you can do. 

2.  God values you.

Verse 26, “Are you not of more value than they?” What an amazing verse. The God of the Universe who needs nothing, finds value in you. You are not some random collection of accidental cells floating through space. You are not a nobody, you are a somebody. God looks down from His Almighty throne and he cares for you. In fact he cares so much for you He sent his Son to die for you. Listen to this verse.

• Romans 8:32 - “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? “
  
  

In my opinion, one of the main reasons people chose to end their life is that they wrongly believe that no one cares. They buy into the lie of the world that they are an accident, and that they evolved from mud. This is a flat our lie and a dangerous one at that. If we want to help people overcome anxiety, it is not an anti-bullying policy, this is barking up the wrong tree. We need kids to know that God loves them, he loves them so much he sent His Son to die for them.

3.  Life is more than food and clothing.

Verse 24, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Why did God create you? It is not to look good. It is not to have a fridge full of processed food. God created you to glorify him. This is why we wake up in the morning. This is why we have jobs. This is why we have families. Everything we do is to glorify you. When we have this mindset, lacking things that are secondary to life start to take on a proper place. No longer do we lose sleep over our budget, for life is not about budgets, it is about God's glory.

• Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
  
  

We must believe that we exist for God's Kingdom, not our own Kingdom. When we do this, the absence or lack of earthly things become irrelevant. In fact, the absence of food, or clothing, or money, or whatever the trouble is becomes an opportunity, not to worry ourselves to death but to glorify God in a very unique a powerful way. When we live for God's glory in the midst of the storms of life, it is a powerful witness to who God is in our lives. 


4.  God knows you and knows your need.

Verse 32, “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

All of us have made God too small and too distant. We fail to recognize that God is sovereign over all creation. This is a God who is so awesome, that he feeds the birds, and clothes the lilies. He is in complete control over everything. Nothing happens in this life without him doing it. This is what Jesus is proclaiming. This is what Jesus was rebuking the disciples about in the boat. They didn't get that the storm is not outside God's plan, God orchestrated it.

This is also true for your life. God is intimately aware and in control of everything in your life, whether large or small. He is present in your life, and nothing happens to you without his permission. This means that if you lose your job tomorrow, this is not a surprise to God. This means if you get cancer tomorrow, there is a God ordained reason for it.

The truth of God's utter and all powerful control holds so much comfort in times of trouble. When we accept that God is in utter control of all things, we can stop worrying and start worshiping. We can turn to Him and say, I don't get it, but I trust you. And instead of tossing and turning when the storms are raging, we can sleep, just like Jesus did in the back of the boat.

All of these solutions, serve one purpose, to increase our faith in God. We must battle our anxiety with faith in God. The bottom line is that we need to understand that we are not God, but there is a God who holds the Universe in His hands and he knows you and loves you.

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, IA on July 27, 2014

Today we are going to begin a short sermon series on money. I am not sure how long I am going to preach on it, so bear with me as God leads me. Before I get too far into the sermon, I want share with you a book, the Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn. I have purchased 25 of these books and I want each family to take one and read it. It is only 120 short pages, so you could easily read it in a day if you were motivated. In fact, I hope you read it several times over the next couple of weeks. With that said, let us read our text, pray, and see what God has to say to us about His money.

• Matthew 6:19 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
  
  

I regularly hear people complain about Churches asking for money. Perhaps you have found yourself in this situation, you have repeatedly invited a friend to Church and the one time they finally say yes the sermon is about tithing. The minute you realize this, you desire to run up to the pastor and ask him to change the topic of this sermon and instead have a good old fashioned altar call of a sermon.

Here at Cornerstone, we love the Bible. It is God’s Word, breathed out by Him. We believe the Bible is living and active. We believe that it will not return to God void, but will accomplish what it sets out to do. We believe it is food to our souls. We believe it is a weapon to use against Satan’s attacks. We believe that it will shape us into Christ-likeness. If we believe all these things then we should recognize the immense amount of attention that is given to money in the Bible. According to Randy Alcorn, fifteen percent of Jesus’ teaching is about money. He talks about money more than Heaven and Hell combined.

If Jesus preached on money, than I need to preach on money. In fact, if I want to strike a Christ-like balance of fifteen percent, than I should preach on the topic of money eight Sundays a year.

On top of that, we need to face the music. Money plays a significant role in our lives. Money is used to purchase food, clothing, homes, appliances, furniture, cars, phones, insurance, medicine, vacations, books, entertainment, toys, etc. Generally speaking, the way we receive from others is through the transaction of money. The reality is that money is involved in a majority of the decisions in your life, both big and small; therefore, how you relate to money is substantially correlated to how you live your life.

So to begin, I want to us to recognize that the topic of money should, and must be preached from the pulpit. Failure to preach about money is a failure to have the Word of God shine light on the path of our life. Show me a pastor who doesn’t preach on money, and I will show you a pastor who doesn’t love his sheep.

A Matter of the Heart

The next thing I want us to understand is that the topic of money is not about what is in your bank account, but it is about what is in your heart. Jesus makes this abundantly clear in verse 21.

• Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
  
  

If I were to rename the Sermon on the Mount, I would name it the Sermon on the Heart, because that is really what Jesus is focusing on with each convicting truth. The heart is at the core of each topic. Jesus is using different realities and get to, literally, the heart of the matter.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will anyway, God does not want your money. God is the Sovereign Creator of all things. Everything that exists is His.

• Deuteronomy 10:14 – “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.”
  
  
• Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
  
  
• Job 41:11 – “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.“
  
  

God owns every last cent on the planet. From the gold of Fort Know to the penny that has fallen between the cushions of your couch. It is all His. Matthew 6 is not about God’s greed. It is about your need. So with that said, let’s look at how Jesus gets our attention.

Fleeting and Eternal

The first thing He does is to point out the reality of fleetingness. Creation is cursed, and because of the curse everything decays. This will continue to happen until Christ returns and the curse is lifted. The house you live in will someday be dust, so will your car, phone, computer, clothes and everything else you own. In a thousand years the place we are currently in, along with everything in it will be nothing more than rubble, at best. Everything, that is, but you. You and I are the one tangible thing that will still be around in 1,000 years, in 1 million years, in 1 billion years. The stuff in your life will be a distant memory, but you will remain.

• Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has put eternity into man's heart…”
  
  

Why has he put eternity in our heart? Because it is true. You and I will exist forever. You can feel it. There is a sense of immortality in everything we do, and that is because, to an extent, it is true. Yes, we will all die, but death is not the end, it is the beginning of abundant joy or abundant anguish.

• Matthew 25:46 – “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
  
  

Randy Alcorn uses this example in his book, and I think it is a good one. The best way to understand your existence is a “ray.” A ray is a point, or a dot, with an arrow attached to it. You have a beginning, but you have no end. Your life on this planet is the dot. Your eternity is the arrow. No matter how long you live whether it be 10 years, 50 years, or 100 years, your life is nothing more than a dot. James 4:14 says it this way.

• James 4:14 - “For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. “
  
  

The question I have for all of us is, do you believe this? Do you truly believe that your life is a dot and in a trillion years you will be in Heaven or be in Hell? Do you truly believe in your heart that in a trillion years your spouse, your kids, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers will be in Heaven or in Hell?

If you believe this, does your life match this alleged belief? Do you spend your time and your money in a way that reflects that your faith is real, or are you just fooling yourself? In my day job as a prosecutor I live in a world of evidence. People come into my office and lie to me all the time. My first thought is, “prove it.” Show me evidence that supports what you are saying? Jesus does the same thing. Look in your text at verse 21?

• Matthew 6:21 - “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
  
  

If we want to look at what you believe in your heart, lets look at what you value. If I were to say, next week everyone bring your calendar and your bank statement. We are going to look for proof, or evidence, regarding your belief in eternity. We are going to see if your walk matches your talk. I am guessing that this would be a pretty empty place. Why? Because the writing is on the wall. But this is exactly what Jesus tells us to do. If you want to know the condition of your heart, look at what you invest in, both in your time and your money. Do you invest in the vapor of your life, or do you invest in eternity?

With that said, how many of you have ever heard the phrase, “He is so heavenly minded, that he is no earthly good.” Do you know who came up with this line? If I were to guess, I wold say Satan, the Father of lies, because this statement is just not true. Jesus is case in point. He was the most heavenly minded person to walk the planet and did more good that the entire world combined. Listen to what Jesus says about home owhership.

• Matthew 8:20 - “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
  
  

Jesus, whom we are to be striving to be like, was homeless. Not only that , he did not even own his own donkey. When he needed one, he had to borrow it from some random guy in Jerusalem. Jesus was not concerning about the American Dream lifestyle. He could care less about stuff. Why? Because he was focused on the treasure that awaited him in the presence of His Father. He was focused on the reality of eternity. Why accumulate homes and donkeys for the short 33 years of his life, when he is going to live in a place where the streets are paved with Gold.

Like Jesus, we are just visiting. This is not our home. Earth is more like our hotel. This is a place we are merely staying for a moment. We are reminded in 1 Peter that we are sojourners on this planet, just passing through. Paul tells us this in Philippians that our citizenship is not America, as much as it is heaven, and he says some pretty direct comments about those people who live for this World.

• Philippians 3:20 - “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,“
  
  

CS Lewis says, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” Too many people who are self-proclaimed Christians live like this is their final resting place, set their minds on earth, and aim for the dot, not the arrow. When they do this they are playing Russian roulette with their soul. Listen to what God tells us in James

• James 4:4 - “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. “
  
  

What does your bank account say about who your friend is? What does your bank account tell you that you truly believe in, the dot or the arrow? Listen to what Jesus tells us in Luke 12:13-21.

• Luke 12:13-21 – “Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
  
  

What consumes your life? Is it bigger bins? Is it your investments? Is it your 401K? Is it your possessions? Cars? Motorcycles? Homes? Phones? Clothing? All those things are fleeting. They won't make you happy, for material things are not designed to horded, but to be given away.

Jesus calls the man who invested in this world a fool? Why? Because his actions did not make sense in light of the truth. If I were to ask you, do want a dollar now, or a million dollars tomorrow, you would be a fool to take the buck, but that is what we do every day when we live for the dot in our life. Here is another quote from CS Lewis, “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it but because be it I see everything else.” God has revealed truth to us through Jesus, let us live in a way that is not foolish, but wise.

The reality is, no one knows when the dot of your life will end. It may be today, it may be tomorrow, but there is no doubt it will end, the question is what is waiting for you? Heaven of Hell? Treasures or regrets.

We cannot change the past, but today is a new day. Let us chose today, whom we will serve. Will it be the passions of our flesh, or will it be the Lord. Will we trust God's investment strategy or will we listen to deception of the world? Are we willing to accept the eternal rewards of God, or would we rather be like the prodigal son and eat the pig slop of this world?

Don't settle for this world, set your eyes on the prize that lies before us in Christ.
 

Preached at Cornerstone Church in Cascade, Iowa on June 8, 2014.

Today we find ourselves in Matthew 6:5-9. Today marks the second week in our four or five week sermon series on prayer. We have a lot to cover, so let’s get right to work.

• Matthew 5:5-15 – “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
  
  

Prior to the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says these things about prayer:

1. Prayer is assumed. Verse 5, “When you pray.” Every son and daughter of God should talk to their Father. Period. If you aren’t praying regularly it is a sign of a strained relationship with God.
   
   
2. When you pray it is between you and God. No one else. You are to do all you can to direct your heart and your mind to be in His exclusive presence.
   
   
3. Prayer is not about words as much as it is about your heart. Jesus explicitly commands us not to pray vain with repetitious prayer. Don’t heap up empty words. Pray from your heart, not your lungs.
   
   

After these words on prayer Jesus then gives us an example of how to pray.

• Matthew 6:9 – “Pray then like this:”
  
  

I want us to consider for a moment what is happening. Emmanuel, God with us, God incarnate, Jesus Christ is giving us an example of words that should be springing forth from our heart and out of our mouths. God is telling us how His children are to speak to Him. This is, once again, a window into what God sees as supremely important to Him and should be to us.

Having said that, how often have you taken your prayers and lined them up to the Lord’s prayer? As I stated earlier, prayer for Christians is assumed. If you are a true child of God, you will pray to him. You should pray without ceasing. When you pray, are your prayers “like this” or like something else? If not, why not? Are you praying wrongly? Perhaps.

• James 4:3 – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
  
  

Today, let us commit, not only to being people of prayer, but those who pray with a right heart. With this said, what do we see in the Lord’s prayer? First, I want to draw your attention to structure. Jesus splits the prayer into two parts. The first half you see the primary focus being on God.

• Matthew 6:9-10 “…hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done,”
  
  

The second part you see the primary focus on us.

• Matthew 6:11-13 - “Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts…lead us not into temptation,”
  
  

I do not believe that Jesus is random, and I do not believe in coincidences. Jesus is intentionally giving us both a specific and general example of how we are to pray. In our petitions we should focus on God first and then ourselves. The irony is that when we put God first, we are actually the ones that are rewarded.

With all of that under our belt, I want to work through the Lord ’s Prayer verse by verse and word by Word. Therefore today, we are going to examine on verse 9.

• Matthew 6:9 – “"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
  
  

First let us look at the first two words of the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father.” As you can see, the word is “our” not “I.” The example Jesus gives us is a corporate prayer, a group prayer, a family praye. Just a few verses earlier, Jesus told us to “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” And now he starts the greatest prayer in the Bible as “our.” Is Jesus schizophrenic? No. As I said last week, praying in secret is a matter of your heart and mind, not about individualism. Prayer can and should be both an individual endeavor and a group endeavor. God desires, and has always desired, that His chosen people would pray together.

• 2 Chronicles 20:4 – “And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. “
  
  
• Joel 1:14 – “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”
  
  
• Acts 1:14 – “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
  
  
• James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
  
  

It is time to lay down our Christian individualism, as if there is such a thing, and become the family God desires us to be. Come Wednesday night to prayer meeting. Come with an Acts 1 and a James 5 heart. Let us devote ourselves to prayer, confessing to one another praying for one another. If Wednesday night doesn’t work in your schedule find others and commit to pray with them over lunch or early mornings before work or school. Let us pray like Jesus says to pray and be able to say “our.” Not just “I.”

The next word that I want us to meditate on is “Father.” This word has become empty to us as it relates to God. In the days of Jesus, this was not the case. Calling God Father was highly unusual, prior to Jesus. Only a handful of times in the Old Testament is God referred to as Father. However, when Jesus comes onto the scene that changes dramatically. Father becomes the primary way that the Christians address God. To us this title is second nature, but to the Jews during the days of Jesus, it was enough to start a war. Jesus coming into the reality was the tipping point to this transition. Why? Because it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that we have the right to address God as Father. It is his blood that signs our adoption papers.

• Ephesians 1:5 - “he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,“
  
  

This is the amazing thing about what is unfolding in this moment. Jesus is teaching us to pray a prayer that is radically intimate, and he is the only means by which we can achieve it. Without placing your trust in Christ, you can't say “Father”, without faith in Christ you can't say “our”, without believing in Christ this prayer is completely pointless to you. It doesn't matter how often you repeat it like a broken record, without Jesus Christ you might as well be reading off a cereal box. Jesus is the cornerstone to everything, even this prayer.

When we begin our prayer with “Our Father” we are saying something overwhelmingly profound and wonderful . With these two words we are placing ourselves on the lap of our Father, and this is by far the greatest gift we can fathom. The Almighty, Sovereign God of the Universe, is our Dad, and he wants us speak to Him with this on our lips and on our hearts.

With this said, what does God want us to request?

• Matthew 6:9 – “"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
  
  

The first request that our Dad wants us to make to Him is that His name be hallowed. First let us ask the question, what is in a name? The answer is everything. The name of something is a summation of who they are. When you speak of me, you speak of all of me. Every thought, every action, every attribute, and every emotion. When we speak of the name of God we are likewise speaking to everything He is. God's name is a description of all of Him. Nothing else completely describes Him.

Next, what does it mean to hallow. Hallowed means to be sanctified; to be holy.. To set apart as not common, sacred. What does that look like. It looks like Isaiah 6.

• Isaiah 6:1-4 - “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
  
  

To hallow God means to see Him as completely other. To stand before Him and to see Him on His throne high and lifted up. To recognize His majesty, His authority, His power, His sovereignty. To see Him in all His glory, and to respond in worship. This is what it means to hallow our Father, and Jesus tells us that when we pray we should have this be our first request, and yes, I say request.

When Jesus says, “Hallowed be Thy Name,” it is not a statement of fact. It is a petition. It is a request. Jesus is saying, “Father, make your name hallowed. Father, make your name Holy. Father, let your majesty, your authority, your glory be seen and revered. Father, cause us to see you high and lifted up and cause us to worship you! This is what “Hallowed be your name” means, and this is the first request that Jesus tells us to pray to our Father.

I want us to think about something for a second. This prayer is Jesus' example of how we are to pray in the midst of life. Let that sink in. Life is a mess. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Life consists of cancer, broken hearts, financial stress, deaths, loneliness, anxiety, stress; the list goes on an on. Life is broken, and Jesus is not oblivious to this. In fact, Jesus is more intimately aware of this than an of us. He gets your pain, and with that in mind, Jesus says to start with God's Holiness. This is to be first on your heart, despite the storm of your life.

Why? Why would God put our pain on hold, for the hallowing of his name? Perhaps he knows something we don't. In fact, what are we told in verse 8?

• Matthew 6:8 - “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
  
  

So yes, God does know something we don't, or at least He knows something and He is trying to teach us. The truth is that our greatest need, no matter what our circumstances, is that God would be hallowed in our lives. What you and I need more than anything is a heart that sees the awesomeness of our Dad.

When we approach our Father with tears in our eyes and brokenness in our hearts, and crawl up on his lap and seek His face, what we need more than anything in that moment is to feel the sovereign, all powerful, arms of God wrapped around us. We need to know that our Dad is an awesome God. We need to recognize that there is nothing that is outside His control. That he is able. We need to feel his love and his strength. The hallowing of God in your life, puts everything into its proper perspective.

When we do this, when we hallow the name of God in our lives we, we find joy in the midst of our suffering. We find peace in the midst of the storm. We find contentment in the midst of all circumstances. We are able to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, for God's rod and his staff comfort comfort us.

The hallowing of God is the foundation of our lives. We are designed to stand upon the foundation that is the Holiness of God. Too often, instead of planting our feet upon the rock of God's sovereignty we seek the quick fix of the removal of the thorn.

Here is the question that I will leave all of us with today, do you believe it? Do you trust Jesus in the example that He gives? Do you believe that your greatest need is the hallowing of God's name in your life? Do you believe that the deeper you go in the hallowing of God's name the higher he will lift you above the waves crashing against your boat?

We are told not to put God to the test, but we are told to trust Him. So I say to you today, trust Him. Change how you pray, put God's glory upfront where it belongs.