Whose Will and Kingdom - Toolbox For Faith

All materials in these studies that are not otherwise attributed are © 2014 by Tool Box for Faith. Expressed permission is hereby granted to download and print these materials for personal/congregational use only. If you wish to use any of these materials for any other groups or other purposes, please contact us (gennowdisciples@gmail.com) for permission. In all cases, include this copyright notice and email address with any versions of the material. Thank you.

Section 1: Opening Prayer

Let us pray. Open our eyes, Lord, to perceive your desire for the world. Remove those things that block our vision and widen our gaze to encompass all you would have us see.In Jesus’ name we pray. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Section 2: Story

Section 3: Message

Our Father
1. God is not male
  1. We all are aware that God is not a male being who is physically our father as conceived in human terms and that God is also referred to metaphorically with maternal images.
  2. Psalm 131:2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul.
  3. Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
  4. Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
  5. Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
2. Jesus lived in a patriarchal society,
  1. The father was the authority figure who was assumed to have control and power over the family.
    1. Verses that show God’s Glory as controlling member of the family
      1. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
      2. Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
      3. Matthew 26:53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
      4. Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
      5. Ephesians 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
      6. Philippians 4:20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
3. In the Old Testament, God as father also includes implications of God as our creator.
  1. Deuteronomy 32:6 Do you thus requite the LORD you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?
  2. Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?
  3. 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
4. We also see the role of God as father as one which emphasizes God’s compassion and our relationship to God as children.
  1. Matthew 6:26 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?
  2. Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
  3. Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
  4. Luke 6:36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
  5. Luke 15.11-32
    1. Forgiving Father
  6. John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
  7. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”
  8. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
  9. Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Hallowed be your name
1. “Hallowed” means to be holy, pure, sacred.
2. The “name” of God, both as a means of addressing God and an indirect way to refer to God, is to remain as holy, pure, and sacred as God is.
  1. Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
    1. (the 2nd Commandment)
  2. Leviticus 19:12 And you shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
  3. Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
  4. Daniel 2:20 Daniel said: “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. To whom belong wisdom and might.
3. Literally, the prayer says, “Let your name be hallowed…”
  1. Who is to hallow God’s name?
    1. Does it mean God is to hallow the name among us?
    2. Does it mean we are to hallow God’s name?
4. How do you hallow God’s name in your life or how is God’s name being hallowed in your life?
In Matthew 6.7-8, Jesus says that God knows our needs even before we pray them. Why then should we bother to pray at all?
1. Luther’s Explanation of Hallowed be your name:
  1. God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.
Let your kingdom come
1. What is the “kingdom of God”?
  1. Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
  2. Mark 4:30-32 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 4:32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
  3. Mark 10:13-16 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 10:14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 10:15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 10:16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
  4. Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
  5. Luke 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
  6. Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 17:21 nor will they say, Lo, here it is!’ or There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
  7. John 3:3-8 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born anew.’ 3:8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
  8. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit;
  9. 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
  10. 1 Corinthians 15:50 I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
2. When does the kingdom of God come?Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
  1. Mark 9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
  2. Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question.
  3. Mark 14:25 Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
  4. Luke 10:8-11 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 10:9 heal the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10:10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 10:11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
  5. Luke 11:20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
3. Luther
  1. What does this mean?
    1. God’s kingdom comes, this is true,
      Even if we don’t pray or if we do.
      But we ask for God’s kingdom in this prayer,
      So when it comes, we’ll have a share.
  2. When does this happen?
    1. God’s kingdom comes when God gives us the Spirit,
      So we believe God’s Word whenever we hear it.
      All this happens by God’s great grace
      Which helps us run this life’s good race.
Your Will be done
1. “Let your will happen”
2. What is the will of God?
  1. Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
  2. Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 1:5 He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
  3. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3. What model does Jesus provide for contrasting a person’s will with God’s will?
  1. Matthew 26:39-42 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 26:40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 26:42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done.”
4. When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, is there anything we are doing to make it come more quickly?
  1. are we simply praying that God should make it come?
5. When you think about the “kingdom of God,” do you think about a place or a state of being?
6. How can the kingdom of God be both someone that is among us now and yet is also something in the future whose fullness we still only anticipate?
7. If the kingdom of God came to you today, how would you know?
On Earth as it is in Heaven
1. In one way, this combination simply denotes the totality of the universe.
  1. Matthew 5:18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
  2. Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes;
  3. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
2. In another way, there is also the indication that what happens in heaven is what is more true or real or ultimate.
  1. Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
  2. John 3:31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.
  3. Hebrews 12:25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
3. Luther
  1. What does this mean?
    1. God’s kingdom comes, this is true,
      Even if we don’t pray or if we do.
      But we ask for God’s kingdom in this prayer,
      So when it comes, we’ll have a share.
  2. When does this happen?
    1. God’s kingdom comes when God gives us the Spirit,
      So we believe God’s Word whenever we hear it.
      All this happens by God’s great grace
      Which helps us run this life’s good race.

Some Questions to think about:

If the kingdom of God came to you today, how would you know?
How are God’s kingdom and God’s will different from earthly kingdoms and human wills?
Isn’t God’s will always done?
1. What’s the point of praying that it should be done?
If someone is sick, for example, is it right to pray for their healing or should you simply pray that God’s will be done?
How can you know what is God’s will for your life?
Have you ever been able to tell when your life has not been ordered according to God’s will?
1. What did it take to get you back on track?
What are some specific things you have done that you are certain were according to God’s will?
What are some specific things you will plan to do that you are certain are according to God’s will?

The above material in this section was adapted/used with permission from https://crossmarks.com/. (Expressed permission is hereby granted to download and print these materials for personal use only. If you wish to use any of these materials for a group or other purposes, please contact me (orders@crossmarks.com) for permissions. In all cases, include my copyright notice and email address with any versions of the material. Thank you.)

Section 4: Learn and Engage

– What are 3 things you learned?
– What is 1 question you still have?
– What part of the lesson did you most identify with?
– What part of the lesson was hardest for you?
– Where have you seen God this week?

Section 5: Closing Prayer

Let us pray. Merciful God,
your Son was gave His life as a ransom for many,
and helped all of those in need.
Guide us to be just like your Son,
to live our lives outloud.
To give to the needy,
to help the down trouden,
to uphold His love for all creation.
Guide us to give the mercy we have received from him, Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.