TUCC

The Lord’s Prayer Sermon

By

Dale Gurney

I REMEMBER THE FIRST BIBLE VERSE THAT I LEARNED – IT WAS JOHN 3:16. DO YOU REMEMBER YOURS? DO YOU KNOW THE VERSES FROM
MATTHEW 6: 8-14 OR LUCK 11: 1-5? WE WILL GET BACK TO THEM IN A MINUTE.

THE BIBLE IS A GREAT BOOK OR COLLECTION OF BOOKS AND TELLS US MANY THINGS. DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR CENTURIES AFTER
CHARLEMAGNE, THE HOLY BIBLE WAS ALMOST AN UNKNOWN BOOK TO THE RANK AND FILE OF THE ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN. THAT THE
TRANSCRIBING OF THE WHOLE BOOK BY HAND WAS SO EXPENSIVE THAT ONLY THE LARGE AND WEALTHY CHURCHES COULD AFFORD A COPY,
AND EVEN THEN THEY OFTENTIMES POSSESSED ONLY A PORTION OF IT. EVEN THE CLERICS THEMSELVES KNEW LITTLE ABOUT THE BIBLE,
EXCEPT THE GOSPELS AND A FEW PSALMS, PARTLY BECAUSE SO FEW HAD ACCESS TO IT AND PARTLY BECAUSE SO FEW OF THEM COULD
READ OR WRITE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THE ORDINARY MAN AND WOMEN WERE FORBIDDEN TO OWN COPIES, OR EVEN TO READ THEM, OR
TO TRY TO INTERPRET THEM. IN THE CHURCHES OF THE TIMES, THE HOLY BIBLE WAS “RESERVED” TO THE CHURCH, AND MORE THAN ONE MAN
WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE FOR ATTEMPTING TO BREAK DOWN THAT RESERVATION. AS LATE AS 1536, WILLIAM TYNDALE WAS STRANGLED AND
HIS BODY BURNED FOR HAVING TRANSLATED THE NEW TESTAMENT.

THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS STARTED A SLOW REVOLUTION. BUT STILL ONLY THE VERY WEALTHY COULD AFFORD A COPY. THE
EARLIEST COPIES OF THE BIBLE THAT WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WERE CHAINED DOWN. TODAY MOST PEOPLE TAKE THE BIBLE FOR GRANTED.
BUT, WE SHOULDN’T, JUST AS WE SHOULDN’T TAKE THE LORDS PRAYER FOR GRANTED.

REMEMBER MATTHEW 6: 8-14 AND LUKE 11: 1-5? THEY ARE THE LORDS PRAYER. THE LORDS PRAYER MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL THE
CHRISTIAN DOCUMENTS. I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CONSTRUCTED IT WITH CERTAIN VERY CLEAR ENDS IN VIEW. THAT IS WHY, OF ALL HIS
TEACHINGS, IT IS BY FAR THE BEST KNOW, AND THE MOST OFTEN QUOTED. IT IS THE ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF ALL THE CHRISTIAN
CHURCHES.

THE MORE ONE ANALYZES THE LORD’S PRAYER, THE MORE WONDERFUL IS ITS CONSTRUCTION. IT MEET’S EVERYONE’S NEED JUST AT HIS OR
HER OWN LEVEL. JESUS DESIGNED HIS PRAYER IN SUCH AWAY THAT IT WOULD PASS SAFELY THROUGH THE AGES WITHOUT BEING TAMPERED
WITH. HE ARRANGED IT WITH SUCH SKILL, THAT IT COULD NOT BE TWISTED OR DISTORTED, OR ADAPTED TO ANY MAN-MADE SYSTEM. SO THAT, IN
FACT IT WOULD CARRY THE WHOLE CHRIST MESSAGE WITHIN IT.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PRAYER WE SEE THAT IT IS DIVIDED INTO SEVEN CLAUSES (SOME SAY THAT SEVEN SYMBOLIZES INDIVIDUAL
COMPLETENESS, AND THE PERFECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL). IN PRACTICAL USE, WE OFTEN FIND AN EIGHTH CLAUSE “THINE IS THE
KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY”. BUT THIS THOUGHT IS ITSELF AN EXCELLENT AFFIRMATION. BUT IT IS NOT REALLY A PART OF THE LORDS
PRAYER.

THE FIRST CLAUSE.
OUR FATHER:

THIS SIMPLE STATEMENT IN ITSELF CONSTITUTES A DEFINITE AND COMPLETE SYSTEM OF THEOLOGY. IT FIXES CLEARLY AND DISTINCTLY THE
NATURE OF GOD. IT SUMS UP THE TRUTH OF BEING. IT TELLS ALL THAT MAN NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT GOD, AND ABOUT HIMSELF, AND ABOUT HIS
NEIGHBOR OR. ANYTHING THAT IS ADDED TO THIS CAN ONLY BE BY WAY OF COMMENTARY, AND IS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT TO COMPLICATE AND
OBSCURE THE TRUE MEANING OF THE TEXT.

IN THIS CLAUSE JESUS LAYS DOWN ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND US – THAT OF FATHER AND CHILD. THIS CUTS
OUT ANY POSSIBILITY THAT THE DEITY COULD B E THE RELENTLESS AND CRUEL TYRANT THAT IS OFTEN PICTURED BY THEOLOGY. NOTICE THAT
THE PRAYER SAYS OUR FATHER AND NOT MY FATHER. THIS INDICATES THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN AND THAT ALL MEN ARE BRETHREN AND THE
CHILDREN OF GOD.

THE SECOND CLAUSE.
WHICH ART IN HEAVEN:

THIS TELLS US THAT GOD IS THE INFINITE AND PERFECT CAUSE OF ALL THINGS; BUT CAUSE HAS TO BE EXPRESS AND GOD EXPRESSES HIMSELF
BY MEANS OF MAN. MAN’S DESTINY IS TO EXPRESS GOD IN ALL SORTS OF GLORIOUS WAYS. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING TO REALIZE IS THAT GOD
IS IN HEAVEN AND WE ARE HERE ON EARTH, AND THAT EACH OF US HAS OUR OWN ROLE IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS.

THE THIRD CLAUSE.
HALLOWED BE THEY NAME:

NOW WHAT DOES THE WORD “HALLOWED” MEAN? WELL, IF YOU TRACE THE WORD BACK INTO OLD ENGLISH, YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT THE
WORD HALLOWED HAS THE SAME MEANING AS “HOLY”, “WHOLE”, “WHOLESOME” AND “HEAL” OR “HEALED”. SO WE SEE THAT THE NATURE OF GOD
IS NOT MERELY WORTHLY OF OUR VENERATION, BUT IS COMPLETE AND PERFECT – ALTOGETHER GOOD. FROM THIS, IT FOLLOWS THAT GOD
CANNOT, AS PEOPLE SOMETIMES THINK, SEND SICKNESS OR TROUBLE – MUCH LESS DEATH, FOR THESE THINGS ARE UNLIKE HIS NATURE.

THE FOURTH CLAUSE.
THY KINGDOM COME THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN:

THY KINGDOM COME – MEANS THAT IT IS OUR DUTY TO BE EVER OCCUPIED IN HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH. WE
SHOULD NEVER FOR A MOMENT TRY TO LIVE FOR OURSELVES, OR MAKE PLANS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITHOUT REFERENCE TO GOD, OR
SUPPOSE THAT WE CAN BE EITHER HAPPY OR SUCCESSFUL IF WE ARE SEEKING ANY OTHER END THAN TO DO HIS WILL. OUR BUSINESS IS TO
BRING OUR WHOLE NATURE, AS FAST AS WE CAN, INTO CONFORMITY WITH THE WILL OF GOD.

THE FIFTH CLAUSE.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD:

BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN OF A LOVING FATHER, WE ARE ENTITLED TO EXPECT THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE US FULLY WITH EVERYTHING WE
NEED, NOT WHAT WE WANT, BUT WHAT WE NEED. IF WE DO SO IN FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING, WE SHALL NEVER LOOK IN VAIN. THE ART OF LIFE
IS TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, NOT THE PAST, AND TO MAKE THAT MOMENT AS PERFECT AS WE CAN BY THE REALIZATION THAT WE ARE
THE INSTRUMENTS AND EXPRESSION OF GOD HIMSELF AND THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR TOMORROW IS TO MAKE TODAY ALL THAT IT
SHOULD BE.

THE SIXTH CLAUSE.
FOR GIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS AGAINST US:

HERE JESUS HAS SO ARRANGED THIS MARVELOUS PRAYER THAT IT COVERS THE ENTIRE GROUND OF THE ENFOLDMENT OF OUR SOULS
COMPLETELY, AND IN THE MOST CONCISE AND TELLING WAY. IT OMITS NOTHING THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR SALVATION, AND YET, IT IS SO
COMPACT THAT THERE IS NOT A THOUGHT OR A WORD TOO MUCH. EVERY IDEA FITS INTO ITS PLACE WITH PERFECT HARMONY AND IN PERFECT
SEQUENCE. ANYTHING MORE WOULD BE INCOMPLETENESS, AND AT THIS POINT IT TAKES UP THE CRITICAL FACTOR OF FORGIVENESS.
EVERYBODY SHOULD PRACTICE GENERAL FORGIVENESS EVERYDAY, AS A MATTER OF COURSE. WHEN YOU SAY YOUR DAILY PRAYERS, YOU
SHOULD ISSUE A GENERAL AMNESTY, FORGIVING EVERYONE WHO MAY HAVE INJURED YOU IN ANY WAY. SIMPLY SAY: “I FREELY FORGIVE
EVERYONE”. THEN IN THE COURSE OF THE DAY, SHOULD THE THOUGHT OF GRIEVANCE OR RESENTMENT COME UP, BLESS THE OFFENDER
BRIEFLY AND DISMISS THE THOUGHT.

THE RESULT OF THIS POLICY WILL BE THAT VERY SOON YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF CLEARED OF ALL RESENTMENT AND CONDEMNATION, AND THE
EFFECT UPON YOUR HAPPINESS, YOUR HEALTH, AND YOUR GENERAL LIFE WILL BE NOTHING LESS THAN REVOLUTIONARY.

THE SEVENTH CLAUSE.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL :

THIS CLAUSE HAS PROBABLY CAUSED MORE DIFFICULTY THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE PRAYER. MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT GOD COULD NOT
LEAD ANYONE INTO TEMPTATION. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE LORD’S PRAYER COVERS THE WHOLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. JESUS KNEW
ONLY TOO WELL THE PERILS AND DIFFICULTIES THAT CAN AND DO BESET THE SOUL. BUT, REMEMBER – THE MORE YOU PRAY, THE MORE TIME
YOU SPEND IN MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL TREATMENT, THE MORE SENSITIVE YOU BECOME.

MANY PEOPLE FORGET THE LESSON OF OUR LORD’S OWN ORDEAL IN THE WILDERNESS, FORGETTING THE INJUNCTION “ THOU SHALL NOT TEMP
THE LORD THY GOD”. AND, SO JESUS HAS INSERTED THIS CLAUSE, IN WHICH WE PRAY THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE TO MEET ANYTHING THAT IS TOO
MUCH FOR US AT THE PRESENT LEVEL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING. AND, IF WE ARE WISE, AND WORK DAILY, AS WE SHOULD, FOR WISDOM,
UNDERSTANDING, PURITY AND GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE SHALL NEVER FIND OURSELVES IN ANY DIFFICULTY FOR WHICH WE HAVE NOT
THE UNDERSTANDING NECESSARY TO CLEAR OURSELVES.

THE EIGHTH CLAUSE.
THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER:

THE KINGDOM IN THIS SENSE MEANS ALL CREATION, ON EVERY PLANE, FOR THAT IS THE PRESENT OF GOD.

THE POWER, OF COURSE IS THE POWER OF GOD. WE KNEW THAT GOD IS THE ONLY POWER, AND SO, WHEN WE WORK, AS WHEN WE PRAY, IT
IS REALLY GOD DOING IT BY MEANS OF US. THE WONDROUS CHANGE THAT COMES OVER US AS WE GRADUALLY REALIZE WHAT THE
OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD REALLY MEANS, IT TRANSFIGURES EVERY PHASE OF OUR LIVES, TURNING SORROW INTO JOY, AGE INTO YOUTH, AND
DULLNESS INTO LIGHT AND LIFE. THIS IS THE GLORY/AND THE GLORY, WHICH COMES TO US, IS, OF COURSE, GOD’S TOO. AND THE BLISS WE
KNOW IN THAT EXPERIENCE IS STILL GOD HIMSELF, WHO IS KNOWING THAT BLISS THROUGH US.

HOPEFULLY THIS HAS GIVEN YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE LORD’S PRAYER. LOTS OF PEOPLE RATTLE THROUGH IT LIKE PARROTS, BUT
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE WARNING THAT JESUS GAVE US IN MATTHEW 6: 7 & 8: “BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS, AS THE
HEATHENS DO: FOR THEY THINK THAT THEY SHALL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MUCH SPEAKING. BE NOT YE THEREFORE LIKE UNTO THEM: FOR YOUR
FATHER KNOWETH WHAT THINGS YE HAVE NEED OF, BEFORE YE ASK HIM”.

BEGGING AND WHINING TO GOD IS ALWAYS WRONG. THE HIGHEST FORM OF PRAYER IS TRUE CONTEMPLATION, IN WHICH THE THOUGHT AND THE
THINKER BECOME ONE. WE SHOULD PRAY IN WHATEVER WAY THAT EASIEST FOR US; FOR THE EASIEST WAY IS THE BEST.

I HAVE FOUND THAT PRAYER DOES NOT SO MUCH CHANGE THINGS AS PRAYER IS A THING. PRAYER IS A MATERIAL FORCE THAT AFFECTS OUR
LIFE AND OUR WORLD IN WAYS THAT WE DO NOT PRETEND TO COMPREHEND. IN THE WORDS OF THOMAS CHALMERS, ”PRAYER DOES NOT
ENABLE US TO DO A GREATER WORK FOR GOD. PRAYER IS A GREATER WORK OF GOD”. THE POINT OF THE LORDS PRAYER IS NOT TO SAY IT. IT
IS TO BECOME IT.

O LORD, GOD, WE PRAY FOR GUIDANCE, DAY-BY-DAY, STEP-BY-STEP, NOT ASKING NOR DESIRING
TO SEE THE DISTANT SCENE. HELP US TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME, KNOWING THAT SECRET
THINGS, THE ISSUES OF THE FUTURE BELONG UNTO GOD, BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE REVEALED,
THE UNFOLDED ISSUES OF THE DAY, ARE WITH US AND MUST BE MET. GIVE US THE COURAGE TO
FACE THEM BRAVELY, AND THE WISDOM TO HANDLE THEM WISELY. OUR HOPE IS IN THEE. MAY
WE NEVER TURN ASIDE FROM THEE TO SEEK HELP FROM THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTS
OF THE WORLD! FOR JESUS SAKE AMEN