Modernized by Cliff Collins

“Thy kingdom come.” (MATTHEW 6:10)

You will instantly recognize this prayer as being one of those contained in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer”. In considering these words, I propose to explain:

I. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING OF THIS PRAYER TO GOD.

III. THAT THE STATE OF MIND THAT CAN ACCEPTABLY OFFER THIS PRAYER TO GOD, IS UNIVERSALLY BINDING UPON ALL MEN.

IV. THAT IT IS ALSO A CONDITION OF SALVATION.

I. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

In some respects there are two ideas concerning the kingdom of God. Some scholars believe that the kingdom of God is purely spiritual; others believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will reign personally on earth, that when He comes a second time, it will be to set up His kingdom in this world, and visibly reign here. But both groups agree that His kingdom must be spiritual, whether it is also outward and visible or not; in either case He can reign over man no further then He reigns in their hearts. A spiritual kingdom must be set up in the soul, God’s law must be written in the heart. If the Lord Jesus Christ came and physically lived in London, walked in its streets, and mixed with its people, what good would it do unless the people were converted and truth prevailed in their hearts! Unless the Holy Ghost wrote the laws of His kingdom in their hearts, the people of London would fare no better with the Lord Jesus Christ living among them. Therefore, whether the Lord Jesus Christ comes and reigns personally or not, His kingdom will be established and His dominion extended by the same means that it is now. Therefore, when people pray, “Thy kingdom come,” if they pray sincerely, they pray that there may be universal holiness on earth, that this kingdom of grace may be established in every heart, and that Christ should universally influence all mankind.

II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING OF THIS PRAYER TO GOD.

And here let me say that it was not part of Jesus’ plan to simply give His disciples some words that they could repeat without knowing or caring what they meant or said. He did not give this prayer to be repeated over and over ceremoniously, without significance or interest. There is no greater profanity in the universe than to gabber it over in the manner that it is frequently done. The Lord Jesus wanted this prayer to be understood, and the petition should be offered sincerely, faithfully, and in a certain state of mind. Who can doubt this? Did He intend to teach His disciples and His people throughout the Christian era to be hypocrites? No, indeed! Did He want them to offer insincere worship? No, indeed! Then He must have wanted them to offer these prayers sincerely. Now, the question is, what is implied in sincerity? When is someone sincere in offering this prayer to God? What are the characteristics and elements of sincerity? What is implied in being sincere?

1. First of all, a sincere and acceptable offering of this prayer implies repentance of past sins, because sin rejects God and tramples down His laws. No man who lives in sin can offer this prayer without gross hypocrisy. It’s clear that the man who rejects Christ and tramples on His laws lives in sin, and cannot offer this prayer acceptably. It implies, then, repentance and renunciation of all sin.

2. It implies confidence in God. Notice, it is a prayer to God, that His kingdom may come. Now, if an individual does not have complete confidence in God’s character and wisdom, in perfecting His government, and providing for His kingdom, why should he pray that it might come? Now, it is not enough that a man thinks that God is good, and His law is good, that His kingdom is what it should be; the devil knows this as well as anybody else. It is not enough that a man intellectually agrees that these things are true, but he must confide in God with his whole heart. To offer this petition acceptably he must really have heart-confidence in God’s existence, in His wisdom, in His universal right to legislate for the world, in the perfection and wisdom of His government. He must have full confidence in God, I say, before he can offer this prayer acceptably. This is very certain.

3. Another thing implied in offering this petition acceptably is that the heart obeys God’s law. An individual, for example, who does not submit to God’s law in his heart, cannot pray that His kingdom may come, for what would he mean by that? Does he mean that others should obey God’s law, that others should submit to Christ’s authority, that God’s law should be set up in others’ hearts, but not in his own. His prayer cannot be accepted. The petitioner must have the law of God set up in his own heart, and his own life must be governed by it.

4. Since man’s outward life must be, by a law of his nature, as his heart is, it implies an obedient life as well as an obedient heart. The term “heart” is used many ways in Scripture, but whenever it is used in the sense that implies virtue, it means the will. We say about those whose will is devoted to God, that their hearts are right; they are devoted to God, consecrated to Him. Now, if we consider our heart as our will, and that is the sense in which I now use the term, our will governs our outward life. If our will, or heart, devotes itself to the will of God, and yields itself up to obeying God’s law, our outward life must conform with God’s law as far as it is understood. Let no one say, then, that his heart is better than his life. Let no man say that his heart has received the kingdom of God, while his outward life rejects it.

5. Sincerity in offering this prayer implies universal sympathy with God. By this, I mean that the petitioner really sympathizes with the great end God is working to secure through His law, and the government of His kingdom. Now, government, remember, is not an end, but a means. God’s government is not an end, but a means. He proposes to accomplish certain great ends by means of His government and His kingdom. Now, when a man prays that God’s kingdom may come, if he is sincere in his prayer, he must fully sympathize with the end that God is seeking to accomplish, and the end that God has in His heart; which is His own glory and the interests of His kingdom. To offer this prayer acceptably, “Thy kingdom come,” one must understand this to be God’s great end, and set his heart on it. To this end, he must consecrate himself. It is the same end that God has set His heart. However, it also implies sympathy with God concerning the means He is using to secure this great and glorious end. Again, sympathy with God implies a real and hearty aversion to all that stands in the way of the progress of His kingdom, all sin in every form and in every shape. The individual that is not deeply and thoroughly opposed to sin does not want God’s kingdom to come; for God’s kingdom will destroy all the works of the devil, and destroy sin in every form and degree. Those who offer this prayer sincerely, virtually prays that all sin may cease. Now, how can a man who does not cease from sin truly pray a prayer like this? How can he pray for God’s kingdom to come, while he is breaking the laws of that kingdom? If a man is not opposed to all sin, he cannot offer this prayer acceptably.

6. It is clear that sincerity in offering this prayer must imply a supreme attachment to the King, His law and His government. Notice that this petition does not express a partial attachment to the kingdom of God, but is an expression of entire agreement with God concerning His kingdom, a universal submission, a universal attachment to the King and His entire administration. Everyone, I think, will say that no man is or can be sincere in offering this prayer if he is not heartily and devotedly attached to the King and His government, to every principle and precept of His holy law and Gospel, and to His entire administration.

7. A sincere offering of this prayer implies sympathy with all the means that are used to establish this kingdom on earth, and to establish it in the hearts and souls of men. Now, if an individual prays that this kingdom may come, he prays that men may be made holy as the condition of their being made happy, and of their being saved. Now, the man who does not truly love the souls of men, and desire their salvation, can never offer this prayer sincerely. In order to do this, he must care for the souls of men.

8. It implies a supreme desire that God’s kingdom may come. It is one thing for an individual to say “Thy kingdom come”, and another thing for him to honestly desire that it may come. It is common for someone to ask in words that he does not deeply and sincerely mean; but to offer this prayer acceptably, one must deeply, sincerely, and supremely desire that God’s kingdom may come. But, if a man is in bondage to his own lusts, and desires to gratify himself more than anything else, I don’t think anybody in this room would say that such a man could offer this prayer acceptably. Now, I suppose that, to offer this petition acceptably, there must be a supreme desire for the object prayed for; that no desire shall be allowed to prevail over this; that no selfish enjoyment or selfish indulgence shall have first place in the heart. Let me ask you this question. Suppose you see a man you know on his knees offering this prayer. You know that he is self-indulgent, not willing to make much of a sacrifice to promote the interests of this kingdom, spending ten times more on his own lusts than he gives to the cause of Christ; how could you believe that such a man is sincere in offering such a prayer? Such a man, if he uses this prayer, virtually says, “Lord, let Your kingdom come without my exercising any self-denial; let Providence enrich me, but let me keep all I get: let Your kingdom come, but let me seek my own gratification.” Now, if someone should pray this way, you may say that it sounds like blasphemy! Now, he might be ashamed to use these words, but suppose he said, “let Thy kingdom come,” and acted quite the opposite to any such desire, would his prayer be any better?

9. But not only does an acceptable offering of this prayer suggest a desire for this more than any other desire, but it also implies that the mind is supremely devoted to the end for which one prays. The voluntary power of the will devotes itself, and devotes the whole being, to promote this end. Now, suppose we hear someone pray like this: “Lord, let Your kingdom come, if it can come without my being devoted to its interests. Let Your kingdom come, if it can come without me ever giving my heart, time, energies, property, possessions, sympathies, and prayers, to promote it. I will say, let Your kingdom come, but I will go my own way, and do nothing to promote it or hasten its coming.” You would say that this is not an acceptable offering of this prayer. I don’t think that any of you want to deny that an acceptable offering of this prayer truly implies that the heart is truly and sincerely devoted to the kingdom of God.

10. An acceptable offering of this prayer must imply self-denial. Now, please understand what I mean by self-denial. Remember, it is not forsaking one gratification for another: It sometimes happens that men forsake gratifying one appetite so they can gratify another. People may deny themselves in lots of ways, and yet be guilty of lots of selfishness. Suppose a man is greedy, and loves money. His heart is supremely set on getting it, and hoarding it up. That man may be very frugal in spending. He may become disgusted with those who spend money for their own gratification. This greedy man may deny himself many things. He may even deny himself the comforts of life like a miser, and berate everybody who does otherwise; but the man is selfish nevertheless. The love of money prevails over the love of everything else. His heart is set on that. What people call self-denial, is often not self-denial at all; self-love is very frequently at the bottom of their behavior. But, real self-denial happens when an individual refuses to live to please himself; refuses to promote his own profit and interests, and refuses to do anything simply for self. It implies that an individual stops pleasing himself and consecrates himself to God; he lives to please God and not himself, and he does not sympathize with those whose ultimate end is not to serve and glorify God. Now, when a man who does not deny himself offers this petition to God, what does he mean? He is a rebel against God. He is opposed to God’s law. Why would he want God’s kingdom to come? Let no selfish person, then, no man who lives in any self-pleasing lifestyle, believe that he can offer this prayer acceptably.

11. It implies, on the part of those who offer this prayer that we truly and whole-heartedly devote our lives to God in this great enterprise. If we offer it sincerely, it implies that we have come into such sympathy with Him as to commit ourselves, body and soul, for time and eternity, our characters and affections, everything in a common cause with God to advance the interests of His kingdom. All this is included in a sincere offering of the prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” Take the case of an earthly prince who wants to establish a kingdom. True patriotism consists in sincerely seeking to promote the goals of the prince. The fact is plain, that the acceptable offering of this prayer must imply that those who offer it have devoted themselves to promote this object; that they have committed their all in this great enterprise; that for this end they live, move, and have their being.

12. Let me say again, that it implies a fear towards whatever would prevent the progress of this kingdom. People in a right state of mind hate everything that would hinder the advancement of this kingdom because they have set their hearts on its establishment. They hate sin and every form of evil because it retards the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. It is a law of man’s being which makes him very sensitive to any interests that he sets his heart on, and causes him to be keen-sighted and watchful to remove anything that stands in the way of the progress of that on which his hopes are so deeply set. Now, remember that this law of mind shows itself in religious as well as in worldly matters. It does do so, and must.

13. Next, those who sincerely offer this prayer manifest grief and indignation at whatever is contrary to God’s will. If they see something wrong, that doesn’t involve sin, they are grieved; but if it involves sin, they feel indignation. I do not mean a malicious indignation, but a benevolent, holy, compassionate indignation.

14. Finally, a right offering of this prayer implies economically using our time, talents, influence, or whatever else we possess. There is a joyful economizing of everything we do to promote this end. Now, who does not know that when men set their hearts on any great object that, their devotion to it will be in proportion to their attachment to that object? It is also in that same proportion that they are cheerful, eager, and ready to frequently use every means to promote that object, and manage that end. To illustrate this, let me tell you something that recently happened. A woman, who was a slave in one of the southern states, had escaped from her bondage, but she had left her husband and children in slavery: the master of these individuals offered to sell them their time, and let them go free. This poor woman consecrated herself to earn the money to redeem them; and it was very touching to see how she toiled and denied herself even the necessaries of life in order to secure their freedom. Nothing daunted her; no hardship discouraged her; in the cold, when the snow was on the ground, you might see her working, wearing little clothing, and bare feet. If you gave her a pair of shoes or a garment, she would soon sell them to get money to increase the fund that was to secure the freedom of her husband and children. Now, this poor woman practiced economy to promote the great end she had in view; I’m not saying that was wise economy in her case, for she nearly sacrificed her own life to do it. But, you mothers can understand and appreciate this woman's conduct. If you had husbands, sons, or daughters in slavery, would you not do the same thing she did? This woman had no love for money, or for anything, only as it sustained a relationship to the one great end on which her heart was set. This circumstance powerfully illustrates this great principle, that whenever our hearts are supremely set on any object, we count everything dear that relates to and secures that object. Therefore, the one who sincerely prays, “Thy kingdom come,” must have his heart so set on the object that everything he does to that end is done efficiently.

III. THE STATE OF MIND THAT CAN ACCEPTABLY OFFER THIS PETITION, IS UNIVERSALLY BINDING ON ALL THE MORAL AGENTS OF OUR RACE.

The heathen themselves, by virtue of their own nature, know that there is a God and that this God is good. They know that they should love their neighbors as themselves, and love God supremely. The Bible teaches us that the light of nature, which they possess, leaves them completely without excuse if they don’t love and obey their Creator. To believe and embrace the Gospel, then, is a universal duty.

IV. This state of mind is a condition of salvation.

I don’t mean that it is a ground of our acceptance with God. That is not what I mean. I don’t mean that men are saved by their own righteousness; that on this ground God will accept them. I know, and you know, that men are to be saved by the righteousness of Christ, and not by their own righteousness. Therefore, when I say that this state of mind is a condition of salvation, I mean exactly what I say; it is a condition, which is different from a ground; a condition in the sense that a man cannot be saved without being in this state of mind, but that this state of mind is not the ground of salvation. “All have sinned, and” therefore “come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) First, to be in this state of mind is a natural condition of salvation. Could anybody that can’t offer this prayer be happy in heaven? What would such a person do in heaven? God has perfect dominion there. Now, unless an individual is in a state of mind that he can sincerely, acceptably, and prevailingly offer this prayer to God, unless it is the natural expression of his heart, how could he be happy in heaven? He can’t! Secondly, it is governmentally a condition of salvation. Every attribute of God in His moral government of the universe forbids any man to enter heaven who cannot present this prayer acceptably to God.

Let us now conclude with a few remarks.

1. This state of mind is not only a condition of salvation in the sense I have mentioned, but it is also a state of mind that must always be a condition of prevailing with God in prayer. Now, let me ask, Can any man expect to prevail with God if he is opposed to Him, or not in the state of mind I have already described? While in a state of rebellion, resisting God’s authority, not having a heart in sympathy with God, not desiring the kingdom of God to come, how can an individual expect to have his prayer answered? He can’t. Neither this nor any other prayer, that’s obvious. It is true that God hears the young ravens when they cry--a mere cry of distress. And even when Satan himself prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ that he might not be sent out of the country, but that he might go into the herd of swine, his petition was granted; but the devil was not in a state of mind for prevailing, in the sense of offering prevailing prayer to God. I speak now of a state of mind that can secure the things promised, and the petitioner must be in this state of mind before he can acceptably offer the Lord’s Prayer. He must be within the meaning of the injunction of Christ’s promise as a condition on which He has promised to hear and answer.

2. We can now see why people often repeat prayers that seldom get answered. God hears prayer, but not those hypocritical utterances that are heartless. Such prayers are not heard, because, in truth, they are not prayers at all. Individuals can repeat the Lord’s Prayer every day, ten times a day, and the more frequently they repeat it, the more they grieve the Spirit of God, and expose themselves to God’s righteous indignation.

3. Those who offer this prayer acceptably are universal and very liberal contributors to the great cause of missions, and zealous supporters of all those various societies whose aim is to extend Christ’s kingdom on earth. I’m not saying that these people are always in a condition to give large amounts of money; but they will be cheerful and large contributors according to their means. Why? For the same reason that the slave mother was a cheerful and large contributor to that on which she had set her heart, because their hearts are set on the coming of Christ’s kingdom in all its fullness, power, and blessedness. I know that some may not be able to contribute more than two mites, but I also know, that they can give even this little with a full heart and a liberal hand. In a congregation I preached to in New York city several years ago (probably in 1832), there was a woman named Dina, who had been brought up a slave, and continued a slave until she was forty years old and incapable of work. Although she was so poor, she always gave a quarter of a dollar every Sunday to help meet the current expenses of the congregation; and other things to which the money was applied. This was a free church; all the seats were free to everyone. When Dina was asked how she could afford to give so much, she replied that the first quarter she received during the week she set aside until the next Sunday, for the purposes of the sanctuary. “I live on God every day,” she said, “and I know He will give me what I want.” At the monthly missionary meeting, also, a box was carried around, and individuals put in their money, wrapped up in a piece of paper, with their names written on it. Consistantly, among the rest, was Dina's name written on a paper, enclosing a dollar. One of the collectors asked her if she really meant to put in so much as a dollar, and with some surprise, she replied, “Why, it’s only a dollar, it’s only a dollar; can’t I give a dollar a month." This poor woman seemed to have no interest in anything except the advancement and interests of the Redeemer’s kingdom.

Individuals who honestly offer the Lord’s Prayer, and mean it, will prayerfully do everything they can towards promoting His kingdom.

4. The end for which a man lives will always reveal itself in his life; his sympathies will lie in the direction in which his efforts tend. If a man sincerely offers this petition, he will do everything in his power to spread a knowledge of the Gospel among men, and extend the Savior’s reign on earth.

5. The true Christian finds it “more blessed to give than to receive”. (Acts 20:35) For example, the slave mother never felt so happy as when she was paying the price of her husband's and children’s release. When she gave that money to the master, she felt it much more blessed to give than to receive; a great deal more blessed than to have spent it to please herself, to gratify her own appetites. Impenitent men are greatly deceived when they think that Christians feel that it is a great sacrifice to be asked to contribute money to promote religion. I have known impenitent men to avoid going to church because they felt it such a hardship to be called on to give during the offering; and I have even heard professing Christians talk that way, and not attend a meeting when there was a collection, because they did not like to feel that they were required to give. Now, what kind of idea about religion is that? Why, they know nothing about it. Suppose a group of men met together to organize and carry out of some object of business or benevolence that is important to them, and when they got together, they realized that each of them had to contribute to the cause. If they mumbled and complained that it was so horrible that they had to give money--what would you think of their sincerity? But would they really do this? Why, no, they would be anxious to give of their substance, in order that the object that they had at heart might be realized. The real Christian never gives grudgingly, but thankfully and joyfully. When you have dropped your contribution into the box, Christian, does your heart cry out saying, “God bless it! God bless it!” And if you have nothing to give yourself, you will pray for a blessing on the contributions of others. A collection will now be taken up for the London Missionary Society, before we close this morning’s service, and another, for the same purpose, will be made in the evening; but I trust no one will stay away because of that. Amen.