This is how you shall pray

sermon by Manfred Schreyer

Part II : :10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Your Kingdom come?

Your will be done?

on earth as it is in heaven?

What is the Kingdom?

As I have always mentioned we all asked us three questions: Where have I come from, what is the purpose in life? Where am I going after I die?

I want to stay on the question: What is the purpose of life?

Before we discuss the question we have to answer the question with a common premise: As we grow up on earth we recognize that some moments in our life do not feel right.

And we can't explain why we feel that something is wrong. . .is it because we feel terrible or is it because we should feel better?

We have this feeling from a very young age on. We are literally tortured in our life by the thought that things could just be a little better then they are now.

For most of us these "better situations relate to material things. . .if I just would have a little bit more money, a better job, a nicer house, . . .but the wrong feeling does not go away even when we reach new heights in life. . .a better job, more money, etc.

Then there are feelings. Feelings that family life should be better. Maybe you have troubles with your daughter or son, maybe you have trouble with your spouse or other relatives or friends. Things could just be better.

Even in our dreams we are occupied by situations how they could be or how they are.

Our life is literally entangled in a world that is we have created by human thoughts that is based just upon on that human thoughts.

Well let me explain about the material things first: If material things occupy your life. . .they will do just that. . .occupy your life and will leave no room for the kingdom of God. You become trapped in the thought that material things will bring you happiness, the resting place in your life. . . .but what it really does is it creates a life of wrong priorities, because all things that matter will have to take a back seat.

Parents rather work then to spend time with their children, we rather work overtime then to spend time together with those who we love. . .because this little extra money may just give us more in life. We rather want another job promotion so we can buy a larger house or bigger car. . . .we give our left-overs to God into the collection plate. . .because there is nothing left over .

In my time on the United Way board I have spoken to people who had large savings, who were in their seventies and I asked them if they could please give to their favorite charity, to their church or to any charitable cause with some of the money they had saved. And the answer was always the same. I better not, because the money is for a rainy day. ..when things are not so good.

Let me tell you what Jesus says:

You know why He says these things? Because He knows it is hard to give the earthly belonging up. He knows that it is hard to let go of the things which bring us earthly security.

But what will we say when God is in front of us and we will have to answer Him why we have not helped those who need us now. Those who starve right now, those who have no shelter, those who freeze in the night, those who will die of the wounds . . .what will we say then? Do you believe that we will enter into the Kingdom of God because ewe have saved for a rainy day?

Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow but tomorrow will take care of itself. The worry is NOW. The urgency to bring justice and to proclaim the Kingdom is now. And until we all "have security" of a rainy day there will never be a Kingdom of God on earth and those who were not willing to give will not be able to enter the Kingdom.

Do you believe God will understand when we truly to explain our situation? What will we say? "I did not believe that you would take care of me?" That is really what we are saying. That we do not trust God. But you know God relies on us. He relies on us to bring the Kingdom of God to all people NOW.

:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray this prayer and hope God will do. . .He will NOT, He relies on us. We have to accept His will and His will is that we give to others who need you. Your church, your neighbors who starve, and suffer.

So and because of us, those who indulge in the things of this world, this world is broken.

It is broken by jealousy, envy, hate,. And our neighbors don’t feel good because of us

.Mark 4:30-32 (NRSV) He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 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."

If this holds true, that the smallest of the mustard seeds will produce big shrubs then the opposite holds true as well. That when we withhold the seeds there is no nesting places the birds to be in the shade.

Not even the observance of the 10 commandments will bring the Kingdom of God on earth.

And when we keep all the mustard seeds close to us, then we will be unhappy and search for happiness. Happiness will never find us. But we will allow the world to tell us how to achieve happiness. The world is ruled by the Evil one, Jesus tells us. . . .

 

Not only will happiness never reach us, but we have no goodness to give out to others and the world will remain to be a broken place.

We will die with the feeling of having nothing accomplished; we will die of wasted our life in self indulgence.

Sermon  by Pastor Manfred Schreyer