Thy Kingdom Is Come
December 1, 2013

---

In the Lord's Prayer we find reference to the Will of the Father.

• We must pray for that will to be done in earth.
• For His Kingdom to come.

Before Jesus presented this prayer, the same sermon showed Him saying this:

That statement came from here:

Heaven is where the throne is, and is the throne.

• Earth is the footstool.
• So let's look at what the Bible says about the THRONE IN HEAVEN.

The idea of Jesus on the throne with mention of his footstool is found in the most commonly quoted Old Testament verse in the entire New Testament.

Psalm 110:1    A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psalm 110:2    The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

The throne is IN ZION, but it's a heavenly ZION, not earthly, because we have already come to it.

Hebrews 12:22    But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Jesus went to that throne when He ascended into heaven.

Mark 16:19    So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.


Jesus explained that Psalm 110:1 shows the Father speaking to the Christ/Messiah.

Matthew 22:42    Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Matthew 22:43    He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
Matthew 22:44    The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Matthew 22:45    If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

The "LORD" said to David's "Lord".

Paul also referred to this Psalm:

Ephesians 1:17    That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Notice terminology.

"The God of our Lord Jesus Christ."

• "The Father of glory."
• He needs to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge.

Ephesians 1:18    The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:19    And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians 1:20    Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

SIT THOU AT MY RIGHT HAND.

All of these New Testament writers are basing their thoughts on truth that Psalm 110 provided.

The Father of glory raised Christ from the dead.

• Set Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies.

When the Father did that, He told Christ, "SIT UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL."


There is an important point that yet ANOTHER New Testament passage makes about this.

Hebrews 10:11    And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Hebrews 10:12    But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:13    From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Hebrews 10:14    For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Sitting down is contrasted from standing because the work is never done.

Jesus finished all the work He would do.

• They offered sacrifices one after another that could never remove sins.
• So they stood, always working.
• Jesus offered one and sat down, having perfected forever them that are sanctified.
• Perfected means He COMPLETED.

This goes on to say our sins are not even remembered.

Hebrews 10:17    And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 10:18    Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

No more offering.

• Sit down.
• Work is over.

Since Christ made that offering, He is to SIT until THE FATHER MAKES HIS ENEMIES HIS FOOTSTOOL.

Jesus had perfect obedience.

Philippians 2:8-10 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

"EVEN TO" means the ULTIMATE level of obedience.

So, the cross was Christ's obedience to the Father.

• He sits after his perfect obedience.
• It was so perfect that the Father was pleased and told Him to sit.
• We all know how perfect His obedience was!
• That is what the Father relied upon in order to do the work of bringing down His enemies.

He is seated in Heaven.

• Does He have any of those enemies in heaven?
• No.
• Yet we read that He not only sits until his enemies are made his footstool, but that he RULES IN THE MIDST OF THOSE ENEMIES.
• Those enemies are going to be pulled under his feet.
• He rules IN THEIR MIDST.

This brings us to something wonderful.

He is not the only one seated on that right hand throne.

Ephesians 2:5    Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:6    And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We are seated WITH HIM.

PERFECT WORK:

We think of how perfect a work Christ accomplished in order for the Father to tell Him to now SIT until He makes His enemies his footstool.

• But when it comes to US SITTING, and the perfectly obedient work being finished, we instinctively think it's OUR work that must be done, so we HESITATE TO SIT.
• It's so hard for us to accept HIS PERFECT WORK for our blessings.
• We still lack faith in this.
• But His perfect obedience was HIS DEATH.
• And we were BAPTIZED INTO THAT DEATH.
• We were baptized INTO HIS PERFECT OBEDIENCE!
• Now you are to REST IN HIS PERFECT OBEDIENCE.... NOT YOUR OWN!

We think that more enemies need to come down, so we need to WORK MORE.

• But we need to TRUST MORE that His work was what is required for our blessings!

Otherwise it is OUR KINGDOMS we seek.

• Otherwise, we'd be praying for OUR KINGDOMS TO COME.

He is in heaven, and we are in the earth.

We are to pray the Father's will in heaven be done in earth.

• We already read the Father's will was to put Christ's enemies under his feet like a footstool.
• And we also read the earth is his footstool, while at the same time we are seated with him while we are in this earth.

We can understand what it means for Him to rule in the midst of His enemies while He actually sits in heaven by the fact that WE ARE HIS BODY

• We experienced His death (His act of perfect obedience) by baptism.
• We're baptized into His perfect obedience!
• We are part of Him now.
• Since we are both HIS BODY and we are SEATED WITH HIM WHILE IN THE EARTH, this explains how He rules in the midst of His enemies.
• HIS POWER WORKS THROUGH US in this earth where his enemies are.
• The only way in which He could rule in the midst of his enemies, when He is in heaven where no enemies exist, is for his rule to extend into the earth, and for us (who are part of his body, and even said to be seated with him) to rule with him.

Christ extends His power through us.

He rules in the midst of his enemies that are on earth, while he sits in heaven because we are his body and we are in this earth where his enemies are.

Look how he phrased it in the book of Hebrews.

• It brings more meaning out.
• He sits "expecting his enemies to be made his footstool."

Hebrews 10:12    But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 10:13    From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

The Father told Him to sit until He makes His enemies His footstool.

• He rests in what the Father told Him.
• Faith is seen in his expectation.
• He heard the Father speak and HE SITS ON THAT PROMISE.
• He now expects the Father to do this.

And I am sitting with Him, not because of my perfect work, since my work could never earn me anything, but BECAUSE OF HIS PERFECT work of OBEDIENCE!

MY ENEMIES WILL NOT COME DOWN DUE TO MY PERFECT WORK, BUT DUE TO MY COMPLETE TRUST THAT HIS PERFECT WORK IS COUNTED FOR MINE, AND THAT'S THE ONLY WORK GOD PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO.

"Sitting" means all the work He could do is finished, and that work was the work of the cross.

• We're supposed to be seated with Him.
• You might think you must DO MORE when you see more enemies.
• But REST IN THE FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS and TRUST GOD TO BRING THOSE ENEMIES DOWN.

The Lord's prayer shows the key.

We pray that the will of the Father -- who dwells in heaven -- be done in earth as it is in heaven.

• Not only does that mean the state of heaven can invade the earth, but that His will for THE SON TO SIT IN HEAVEN until He brings down His enemies, is to be done in earth where WE SIT WITH CHRIST, UNTIL THE FATHER BRINGS DOWN OUR ENEMIES!
• His enemies are our enemies since we're one with Him!
• Our enemies are His enemies!

Notice that we have to pray for this.

SO, PRAYER is part of HOW HIS WILL AT THE THRONE IS DONE HERE AT THE FOOTSTOOL!

• If we have to pray for His will to be done in earth, then prayer is required for the Father to work.
• The more you SIT, or in other words, TRUST the work of Jesus required to bring the enemies down was finished on the cross, and he just needs to sit there and expect in faith, THE MORE GOD CAN WORK!

Grace means IT IS HIS WORK.

• You cannot earn this.
• Christ earned it.
• And when you try to do the work and strain and fuss, YOU ACTUALLY FRUSTRATE THE
• GRACE OF GOD. Gal 2:19.

So remain seated!

Remain in the position of trusting that the work of the cross was all that had to be done.


Notice what else we pray to the Father about.

Give us our daily bread,
Forgive us as we forgive,
Lead us not into temptation,
deliver us from evil.
FOR THIS IS YOUR KINGDOM...

Forgiving others and being forgiven is so VITAL for the will of the Father to be done in our earth.

• Lack of this will hinder His will from being done.
• It will hinder Christ's enemies from being put beneath his feet by the Father of glory.
• Lack of forgiving others...
• Lack of being forgiven by the Father...
• Lack of being led the narrow way by the Father...
• Lack of not being led into temptation...
• Lack of not being delivered from evil by the Father...
• Lack of not receiving our daily bread from the Father.
• All of that hinders HIS WILL being done in earth.

We want that kingdom to come.

• For righteousness to be in the earth.
• All the elements of the prayer are the work of the Father, since it is to Him we pray these things.
• So, PARTLY, the Father's work of bringing Christ's enemies down is by delivering us from evil, forgiving us, leading us not into temptation, etc.

We see Jesus as the Lamb with seven eyes and horns go to the throne in Revelation 5.

• He is seen standing as He had been slain -- past tense.
• And when he takes the book to see all the wrath and fury of God loosed upon the sinful world, showing THE EARTH is going to have HIS HOLY WILL accomplished there, look at what the saints cry!

Revelation 5:9    And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Revelation 5:10    And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

ON THE EARTH!

That blood he redeemed us with is what WE OVERCOME WITH!

Revelation 12:10    And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:11    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Thee blood redeemed them because HIS DEATH was what SAVED US.

• And THAT SAME BLOOD -- THAT SAME DEATH -- IS WHAT WE OVERCOME WITH!
• It's what WE DEPEND UPON FOR the enemy's destruction!

He defeated the devil with it, we might as well, too!

Hebrews 2:14    Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Hebrews 2:15    And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.