A while back I was listening to Frank Pastore - Frank is former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds - a brother in Christ - Frank was sharing about a trip he took with his son to Disneyworld - out in Orlando, Florida.

How many of you have been to Disneyland - the Magic Kingdom? What about Disneyworld - out in Orlando, Florida? I haven’t been to Disneyworld. But, I’m told that they basically have the same set-up as Disneyland - at least as you in through the entrance.

At Disneyworld when you finally get to the main gate there are these ticket booths - then the turnstiles - and finally you get into this open area just inside the gate. As you come through the main gate, right in front of you is this hill with a large picture of Mickey Mouse made out of flowers - and above that the Main Street train station. There are little shops with souvenirs - balloons - and sometimes Disney characters. Then - on each side of the entrance are these two tunnels that lead under the train tracks into Disneyland. Sound familiar?

Frank was saying that for weeks they’d been building up this trip to Disneyworld - talking about Mickey Mouse - the rides - all the fun they we’re going to have. Finally, after all this build up they got there - went through the gates and arrived at this entrance area. His son was in awe - absolutely overcome by what he saw. Mickey! Train! Balloons! So they stood there for a minute - taking all that in - and then Frank said, “Let’s go!” Let’s go through the tunnels.

And the son started screaming. “What do you mean let’s go? We just got here. Look, Mickey, train, balloons. Why are we leaving?”

Frank had to literally drag his son - kicking and screaming - into Disneyworld. Imagine this - a child being forced to go into Disneyworld. Finally, when the son got to Main Street and saw Disneyworld - not just the entrance. He calmed down. He understood.

So many people - Christians - have some understanding and experience with God: salvation - a Christian lifestyle - the church and her traditions. But, its like they only see the entrance - not the whole Kingdom of God. There’s so much more that we miss because we’re content with the basic things - the first things - and not going on to the deeper things that God has for us.

If we were to ask a theologian, “What is the Kingdom of God?” The answer would have something to do with God’s Dominion. By definition - the Kingdom of God is everywhere where God’s will is perfectly and universally done. (note Daniel 7:14) Which is a great definition. But isn’t very helpful. We want to go further than a head knowledge or a religious understanding about God’s kingdom. We want to go on to understand what the Kingdom of God means for us as we go through the everyday experiences and circumstances of our lives.

Please turn with me to Matthew 6:9-13 - which is the passage of Scripture that we’re going to be looking at for the next few weeks. Praise God that Jesus - in explaining the Kingdom of God - Jesus goes further - deeper into where God’s kingdom touches our lives - the joy and promises that God has for us if we will go deeper.

As you get to Matthew 6 you’ll recognize these verses as “The Lord’s Prayer” - which is very familiar to us. And, there’s a danger in that. Because its so familiar we’re tempted to superficially read these verses and not go deeper. We can miss the meaning of what Jesus was teaching His disciples.

The Lord’s Prayer is not just a simple pattern for us to follow in our prayers - an intellectual or religious exercise - or some kind of Christian mantra. The Lord’s Prayer is a crucial part of Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God. Over the next few weeks we want to look at this prayer - to see what Jesus says about the Kingdom of God - His Kingdom Principles - the essential truths of what its like to live in God’s Kingdom.

Coming to Matthew 6 - here’s the setting. Jesus was at the height of his popularity. Crowds were coming to Him from all over Judea and as far away as Syria. They came bringing the sick, the suffering, people possessed by demons, paralytics. You name the disease - they came to Jesus. Wherever Jesus went the crowds went.

One day, Jesus looked at these crowds of people - and in the hill country near the Sea of Galilee - Jesus sits down and begins to teach these thousands of people about the Kingdom of God. That sermon is what we have here in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 - what we call the Sermon on the Mount. In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount is the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is the pinnacle of this sermon. Its the whole point of what Jesus is talking about - an index - an outline for the rest of the sermon about God’s Kingdom. Its crucial - if we want to go deeper - that we understand what Jesus is talking about here.

If you have your Bible open - I invite you to read with me Matthew 6:9-13 - we’re going to read this aloud so we have fresh in our minds - and then we’re going to come back and look at verse 9.

Matthew 6:9-13: Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Verse 9: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. This is the first Kingdom Principle that we want to look at.

Jesus begins, “Our Father.” Who are the people of God’s Kingdom - the “our” in “our Father”?

How many of you were born in Merced? What about someplace else in California? The United States? What about outside the US? How many of you have a church background that’s Baptist? Methodist? Brethren? Mennonite? EV Free? Did we miss anyone? We could go on - what about ethnic diversity? Thinking about diversity we begin to get a feel for the people Jesus was talking to.

Jesus is talking to a crowd of diverse thousands - multi-ethnic - multi-cultural - from every economic strata - the suffering and sick - average people just trying to get by - people from many different religious backgrounds - religious leaders proud of their piety and traditions - Pharisees and Sadducees.

To Jesus’ listeners - God’s Kingdom meant sacrifices - regulations - traditions - impossible standards of holiness - condemnation and ostracism for failure - hundreds of laws imposed by the Pharisees and Sadducees. This is was the tradition they’d been taught. What additional burden would Jesus - a new Rabbi - with a new tradition - what new burden would Jesus place upon this diverse group of people all trying to live in God’s Kingdom?

Look with me at how Jesus begins His sermon. Turn back with me to Matthew 5 - starting at verse 3. Imagine yourself with that crowd and just listen to how Jesus describes life in the Kingdom of God. Its revolutionary. Its life transforming.

Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Who’s He talking to? The “poor in spirit” who’ve been told all their lives, that spiritually, they’ll never measure up. Jesus says they’re blessed with the Kingdom of God.

Jesus isn’t talking about how to be blessed - to earn God’s blessing. He’s talking about being blessed - not matter who you are - your blessed by God with His Kingdom.

Verse 4 - listen to this and imagine how this burdened crowd must have felt when they heard Jesus speak: “Blessed are those who mourn - those who cry and weep over their sins - for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men revile - insult - you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven....”

The crowd - the spiritually impoverished - the mourners - the meek - those struggling to find peace - to live in righteousness - to these the Kingdom of God has come. The crowd is the “our” in “our Father.”

Today we live in a world where success does not involve character. Climb over anyone on the way to the top. Cheat - lie - steal - be an adulterer - fornicate - do what it takes. And, its all okay as long as you don’t get caught - as long as you’re moving up. More wealth - more toys - more power - more control over others.

Today - as in Jesus’ day - there’s no room for those who realize their own spiritual bankruptcy - no room for the meek - the peacemakers - those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - those who are on the receiving end of today’s politically correct attack against regenerate Christians. These are the misfits - those who don’t get it - the throw backs - the weak of mind who get run over our way to the top.

Jesus is talking about us. Today, we are the “our” that the Kingdom of God has come to. We, who struggle in life and who look expectantly to God for our salvation. We are within the Kingdom of God.

Say that out loud with me, “I am the our” - “It’s me!”

Then, Jesus speaks about the relationship God has with the people of His Kingdom - “Our Father.”

Imagine, what it must have been like to hear God spoken to as Father. No where in the Old Testament - no where in Hebrew history - not until Jesus, is God spoken to directly as “Father.”

God is someone who appears hovering in a cloud over Mount Sinai - a God of smoke and fire. He’s the God who parts seas - sends plagues - who wiped out the world with a flood. If we touch His stuff we die. If we look at His face we die. Even to approach Him in His temple requires the bloody sacrifice of bulls and goats. God is holy - exalted - almighty - sovereign. Unapproachable.

Jesus calls Him, Father - “Our Father”! Its an amazing relationship.

There’s a story that William Barclay tells about an ancient emperor whose son was on the dais as a parade honoring his father, the emperor, passed by. The trumpets, then the incense, and eventually the emperor and his chariot went by. At that point the little boy leaped off the dais and ran down the street. One guard stopped him as he neared the emperor’s chariot and said, “Don’t you realize that’s the emperor?” The boy said, “He’s your emperor. But, he’s my father.”

Imagine the most perfect father - child relationship possible. What would it be like? The security of a father who protects and provides - loving - caring - listening - guiding - championing - protecting. When we come to repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ that relationship with God is ours.

The Kingdom of God is not about rules and regulations and a God who’s going to “get us” - sitting on His throne - just waiting for us to mess up so He can pour down His wrath on us. The Kingdom of God is about struggling people who have an intimate relationship with the God who so deeply cares about us that He died to establish that relationship.

Say this with me out loud, “Our Father cares for me!”

“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

“Hallowed be Your name” is our response. It literally means, “May Your name be treated as holy - separate - unique - honored.”

Names for Semitic people - especially the Hebrews - names were a profound thing. Your name was who you were - your reputation - the summary and representation of your character. With a good name you were respected. With a bad name you were dishonored. To make the name of God hallowed is to honor God Himself.

Thinking about this practically - have you ever watched an athletic performance that literally took your breath away? I realize that last week’s Super Bowl may have taken our breath away for other reasons. There are some sports like gymnastics - or freestyle skiing - or at the X-Games - that when I watch I just hold my breath in amazement at what I’m seeing.

In a sense we could put it this way, “May Your name leave us breathless. May, who You are and all You have done for us - this struggling people - may, who You are and all You have done for us leave us grasping for breath - speechless - in awe.”

Worship - honoring the name of God - is an act of awe before God - not a tradition or obligation or rituals or something that focuses on us - or some vain attempt to reach to God. Who God is - what He’s done - being a part of His Kingdom should drive us to respond in worship. How we conduct ourselves through the week - our conversations - our attitudes - our inner thoughts - should reflect awe before God our Father. “Hallowed be Your name.”

This morning, is He your Father? It would be so easy to come here - week after week - to live as Christians - to do the familiar - and not move forward into the life He has for each one of us. Maybe you’ve come this morning and that intimate relationship with God is something that you never imagined was possible. But it is. And He offers it to you. Have you come to trust in Jesus as your Savior and to place your life in His hands? Know who God is - personally - and learn to live life in awe and worship of Him - and your life will never be the same.

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