How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast. Tis manna to the hungry soul and to the weary rest. Dear name the rock on which I built my shield and hiding place, my never failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, my shepherd, brother, friend, my prophet, priest, and king. My Lord, my life, my way, my end, to you my praise I bring. Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought. But when I see thee as thou art, I'll praise thee as I ought. Till then I would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath. And may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. Precious name. Oh, how sweet. Hope of earth and joy of hand. Precious name. Oh, how sweet. Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

Well, the fellowship hall and the basement will be stripped down to the studs. Everything taken off, all the flooring, everything is being replaced. I'd like to think it could be done in six months. That means it'll probably be a year. I don't know. And I'm thankful the Lord gave us insurance, and that's going to cover everything. And it's all good. And I can't see it now, but it's all good. And the Lord will bring good out of this. He's the first cause of all things. I hate to introduce a message talking about something like that, but I've entitled the message for tonight. You are what you pray. Think of that title. You are what you pray. Your prayer identifies what you are.

I remember when I was in junior high school, and I asked Lynn if she remembered it, and she did. And during one of the sessions in the auditorium, when the whole school was meeting in the auditorium, there was a lady trying to talk about the benefits of healthy eating. And this is the first time I ever heard this phrase. She said to us, you are what you eat. And I remember thinking about that, and I've thought about it several times. It's supposed to be a call to healthy eating, and I think we should have healthy eating.

I'm not saying anything about that, but I've also seen world-class athletes whose favorite food was Skittles. And I have seen really sick-looking people eating perfectly healthy. And I have to think that genetics has a whole lot to do with everything. It's not true really that you are what you eat. Not to the extent that this is true.

You are what you pray. Now I realize that over the last 2000 years, since the Lord gave us this prayer, it has been used by billions of people over the years. quoting this prayer. And this is their prayer, but they had no understanding of what it was they're praying. This is such an important prayer. I mean, all of truth is in this prayer.

And I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago. I remember when I was playing football in junior high before game. Everybody kneeled down and start praying this prayer. And I remember I was always embarrassed. I felt like I was a heathen because I didn't know it. I'd mumble the words, didn't know what they were saying while everybody else was praying this prayer. But I dare say, I can't look into anybody's heart, I realize that, but I doubt that one of those people knew what this prayer means.

You are what you Pray. Now, obviously, I'm not talking about repeating a memorized prayer, but what comes out of a man's heart when he prays tells us what that man is and what that man believes. Now, that's how important this is. Your prayer. And I know that if you pray, this is your prayer. You might not even use these same words, but this is what your prayer consists of. Your prayer tells what you are and what you believe.

I love what the Lord said about Ananias concerning Saul of Tarsus. I love this. Behold, he prayeth. He never has before. He'd gone through the motions, but he was like the Pharisee in the temple. He prayed thus with himself. God didn't hear it. Oh, he knew what was said, but he didn't hear it with favor. But now Saul of Tarsus for the first time, behold, he prayeth. Now in this prayer, the Lord gives his disciples to pray.

We find out what a Christian is. Now in the Sermon on the Mount, we've already found out what a Christian is by the Beatitudes. If you want to know what a Christian is, look at the Beatitudes. He is all of those things. He's called the salt of the earth, the light of the world. He's the one who has the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. And he does not do what he does to be seen of men. That's all come out in this glorious Sermon on the Mount.

And here we find out what a believer is by what he prays. You are what you pray. And you can find out a whole lot about yourself, and I can find out a whole lot about myself to see if I have any understanding of this prayer. Now, a believer, first of all, is one included in the personal possessive pronoun, our, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. There's no I's in this prayer.

Our, we, us. Now what this represents is a believer is a member of the great company of God's elect. Only they are described in this word, our. This is everybody for whom Christ died. This is everybody that God, the Holy Spirit has birthed into the kingdom of heaven. They pray in unity, our. Father, which art in heaven. And I believe it was a child, our father, which art in heaven.

I'm a child of God now. Not everybody can make that claim. The Lord said to the Pharisees, you are of your father, the devil and the lusts of your father you will do. Not everybody can truly say, they might say it audibly, But it didn't mean anything. Not everybody can truly say our father, which art in heaven.

I love what Christ said to Mary Magdalene. I go to my father and your father. I go to my God and your God. He's my father. What a relationship. God is my father, our father, which art in heaven. Now I can see how I can be one of his creatures, but being his son, him being my father, how can that be? Where I can truly say our father, and he hears me as his son.

Well, first of all, because of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is he the son? I'm a son. Because I'm united to him, both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all of one. As he is, so are we in this world. Is he a son? Is he the son? So are we. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not. I'm a child by adoption. He chooses us to be his adopted children.

Listen to this scripture from Ephesians 1.5, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he's made us accepted in the beloved. Adopted as his very own child. But that's not all.

I'm a child by birth. I've been birthed into the kingdom of God. I've been fathered by him. The new birth. Regeneration. John 1, 12 and 13 says, But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name, which were born. which were birthed, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God, birthed of God. Turn with me for a moment to 1 John 3. I want you to see this. is born of God, verse John 3, 9, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. Well, that means they don't sin habitually. It's not what it says. It says they do not commit sin. Can God sin? Answer that question. Can God sin? No. Can God lie? No. God can't sin. Can that which he gives birth to sin? No. Look what it goes on to say.

For his seed. That's the seed that begat him in the new birth, being begotten again by the living word of God. His seed, the seed of God, remaineth in him. That's his new man. And he, what? Cannot sin. He lacks the ability to sin just as God cannot sin. He cannot sin because he's born of God.

Now, this is talking about the new man. The new nature. Now, you still have your old nature. You've got the man you were born with, but this is the new man, birth of God, that does not commit sin. Now, if there are not two natures, that means me and you aren't saved because we do sin in our old man. But thank God that new man does not commit sin.

What a glorious, glorious truth with regard to a believer being Child of God. Yes. Adopted. A child of God by union, a child of God by birth. Now, let's go on reading back to first for Matthew, chapter six. After this, therefore, this manner, therefore, pray our father, which art in heaven, not the man upstairs. The reverence is used. Here's the third thing I would like to say about a believer. He's a worshiper. Hallowed. Hallowed. Holy. Separate.

Other is thy name. You know, I've read several commentaries on this passage of scripture and preachers making their comment on this said, it means let your name be glorified. You know, that just doesn't sit right with me. Let your name be glorified. His name is glorified. Hallowed be thy name. Holy, reverend is thy name. His name is the person behind the name. His name represents his attributes. characteristics. All of his attributes are displayed by his name. The cross is a declaration of his name. The cross is a declaration of every single one of his attributes.

The cross declares his holiness, his absolute justice. He's no respecter of persons. He's not going to let sin go unpunished. The cross describes his eternity. His eternal nature. He's the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There's never a time when that was not. His cross displays his independence. He by himself purged our sins. No help from us, didn't need it.

The cross is a declaration of his immutability. You remember when the Lord prayed to the garden, if it'd be possible, let this cup pass from me. But it wasn't possible, was it? That's when he said, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. Every attribute of God is displayed in the cross of Jesus Christ. That's a manifestation, a declaration of his name.

And here's what a believer does. He worships God for who he is. Not a false conception of God. He worships the God of the Bible for who he is. We bow before every attribute of God and say, it's good. It's good. Hallowed, hallowed be thy name. And the next thing he says, look in verse 10, A believer is a worshipper. A believer is part of the hour. A believer is a child of the Father. A believer is a worshipper. Hallowed be thy name.

And listen to this, thy kingdom come. Now, when we make that statement, thy kingdom come, It means we're not real satisfied with what's going on down here, and we're wanting His kingdom to come. Now, I realize that His will is always done here. His will of decree. His will of command is never done here. up in heaven his will of decree is always done and his will of command is always done and we're saying we want it here the way it is there and that's why we say thy kingdom come oh we want his kingdom to come because this kingdom you know his kingdom's not of this world And I love where he said, the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation. One can say low here, low there. You can't look at something, anything physical, and say well that's the kingdom of God. No, you can't. His kingdom is not of this world. It's a heavenly kingdom, it's a spiritual kingdom, and this is the very desire of our heart. Thy kingdom come. I want to be a subject of His kingdom, don't you?

I love Revelation 17 14 where Lord is described as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There's the king, here's his subjects. They that are with him are called, chosen, and faithful. Every believer called by the invincible, irresistible grace of God, chosen in eternal election before time began and they're faithful to him, they're faithful to his gospel. Oh, that's the subjects of his kingdom. Thy kingdom come, a place where there's no sin. Can you imagine being in that place? That's what we're asking for. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

The believer is someone who actually wants the Lord's will to be done. Even for cross is my will. I want the Lord's will to be done. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Our will is that his will be done. I love that hymn, take my will and make it thine. It shall be no longer mine. take my heart it is thy own it shall be thy royal throne we really want his will to be done now we know it's going to be done you know that don't you he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth in heaven his will's done right now it's done and none can stay his hand or saying to him what doest thou He does according to his will and we want it that way. Thy will be done. Verse 11.

Give us this day our daily bread. A believer is one who is completely dependent. on the Lord for all things material and all things spiritual. Now, I could take that in so many different ways. First, I like the way he says, give us this day, our daily bread. I wish I'd learned something from that. Live in the present. You know, the children of Israel, they were to gather enough manna for today, not tomorrow, just today. Give us this day our daily bread. When I say that, I'm saying, Lord, I'm completely understanding that I'm dependent on you for what goes in my mouth, how I'm clothed, my home. I need your physical care.

Now, everybody does, but not everybody knows that. A believer does. What do you have that you didn't receive? You know everything you have, you've received of him and you understand that. Give us this day our daily bread, whatever it is I need, give it to me. And He will, we have that promise, but this is more than physical needs. This is spiritual needs. I'm totally dependent upon Him to elect me. If He doesn't elect me, I don't have hope. I'm totally dependent on Christ to die for me and redeem me. If He doesn't redeem me, There's no hope. There's nothing I can get him to do. He's got to do it.

And I'm totally dependent upon him for that. And I'm relying on him for that. I'm totally dependent upon him to birth me into the kingdom of heaven. I'm totally dependent upon him to preserve me and keep me all the way to the end. The only way I'll endure to the end is if he causes me to endure all the way to the end. I'm a dependent being. I'm totally dependent upon him for everything.

And I love that hymn we sing, when I stand before thy throne dressed in beauty, not my own, When I see thee as thou art, love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. Give us this day our daily bread. We're completely dependent on an absolutely independent God.

Verse 12. and forgive us our debts. And in Luke's count it says transgressions, sins. Sin is a debt to God. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Now, a believer is a sinner. who needs to be forgiven. Now, somebody says, if he's already forgiven us, why do we have to ask for forgiveness again? That's not a good question.

You ought to know that you need to come into God's presence as a sinner needing the forgiveness of sins. And every time we pray, there's some awareness of our sinfulness. Is there ever a time when you don't need to pray this? Have you gone maybe an hour? Well, for the last hour, I don't have anything to confess. No, not at all. You're aware, if you're a believer, you're aware that you are a sinner. Like David said, my sin is ever before me. You're always aware of that. You're one of those people, you've been forgiven much because all you've done is sin in and of yourself.

What does John say in 1 John 1.8?

He says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us if we say we've not sinned. And I don't care what it is. When I'm preaching this prayer, or preaching this prayer, preaching this sermon, would I dare say there's not sin in it? No way. I know I'm aware of my sin and I can't come into God's presence at any time without having some awareness of my personal sin. Forgive me of my sins. But a believer, don't stay there. A believer is not only a sinner, he's a forgiven sinner.

His sins are forgiven. They've been blotted out. They've been put away. That's what justification is. I'm not gonna just, yes, I'm a sinner and I have my heads down, but yes, I'm a saint accepted in the beloved, holy before God, where he sees me as he sees his son. A believer's a forgiven sinner. If we confess our sins, agree with what God says about our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Now notice those words.

He didn't say merciful and gracious. He said faithful and just. He's faithful to forgive you of your sins because he's determined to do it. And he's always going to do what he's determined to do. And he's just to forgive you of your sins. He's made the way for God to be just and justifier. And he's just in forgiving you. His justice demands. the forgiveness of your sins. They've been put away. They've been blotted out. They are no more. Now he says, when you pray, pray like this, forgive us of our sins. And don't miss this. Verse 12, as we forgive our debtors. Don't miss that. Forgive us our sins. as we forgive those who sinned against us.

Now, somebody would think, well, that means our forgiveness is dependent upon us forgiving. If you know the gospel, you know that's not the case. Forgiveness It's for Christ's sake. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. And if you've been forgiven, you will forgive. And if you don't forgive, you have never been forgiven.

Now, this is the only part of the prayer that the Lord makes a comment on. Look in verse 14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.

Now this tells me that a believer is a sinner. He's a forgiven sinner and he's a forgiving sinner. Let me give you five things about forgiveness. Number one, if we don't forgive, we'll not be forgiven. That's what the Lord says. People stumble at that. Nothing to stumble at. Somebody says, I never forgive. Well, I hope you never sin because if you sin, you'll never be forgiven. we do not forgive will not be forgiven.

Secondly, we will be forgiven as we forgive in the manner in which we forgive. You forgive somebody, the Lord's going to forgive you. That's his promise. Third, we will be happier forgiving instead of resentment over being mistreated, holding a grudge, In forgiving, that burden disappears. You're going to be a whole lot happier of a person if you forgive. If you don't forgive, you're going to hold things. It's just going to be a burr in you. You'll be happier in forgiving.

Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 2 for a moment. 2nd Corinthians 2, verse 10. To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything, to whom I forgive it for your sakes, forgive I it in the person of Christ, in his presence, in his sight, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Listen, to fail to forgive is to be under the control of Satan. Paul says we're not ignorant of his devices. And the fifth thing I'd like to say about forgiveness, it's the most God-like thing any of us will ever do. Forgiveness is so beautiful. May the Lord make us forgiving people. Now, when you Come into the Lord's presence, you confess your sins, understand you're a forgiven sinner, and be a forgiving sinner.

Now let's go on reading, verse 13. And lead us not into temptation. Now this is our prayer. Lead us not into temptation. In that request, there's a confession that we're weak. Just in that request, don't let me be tempted. I'm confessing, I'm weak. I'm so weak. Now this word temptation is used in two different ways in the scripture. It's used as a trial.

God sends your way. James said, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. When the Lord brings a trial your way, now I'm, I don't, I'm not looking for trials. I'd rather not have any, but I do know that the Lord's going to send them my way for my good. and his glory, and he's gonna accomplish his purposes out of them. So I don't think that's what he's talking about when he's saying, don't send any trials. Whom the Lord loves, he chastens. I want to have trials in that sense. I don't wanna have trials, but I wanna have them. And I know you know what I mean. I don't think that's really what he's talking about.

He's talking about temptation to sin. I know enough about myself. that if I'm tempted, I'll fall. Let me not be tempted. That's my prayer. I do not want to be tempted. If I'm tempted, bad things will take place. Please don't let me be tempted. Put a hedge about me. Put a wall around me. Keep me Deliver me from the temptation to sin, because I know that if I'm tempted, I know what direction I'll go. I know that by sad experience.

So let me not even be tempted. Verse 13, lead us not into temptation. These are things we're dealing with every day, isn't it? I mean, this is, it's so real. Lead me not into, don't let me be tempted, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, rescue us from evil.

Now, first, deliver me from this present evil world. Remember when John says, love not the world, neither the things of the world, for all that's of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the father, but of the world. And the world passes away in the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. This present evil world would swallow me up. Deliver me, rescue me from this present evil world. And the second thing evil means in some translations, it says, deliver me from the evil one.

I am no match for Satan. He can turn me inside out, upside down in every which way. Peter found that out. I'm no match for him. Deliver me from the evil one, Satan. And thirdly, deliver me from the evil one. Look across the page to Matthew chapter seven. The Lord is speaking to his disciples at this time.

Now, I imagine, I might say I wouldn't react like this, but if you said to me, you're really evil, I'd say, so are you. I wouldn't take it well. I wouldn't take it with the humility I should take it. But this is what the Lord says. And if the Lord says this to you, Don't you just say, amen? If you then being evil, he's talking to his disciples and every one of his disciples know exactly what he said. Yes, Lord. If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him? Now, the Lord's calling his disciples that. I doubt that any, not one of them said he shouldn't be talking to me like that. No, they knew it was the truth. Deliver me from this evil one. I am, I say without hesitation, I am my own greatest enemy. Deliver me from this evil one.

Back to, Then he says in verse 13, and this is something every believer has some understanding of and love for. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Now a believer understands this. This is his kingdom. He's the king of the kingdom.

And his jurisdiction, you know, every kingdom has boundaries. People's nations were sovereign nations. That means inside our boundaries, no other nation has the right to try to tell us what to do. We have all these different sovereigns, but there's really only one sovereign, the sovereign king of the universe. And he has no boundaries. He has no limitations.

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. This is his kingdom. It's the kingdom spoken of by Paul when he said the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and the Holy Ghost. We really believe this is his kingdom. Thine is the kingdom. And thine is the power. Omnipotence. Power belongeth unto the Lord.

And I love to think of his power displayed in creation when he simply willed the universe into existence. There was nothing. And all of a sudden there was something simply because he willed it as the creator God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Oh, how his power is displayed in providence. where he orchestrates and controls everything that happens. He's the first cause of everything.

What mighty power. And it's not hard for him. It's not difficult. He controls everything. What power. And oh, the power that's seen in his salvation to make this sinner a son of God, to make me perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, the power to put away my sins. Oh, the power of God. We know thine is the power. You know that, don't you? Thine is the power. And thine is the glory.

Now, the glory is who gets credit for something. Who gets the credit for your salvation? He gets all the glory in it. You want it to be that way because He deserves it. And you want it to be that way because if it's not that way, that means salvation's in some way by works. That's why this is so important. This is why I'm so exceedingly wanting Him to get all the glory because if He doesn't, that means something's required of me to save myself. That's bad news. But if He gets all the glory, that means He did it all. That means it's finished and I'm in good shape. Thine is the glory. And I love the ending.

Amen. The most universally recognized word in the human language. Amen. It's translated that by every language. Yes. Complete agreement. Let it be so. This is the desire of my heart. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you. You've given us this prayer. And Lord, we ask that you would put this prayer in our hearts. enable us to say from the depths of our heart, our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. Lord, we're totally dependent upon you for all things material and all things spiritual. and forgive us of our debts, our sins, our transgressions, as we forgive those who have sinned against us and are in debt to us. And Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory. We're asking these things in your son's name. In his name we pray, amen.