Thine Is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Forever
The sermon emphasizes the importance of acknowledging God's authority, power, and glory in our lives, submitting to His government, and giving thanks to Him for all He has done.
Zac Poonen emphasizes the significance of the phrase 'Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever' from the Lord's Prayer, explaining that it reflects God's ultimate authority, power, and the glory He deserves. He urges believers to submit to God's government in all aspects of life, including speech, finances, and time management, highlighting that true joy and peace come from accepting His authority. Poonen also stresses the importance of recognizing God's power to overcome fear and sinful habits, and the necessity of giving thanks and glory to God for all achievements, as everything we have is a result of His grace.
Text
The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples ends with these words, "Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever" (Matt.6:13-KJV). All these three belong to God alone.
1. Thine is the Kingdom
The phrase "the kingdom of God" can be better understood in our day as "the government of God", since we don't normally use the word "kingdom" nowadays. The government of a country has authority over every one of its citizens. So to be under the government of God means being totally under His authority.
Do we allow God to control and restrain us in our speech? This is the first area we could examine ourselves in.
What about the money we earn? Are we lavish in spending it? God cannot anoint and bless those who are careless in the way they spend their money. When God give us much, He tests us to see how we spend it.
How do we spend our time? Does God have a say in it? It is a great challenge to see that Jesus knew the Scriptures thoroughly by the age of 12. At that young age, He also had a sense of responsibility about his Father's business. God is greatly grieved when His children do not spend time studying His Word, but yet have time to read other books and to watch TV programs.
Heaven is a place where everyone accepts the authority of God. This is why it is a place of joy and peace. Our lives and homes can be like that too, if we submit to the government of God in every area.
2. Thine is the Power
We must acknowledge that all power belongs to God (Psalm 62:11). When we see God as Almighty having all power, it will free us from the fear of men and fear of the future. Psalm 112 (Living Bible) says that "...such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances . God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him." God's power can also free us from all our sinful habits. We must acknowledge that God has all power to do that for us too.
3. Thine is the Glory
We must give God the glory due unto Him. This involves giving thanks to Him for what He has done for us. Praise and thanksgiving will characterise our lives increasingly if we are growing spiritually. We must not be like the ungrateful lepers who never returned to give thanks to the Lord (Lk.17:17). We must also be careful to give God the glory for anything that we have accomplished - for everything comes from the ability that He has given us.
Sermon Outline
- I. Thine is the Kingdom
- A. The government of God has authority over us
- B. We must submit to God's authority in all areas
- C. Examples: speech, money, time
Key Quotes
“The government of a country has authority over every one of its citizens. So to be under the government of God means being totally under His authority.” — Zac Poonen
“God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it.” — Zac Poonen
“For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must submit to God's authority in all areas of our lives, including speech, money, and time.
- We should acknowledge God's power and recognize that everything comes from His ability.
- We must give thanks to God for all He has done and continue to do in our lives.