Our Father Which art in Heaven

The point: If we use the Lord's Prayer in public worship, we must understand what we're praying and pray it with the heart.

Martin uses the example of Jesus praying all night to argue that He did not simply repeat the Lord's Prayer ten million times, illustrating that the prayer is a pattern, not just a rote recitation.

We find our Lord praying all night. Do you think He said ten million our fathers? Through the night? Of course not.

6:26 - 6:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Spend time discovering whether what you are asking is part of God's revealed will before praying for it.

This analogy describes a benevolent king who provides a list of things his subjects can confidently ask for, illustrating how God, through the Lord's Prayer, reveals His will for what His children should pray for, ensuring confidence in their petitions.

And the reason why much of our praying is just sort of hit or miss, sort of like sending up a barrage of buckshot and hoping that a few beatings will drop down with blessing, the reason is we don't take time to discover is what I am asking part of the revealed will of God? Has God anywhere said that he'll give me what I want? Father, I'd rather spend an hour discovering whether or not to pray is in the will of God and pray for it for five minutes than to be heaven for twenty minutes for something that I've got no grounds to expect God will give me. It's as though a king has a subject or high s...

13:36 - 15:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There are some of you here who have prayed this prayer perhaps many times who have had no business praying it.

Martin tells a story of a dirty-faced child calling him 'Daddy' on the street, illustrating that he has no obligation to provide for a child who is not his son, just as an unsaved person has no right to call God 'Father' and expect a father's provision.

None whatsoever. Why? Well, let me illustrate. Suppose I should be walking down Bloomfield Avenue Monday morning and some little dirty-faced child comes up to me and says, Daddy, I'm hungry.

17:20 - 17:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Believe and remember when you come to pray that you are coming to a holy God.

Martin quotes a hymn to convey the awe and reverence one should feel in the presence of a holy God, emphasizing the 'in heaven' aspect of God's nature.

Eternal light, eternal light, how pure that soul must be, rich placed within thy burning light. It shrinks not, but with calm delight can live and look on thee. The spirits that surround thy throne may bear this burning bliss, but surely that is theirs alone, for they have never, never known a fallen world like this. But how shall I, whose native sphere is dark, whose mind is dim, before the ineffable appear and on thy naked spirit bear the uncreated beam?

32:35 - 33:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Believe and remember when you come to pray that you are coming to a holy God.

He contrasts Old Testament manifestations of God's holiness (shaking mountain, Uzzah struck dead, Sodom and Gomorrah) with New Testament grace (Jesus healing), to correct the misconception that God's character of holiness has changed.

The grace of God revealed in Christ didn't change anything in the character of God. You see, there's a widespread misconception in our day that when I open the pages of my own testament, how God came down upon us when He was giving the law, the mountain shook, and the fire...

34:12 - 34:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Believe and remember when you come to pray that you are coming to a holy God.

Martin criticizes 'half-converted crooners' who sing about God's love in a 'Mel Torme voice,' making 'cheap love to the deity,' to illustrate irreverent and unbiblical concepts of God that diminish His holiness.

Not He was. The concept of grace that takes away the burning holiness from my God lets the half-converted crooners, sing as we were listening to the FM station here the other night and heard a good message, and then someone comes singing, I walk in the trees and I hear the Lord say, I love you, I love you, singing it with a Mel Torme voice, making cheap love to the deity. Beloved, that's not my God. He's in heaven! When the prophet saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, he saw the seraphim with two wings. They covered their faces with two wings. They covered their feet.

35:36 - 36:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Believe and remember when you come to pray that you are coming to a holy God.

The vision of seraphim covering their faces and feet before God's throne is used to illustrate the profound reverence and holiness required in God's presence, even for sinless beings.

Not He was. The concept of grace that takes away the burning holiness from my God lets the half-converted crooners, sing as we were listening to the FM station here the other night and heard a good message, and then someone comes singing, I walk in the trees and I hear the Lord say, I love you, I love you, singing it with a Mel Torme voice, making cheap love to the deity. Beloved, that's not my God. He's in heaven! When the prophet saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, he saw the seraphim with two wings. They covered their faces with two wings. They covered their feet.

35:36 - 36:33 Read in full sermon

The point: When you come to God to pray, make sure you come with clean hands and a pure heart, having left natural irreverence outside the prayer closet.

Martin uses the analogy of God running around shuffling cards or consulting an IBM computer to decide His next move, to illustrate the absurdity of thinking God is not omnipotent and sovereign, and to underscore His complete control.

He doesn't have an IBM computer and say, well, let's see. Now things are developing this way. Let's schedule that here. Let's read it in here and see the best way I ought to make things come out, because Vietnam and communism and backsliding Christians and all of this is getting out of hand.

38:04 - 38:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Cut out meaningless words and filler in public prayer by pausing and recollecting that you are talking to God, not to brethren or sisters.

He uses the example of repetitively saying 'Frank' in a conversation to illustrate the meaningless and irreverent use of 'Lord' in prayer, highlighting a lack of thoughtful communication.

We're just mouthing words. But we use the word Lord every three seconds. I wouldn't say, Frank, I'd like you to, Frank, come and see me, Frank, because, you know, Frank, I just feel, Frank, there's some things, Frank, that you can help me with, Frank. If you'll come, Frank, I'd like you to have, Frank, have you come, Frank.

44:21 - 44:26 Read in full sermon