Matthew 6:11-15

shows off his strength. In our text today though, we will see something.

God is majestic, absolutely, but he's merciful and he has compassion on his

children. Look at verse 11. We think about this and

just gloss over it. Give us this day our daily bread. Notice

first of all before, notice he says give us our bread. He

doesn't say sell us bread. Isn't that awesome? We come to our

father as children asking for a gift knowing that he is generous and gracious.

We're not asking God to loan us bread. We're not asking to sell us bread.

God would you give it to us? Why? Because he's a great giver

of all things. James 1.17 says every good and perfect gift

cometh from above and comes down from the father of lights.

Jesus, every good thing in your life friend. It's a gift from him.

Now I will tell you studying for this, I did not know this next word was so

controversial. We see the word daily, our daily bread.

It's a really interesting word. It's a hard word to translate

because there is a word for daily. It's common and it's used often in the New

Testament, but it's not the word being translated here.

So there is some debate on how this word should be translated and what it

actually means. This word daily only occurs in the

Lord's Prayer and the Lord's Prayer only occurs in Matthew and Luke

two times. Once in Matthew, once in Luke. So the word appears nowhere else in the

New Testament, but it also does not appear anywhere

else in ancient Greek literature. So it appears to be a word that was coined

by the apostles and it is the word epiousias.

It comes from two words, epi, above, super if this is a good word, hyper it

might be another word, usia and usia means being

or substance or essence. So if this were the way it should be

translated and some will say this, this and then stay with me here, it would

be translated like super substantial, super substantial bread. Bread that is

super in essence. And others say no no no it's actually

related to the word epiousia found in Acts 16 11 where it's

that word epiousia is translated the following day.

Okay so there's that's an adjective modified.

So in this way we could say bread for the following day.

All right now which would it mean? Is it is it super substantial bread or bread

for the following day? Well Christ tells us to pray if it's

if it's bread for the following day that means Christ is telling his

followers to take care and pray for the needs of tomorrow taking

our life one day at a time. And by the way I think this fits the

context very well because later on in Matthew 6 he's going to say take no

thought for the tomorrow don't worry about what you're going to

eat or drink or what you're going to put on.

So I think that's the context. But let's take for example it would

mean super substantial bread. And then if that's the case people

say well that's an obvious reference to the Lord's Supper.

But the Lord's Supper had not been instituted yet. But let's take for

argument it is. One author said this, it is the bread for the nourishment of our

immortal soul. This living super substantial bread is

Christ himself. In the Lord's Prayer then we're not asking merely for material

bread which is for physical health but for the

spiritual bread of eternal life. Another said no it's a request for God's

daily provision for physical needs. Deborah Anstra writes the Matthew

context is a sermon on the mount. It emphasizes trusting in God for

today's provision not worrying not striving or scrambling for

selfish gain. Jesus teaching here also resonates with

the Israelites memory of manna. The bread in the wilderness which

Israelites could not store ahead or hoard.

They had to depend on God to supply it each day.

So you're saying well what do you think it means? Is it super substantial bread

or is it bread for tomorrow? And I'm going to suggest to you it's both.

We pray for our physical nourishment. But friends we pray for our spiritual

nourishment as well. We come to God our father each day

asking him to supply both our physical needs and

our spiritual needs. So in this part of the prayer in this confession

we are confessing our dependence on God for everything.

Physically, spiritually we confess that we are weak

and we are needy and we are poor. You and I do not have what it takes

but we're also confessing that God is good and God is the giver.

Now this is not a petition for riches. It's not a petition for abundance

but enough for what we need each day. Enough Lord as if we're praying this at

the end of the day enough for the following day is all masking.

It's what the proverb the author proverb said in Proverbs 30.

Don't give me poverty nor riches. Friends we could preach a while in our

culture to this. Feed me with the food allotted to me.

Why? Lest I be full and deny you which is what a lot of rich people do

and say who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and still and profane the name

of my God. We petition God for daily sustenance

but that's just what the old covenant people did. That's what Israel did in the

desert right? They're wandering about in the desert.

There's not a lot of food there. They need to be kept alive and God is the one

who supplied their daily needs through manna. Daily manna. Every day it

appeared. As we go to the time of our Lord most

laborers were paid daily. So if they did not work for that day they could not buy

their food. They could not buy the bread sufficient for that day. They did not eat.

That's just how life was. So it made sense for anyone listening to the Lord that day

praying for daily or the next day's meal. But the lesson shouldn't be lost on us.

Likewise you and I we come to God and we ask him that we might have everything we

need for life. Lord in your mercy give us all the

necessary provisions. And it's a reminder every single day

that we need God. God we have to have you. So when he's talking about bread here

he's not just talking about yeast and dough. It's a metaphor

for the substance of life. That which is necessary for life. That's what he's

referring to here. And again what is what is Jesus doing?

He's revealing to his disciples that we are dependent upon God even for the

basic necessities of life. Everything. But I also see in this an

act of faith. Because we believe not only that God can

meet our needs because he's all powerful but that he's willing to do so.

Because he's our father. He is to be revered. He's to be held in the highest

esteem. But he's concerned about me. That's

fantastic. Martinoid Jones he said is not this one

of the most wonderful things in the whole of scripture.

That the God who is the creator and sustainer of the universe.

The God who is forming his eternal kingdom and who will usher it in at the

end. The God to whom the nations are about as a small dust of the balance.

That such a God should be prepared to consider your little needs

and mine even down to the most minutest details in this matter of daily bread.

But that is the teaching of the Lord everywhere.

If only we could grasp this fact that the almighty Lord of the universe

is interested in every part and portion of us.

You know what this does? It dispels fear. It dispels anxiety. It dispels worry.

Because he's the creator and sustainer in the universe and he

cares for me. When we get that friends it changes us. But our Lord wasn't just

teaching about material needs. He goes on he says

in verse 12 forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. If you're used to

the King James as I am forgive us our trespasses as we forgive

those who trespass against us. If you look over in Luke 11 you don't

need to do that right now. The word the Greek word there he says

forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

So you have trespasses you have debts and you have sins. So what's this all

about? Well there's five words in the New Testament

that are all used to describe sins. We'll go through these real quickly.

You have the word debts that's used here in Matthew 6. Ophioloma.

Ophiola means it's a moral fault. It's something you owe someone something

that's due them. Okay then you have the word just

translated sin. Hamartia. In fact in theology

hamartiology is a study of sin. So hamartia this is the most common

word that's used in the New Testament and most of you know what this means.

It means to miss the mark. Well how's that? So you're missing the standard of

God's righteousness. God has a bullseye here and we never hit

the bullseye. We always fall short. We miss the mark. But then you have the

word trespass. Paroptoma. That's the sin of slipping or

falling. But listen it's due to more to our

carelessness. It's usually not an actual deliberate

action. Okay you you carelessly sin. Then we have the word transgression.

Parabasis. This now is a deliberate stepping across the line. This is what my

children do. They're transgressors. Okay because you're like do not do this.

Okay you eat your food at the table. You don't eat it in the living room.

Do you understand? Yes daddy. And where do you find them eating? In the living

room. They are not trespassing. They're

transgressing. It's not foolishness. They deliberately stepped across the line

and you and I have done this. God says don't and you did. And the

last one is lawless. It's anomia. And then literally it means without

law to God. This is open rebellion against God and his authority.

They're like what's the point pastor? Five words and they all mean the same

thing. They're giving us a full robust picture.

They said don't focus on debts versus trespasses versus transgressions.

Matthew the Greek word is ophioloma and it does refer to debt

but it's a spiritual debt to God that must be paid.

Now you might be saying but how are we indebted to God?

My soul. In every way possible. He has commanded us

be holy even as I am holy. How are you doing there?

He has commanded us be perfect even as your father in heaven is perfect.

How are you doing there? He has commanded us you must live up to my glory in

Roman streets as we all fall short of the glory of God.

How are you doing? We are so indebted to God there could be never

any hope for any of us unless God was a forgiving and gracious God.

We are indebted to him. Everything. So in this prayer

you and I are reminded of our fallenness. You and I are still sinners

despite having been redeemed. We are the sons of God but we still find ourselves

transgressing and transpassing and sinning.

We are not yet what we should be. Therefore we need daily

forgiveness. You need daily bread. You need daily forgiveness. Our hope is in

the grace of God. See the message the central message of

Christianity is that God forgives. The Christian is a forgiven

person. We are declared in the courtroom of

heaven righteous because of what Christ has done and

his righteousness has been imputed to us. Praise God for that. So now we have a

proper standing before God but we still need his forgiveness because

we still fall into sin after being saved. This daily

forgiveness does not come from God as our judge.

It comes from God as our father. See we're still walking through the sin

curse world and we're still being defiled by it.

You don't need to be saved again but you do need to have your relationship

restored. How? Confessing our sin and receiving the

forgiveness of Almighty God. In John 13 there's an interesting passage

here that you probably never thought about when Jesus goes to wash the

disciples feet. Do you remember Peter says no Lord you're not washing my feet.

Let's pick it up from chapter six because it or verse six because it really

instructs us on this passage here in Matthew six.

Peter said to him Lord are you washing my feet?

Jesus answered and said to him what I am doing you do not understand now but you

will know after this. It really is an object lesson about

cleansing that the Lord will do at the cross.

Verse eight Peter said to him you will never wash my feet.

Jesus said okay Peter if I don't wash you

you're not mine. You have no part with me. Simon Peter then said okay

well if that's the case don't just wash my feet, wash my hands, wash my head. Hey

let's give me a bath over here. Verse 10 Jesus said he who is bathed

needs only to wash his feet but it's complete needs only to wash his feet

but it's completely clean. Now you're like what's going on here?

In the ancient near east in Israel the person who was bathed they took about

they were clean head to toe right but they would put on their sandals and

walk the dusty roads of Palestine. Now when they got to their destination

they didn't need to take another full bath they were clean

but what did they need to do? Wash their feet.

What's the point? In salvation you and I have been

bathed, cleansed by God through the blood of Christ. We have been washed, cleansed

by Christ. You're clean but our feet still get dirty

spiritually speaking. You don't need another bath friends. You don't need

another baptism. You're clean in Christ. You don't need

to be saved again but you need to clean your feet. What do

you mean? Well you're still sinning daily.

That's what daily confession does metaphorically.

It's cleansing our feet. Every day we go to God and ask him for pardon. Lord

forgive us our debts because we've not done

what we should have done today for you and we're falling short of your glory.

Now I don't need to be made whole again. I'm clean in Christ

but my feet are dirty. So we ask him to forgive us and God

is gracious to forgive us and the scripture tells us we're sin abounded,

grace super abounded, much more abounded. I love the psalmist when in psalm 103 he

said the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.

You're plenteous in sin and he's plenteous in mercy.

Who God forgives he no longer holds their sin against them.

It's not brought back up to us and then now

we who have received that we do the same to others.

Look at verse 12. Look at the latter part. Forgive us our debts

as we forgive our debtors. Now this is a big problem here. If you

and I were forgiven in proportion to the way that we forgive others

I suggest you would be in deep trouble. We would be left hopeless.

Yet this is something this Christian aspires to and we'll talk about it at the

end for just a moment. We aspire to reflect the mercy and

kindness and forgiveness that God has shown to us.

The man who's received God's forgiveness for his enormous

debt of sin will want to forgive others their paltry

debt against him. That's Matthew 18. You are the 10,000

talent debtor. I preached on that one that was snowy a few weeks ago.

Forgiving others friends is a hallmark of the born-again person.

Ephesians 432, be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, how?

Just as God in Christ forgave you.

It's deep. J.C. Ryle says the plain object of it is to remind us that we must not

expect our prayers for forgiveness to be heard if we

pray with malice and spite in our hearts towards others.

To pray in such a frame of mind is mere formality and it's hypocrisy.

And by the way what's the Lord railing against in Matthew 6? Hypocrisy,

particularly in prayers. You cannot be right friends

with God and withhold forgiveness from anyone else. You cannot do it.

The Puritan Thomas Merton said, there is none so tender to others

as they which have received mercy themselves. And that's a true statement.

For they know how gently God has dealt with them.

What Thomas Merton's saying, friends if you understand what God did in forgiving

you it softens you because you're like I'm

amazed that God has forgiven me. I can forgive others. I certainly can.

If God can forgive me of my enormous debt that I could never

up to pay, I can forgive others. Do you see what the Lord's doing in

this prayer with his disciples? Getting out of hypocrisy. And the final

petition, look at verse 13, reveals our weakness. Do not lead us into

temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

Here we're acknowledging that we're still prone to sin.

If we weren't, why are we praying don't lead us into temptation?

God's going, we're praying that God will watch over us. God direct our steps.

God lead us away from danger. We're praying that God would keep us

from running headlong into that which would injure our soul.

Do you believe that you are capable of making shipwreck of your life?

You ought to believe that. See I'd be praying God don't let me go that way.

There's a way that seems right into a man and the end thereof are the ways of

death. So this posture is the opposite of

arrogance. Because the arrogant man believes he

would never fall into gross sin. He thinks no way would I ever fall

into that. And the humble man says yet for the grace of God

I would make a complete ruin of my life. I believe that. I have friends who are

smarter, who are wiser, who I thought were godlier,

who are in prison. Who are now out of the ministry.

We must pray desperately folks. God you must keep me or else I fail.

God you must hold me fast. Lead me away from the temptation that would cause me

harm. God don't let me go into there. Again

J.C. Rahel, I just like him. He says we confess that so long as we're

in the body we are constantly seeing, hearing, and feeling the presence of evil.

It's about us, it's within us, it's around us on every side.

And so we entreat him who alone can preserve us

and to be continually delivering us from its power.

Again this is a prayer of dependency folks. We recognize that we are inadequate.

Therefore we must rely on his strength to keep us from evil and the evil one.

See we live in a sin-cursed world, we know that. Man sin is rampant, we see that.

Evil is around us, temptation is around us, but the most dangerous thing is the

sin that is within you. You have a flesh, it's a traitor living

within you. And on your own you will not resist the

temptation or lure of the devil. You will not. So we lift up our hands

and we flee to God, protect me Lord, deliver me.

This is what Jesus said, hey guys pray that. Remember in the garden when his

disciples he says watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Why? The

flesh is weak. The spirit's willing. He's talking to

those who are walking with him daily and he says your flesh is weak.

Watch and pray so you don't be led in temptation.

J.R. Miller, he's summarizing this, he said we put our hand into God's in the

morning and we ask him to lead us through the day.

We know not what experiences may come to us and we ask him not to bring us into

sore testings. The prayer is a request that in the doing

of God's will for the day we may not be brought into places where it

will be hard for us to be faithful. Order my steps today.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way.

This is the prayer. Now it comes to a close and we come full circle.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

It starts with God, it ends with God. He alone

possesses the kingdom. He alone has the power and he alone is worthy

to receive glory. That's it. He, that's it. So Jesus is starting

there saying he's worthy of being revered and hallowed

and at the end you better understand it's his kingdom, it's his power, and it's his

glory and then if it's yours. You're reminded of his transcendence

once again. Now if you ever written a letter and

forgot to say something, often you'll put a PS in there, you'll

put a postscript right? Two-minute drill. Let's look at the last

two verses here. Verse 14 says this is a PS to the prayer if you will.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive

you. But if you don't forgive men their

trespasses, neither will your father forgive your

trespasses. Okay so here Jesus had a little PS to the prayer.

Verse 12 forgives our debts as we forgive our debtors.

This is an elucidation, it's an elaboration on that verse.

He's been speaking to his followers in the presence of hypocrites.

Scribes and Pharisees are there listening to him and they are very much

hypocritical in their giving and they're praying and even in their

fasting. All right it's all to be seen by men.

And so there is hypocrisy in prayer. This is how you play the hypocrite. When

you go to the Lord asking him to forgive you of your debts,

your wrongs, your sins, and you refuse to forgive others who have

wronged you. You can't do it.

MacArthur says to receive pardon from the perfectly holy God

and to refuse to pardon others when we are sinful men is the epitome

and abuse of mercy.

See the nature friends, you've been born again. The nature of the redeemed

is to forgive because that's the nature of God.

And you've been born again into him. He's simply asking you to do

for others what he has already done for you

in Christ. Do you see it? Do you see how what a great sin it is to not forgive?

Alexander McLaren, I read this last night so I put it in there. Here's my PS to the

sermon. In a very real sense our forgiving is

the condition of our being forgiven. Now listen what he says, I thought this

is brilliant. You and I are accustomed to hear that

faith and repentance are conditions of receiving divine forgiveness.

Right faith and repentance but they're gifts of God.

But that very same disposition which when directed toward God produces faith

and repentance, when that same disposition is directed

toward men, it produces a forgiving temper. This is the manifest evidence of

God's grace. God's grace reveals itself in your

faith and your repentance. God's grace reveals itself in your

forgiving others. A deep sense of my own unworthiness and

of having no ground of right to stand on will surely lead me to be lenient and

placable to others. We can't cut our lives into halves and

be inwardly filled with contrition and yet outwardly assert our own rights.

Now we cannot plead with God to do for us

what we refuse to do for others. That's hypocrisy.

This is the Lord's Prayer. It's a lot deeper isn't it than what we thought.

When you look at it, it is absolutely perfect. It is profound in the deepest way

and it's the prayer that our Lord taught his disciples. Now this doesn't mean that

you merely say the words every time but what you see the context it

begins with adoration. It leads you to confession. It leads you

to admission of weakness. It leads you to forgiveness and it brings

you back to worship. That's what prayer does.

Now friends we're going to pray and prepare to come to the table of the Lord.

Let me just say this church. Rejoice you have been forgiven completely in

Christ. Be thankful the broken body of our

Lord and the shed blood of our Lord has cleansed us

from all our guilt. You're saying for whom?

1st Corinthians 11 Jesus said this is my body

which is broken for you. Who's the for you there?

For sinners. For you as the ones who were children of wrath

and who have been made children of God by his sovereign grace.

Thank you friends. Worship your God. Pray to him.

Get on your face if you will and let us remember

the Lord and what he has done for this is the grace of God that has been given

to you fully and completely in Christ. Let's pray.

Lord we thank you for today. Lord I thank you for your word and

God would you deliver us forgive us. Lord of our hypocrisy.

Where the danger is that we can be hypocritical and not even know it. We

can deceive our own selves. Father help us to live in the body with

people around us who shine light on our own darkness.

Would you through your spirit show us ways that Lord

we have either hard hearts or bitter hearts or unforgiving hearts.

Or forgive us show us ways that we're itching for the commendation of man or

we're doing acts or to be seen by others.

Lord not only would you forgive us. Lord would you reveal that to us and Lord let

us repent. Father I thank you.