100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:08,960Only God can make things grow, and that’s why we pray this prayer.200:00:09,080 –> 00:00:12,680Father, your kingdom come.300:00:12,900 –> 00:00:17,980We can’t make that happen. Only you can make this living seed grow.400:00:17,980 –> 00:00:23,780We can plant the seed of God’s truth, we can water it with our prayers, but only God500:00:23,780 –> 00:00:29,860makes things grow. Father, your kingdom come.600:00:30,120 –> 00:00:34,740Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. I’m glad you could700:00:34,740 –> 00:00:39,139be with us today. And Colin, today we come to the part of the Lord’s Prayer when we800:00:39,139 –> 00:00:45,040pray, your kingdom come, and you told us that Jesus is the sovereign King and his plan will900:00:45,040 –> 00:00:48,299be accomplished. So what exactly is our part in that?1000:00:48,299 –> 00:00:52,380Well, I think that’s precisely why we are in the Lord’s Prayer today, it is that we1100:00:52,660 –> 00:00:59,540are to pray, your kingdom come. Jesus tells us that. We have a responsibility here. We1200:00:59,540 –> 00:01:05,820are to ask of God that he will do the work that only he can do so that people will come1300:01:05,820 –> 00:01:11,379to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his great work will advance in the world. And1400:01:11,379 –> 00:01:16,720as we pray for that, we are to be part of advancing that work because we are trusted1500:01:47,440 –> 00:01:54,080as human beings, God is glorious and he calls us to pray into that and to anticipate what1600:01:54,120 –> 00:01:59,699that will be and that’s not only our responsibility, it is our marvelous privilege.1700:01:59,699 –> 00:02:05,500So, join us today, if you can, in Revelation chapter 11 as we continue the message of God’s1800:02:05,500 –> 00:02:07,800Kingdom. Here’s Colin.1900:02:08,080 –> 00:02:13,240The beginning of God’s Kingdom. The growth of God’s2000:02:13,240 –> 00:02:21,279Kingdom and then, most important of all, the coming of God’s Kingdom.2100:02:21,279 –> 00:02:28,679You see, this is what Jesus tells us to pray for, not simply that the Kingdom will begin2200:02:28,679 –> 00:02:36,119in us and not only that the Kingdom will spread across the world but that God’s Kingdom in2300:02:37,039 –> 00:02:46,039all of its fullness and all of its joy and in all of its wonder will come.2400:02:46,039 –> 00:02:48,220Your Kingdom come!2500:02:48,220 –> 00:02:55,479Now, surely the most obvious thing here is that the coming of the Kingdom requires the2600:02:55,479 –> 00:02:58,800presence of the King.2700:02:58,800 –> 00:03:05,160And when we pray, Your Kingdom come, we are praying for and anticipating what will happen2800:03:05,160 –> 00:03:12,380when the King comes, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns in power and in glory and reigns as2900:03:12,380 –> 00:03:15,320He has promised to do.3000:03:15,320 –> 00:03:19,880What will happen when the King comes?3100:03:19,880 –> 00:03:22,360Let me point you to 3 things in the New Testament.3200:03:22,360 –> 00:03:26,380The first is that the King will defeat death.3300:03:26,380 –> 00:03:29,919When He comes, the King will defeat death.3400:03:29,919 –> 00:03:32,559That’s 1 Corinthians, in chapter 15,3500:03:32,559 –> 00:03:40,259and then the end comes when He, Christ, delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after3600:03:40,259 –> 00:03:44,600so here is what happens in the coming of the kingdom,3700:03:44,600 –> 00:03:48,919the destroying of every rule and every authority and power3800:03:48,919 –> 00:03:55,339for He, Christ, must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet3900:03:55,339 –> 00:03:59,259and the last enemy to be destroyed,4000:03:59,800 –> 00:04:03,360it’s death itself,4100:04:03,360 –> 00:04:11,399so when the king comes, all who have ever resisted his rule will be completely overwhelmed4200:04:11,399 –> 00:04:16,480all of the king’s enemies will be completely and utterly defeated when he comes4300:04:16,480 –> 00:04:22,160and the last enemy to be defeated will be death4400:04:22,160 –> 00:04:28,600when God’s kingdom comes, death will be no more4500:04:28,619 –> 00:04:32,040neither will there be mourning4600:04:32,040 –> 00:04:37,380there’ll be no more crying, there’ll be no more pain4700:04:37,380 –> 00:04:43,420for the former things have passed away4800:04:43,420 –> 00:04:48,260when the king comes, he will defeat all of his enemies4900:04:48,260 –> 00:04:54,880and especially the last enemy, death itself, death will be no more5000:04:55,000 –> 00:04:59,559and then when the king comes, he will judge the world5100:04:59,559 –> 00:05:03,100we read earlier in the service from Revelation in Chapter 115200:05:03,100 –> 00:05:09,160the extraordinary description of the day when the kingdom will come5300:05:09,160 –> 00:05:11,440verse 15 of Revelation 115400:05:11,440 –> 00:05:14,959then the seventh angel blew his trumpet5500:05:14,959 –> 00:05:18,059and there were loud voices in heaven saying5600:05:18,540 –> 00:05:25,420The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ5700:05:25,420 –> 00:05:32,119and he shall reign forever and ever5800:05:32,119 –> 00:05:34,579So you see what we have here in Revelation 115900:05:34,579 –> 00:05:39,519It is a description of what will happen when the kingdom comes6000:05:39,519 –> 00:05:42,200now notice what happens when the kingdom comes6100:05:42,200 –> 00:05:46,10024 elders we’re told in this passage fall on their faces6200:05:46,579 –> 00:05:49,200and this is what they say, verse 186300:05:49,200 –> 00:05:56,200The nations raged, but your wrath came6400:05:56,200 –> 00:05:59,940and the time for the dead to be judged6500:05:59,940 –> 00:06:02,420you see that’s what happens at the coming of the kingdom6600:06:02,420 –> 00:06:08,420and for destroying the destroyers of the earth6700:06:08,420 –> 00:06:15,720When the king comes he will judge the world6800:06:16,380 –> 00:06:26,040now do you see then what we are asking God to do6900:06:26,040 –> 00:06:31,500when we pray your kingdom come7000:06:31,500 –> 00:06:41,660Father in heaven come defeat the enemies that are arrayed against you7100:06:41,660 –> 00:06:50,179Father come judge the world in righteousness come destroy the7200:06:50,179 –> 00:07:01,540destroyers of the earth this is a serious prayer to pray Peter Lewis who7300:07:01,540 –> 00:07:06,619writes very helpfully on the Lord’s Prayer says this when we pray your7400:07:06,760 –> 00:07:13,920kingdom come we are praying about something that will be as terrible to7500:07:13,920 –> 00:07:21,500some as it will be joyful to others we are praying about the closing of the7600:07:21,500 –> 00:07:29,880door as well as the opening of the gates we are praying for the end of the old7700:07:29,920 –> 00:07:38,519order with its space for repentance as well as with its pain and with its7800:07:38,519 –> 00:07:47,160tears of course we long for the day when the pain and the tears and the death7900:07:47,160 –> 00:07:53,040will be gone but you see when the pain and the tears and the death of this8000:07:53,179 –> 00:08:03,160world are gone the space for repentance will be gone as well so when the kingdom8100:08:03,160 –> 00:08:12,579comes it’s the end of grace this old world with its godless kingdoms and its8200:08:12,579 –> 00:08:21,760wars and its viruses and its endless political arguments it’s passing away8300:08:21,980 –> 00:08:29,779and a new and better world is coming Christ’s kingdom will come but this is8400:08:29,779 –> 00:08:35,679the world in which you must enter that kingdom as long as you live in this8500:08:35,679 –> 00:08:42,080world the door of that kingdom is open to you but when the kingdom comes the8600:08:42,080 –> 00:08:47,219door will be closed and those who are outside when the kingdom comes they’re8700:08:47,239 –> 00:08:55,900going to be outside forever and forever so you see when we pray your kingdom8800:08:55,900 –> 00:09:05,359come it should light a fire in every believers heart to do all that we can8900:09:05,359 –> 00:09:11,719everyday of our life in this world to bring those who are outside of the9000:09:11,719 –> 00:09:23,640kingdom of God in before it is too late because when the kingdom comes not only9100:09:23,640 –> 00:09:28,119will the king to feed all his enemies including death itself he will judge the9200:09:28,119 –> 00:09:35,359world in righteousness and then there’s one more thing that will happen and it’s9300:09:35,359 –> 00:09:40,799very wonderful indeed that when the king comes of course he will be with9400:09:40,799 –> 00:09:48,179his people you know Jesus spoke about this so many times people he said in9500:09:48,179 –> 00:09:52,200Luke 13 will come from the East and from the West and from the North and9600:09:52,200 –> 00:10:01,659from the south and they will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. Jesus9700:10:01,659 –> 00:10:08,039spoke about his kingdom being like a great banquet to which everyone is9800:10:08,140 –> 00:10:17,460invited and when the day comes those who are there who have responded to this9900:10:17,460 –> 00:10:25,020invitation those who have come to Jesus we are going to raise our voices with10000:10:25,020 –> 00:10:32,500joy and Revelations says we will shout aloud hallelujah for the Lord our God10100:10:32,659 –> 00:10:38,960the Almighty reigns let us rejoice and exult and give him glory for the10200:10:38,960 –> 00:10:51,140marriage feast of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready ready10300:10:51,140 –> 00:11:00,479are you ready you know when Jesus died on the cross there were two thieves one10400:11:00,539 –> 00:11:08,200on either side of him and the Bible tells us that at first both of them10500:11:08,200 –> 00:11:18,280hurled abuse at Jesus but then something changed in one of them he realized that10600:11:18,280 –> 00:11:28,559Jesus was a king he had heard Jesus praying father forgive them they do not10700:11:28,760 –> 00:11:34,739know what they are doing I wonder if when he heard that he thought forgiveness10800:11:34,739 –> 00:11:43,359is that possible even for someone like me there was a change in his heart and10900:11:43,359 –> 00:11:49,820he said to the thief on the other side don’t you fear God I mean we are being11000:11:49,820 –> 00:11:53,599punished justly he said we’re getting what our deeds deserved but this man11100:11:53,599 –> 00:12:06,539Jesus has done nothing wrong and then he said to Jesus. Jesus remember me when you11200:12:06,539 –> 00:12:18,799come into your kingdom and Jesus said to him today you will be with me in11300:12:18,799 –> 00:12:30,919paradise. Do you see what the thief did? He recognized his own sinful condition11400:12:30,919 –> 00:12:38,820no excuses, no evasions, I’m a sinner before God and I need a savior. He asked11500:12:38,919 –> 00:12:48,340Jesus to save him and then he believed the promise that Jesus spoke to him. And11600:12:48,340 –> 00:12:56,820however far you are from God today, I want to invite you to do what the thief11700:12:56,820 –> 00:13:03,539on the cross did. That you today would recognize your sinful condition before11800:13:03,539 –> 00:13:10,580God, that you would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that you would ask him11900:13:10,580 –> 00:13:20,960to save you. And when you do, God’s Kingdom will begin in you.12000:13:20,960 –> 00:13:25,440You’re listening to Open the Bible, with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called12100:13:25,440 –> 00:13:30,820God’s Kingdom! It’s part of our series The Six Things To Ask of God. All12200:13:30,979 –> 00:13:35,000about the Lord’s prayer and if you ever miss one of the series, you can always12300:13:35,000 –> 00:13:39,679catch up or go back and listen again online at our website, www.openthebible.org.uk12400:13:39,679 –> 00:13:42,940there you’ll find all the messages12500:13:42,940 –> 00:13:47,340which have already been broadcast. You can also find them as a podcast on all12600:13:47,340 –> 00:13:52,299the main podcast sites. Search for Open the Bible UK and subscribe if you want12700:13:52,299 –> 00:13:57,140to receive regular reminders. Open the Bible is supported by our listeners and12800:13:57,159 –> 00:14:01,640and every month we have a gift that we want to give away to anyone who wants to12900:14:01,640 –> 00:14:06,260begin to support Open the Bible in that way. This month it’s a wonderful13000:14:06,260 –> 00:14:11,400book written by Pastor Colin himself and later on in the program I’ll be talking13100:14:11,400 –> 00:14:16,340to Colin about that about that book so I hope you’ll stay with us. Back to the13200:14:16,340 –> 00:14:21,580message now. Here’s Colin. Now there’s one more thing just very briefly before we13300:14:22,359 –> 00:14:31,979prayer today Jesus prayed every petition of the Lord’s prayer either for himself13400:14:31,979 –> 00:14:41,419or for others and that is wonderfully good news because whatever Jesus prays13500:14:41,419 –> 00:14:48,900for always gets answered so think about it we looked today at the beginning of13600:14:48,979 –> 00:14:57,580the Kingdom how it begins in us but don’t you sometimes wonder will there13700:14:57,580 –> 00:15:04,599ever really come a day where every trace of sin in my heart really is removed13800:15:04,599 –> 00:15:11,559will there ever really come a day where I will serve God with all of my being13900:15:11,700 –> 00:15:18,260and love Him with all of my mind and heart and soul and strength will that14000:15:18,260 –> 00:15:23,679day ever come and I want to say to you today yes it will because Jesus prayed14100:15:23,679 –> 00:15:34,719for it John chapter 17 and verse 17 sanctify them in the truth that’s what14200:15:34,719 –> 00:15:39,380he’s praying for that the day will come when you will be everything that God14300:15:39,380 –> 00:15:45,739has called you to be and then we looked at the growth of the Kingdom how it14400:15:45,739 –> 00:15:53,400spreads around the world but in this divided world don’t you sometimes wonder14500:15:53,400 –> 00:16:01,099Will there ever come a day when even believing people from every tribe and14600:16:01,099 –> 00:16:07,080nation in this deeply divided world will actually live together in perfect love14700:16:07,299 –> 00:16:13,080under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ Will that ever happen and I want to say14800:16:13,080 –> 00:16:18,440to you today yes it will and here’s how you can know that it will because Jesus14900:16:18,440 –> 00:16:25,179prayed for this to in John chapter 17 and verse 20 I do not ask for these15000:16:25,179 –> 00:16:30,640that’s the disciples only but for those who will believe in me through their15100:16:31,200 –> 00:16:40,960word that’s us that they all may be one and that prayer of Jesus is going to be15200:16:40,960 –> 00:16:47,000gloriously answered all one from every language and tribe and nation around the15300:16:47,000 –> 00:16:56,700throne of the Lamb and we looked at the coming of the kingdom how Christ will15400:16:57,440 –> 00:17:04,819power and in glory but don’t you ever find yourself wondering you know it’s15500:17:04,819 –> 00:17:10,119the day really going to come when my faith is turned to sight is it ever15600:17:10,119 –> 00:17:13,579really going to happen can I really imagine what it will be for me to see15700:17:13,579 –> 00:17:23,339the King and all of his glory is that really going to happen and I say to you15800:17:23,660 –> 00:17:27,020scriptures today yes it will and the reason you can be sure it will is that15900:17:27,020 –> 00:17:32,719the Lord Jesus Christ himself prayed for it he prayed for it in John chapter 1716000:17:32,719 –> 00:17:40,099and in verse 24 father I desire that they also whom you have given to me will16100:17:40,099 –> 00:17:47,780be with me where I am to see my glory16200:17:48,339 –> 00:17:57,839father hasten the day your kingdom come16300:17:57,839 –> 00:18:06,619well will you join with me now in praying this prayer let’s pray together16400:18:07,020 –> 00:18:15,979our Father in heaven we bow before you our great and glorious King this world16500:18:16,260 –> 00:18:23,900gives no weight to you but we draw near to you in worship all power and16600:18:23,900 –> 00:18:28,680authority belong to you and we thank you that you have chosen to establish a16700:18:28,680 –> 00:18:35,979kingdom in perfect justice you could have written off the entire human race16800:18:35,979 –> 00:18:44,180and left us to the ruin of our own rebellion but in love and in mercy you16900:18:44,180 –> 00:18:51,500chose to bring us into your kingdom and we are so thankful and we gladly17000:18:51,500 –> 00:18:59,000embrace you as our Lord and our King Father we pray that your reign may be17100:18:59,000 –> 00:19:03,199seen more clearly in our lives17200:19:03,599 –> 00:19:11,920you have said if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out if your hand causes you17300:19:11,920 –> 00:19:18,079to sin cut it off it is better to enter into the kingdom named than to enter17400:19:18,079 –> 00:19:27,219into hell so forgive us for the complacency with which we have given room17500:19:27,219 –> 00:19:35,420to sin in our lives that has no place in your kingdom may the truth that we have17600:19:35,420 –> 00:19:40,280heard from your words sanctify us today17700:19:40,640 –> 00:19:47,859father we pray for the spread of your gospel in our world that our people17800:19:47,859 –> 00:19:56,339father who we love and today they are outside of your kingdom Lord in your17900:19:56,339 –> 00:20:02,339love and in your mercy bring them in cause them to be born again we pray18000:20:02,500 –> 00:20:07,439deliver them from the kingdom of darkness bring them into the kingdom of18100:20:07,439 –> 00:20:18,180your son Jesus Christ and light in our hearts today a passion to spread the18200:20:18,180 –> 00:20:27,920gospel in this generation father we pray for the day when Christ will return in18300:20:27,979 –> 00:20:37,280glory and we pray that this longing will light indeed the fire for us to use18400:20:37,280 –> 00:20:44,760every day that we have while it is day before the night comes when no once can18500:20:44,760 –> 00:20:54,640work father we longed to see your son our King Jesus he’s in the day when the18600:20:55,560 –> 00:21:00,900world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign18700:21:00,900 –> 00:21:09,839forever and forever come defeat the enemies who are arrayed against you come18800:21:09,839 –> 00:21:18,219judge the world in righteousness come and bring us together into your presence18900:21:18,280 –> 00:21:28,979to live under the blessing of your rule forever and forever father your kingdom19000:21:28,979 –> 00:21:40,319come and we pray this through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord amen19100:21:40,319 –> 00:21:44,199you’ve been listening to open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith and a message19200:21:44,199 –> 00:21:49,640called God’s kingdom part of our series six things to ask of God all about the19300:21:49,640 –> 00:21:54,160Lords prayer and if you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you do in the19400:21:54,160 –> 00:21:58,219future there’s always a way you can catch up or go back and listen again and19500:21:58,219 –> 00:22:03,839that’s by coming to our website at open the bible.org UK or by going to your19600:22:03,839 –> 00:22:08,239favorite podcast site and there you will find Pastor Colin’s teachings as a19700:22:08,239 –> 00:22:13,920podcast you can find those by searching for open the Bible UK or by following a19800:22:14,579 –> 00:22:19,280link from our website at open the Bible we welcome contact with our listeners if19900:22:19,280 –> 00:22:23,640you’ve been blessed by pastor Colin Smith’s teaching and you’d like to reach20000:22:23,640 –> 00:22:28,479out to us there are several ways you can do that you can write to us at open the20100:22:28,479 –> 00:22:40,040bible P. O. box 1420 Cheltenham GL50 9PG or you can phone us on 033020200:22:40,479 –> 00:22:46,219335 8089 and you can find all those contact details20300:22:46,219 –> 00:22:52,900on our website open the Bible org.uk Open the Bible is supported entirely by20400:22:52,900 –> 00:22:57,459our listeners it’s you that keep us online and on the air if that’s20500:22:57,459 –> 00:23:01,380something you’re considering doing this month if you’re able to begin a new20600:23:01,380 –> 00:23:06,199direct debit to the work of Open the Bible for five pounds per month or more20700:23:06,199 –> 00:23:11,219or a one-off gift of £50 or more we’d love to say thank you by sending20800:23:11,219 –> 00:23:16,400you a copy of Pastor Colin Smith’s book, For All Who Grieve. Colin what20900:23:16,400 –> 00:23:20,239is in this book that you hope that someone who is grieving will be able to21000:23:20,239 –> 00:23:25,819take from it. Well you know I think when we experience loss in life we often feel21100:23:25,819 –> 00:23:30,199that God is at a distance you know what is God know about this and where is God21200:23:30,199 –> 00:23:36,000in all of this and sometimes we feel that he is very very far away indeed but21300:23:36,000 –> 00:23:40,180you know the thing that’s been most striking to me in pondering the book of21400:23:40,180 –> 00:23:45,540Lamentations and the journey through grief that we all at some time in our21500:23:45,540 –> 00:23:50,760lives have to endure what’s been most striking to me is that Jesus knows about21600:23:50,760 –> 00:23:55,400the path of sorrows. He’s described in the Bible as the man of sorrows who21700:23:55,400 –> 00:24:02,760is acquainted with grief so no one wants to walk on the path of sorrow and loss21800:24:03,619 –> 00:24:08,380but you know when you do you’re walking at a place where Jesus21900:24:08,380 –> 00:24:14,260Christ himself can be found. He walks sorrow’s path he’s very familiar with it22000:24:14,260 –> 00:24:19,800and Steve my greatest motivation in writing this book is to try and help and22100:24:19,800 –> 00:24:24,020encourage people who are going through grief sorrow and loss to find the22200:24:24,020 –> 00:24:28,819company of Jesus Christ as they walk this very difficult and painful path so22300:24:28,819 –> 00:24:32,239Colin’s book for all who grieve is our gift to you22400:24:32,280 –> 00:24:37,680along with five lovely greetings cards with a verse from Psalm 23 when you set22500:24:37,680 –> 00:24:42,660up a new direct debit to the work of open the Bible for five pounds per month22600:24:42,660 –> 00:24:48,040or more or one-off gift of 50 pounds or more full terms and conditions on our22700:24:48,040 –> 00:24:54,599website open the bible.org.uk and you can give online. For Open the Bible22800:24:54,599 –> 00:25:00,040for Pastor Colin Smith and for myself David Pick I hope you’ll be able to join22900:25:00,040 –> 00:25:00,900us again next time23000:25:02,599 –> 00:25:04,599hello23100:25:10,380 –> 00:25:16,839Jesus taught us to pray your will be done but what is God’s will find out23200:25:16,839 –> 00:25:20,719next time on Open the Bible