Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

How does God’s Kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity. (LSB 324)

INI + AMEN.

God’s kingdom “certainly comes by itself without our prayer,” but in the 2nd Petition “we pray…that it may come to us also.” (LSB 324) But before we can look at how it comes to us, like you just said, we need to know what the Kingdom of God actually is. We hear that word “kingdom,” and we think of Kings and castles, lands and borders.

But God’s Kingdom has nothing to do with the countries, lands, rulers, and borders of this world. We’re not praying for some sort of Christian kingdom to be set up somewhere that will conquer lands and beat up on other “ungodly” nations. King Jesus Himself says, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”

God’s Kingdom is outlined for us in the Apostles’ Creed: that Jesus was sent from the Father to die for the sins of the world, to redeem you from sin and death, to purchase you out from under the devil’s power all with His holy, precious blood. The Kingdom of God is Jesus dying and rising for you, for me, and for all.

That’s the sort of Kingdom we’re praying for in the Second Petition. That Kingdom “certainly comes by itself without our prayer.” Jesus came, died, rose. He just did it. No one prayed for it, asked for it, really even wanted it. But He did it, just like His Father wanted Him to. We need that sort of Kingdom to keep coming to us. We need Jesus to keep coming to us, saving us, protecting us. We need His death and resurrection for us to become ours.

Small Catechism: Lord’s Prayer Introduction and First Petition

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

Holy Baptism. We don’t fully grasp the benefits given to us in Holy Baptism. In fact, we don’t really believe that all the benefits and blessings that Scripture attaches to Holy Baptism are really true.

Christ, His cross and death for you, His empty tomb, His resurrection from the dead, the Holy Spirit with all His gifts, salvation itself, eternal life, a new heart, being born from above—all these things (and more!) are poured out wholesale in the water and Word of Holy Baptism. All these things are given you as a gift, and so they’re all yours!

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Pastor, you’re supposed to preach about the Lord’s Prayer. We even confessed some of what it means. Why are you talking about Holy Baptism?”

The Lord’s Prayer—and all prayer for that matter—is also a gift. The gift of praying to God isn’t just some right that you have as a human being. No, the Lord’s Prayer is a gift to the Baptized. In fact, it was prayed over you and given to you when you were baptized! The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of those who are baptized into Christ Jesus. Continue reading →