Bible Study Handout for 10/26/2014

Garden Valley Community Church

Pastor Shane Moffitt

October 26^th 2014

“The Lord’s Prayer”

Part 10: Abandoning Control

Matthew 6:9-13        King James Version

“For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Power & Glory

1)   When Jesus said this ~ the hearers were

a defeated people for generations

2)   They daily watched well trained soldiers controlled their land and families

3)   When Jesus said, “POWER” ~ this was something they had lost and something they had come to fear

4)   Rome forced the Jews into silence & submission & poverty

5)   POWER & GLORY described the Roman Empire ~ so it must have made the Jewish heart rise up in rebellion

6)   Praying this expressed confidence in God’s supremacy over all human governments

7)   READ: Psalm 22-24

8)   When things look bleak ~ remember the ancient eternal promises of God’s Word

This prayer draws on the past

to help us endure the present

with our eyes on a glorious future

The 3 Great Temptations:

Power ~ Fame ~ Success

1)    Power Issues ~ either struggling to dominate others (impose our will on) OR avoiding domination by others (rebellion)

2)   Fame Issues ~ a need to feel significant (fame) we want our lives to matter ~ often we work for appreciation & recognition

3)   Success Issues ~ fear of failure ~  fear of peer criticism ~ success is Power & Fame

4)   Our desire for Power & Glory produces conflict and discontentment

5)   Only as we release our desire for Power & Glory can we experience the freedom & blessings of the Lord’s Prayer

6)   READ: Ephesians 5:21

The Bible is NOT about how God fits into our story ~ but how we fit into His

v Often we get this backward

v How often do we open God’s Word to understand ourselves?

v We desire for God to clarify our lives NOT highlight Him and who He is

v The Bible is NOT a therapy textbook

v The Bible is God’s story and the main character of God’s story is Jesus Christ

v READ: John 5:39 & Galatians 3:24

“He must become greater and greater,

and I must become less and less.”

John 3:30 NLT