Well, I invite you to turn to two places tonight in the Bible. I'd like you to turn to John chapter 16, John chapter 16, page 1072, as we are continuing now our study in the Lord's Prayer. And there are two question answers I'd like to think about today, what we mean as Jesus taught us to pray and address god as our father that's found on page 253 in these little forms book 253 and it's questions 120 and 121 and then we'll read john chapter 16 so i'm going to ask the question again page 253 lord's day 46 which is a exposition of the lord's prayer for us question 120 is this question please respond with the answer why has christ commanded us to address God as our Father. To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer what should be basic to our prayer. A childlike reverence and trust that through Christ God has become our Father and will much less refuse to give us what we ask in faith than will our parents refuse us the things of this life and then turning over to the next page why the words who is in heaven these words teach us not to think of god's heavenly majesty in an earthly way and to expect from his almighty power everything needed for body and soul and in john chapter 16 tonight beginning at verse 23 we'll read to the end of the chapter john 16 beginning at verse 23 this is the word of the lord in that day you will ask nothing of me truly truly i say to you whatever you ask of the father in my name he will give it to you until now you've asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full i've said these things to you in figures of speech the hour is coming when i will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the father in that day you will ask in my name and i do not say to you that i will ask the father on your behalf for the father himself loves you because you have loved me and i believe that i came from god i came from the father and i've come into the world and now i'm leaving the world and going to the father his disciples said ah now you're speaking plainly and not using figurative speech now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you this is why we believe that you came from god jesus answered them do you now believe behold the hour is coming indeed it has come when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone yet i'm not alone for the father is with me i have said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but take heart i have overcome the world there will end the reading of god's word well we're continuing tonight our study in the lord's prayer and last time we looked at the sort of introduction to prayer and why prayer is so necessary why prayer is so important and obviously being the chief part of our gratitude to the lord it has a very important place in the believer's life of sanctification. But I thought tonight as we think a little bit about prayer and how we pray and what we pray, you remember the disciples were very curious about this. They even came up to Jesus at one point and asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They wanted to know what prayer should be like and what we should say. and jesus gave us an inspired prayer in the lord's prayer didn't he i begin with the words of martin luther after having denounced showy and meaningless prayers christ introduced a splendid short prayer of his own with it he instructed us on how to pray and what we should pray for he gave us a prayer that touches upon a variety of needs by themselves these needs should compel us to approach God daily with these few easily remembered words. No one can excuse himself by saying he doesn't know how to pray or what to pray for. Praying the Lord's Prayer every day is certainly a worthwhile habit, especially for ordinary people and children. We can pray it in the morning, in the evening, and at the dinner table, at any time for that matter. as we pray this prayer together we bring our needs before god i've always appreciated that little statement by luther i found it in a commentary years ago and um i i like his emphasis that really there's no excuse not to pray for if we struggle with prayer we can pray the inspired prayer that the lord gave us and tonight what the goal is is to begin to help us to understand what we're meaning when we pray these inspired words and to have a good understanding which helps to fill out prayer doesn't it and what a beautiful way to look at prayer tonight and you'll notice that we're beginning with where Jesus began by addressing why do we do this why is it so important to address God as our father we are addressing you'll notice here our father who is in heaven it's not throughout the old testament that god was never addressed as father but jesus is communicating to us what his work has opened up for us what is what he has come to do and what that's given to us and how we approach god and that's a really important point to make that that the the cross and redemption and jesus's presence on the earth and then ascending back up we've been looking at that from hebrews and now opening the door so that we can come boldly to the throne of grace gives us a special kind of access in prayer to god that we should never take for granted so i want to consider tonight with you just a few things here as we break into the lord's prayer and the content of it first the the disposition of the father and then we'll look at the generosity of the father and then the confidence we should have in our heavenly father but that disposition is an important first point because many people struggle with having confidence as we'll look at in the third point struggle with god and how he relates to us. In John chapter 16, as we read tonight, Jesus spoke of a day that would open up communication with God in a special way, a special way that it would be opened up. Jesus says here, the hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I will tell you plainly about the father um he was saying something very important there that it's going to become really clear for you at some soon time something very clear about the father and when we think about that time we know that jesus was was talking about when the holy spirit would come at pentecost and that there would be um the spirit given and that we would have through prayer a special kind of access to god now i'm moved by this because when you come to something like this it it really does kind of provoke the question that that what don't people what don't people understand about the father remember um in john 1 no one has seen god at any time the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father has declared him you know that word for declared means explain him the son has declared the father the son has explained the father to us the son has made something very clear about the father to us and this came up numerous times in the gospels that there was a great struggle of you remember Philip when he came up to Jesus and he said he said Jesus would you just show us the father would You give us unmediated access to the Father. We want to see the Father. And that will be sufficient for us. Jesus, remember, said, do you know what you're saying? When you look at me, I'm the one that gives you the access to the Father. I am in the Father and the Father in me. This is an important teaching that Jesus was giving when he said whatever revelation there is of me you have of the father that's how you see him that's how you know him through me that's what he was saying now i want you to notice how he explains um you know why do we pray our father in heaven because that address tonight as we come to the lord in prayer and we begin our prayers by talking to our heavenly father you'll notice the heidelberg says something very beautiful tonight that that when we call god our father it's meant to kindle something in our hearts it's meant to um to kindle something of a childlike faith and awe in him now sometimes i we were talking about this at home the other day and um we were talking about why prayer is sometimes difficult and i remember years ago being in a prayer we used to have prayer group up in linden washington and there was a vietnamese man that would come to the prayer group and it was six o'clock in the morning and it was a tough time to pray and we would begin our prayers and then one morning he stopped us and he said you guys you need to warm up the heart a little bit here so we grabbed a psalm it was six in the morning and we sang the psalm and it was amazing how how that influenced prayer but what it did in bringing the truth to bear on the heart and bringing the truth of who god is it was a beautiful psalm celebrating god's provisions what it did was it kindled something in us it kindled something it kindled um an affection for the lord it kindled what the heidelberg's talking about here it was a childlike trust a childlike awe of him and what that presupposes is that we have to come appreciating the disposition of the father to us what has jesus opened up what has jesus's work accomplished that's what Jesus is telling us here we have a way to enjoy his love I think it's important to say that in this life there are two kinds of fear that the bible often addresses Romans 8 talks about this when it says you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry abba father the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of god there's two kinds of fear in life there's one kind of fear and that's called servile fear the kind that looks at god The kind of looks of God is an angry judge ready to strike. And it's a servant-master relationship. That's one way people look at God. That there's always this looming threat that He's angry. And there's always this looming threat that we never quite know what He's going to do to us. But the Scriptures break all that down for the believer. says there's an entirely different kind of fear you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear you've received the spirit of adoption it's called filial fear it's a fear that now understands that all that's been done has opened up a way to enjoy this relationship enjoy this avenue of prayer to know god and to know that he's for us and not against us but you have to believe that because if you don't believe that prayer will make no sense you're relating to him all wrongly we relate to him in a way that knows that the one who made all things and upholds all things in his great power has given us his son and has opened up a way for us now to approach him as we approach think about a good father in this life if you've had a good father in this life you know the benefit of that when your son comes up and talks to a father doesn't a father now again this may break down here but a father who's a good father gives attention to his son and he cares for his son this is the kind of thing that that is being kindled when we approach God. This is what Jesus was saying when we begin our prayer to address God the Father this way. That fear because of sin, that lingering question as to whether the Father accepts us is the issue that Jesus is dealing with in John chapter 16. This is why many people struggle with assurance because of this unknown hiddenness of God in His great justice. and his majesty and because we have a conscience and because sin convicts us and we feel out of place. But notice what's said here tonight that we should have trust towards God which should be basic to our prayer that God has become our father through Christ. And what does that take away? It takes away servile fear in our life. He does not want us approaching him in the kind of way that doubts and assumes or thinks that he's still against us. When God announced through Christ that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, he means that. And you see why that's so basic to prayer? Understanding his disposition as we come. It's replaced with this affection of fear. It's an affectionate fear. It's a reverence. It's an awe. It's a childlike fear that we have for a good father. We all know how we love our fathers. There's something built into that relationship. There's an affection for our father that he's not against us. And that's what is being captured here. Notice what Jesus is saying. In that day, I'm going to tell you plainly about the father. The Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you, says Jesus. What's amazing is Jesus doesn't, what he wants us to understand about the Father and wants us to believe about the Father. And look how beautiful verse 26 is in John chapter 16. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you, for the Father himself, and let this set in. This is one of those verses you just need to let set in for a minute. For the Father himself loves you because you've loved me, says Jesus, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and I've come into the world. Again, I leave the world and I go to the Father. What he's saying is something very simple here. What he's saying is, why do you think the cross was necessary? Sure, God is a just God. Sin has to be atoned for. What do you think I've come to do, says Jesus? What do you think I've come to reconcile, says Jesus? I'm going away, and on his mind is the excruciating agony of the cross for you, where, think about it, what we sing and what we know about the wrath of God being poured out upon him in body and in soul, so you never have to face that. That means there's something crucial for you to live in light of. And if you don't know this, or you don't live in light of it, or you don't trust this great truth, you're not going to have a lot of motivation to go to God in prayer. Jesus is saying, I'm not saying that I shall then pray to the Father for you. What does that mean? You mean he's done with being an intercessor? Not at all. He's our high priest forever. Jesus has been praying. Think about how he prayed when he walked on this earth. John 17, I pray that you would give eternal life to as many as you have given me. Or verse 3 of John 17, and this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Does Jesus have to continue to pray that? Does Jesus have to pray, Father, accept them. Father, save them. I think Calvin is absolutely right. Don't view the Father that way. Jesus is not on his knees begging him to be kind to you. The revelation of who came is a testimony that he loves. Jesus does not have to continually go to his Father and ask that you would be supported and accepted as if when you sin, the Father is blazing hot. Do you know that? When you sin, the Father is not blazing hot and angry at you. What have your sins been put on the Son? There's holes in His hand. There's a wounded side that He still bears in heaven. In other words, he doesn't want his children to go forward unsure of whether God the Father loves them. That is a concern of Jesus. God set forth his Son as a propitiation by his blood. Who did? The Father. That he might be the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, his Son. So I don't have to do that. I don't have to pressure my Father to be gracious to you. I don't have to push Him to be gracious. I don't have to convince Him to be gracious to you. I don't have to convince His mercy for you. I don't have to convince His help for you. On the basis of my going away, it's done. You pray in my name, you have direct access because the Father loves you. Because the Father loves you. whatever his hiddenness, whatever makes us fear about his hiddenness and whatever terrifies our consciences because of sin, the Son has satisfied that. The Son has dealt with that. And essentially, as Calvin said, something so beautiful, you have God's heart. You have God's heart. You see why it's so important for prayer now as we look at this, this kindling of a childlike faith and a childlike approach to God in prayer that has this kind of confidence and this kind of relationship. You have the overwhelming privilege to address God the Father as your father. And that's intended to kindle in you childlike trust that he's a loving father and that he cares. So we should always guard ourselves from thinking the way that God the Father is angry and that the intercessory work of Jesus is just calming him down. That is not the way that we approach God in prayer. Think of what Paul said in Ephesians 1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who's done what? Well, he's blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So that's the disposition of the Father that I think the Heidelberg capture is so beautiful. But notice second that he communicates here, Jesus, the generosity of the Father. Notice what he says. In that day, John 16 there, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Well, come on. We struggle with that a little bit, right? Willie, until now you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you'll receive that your joy may be full. Now, notice what the Heidelberg captures in that vein of the Father's generosity to us. Which should be basic to our prayer that God has become our Father through Christ and will much less deny us what we ask of him in faith than our fathers would refuse us earthly things. You know, a good father in this life gives a lot to his sons and daughters, cares to give them everything. That's just how it usually goes. Again, if you've had a bad father, then you can't make this comparison very well. But if you've had at all a good father, you know this, that we come to our fathers and they care for us. How many times do I get asked for a buck every week? I get tired of that, by the way. The Father, the Heavenly Father, has everything at His disposal. Remember James Boyce said He'd give us everything now if we could handle it. He'll give it to us in glory. It's not just about getting things, you know that. Notice it said, whatever we need for body and soul, we can come to him about. It's pretty remarkable. There's an intimacy in this communication. It's never one of distance. It's never one of oppression. It's never one of the father throwing down the heavy hand in the sense of wrath. He wants us to so embrace this avenue of prayer because of what Christ has opened up for us that the son or daughter feels they can go to their father and cast their burdens on him. With all the issues of life having to do with spiritual needs and physical needs, everything we face in that way. The father listens. Remember last week, goes up into heaven, smoke, and the father provides. What are your needs? well there's no doubt that often we approach prayer pretty selfishly and we don't really start with um you know if you follow any kind of prayer design of like acts we don't we rarely start with the adoration and then we confession gets a little bit but the supplication and what we want gets asked for a lot um but i want you i remember what paul said in in in Philippians 4 when he was burdened and anxious and when people are burdened and anxious he said you should go to your father you should pray to the Lord and don't be anxious about anything because with prayer it's kind of a praising kind of word with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving there's such a trust that God's caring for me and I have so much to be thankful for and how he's provided for me the whole way with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And he'll give us a sure promise of peace in whatever it is. But spiritually, we have sin in our lives. Of course we have sin in our lives. We have sin that continues to plague us. Of course we have sin that continues to plague us. We have a sin that's been in our life a long time. Of course we do. Do we seriously go to the Lord and cast that and ask for his deliverance. I think this is the kind of stuff he's giving a promise. See, truth be told, we're carrying this ourself. And that's why we're distressed. What are our spiritual needs? I mean, you were challenged this morning to grow. What a great prayer request. Is that not his will? Of course it's his will that you'd grow. What a great prayer request this week. What a great way to talk to your father about growing more in grace and in knowledge and in truth. What other spiritual needs do we have? What are we struggling with? What's burdening the heart? A disposition of a father who cares this much, who's inviting you to cast it on him and who promises to hear an answer. See, if it's according to his will, which is what the conformity to the law of God and looking like Jesus looks like, that is a prayer he desires to answer. And that's something he's encouraging us to come with. What about physically? Well, there's a lot of worry that people carry about with their bodies. It's just amazing, isn't it, in their health? Amazing how that can consume people. Amazing how in the night, in the worries that people undergo, you know, even that he carries, I mean, there's a reason the scriptures say he numbers the hairs of your head. that even in those things he cares that much. Yes, your father cares that much. Now again, does that mean it automatically goes away? Well, he might give you grace that is, of course he will, grace that is sufficient and change your perspective. But whatever the case, you're promised a resurrection. But wasn't this at the heart of what Jesus was saying? Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks, finds, and the one who knocks, it will be opened. Or which of you, if a son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or which, or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? Can you imagine that? Hey, son, you want some food? Here's a serpent. If then, you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, listen to this, give good things to those who ask Him? I think we're a little nervous about that. But things that are for necessity, of course, and He gives us well beyond that. It's not a health and wealth message, you know. I'm against that theology. But it is a kind of trusting, caring, casting of ourselves on Him in the burdens of life. He is inviting us to cast them on him because he will carry them. What kind of physical needs, what kind of physical needs do widows and widowers have? What kind of physical needs and spiritual needs do singles have? What kind of needs do people have who want to be married? I mean, we can go right down the line here. This is what he's inviting us to talk to him about. You know, in the context of the disciples, Jesus spoke of prayer and what was about to happen. All of them were about to go and deny him. You could imagine the distress of that. They would forsake him. Can you imagine the burden that you're so fickle in your faith that you have said, you know, Lord, nah, I won't do that. Even if everyone denies you. There's just no way I could do that. What did Jesus say? Really? Once the rooster crows, three times you'll do it. That's how weak we are. And Jesus says right after this, you're going to have a lot of tribulation in the world. You know that. Think of all the accumulation of sorrow, all the hardship, all the death, all the mysterious ways of God's providence. How many widows are sitting here tonight? That Jesus is saying, stop. We're so busy. Pray. Talk to your Father because this is what I've opened up for you. And your Father will encourage you and your Father will help you. and then jesus says i don't want you fearing i've already beat the world what are we all worried about today the world the state of the world the state of things and there's a promise embedded here stop worrying about that i've already overcome the world and greater is he who's in you than he was in the world right then and there jesus took it all away jesus just took away all your fears of what you're watching on Fox and CNN. Probably not any CNN guys here. It's all gone. He doesn't want you living in that fear. I've already beat it. And you belong to me. And to be absent from the body is to be with the Lord. He loves them so much, Jesus says. What does he do? Verse 33. These things I've spoken to you that in me you will have what? peace that is the fruit of prayer that is what is promised what paul rehearsed in um in in the thorn in the flesh when he said when we're stressed three times i pleaded with the lord take it away he said my grace is sufficient and then all of a sudden um paul's whole perspective changed and the peace of god which is what he describes in philippians 4 which surpasses all understanding guarded the heart and the mind in christ jesus that's what was given to him that was the answer in this world you're going to have tribulation i've overcome the world and i have done this so that you may have peace he tells every christian to take heart that way and um to live in the joy of knowing that don't let these things make us doubt what's been secured for us that gives us hope that no matter how bad the tribulation is in life no one says it's easy no one says it's going to be easy that he has enough power to cheer us and help us and strengthen us as we draw near to the father in prayer or when we feel that God has abandoned us or we feel notice I emphasize feel that we feel that we have failed or whatever form of tribulation we have he is saying i have loved you through all of it and don't doubt that and if you do look at the cross look at the cross i meant it when i said it's finished i meant it when i said it's done and then there's one last little point tonight he wants us to have confidence so notice that tonight that we looked at those points that are so important the disposition of the father the generosity of the father but then the confidence why is it added in heaven that's really important your father who is in heaven why are you praying to him in heaven these words teach us not to think of god's heavenly majesty in an earthly manner and to expect from his almighty power all things we need for body and soul Jesus is is telling us to recognize something very important the father is not now notice this the father is in heaven we pray to him in heaven why why is that so important well I think of something that said by James every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights with whom there's no variation or shadow of turning. Why Jesus is drawing that out of us is to have a perspective in prayer and to be calm that he's in absolute control of everything. That majesty is not an earthly majesty. It's a heavenly majesty. and what that means is is that his omnipotence his power his rule his sovereignty over all the universe he sees from heaven most intimately all the details of life and the struggles of life and he's able to answer in his supremacy and sovereignty from heaven to deliver you nothing is impossible for him that's why the doctrine of providence is so beautiful what is the doctrine of providence that that everything that's happening in this life think think about the beautiful truth of lord's day 10 that it's not happening by chance but that in his providence he's directing all things according to his will so that fruitful years, lean years, prosperity, poverty, all things happen in fact not by chance but come from where? His fatherly hand. Nothing's impossible for him and he has a good plan that he's executing. Jesus wants and is calling us to prayer with this kind of perspective tonight. Do you have it? Do we look to our Heavenly Father with childlike awe and trust? Have you approached Him understanding the great privilege that has been opened up to you to call Him your Father because of Christ and do your desires and the burdens, do you turn constantly to Him depending on your Father, waiting patiently upon Him for every good and perfect gift? You know, this is the wonderful truth tonight of being able to pray to our Heavenly Father. That servile fear is gone. You have the kind of reverence as sons and daughters, and that's how He wants you to relate to Him. This is God the Father who gave His Son, who then, think about the great truth, the Spirit has been sent to dwell in you to bear witness in your hearts that you are sons and daughters. So draw near in confidence in prayer. talk to your heavenly father and come to him with this kind of boldness this is what he loves let's pray our father in heaven what a privilege to be able to talk to you in prayer having such access through the blood of Christ and the righteousness of Jesus and that you have promised to care for us in this way sending down all kinds of good gifts we can all testify here you have given us beyond what we could ask or imagine, but most of all, you've given us the greatest gift. You gave us your beloved Son to make full atonement so that we can live in the joy of this comfort. So may we talk to you more, O Father. We all have needs tonight. You know them. And you will even answer them more than we desire for you to answer them. But it is so wonderful to know that you care for our lives, that you are shepherding us in that way. You're overseeing every heartbeat. You're watching over every hair of the head. You're watching over all that we do. And you're not angry at us. It's overwhelming. Thank you for the indescribable gift of Jesus. And now we come to you, O Father, asking that you would provide what our needs are in this life, body and in soul, and that we would trust you with childlike awe and have an affection, a childlike kindled affection for you since we have this great precious access through the blood of your son. We give you praise tonight and thank you for teaching us in prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.