Lord’s Day 48: Q&A 123: Kingdom Come
We love nothing more than power, right? Even if we think of ourselves as ‘better than that,’ we still crave some form of control over our lives. There’s nothing wrong with that to an extent, but we humans excel at puffing ourselves up; making ourselves into kings and queens of our perceived domains. It can be very hard for us, then, to admit that we need to submit to what God calls us to do as citizens of his kingdom. And not just citizens, but heirs of that kingdom, if indeed we belong to Christ. This week’s Q&A looks at what it means for us to actually truly desire the coming of God’s kingdom, both in our lives and in the world. It means submitting. It means giving up our desire for control. It means listening to what God is saying to us by Word and Spirit, even and especially if it is challenging. Because here’s the thing: God’s Kingdom has always been challenging to people. That is the story of the whole Bible and all of history: Humans have one idea about how things should go, and God has his way. Only one of them can truly be correct, and it ain’t us. So what does it mean for us to truly desire God’s kingdom? It means humility. It means submission. It means being willing to actually and truly ask God what he is calling us to. It means letting go of control.
Lord’s Day 48
Q&A 123
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Holy and gracious God; King of the universe,
As we come before you in this time of prayer, gathered together as your people, we pray that by your Word and by your Spirit you would align our will to yours.
We pray that as we submit to you, you would equip us to do so all the more.
Lord, as we pray for your kingdom to come, may you stir in our hearts what that truly means, even and especially if it challenges us.
Conquering Redeemer, we know that your kingdom has already begun to work your will out in this world. Show us, Lord, where that is happening and how we can accept your desire to work in and with us to that end.
You have already conquered sin and death. We pray, continue to take down everything that stands against you, including our sin.
Hear our prayers now, Lord, and may your kingdom come around, through, and in us.
CONFESSION OF SIN
God our Father, we come before you humbly to confess to you our wrongdoings. We confess that although we proclaim you as our king with our lips, our hearts try to hold ourselves up as rulers over our lives. Instead of submitting to your will we try again and again to force our own ideas and whims through as right. We block out the guidance of the Holy Spirit and twist your words to suit our flights of fancy, our desire for power, and our own sense of righteousness. Purge those things from us, O Lord. Destroy everything that goes against your will; cleanse us from our unrighteousness, that your kingdom may truly come. Bring about your will and your will alone. Equip and empower us, Holy Spirit, to better listen to you and the Scriptures so that we may live holy and pleasing lives for your glory, God, and not our own. Preserve and grow us in your image we pray, until we see your glory face to face. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Brothers and Sisters, nothing can stop our God and King. Jesus has conquered sin and death, and in doing so has inaugurated his kingdom here on earth as a foretaste of what is to come. God has, does, and will continue to work things out for his purposes. Hear the good news of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of our God: in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are able to listen to our God and follow after and submit all the more to his will as we do the work of his kingdom until it fully comes.
SENDING
People of God: citizens of the kingdom of God: Go out into this world to bring about God’s kingdom as co-heirs with our brother and savior Jesus Christ. Go out, equipped by the Spirit to stand against the evils of the devil and this world. May our will be aligned with that of God, our King, as we await the full coming of his kingdom. Go in the peace that he offers us and bring that peace into the world. Amen.
