Exodus 20:8-11

The Christian Sabbath is called the Lord’s Day in the New Testament. It is the practice of the church to worship on the day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This also helps separate  Christians from the Jews. The idea of the Sabbath was not just a part of the ceremonial law. It is here in the Moral law and also as part of the creation mandate in Genesis. It is the day we are to Worship and the day we are to pull back from the busyness of all other days as much as we can to rest with God and His people.

Exodus 20:4-6

The Second commandment deals with Worship. How does God want to be worshipped? This commandment specifically deals with the idea of images. This is why we do not worship God with pictures, statues, video clips and things that make a visible representation of God. He has clearly  told us not to do that. This commandment also sets down the principle that Worship is to be done according to what God has said He wants in worship. Worship is not for your entertainment. It is about us giving and directing our praise to God and hearing Him speak to us.

Matthew 6:14

Jesus again speaks on our attitudes toward forgiveness.  There is a direct relationship between having been forgiven by God and the forgiveness that a Christian should extend toward others.  Because Christ has forgiven us, we should imitate Him and forgive others.  This means that we should forgive others fully, for we have been fully forgiven by the grace of God.  We should forgive often, just as we ask for forgiveness for the many sins we commit each day.  We should not keep a tally so we can stop forgiving someone when they have too many strikes, but we should forgive others as Jesus says seventy times seven.  Remember that we should be showing others Christ in us, and that means we should show His forgiveness as well.

Matthew 6:13b

The world will tell us that we are fine and there is nothing to worry about, but this is a facade.  We need to be delivered from our sin.  That is a fact, and the only way for this to happen is to turn to Christ.  We need to depend on Him for everything because we cannot deliver ourselves. We will fall victim to Satan every time if we try to do it alone.  This is why we should be praying for Christ’s help to overcome our sins. Because of Christ, we have been given a Helper to enable us to be victorious over our sinful ways. The Holy Spirit within us helps us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and to put on Christ and to live for Him.  Do you try to overcome your temptations yourself, or are you relying on the Holy Spirit to help you?

Matthew 6:13a

Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd and that we are the sheep.  As a shepherd leads his sheep, Christ leads us.  In this petition, we ask to not be led into temptation, where we may fall into sin, but to instead be led away from sin to righteousness.  We may find we wander into sin when we are not relying on Him to lead and guide us.  When we aren't praying, going to church, or reading His Word, it is no surprise that we find ourselves knee deep in our sins.  We should be constantly letting Christ lead and guide us so that we may not fall into temptation.  Have you been trying to guide yourself and fallen into a sinful hole, or are you relying on Christ to lead you every day?

Matthew 6:12b

When we are reminded of just how much we have been forgiven, we also should pray that we would forgive others  There are people that have wronged us in our lives, and we are presented with two ways we deal with these people.  The first way, which is the wrong way, is to hold a grudge, be spiteful, or other sinful means.  The second way is what Jesus tells us; we should forgive them.  We must remember just how much wrong we did toward God and how we are still forgiven.  In turn, when we are faced with those who have wronged us, we should have the same forgiving attitude that God had for us.  Are you holding a grudge, or are you showing Christ’s forgiveness by forgiving others?

Matthew 6:12a

As Lord and Creator, God is due perfect obedience from all mankind, but sin disables us from doing so, and we are in debt to Him.  If one does not pay a debt, the debtor would be reprimanded for it.  Because we cannot pay our debt to God, we deserve punishment.  However, Christ paid the debts of His people by giving up His own life in order that their debts may be paid.  When we pray to be forgiven of our debts, we remind ourselves that we owe Christ our lives because He paid our debts to save us.  This is also a reminder for us to pray that He would change our lives, so that we may glorify Him by obeying Him.

Matthew 6:11

All blessings come from God, and this includes the food we eat each day.  We should rely on Christ to provide what we need each day.  We should trust that God knows what we need and that He will sustain us. We should not be anxious, worrying about what will be on the dinner table, but we should have faith that God will give us what we need to meet our physical needs.  This helps us to continue to trust in Christ when times get hard, and we can find peace and comfort in Him when we are going through a troubling event.  Jesus reminded us earlier that God provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and He will surely take care of His people. 

Do you trust in God for your salvation, but not for your daily means?  We should find comfort in that Christ, who provides salvation, also provides our daily bread.

Matthew 6:10b

When we pray that God’s will would be done, we are talking about two important responsibilities.  The first is that we should commit ourselves to learning all we can about His will, which means we should be studying His Word.  The second responsibility is that we do His will with the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to do so.  We may say we want to do God’s will, but we may be torn between His will and our sinful desires.  We should genuinely pray that He would help us to do His will and put off our sinful ways. 

Do you spend time studying the Bible do discern God’s will, or is that something that you let the pastor do for you? Do you truly want to do God’s will, or do you prefer your sinful habits more?

Matthew 6:10a

We often anticipate the coming of the kingdom of God as the final consummation seen in Revelation.  However, God’s kingdom is past, present, and future, and His kingdom is here on earth now, as Christ is reigning in the hearts of believers and in the church.  We show others the kingdom of God by showing them Christ in our actions, words, and sharing of the Gospel.  We anticipate the second coming of Christ and are ready to see Him face to face, but there is still kingdom work for us to do today because the kingdom is already here. 

Are you just sitting around waiting for Jesus to return, or are you showing the lost that they can be a part of the kingdom that is here, right now, in the hearts of believers?

Matthew 6:9c

The word “hallowed” here means to be set apart, and we should set God above all things in our lives.  We should glorify and praise Him for who He is as our Lord, Creator, and Savior.  We should hold high the name of God because as Acts 4:12 says, there is no other name under which can be saved than His.  We often find that God’s name is used very loosely today, and it is not being revered.  Jesus reminds us of the respect and high regard that we should have for the name of God in this verse. 

Do you revere the Lord’s name, or do you let it loosely slip off of your tongue when you are angry or upset?

Matthew 6:9b

Jesus tells us to pray to our Father in Heaven.  Think about that for a second.  We can consider God as our father.  No matter if you had a good or bad earthly father, we know that we have an amazing Heavenly Father who we can come and pray to.  As our Heavenly Father, God loves His children, and He cares for them.  When we begin with this, we are reminded that God always does what is best for His children, whether we see it or not.  This helps humble us, knowing that no matter what we are going through, God has our best interests at heart.

Matthew 6:9a

Jesus instructs the disciples to not pray like the Gentiles who are repeating empty words, but to pray as He is about to teach them in the Lord’s Prayer.  We pray this every Sunday for a reason.  The words that Jesus tells us are thorough and thoughtful, and we should pay attention and mean the words that we are praying. 

Do you just go through the motions when you pray the Lord’s Prayer, or do you truly mean what you say when you pray this prayer?

Matthew 6:8

Jesus reminds us that we have a God who knows exactly what we need before we even ask Him. Does this mean that prayer is pointless? By all means, no! This reminds us that God cares for us and provides for what we need, not necessarily what we want.  Prayer gives us assurance and hope in a God who loves us and cares for us. We can find peace in knowing that God looks out for His children, and we can be comforted that He is working all things together for our good. 

Do you find comfort in prayer?  Do you understand that God cares for you and He will sustain you because He knows your every need?

Matthew 6:7

The Gentiles prayed the same thing over in over in a mechanical fashion, hoping that this prayer would be answered.  However, their hearts were not in it, just like the Pharisees. Our prayers need to be pointed and genuine, not just saying certain things because they sound good. 

You may set out a time to pray, and you may do it a lot, but are your prayers genuine? Do they truly come from your heart, or is it a prayer that just checks off a box or something you think sounds good?  Be thoughtful in your prayers. Search your heart to find the nitty gritty things that you should be praying for, not just a flowery, feel good prayer.

Matthew 6:6b

Unlike the reward of public praise that the Pharisees sought, we gain so much more when we come to God when we are alone. We gain peace, no matter what is going on in our lives, for we have a Heavenly Father who hears our prayers. We find contentment in knowing that we can confess our worst sins, and He still loves us and cares about us. If you think about a time you poured out your heart to someone, did you not feel better after doing it?  It is the same when we pray to God.  We can get it all off our chest with Him, and we know that He listens and sustains us through everything. Prayer is a joy in itself, and we often forsake it. 

What is going on in your life right now that is troublesome?  Think about prayer, and how praying can give you peace.

Matthew 6:6a

In contrast, Jesus says we should go into a secluded room and pray to God by ourselves. He is not shunning public prayer, but He is telling us that when we are alone we can focus more exclusively on God. We can let our hair down (so to speak), and come before the Lord with all our problems. We can confess our sins, seek repentance, and say things we would never want to say in public. It is in this one-on-one time that we can come before the throne of God and be honest with Him. We can tell Him our needs and our struggles, and we can pour out our hearts in a way that we may not be able to do in public. 

Do you set aside time each day to be alone with God?  Even if you are busy, when can you make time?

Matthew 6:5b

Jesus explains that these hypocrites pray for show. They get up in front of crowds and pray so eloquently in order that others would see them and praise them for it. They were going it about it in a wrong and sinful way. They received the reward they wanted, the praise of others, but they ignored the enjoyment of conversing with God. You can have prayers that would wow any crowd, but if your heart is not in it, you gain nothing lasting from it. 

What is your motivation for prayer, and how can putting your heart in your prayers help you grow in Christ?

Matthew 6:5a

Is there a wrong way to pray? Jesus tells us that there is, and those that pray like that are hypocrites. He is pointing right at the Pharisees, who are wearing hypocritical masks. They were supposed to lead God’s people not just by their actions but with their hearts, however, they had long forgotten the reason for the Law. They had become legalists, forgetting to love the people. In the same manner, they prayed because that was what the prominent leader was supposed to do, but they didn't thoughtfully come before God with their prayers and their prayers were without heart. 

Do you pray because you have to even though your heart is not in it, or do you truly seek to commune with the Heavenly Father?

John 21:20-25

John ends his Gospel with Peter asking about what would happen to John. Jesus basically said it is not Peter’s concern what the Lord has in store for him. John declares that he has written this account and all that was written was true. He again declares that this was not an exhaustive account of Jesus. It would be impossible to do so and he closes with an illustration of this impossibility. If we were to write books to tell all about who Jesus was or what he had done, it would be more than the whole world could hold. But, God has given us enough in the Bible to know and believe in Jesus Christ.

John 21:15-19

Peter is restored in this passage. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him. This clearly refers to Peter’s three denials of Jesus. Jesus restores Peter with a command to feed His sheep. He then goes into some detail about how Peter will die. It is said that Peter was crucified upside down on a cross at the hands of Nero. Jesus does not tell us where our lives will lead us as we follow Him. It was not just the disciples who were called to follow in hardship. Many ordinary people, young and old, educated or peasants, have heeded Jesus call to follow Him. Some followed even to death. Jesus bids you to follow him!

John 21:12-14

This is the third time that Jesus had revealed Himself. It is unclear if Jesus or any of the disciples ate breakfast. However, in Luke 24:43 we see that Jesus does eat with His disciples. What is clear in this passage is that He was not a ghost. He had prepared a fire and had a fish on it. He broke the bread and gave them their food. John is making a clear case that this was a risen man, not an imposter. It was the real Jesus who they had known well for the previous years. This is their testimony to us that we may believe in Him and in His power over sin and death.

John 21:9-11

Not only was it a miracle that the fish were caught; it was another miracle that the net was not torn. Note well the details given about the fish and the fact that the net was not torn by this large catch. It would be expected that there would be some damage to the net. There are some commentators who draw a conclusion about the power of the risen Christ, saying that Jesus had not only brought the fish, but also maintained the net by His power. The church’s power is in Jesus Christ. It is in Him and only Him that we have our hope. It is to Christ that the church looks for help and it is in Christ that we find that help, support, and strength we need.

John 21:7-8

John is the first to recognize that it is Jesus who has instructed them. Peter, hearing that it was the Lord Jesus, jumps into the water to swim to Jesus. Do we really need to say much more than this about these verses? Should we not desire Jesus as much as Peter did? Should we not cast off our sin and self-will to follow and know Jesus? What encouragement to us that Peter is accepted even after his denial of Jesus. Are you holding back from following Jesus completely? Are there areas of sin you need to cast off? Will you stay with the world or go to Jesus?

John 21:1-6

What are the disciples to do with themselves now? They go back to what they knew, which in Peter’s case was fishing. After a long night they had caught nothing. Jesus, who they did not at first recognize, called out to them to try the right side of the boat. This they tried and the net was so full it could not be hauled into the boat. This was not a secret fishing trick of Jesus’. It was a miracle wrought by the power of God. Many people want to apply this passage in various ways, but the correct application is that we need to obey Jesus in all areas of our life as Lord.

John 20:30

The Bible does not answer every question we may have about Jesus and His Gospel. Here, John tells us that Jesus did many other things not recorded in this book. It is not an exhaustive account of Jesus’ life. Rather, John has written an account with the purpose of giving information so that those who read it may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John has written so that those who would believe might have life in Jesus. This means that we might know and worship God in a restored relationship that can only come through Jesus Christ (John 14:1-6).

John 20:29

Jesus made a point that in seeing Him, Thomas had believed. There were many then, and millions to come, who would believe without seeing. They would believe not because they had seen the risen Jesus, but because they heard the account of the resurrection. This is the essence of faith; to believe in the promises of Jesus Christ even though we have not seen him or touched him. We can know as clearly as Thomas did that Jesus is risen and His truths are real. The power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives convinces us and teaches us that the Word of God and the Gospel contained within it are true.

John 20:28

Thomas had not believed the reports of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead when the disciples had told him. It is clear from this response that Thomas now believes after having seen Jesus alive. This is what all who have believed in Jesus say when they see and believe in Him. If Jesus is not your Lord and your God then you are not saved. You must put on Christ! He must be your God. You must see Him, worship Him, and acknowledge Him as such. He must be your Lord. He must have lordship over your life. You must submit to his love. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).