Sermon on the Mount Part 6

Summary

This is a sermon in a series on the Sermon on the Mount. Florence has reached the “peak” (the central teaching) and will focus on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5–13). She begins with how not to pray (avoid performative “hypocritical” public prayer; avoid mindless “babbling”), then move into how to pray, unpacking the Lord’s Prayer as a model with two dimensions:

• a vertical focus on God (God’s name, kingdom, will)

• a horizontal focus on human needs (provision, forgiveness, spiritual protection)

She notes these form a “cross” shape (vertical + horizontal), highlighting the cross as central to Christian faith.

Key points

1) How not to pray (Matt. 6:5–8)

• Don’t turn prayer into a performance aimed at being seen by others.

• Don’t “babble” — i.e., don’t repeat words unthinkingly or incoherently; prayer should be conscious of who God is.

2) How to pray: the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13)

Vertical (God-centred)

• “Our Father in heaven”: God is intimate (“Father” through adoption in Christ) yet transcendent (“in heaven” → reverence and awe).

• “Hallowed be your name”: asking that God’s reputation/holiness be honoured in the world and in our lives; motivation to live in a way that reflects the “family likeness.”

• “Your kingdom come”: God’s reign has already begun (in Christ and in believers) and is still coming in fullness; praying for God’s rule in personal life, the church, and the future new creation.

• “Your will be done… on earth as in heaven”: described as hard because humans resist surrender and control; the speaker argues trust grows by knowing God’s unchanging character (loving, just, holy, etc.).
  The “on earth as in heaven” line is presented as a bridge between vertical worship and horizontal needs; heaven’s obedience is pictured as willing, immediate, uncomplaining—an example for believers.

Horizontal (needs-centred, but “us/our” communal)

• The plural language (“us/our/we”) means the prayer is corporate, not just individual: we pray for one another and the wider church.

3) Three human needs in the prayer

• Physical provision: “daily bread” explained historically (many were paid daily, buying food for the next day). It includes broader needs (shelter, clothing, work). Links to manna and to Jesus as the “bread of life,” urging daily dependence on Christ, not just material fullness.

• Relational/forgiveness: “forgive us… as we forgive” is treated seriously (including v.14–15). Florence  clarifies salvation isn’t earned by forgiving, but forgiveness of others is bound up with genuine repentance and receiving God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness is framed as giving up the right to pay back, which frees the forgiver and moves them toward God.

• Spiritual protection: “lead us not into temptation” is explained as asking God to help us remain steady in testing; God doesn’t tempt to evil, but may allow tests, while the evil one tempts. The desired response in tests is to submit to God’s sovereignty and commit the situation repeatedly to him (not “one-and-done”). Includes an illustration/prayer attributed to Stuart Briscoe about weakness and asking deliverance from the evil one.