Dear Christian friends:

In the Lord's Prayer we pray in the Second Petition, "Thy Kingdom Come." You say that prayer often, "Thy Kingdom Come," but do you understand what it means? There is much confusion about that prayer. Many who pray it do not know what they ask of God in it.

In our text today Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of God and about it's coming. He also warns us to wake up and get ready for it. So let us attend to our text so that we understand what we pray when we say

First of all, Jesus shows that God's Kingdom is already here now. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will God's kingdom come?" Jesus answered, "People can't see the coming of God's kingdom. They will not say, look, here it is! Or,there it is! You see, God's Kingdom is now among you.

"Kingdom" means rule power over people, so that people serve and obey. Today here in the U.S.A. we call it "administration." We talk about the Kennedy administration and President Kennedy. During the past six years we have had the Johnson administration, and next month the Nixon administration will begin. But we Christians have the Jesus Christ administration. When Jesus' ideas and Jesus' love and spirit lives in our hearts and rules us so that we gladly honor Him and serve and obey Him, then His Kingdom has come to us and is here among us.

But where people are proud, and selfish, greedy and can't forgive one another or help one another Jesus' rule or kingdom is not yet come. Jesus says, "People can't see the coming of God's kingdom. They will not say, Look, here it is or, There it is! Jesus' kingdom or rule is not like Nixons. We can see Nixon and his cabinet, his army and his terrible power. Nixon will rule by laws and force.

God's kingdom is not like that. Jesus teaches us to love Him and changes our hearts so that we gladly, serve and obey Him, even suffer for His sake.

If we can't see God's kingdom coming to us, how do we know it is coming? How does God's Kingdom come? Martin Luther answers: "When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His Holy Word and live a godly life here on earth." So when we preach or teach God's Word, especially the good news that God loves sinners and forgives them because of Jesus, then His Kingdom can come to us.

It is very important, therefore, for us to hear God's Word often and to help support the preaching and teaching of it so that His wonderful rule can come to other hearts also.

Now while we live on earth we can't see God's kingdom come because that is a spiritual happening, but we can see people change and improve in good works. But one day Jesus also explains we will see His Kingdom Come.

When He comes with all the angels in great glory on the Judgment Day. Jesus says, "The Son of Man will be like the lighting that flashes and lights up the sky." (verse 24) Everyone will see it and know. Nobody will doubt it. In the Gospel lesson which I read before Jesus says, "People shall see the Son-of-Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:27)

So when we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom Come," we are also praying for Jesus to hurry and come to end this sinful world and take us to His Kingdom of glory in heaven. There we will see Him with our eyes, and will suffer no more as we do now on earth.

But are we ready for His Kingdom of Glory to come? Jesus says that His coming in glory on the last day will catch many people in sin and surprise them. (Read verses 26-28)

Many people laughed and mocked Noah while he and his sons built the ark. When Noah preached to them and tried to warn them to stop their wicked deeds, they thought he was a crazy old man, because he built a large ship far away from water. But when it began to rain and the flood's came they were terrified and surprised. But now it was too late. They all were destroyed, only Noah and his family were saved.

So today many people laugh and mock church and the preaching of God's Word. They think its foolish to waste their time and money for supporting the Church. They laugh when you try to warn them about Judgment Day, about the end of this world and about heaven and hell. They will be surprised when God's Kingdom comes and they see Jesus with great power and glory. But then it will be too late.

Are you ready for God's kingdom to come? Will you be ready when He comes? Will your children be ready? Are your neighbors and friends ready?

That's what we mean when we pray in the Lord's Prayer "Thy Kingdom Come." We pray that Jesus will now on earth rule in our hearts so that we will be ready when He comes in glory to rule.

Amen.