Dear Christian friends:

In the Lord's Prayer we say, "Thy Kingdom Come". We say that prayer often. Jesus taught us that prayer and He wants us to pray it often. But do we understand what "Thy Kingdom Come" means?

In our text today Jesus says some very important things about God's Kingdom. What He says will help us to understand that prayer much better. Jesus says that you can't see God's Kingdom. Why? Because it is in you.

So let us consider that this morning:


There are many wrong ideas about God's Kingdom. The Pharisees in our text had the wrong idea. They thought it similar to old Israel under David and Solomon. People today have similar ideas, Israelis, Jehovah Witnesses, Millennialists. State Churches of Europe during the time of Martin Luther. Denominationalism.

The Kingdom is not a visible organization. People can't see the coming of God's Kingdom. It is spiritual. God's Kingdom is in you. Luther's explanation of the 2nd Petition of the Lord's Prayer, "When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here in time and hereafter in eternity."

God's Kingdom comes to us without our prayer as it did in Baptism and as it comes to the heathen when God through His people sends missionaries to them. The Holy Spirit offers forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name and helps people believe in Jesus. He helps them love God and others.

He helps them obey God's Word gladly from the heart. In this way Jesus becomes their King, their Lord and their Ruler. He does not use force, police, soldiers and jail. He changes our hearts and makes us His glad and cheerful servants.

So we find God's Kingdom in many countries and places. Not only in America. We find God's Kingdom in the hearts and lives of various people. The President may be a Christian. Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of West Germany was a true believer. He asked Billy Graham, "Do you believe in the resurrection of the body? I do."

Your doctor may have God's Kingdom in him; Your lawyer; Your neighbor also. Where you think God's Kingdom is not, there you should try to bring it by telling of God's love and mercy in Jesus and by your deeds of love and kindness.

Remember God's Kingdom first comes to us by His Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. It remains in us if we continue to hear His Word and remember our baptism and eat His body and blood in the Holy Lord's Supper.

Have you seen God's Kingdom? It is here. It is among you. It should be in you.

Amen.