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In the name of Jesus who taught us to pray Thy Kingdom Come.

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A couple of years ago a member of the seminary community approached me

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a day or two after I preached a sermon.

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He appreciated it

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and I appreciated him saying so but then he added that he didn't catch

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the joke

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I had told.

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You dropped your voice

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he explained.

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So I repeated it.

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Half of the answers to questions here at the Seminary is Jesus.

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The problem is you don't know which half.

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And then I saw his face and it communicated

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maybe this is just me but it communicated something like this.

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What's the joke?

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Anyhow, I don't bring this up to a justify myself or my sense of

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humor.

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I bring it up because this memory came back to me as I was preparing

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this sermon.

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Jesus Christ himself taught us to pray.

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Thy Kingdom Come.

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But Jesus Christ himself is the answer

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to this prayer.

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Jesus Christ himself is the one whom God has sent to bring his kingdom.

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To bring his rule and reign over all things and over for all people.

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You can see this before he was even born.

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Of his kingdom the angel said there will be no end.

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You can see this in the way

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He preached. The time is up

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the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the good news.

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You can see this in the way

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He taught with parables so many of which began the kingdom of God may

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be compared to.

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You can see this and what he did.

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Where there was sickness he brought health.

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Where there was uncleanness he made clean.

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Where there were demons they were cast out where there was death there

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was life where there was sin

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here was forgiveness.

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Jesus did not only announce the kingdom of God.

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He did not only teach about God's rule and reign

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he brought it.

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You can see that Jesus is the answer to the prayer

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Thy kingdom come also in the way he died.

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He died as the king of the Jews.

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And you can see that God is bringing his kingdom his rule and reign

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over all things and over all people in and through Jesus because God

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raised him from the dead and God exalted him in the heavens.

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Jesus did not only teach us to pray thy kingdom come he is God's

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answer,

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to that prayer.

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Now God's people in all times in all places have had plenty of reasons

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to pray for the kingdom of God to come.

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And what has happened in all times and in all places is so does

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certainly apply to our time and this place.

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Pandemic.

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Millions sick, hundreds of thousands dead

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and because of it disruption, confusion, fear.

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Jobs have been lost businesses and schools closed.

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People going without homes. People going without hope.

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Unrest over race.

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Ever widening divide in our civil politics; going from threats to even

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violence and destruction.

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It often does not look as if God is God and God reigns and that

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certainly applies to our time and our place.

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And so we pray

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thy kingdom come.

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But I tell you also.

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Remember God's answer,

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Jesus.

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Jesus will come back to finish what he started.

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To bring life.

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To bring light.

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To bring peace. To bring joy. To bring blessedness

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on all things and for all people and that includes you.

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But even now

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the kingdom of God comes

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for you

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through the word and the spirit and in faith and in all faithfulness.

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Jesus comes.

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Jesus comes in the preaching of the word. Jesus comes in the holy

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sacrament.

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Jesus comes in the words of absolution and with it comes his spirit.

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to give Faith.

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To give hope.

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To bring life.

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And so even now the kingdom of God comes.

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Even now in this place at this time the kingdom of God is here.

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Thy Kingdom Come.

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Jesus taught us to pray

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and the kingdom is coming for you.

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I in the name of Jesus

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tell you that. I in the name of Jesus promise you that.

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And I tell you

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never give up always cling to that promise.

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If nothing could prevent Jesus from being the one to bring God's

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kingdom than nothing can prevent it from coming to you.

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Always hold on.

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Believe,

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have hope.

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And when his kingdom comes you will be there to receive it in gladness

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and to live it forever and ever. In the name of Jesus

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I promise you that.

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We rise to sing to hymn.