“Hallowed be Thy name”

In verse 9, just after Jesus identified the character and nature of the God to which we are praying (Our Father which art in Heaven...) and shows us how we should approach Him, He moves to the first petition…

Matthew 6:9 “Hallowed be Thy name”

At first glance, it may appear as though these words are an exclamation of praise, statement, a declaration – Hallowed is the name of the Lord!

While that is in fact a factual statement – The Lords name is hallowed…this is actually an appeal…it’s a prayer request!

Jesus is not simply stating that the name of the Father is hallowed – He’s asking the Father to hallow His name…”Our Father which art is Heaven, HALLOW YOUR NAME!”

IN ORDER TO REALLY GRASP WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE: Will require us leaning into a couple of key words here: Hallow and name

To "Hallow" - set apart or view as Holy

Name - is more than a title but the sum total of character and nature (Psalm 9:10, 7:17)

Understanding this helps us to see why God is so concerned with His name throughout scripture:

Isaiah 48:9-11 “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another”

Ezekiel 36:22 “‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.”

HERE IN THE LORDS PRAYER - Jesus is telling us that in prayer, we should be asking God to move, act and reveal Himself in such a powerful, visible, demonstrable way that people will value His glory, esteem His nature and treasure His character above all

How might God hallow His name?

Gods Name Is Hallowed Through His Church

The church is the steward of Gods name here on earth

2nd Corinthians 5:20-21 “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”

AMBASSADOR: a person sent as the chief representative of his or her own government in another country

It's our most important responsibility is to bear that name faithfully so that He might be glorified in and through us

Each and every person who professes Jesus as Lord has the responsibility of hallowing His name by the way we live our lives.

That is not to say Gods glory is dependent upon our faithfulness BUT it is often manifested through it. God will be Holy whether or not I am and His character is not dependent upon my conduct.

BUT how the unbelieving world views Him – has much to do with how I present Him.

A few way the Lord hallows His name in and through us:

THROUGH OUR WORSHIP

John Piper: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”

Although unbelievers cannot truly worship, they can watch believer’s worship. They can observe the joy that we feel. They can see how we value God’s Word and how we respond to it.
They can hear how the Bible answers the problems and questions of life. They can notice how worship encourages, strengthens and changes us. They can sense when God is supernaturally moving in a service, although they won’t be able to explain it.
When unbelievers watch genuine worship, it becomes a powerful witness. Through our worship, He hallows His Name!
In Acts 2 – on the day of Pentecost – God’s presence was so evident in the disciples’ worship service that it attracted the attention of unbelievers throughout the entire city! Acts 2:6 says, “… a crowd came together.” We know it was a big crowd because 3,000 people were saved that day.
Their worship continued: Acts 2:46-47 says of the early church,

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved”

After Peter and John are arrested and stand trial before the religious leaders: Acts 4:13 “They saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus’

We are being watched by the world. And they marvel when a Christian can praise God when he or she is going through a hardship. It’s a powerful testimony…The Lord hallows His name through our worship

THROUGH OUR WALK

We’re called to walk worthy. To stand out. To be different than this world.

One of the reasons is so that the Name of the Lord is hallowed through the way we live our lives.

Chaos swirling – we respond with calm
Tension – by being people of unity
Hopelessness –with light
Confusion - by proclaiming the truth

In a world filled with angst, hopelessness, cynicism - The Lords Name is hallowed when His church doesn’t buy into the gloom and doom

Psalm 20:6-7 “Now I know that the Lord delivers His people; He will answer them from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will trust the name of the Lord our God”

a. THROUGH OUR WITNESS

- Observing The Great Commandment

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Fulfilling Our Part Of The Great Commission

Acts 1:8 “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Lord hallows His name in and through us when we put our yes on the table.

The Lord desires to hallow His name in and through us as individuals, families, and as a church.

In those areas: Honest questions we need to consider…

Is the Lord Name being hallowed through your worship? Through your walk? Through your witness?