The Lord’s Prayer: Doxology

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Revelation 5:13

That is a bit of Scripture from Revelation. It’s a doxology. That is, it’s a declaration of praise. I bring that up because the Lord’s Prayer ends with a doxology.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Matthew 6.13

This morning we’re going to take a look at this thing called doxology.

Let’s start with this. It’s important to be clear that doxology is different from thanksgiving. When you give thanks to God for what He has done, you’re part of the picture. Your thanksgiving is about something that He has done for you. You are being grateful for some blessing He has granted you. But in doxology you’re not in the picture. The focus is on God alone. That’s true even if what you are praising God for has affected you.

So, to say that a little differently, in a doxology you are praising God for who He is in Himself as He has revealed that in something that He has done. It’s a response to Him for being the kind of God that He is.

If all of what I’ve said is true, and it is, then it needs to be said that doxology is a necessary part of life. Praising God is something that everyone needs to be doing. And if it is missing, then something is very wrong.

Now, why do I say that? A moment’s reflection provides the answer. Doxology is simply a response to reality. There is a God who is amazing and who does what is amazing. That is just a fact. Failure to respond to this God with doxology is not a matter of ignorance. It’s a matter of rebellion.

It is obvious that God has made creation in such a way that there is more than enough to astonish everyone. Such astonishment will naturally lead to doxology. That is, actually, one reason why we were created: to see the character of God in what He has created, to be amazed at Him and to respond with praise.

Now, none of this comes out of my own head. It’s in the Bible. Listen for it in something Paul wrote.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God… Romans 1.18-21

Paul is talking about unbelievers. And he is saying that God has clearly revealed Himself. He has clearly revealed things like his eternal power and divine nature. And He has done that in the things that He has made. That is, God has made creation in such a way that there is more than enough to astonish everyone.

However, unbelievers suppress this truth about who God is. They are rejecting reality. And as a result, they do not respond as they ought to. They refuse to honor Him. There is no doxology. But because this is not about ignorance but rather rebellion, they have no excuse. And for this they will be held accountable.

This is why I say that doxology is a necessary part of life. Praising God is something that everyone needs to be doing. And if it is missing, then something is very wrong.

Now, that’s about unbelievers who only have what can be seen in nature. They know enough to respond with doxology. How much more are Christians to give themselves to doxology since we also know the story of redemption?

So, doxology, responding to God with praise for who He is and for the amazing things that He does is a necessary part of life. There is no excuse for any lack here. And that is especially true of Christians.

Now, for what I think would be a reasonable question. How does someone develop this doxology as a normal part of life? The answer for an unbeliever starts with this. Repent and believe the Gospel. And one obvious sin to repent of is the lack of doxology, the refusal to praise God.

But once he does that, what needs to happen next so he can develop doxology as a part of his life? If all that matters is saying the right words, it’s a no-brainer. Say the right words. Singing some religious songs can help at that. Old hymns can work as well as contemporary stuff. But what is that? It’s faking it. It’s thinking merely in terms of behavior.

What we’re interested in is real doxology. What we’re after is a heartfelt response to God because of who He is and what He does. So, how do we do that and avoid faking it? How do we grow in our praise?

Please understand that there will always be a gap between who we are and who we are meant to be in Christ. That’s just part of living in this fallen world. So, no one should despair when more of that gap is revealed to him, whether we’re talking about a lack of doxology or something else. It’s the Spirit’s job to point out the particular places where that gap exists. And He does that so that we can work on narrowing that gap. Give thanks for His ministry even though when He points out what’s wrong it makes you feel lousy.

Once the gap is revealed what do you do to narrow it? The way to narrow the gap isn’t by giving yourself a pep talk and then working at it. To be sure, there is work to be done. But that is never where you start. You always start with prayer. Always. And that’s because you always start by depending on the grace that the Father gives. Without that grace, you will never make any progress, not any real progress. You start with prayer – and continue with prayer - because you understand how weak you really are.

And what are you to pray? Let’s be specific. How about something like this? ‘Father, make me want to praise You so that doxology becomes a natural part of my life’. Please note that I didn’t say, ‘Make me praise You’. That’s not the goal. That’s still thinking merely in terms of behavior. No! The goal is to want to praise Him, to have that heartfelt desire to praise Him. That’s when it will become an everyday part of your life. And it will become a part of your life because, as the Father grants you His grace, you will want to praise Him.

Now, once you make your request of the Father, there are, in fact, things that you are to do, things that you will be able to do as a result of His grace. When it comes to growing in your doxology to God here is one thing that is necessary: the contemplation of God. You need to spend some time thinking about God, about who He is and what He does in creation and redemption.

There are different ways to do this. One way is by meditating on some bit of Scripture. So, for example, take the familiar, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. Here are some questions to pose and to ponder. What does it mean that the Lord is a shepherd? What is it about a shepherd that is a reflection of God? And once you gain some insight from that, ask this: What does it mean that He is my shepherd? Now, out of this contemplation of God will come some serious thanksgiving, especially as you consider that last question. But there will also be doxology. You will respond to who God is in Himself as well as to what He does.

You can start with a familiar passage of Scripture or simply something that you read in you daily Bible reading. Just take a few minutes to sit and think. Some people are helped if they write out their thoughts. But don’t make this into something huge. You can do this in five minutes each day. In five minutes you can write out an interesting list of ways in which the Lord is your shepherd. Really, five minutes. But five minutes each day adds up. It will result in some serious doxology.

It’s here that I want to use another word to bring out what I’m getting at. And the word is ‘fascinated’. The goal in this contemplation of God is to be fascinated by Him. Here are some synonyms for fascinated: absorbed, enthralled, dazzled, engrossed, enraptured, overpowered, smitten.

Have you ever watched a real craftsman at work? He takes some pretty plain stuff, does his magic to it and out comes something amazing. And all you can say is, ‘How did he do that?’ That’s fascination. If you can be impressed like that by what some mere human did, how much more is it possible to be fascinated by God.

I think that it’s fair to say that there are lots of oohs and ahhs when it comes to some display of athleticism - think pro sports - or musical ability - Yo-Yo Ma anyone? - or even some guy who makes a beautiful sculpture by using a chainsaw on a log. But there doesn’t seem to be enough of the same kind of oohing and ahhing these days when it comes to God. There isn’t a lot of doxology, not real doxology. There’s plenty of faking it. But we’re not interested in that. What we want is the real thing, real doxology. And the way to get to that point is not complicated. It’s prayer followed by contemplation.

Now, about that faking it. We live in an age that is given to sentiment. The goal is simply to experience a feeling. And that sentiment can be labeled in a variety of ways, one of which is praise. And let’s be honest, things like this influence us. It is possible for us to be fooled. So, here’s a test of real, honest doxology, something that is rooted in a fascination with God. Are you still praising God for who He is and what He does when life gets hard? Is there still doxology after He has wounded you deeply?

To be sure, doxology takes one form when you’ve experienced something just wonderful. It’s doxology with a large smile. And the words that form are words like, ‘You are wonderful, Lord’ or ‘I am just amazed at Your power and grace’. And that’s good.

But there are times when there is doxology with tears. And here, the words are very different. ‘Father, I know that You are God and that You know what You’re doing with my life and that You will bring amazing good out of this situation. But, mercy, this hurts!’

Living that out isn’t easy - which is why you always start with prayer and continue with prayer. But lacking doxology when life is hard is a warning that something isn’t quite right. On the other hand, even weak doxology in those kinds of situations is a sign that you’re on the right track.

Now, as I told you, the Lord’s Prayer ends with a doxology. The doxology there focuses on three specifics and each is linked to some aspect of who the Father is, some aspect that is worthy of praise.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Kingdom: He is the King. Power: He is the Almighty. Glory: He is the one to whom all glory is due. This is what you are praising God for when you pray that doxology.

Let me use another doxology from Revelation, to say that differently.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! ​Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.” Revelation 15.3-4

One of my goals for these sermons on the Lord’s Prayer has been to help you to pray this prayer thoughtfully. So, when you’re praying this last part of the Lord’s Prayer you might do well to remember that doxology from Revelation. It fills things in.

Two closing thoughts.

First, some homework. If doxology is our response to who God is and what He does, then Advent is an especially good time for your contemplation of God. Spend some time this next week, alone or as a family, contemplating what was going on in the birth of Jesus. Remember doxology is our response to who God is. So, an apt question is: What kind of God even considers doing such a thing as Incarnation, and that into such an evil world?

Then, doxology is also about what this God does. So, what does it mean that ‘the Word became flesh’? What did God do when He did that?

You might consider looking at these things from some different perspectives. So, what might it have looked like in eternity past when the three persons of the Trinity were deciding to do this? Try to imagine their conversation. What is it that the Father, the Son and the Spirit might have said? Then, on the other hand, what will it look like from eternity future when all the saints will be seeing it more clearly than ever? What might we be saying then? You can also think about the fact that God used the womb of some teenaged peasant. What difference would it have made if He had used a mature, well-to-do woman instead? And if you’re up for it, try to ponder what it might mean that the unchangeable God became a man. That’s for homework.

Last thought. I started this sermon with this doxology from Revelation.

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Revelation 5.13

My choice of that doxology isn’t completely out of the blue. I begin my daily prayers with that doxology. I also end my daily prayers with a doxology. But that one is something that I created.

You are worthy, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to receive honor and glory and praise from all creation, now and forevermore.

What do you think about including a doxology in your daily prayers? You can choose one from Scripture or write your own. It is one way for you to include this very important ingredient of Christian living.