Prayer - Week 8

Preacher: Erik Meyers

Date: June 21, 2020

Text: Matthew 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer (Part 2)

Introduction

Today we’re looking to complete our study of the Lord’s Prayer, which positions us to wrap up this sermon series on prayer in general next Sunday. Then, God willing in August we will complete our sermon series on the Holy Spirit before returning to 1 Corinthians in the Fall.

This prayer that Jesus teaches us (The Lords’ Prayer) is comprehensive. You can find every right prayer in this. I’ve always taught my kids to pray three ways: Thank you! I’m sorry! Please help! And they’re all here.

We have found what to do with our affections (praise His name)

We have found what to do with our needs (ask for daily bread)

We have found what to do with guilt (seeking and granting forgiveness)

And now today, we find what to do with our exhaustion; our weakness; our wounds; our worries – in a word, our frailty – as we face the Christian’s constant battle against sin and evil. It is within and it is without. It’s the wrong I do, and it’s the wrong done to me and around me.

Jesus has moved us from worship to surrender to dependence to forgiveness, and now, to deliverance – We need God to deliver us from sin and evil. And so Jesus teaches us to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Outline

We need his help this morning. Help to understand this Word; Help to apply this Word. So let’s pray. Prayer.

If you haven’t already, please open your Bibles to Matthew 6. Let’s read together, out loud, this prayer in vv9b-13.

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name. [worship] 10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. [surrender] 11 Give us this day our daily bread, [dependence] 12 and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors. [forgiveness] 13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. [deliverance]

There’s a conclusion many of you have memorized, but it’s actually not found in the earliest manuscripts, and so many translations, including the ESV, have left it out.

The connection between v12 and v13

This portion of the prayer, verse 13, you see, begins with the word “and” which links it to verse 12. In these two verses the “pray-er” (that’s you) moves from past sin to present and future sin; From forgiveness of past sin (curative medicine) to protection from future sin (preventative medicine).

Here’s how it works: Having grasped forgiveness our hearts are filled with gratitude which results in a desire to please God in all that we do. We hate sin and so we ask God to keep us from it; to deliver us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

The Christian life is a battle against evil

The Christian life is a constant battle against evil, isn’t it?

There have been many Christians throughout history who have struggled with severe depression, even contemplating suicide; some even attempting it. Surprisingly to some, I’ve found that most of them were pushed to that edge because of evil within, not evil without.

Paul describes the Christian life as a fight in 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. And also in 1 Timothy 4:7, near the end of his life: I have fought the good fight. And then in Ephesians 6:10-11 we read that the Christian life is a battle that requires us to put on “the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

So we pray: “Oh God, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

The difference between a temptation and a trial

Let’s consider this word temptation. It’s often misunderstood. The word “temptation” is sometimes translated as “trial.” They are very similar, but here’s the difference…

A temptation is (ultimately) from the devil. Satan is called “the tempter” in Matthew 4:3. And the goal of a temptation is your spiritual downfall. Tempting seeks to seduce someone into sin.

God does not tempt believers. James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. Think about it – God has nothing sinful in Him to seduce believers with – 1 John 1:5 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

A trial is from God. God may, by his providence, bring a difficult circumstance into your life. If you read the Bible, or know God’s people, you’ve seen He has done this with virtually every one of his children. The goal of a trial is your spiritual growth.

It produces “steadfastness” according to James 1:3. And “praise and glory and honor” according to 1 Peter 1:7. And maturing or “refining” according to Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

So again, a temptation is from the Devil and its goal is your spiritual downfall. A trial is from God and its goal is your spiritual growth.

Now, grasp this, it can be the same experience. From the devil’s perspective, it is a wicked temptation that may lead to your downfall. From God’s perspective, it is a perfectly crafted trial that (if you’re truly a believer) will lead to your growth.

Okay, let’s get back to the verse, and I want to give you three biblically practical steps as you pray regarding temptation.

Step 1: Pray, Lead us not into temptation. In other words, “remove it.” That’s a biblically legitimate prayer. “God, remove this temptation.”

Take it away. Weaken it. Keep me from it. Keep me out of hot water God. (Those with boring testimonies, God has answered this prayer!)

We know our frailty; our depravity; we know our remaining sin; the flesh – we know we are weak, and so we pray that God would keep us from difficult circumstances that could possibly result in sin.

We know Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? We know Mark 7:21-23 from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within,”

We can’t have pride here that says “I got this.” “I can handle it.” No, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

We know what happens when our sinful desires meet a temptation. My flesh never met a temptation it didn’t like. James 1:14 – each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

The great Octavius Winslow: [This] petition is a prayer that God would, by His providence, keep His child out of the way of temptation. “My Father, consign me to no place in which I may be tempted to sin against You, to dishonor the Name of Jesus, to grieve the Holy Spirit, and to bring discredit upon my Christian profession.”

Lord, keep me, fence me, surround me; that, having been washed … clean, I may tread no path, be placed in no position whereby I may be exposed to the power of temptations which I cannot evade, whose strength I cannot resist, and thus relapse from my high and holy walk with You. (Octavius Winslow)

So in light of my sinfulness I ask God to keep me out of trouble. So go ahead and pray for the removal of temptations – God, lead us not into temptation.

Step 2: Pray, Deliver us from evil. In other words, if you don’t remove it, rescue me from it. Give me the strength to overcome it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. That is, he will deliver you from evil!

2 Peter 2:9 the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,

John Stott: Perhaps we could paraphrase the whole request as ‘Do not allow us so to be led into temptation that it overwhelms us, but rescue us from the evil one’. So behind these words that Jesus gave us to pray are the implications that the devil is too strong for us, that we are too weak to stand up to him, but that our heavenly Father will deliver us if we call upon him.[1]

2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.

John 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Step 1: Pray, lead us not into temptation.

Step 2: Pray, deliver us from evil. Now, step 3 comes after the removal of a temptation, or rescue from evil…

Step 3: Express gratitude to God for His deliverance.

Should God allow it, and then give you a way out and uphold you, you should count it joy.

James 1:2-3 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

We pray for God to keep us out of trouble. We pray for God to get us out of trouble – But all these prayers in submission to His will! We know he will do what is best!

Again, Mr. Winslow: Thus, in all our temptations and trials, we trace His wisdom in ordaining, His sovereignty in permitting, His power in controlling, His faithfulness in directing, and His love in soothing us. And Jesus, the tried Stone, becomes better known, and more intensely endeared, in one fiery temptation, in one severe trial, than, perhaps, in all the passing events of our history combined. (Winslow)

So, as we face the constant battle that is the Christian life; the evil within and the evil without; the effects of sin in this world.

My own heart, the trials in our church family, COVID, political greed, racism, division in the church, division in this nation…

As we face this, prayerfully, here’s the pattern: Pray God would lead us not into temptation. Pray God would deliver us from evil. When he does, express gratitude to Him.

Conclusion

In conclusion, take a step back with me and consider the big picture. What are we doing through this prayer? We are acknowledging that God has us by the hand! “Don’t take me there,” “Get me out of here.” He leads us, and as he does, our grip tightens, and our trust deepens.

He’s proven himself over and over. We will not be overcome; we will not slip, be moved, shaken, lost, or forgotten. And so, as the ESVSB puts it: “The best protection from sin and temptation is to turn to God and to depend on his direction.” (ESVSB)

Psalms 16:8

I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Psalms 46

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Psalm 23:1-4

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

Let’s pray.