Sermon Tone Analysis

October 10, 2021

Front Porch Meetings

Readying for Return - No pressure

And Lead Us Not Into Temptation,

But Deliver Us From Evil

Matthew 6:13

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Petition #6

Today, we come to the last petition found in the Lord's prayer.

It is the 6th Petition found in Matthew 6:13 . . .

and it reads:

NKJV

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [or, the evil one]: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

The main focus in this petition is on two key words: temptation and deliverance.

Of the six petitions, this 6th one is probably the most difficult to understand.

I believe what makes it difficult is the part that says:

. . .

And lead us not into temptation . . .

On its face, it seems we're asking God to lead us not into temptation.

This immediately makes us assume questions like:

* Does God lead us into temptation?

* Are we asking God to not lead us somewhere that He Himself does not want us to go or be, yet He would allow it?

* You mean, we have to ask God to lead us not into temptation?

And if we don't ask Him, does that mean we are prone to be tempted?

Wow! How confusing.

[But, these are legitimate questions.

We'll get to the bottom of them as we take a step by step approach to opening up this verse to clear understanding.

To get our minds and hearts where they need to be on verse 13, I need to do a little Jesus probing.

That's what Jesus did when He needed those He was talking to to really hear what He "was saying" not what they thought He was saying.

It was those times He needed those who were listening to Him to see themselves and be convicted by His truth.

Hear Him first, then ask follow-up questions.

* Peter who was overly concerned about John's timing for death.

* The Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes when they were trying to trap Him and His disciples or the woman caught in adultery.

To get the most out of this passage, I need everyone to open their minds and hearts as well as their Bibles to gain the full essence of this verse.

To get us all on the same page about the brand of temptation this message is focused on, let's start off with a definition of "temptation".

Temptation in the Biblical sense is a situation in which a Believer experiences a challenge to choose between fidelity, (loyalty, trustworthiness) and infidelity (unfaithfulness, disloyalty) to their commitment toward God.

God allows His children to be tested in order to show them their development and His faithfulness.

Tests are designed to show us how much we know or don't know; They manifes how much we're growing and areas that need more development.

Now, I want to test your hearts by asking a few questions - some personal.

Is temptation real?

[Is COVID-19 Real]

Have you ever been tempted?

Have you ever given into temptation?

(not just chocolate cake or sweet potato pie)?

Have you succumbed to any kind of temptation since being born again?

Likewise, have you overcome any sort of serious temptation since being born again.

Do you think we should never face temptation as God's children?

It would be a tragic mistake to believe that.

Temptations, tests, trials, and stumbling blocks are an inevitable part of life - especially the Christian life.

(Smyrna church); God allows it.

We must not dismiss every temptation as absent of God.

But like Job, look to God, discern whether the temptation is from God or such as is common to man.

God alone delivers us from all and through all manner of temptations that He allows to be presented to us from Satan the evil one.

Pause: I believe there are temptations from the hand of Satan that God allows to test us; and I believe there are temptations that are common to every man that God has built into the Believers Spiritual DNA to overcome just by walking in the Spirit and being obedient to the will of God.

I say this to say that temptations from the evil on are not every day occurrences and "semi-rare".

A part of Satan's tactic is to cause us to believe that he is more in control and more present than the really is.

That's one of his most effective schemes: Deception!

It's intended to preoccupy our focus and to divert our attention away from the important spiritual things of God.

Now, "What is considered temptation?'

How many types or ways can a person be tempted.

Too often we limit what temptation to obvious sins.

But consider these:

* Pride

* Taking or sneaking a piece of God's glory after doing something quite well with the help of the Lord.

* Glorifying self

* Leaning to own understanding

* Possessing lust and bitter anger to the point of wishing harm or wanting to see harm come upon someone or something

* Desiring vengeance

* Unforgiveness

* Hatred

* Murder

* Gossip, misuse of the tongue

* Molestation

* Cheating on taxes, tests, term papers, and TITHE, other violations

* False humility (deception)

* Doubting God (Eve . . .

* False accusations, lying - outright/under pressure

* Unnatural passions - unrighteous desires

* Covetousness

* Jealousy

* Anything that leads to evil and unrighteousness

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Now, back to our text:

Matthew 9:13 says:

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

. . .

And lead us not into temptation . . .

On its face, though we assume questions we are asking God to lead us not into temptation . . .

which leads to those questions of :

* Does God lead us into temptation?

* Are we asking God to not lead us somewhere that He Himself does not want us to go or be, yet He would allow it?

* You mean, we have to ask God to lead us not into temptation?

And if we don't ask Him, does that mean we are prone to be tempted?

It's even more confusing when we pair this verse with James 1:13

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

Luke, from the NLT makes this verse more palatable:

4 and forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.