When you pray: Lead us not Matthew 6:13 Introduction Stuck between 2 snakes we had to do something maybe snakes travel with their families, maybe they nest, but my wife and I have no idea. In our ignorance we were stuck. Transition: Today we finish with series on the Lord s prayer. I know I have enjoyed studying and preparing, so I hope this has challenged and encouraged your prayer life. Today we look at the last line that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the mount, and reiterated when the disciples asked, Teach us to pray, in Luke 11. My goal today is for you not to be stuck in sin and temptation. The final piece of this prayer is for you to be free. And what endangers your journey through your life more than anything is temptation to sin. Matthew 6:13 1
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (ESV) Transition: To overcome temptation is dependence on God, so we pray and ask I. Protection from the temptation to sin. A. Temptation: recognize our own frailty. 1. To pray against temptation is to recognize that even as a Christian sin still lurks within, this side of heaven. 2. Paul recognized this battle in Romans 7 when he said: Romans 7:24-25 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (ESV) 2
3. As a Christian, we hate our sin, recognize it for what it is, but also have an appropriate fear and humility regarding our own ability to sin. (It is still there!!) 4. As Christians we are free from sin s dominion, but not free from sin s influence. 5. Even as believers we pray for protection from our own nature. B. God does not tempt. James 1:13-15 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. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (ESV) C. In the world to make a difference. (Jesus prays over the Disciples why not just take us out of the world? Lord s Prayer) 3
John 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. (ESV) 1. In other words, the prayer of Jesus is to protect us from sin and evil, but he leaves us in the world. 2. Why? Because we have a mission to accomplish. 3. We are a part of fulfilling the victory of Jesus Christ that His name will be exalted among the nations. 4. Asking for protection from our sin and temptation and evil is so that we can be busy about the task. 5. As believers, every minute we use to indulge our sin, is a wasted minute towards fulfilling the task that Christ has given to us, to fulfill the Great Commission. Transition: So let s talk for a minute about delivery from evil. 4
II. How are we delivered from evil and temptation? A. Can t defeat sin and temptation by natural means. Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV) 1. The wrestle and challenge as Christians is supernatural. 2. It is spiritual. 3. Therefore, it requires spiritual and supernatural means to have victory. So, let s look at this. 5
B. Born again. John 3:3-6 Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother s womb and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (ESV) 1. Nicodemus could not get his head around this conversation, because he was not yet Born again. 2. Until you have spiritual re-birth you are attempting to defeat the flesh with fleshly things. 3. We discussed this a couple weeks ago, the gracious 6
working of the Holy Spirit converts us so that we can see the Kingdom of God. 4. So that we can now see spiritual temptation, sin and evil. 5. Some of you in this room have shame and guilt around your sin, but you are not having spiritual victory, and it could be because you are not yet converted. 6. You have not yet really acknowledged how much your sin is a violation to the Holy character of God. 7. You have not yet acknowledged what your offense to God really deserves. 8. And you have not yet really acknowledged your need for saving and a savior, which is God s son Jesus Christ. 7
9. You are battling the spiritual with the flesh you need to be Born again Spiritual rebirth. Secondly once you are born again you daily C. Cling to Jesus. 1. Pastor Andrew reminded us of this 2 weeks ago our daily bread is Jesus Christ. 2. We feast daily on Jesus Christ to overcome temptation. 3. Being a Christian is not, I come to Christ and then leave Christ behind to go do battle. Illustration: This is the bad teaching of David and Goliath. We have all heard that story taught this way. The idea being that you are David now go defeat the Giants in your life. That is a bad understanding of that story. David is a type of Jesus Christ. David is the 8
hero of the story that delivers the people of God from their enemies, including the giants in their lives. And David is just a shadow of the great warrior, the ultimate victor that leads God s people to victory Jesus Christ. Main Point: Press daily into Jesus and he defeats our enemies. You don t go out there on your own, you feast on Christ. Desire to worship Jesus more than you desire to indulge your sin and temptation and that is the victory. When we read the beloved Psalm 23, our minds should have this understanding, David is referring to Jesus. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name s sake. 4 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. 5 You prepare a table before me 9
in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (ESV) Transition: Overcoming temptation: Born Again, Daily pressing into Jesus Christ. Cherishing (Treasuring) God s word. D. Treasure God s word. Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (ESV) 1. This means you are actively, and daily in God s word. 2. Understanding and believing that His word is true. 3. Understanding believing God s word is good. 4. Understanding and believing God s word brings life. 10
Illustration: When Jesus, in Luke 4, was lead into the wilderness and Satan tempted him, what did Jesus use to combat the temptation He used the Scriptures to overcome temptation). Transition: We use the scripture to overcome temptation, and make sure we are not believing a lie, which is why James tells us we can E. Resist the Devil. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (ESV) Transition: We resist the temptations of Satan by being in the word, but we F. Flee Sexual sin. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, 11
but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (ESV) 1. Many sins that tempt us we resist. 2. Sexual sin we flee. 3. Ready to get practical? 4. If you are dating someone, and you are attempting to live for God and honor the Lord in dating, never (I don t care how old you are) be alone in a house or an apartment with the person you are dating that is a temptation that you will not avoid flee that temptation. 5. Don t use electronics without accountability. 6. Single or married Married, your spouse should have access to your phone, computer, Facebook, e-mail, or any other social media. 12
7. Singles, especially men, have other men keep you accountable on what you are watching on the internet there is excellent software available to help you with this. I would highly recommend Covenant Eyes, or MM Guardian for younger kids. 8. Flee sexual temptation. Finally, I want to give you some handles for overcoming a besetting sin. This is a sin that give you constant struggle. This is a sin that you battle with regularly, and rarely seem to gain any ground, and therefore you live with a constant sense of shame, guilt and defeat. G. Serious about Sin. 1. Confess our sin to God. 1 John 1:9 13
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV) a. Confession is to agree with God If God calls it sin, we call it sin. b. Not sugar-coating our mess, Well we all mess up. I know I am not perfect. c. This calling a spade a spade, acknowledging our sin is an offense to a Holy God. d. Understanding this confession and freedom to confess rests on the truths of the gospel. e. He forgives our sin, free to us, but an incredibly high cost to Him - our sin was punished not me bearing the punishment, but Christ bearing it for us. f. And his righteousness credited to us by grace through faith. 14
g. This kind of confession is not passing, but rather leads to incredible worship of Jesus Christ. 2. Repent of our sin. John 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (ESV) 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (ESV) a. Repentance is 180 turn. b. It is hating sin enough (Because sin is the opposite of God s holy character) that we turn from. c. We no longer desire to go back to it. 15
d. We do whatever is necessary to cut that sin out of our lives. e. Includes some of the spiritual disciplines we discussed earlier. f. But I find this last piece is the piece many Christians leave out of their lives. g. We confess to God, we have sorrow that leads us for a season to turn, but often there is not longevity in our turning from sin and this often because we do not have. 3. We need Christian community to sustain our repentance. James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (ESV) a. This last part is what is often left out of our disciplines. 16
b. We tell God, we feel bad, but there is no long-term turning from sin because we have not included Christian Community. c. Men find a Godly spiritual man that you can put in your life that you can tell anything and they are serious about helping you overcome sin. d. Women find some mature Christian woman that you can go to and confess sin and they will help you mature. Illustration: This is part of the purpose of small groups. Not that you will go into a group of 10-15 and blurt out your life challenges, but maybe you will find someone in that group that you can take out to coffee and be honest with, and they will be honest with you, and not sugar coat the truth of God s word. Conclusion 17
Christian community is a big part of what God uses to help us overcome sin. My hope is that this series has helped inform your prayers. That you will pray with a renewed understanding. That this prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray will be both a prayer you can pray, and a model to mold our prayers into Kingdom prayers. Let s close this series this way. Let s close by praying this prayer together. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. 18