Run For Your Life Series

A PATTERN FOR PRAYER

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13, NLT)

"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13, NLT)

(SLIDE 2)

INTRODUCTION

Rick Warren tells of a Pastor that had to go into downtown Santa Ana for a meeting. He was late and ended up parking in a No Parking Zone. He wrote a note to "bribe" the cop and he put it under his windshield wiper... "I’ve circled this block ten times and I have to make this appointment or my heavenly Boss will be upset with me... Remember ` forgive us our sins.’"

When he got back he found a ticket on his car and this note from the Police officer... "I’ve circled this block for ten years. If I don’t give you a ticket, my earthly boss will be upset with me. Remember... `lead us not into temptation’"

We are at present considering this the 6Th petition of our Lord’s Pattern of prayer asking what it means...

Thus far as we have been examining our Lord’s pattern for prayer, OUR LORD HAS FOCUSED OUR ATTENTION ON:

• GOD’S PERSON … “May Your name be kept holy”

• GOD’S PURPOSE … “May Your Kingdom come soon”

• GOD’S PROGRAM … “May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”

• GOD’S PROVISION … “Give us today the food we need”

• GOD’S PARDON … "… and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."

Then last week our focus was turned to our need for...

• GOD’S PROTECTION ... “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

As we looked at this petition requesting god’s protection we saw that this was not a prayer

• TO KEEP US OUT OF TRIAL, TESTING OR TROUBLE

Nor was it a prayer

• ASKING GOD NOT TO PLACE US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN BE TEMPTED?

Rather it is a prayer

• ASKING GOD TO HELP US FROM BEING DRAWN OR SUCKED, BY OUR OWN WILL, INTO SINNING

As was suggested last week the NLT captures this meaning by translating the petition … “And don’t let us yield to temptation”

(SLIDE 3)

To understand this petition more fully we considered the … THREE ASPECTS OF TEMPTATION

• THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEMPTATION

• THE ROUTE OF TEMPTATION (both last week)

• THE RESOURCE IN TEMPTATION (this week)

(SLIDE 4)

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEMPTATION

We asked who is to blame when we give in to temptation, remembering that temptation is not a sin (Jesus was tempted, yet He never sinned) …

So…

WE TRY TO BLAME?

• CIRCUMSTANCES

• OTHERS

• GOD

• SATAN

BUT ULTIMATELY we need to realise that …

• I AM RESPONSIBLE!

That led us to considering …

(SLIDE 5)

THE ROUTE OF TEMPTATION

Here we uncovered the same pattern Satan has used to entice God’s people into falling for temptation and causing them to sin. We examined …

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE … used by Satan since Eden

• DESIRE

• DOUBT

• DECEPTION

• DISOBEDIENCE

• DEATH

The Bible says …

“The reward for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” (Romans 6:23, GW)

So that leaves the question... what can we do to prevent becoming a casualty of temptation?

HENCE TODAYS MESSAGE TITLE …

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

(SLIDE 6)

We now examine the help that is ours in the overcoming of temptation …

THE RESOURCE IN TEMPTATION

This morning … WE CONSIDER THE SECOND HALF OF THE PETITION … "… rescue us from the evil one." (NLT)

Therefore the question is

 How can I ensure that I do not fall prey to the schemes of Satan?

James suggests two things when he advises us …

"So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you." (James 4:7, NCV)

We are to …

• SUBMIT TO CHRIST

The Bible assures us that for those who belong to Christ by virtue of receiving His free gift of forgiveness through His death on the Cross as a payment for the PENALTY for your sin, for those who daily submit to the Lordship, the management of Jesus over their lives by being led and controlled by the Spirit … there is help to overcome the POWER OF SIN in daily living.