The Lord's Prayer Part 7 Series

THE LORD’S PRAYER 07

MATTHEW 6:13 (NIV84)

13AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE.’

INTRODUCTION: WELL, HERE WE ARE IN THE FIRST SUNDAY OF 2024. WE HAVE SURVIVED THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS HOLIDAYS.

YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT LAST WEEK, I SHARED A MESSAGE ENTITLED, “MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN 2024”. THE CHALLENGE WAS TO DO JUST THAT – MOVE FORWARD. TO BECOME MORE ENGAGED IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST, OUR SERVICE FOR CHRIST AND OUR KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. THIS MESSAGE ENCOURAGED US TO LOOK WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, AND THEN TO SEEK GOD’S DIRECTION ON WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON. SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THIS TO HEART AND HAVE COMMUNICATED WHAT YOU ARE NOW DOING IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR MATURITY AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.

ONE OF THE SMALL THINGS I HAVE ASKED YOU TO DO IS TO COMMIT TO MEMORIZE ONE VERSE EACH MONTH. FOR JANUARY THE VERSE WAS JEREMIAH 29:11 –“I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.”

OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, IS ALSO A WAY FOR EACH OF US TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK. THIS IS A SHORT VERSE ON HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH AND DEAL WITH TEMPTATION

TRANSITION: THIS MORNING, LETS TAKE A LOOK AT UNDERSTANDING AND AVOIDING TEMPTATIONS

HOW DO WE SEEK GOD’S DIRECTION DURING TIMES OF TEMPTATION?

1. THIS SIMPLE VERSE DESCRIBES THE TWO PARTS IN OUR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL PROTECTION

a. SPIRITUAL PROTECTION COMES FROM THE DIRECTION OF GOD

i. BEFORE WE CAN SEEK OR WILL SEEK SPIRITUAL PROTECTION, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE OUR WEAKNESS IN THIS AREA

ii. WE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WITHOUT THE DIRECTION OF GOD, WE WOULD SEEK DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT.

iii. IN FACT, WE ARE TOLD THAT WE LOVE DARKNESS MORE THAN WE LOVE LIGHT

iv. SPIRITUAL PROTECTION GOES AGAINST THE NATURAL TENDENCY OF MAN.

v. THE INITIAL STEP IN OUR OWN SPIRITUAL PROTECTION IS US YIELDING OURSELVES TO GOD.

1. THROUGHOUT THE PSALMS, DAVID ASKS GOD TO BOTH LEAD HIM AND TEACH HIM.

2. IF WE WANT THE SPIRITUAL PROTECTION OFFERED US BY GOD HIMSELF, WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO YIELD OURSELVES OVER TO HIM.

QUESTION: IS IT OUR ATTITUDE TO BE LED BY GOD? IF IT IS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN OUR LIVES? IF IT IS NOT, WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE IN MY LIFE IN ORDER TO BE LEAD AND TAUGHT BY GOD?

vi. WE KNOW FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGES AND TEACHING THAT GOD OFFERS US HIS DIRECTION AND WISDOM

1. IN THE BOOK OF JAMES, CHAPTER 1 WE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE TO ASK GOD FOR WISDOM AND THEN FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT HE GIVES US

2. IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS, WE ARE TOLD TO HIDE HIS WORD IN OUR HEARTS SO WE WILL NOT SIN AGAINST HIM

vii. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT BE LED INTO TEMPTATION

1. ALL CHRISTIANS STRUGGLE WITH TEMPTATION. BECAUSE WE DO WE NEED TO PUT OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD FOR VICTORY

2. TO ASK THIS OF GOD ACKNOWLEDGES OUR OWN SPIRITUAL WEAKNESS.

a. WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE, WE NEED GOD’S HELP

b. TO TRY AND DO IT ALONE WILL ONLY RESULT IN FAILURE

c. ACKNOWLEDGING OUR WEAKNESS IN THIS AREA IS A SAFEGUARD AGAINST A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY

d. WHEN I NEGLECT MY DEPENDENCY ON GOD, I OPEN MYSELF UP TO SPIRITUAL WARFRE IN MY LIFE

3. WHAT AM I REALLY ASKING FOR

a. I AM ASKING TO NOT BE LED INTO A TEMPTATION THAT I CANNOT RESIST.

b. THE WORD TEMPTATION CARRIES WITH IT THE MEANING OF TESTING

c. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US

i. THE ROOT OF THIS WORD HAS TO DO WITH TESTING

ii. TESTING THAT PRODUCES CHARACTER

4. WE NEED TO SEE TEMPTATION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PRINCIPLES:

a. GOD NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITHOUT A PURPOSE – A GOOD PURPOSE. ROMANS 8:28 TELLS US THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

b. JAMES 1:2-3 WE ARE TO COUNT THESE TIMES OF TRIALS WITH JOY. GOD IS DOING SOMETHING WITH OUR CHARACTER TO MAKE US MORE LIKE HIM.

c. JAMES 2:13 TELLS US THAT GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US TO DO EVIL, NORIS HE THE AUTHOR OF EVIL. TRIALS TURN INTO TEMPTATIONS WHEN WE TAKE OVER THE TRIAL INSTEAD OF LEANING ON GOD

d. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 TELLS US THAT WHEN GOD IS IN CONTROL OF THE TRIAL, HE HAS IT ALL PLANNED OUT. HE IS AWARE OF EACH, ANY AND ALL TRIALS. HE HAS PREPARED AND EQUIPPED US TO GO THROUGH THE TRIAL WHICH WILL PRODUCE THE CHANGE IN US HE IS LOOKING FOR