Lead Us Not Into Temptation

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

MATTHEW 6:13

OUR THOUGHTS ARE ALWAYS GEETING US IN TROUBLE. OUR MIND IS THE INITIAL STARTING PLACE FOR TEMPTATION.

I’M REMINDED OF THE STORY ABOUT A MAN AND HIS WIFE WHO WERE OUT SHOPPING, WHEN A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WALKED BY THEM. SHE WAS NOTICED ON A CONTINUAL BASIS BY THE HUSBAND. WITHOUT LOOKING UP FROM THE ITEM HIS WIFE ASKED, “WAS IT WORTH THE TROUBLE YOU’RE IN?”

CONSIDER THE BOY WHO WAS IN THE CONFESSIONAL BOOTH:

BOY “BLESS ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED…FATHER I HAD BAD THOUGHTS.”

PRIEST: DID YOU ENTERTAIN THEM?

BOY: “NO FATHER…BUT THEY SURE ENTERTAINED ME.”

THIS IS MY FINAL MESSAGE ON THE LORD’S MODEL PRAYER AND THE PETITION WE ARE LOOKING AT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE CONFUSING.

THE CONFUSION COMES BECAUSE IT WOULD APPEAR THAT GOD LEADS US INTO TEMPTATION, OR ELSE WHY WOULD WE NEED TO PRAY THIS PHRASE. COMBINE THIS WITH THE FACT THAT IT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT LED JESUS INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED BY SATAN.

LESLIE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AND HER INSIGHTS WERE VERY HELPFUL. SHE POINTED OUT THAT JESUS TEMPTATION WAS PART OF GOD’S PLAN. THE FIRST ADAM FELL TO TEMPTATION, JESUS, THE SECOND ADAM USED THE WORD TO SUCCESSFULLY RESIST TEMPTATION. SHE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS SATAN WHO DID THE ACTUAL TEMPTING, THE HOLY SPIRIT ONLY LED JESUS TO THE WILDERNESS. THESE ARE TWO VERY EXCELLENT AND WELL THOUGHT OUT POINTS.

THIS PART OF THE PRAYER IS A STATEMENT OF SUBMISSION AND DEPENDANCE ON GOD. WE ARE ASKING HIM TO LEAD US, BECAUSE IN OURSELVES WE ARE NATURALLY DRAWN TO TEMPTING WAYS THAT CAN LEAD US FROM GOD.

I WAS COMING TO MINTO FROM ACADIA AND I USUALLY USE THE RODHOM HILLS TO GET THROUGH TO TRURO. THAT’S WHERE I COULD GET ON THE HIGHWAY TO NEW BRUNSWICK. I STOPPED FOR A COFFEE AT TIM’S, AND THERE WAS A LADY ASKING DIRECTIONS FOR HOW TO GET THROUGH THE RODHAM HILLS. THE CLERK WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND I COULD FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE I KNEW THE ROAD, BUT I COULD SEE HER GETTING CONFUSED.

I ASKED HER IF I COULD BE OF HELP, AND WHEN SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO GO TO TRURO, I SIMPLY SAID “FOLLOW ME. I’LL GET YOU THERE. I KNOW THE WAY.” I DROVE IN FRONT OF HER, SHE TRUSTED ME AND FOLLOWED ME, AND SHE GOT TO HER DESTINATION EASILY, WITHOUT GETTING SIDETRACKED BY THE MANY SIDEROADS ALONG THE WAY.

THE ROAD THOUGH WAS NOT AN EASY ROAD. THERE WERE SEVERAL SHARP TURNS ON IT, AND MANY PLACES WHERE IT WOULD BE EASY TO LOSE YOUR WAY IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE SOMEONE WHO KNEW IT LEADING YOU.

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR “LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.” WE ARE ASKING JESUS TO HELP US TO REMAIN ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW ROAD. HE IS NOT LEADING US INTO DANGER. HE IS KEEPING US FROM IT.

THIS PRAYER SPEAKS TO OUR CONTINUAL DEPENDANCE ON THE LORD.

“FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS” SPEAKS TO OUR PAST

“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” SPEAKS TO THE PRESENT

“LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION” SPEAKS TO THE FUTURE.

THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS WE CONSIDER THIS PETITION THIS MORNING. WE ARE THEN GOING TO LOOK AT THREE WORDS BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER “D”: THE DANGER OF TEMPTATION, OUR DEFICIENCY IN DEALING WITH TEMPTATION, AND OUR DELIVERANCE FROM TEMPTATION.

POINT ONE: THE DANGER OF TEMPTATION

MANY OF THE DANGERS WE FACE AS A RESULT OF TEMPTATION, COME FROM OUR OWN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT, SIN, SATAN, AND OUR POWER TO RESIST TEMPTATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE ACCEPTED CHRIST WE WILL NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION ANYMORE. WE HOLD TO THE VERSE

1 JOHN 4:4: YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.

AS IF IT GAVE US IMMUNITY FROM TEMPTATION. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FIND A WAY AROUND THE FACT THAT GOD WILL TEST US.

LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS. GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF TEMPTATION. JAMES IS CLEAR ON THIS:

JAMES 1:13-15:

WHEN TEMPTED, NO ONE SHOULD SAY, “GOD IS TEMPTING ME.” FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY EVIL, NOR DOES HE TEMPT ANYONE; 14 BUT EACH PERSON IS TEMPTED WHEN THEY ARE DRAGGED AWAY BY THEIR OWN EVIL DESIRE AND ENTICED. 15 THEN, AFTER DESIRE HAS CONCEIVED, IT GIVES BIRTH TO SIN; AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FULL-GROWN, GIVES BIRTH TO DEATH.

THE GOAL OR PURPOSE OF TEMPTATION IS CLEAR. IT IS AN INSTRUMENT USED BY SATAN TO DISTURB OR RUIN A PERSON’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. IT ALWAYS HAS A NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE TO YOURSELF, AND OTHERS THAT YOU LOVE