Lead Us Not Into Temptation (Part 1)...

“Lead Us Not Into...”

The King and His Kingdom

OKAY – this morning we are jumping back into our verse by verse study of the Gospel of Matthew.

Specifically ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ that powerful prayer that Jesus unveiled in His Kingdom Manifesto.

YEAH – I know it’s been a minute, since November 20th.

NOW - so far we have looked at the first 44 words of this prayer, and remember...

Our

calls us into community, into relationship. Understand, it is not just about ‘me and mine’ it is about us and our.’

Father

invites us into intimacy with the Maker of Heaven and earth. Yes God is the Sovereign King of the universe who: breathes out stars, holds oceans in the palm of His hands and stretches out the heavens like a curtain...BUT - He is also Father. (1 John 3:1)

Who art in the heavens

reminds us that Our Father is great, Our Father is near and that there is ‘always’ more going on than our eyes can see.

Hallowed be Your Name

calls us (me/you) to live lives that are different and distinct from the world around us... lives that passionately pursue a personal-practical-progressive holiness... bringing honor and glory to God’s name by the way that we live.

Not simply by the way that we talk, but by how we live out our lives.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...

reminds us that we are part of a kingdom, that we are a people, called and empowered to show this world a different and better way to live... as we help to restore ‘garden image and intimacy’ throughout this broken world, one life at a time, Bringing...

Hope to the hopeless, Freedom to the captive

Food to the hungry, Drink to the thirsty

Belonging to the lonely, Purpose to the drifting

Salvation to the lost

Give us this day out daily bread

transforms us from:

fear to confidence – grumbling to gratitude

selfishness to selflessness – troubled to trusting

greed to contentment – merely living to life...

Reminding us that our greatest need this day and every day is to depend on and connect with our Father who art in the heavens, and with Jesus the bread of life!

AND...

forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Reminds us of the sheer power and beauty of God’s forgiveness of us and the absolute necessity that we do the same.

Wow Talk about 44 words that are just overflowing with power, purpose, peace, perspective, praise, confidence and hope. AMEN!

AND – this morning we will begin our dive into these next 11 words...

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Prayer

NOW – I want to begin today by taking a look at the stuff I have on this table for a moment.

UNDERSTAND – what you see on this table, are instruments of death. I picked them up at Lowes this week.

NOW – most bugs don’t know it…

BUT – they have an enemy.

AN ENEMY – that is bigger, smarter, faster, stronger and more determined than they are.

AN ENEMY – that stays up late at night and invests large sums of money to figure out ways to lure little bugs and other pests to their death.

AND – on this table are some of the methods that this enemy has come up with.

AND LISTEN – bugs will choose to enter into these things. LIKE – they will willingly choose the very things that will lead to their death.

QUESTION – why do they do that?

WHY - would they choose to enter into something that is designed for no other purpose than their death and destruction?

WELL YOU SEE – their enemy has done extensive research and in that research they have discovered that you cannot say to a bug or any other pest… “Choose death” and have them choose it…

THEREFORE – everyone of these things involve deception… THEY – involve the promise of life.

YEAH – a bug looks at them and thinks, “man, that sure looks good, it smells good… and I bet it tastes even better.

OKAY – let’s take a look at some of these instruments of death…

Power-Kill Mouse Trap

outsmarting rodents since 1898.

Easy to use... large trip petal... convenient... clean and humane.

pull back kill bar until it clicks and the trap locks in place

apply bait in the trough provided

Roach Motel

Roaches check in, but they don’t check out.

Raid ant baits

ants are attracted by the bait

ants eat the bait and return to the colony

bait id shared with the queen and others, killing the entire colony

kills ants for up to 3 months

Terro (Spider and house hold insect traps)