UNTIL WE PRAY-V—Matthew 6:5-15
Attention:
We have & will discover that our independence as a nation is tied to prayer.
We also realize that our ministries as a church are bound to prayer as well.
We cannot celebrate our ministry efforts unless we celebrate independence from sin, self, & the world, thru a dependence upon God in Christ.
Need:
?Can a country receive God’s blessings when it will not embrace the true & living God?
?Can our ministry efforts receive God’s blessings when we will not embrace the true & living God?
Jesus presented a model to guide His disciples praying.
God’s people have guidance to help them in prayer.
How are God’s people to direct/guide their prayers?
When are our prayers successful?
10 realities which must be embraced for successful prayer.
In the past couple of weeks we have discovered that,
We are not praying & We are not free until we embrace...
1. God’s MANNER(:9a)
2. God’s FATHERHOOD(:9b)
3. God’s REVERENCE(:9c)
4. God’s SOVEREIGNTY(:10a)
5. God’s DESIRE(:10b-c)
6. God’s PROVISION(:11)
7. God’s FORGIVENESS(:12, 14-15)
8— We are not praying & we are not free until we embrace...
God’s TESTING(:13a)
Explanation:(:13a)Avoidance
:13—“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen.”
God’s people must ask God to not “lead” them to a position where they would be tempted, but rather that He would instead, deliver them away from the evil of the “evil one.” “Temptation” always leads us to one of two places. Temptation can “lead us” to the door God has provided for escape from sin(1Cor. 10:13), or we can allow it to “lead us” directly into sin with its resulting condemnations(Js. 1:12-18).
*If we are fully surrendered to God(seek His face) at the moment of our greatest “temptation,” then we have allowed God Himself the freedom to “not lead us into temptation” & make it plain(to ourselves) that we can be trusted.
“Here we have a "Permissive imperative" as grammarians term it. The idea is then: “Do not allow us to be led into temptation.” ”—RWP
*1Cor. 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
*Js. 1:12-18—“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires & enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; & sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift & every perfect gift is from above, & comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
God can lead us into a position where we ‘can be’ “tempted”(Js.1:13). But that is not a bad thing nor does it make God malevolent. This is because God does not force the temptation, otherwise He would be the tempter Himself(Mat. 4:3; 1Thess. 3:5—Satan). Rather, God our Father may test/try our faith—bringing us to the point of temptation— as does any Father allowing certain freedoms to his child(ren). Thus when God’s people fall victim to the enticement of temptation, they sin. Such actions become evil thus aligning ourselves with the “evil one.”
Js. 1:13—“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” “Lead”—eisferw—1) To bring into, in or to; 2) To lead into. Strong—To carry inward (literally or figuratively). Used 7X.
“Temptation”—peirasmov—1) An experiment, attempt, trial, proving. Strong—A putting to proof(by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication--Adversity.
Argumentation:
**Mat. 18:7—““Woe to the world because of offenses[σκάνδαλον]! For offenses[σκάνδαλον] must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense[σκάνδαλον] comes!”
Num. 11:29—“Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”
**1Cor. 1:22-23—“For Jews request a sign, & Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block & to the Greeks foolishness,”
**Jn. 9:39—“And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, & that those who see may be made blind.””
**Js. 4:4-10—“Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Illustration:
**An exam in school/A test of your knowledge of a certain subject/We sit in the presence of others taking the same test/We may choose to look around & copy or we may answer honestly/The professor’s test is not to make you cheat, but to make you mentally stronger...to enforce, exercise, & encourage you in what you have learned/God’s TESTING
**Law Enforcement ‘sting operations’/Present an opportunity which only those who disregard the law fall for/Those above such temptation(God’s people) immediately recognize the dynamic-pull-tug of falling for such circumstances as wrong/God’s TESTING
Bazooka the cat/Momma feeds him every morning before she goes to work at the hospital/I wake up later & feed the dog/Invariably, Bazooka will try to get to the canned dog food/My preparation of the food presents a temptation Bazooka will not let go/I am not wrong to feed the dog/I am not a ‘tempter’ because the dog must be fed/God’s TESTING
Application:
?Your Prayers embrace God’s TESTING?
?Can we receive God’s blessings when we will not embrace God?
9— We are not praying & we are not free until we embrace...
God’s DELIVERANCE(:13b)
Explanation:(:13b)
:13—“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen.”
However, God can “deliver us” from those things/behaviors/actions(including those of the mind(Mat. 5:21-30)) that are recognized as belonging to “the evil one.”
In fact, we are to expect “deliverance” at God’s hand as we seek it thru prayer! Prayer has power/potential to bring “deliverance” from “temptation’s” pull. Thus we are instructed to “watch & pray”(Mat. 26:41).
“The ablative case in the Greek obscures the gender. We have no way of knowing whether it is o ponhrov(the evil one) or to ponhron(the evil thing). And if it is masculine & so o ponhrov, it can either refer to the devil as the Evil One par excellence or the evil man whoever he may be who seeks to do us ill.”—RWP
“Deliver”—ruomai—1) To draw to one's self, to rescue, to deliver; 2) The deliverer. Strong—To rush or draw(for oneself), i.e. Rescue.
“Evil one/Evil”—ponhrov—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition—2a) in a physical sense: Diseased or blind, 2b) in an ethical sense: Evil wicked, bad. Ponhrov is a word at once stronger & more active [than kakov], it means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Kakov describes the quality according to its nature, ponhrov, according to its effects. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil (properly, in effect or influence, & thus differing from kakov, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from saprov, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively--Calamitous; also passively--Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially(morally)--Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular)--Mischief, malice, or (plural)--Guilt; masculine (singular)--The devil, or (plural)--Sinners.
Argumentation:
**Lk. 4:17-21—“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, & gave it back to the attendant & sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””
**Mat. 10:21-22—““Now brother will deliver up brother to death, & a father his child; & children will rise up against parents & cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”
**Mat. 27:39-43—“And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads & saying, “You who destroy the temple & build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes & elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, & we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’””
Ironically—God did not deliver Jesus yet He did deliver Jesus, did He not?!
**Jn. 3:14-17—““And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
**Rom. 5:6-11—“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
**Rom. 10:9-11, 13—“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.””.....“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.””
1Cor 10:32-33—“Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”
**Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
**Rev. 1:18—““I am He who lives, & was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades & of Death.”
Illustration:
Men & women working closely together/Can present a situation where sexual temptations arise/Both would be better served if they avoid spending too much time together/God may open a door to free you from such mischief-making situations/God’s DELIVERANCE
Your parents(prayerfully) sought to protect you from the influence(s) of ne’er-do-wells/They considered the values of your friends & the reputations of your friend’s family…They considered the school you attended…The places you went…The movies & TV you watched…The music you listened to…The activities you were involved in/Particularly as you are being prepared for adulthood/God’s DELIVERANCE
We had some visitors from a former church in piedmont NC/They are not necessarily ‘beach people’ & were unfamiliar with the intensity of the sun here in FL with its potential for burning quickly/We took a day-trip to St. George Island on Memorial Day/I cautioned & warned them many times to slather themselves with suntan lotion, which they did/Crystal(who is very light-skinned) finished the day with only a 3-in. wide patch of burned skin on the top of one foot!/Thru her obedience, she was ‘delivered from the evil one’ as it were!/God’s DELIVERANCE
Application:
?Your Prayers embrace God’s DELIVERANCE?
?Can America receive God’s blessings when she will not embrace God?
10— We are not praying & we are not free until we embrace...
God’s PREEMINENCE(:13c)
Explanation:(:13c)First place/Priority
:13—“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever. Amen.”
Why are we to pray in the above fashion(:9-13)? Because(“For”) the entire “kingdom” of God originates & is uniquely & solely controlled by, thru, & for Him(Sovereignty). If others experience God’s “kingdom”, it is because He chooses to allow it.
Likewise, all “power” originates & is uniquely & solely controlled by, thru, & for Him(Omnipotence). If others experience God’s “power”, it is because He chooses to allow it.
Likewise, & further still, all “glory” originates & is uniquely & solely controlled by, thru, & for Him(Providence). If others experience God’s “glory,” it is because He chooses to allow it.
These ever present(“forever”) attributes of God are tied inextricably to His Preeminence. And these are recognized as such by all who call upon His name by Christ Jesus. Thus God’s people declare a hearty “Amen!” to such purposeful & powerful prayer.
“Kingdom”(See :10)—basileia—
“Power”—dunamiv—1) Strength power, ability. Dunamiv denotes power, natural ability, general & inherent. Strong—Force(literally or figuratively); specially--Miraculous power(usually by implication--A miracle itself).
“Glory”—doxa—1) Opinion, judgment, view; 2) Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3) Splendor, brightness; 4) A most glorious condition, most exalted state. Strong—Glory(as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective).
“Forever”—aiwn—1) For ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity; 2) The worlds, universe; 3) Period of time, age. Aiwn is usually better expressed by age, it is the world at a given time, a particular period in the world's history. Aiwn means the spirit of the age, often in an unfavorable sense.
“Amen”(See :10—“Assuredly/Verily/Truly/Truth”)—amhn—
Argumentation:
**Col. 1:13-20—“He has delivered us from the power of darkness & conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven & that are on earth, visible & invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him & for Him. And He is before all things, & in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, & by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
**Col. 2:9-10—“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power.”
**Eph. 1:15-23—“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus & your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, & what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality & power & might & dominion, & every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, & gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
**Jn. 3:35-36—““The Father loves the Son, & has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; & he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.””
**Rev. 5:8-14—“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures & the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, & golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe & tongue & people & nation, And have made us kings & priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, & I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, & the elders; & the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, & thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power & riches & wisdom, And strength & honor & glory & blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven & on the earth & under the earth & such as are in the sea, & all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing & honor & glory & power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever & ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down & worshiped Him who lives forever & ever.”
**Php. 2:9-11—“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, & of those on earth, & of those under the earth, & that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Illustration:
Water main break outside our house/Our first priority is not to work harder to pay the approaching outrageous water bill/Fixing the pipe takes top priority!/God’s PREEMINENCE
Suppose we complain as we wake up every morning to have to clean up our dog’s mess on the carpet!/Takes a great deal of our time & effort + destroys the carpet + leaves an unpleasant odor in the house/How do we alleviate this?/We must make it our foremost mission to regularly walk the dog!/God’s PREEMINENCE
Application:
?Your Prayers embrace God’s PREEMINENCE?
?Can America receive God’s blessings when she will not embrace God?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Praying freely & without hindrance
Action:
We are not praying & we are not free until we embrace...
8. God’s TESTING(:13a)
9. God’s DELIVERANCE(:13b)
10. God’s PREEMINENCE(:13c)
1. God’s MANNER(:9a)
2. God’s FATHERHOOD(:9b)
3. God’s REVERENCE(:9c)
4. God’s SOVEREIGNTY(:10a)
5. God’s DESIRE(:10b-c)
6. God’s PROVISION(:11)
7. God’s FORGIVENESS(:12, 14-15)
Presented 08/03/2014am to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
