Lessons on Faith from the Lord’s Model Prayer
Obedient Faith
Matthew 6:13
November 9, 2003
Intro:
A. [Three Thieves Who Couldn’t Quit, Citation: http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/, Kevin A. Miller, Wheaton, Illinois]
Eduardo Rivera, 43, was in court awaiting a hearing on a charge of receiving stolen property when he was rearrested after carving his name into a courtroom bench (Reading, Pennsylvania, February 2003).
David Joe White Jr., 32, having just pleaded guilty to 42 burglary charges, was rearrested after swiping his lawyer’s portable tape recorder from the defense table (Attalla, Alabama, February 2003).
Chan Kwok-keung, 34, was sentenced to four months in jail for stealing a court interpreter’s purse; he was in the courtroom at the time on theft charges (but had just been cleared).
1. The truth is that temptation is a difficult thing for everyone.
2. But today as we continue or study through the Lord’s Model Prayer, we are going to see that is possible to conquer temptation.
B. Today we come to Matthew 6:13 (NIV), And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
C. Today I want us to think about four things that trials and temptations are not, first…
I. Trials are not unprofitable
Matthew 6:13 (NIV), And lead us not into temptation,
A. There are so many problems with this line that I don’t even know where to begin…
1. I have prayed this prayer so many times that it has just become routine to me and I don’t think I’ve even stopped to think about.
2. First I will say that most commentators on this text agree that there is a lot of confusion wrapped up in these few words, but no one is able to make sense of them.
B. What would happen if we didn’t pray this prayer?
1. If we don’t pray this prayer, will God lead us into temptation?
2. James 1:13 (NIV), When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
3. So if God does not tempt anyone, why does Jesus tell us that we should ask God not to do something that He doesn’t do?
4. Am I saying that the Bible is wrong?
5. No, not really. What I’m saying is that something has been lost in the translation from Greek/Aramaic to English.
6. No one is actually sure what this phrase means.
C. Here’s another peculiarity about it…Matthew 4:1 (NIV), Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
1. The Spirit of God clearly led just away to be tempted by Satan.
2. And it is clear that God DOES allow us to be tempted by Satan.
3. Why does God do that? To build our faith!
4. Our faith, our character, is built by the trials and temptations we encounter!
D. Which leads me to another peculiarity about the translation: the word “peirasmos.”
1. That word is translated in various ways throughout the NT.
2. It actually means, “to put to proof.”
3. It means to prove your faith.
4. Temptations, trials, and tests prove or improve our faith.
5. It is translated alternately in different passages as trials or tests or temptations.
6. It doesn’t just mean temptations; it means everything that is a hardship for us, which could include other forms of suffering and sickness.
7. All of these types of things are actually spiritually good for us.
E. Knowing that about this Greek word, let us look at one of the places that it is translated as “trials.”
1. James 1:2-4 (NIV), Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2. There it is clear that there is great spiritual gain in trials and temptations, peirasmos.
3. So again, why would Jesus tell us to pray that God would not allow things to happen in our lives that are meant to prove or improve our faith?
4. The same Greek word is used in The Lord’s Model prayer as in James.
5. It appears that Jesus tells us to ask God to avoid these temptations and contradict James when he says there is great gain in these tests of faith.
6. Could it be that something has been lost in the translation of Jesus’ Model prayer?
F. Now let me point out that temptation is not a sin.
1. The thought popping into our head is not a sin.
2. The thought popping into our head is temptation that Matthew 4:1 tells us is put there by Satan.
3. Matthew 4:1 (NIV), Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
4. Christ, Himself, was tempted by Satan, but the Scriptures say that He was without sin.
5. The thought popping into our head is not sin; the thought popping into head is temptation put there by Satan.
6. Christ was tempted; we all are tempted.
7. All of us have our faith tested and strengthened through temptation, trials, and tests.
G. So what did Christ mean in this line?
1. The best answer I can find for this question is… [C. S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993). Mt 6:13.]
Parallels with ancient Jewish prayers, and possibly the Aramaic wording behind this verse, suggest that the first line means: “Let us not sin when we are tested.”
2. I do not believe that Christ would ask us to pray and ask God not to do something that He wouldn’t do in the first place and I don’t believe that Christ would ask us to pray and ask God to remove something from our lives that will spiritually profit us.
3. So the best thing I can say is that Christ is not to remove the trials from our lives, but that we will benefit from them and not fall into the trap of Satan that he always has lying for us in these situations to keep us from spiritually profiting from them and growing closer to God.
Transition: So how do we do that? I think the answer lies in anther verse that contains that same Greek word for putting to proof…1 Corinthians 10:13….
II. Trials are not unique
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV), No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
A. One of the lies that Satan tells us to get us to fall for his traps in these tests is… “No one else has ever gone through anything like this before.”
1. “You’re all alone in this one buddy.”
2. “No one has ever been through anything like this and therefore no one is going to be able to help you with this.”
3. However, Paul tells us that is absolutely not true.
4. Paul says, No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
5. There is no temptation or trial that has come your way that hasn’t been experienced by someone else.
7. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV), What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
8. There are other people who have experienced what we are going through, therefore we are not alone!
9. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) tells us, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
a. Christ Himself has been tempted in every way know to man.
b. And He is therefore able to sympathize with us in what we are going through.
c. Do you hear that? Christ is able to sympathize with you in what you’re going through!
B. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV), Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
1. Peter tells us that we should expect this stuff.
2. We shouldn’t be surprised by it like some strange thing was happing to us.
3. We should expect peirasmos! We should expect painful trials that cause suffering.
4. These things should not surprise like some strange thing were happening to us!
5. We are not alone in this strange circumstance!
C. Do you understand what Satan is attempting to do to us when he lies to us about this being a unique situation that no one else understands because supposedly no one else has ever gone through it?!
1. His plan is isolation.
2. His plan is to get us to think that we have no one to turn to for support who can help us in this situation.
3. But the truth is that this is not a strange situation-it does happen to others and there are others who can help us.
4. And the most important one we need to turn to is Jesus Himself who has been through this Himself and CAN and WILL help us in our time of need!
5. Our trials are not unprofitable and they are not unique!
III. Trials are not unbearable
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV), No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
A. The second thing that Satan lies to us about is that since we are all alone in this, there is no way that we can keep from falling into sin.
1. “You’re a very strong person.” Satan tells us.
2. “You’ve held up under this strange circumstance a lot longer than anyone else could have.”
3. “You’ve worn yourself out being such a good person in this unique circumstance, God Himself would not fault you if you went ahead and sinned in this crushing circumstance.”
B. So what do we do when Satan spews his slime?
1. We tell him the truth!
2. He hates the truth!
3. Tell him the truth—God will never give me more than I can bear!
4. God is building my faith through this fiery ordeal!
5. I can withstand Satan’s attempts to get me to fall into his trap!
6. We tell ourselves and Satan and God the truth—out loud!
7. You may want to wait until no one else is around, but you need to shout it out to make sure all the demons of hell can hear what you have to say.
8. You say it out loud—“I don’t have to fall into the trap of the devil because God has promised that He will never give me any more peirasmos than I can handle!”
9. “I do not have to sin!”
10. “I will not sin!”
11. My peirasmos is not unprofitable, it is not unique, it is not unbearable, and…
IV. Trials are not unconquerable
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV), No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Matthew 6:13 (NIV), And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
A. I hope you see that even though I don’t exactly understand the first phrase, I know the second phase means victory!
1. I believe that Jesus is not asking us to pray that we would not undergo peirasmos, but that when we do, we come through it with stronger faith, thus defeating the evil one!
2. I believe there are lessons of faith that we learn in withstanding temptations.
3. I believe there are lessons of faith that we learn when we endure fiery trials.
4. I believe there are lessons of faith when we do not fall into the traps of the devil!
B. And Paul says that is possible because God always gives us a way to walk away from the traps of the Devil.
1. We do not have to fall into sin because God always provides a way of escape!
2. Our peirasmos is not unprofitable, it is not unique, it is not unbearable, and it is not unconquerable!
3. Hebrews 2:18 (NIV) tells us, Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
4. Listen to Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV), For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
5. We can come confidently to the throne of grace in our time of need because HE has promised to get us through this!
6. James 1:12 (NIV), Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
7. We can overcome our peirasmos!
8. We can conquer our peirasmos and increase our faith!
9. We can overcome our peirasmos by being obedient to Him trough it all!
Conclusion:
A. So today I’m asking you to commit to three things…
1. Commit to wanting victory.
2. Commit to seeking deliverance.
3. Commit to take the escape rout.
B. God, deliver us from the evil one!
