Deliver Us

INTRO

MOMENT OF HONESTY: WE HOLD ONTO THINGS FOR TOO LONG.

SOME OF US HAVE NAPKINS AND STRAWS FROM EVERY FAST FOOD RESTAURANT

MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS WE KEEP FORGETTING TO CANCEL.

SOMETIMES WE HOLD ONTO IMPORTANT THINGS [HOSPITAL BRACELET]

THOSE THINGS AREN’T HARMFUL,

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OFFENSES YOU ARE HOLDING ONTO?

ANGER, PAIN, GUILT

SLIDE: YOUR HEART CAN HOLD MORE THAN YOUR HANDS.

READ: PROVERBS 4:23 [NLT]

New Living Translation Chapter 4

23 Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

THE TEXT

OUR FOCUS IS THE LAST 3 VERSES OF THE LORD’S PRAYER

GOING TO BORROW VERSE 11 FROM LAST WEEK [PASTOR SCOTT’S MESSAGE]

READ: MATTHEW 6:11-13 [ESV]

THE CONTEXT

THIS PRAYER IS THE VERY CENTER OF JESUS’ TEACHING IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

SLIDE: PRAYER.JPG

AT THE CENTER OF THIS PRAYER IS THE REQUEST FOR GOD TO FORGIVE US AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS.

R.T. FRANCE:

The Gospel of Matthew e. The Pattern Prayer (6:9–13)

The petition for forgiveness is the only clause of the prayer which is singled out for comment at the end

SLIDE: FORGIVENESS IS ESSENTIAL IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

POSSIBLE SIDE QUEST: THE EXODUS HYPERLINK IS SUPER IMPORTANT

THE PASSOVER > PENTECOST > SUKKOT

WHAT DOES THE EXODUS HAVE TO DO WITH FORGIVENESS?

SLIDE: FORGIVENESS MEANS FREEDOM.

GOD IS ALWAYS GUIDING US IN HIS DIRECTION AND WHERE HE IS THERE IS FREEDOM.

SLIDE: WITHOUT FORGIVENESS THERE IS NO WHOLENESS.

THE EXODUS COMPLEX: THE LONGER IT TOOK TO REACH THE PROMISED LAND THE MORE THE PEOPLE MISSED EGYPT.

SLIDE: EGYPT = THE COMFORT OF DAILY CRUMBS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE FEAST YOU WERE PROMISED.

THE DAILY REQUEST FOR FORGIVENESS AND FORGIVING OTHERS TELLS US THIS IS A JOURNEY NOT A QUICKSTOP.

IF GOD WANTS US TO FORGIVE THEN WHY IS FORGIVENESS SO HARD?

THE CHALLENGE

SLIDE: THE CHALLENGE OF FREEDOM IS THE PATH; NOT THE PURSUIT.

WE LIVE IN A CULTURE IN AMERICA DOMINATED WITH THE IDEA OF FREEDOM, BUT DO WE KNOW WHAT TRUE FREEDOM IS?

HAVING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH HAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF OTHERS FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU UNFRIENDED SOMEONE YOU KNOW ONLINE AND YOU MOVED ON AND NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THEM AGAIN?

THERE’S A CONNECTION INSIDE OF US THAT OFFENSE TANGLES AND COMPLICATES.

NOTICE THAT THE REQUEST BEGINS WITH OUR DEBTS; NOT THEIRS.

WE WANT TO FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN BUT ON OUR TERMS.

WE WANT TO HOLD THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE WHEN SOMEONE IS FORGIVEN.

GOD’S PATH SAYS “LET GO” AND OUR HURT SAYS “TAKE HOLD.”

BIG QUESTION:

SLIDE: IF YOU HAD WHAT YOU WANT FROM THEM WOULD YOU HAVE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT?

READ: ROMANS 7:15-24 [ESV]

WHAT PAUL IS DESCRIBING IS THE CRUX OF THE PRAYER.

WE’VE KNOWN THE WORDS OF THIS PRAYER SINCE WE WERE CHILDREN

BUT WE’VE HARDLY ALLOWED THE WORDS TO GROW US.

SLIDE: WE DON’T HAVE A PRAYER PROBLEM WE HAVE A POWER PROBLEM.

WHO WILL SAVE US FROM OURSELVES?

WHO WILL LEAD US OUT OF OUR ANGER, HATE, PAIN, GUILT?

WE NEED AN EXODUS FROM HURT TO RESTORE OUR HEARTS TO THE RELATIONSHIPS GOD HAS MADE US FOR.

GOD MADE US FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND WITH EACH OTHER.

THIS PRAYER IS VOID OF “I” BECAUSE WE BELONG TO HIS BODY.

IF YOU SAY YOU BELONG TO JESUS BUT REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANOTHER THE WHOLE BODY FEELS THAT BROKENNESS.

THIS IS WHY IT IS SO POWERFUL THAT JESUS CONCLUDES THE PRAYER WITH THE REQUEST TO DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

EVERYONE WANTS THE EXODUS BECAUSE OF THE PROMISE, BUT NO ONE WANTS THE WILDERNESS TO GET THERE.

THE APPLICATION

SLIDE: THE PRAYER PART OF THE JOURNEY, NOT THE PRIZE.

JESUS KNOWS OUR WEAKNESS AND HE INSTRUCTS US TO INVITE HIM INTO IT.

THE PRAYER IS THE PROPER ALIGNMENT FOR FORGIVENESS AND DELIVERANCE.

SLIDE: THIS PRAYER IS A SEED; NOT A FRUIT.

THIS SEED CAN’T GROW IN YOUR HANDS. YOU’VE GOT TO PLANT IT IN PRAYER.

SLIDE: PRAYER IS THE PLOW THAT CULTIVATES OUR HEARTS TO TRUST GOD FOR HIS DELIVERANCE.

EVERY DAY THAT I PRAY THIS PRAYER I AM PLANTING FOR A HARVEST OF FORGIVENESS TO FEED MY FUTURE.

INVITATION AND COMMUNION

CORY LOAD STAGE FOR FINAL SONG