Sermon on the Mount: Lead us Not

Sermon on the Mount – Lead us Not into Temptation

Matthew 6:9-13

1. Introduction – The petition we come to today is maybe the most complicated and controversial…the most misunderstood petition in this incredible prayer.

a. While seeking to understand this petition, we really have to dig deep.

i. We have to dig into God’s character – understand who he is what he will do and what he won’t do.

1. We have to acknowledge the presence of temptation…we have to acknowledge the existence of evil…or the evil one…that’s next week.

a. We have to figure out what temptation is…and what it isn’t.

i. We have to figure out what this petition means…and what it doesn’t mean.

b. Because most Christians this prayer so well…there’s a danger here.

i. We can end up praying this prayer mechanically or mindlessly.

1. And remember the context…this is what Jesus is teaching against.

a. Acts of righteousness, like giving, praying or fasting…aren’t done for show or for the praise and acclaim of society.

i. They aren’t done mindlessly or mechanically…

1. Instead of the mindless repetitions or incoherent babble of the pagans…

a. God’s people are to pray carefully and thoughtfully…

i. Paying attention to every word we utter.

c. So, what are we praying when we come to this petition of the Lord’s Prayer?

1. What do we mean when we say, “Lead us not into temptation?”

a. That’s what we’ll explore today.

i. Hear God’s Word – Matthew 6:9-13.

2. Temptation – On this surface, this petition seems like a very strange request.

a. Why would we pray that God NOT lead us into temptation?

i. Does that mean God CAN lead us there?

1. What does this word temptation even mean?

b. Let’s start there, let’s define temptation so that we are all on the same page and then we’ll look closer at the petition as a while.

i. What is temptation? I read this definition this week…and it seems pretty thorough.

1. Temptation means whatever is calculated to lead us into sin.

a. The propensities of our sinful nature, the seduction of the world, the suggestions of Satan…

i. Anything that causes us to fall away from God’s chosen plan.

ii. But in answering this ‘what’ question – we were also provided an answer to the ‘who’ question.

1. Who tempts us?

a. And did you notice that temptation comes from 2 different directions?

i. First – temptation comes from within ourselves.

1. We are lead into sin by the propensities of our sinful nature.

2. Before you were a Christian – you were ruled by your sinful nature.

a. You kept in step with it, you fulfilled its whims and desires.

i. Before you were a Christian you weren’t tempted by anything – you just did it.

3. But since coming to Christ – you’ve put on a new self…a new nature.

a. Now, instead of keeping in step with the deeds of the body, you keep in step with the Spirit.

i. The Spirit leads, guides, prompts and corrects.

iii. However, even though the Spirit is in you –

1. Even though you have been clothed in with a new nature…

a. We are still putting to death the deeds of the body. You aren’t perfect.

i. Those things that you fed before, those whims, desires and feelings that you followed, they will still sneak up on you.

1. Now, they tempt you. Tempt you to do your own things.

a. Tempt you to go your own way – go against God’s ways.

b. So temptation comes from within ourselves…from our constant struggle to put the sinful nature to death.

c. But temptation also comes from the outside.

i. Who tempts us? Friends could tempt us to fall away from God’s plan…

1. And the most obvious answer is Satan…the accuser himself.

a. Satan tempts us in order to break us.

i. In order to cause people to sin…and when he causes people to sin – he then turns and makes people feel guilty for the sin he just tempted them with…

1. A master deceiver and accuser.

ii. And he always fixes his assault on those who are living by God’s ways.

1. Those who are living according to the kingdom of God.

a. Those who call God Father, those who seek God’s glory…

i. Those who advance his kingdom and do his will.

1. He focuses on those who depend on God for his provisions, and rely on God for his forgiveness and mercy.

d. But here’s the strange thing about this petition –

i. If temptation comes from within ourselves…from our own battle with our sinful nature…

1. If temptation comes from the outside…from friends or from Satan himself…

a. Why is this petition asking God not to lead us into temptation?

i. Can he?

1. No, he can’t. it is absolutely against God’s holy character to lead his people into sin.

2. In fact – in James 1:13 – it says that God never leads his followers into temptation.

a. When we are tempted to go against God’s ways, or when we actually go against God’s ways…

i. We must never make the mistake of thinking that God led us there.

e. But there’s something we must understand if we want to fully grasp this petition.

i. While God doesn’t lead his people into temptation – causing them to sin…

1. He does lead them into times of testing and trials.

a. These trials and testings are different than temptations.

i. Temptation causes us to sin…trials and testing should cause us grow.

2. God test Abraham’s faith when he asked him to sacrifice Isaac.

a. It was a test of his dependence on God and Abraham’s trust in God’s promises.

i. God tested Abraham and Abraham’s faith grew.

1. And throughout the Bible, God tested his people.

a. He allowed them to go through trials and tribulations…

i. Not so his peoples’ lives would be hard and miserable…

2. but as a way for their faith to grow.

ii. This is why James, in the very first line of his letter writes that we should consider trials and testing as joy.

1. Because testing produces endurance and endurance produces growth.

a. And growth helps us develop in our faith.

i. Talk to anyone who has gone through a serious time of testing…a time of refinement.

1. And to a person, they will all say something like this…”

a. “I do not wish for the situation to repeat itself, but I long to feel that close to God again.”

iii. Testing, not temptations, can be considered joy because God is refining you.

1. He is burning away the impurities in your life, so that you will better reflect his image.

a. It is completely against God’s nature to lead his people into temptation.

i. But it is fully within his character to lead us into trials…testing…

1. And so refine us and strength our dependence on him.

3. What are we praying? – So what are we praying here?

a. We say it, but do we understand it?

i. We’ve already discovered that we aren’t dictating terms to God – as if God is the one who tempts us into sin.

1. And this request isn’t a petition for God to not test us, because as we just heard, the testing of our faith is a good thing…it’s a refining process that leads to all kinds of benefits.

a. So what does this petition mean? What are we praying?

b. This petition paints a picture for us – the petitioners.

i. The picture is that of a pilgrim on a journey.

1. And isn’t that really an apt illustration of the Christian life?

a. We are all on a journey – a journey towards the Celestial City, as Bunyan put it.

i. We are each on our own unique and personal trip, but collectively, we are journeying together through this life with our church family.

1. We must never forget that.

a. We must never forget that we aren’t alone as we make our way through life.

ii. The petition paints this picture of a pilgrim on a pilgrimage.

1. And on this trip, we can picture 2 images.

a. One is of a minefield – and we are asking our heavenly father to guide us safely through to the other side.

i. Praying that God will guide our steps and will lead us through without stepping where we shouldn’t.

2. The second image is that of a veritable temptation house.

a. That as we are walking along the path of life…

i. A strange dwelling catches our attention…

1. We know that its not really a place we should visit or a nice place to hang out in…but we are drawn to it anyway.

a. So in this petition we are praying – “Let us not go into the Temptation house.”

ii. And the word ‘into’ here, means to ‘come under the influence of.”

1. So we are praying that we won’t be influenced by temptation, that we won’t enter into its sphere, but that God would lead us over and through the temptation.

a. Don’t let us go there.

c. In a word – what we are praying for here is strength.

i. Strength to resist temptation when it comes our way.

1. Strength to follow the path that God has laid out for his people and not wander of it – to catastrophic consequences.

a. Strength to stay on the path…and not veer off and visit that temptation house that attracts us.

ii. Of this petition, John Calvin writes:

1. “We pray God not to let us yield to the 2 sorts of temptation – within us or from outside of us.

a. We pray, rather, that he sustains and encourage us by his hand so that, strengthened by his power, we may stand firm against all the assaults of our enemy.

i. He continues:

1. “We pray, being conscious of our own weakness, to be defended by God’s protection, that we may have an impregnable position against all of Satan’s devices.”

2. I think that beautifully sums up this petition.

a. It’s a prayer for guidance, for strength, for protection.

i. It’s a prayer for God to do for us what we can’t possibly do for ourselves.

4. Watch & Pray – And as we’ve seen with the other petitions in this prayer – this isn’t Jesus’ only teaching on temptation.

a. Obviously, we have Jesus’ own temptation in the wilderness.

i. And there Jesus teaches us by his perfect example, that we are to combat the lies of the Satan with the truth of God’s Word.

1. We learn that Jesus was human just like us – tempted in every way as we are…the only difference is…he didn’t sin.

b. But right at the end of his earthly ministry – in the Garden of Gethsemane…

i. Remember the scene – Jesus takes his inner circle with him – Peter, James and John…he tells them to keep watch while he goes a little further to pray.

1. We know the scene well, Jesus cries out to the Father – Jesus sweats blood…and when he returns to the 3, he finds them also earnestly in prayer.

a. Oh wait…nope…they were asleep.

i. And do you remember what Jesus said to them?

2. We read it every year on Good Friday – but with all that is going on in the passage we might miss his instruction to them…to us.

a. Jesus says to them, “Watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation.”

c. Watch and pray – what a simple, yet profound instruction.

i. Watch…

1. Isn’t it true that the evil one comes to us when we are unarmed and unprepared?

a. Isn’t it true that the evil one comes after us when our guard is down and we aren’t paying attention?

i. When we aren’t being watchful?

2. When our minds and our bodies are idle…that’s when the devil strikes.

a. It happened to the disciples – they were to be praying along with Jesus, but they weren’t watchful…and they fell asleep.

ii. And on this pilgrim journey through life, it’s easy to sleep walk through it…to not pay attention to where we are going or what we are doing.

1. It’s easy for us to lose focus, to become idle and give the devil a foothold.

a. And that’s when we succumb to temptation.

i. Jesus says “watch.” Be alert, be on your guard.

iii. In the book of Ephesians, Paul says we need to arm ourselves with God’s armour.

1. So that we can defend ourselves against the flaming arrows that Satan fires our way.

a. If we are unarmed, we will get burned, but if we are properly equipped, we will be able to defend ourselves.

d. We’ll close with this thought – you cannot muster enough of your own strength to resist temptation by yourself.

i. That is why we pray for God’s strength – we pray for God to guide our steps…

1. Pray that God will keep us from coming under the influence of temptation.

a. It is not your own strength that will keep you on the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.

i. Yes, we are to watch, we are guarded and prepared…

1. But we pray…pray for God’s intervention in our lives…and we pray for God’s strength to resist temptation when it comes our way.