Sermon on the Mount: Deliver us

Sermon on the Mount – Deliver Us

Matthew 6:9-13

1. Introduction – Today we come to the last line of the Lord’s Prayer.

a. After I return from vacation, we are going to continue with the rest of the Sm.

i. We’ll pick it back up again at 6:19, because we have already looked at vv.16-18 on fasting.

1. In September we’ll look at how Jesus addresses our relationship to our possessions, to money…

a. And we’ll look at what Jesus says about worry.

b. But today, we come to the last line of this incredible prayer.

i. And I don’t so much want us to think of this last line as a separate petition, but as a continuation of the previous line…

1. In this part of the prayer – we are petitioning God with a negative and a positive request.

a. Don’t let us go over there – give us the strength to resist temptation when it comes our way…don’t let us come under its influence.

i. But do…deliver us from evil.

ii. If one requests ask where not to go – the other request speaks to where we do want to go…

1. Not in the way of temptation…but walking in the path of victory and deliverance.

c. There’s a lot we need to get through today.

i. We have to acknowledge the presence of evil in our world.

1. It’s not a subject we should take lightly or one that we should ignore and hope it goes away.

a. The Bible is open and honest about the existence of evil…the presence of evil in the world, so it is something that we as God’s people must come to terms with…

i. And we must know how to defend ourselves against it.

ii. we’re going to look at the beautiful word ‘deliver’…

a. What’s in the word? What are we praying when we say this petition?

i. And we’ll finish off our study in the Lord’s Prayer by looking at that wonderful ending…

1. Though you may have noticed that in the written text, it isn’t there? We’ll talk about what that ending means and why we say.

a. Hear God’s Word – Matthew 6:9-13.

2. Evil/Evil One – Once again, I want to break this petition down into its parts – then we’ll piece it back together.

a. If we understand what each part says and means, then we’ll better grasp the whole.

i. I want to start today with this word ‘evil.’ What does it mean? What…or who is it referring to.

1. Now, depending on what translation you use – this line could say one of 3 things.

a. It could say, “deliver us from evil?

i. Or it could say “deliver us from the evil one.”

1. Or it could say, “deliver us from the Evil One” – with capital letters of Evil and One as it is a proper name.

ii. And usually when we have discrepancies like this I’ll usually say, “Well, let’s go to the Greek and examine it’s construction to help clear up any confusion.”

1. But the problem this time is that it doesn’t!

b. The Greek word is question is ponero.

i. However, in the Greek construction, this word ponero has the definite article attached o it.

1. The definite article being the word ‘the.

a. So it a very rough translations of the Greek to English would be “deliver us from the evil.”

i. That’s why some translations provide the word ‘one’ at the end.

ii. However, even though it has the definite article – it is perfectly legitimate to NOT translate the word’ the’ in this sentence.

1. Hence why some translations say, “deliver us from evil.’

a. So which one is it? Is it evil, evil one, or Evil One with capitals?

c. Honestly, we would be well served to think of all three when we pray this prayer.

i. Because we need deliverance from all 3 sources of evil.

1. First, we need to be delivered from evil in general.

2. Ever since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, evil has been present in our world.

a. And in this petition, we are asking God to watch over his people – to deliver us from the evil that is running rampant.

i. But much like the first half of this petition, where we learned that temptation comes from within ourselves…

1. In this part we are asking God for deliverance from the evil that is inside of us.

a. We all have a tendency to sin, to go our own way, to do our own thing….

2. As the hymn says, we are prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love…

b. And in this petition, we are praying for God to not let us succumb to the evil that is present inside of us.

d. But we can also legitimately pray for deliverance from the evil one – lower case.

i. This is a petition for God’s protection – from evil people in our world.

1. It’s a prayer for safety – for protection from tyrants, abusers…war.

a. A prayer to keep us – both personally and corporately – a prayer to keep us safe from harm.

i. And this is also a prayer of deliverance from the Evil One – the devil himself.

ii. Fredrick Bruner writes – the devil, the devilish person and our own devilish behaviour should be kept in mind when we pray this petition.

1. This isn’t something we can just rattle off the top of our heads without thinking – we have to think about evil – our own evil, the evil person and the Evil One. These are serious petitions.

3. Deliver – So that’s what we need rescuing from – now let’s talk about this word deliver – what’s in the word?

a. The word deliver almost has violent connotations to it – snatch us from the evil one, from evil – could be a synonym.

i. The word deliver suggests that we are constantly surrounded by evil – constantly pursued by the Evil One…

1. We are constantly being lured off the path – drawn towards the house of temptation…

a. But in this request, we recognize that the Father is more powerful than evil.

i. Yes, we are constantly being lured, but we must also be aware that God’s more powerful deliverance can free us from destruction.

b. So what are we praying when we say ‘deliver us from evil?’

i. Two thoughts to chew on.

1. First in this petition, we recognize that we cannot deliver ourselves from evil.

a. It is not within our power to lead ourselves out of temptation – we need God’s strength.

i. And it is not within our own personal power to deliver ourselves from evil.

1. That is why we are invoking God’s powerful deliverance…why we are asking for his constant rescuing to free us.

c. But this petition teaches us something else.

i. This petition reminds us to be aware of the spiritual aspects of life.

1. It’s easy for us to think that the physical world is all there is to life.

a. We use our five sense and we can perceive the world around us – we see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, and feel it…

i. And we can be duped into thinking that the physical is all there is.

1. We can’t use our sense to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the spiritual world.

ii. But when we pray this petition – we are quickly reminded that life has a spiritual side to it too.

1. In fact, in Ephesians 6:12 – Paul writes that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood…against the physical world…

a. But against rulers, authorities, against cosmic powers of this present darkness…against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

i. In 2 Corinthians 10 – Paul writes that the weapons of our warfare are not flesh and blood.

1. Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war against the flesh.

2. We don’t merely live and move in a physical world, but a spiritual world also…

a. We need to be aware of this.

i. We need to arm ourselves with God’s spiritual armour – to protect ourselves from the rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil.

1. We must use the weapons of our warfare…not guns and tanks and fighter jets…

a. But weapons with divine power to destroy strongholds…to destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.

iii. This petition immediately reminds us that we must pay attention to the spiritual…and realize it is powerful.

1. Too powerful for you to deliver yourself from.

a. So we petition God to save us, rescue us…deliver us from the presence of evil in our lives.

d. And we can have the fullest confidence that God will answer us in the present.

i. He will give us the strength to resist the devil so he will flee from us.

1. He provides us with his armour.

a. But we can also rest assured in the future hope of this petition.

i. Because we know that at the end of time – when God’s kingdom has come, when his will is being done perfectly on earth…

1. We have the promise that God will wipe evil from the face of the earth.

a. And God’s people will be fully and finally delivered from evil.

4. Doxology -Now, you may have noticed that when we read the Lord’s Prayer as it is written in Matthew’s Gospel…something is missing.

a. The ending is missing in the written text…and the prayer seems to end rather abruptly.

i. So where is the doxological ending that we say?

1. Well, to be honest, in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts we have of Matthew’s Gospel and even the parallel in Luke – they don’t include the ending…”For thine is….”

b. But this ending…the incredible ending…begins to show up in the writings of the early church as early as the 2nd century…100 years or so after Jesus first taught this prayer.

i. It seems to be an example of the early church taking this prayer and making their own – just as Jesus said – pray then like this…with this as your guide.

1. And without this doxology at the end, the Lord’s Prayer would end with evil…the evil one.

a. We would go from the glories of God’s name and his kingdom…and end with the devil.

ii. But the added praise at the end of the prayer lifts us heavenward – points us to the glorious hop of the present and the eternal glory of the future.

1. This praise that we pray at the end of the Lord’s Prayer is most likely based on 1 Chronicles 29:11-13…hear these words.

1 Chronicles 29:11–13 ESV

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

c. So look at what we are affirming at the end of the Lord’s Prayer.

i. For thine is the kingdom…

1. In a world full of kingdoms, dynasties…full of rulers and kings…we acknowledge that God’s kingdom is THE kingdom.

a. That God is THE king.

i. Think about this from the context of a 1st or 2nd century Christian praying this.

1. Whose kingdom were they living in?

a. Caesar’s. Whether it was Augustus, or Nero or Vespasian – the early Christians were living in Caesar’s kingdom.

2. But in this prayer – the church reminds itself that Caesar’s kingdom is nothing compares to God’s kingdom.

a. Kingdoms and empires come and go…but God’s kingdom is bigger and more powerful than any of them.

d. The power…

i. Who had all the power in the ancient world? The Emperor…Caesar. Rome did.

1. Augustus lifted his finger and he sent the whole empire back to their towns of origin for a census and taxation.

a. That’s power…from a worldly perspective.

i. We watch the news…look at history…and we see all kinds of power being exerting by world leaders or influential people.

1. The president of the United States if called the most powerful man in the world…

a. But in the doxology of the Lord’s Prayer – we affirm that real, true and everlasting power belongs to God and God alone.

e. The Glory…

i. A lot of earthly glory…Money fame, prestige…opulence, people like to glorify themselves.

1. But against, we acknowledge God as the only one worthy of glory.

a. The heavens declare the glory of God…and we too should glorify God in all we say and do.

f. Forever and ever…

i. God’s kingdom will reign forever. Unlike earthly kingdoms which come and go

1. God’s power will never cease…unlike earthly emperors who have their power taken away.

a. God’s glory will never fade, unlike the glory of ancient Rome.

g. Amen – a word of agreement. Truly. Let it be so.

i. By ending this prayer with an “Amen” – by ending all of our prayers that way – we are acknowledging our need for God’s intervention.

1. That we are in agreement with everything that has just been said.

a. We agree that God is our Father in heaven…that his name is holy and must be hallowed.

i. We agree that we want his kingdom to come and his will to be done…

1. And we long to see that happen on earth as it is in heaven.

ii. By saying Amen – we are saying that we need and rely on God’s daily provisions.

1. We are in need of his constant forgiveness…

a. That we will be constantly forgiving.

i. When we say “Amen” – we acknowledge our tendency to wander and our inability to deliver ourselves from evil.

iii. And at the end of this incredible prayer – we affirm that the kingdom, the power and the glory belong to God and God alone…forever and ever.

1. And I hope that you can’t help but add your own personal Amen to all of that.