Deliver Us

Invite everyone to stand and read Matthew 6:9-13- Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Closing the sermon series. Next week- Pastor Oscar.

Did we take long enough?

Read more. Study more. Dive in deep and see how your prayer life will be transformed.

Three things to remember as we study our text this morning.

The God to whom we pray is known as our Father. He is relational, He is loving, He is caring, and He is powerful.

All of what we go through in this life is meant to hallow the name of God, to make the fullness of God known in a world that is starving for Him.

Not to ask why am I here, but instead what will you accomplish?

This God, whose name will be hallowed, is a giver of much grace.

Questioning His love, His character, remember that He cancels debt.

Read Matthew 6:13- And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Pray.

The plan for this morning- study the second half of v. 13. Then give a few final reflections on the prayer as a whole that we can take with us.

1. Do we recognize the danger of evil?

We talked about the many sorts and types of temptation into which we can fall. We know that sin is a real and present danger. But do we live as though we recognize it?

Notice how Scripture speaks of evil.

Genesis 4:7- “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Ephesians 6:13- Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

What is an evil day? Getting to the end of the day and reflecting on all of the failure.

1 Peter 5:8- Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Matthew 26:41- “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

What is the common denominator?

You must rule over it- take up the armor of God- Be watchful- Watch and pray.

We are called to live as though we recognize the danger and destructive nature of sin.

We know what it means to be watchful. Calorie counting. Will we apply such attention not only to the body, but also to the soul?

Moments in life in which I remind myself of my son, Azariah.

We must see sin and evil as something from which we must be delivered.

2. What about when we fail?

Last week, lead me away from temptation. Don’t take me where I will be defeated.

Unfortunately, we know how that journey sometimes ends.

Consider the direction of the request. Lead me not- outside of the danger zone. Deliver me- in the midst of it.

Who asks for deliverance? The one standing in ankle deep water? Or the one drowning?

This is the prayer of one who finds himself encased in sin.

I’ve considered my failures. I’ve seen the impacts. My relationships have suffered. I must be brought out of this place of evil.

Romans 7:24-25- Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

This is our desperate plea. When we recognize the danger and the destruction of sin, we pray like the psalmist in Psalm 70:1- Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!

This is when it is so important to recognize God as Father. A Father of grace. A Father of grace who will be glorified in His rescue of enslaved men and women.

Fathers worth their salt recognize the cries of their children. We can tell a cry of frustration. A cry of annoyance. A cry of crankiness.

But the cry to which we will always respond- the cry of deep pain.

Encouraging place to end our prayer. God will answer.

What have we asked and what will be the answers? Give us- it is given. Forgive us- it is forgiven. Deliver us- we are delivered.

Our highest and final deliverance- God’s Kingdom fully experienced.

3. Three final considerations.

The Lord’s prayer drives us downward.

It is impossible to pray the Lord’s prayer with pride in one’s heart.

Consider Jesus praying the first half of this prayer.

Hallowed be your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.

What had to happen to Jesus in order for these ends to be accomplished?

John 17:1- When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you...”

God’s Kingdom made accessible by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

God’s will in the garden is the pouring out of the cup of God’s wrath.

God’s means to accomplish the ends were the perfect and sacrificial life of His Son Jesus, willingly approaching and enduring the cross.

In the same way, we don’t pray this prayer to feel better about ourselves.

We recognize our stature of humility and ask that we would be made useful in God accomplishing His ends.

The Lord’s prayer drives us to the cross, drives us down to a place of servitude.

We pray the prayer of Jesus, and we live the life of Jesus.

The Lord’s prayer proves the relation.

Many struggle with God as Father. What should happen when this is the case for you?

Begin praying these petitions. See the goodness of God in His handling of you.

Many children seek out the love of their father, but there comes a time when a child must decide whether or not they want their fathers love.

It is the same here. We go from the Father being all that we know to the place where we must work through our own relationship with God.

Consider the petitions- Provide for me what I need, forgive me my sins, lead me away from harm and draw me out of danger.

If God is capable of answering such prayers, then He is our loving Father. He cares for us the way any good father would.

The Lord’s prayer is all-inclusive.

We are meant to bring all to God in prayer. Every bit of worship, every bit of praise, every bit of need, every bit of sin, every bit of doubt.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this example of prayer- it is all inclusive.

Jesus doesn’t want anything left out.

What do you need for this journey?

This is true dependence. Take me where you want. Use me as you will. Equip me with everything I need. This is the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Read the prayer together one more time: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.