THE MODEL PRAYER - 6 - LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

THE MODEL PRAYER
Matthew 6:13 - Part 5
by Cooper P Abrams III - *All rights reserved

Introduction: For several weeks I have been preaching a series of messages on the Model Prayer. Some mistakenly call it the Lord's Prayer, but this prayer is an outline presenting the principles or structure of prayer. Some call it the Disciple's Prayer, yet they did not pray this prayer either and it is misleading to call it other that what it is....they Model Prayer the Lord Jesus used to teach his disciples to pray.

1. This prayer is in sharp contrast to the prayers of the Pharisees of Jesus' day. Their prayers were characterized by pretence and supposed spirituality - they were hypocritical phony and selfish.
2. This model prayer was also unlike the prayers of the pagans religions that were characterized by vain rituals, babbling of phrases and chants. They intended to badger their god into a response or to impress him with their vain praise and oralitory. Prayer for them did not come from the heart, nor was it personal, nor did they have a personal relationship with their false non-existent gods.
3. Even a Christian can find himself praying prayers of hypocrisy and repeating mechanically mouthed religious phrases. That is if ones heart is not right.

To some prayer become a duty to be preformed. There is no personal contact with God, but only a ritual to be performed.

4. This prayer focuses on God and exalts Him.
5. We are not if we pray after this manner correctly, badgering God selfishly.

In fact, this prayer teaches us that each subject we address, God has already promised to give use. This is the key to understanding why the Lord gave this prayer. The Lord gave it to teach his disciples and us how to pray.
He has already promised to lead and guide us. We are lead of the Holy Spirit.
You see the prayer is for our benefit not God. We learn as we pray, it teaches us to be dependent on the Lord.

I. "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL." Matthew 6:13

A. A true child of God has a changed attitude toward sin and this is reflected in his prayers.

1. The true believer is just as concerned about future sins as they are about their present ones. He realizes that he has a carnal nature and is subject to sin. Thus he seeks God's help and strength to overcome the temptation to sin.
2. The sinner who is truly saved, whose past sins are forgiven, longs to be delivered from present sin and temptation.
3. The true child of God, loves the Lord Jesus Christ.....That love is manifested in a present hate of sin in his or her life. He realizes he can show sincerely love of Christ by not sinning now.
Christ suffered for every sin ever commented by man. That means the sin you commit today, Christ suffered for you over 2000 years ago!
4. Folks sin in a believers life abuses God! It mocks the suffering of Jesus. It caused him great suffering. 1 Corinthians 11:29 speaks of those who participated in taking the Lord's Supper unworthily. It says these people are not "discerning" of the Lord's body. That means they have not regard for the suffering their sins caused the Lord Jesus. This is a serious matter with God and He said in the Corinthian church some were sin and others had died under the chasten hand of God. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

B. QUESTION? Does this mean that the Lord brings temptation to our lives?

1. James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man"
2. Some might refer to James 1:2, "Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations"

The Greek word that is translated "temptations" is the word that refers to something that is "an experiment, and attempt, a trial, or to prove something."
In Matthew 6:13 the word "temptation" is the same word used in James 1:2. Both use the same Greek word, "perasmos" (pe-ras-mos) and mean " a putting to proof by experiment of good" It can means to do good or evil. The context tells us if it is a reference to good or evil.
Is then the Model Prayer contradicting James 1:2?
The answer is No. Trials are to be viewed as an opportunity to glorify the Lord, It is a test of our faithfulness and love of God.
It reveals our true spiritual condition. They are opportunities to grow.
David in Psalm 141:4 prayed to God, "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity."
Barnes says, "This phrase, then, must be used in the sense of permitting. Do not suffer us, or permit us, to be tempted to sin. In this it is implied that God has such control over us and the tempter, as to save us from it if we call upon him."

ILLUS: Look at it this way: When I was in business I was asked on several occasions to design security systems for large manufacturing plants. It was a trial. It could had ended in failure or success. It tested my ability. I never felt that being ask to design these complicated systems was something evil or a great burden. I saw them as a challenge and opportunity to prove my skills. It saw it as an opportunity to learn! In several large plants I was successful in having my design accepted and we installed it and it worked!
In one system I designed for Firestone, they accepted my design and someone else installed it my design. They liked the design, but were involved with Honeywell Corporation with which the system had to be intergraded. They asked us to use my design and offer other contacts to compensate our company. We always responded to the challenge and folks we never really failed anyone. The more difficult the task, the more we learned how to overcome the problems. The next jobs, we were better able handle. It was old stuff to us. It gave us an edge over our competitors and the company grew to one of the largest in the state.

C. What is the answer then?

1. First James 1:13, clearly says God does not tempt us to sin.
2. Second trails are part of the Christians life because the help us to grow and mature. The principle is that, "The trying of your faith works patience" (James 1:3)
3. So this petition in the prayer is not asking the Lord not to tempt us but that he might deliver us from trails.
4. The second phrase of this verse interprets the the second. "Deliver us from evil."

D. The verse is saying, "Lord, if it is within your will please spare me the trial." But it also recognizes that God does allow trials in our lives to help us to grow. So we accept the trial and trust God for strength to honor Him.

1. Verse 13 is tied to verse 12. It says to forgive me my debts as I forgive others their debts.
2. You see verse 13, admits possible failure of verse 12. 3. We are saying to the Lord, "Dear Lord, I have failed and I have had to pray for forgiveness so many times. Please help me to overcome my sin and failures."

E. God will never tempt a believer, but he will allow Satan and circumstances to bring various trials into our lives.

1. Being tempted is not sinful!
2. Being tempted does not mean we have no out but to sin.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it". (1 Corinthians 10:13)
3. It has been said that "Temptation is an opportunity to do wrong, but not a license to give in."

F. Examples of trials:

1. 1 Cor. 5:5 teaches us that God will allow a believer who is in rebellion and pride to be turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

Hebrews 12:6-11, the Lord tell us if we sin and do not repent He will chasten us.
If the believer were not sinning and continually repenting of the sin, Satan would have no power over the believer.
Think about what makes a believer weak? A practice of sin, of not being committed wholly to the Lord, of allowing other things to be more important than living our lives for Him, for not giving Him preeminence in our lives, of not being faithful. An attitude of complacency toward the Lord, a lack of discipline will destroy our relationship with the Lord. In other words the believer knows it is wrong to sin, but likes it so well he does it anyway. Other things are more important to Him.
I think a good test is this: What will keep you from worship, from faithfulness, from prayer....these things are trials that are overcoming you.
Like the effects of a drug. You know it will harm you, but you continue to do it.
"Abstain from all appearance of evil." (1 Thess. 5:22)
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
We must also understand that by just fighting the Devil and temptation you will not overcome the trials, nor live for the Lord.
Paul in his Epistles tells us that fighting sin is only half the battle. He expresses it by telling us also to replace the sin with faithfulness to the Lord.
He says:

Romans 13:14 "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
Ephesians 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
Colossians 3:10 "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Colossians 3:12 "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
Colossians 3:14 "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

When you are doing that which is good in the Lord's sight, there is little room for sin.

2. Christ was tempted. It was not to show he would or could sin, but that He was righteous and holy.
3. God will not violate your will. If you chose to sin, then you give Satan a chance to lead you.

Folks, Satan may be the author of sin. But Satan can not make you sin against your will.
If you are spiritual, love God and seek to live for the Lord, you will resist sin, and Satan can not touch you. He can not make you sin if you don't want too.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak". (Matthew 26:41)
Be watchful and prayerful, to keep yourself from the temptation to sin, if you are not tempted or have occasion you are not likely to sin.

II. "DELIVER US FROM EVIL."

A. This is the attitude of a believer toward sin. Romans 7:21-25
B. Paul cries out loud, "What a wretched man I am, who will rescue me from this body of death?"
Answer: "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ my Lord".
C. Through Peter the Lord tells us, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7)

CONCLUSION:

Our Prayer Should Reflect The Attitude Of Our Hearts Towards Sin?
No One Here Can Overcome Sin! Overcoming Sin Is The Work Of God Through The Holy Spirit In Our Lives. Yet, We Have To Let God Do His Work. That Means Wanting Him To Take Charge Of Our Lives....Wanting To Overcome All Sin.
Prayer Is A Wonderful Median That God Uses To Help Us.
Do You Really Try To Overcome Sin?
Do You Accept The Challenge? Do You See Temptation As An Opportunity To Bring Glory To The Lord?
Do You See Abstaining From Even The Appearance Of Evil, As Showing Your Love For The Lord.
Do You Thank God For Forgiveness And Continue To Sin? Romans 6:1, Paul Says "God Forbid"!

It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages helpful, or who have comments.

*All rights reserved. This work is reserved in its use only to preserve the author's ownership of his work. Any part of this work may be used without the author's permission. All that he asks is that proper credit be given. (All quotations are from the Authorized Version - The King James Bible. )