Lead Us Not Into Temptation

“Lead Us Not into Temptation”
 Message @ Jericho Ridge Community Church –Sunday, March 5, 2017
Text: Matthew 6:13 // Series: Pray Like This

Good morning!  Welcome to the first Sunday of Lent.  Lent is traditionally a season leading up to Easter of preparing our hearts and our lives to more fully enter into what God is calling us to: a deeper relationship with Christ. Growing up, this whole Lent thing was mysterious to me.  I heard about my friends in other church traditions “giving up” things.  Usually they gave up things that were really awesome like chocolate or coffee.  They had the steely kind of resolve that I admired from a safe distance but never wanted to participate in.  I remember thinking “I could never do that!  I would be tempted waaaaaaay to much!”  You may have seen your friends or even made a commitment yourself to give up Facebook of social media for Lent.  We’re only in it since Wednesday so you may still find yourself reflexively reaching for your phone – wanting to see what people are up to.  Choosing to intentionally give something up during Lent is hard work, which is why it doesn’t get as much traction as other spiritual practices.      

Another linkage here to keep in mind is that 40 days of Lent leading into Easter are also intentionally positioned to remind us of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness.  And in the Gospel accounts, we read that Jesus was tempted.  And yet, even after giving up solid food and fasting for a period of 40 days and nights, Jesus had the strength to resist the evil one and emerge triumphant from that time! 

Can I be frank with you? Both of those stories I find horribly discouraging!  Because I think to myself “I’m just not always that fantastic at living the overcoming, fully victorious life!  I get tempted & I don’t always resist.”  If I made a decision to give up chocolate for Lent (which I have not) immediately, everywhere I go, I notice giant Purdy’s Easter bunnies and sweet nectarous Cadbury Cream eggs and those yummy, yummy melt in your mouth Mini eggs…. Resisting temptation, even for 40 days, can be hard work!    

This morning, as we wrap up our series on Prayer where we’ve been going through Jesus’ model “Pray Like This” prayer for us in Matthew 6, and at the very end of the prayer we encounter a funny phrase when it comes to the topic of temptation.  Take your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 6.  Normally I preach from the New Living Translation but you might be familiar with the Pray Like This prayer in the New International Version.  Where the prayer reads like this:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.      

That phrase in verse 13, “lead us not into temptation” is a bit of a perplexing petition.  Does God lead us into temptation?  If He doesn’t’, then why are we praying and asking Him not to do something that He isn’t going to do?!  And if He does lead us into temptation, what in the world is up with that?!  Can our loving Father who is ruling & reigning in heaven & who is holy and blameless and who cares for our needs and forgives us so generously lead us then into temptation? 

Well, the question is not a new one.  The early church wrestled with this dilemma.  As early as the second century, followers of Jesus were saying “um, there’s this line that we pray that I don’t understand!” So the African theologian Tertullian wrote ““Far be the thought that the Lord should seem to tempt, as if He were either ignorant of [the limits] of someone’s faith, or else eager to overthrow [that faith].”  Tertullian was saying: God’s not trying to trick you!

He referenced as a counter-point or point of clarity the text in James 1:13-15

“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Now, on the surface, these two scriptures may SEEM perhaps to contradict each other. We need to pray the God doesn’t lead us into temptation and on the other hand, God never tempts anyone. So in order to parse them apart we need to think about the question: PHOTO “What does the Bible teach about temptation?” We’re going to look at three main things this morning: What temptation is, how it works & finally, how to resist it.  Let’s dive in! 

• On Temptation…

We need to do a bit of clarification around our thinking here.  The first thing to understand is that A) It’s not a sin to be tempted 

• To be tempted is just part of being human and living in this world

Sin, opportunities to choose things other than God’s best for us as humankind, is alive and well in the world and that means that temptation to sin is just part of life. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 18:“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable”                    

So if you are never tempted, then check your pulse because you probably don’t have one!  I love how author and playwright George Orwell puts this:                  

“It is probable that some who achieve or aspire to sainthood have never felt much temptation to be human beings!”  George Orwell

If you are a human being, you will be tempted.  But it is NOT a sin to be tempted.  How do we know this?  Well because

1. A) It’s not a sin to be tempted

• Jesus was tempted, yet He was without sin

The second person of the trinity, fully God and fully human during his time on earth, experienced temptation.  In fact, the Bible is clear that he was tempted just like we are and yet, He never gave in to temptation.  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:21 

If Jesus was tempted to sin, then it cannot for you and I, be a sin to be tempted.  But this highlights for us another important biblical teaching on temptation...  

1. B) Temptation can be resisted

Have you ever heard a person say “well, friend. God never gives you more than you can bear”.  Most often, people say this about hardships. They are trying to be kind so receive it as a gentle expression of support.  But also need to receive it as horribly inaccurate piece of theology!  Could you imagine being present at the stoning of Stephen and saying to him “I’m so glad that God doesn’t permit more than you can bear” or at the martyrdom of the Apostle John or at the cross looking upon the Saviour and saying 

• God doesn’t permit more than you can bear

Let’s be clear about something this morning.  The phrase God doesn’t give you more than you can handle is about the topic of temptation NOT about trials!  The phrase comes from I Corinthians 10:12 where the Apostle Paul says 

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”                  1 Corinthians 10:12 

What the Scripture is teaching us here is that you will never find yourself in a place where God creates a scenario where your only option is to sin. The temptation you experience will not be more than you can bear.  In His faithfulness, God will always provide a way out.  The way out may involve suffering or death.  The way out may be incredibly rigorous or difficult to choose but there will never be a situation you or I face where we can legitimately say to God “well, there was nothing I could do – I had to give in to temptation!”  God will not permit more TEMPTATION than you can bear.  God will never give you more TEMPTATION than you can handle.  So let’s purge our language of the ridiculous nonsense that God doesn’t’ give people more than they can handle. 

It’s not your Bible; it was Oscar Wild who famously said “I can resist anything, except temptation!”  He also said “The only way to get rid of temptation is to obey it”.  God says “the way to resist temptation is to stand strong” More on that later.

So, it’s not a sin to be tempted.  Temptation can be resisted. But

1. C) It is a sin to yield; give in to temptation

• THIS is what Jesus is inviting us to pray into

“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13 (NLT)  The New Living Translation is much clearer than the NIV.         

We are praying that God would protect and guard us as we go through our lives and experience temptations that are no different than what others experience.  That the Holy Spirit would keep us safe from ourselves and from the devil.  That Jesus would give us the strength and wisdom not to yield to temptation, for yielding is sin.  Even William Shakespeare voices this distinction in the play Measure for Measure, where the character Angelo says

“’Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall”

                   William Shakespeare (Angelo, in Measure for Measure

So this helps bring some clarity or resolution to the thought that those two verses, Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6 and James’ teaching about God not tempting us are in conflict.  They aren’t.  They are simply two ways of expressing the same thing.  Two perspectives on the same question of temptation.  We are to pray that we would no yield to temptation because it’s clear that temptations are not from God because God doesn’t tempt anyone.  But this still leaves us with

A Perplexing Question: (?) Where does temptation come from?

I just want to acknowledge that while this sermon is not a full treatise on the origins of sin, we’re going to look briefly at 2) How Temptation Works

Because if we can understand a bit more about how temptation functions, we can understand more about how we can resist it or not yield to it as Jesus says in Matthew 6:13.  But look also at what Jesus says in that verse: that we are to pray that we are Rescued from the evil one.  When it comes to temptation, recognize that it’s not just you involved in this process.  Struggling away alone in the world.  Temptation A)  It’s an initiated invitation

Someone or something wants to take you down.  We pray that we would be rescued from the evil one because it’s important to

• Recognize that you have an enemy

The Bible names this as Satan or the devil or the evil one.  And it is clear that he is not just interested in attacking God he is also quite interested in destroying you.  I Peter 5:8 gives just one example of a biblical theology of where temptation in your life might be coming from:

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.”                 I Peter 5:8

Now, don’t hear what I’m not saying!  Remember that temptation can be resisted.  So sometimes I hear people say Photo: The Devil Made me do it.  I think it’s important to recognize that this is partly true. The Scripture peak of three dangers for us: ‘the world, the flesh and the devil’.  But when it comes to temptation, the devil may have had a part in extending or initiating invitation, but he didn’t do the doing. YOU did it.  So don’t give the devil too much credit!  He and his demonic forces may have opened the door but YOU chose to walk through it.  So simply saying “the devil made me do it. Is not true.  This is because temptation is 

1. B) It’s a cycle that we participate in

Look again at the text that we read from James 1. Where does it come from?

• “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” (1:14-15)

Temptation is a cycle that you and I are active participants in.  Let me put up this    

Photo of cycle of sin: There’s so much that could be said about this but see if it rings true in your experience:  Let’s take an example: coveting.  I want something that I do not currently possess.  First part of the cycle is at the top… My desires begin the process of Enticement: I begin to allow myself to dwell. A preoccupation with fulfilling that desire, getting that object or person or position, comes into my mind.  I am jealous of other people who have it. I begin to imagine why I deserve it. 

Then I move into Conception: I begin to imagine how I might act out this sin.  This is known as Ritualization. I begin to build a pathway that I am walking down.  I think “I have credit card. I could get that!  Sure, I have no plan of paying it back but hey, everyone is doing it!”  I begin to lay tracks to acquire…    Birth: I act out with sinful actions.  I buy a house that I can’t afford.  I act out sexually outside of the bounds of my marriage relationship.  I am going to possess that which I coveted.  And then, when the dust settles, I experience shame.  That impulse to hide, to cover.  Eventually, if I nurture this cycle long enough it leads to spiritual death.  A condition where my conscience is so hardened, so seared by repeatedly giving in to temptation, that I cease to care.  And if you leave that to grow and fester, it ultimately leads you to separation from God and others.  This is why the cycle of temptation is an important thing to understand: so that you can break it in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, it’s a desire that we participate in but remember, yielding is not a forgone conclusion or inevitable outcome. 

“What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is that they don’t want to discourage it completely!”      - Franklin P. Jones (Journalist)

Let’s be honest about it.  It can be fun to be tempted.  To experience the pleasures of sin for a season.  So some of us don’t want to resist temptation because you don’t want to take the steps necessary to discourage it completely.  Some of you actually WANT to allow your sin to continue to define you.  Part of your identify has become wrapped up in being a person who worries or who gives in to anger or who lies habitually.  Be aware of where the road you are on is ultimately heading. Nurturing the cycle of temptation leads to spiritual death.

But let’s say you do want to resist temptation.  What guidance does the Scripture give us? (3) How do you Resist Temptation?

There are four things to quickly keep in mind here. 

1. Remain vigilant (WATCH)

Remember the image of Satan being like a roaming, roaring lion? Your job is to keep a lookout for where temptation might be circling to attack.  Jesus tells his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane,

• “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” - Jesus in Mark 14:38

One of the things I love here that Jesus acknowledges is that sometimes, an area to keep watch over is our physical bodies.  I love this Cartoon: How I Resist Food Temptation.  First, I identify the food items I can’t stop thinking about. Then I remove all sources of temptation by eating them. I are dumb.

Oh the body is weak, is it not?  This is why you and I need to remain vigilant by being aware

• Do you know your areas of weakness?
  • Sexual temptation? (I Corinthians 7:2) Guard your eyes. Put a filter on your devices like Covenant Eyes.
  • Greed? (I Timothy 6:9) – Be careful to live within your means. Go to a cash only system or begin to practice radical generosity and give to Guatemala or other causes so that you intentionally break the hold greed can have in your life.
  • Pride? Gluttony? Laziness? (Ezekiel 16:49)

Do you know the primary areas you are prone to falling into sin?  I know my areas of weakness.  And so my accountability partner and I meet every two weeks for a few hours. If it isn’t snowing, we’ll walk.  We’ll have coffee but we know each other well enough to know the other persons areas of weakness.  So we push.  We never leave a time together without saying “how’s it going in that area of your life?” We also look at each other’s schedule and say “do you think you have any areas of exposure based on how busy you are or the intensity level of your weeks?”  We try to help each other anticipate areas where we might be weak or exposed.  This is part of remaining vigilant. Watching. Being on guard.   

How do you resist temptation? First, remain vigilant and alert.  Know your areas of weakness.  That’s the defensive part.  Then there’s also an offensive part:

1. B) Remain Battle-Ready (FIGHT)

• “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil…. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”                                Ephesians 6:10-12

 God has given you and I the Holy Spirit and everything we need for life and Godliness. Notice how many times when temptation is brought up, the instruction is to stand firm.  This really is a battle.  That’s why the term spiritual warfare gets used.  If you want to resist the enemy and stand firm, you don’t do that in your willpower and just hoping to beat anger next time.  You ask the Lord for his mighty power.  You gear up with the armour of God – pray through Eph6 each morning.  Take the time to get battle ready.    

I love what Puritan theologian John Owen says:

“If we do not abide in prayer we will abide in temptation.”    - John Owen

This is what Jesus models for us in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation C) Remain on your knees (PRAY)

• “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all God’s holy people.” Eph 6:18

Pray for other people.  Do you have other people praying for you?  Do other people know about the circumstances and challenges of your life enough to walk with you in your journey? Send a note to . Sign up on that front page of our website to pray for others.  Choose to pray each day of Lent for one other person. 

Praying for another person and being persistent in it is one of the highest and holiest and most challenging and yes, most practical ways of providing support and care you could ever undertake. It’s not hard to bring a meal by. But to say “I’ll pray for you” and genuinely mean it and keep after it, now that takes courage and tenacity.  I’m so privileged to be part of a church that is saying “we’re going to become a praying church not just a church that politely prays to start and end meetings”  We’re going to be a church that advances on our knees! 

As we wrap up the teaching time, a word to those of us who feel that the topic of temptation brings with it discouragement.  Like my initial feelings about other people giving things up for Lent, sometimes when we talk about temptation, the danger can be that you begin to think “I’m never going to beat this!”  I’ve given in too many times – there’s been too much damage.

Friend, cling to the promise of forgiveness and grace spoken over you when you brought that sin to Jesus His merciful pardon.  The one whom the Son of God sets free is free indeed.  There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God is faithful and just to forgive us sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  So friends, just like we discussed two weeks ago, when you bring your sin and shame and guilt to God saying “I’m sorry” and invite Him to cleanse and forgive you, it’s done.  So you can D) Remain confident of God’s forgiveness and His ultimate triumph over sin

          “But even greater is God’s wonderful        grace and his gift of righteousness, for all           who receive it will live in triumph over sin          and death through this one man, Jesus Christ”                 Romans 5:17

One day, you and I will live forever free from the very presence of sin.  Today is not that day.  Today, we live in the place of struggle.  But we need to keep firmly fixed in our minds that we also live in the place where Christ has triumphed victorious and when we apply that to our lives, we are freed from the penalty of sin.  Friend, maybe today you have never accepted this gift.  The gift of forgives is one of the most precious things you could ever know.  As you embrace it, you and we are privileged to walk in places of increasing freedom from the power and the effects of sin.  He comes to make his blessing flow, far as the curse is found.  And the way you do this is in prayer…    

“When God’s people clasp their hands in prayer it is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”            - Karl Barth

This is why the Pray Like This Prayer finishes with a note of victory:

“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!”

As Ron and the team come, I’m going to lead us in prayer.  Today as we stand and declare the victory Jesus, we stand to express our need of healing grace and forgiveness for places we have sinned.  Our prayer team – Wally, Sylvia, Dale Moore, Deb Jarvis – we will stand with you.  Maybe it’s an area of thanksgiving.  Maybe it’s a health concern.  Maybe it’s to pray for our or for our church or for an individual within our community that you know has a need.  Remember that it’s not only prayer team members… There’s a freedom here in this place to go to someone else and pray with them.  There’s a freedom to kneel and ask for forgiveness for an area that God is bringing to your mind this week where you have yielded to temptation and receive his grace.  Let’s pray. 

Benediction – When I say: Lord in your mercy, you respond Hear our prayer

Father in Heaven: we pray for all those

who are faced with temptations or trials that seem too great for them.

Keep all your people strong in the face of temptation,

teach us all to rely on you at dark times of attack,

and let your Word be our strength.

Bless those in positions of leadership

so that they can lead wisely and with justice,

and so that they may resist all temptation to abuse power.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

We pray for young Christians and those whose faith is fragile,

that they may be strengthened against the temptation of unbelief.

Help us to support each other at moments of weakness

and give us the strength to stand strong for others.

Support all believers,

and don’t let them ever be put to shame for their beliefs.

We pray for all those who are preparing for ministry in Guatemala

and we ask that you would use this time of service

to strengthen and grow their faith in you.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

Stand by all those who are hungry or homeless in our city,

that they may not be tempted to despair.

Keep those who are struggling with illness strong in their faith,

so that they can lean on you through the tough times ahead.

We especially pray for your healing hand over (insert name(s) here).

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

Father in heaven,

receive the prayers of your sons and daughters who seek your favour.

Free us from all evil,

so that we may serve you in peace and joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen.

.