“TEMPTATION AND DELIVERANCE” (Mt 6:13)
August 6th, 2003
Prayer Meeting Devotion:
Int. C. H. S. (Vol 9) 509 "Lead us not into Temptation." said: "The lion may cross our path, or leap upon us from the thicket, but we have nothing “to do with hunting him."
Int. A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. So he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES." When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION."
Int. One writer said, “He had been teaching his three-year-old daughter, Caitlin, recite The Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after him the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. He listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some E-mail. Amen.”
1. THE BELIEVER AND TEMPTATION
A. OUR TEMPTATION S VERSES TRIALS.
1. It is not in opposition to this that James bids us "count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations.":(James 1.2)
2. (Gen 22:1-2) "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. {2} And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."
3. Someone reported the following: “I had been teaching my three-year-old daughter the Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she could repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail. Amen." One particular four-year-old prayed, "and forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
B. OUR PRAYER SHOULD BE AS SUGGESTED.
1. Biblical Illustrator: "When the soul has tasted forgiveness, it has the fear of sinning again. Shall a man recovered from a malignant fever, go and breathe infection?"
2. (Ps 141:4) "Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity."
3. Spurgeon wrote: “"Do not permit Satan to break our newfound peace. O God we see the enemy advancing: he is ready if he can to sift us as wheat. Do not suffer us to be put into his sieve, but deliver us, we pray thee. “
“From dark temptation’s power,
From Satan’s wiles defend;
Deliver in the evil hour,
And guide me to the end.”
4. The burnt child dreads the fire. He who has once been caught in the steel trap carries the scars in his flesh and is horribly afraid of being again held by its cruel teeth.
C. CONSIDER THE ONE THAT TEMPTS US----SATAN.
1. Satan is the one that slandered God’s name in Paradise.
2. Satan is the one that lied to Eve. “Ye shall not surely die.”
D. CONSIDER WHY SATAN TEMPTS US.
1. He would keep the sinner from laying hold upon Christ by faith.
2. He would keep the saint from having victory in Christ.
3. Richard Baxter said: "If you would not be drowned, what do you so near the waterside.?"
E. CONSIDER HOW SATAN TEMPTS MEN
1. He makes light of sin. (Homosexuals in the ministry)
a. Bishop Wilson said:” He that is not satisfied, that plays are an unlawful diversion, let him, if he dare, offer up this prayer to God before he goes, ' Lord lead me not into temptation, and bless me in that in which I am now to be employed."' There are many other occupations and amusements in which the same advice is worth attending to.
2. He tempts people to join a church without any real commitment to Christ.
3. He tempts some people to be “over righteous” (Ecc 7:16)
4. Lot was tempted by the well-watered plains of Sodom.
5. (Gen. 13:10, 11, 13 ) "Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where.... even as the garden of the LORD.”
F. CONSIDER HOW WE CAN AVOID SATAN’S TEMPTATION
1. Gray & Adams: "There is an old Arabic fable the story of a rock that was a great magnet, drawing ships, so that they were dashed into splinters on it. If I have been magnetized by a certain sin, I would not be led near the loadstone that might draw me into destruction by its malignant potency. If I carry in me the gunpowder of some slumbering badness, I would not be led where sparks are flying. If I am Little Faith " bearing precious jewels, I would not be led through " Dead Man's Lane," where robbers lurk. If I am short-sighted, I would not be led into " the land of pits." If I am timid and fear - tile power of the clog," I would not be led near his chain, but far as may be beyond tile reach of his spring."
2. The Roman soldiery chose Valentinian to be their Emperor; afterwards they consulted how they might join a partner with hire on tile throne. On hearing this, the Emperor replied, that although it had been in their power to give him the Empire, it was no longer in their power to give him a colleague. Thus, if God be our King, He must be our King only. It is the same thing to serve other gods, and to deny the true God."
3. (Mat 26:41) "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
4. (Mark 14:38) "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."
5. (Luke 22:46) "And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."
6. (Mat 26:41) "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
7. James Durham said: ""Neither place, parts, nay, nor graces, will exempt any man from falling. O believers, what need is there to be watchful and humble!"
8. Thomas Watson said: ""Oh, Christians, look to your steps! When you have prayed against sin, then watch against temptation. Such as are more excellent than others, God expects some singular thing from them. They should bring more glory to God and, by their exemplary piety, make proselytes to religion. Better fruit is expected from a vineyard than from a wild forest."
9. Paul said: “I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Rom. 7:18, 22, 23)
10. Thomas Watson said: "The flesh inclines us more to believe a temptation than a promise ."
11. (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:"
12. Thomas Manton said: "A man doth not know what the comforts of faith mean till he be exercised by temptation."
13. Mr. South said: "He who has no mind to trade with the Devil should be wise and stay away from his shop."
14. Bibliical Illustrator: "Gold is most tried in the fire, and discovered to be pure and perfect. Stars that lie hidden in the day shine in the night. The valor and worth of a soldier is not known in times of peace, but when he is out in action. When we are put to some difficulty and straits, then is faith seen."
15. "In time of war, when the great cannons fly off, the only way to avoid them is to lie down in a furrow, and so the bullets fly over. So in all temptations of Satan lie low, and be contented to be at God's disposing, and all these fiery temptations shall not be able to hurt you."
16. C. H. S. said: “Lead us not into temptation,” is shameful profanity when it comes from the lips of men who resort to places of amusement whose moral tone is bad. ,”Oh,” say you, “you should not tell us of such things.” Why not? Some of you do them, and I make bold to rebuke evil wherever it is found, and shall do so while this tongue can move. There is a world of cant about. People go to church and say, “Lead us not into temptation,” and then they know where temptation is to be found, and they go straight into it."
II. THE BELIEVER AND DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL.
A. OUR TEXT REVEALS OUR INABILITY TO DELIVER OURSELVES.
1. (Jere 10:23) “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
2. "The Prayer of the Buddhist is, "Deliver us from existence"; the prayer of the Christian is, "Deliver us from evil."
3. There is the evil desire of riches. (1 Tim 6:9) "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."
a. This passion leads to business gambling. To lotteries.
b. Raffling at Church bazaars gives a sacred sanction to some of the worst evils of the world."
4. God alone can curb the power of Satan. The power of Satan was sufficient to delay Gabriel for one and twenty days. To triumph over Satan Gabriel needed the help of Michael, i.e. of Christ (see Dan. 10:6, 13).
a. (Dan 10:13) “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
5. Thomas Manton said: "We complain of other things, but do not complain of sin, which is the greatest evil. The evil of affliction is but for a moment; like rain, it drieth up of its own accord; but the evil of sin is for ever, unless it be pardoned and taken away. Sin is the cause of all the evils of affliction; therefore, when we complain, we should complain not so much of the smart, as of the cause of it."
6. Biblical Illustrator: "Sin seems to be strongest when it has had its death blow.
a. “The eagle, when down, strikes at you with a beak like a bolt of iron, and may flap you dead with its wing.
b. “The deer, when down, may gore you with its antlers.
c. “The dying horse may, in the plunge of its agony, break a man’s limb.
d. “A harpooned whale may dash a boat over."
7. C. H. S. said: "I am afraid that badly as some behave under temptation, others of us might have done worse if we had been there."
“Keep us, Lord, oh keep us ever,
Vain our hope if left by thee
We are thine, oh leave us never,
Till thy face in heaven we see;
There to praise thee
Through a bright eternity.”
“All our strength at once would fail us,
If deserted, Lord, by thee;
Nothing then could aught avail us,
Certain our defeat would be
Those who hate us
Thenceforth their desire would see.”
CONCLUSION: Octvous Winslow said: We should pray "Deliver us from:
1. From the evil of sin.
2. From the evil of the world.
3. From evil men.
4. From the Evil One."