Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Truth Network Podcast.

Instead of using the screens, it's been giving you that so that you could write a few things in and keep some notes. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Look at if you would at verse 8 and as the custom is I like to try to read through the first verses again each Wednesday night. Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him. After this manner, the model prayer. It's not really the Lord's prayer, although that's what I call it and you call it, it's the disciples' prayer. This wasn't a prayer for the Lord to pray, this was a prayer that God gave as a model for us to pray. After this manner therefore, pray ye, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Now verse 13, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We have called on the Father seeking the supplies we need day by day.

Give us this day our daily bread. We have prayed for His forgiveness of our sins. Forgive us our debts. We have even prayed, God would you give me grace to forgive others their trespasses or their debt against me. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Now we are getting with something different. We are seeking help in our battle with temptation. By the way, this is a huge battle. Anybody here conquered the battle with temptation? Anybody want to make an idiot of yourself? Raise your hand.

Didn't think so. We all struggle don't we? Now I've preached I think a three or four week series on temptation maybe a year or so ago.

And let me just say this, and I opened up that series with this, but let me just remind you. Most people would say preacher why should I keep trying? I have tried to fight such and such or certain things or this thing and I have failed. I have asked God to forgive me and I've said Lord I need to quit doing this and Lord I'm sorry. And preacher I've even been up at the altar and I've cried and I've begged God to forgive. And it seems as if by the time I get home or even before I get home I do the exact same thing. And preacher I have fought and tried and I can't seem to get victory.

Why? Keep trying. Is there anybody else here that's felt that? Here's what happens we begin to feel guilty for even asking for forgiveness. We get to the point that we say well man I asked him yesterday to ask for forgiveness for this and I went right and did it again.

And I've asked God to forgive me for losing my temper and as soon as I ask for forgiveness I get on Interstate 40 and somebody comes by and gives me the finger. And then I just lose it and I lose my temper and I get mad again. And then I go to work and so and so. You know I'm two minutes late coming in and so and so says well you managed to buy you a watch looks like you're not on time. And then I get mad again.

Now I've said this before I'm going to say it again. Don't you hate it when you've had a day and a half. You know two of your kids have puked at home before you left on a Sunday morning to get to a church.

You got in there had a flat tire in the way and everything bad has happened. And then you walk in five minutes late and there's somebody in Sunday school saying oh well I guess you graced us with your presents. Oh look at Mr. On Time. That's when you just want to bam right in the face. Don't you look at me like that.

You know you feel that same way. There's always one person that's got something to say and that's the wrong time to say it bless God. Preacher why do I keep trying? Well dear friend when you quit trying. You quit trying.

You have reached an area that is awfully difficult to ever return from. May I say tonight if there's anything that I could do to motivate you whatever has defeated you over and over again. Do not quit trying. The problem is you're trying to fight it instead of letting God give you the grace to fight it.

This is exactly what we're praying for here. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. This is not the battle to put food on our tables. This is not a battle to put clothes on our backs. This is not a battle to approach God for forgiveness. This isn't even a battle to forgive those that have done us wrong. This is a whole different battle.

This is a battle we fight every day. Now notice the first word of the verse. And. So that connects that verse when you see the word and it connects that verse with the previous verse. It's called a conjunction. Conjunction, junction. Anybody here?

Okay nobody. My generation would remember that. Conjunction, junction. And that's when my mom and dad would come up. Turn that off that's bad music you know.

Anybody else 40 years old here? Okay. Listen to me. That word and has a very special meaning. It means this. It's connecting it to the other verses.

Look if you would at verse 11. This is where it starts. Give us this day our daily bread period. And forgive us our debts. So and means that I've got to ask God for daily bread.

I've got to ask him daily for bread. Do you agree with that? Say amen. So when it says and forgive us our debts that means daily I've got to ask God for bread. And daily I've got to ask him to forgive me my debts. Do you agree with that? Say amen.

And notice this. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. That means I've got to ask God for daily bread. I've got to ask God for daily forgiveness. I've got to ask God for daily grace to forgive those that have done me wrong.

And then comes another and. That means this now I've got to ask God daily to help me with temptation. Number one tonight you'll see on your outline the problem with temptation. I'm going to make three statements. This is a little bit different than I normally would do an outline.

And I've kind of really dug into this. Because this phrase introduces it's just kind of brimming over with meaning. Number one under this the problem with temptation is this statement. This statement proves the leadership of the Lord in our lives. It's what we call His sovereignty.

That means He's in control. But the leadership of the Lord in our lives. Notice how God tells us to pray. Remember this isn't some guy's prayer and we're looking at this and saying well this is how he prayed. Now we do that in scripture and we've given prayers at other men. We think of the prayer of J. Bez who is more famous than other prayers in the Bible. But this is not just some guy's prayer. This is the prayer Jesus said to pray. Not that you've got to pray these exact words. It's after this manner. Our prayer life ought to have these things inside of it.

And this is what He said. Lead us not into temptation. That proves that God is in leadership in our lives.

He's leading. Now because of that since this is true does this mean that God leads us into places where we are tempted to sin? Now you've got to think about this. Why would God lead us into temptation? Now He's saying lead us not into temptation and that would almost imply that God unless you ask Him He's going to lead you to tempt you. He's going to lead you right into sin. Now that seems to contradict here.

And the answer to that is no. Now I want you to hold your place. Well you don't really need to.

You know that phrase. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. But now I want you to turn to James chapter 1. Because you've got to see this if you're going to understand Matthew chapter 6.

You've got to understand James chapter 1. The answer is no. Would God lead me into direct contact with sin? The answer is no.

That's your B underneath your outline there. God never leads us into direct contact with sin. Now we're going to tell you what this prayer is saying.

But I've got to cover this first. Some people say when something happens in my life and they were tempted. Well did that temptation come from God? Or did that temptation come from Satan? Now some people would not have a problem at all with that question.

Other people struggle with their whole life with thinking that. Did God tempt me? Why would God put me into a situation that would put me in a situation where the temptation was so strong that I couldn't say no?

I've heard that. James chapter 1 look at verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God. End of story.

Any other questions? Well I just don't know if God, God does not tempt. God tests. He does not tempt. God does not try to put sin into your life.

He's a holy God. Listen, notice this verse. 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. So God will not, He never leads us into direct contact with sin. So preacher what is this phrase really saying? And lead us not into temptation. This is what it's saying basically. Lord please do not lead me into a trial which will present a temptation stronger than my power to resist.

What Jesus here is saying is you know what you need to be ever mindful. Look at me. Get this. This is good. Even if I'm the only one that thinks so.

This is good. Look at me. When God says I want you to pray to the Lord, Lord lead me not into temptation. In other words God don't lead me into a situation that would bring it so tempting that I would fall to temptation. God don't ever put me in a situation that is more than I can bear. Does not the Bible deal with that? God has promised us that He'll never put on us more than we can bear. But if you are conscious of praying to God, God don't let me get into a situation that is too tempting for me to say no.

Look at me. If you got into a situation that was too tempting for you to say no, you put yourself into it, God didn't lead you there. But if you are praying that, that means you are mindful that you can fall. Why did Jesus say hey listen you need to pray and lead us not into temptation? Because Jesus wanted us to be mindful every day that temptation is out there.

And I need the Lord's help to face it. Does that make sense? Okay, statement number three.

We're going to give you some more stuff on that. Temptation in and of itself is not a sin. Temptation in and of itself is not a sin. Alright, you're still in James chapter 1. If temptation doesn't come from God, then where does it come from?

Hold on to your britches. Look at verse 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin. Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. When temptation comes your way and my way, listen closely. It is not the devil's fault. And it is not God's fault.

It is your fault. The Bible says we are tempted when we are drawn away of our own lust. And then enticed. Dear friend look at me, when you and I sin, it's not because we were tempted. It's because when we were tempted we let our flesh win. I told this story a little while back and I just want you to know that I know I've told this story.

It's been months ago but I keep meticulous records whether you think I do or not. But now this is the best way I could illustrate it in simple redneck terms. It's two monks walking down through the woods. It's very spiritual already isn't it? Now they're all obviously told they can't touch a woman. And many monks are not even supposed to speak to a woman.

They're obviously living a life of solidarity and they're not even supposed to. So they're rolling down through these woods and this woman had fallen in a creek and was stuck. And the one monk came down and picked up that woman, put her up over his shoulders, got out of that creek and set her down and kept walking.

And he and the other monk as they walked a little ways, the other monk looked at him and he said, You know I have to ask you a question. You and I have committed and sworn not to touch a woman. And yet you did. You physically carried that woman out of that creek. Do you not feel that you've done wrong? And the one monk that lives it up, the woman, and he says, My friend, I set that woman down back at the creek.

You are still carrying her in your heart. You see, what you and I do, listen, we can't help sometimes when temptation comes. But when we keep it, when we allow it, when we allow our flesh to pursue it, that's when it becomes sin. So often times we say, Well, you know, God put me in a situation that, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. God does not lead you into direct contact with sin. Sin happens when you and I are tempted and we allow our flesh to pursue the temptation. And what we're supposed to pray is, God, lead me not into temptation. It means this, that God, don't ever put me in a situation that I can't get myself out of. And dear friend, you can't get yourself out of a lot of them. But dear friend, I'm here to tell you, God has always promised to give you a way of escape.

We're going to show you that in just a few minutes. So you've got these three statements. Number one is this, this statement proves the leadership of the Lord in our lives. Second is this, God never leads us into direct contact with sin. And third, temptation in and of itself is not a sin.

Alright, let me say it this way. When I pray, forgive my debts. We have looked at the Psalm 23, listen to me. When I pray, forgive my debts, I'm looking to the past. When I pray, give me this day my daily bread, I'm looking to the present. But when I pray, lead me not into temptation, I'm now looking to the what?

Future. Forgive me my sin in the past, give me my daily bread in the present, but lead me not into temptation in the future. Why did Jesus say to pray this? Because you and I have always got to look ahead and prepare before temptation comes. If we wait until we're tempted, that's too late. You and I have got to make some decisions in our life beforehand. We've got to have a solid relationship with God beforehand. We've got to be in His Word beforehand. We've got to be on our knees praying before temptation comes.

You can't wait until it happens and then try to be strong for it. Number two, in your outline, the power of temptation. We've seen the problem with temptation. Number two, the power of temptation.

Statement number one is this. The need for us to pray for the Lord's protection from temptation is so great. In other words, the need is so great for us to pray.

Why? Because we are so prone to failure. Dear friend, Jesus knows it is so important for us to pray for His help in temptation because you and I are so prone to fall. We have a flesh.

Dear friend, we've got to have His help. It's like walking into a battle with no armor and no weapons if you don't have the Lord's help when you face temptation. Men, I mean especially you, we're all tempted in different areas but I believe this society and Satan is bombarding men in this day and time.

It's pitiful. You can't walk in a mall and not see stuff you shouldn't see. You can't sit down and watch TV now and not see something you shouldn't see. We have got to be mindful. It is everywhere we go. The need for us to pray is so great because our flesh is so weak. We're so prone to failure. I've heard people say, man the devil knows what to put in front of me. The truth is it is we and not so much the devil that's the problem.

You and I know what to put in front of ourselves. You know let's not give the devil too much credit folks. Sometimes it's just us. Can I have an amen right there on a Wednesday night?

It's just us. I've got a lot I wanted to say to that. Number two, be under that you'll see this. Temptation is a powerful opponent but most Christians have no idea of its real power. I want you to write that down because I'm going to explain this. This is going to make a lot of sense to you.

I hope it will at least. Temptation is a powerful opponent but most Christians have no idea as to its real power. I've heard people say, and you've heard people say, the temptation was so powerful I just couldn't resist.

But in truth the person who gives in to temptation knows nothing of its power. I cannot remember the last time I was down here preaching. When I first started out I would end up back there. I don't know if some of you remember when I was younger. No telling what I did. And I've gotten reserved.

Anyway, listen to me. Any of you ever been to the beach? Don't tell me coast. You go to the beach.

Let's just get real in the house of God. When you're at the beach you are familiar with undercurrent. Now look at me. If I'm out in the water and an undercurrent comes and I allow that undercurrent to take me, which it does sometimes, I can say boy that current was strong. But as long as I'm going with that current I'm not going to feel it as strong unless I start trying to fight it.

Does that make sense? Well it was just too strong for me to give in to temptation to say, well it was just too strong for me to say no. Well no it wasn't. You went right with it. It just led you right away. The only person that knows how strong and hard temptation really is is the person that with God's help defeats it. Because the only person that really knows how strong a current is is a person that fought it all the way back. Because the more you resist temptation the stronger it's going to come at you because now you're fighting against it. When that temptation carries you just like that current you might say, well it was really strong.

Well no it really wasn't to you. It didn't feel as bad to you as it would have if you'd have fought it. You start turning around and buddy you're trying to fight that current you're going to find out it's a whole lot stronger than it felt when you just let it take you. Everybody understand that? So you've got to understand you say preacher that temptation was just too strong for me.

Well no you really don't know how strong it was because you didn't fight it very hard. Only the person that has stayed faithful through it knows how strong it really is. Does that make sense to you? Number 3C under that and then I'm going to give you this verse that I've been waiting to give you for a little while. Thank God the power of temptation has no more force in our lives and you need to fill this in than we allow it to have. Temptation has no more power on us than you and I allow it to have.

Do you understand and agree with that? Temptation will only hurt you as much as you let it because remember we're tempted by our own lust and enticed. Now if you need to write this verse down or you need to turn to it 1 Corinthians 10.13 this will refute all our little things of well I just couldn't help it preacher well I just couldn't say no well it was just so Ok 1 Corinthians 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you or have overcome you but such as is common to man nothing new under the sun listen but God is faithful who will not suffer you or allow you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with a temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it now listen if temptation was sin why would God give you enough grace to allow you to bear it? If it was sin God's putting you right into sin well you just go ahead and bear it son well if temptation was sin he wouldn't even allow us to get to it but he is saying this temptation is not wrong in fact if it was a sin then Jesus is a sinner because he was tempted on top of the temple and all of a sudden he looks over at this whole thing and Satan obviously tried to tempt him and every time we are going to talk about that and quickly in a second every time he used God's word to fight it ok if you wish to stand against temptation you can that's the good news I don't care what comes into your life what tempting comes your way God has always allowed you to have a way of escape you can simply say no my dad used this statement you know you've heard it for years the birds of thought are going to fly through your heads but you don't have to let them stop and build a nest you can't help when some thoughts come right into your head but when you ponder on them and you let those thoughts take birth and then it changes your thinking that's when it's a sin let me tell you something you can't help sometimes you're going to go and Satan will put things in front of you but he will not put anything in front of you that you can't say no to with the grace of God he is limited by God you are limited by your ability to let God have control number three the plea in temptation and lead us not into temptation but what does he say deliver us from evil it says deliver us from evil if you get into the Greek of this statement it basically carries this ideal deliver us from the evil one you and I have got to understand look at me when he says deliver us from evil there is someone after you aggressively and that someone is Satan now listen to me our enemy this evening is not the person who disagrees with you your enemy tonight is not the church that has abandoned the old paths and embraces a new Bible and a new kind of music what? they're not your enemy our enemy is not the other church down the road our enemy does not wear clothes our enemy is not a body of flesh look at me dear friend you and I sometimes get a little bit misconstrued of who our enemy is the Bible says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places look at me dear friend when we say God deliver us from evil we're asking God to deliver us from Satan not from people that have done us wrong they're not our enemy and the person sitting on the other side of the church from you is not your enemy either and the person sitting in the church pew in any other church in this county is not your enemy our enemy Satan we fight a spiritual battle and we need God's help to deliver us from him you and I are not strong enough to face Satan on our own but we have inside of us if we've been saved one who is able to subdue Satan because he's already done it he defeated death hell in the grave one day Satan knows what's going to happen to him so greater is he that is in me the Bible says than he that is in the world so listen to me our plea in the middle of this temptation is this God you deliver me from evil God don't let me get into a situation that is too much for me but you deliver me from it that's why God said I'll never put on you more than you can bear that's why God says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood we wrestle against principalities and powers you can't fight that battle because we're not principality we're human so what we do we try to fight other human because that's the only thing we can fight you can't fight this battle you need God's help to do it does that make sense to you or not? let me say this when we pray this prayer we are recognizing the fact that we are unable to wage this war on our own and that's all Jesus wants is when you and I get down to pray all he wants is for you and I to understand that we cannot fight this battle on our own we have no chance our only hope is the help and grace of God you