ARE YOU PLAYING THE HYPOCRITE PART NINE

 

Matt 6:1-18

The world is a dangerous place and we all wished that it wasn’t. Evil lurks around every corner and we like to imagine that evil is distant and far away from us, but the reality is… “Evil” is everywhere. And where evil lurks…..Sin and Temptation are creeping around every corner as well

and the danger is the appeal of sins temptation can be in the Christian life. As Al Mohler said “Sin and temptation are harsh masters.” Sin doesn’t want a minor role in a movie it wants to be the main star, the focus, the story, and the ruler over your life. The temptation begins when we entertain its fakery because we are enticed by what it offers.

 

We saw that in the book of beginnings. Everything was perfect and tranquil until when? Chapter three reveals the main villain. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Gen 3:1-7

 

Everything was perfect, tranquil, pure, they lacked in nothing until someone said “Did God really say?” In other words “Can you really trust Him, that He is telling you the truth?” This serpent persuaded Adam and Eve to follow him, rather than the Creator. And he did it simply with a question. It was subtle and quite; it’s not grandiose or a big production. It comes in small packages and easily ensnares us with its pretty bow, even.

 

But! Sin and temptation does have

its grand admissions as well.

 

One of the greatest recorded temptations recorded in the Old Testament is found in the Book of Job. He faced more that anyone, and the temptation was to turn away from God and shake his fist at Him. The temptations before Job, was to cursed God and die for taking everything away from him. The temptation was to show that God truly doesn’t care or love Job as He claimed. But we know this is a lie and so did Job. “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” Job 13:15. A few chapters later we read these beautiful words of hope. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” Job 19:25-27

 

Temptation was before Job as it was for Adam and Eve;

the only difference is…

 

Job passed the test by not embracing or succumbing to the temptation that was before Him. Job was a righteous man, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil. Job 1:8 The same was true with Abraham and Sarah when they laughed at the thought of her being pregnant in their old age. Then it came time for Abraham’s love and loyalty was to be put to the test, when God said sacrifice your only son. Gen 22:2 . The temptation before Abraham would be to ignore God’s command and do the opposite. The temptation before Abraham would be to run away with his son as far as they could go, but he didn’t.

 

The temptation to run and the trial that God set before him only revealed his true love and obedience to God. “But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." Genesis 22:11-18

 

The worst test ever endured by a human was the

 Lord Jesus Christ.

 

After He was baptized in the Jordan by John. Matt 3:13-17. Jesus was immediately faced with temptations and trials. Matt 4:1-11. The first Adam feel at the appeal of what was offered; but our Lord turned away with this foundation. “It is written” Satan temps with “Are you sure God said this” where the Son of God responds “I’m perfectly certain because “It is written” R C Sproul said “The first Adam fell to a simple seductive suggestion; the last Adam endured everything that hell could throw at Him in His isolated, lonely forty day trial. And Though our Lord passed the test as recorded “Then the devil left Him, …” Matt 4:11 But the testing wouldn’t stop; he would keep coming back again for another visit. In Luke’s gospel we read after the wilderness testing “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13. Though Satan lost the fight he keeps on trying, because he hates God and desires to see His children succumb to sin.

 

This is why sin and temptation desires to 

be our master.

We need to flee and run away and take our sin as serious as Jesus taught in Matt 5:29-30 “to pluck and tear it away from us.” Though it’s a neutral word in the Greek, a biblical definition of temptation is…The word in the New Testament that is translated “temptation” has the idea of “testing metal” to determine if it is genuine. The temptation is the enticement to sin.

 

John Owen described temptation this way “A temptation, then, in general is anything that, for any reason, exerts a force or influence to seduce and draw the mind and heart of man from the obedience which God requires of him to any kind of sin. In particular, it is a temptation if it causes a man to sin, gives him opportunity to do so, or causes him to neglect his duty. Temptation may suggest evil to the heart, or draw out the evil that is already there. It is also a temptation to a man if something is by any means able to distract him from his communion with God, or the consistent universal obedience that is required of him.

 

To clarify, I am considering temptation not just as the active force of seduction to sin, but also the thing itself by which we are tempted. Whatever it is, within us or without us, that hinders us from duty or provides an occasion for sin, this should be considered temptation. It could be business, employment, the course of one’s life, company affections, nature, corrupt, purposes, relations, delights, reputation, esteem, position, abilities, gifts, etc., that provide the opportunity to sin or neglect duty. These are true temptations just as much as the most violent solicitations of Satan or allurements of the world. Whoever does not realize this is on the brink of ruin.”

The word “temptation” here in this petition is referring to “testing” to see how strong the metal is; so to speak. And no one likes tests of any kind; and no one likes trials of testing’s in the Christian life, at any time either. Why? It can be painful at times, and it leaves battle scares, but we all must be put to the test as God refines us for His glory and our good. This petition is a request for God to “rescue us from danger” the danger being the “evil one”. (v13b) the danger being sin. This is a petition “of separation”; the separation is the temptation, the trial that is before us. We are prone to succumb, so this is something we need to be praying daily.

 

This prayer may seem to be contradictory, because it sounds like God is the one who tempts us. God is the one who leads and tempts us? But that’s not true! God’s holiness and goodness will never lead anyone into sin purposely by what we read in James 1:13-15 “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

 

When is a person tempted?

 

When he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  God doesn’t temp us, but the sin arises from within our own hearts. The eternal temptation comes from fellow sinners or from Satan himself. Remember the Bible calls Satan what? “And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." Matt 4:3

God allows His people to be tested and tried. This prayer expresses a healthy distrust in our own ability to resist such a test. This is a petition for the Father to remove us from a place where we would have to undergo a severe test of our faith or obedience.

 

Because we prone as Robert Robertson wrote in his hymn “Come Thou Fount”

 

“O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

 

Jesus taught His disciples to pray this petition. Why? He knew we are easy preys, sheep, when it comes to our fallen nature. Jesus went out to pray before he was arrested. “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."….” Matt 26:39-43

 

We know that Scripture reveals that Peter would later fail and fall to the temptation “to deny His Lord” three times in the courtyard. The church failed at times when we allow our fallen nature to speak on our behalf instead of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. We all have in our singleness, marriages, employment, education, and in our relationships have all at one point in time succumb to failing the test.

But we are not lost and forgotten.

The gospel is powerful and the life we live the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, because we rest in the sovereign God of the Universe. Why is this petition important for me as I live out

my Christian life for His glory?

 

This petition reminds us of several reasons why we need to pray this petition.

 

1. Temptations are real and they are a daily threat to our fellowship with a holy God.

 

The worst thing we can ever do is to think that Christian’s are immune to temptation and the dangers of temptation. If you think that way you really don’t know the Scriptures very well. The gospel and the Christian life don’t excuse us from temptations door. Paul said “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor 10:12. A confidence in our own security is no evidence that we are safe. Such a confidence may be one of the strongest evidences that we are in danger. 

2. Temptation is powerful like a master and we need to realize we cannot conquer this in our own strength. 

Jesus said we need to be careful the Spirit is willing because the flesh is weak. We are the ones who unable to resist temptation. Peter reminded the believers as he was reminded by Jesus. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8-9. Be of clear mind and be watchful as you face this evil cruel world. We seek God to “deliver us” not help us, but completely deliver us. He delivers, we get delivered, He saves, we are the saved by His grace. 

3. Temptation is a battle that we will be fighting for the rest of our earthly lives. 

But it gives evidence and affirms the Christian life; unlike the nominal or professing ones, who fell away when testing came. As Jesus said “And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.”

 

But what happened to last seed that

went through the same test?

 

Jesus said ”And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." (v8) and  Jesus went on to explained that in (v15) to His disciples “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 8:8;15. Testing produces fruit in the life of those who believe. We pray this petition to overcome temptation until the grave. There metal doesn’t bend but continues to grow some slower than other but they grow. 

 

4. Temptation will either draw us away from God or draw us closer to God.

 

How we respond to testing will reveal a lot about our heart and our love for God. James said “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4. We are to regard it as a thing to rejoice in; a matter which should bring you happiness. You are not to consider it as a punishment, a curse, or a calamity, but as a test to draw us closer to God.  We realize the fight against sin is a lifelong battle.

5.Temptation reveals our vulnerability to sins beyond today and into tomorrow.

 

This prayer acknowledges our complete dependence on His supply of grace and mercy as we face this cold cruel world of sin and temptation. Peter wrote this to comfort the believer as they went through various tests. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7. The future inheritance was to them a source of the highest joy, even in the midst of their many sufferings and trials.

 

We need to remind ourselves of the victory we have in Christ through the gospel. And also realize! We do have a God who will see us through every mountain top and every low valley test. As we grow in His grace and learn to lean into His infinite supply of grace to see us through every test that He allows before us. God knows what He is doing because He created you for His glory. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Cor 10:13. No man can be tempted, afflicted, or persecuted by men, apart from the divine permission from a holy God. We know that this is true by the story written about Job

 

How that will look for you and me, depends on

the person and the test?

But one thing is for sure He will supply and provide the means necessary for us to endure or escape by His divine providence over our lives. Why? No one knows you greater, than the One who gave you your life. “ And also Jesus prays this over us as He did the disciples as He would send them out after His departure. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15

 

Remember! The devil didn’t

make you do it!

 

You did it, because you refused to rest in Him and said in your heart at times “my way is better and truthfully, ’did the Lord really say’?” As James said “Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. This is our protection form sin and the temptation that is before us. But it starts where? Submitting to God, which means submitting to the His Word. As the Psalmist wrote “Thy Word I have treasured in my heart.” Psalm 119:11. “Temptation is not a sin; it’s a call to battle” Erwin Lutzer. We do not fight this battle alone, that’s why this petition is a petition to deliver us from the evil one.

 

As the Hymn writer reminds us in “Worship The King”

 

“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.

Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,

our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!”