Let us turn to the word of God
and the scripture that I'll bring to your attention this morning
is found in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 13 Matthew 6 verse 13 the
first part of the verse and lead us not into temptation and lead
us not into temptation We have on previous occasions, as I've
had opportunity to preach from this pulpit according to God's
appointments, we have considered the preface to the Lord's Prayer,
Our Father which art in heaven, and we've considered the first
five of the subsequent seven petitions, 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. This sixth petition follows on
then from the fifth and lead us not into temptation. The fifth
petition is and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And then this sixth petition
and lead us not into temptation. Now, that fifth petition, as
we've seen, is dealing with sin and the forgiveness of sins.
This sixth petition is dealing with the subject of temptation. and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation. There
is a connection between these two petitions. The one leads
on to the other. And forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation. Now these two petitions are really
dealing with the heart of Christian experience. It is a great and
profound mercy that the Lord Jesus Christ has given us this
pattern prayer. This is a truly experimental
prayer. It deals with the deepest spiritual
needs of the true believer in Jesus. Now I reiterate what I've
said previously, that this prayer is not to be put into the mouths
of the multitudes. And seeing the multitudes, he
went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples
came unto him. And he opened his mouth and taught
them, saying, And this prayer, which is a part of the Sermon
on the Mount, commences with the words, Our Father, which
art in heaven. This prayer is for none but the
heaven-born soul, the child of God, The child of God, being born
from above, being born again of the Spirit of God, feels something
of the corruption of his or her fallen nature. He is convinced
and he is convicted of his sin. And so he confesses his sin,
and he seeks the pardon of all his sins through the Redeemer's
sin-atoning blood. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall
be clean, says the psalmist in Psalm 51. Purge me with hyssop
and I shall be clean. Under the old dispensation, hyssop
was used to sprinkle the blood, to apply the blood. The blood
of the Passover lamb was put upon the lintel and on the two
side posts. But it was by means of the the
hyssop. The hyssop was dipped in the
blood that was in the bowl and then with that it was sprinkled.
The blood was sprinkled. The blood was applied with the
hyssop. And so the child of God prays
for the application of the blood of the Lamb to his own heart
and to his own conscience. It is not enough to know that
there is forgiveness with God. Yes, it's a great truth. It's
good to know that. But it's not enough. When we
are born again of the Spirit of God, we want to know that
our sins are forgiven, that my sins are forgiven. The regenerate soul wants to
know that he or she is forgiven. He wants to feel the blood of
sprinkling. Purge me with hyssop. and I shall
be clean. Oh, let me feel the efficacy
of the blood of Christ in my own soul. May I know that the
blood is applied to me. And then there is the fear of falling
into debt again, of falling into sin again. And forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation. Here is a confession of weakness
and of dependence upon the grace of God and upon the God of all
grace. Here is a prayer, then, for persevering
grace, for enduring grace, and lead us not into temptation. Well, as we come to our text
this morning, and to this sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer,
we shall consider something of the nature of the temptation
spoken of here, and something of the nature of God's leading,
which is spoken of here. And lead us not into temptation. Let's consider something of the
nature of temptation first. Now, the Scriptures speak essentially
of two types of temptation. One is an enticement to sin,
or to evil, and the other is a trial, or a testing, or a proving. The one is of the devil and aims
at the destruction of the soul, and the other is of God, and
it aims at the good and the well-being of the soul. And within these
two forms of temptation, of course, there are very many varieties.
And there are some temptations which may be said to be of both
God and the devil. And this is where the Lord grants
permission or gives leave to the devil to assault the child
of God. We see it in the case of Job.
In Job chapter 2 and verse 6, And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. So Satan went
forth from the presence of the Lord as smoke drove with sore
boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And we see it
also in the case of David. If you compare 2 Samuel 24 with
1 Chronicles 21 You'll see what I mean. 2 Samuel
24, the first verse says, and again the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to say,
go number Israel and Judah. So the Lord moved David to do
this thing. But in 1 Chronicles 21 it says,
and Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number
Israel. And so here we see that the Lord
moved David, but it was through the instrumentality of the devil
who provoked David. The devil is not a free agent. He is subject to the overruling
sovereignty of Almighty God, and likewise Satan's instruments.
the men of this world. They too are subject to the overruling
sovereignty of Almighty God. Remember Balaam, he was a wicked
man and he wanted to curse Israel. Oh, but he couldn't. He was forced
to acknowledge, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to
do either good or bad of mine own mind. Well, let us Firstly, consider
under this heading that form of temptation which is of God,
the trial of faith. The great example of faith in
the Old Testament is that of Abraham. He is said to be the
father of all them that believe. And so great was his faith. And
we see the trial of his faith in Genesis 22. We read that portion,
didn't we? 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 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 he was to be tried tempted great
faith must be greatly tried and you know the story and Abraham
rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took
two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and claved
the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went unto the
place of which God had told him Then on the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. He saw the place
afar off. What place did he see? He saw
the place of atonement. When asked by his son Isaac,
Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering? He said, My son, God will provide
himself a lamb for a burnt offering. God will provide himself a lamb.
for a burnt offering. Now remember Jesus said Abraham
rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. A lamb was
provided, a lamb which was slain in the place of his son. And Abraham lifted up his eyes
and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket
by his horns. And Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son. He saw by faith the substitutionary
atonement, the instead of me sacrifice, the instead of Isaac
sacrifice. But he saw more than that. He
saw by faith not only the substitutionary atonement, but he also saw the
resurrection, which is why mention is specifically made of the third
day. Then on the third day, Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. He saw the place of atonement
far off. in the far distant future, he
saw the place of the resurrection, afar off he saw Christ's day,
afar off he saw the third day. Paul says in Hebrews, By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received
the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was
said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that
God was able to raise him up even from the dead. From whence
also he received him in a figure. Oh, he saw the place of Pharloth,
the place of atonement, the place of the resurrection, He rejoiced
to see Christ's day. He saw it and was glad. Oh, but how he was tempted! How
he was tried! All the Lord's people must be
tried. All those who are of the household
of faith must be tried, and their faith must be tried. Many shall
be purified and made white and tried. But the wicked shall do
wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. None of the
wicked shall understand. There is a gracious purpose in
all the trials of the Lord's people, just as there was in
the tempting or proving of Abraham. It is that they might understand. Whoso is wise and will observe
these things, even they shall understand. the loving kindness
of the Lord. The psalmist could say, it is
good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn
thy statutes. The father always has a good
ending view in the trial of his saints. Hebrews 12 verse 6 For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth. and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected
us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? for they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. Oh, no wonder, in life, as the
Timonite says, In the book of Job, behold, happy is the man
whom God correcteth. And the psalmist in Psalm 94
says, blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and
teachest him out of thy law. In the trial of his saints, the
Lord has a good ending view. For I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, saith the Lord. thoughts of peace and not
of evil to give you an expected end. The Apostle says that we
rejoice in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we
glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation will give patience
and patience experience and experience hope. and hope maketh not ashamed,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given to us. Peter likewise rejoiced. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, for
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. And James says, my brethren,
count it all joy, count it all joy when you fall into diverse
temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh
patience, He goes on to say there in his epistle, doesn't he? Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall
receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him. In the light of all these scriptures
and all these promises how then can we pray and lead us not into
temptation Didn't the psalmist pray that
he might be tried? Search me, O God, and know my
heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Well, if we take this petition
to be speaking of that kind of temptation which is of God, the
trial of our faith, God's testing and proving of us, well then
surely we are here taught to pray that the Lord would not
suffer us to be tempted above that we are able. 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. Oh, we feel our weakness. And so we pray and lead us not
into temptation. Such a temptation as is likely
to overwhelm us. Such a temptation that we're
not able to bear. And surely we are to pray that
the Lord would not deal with us after our sins or as our sins
deserve. and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation. David prays in the 6th Psalm,
Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot
displeasure have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak. We feel
our weakness and we know that if the Lord was to deal with
us as our sins deserve we could not bear it. And is there not in this temptation
a prayer to be kept from the fiery trial which is to come
upon all the world? According to Christ's promise
in the Revelation, Because thou hast kept my word of patience,
I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall
come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
or we pray that we might be kept from that destruction that is
to come there is that form of temptation
then which is we might say is of God but let us consider in
the second place under this heading that form of temptation which
is of the devil or of our own corrupt fallen nature that form
of temptation which is an enticement to sin and it does seem that
this is primarily the form of temptation which is being spoken
of here because it continues from the previous petition and
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into
temptation those who are released from debt
surely will be very careful not to fall into debt again We want
to avoid it at all costs. Are we not taught here that the
grace of God in forgiving our offenses for Christ's sake does
not lead us to licentiousness? What then? Shall we sin because
we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid! Perish
the thought that because I am forgiven and because God forgives
all my sins, then I am free to sin with impunity. I can give
full reign to my heart's lusts. No. Perish the thought. And forgive
us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into
temptation. There is in these words the tacit
acknowledgement of our weakness and of our proneness. to sin
because of a fallen nature and there is surely in these
words the acknowledgement of our dependence upon the grace
of God not only to forgive us our sins but also to keep us
from sinning in the future and lead us not into temptation but there is a difficulty here
isn't there doesn't James say 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. But every man is tempted
when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. God is
not the author of sin and he does not tempt any to sin. So
why then are we exalted to pray and lead us not into temptation?
and lead us not into temptation? Well, in answer to this objection
we have to bear in mind that to say that God may lead into
the place of temptation or to the hour of temptation is not
the same as saying that God may tempt us to sin. Knowing something of the depravity
of our own sinful hearts and the power of sin within us we
beg God not to leave us to ourselves not to give us over to our own
hearts' lusts, not to give us over to the power of Satan, not
to give us over to the love of the world, not to lead us into
and leave us in the place where we may be so tempted as to be
overcome and fall into sin. There are those whom God judicially
hardens in sin. A solemn thought this is. There
are those whom God judicially hardens in their sin. Pharaoh was one such. But the
Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, we read, several times in the
book of Exodus. We read in Romans chapter 1,
don't we, of the reprobate and how God gives them over to uncleanness
and to vile affections, how he gives them over to a reprobate
mind. Romans chapter 1 verse 24, Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own
hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them
up. unto vile affections. For even
their women did change the natural use into that which is against
nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use
of the woman burned in their lust one toward another, men
with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was meat. And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, mark those words, without understanding,
the wicked shall not understand. Covenant breakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of
God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not
only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. They approve
of those who do them. Even if they don't do them themselves,
they give consent to them. What a description of the reprobate!
What a description of the generation of men today! And so we pray in this petition
and lead us not into temptation. We pray that we might not be
led to such a place or to such a time that we are tempted and
unable to resist. We are to watch and to pray against
the hardening of our own hearts. in sin and lead us not into temptation
David prays in Psalm 19 keep back thy servant also from presumptuous
sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright
and I shall be innocent from the great transgression in Psalm
141 he says incline not my heart to any evil thing to practice
wicked words with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of
their dainties. You know, being a seafaring nation, we
have many expressions in English which originated as nautical
expressions and one such expression is to sail close to the wind.
to sail close to the wind. To sail a boat close to the wind
is to try to sail in the direction from which the wind is blowing.
To sail as nearly against the wind as possible is a very tricky
thing to do, it's very risky. The boat is in danger of capsizing. And so, the expression as we
use it today means to sail close to the wind, it means to be on the verge of
indecency. Almost breaking the rules of
etiquette and decency, but not quite. Of being on the verge
of doing or saying something improper. Or almost, but not
quite, breaking the law to sail close to the wind. It's risque,
which of course is the French for risk. How many professed Christians
there are these days who sail close to the wind? They try to
sail as close to the world as they can. They try to imitate
the world as far as they can. Even in professed churches. That's
why they have stages instead of pulpits. Music and entertainment
instead of preaching. They try to imitate the world
as far as they can, as far as possible. And many, of course,
individuals, seem to sport with temptation, with sin. They go to places where Christians
ought not to be found. I've heard of professed Christians
going to nightclubs. People that go to the Christian
Union in the universities will meet up and go to the nightclub
on a Friday night. There are those who are happy
to meet and to mingle with the ungodly, with their swearing
and cursing and blaspheming of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It doesn't seem to bother them. They sail as close to the wind
as possible. and their boat is in danger of
capsizing Paul writes to Timothy of holding faith and a good conscience
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck of
whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have delivered unto Satan
that they may learn not to blaspheme let those who profess the name
of Christ not try to sail close to the wind, the wind of temptation
but let us rather by God's grace seek to avoid it and lead us
not into temptation lead us not into temptation all this is the
prayer of one who knows the plague of his own heart in the second
place let us consider something regarding God's leading from
these words of the sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer and lead
us not into temptation we can consider God's leading both positively
and negatively now actually we've already been considering God's
leading negatively the petition is put negatively isn't it and
lead us not into temptation it is to pray that God might that
God might lead us as he led the children of Israel when they
came out of Egypt. There in Exodus 13 at verse 17
we read, And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people
go, that God led them, not through the way of the land of the Philistines,
although that was near. For God said, Lest for adventure
the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.
He knew their weakness. And we pray that the Lord might
consider our weakness, our proneness to wonder, our proneness to sin. Concerning the trial of faith,
we ask that He might remember that we are but dust. Concerning
chastisement, we ask that He might not chasten us in His hot
displeasure, that He would not deal with us as our sins deserve. We pray that He might keep us
from the hour of temptation, which is to try all the world
of the ungodly. We pray that we might prove his
faithfulness and that he would not suffer us to be tempted above
that we are able, but that he would, with the temptation, also
make a way of escape that we might be able to bear it. In
this manner he dealt with the Israelites when they came out
of Egypt. And it came to pass when Pharaoh
had let the people go that God led them not through the way
of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God
said, lest for adventure the people repent when they see war
and may return to Egypt. And concerning the enticement
to sin, whether of the devil or of our own flesh, we ask that
the Lord would keep us from sinning against him. We might say that
in the previous petition, in the fifth petition, we're praying
for our justification. and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors. In this petition we pray for
our sanctification and lead us not into temptation. We pray
that we might be kept from presumptuous sins, that they might not have
dominion over us, that our innocency might be preserved. We pray that
the Lord might not incline our hearts to any evil thing, that
our hearts might not be hardened in sin like the reprobate. We
pray that we might be enabled by divine
grace to hold faith and a good conscience how precious that
is, a good conscience that concerning faith we might
not make shipwreck that the name of God might not be blasphemed
by us that his name be not blasphemed on our account remember This
petition, as with all the petitions of this pattern prayer, is subservient
to the first and great petition. Hallowed be thy name. We are
ever to have a concern for the name and for the glory of God. Many times it was written of
the children of Israel that they had profaned the name of God
among the heathen. And this they did when they fell
into sin and the Lord brought judgments upon them. And so Paul
addresses the Jews in Romans chapter 2, he says, For the name
of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is
written. Oh, if God's name is blasphemed
when the professing people of God fall into sin, then surely
His name is glorified when they walk uprightly. And so Christ
teaches his disciples here in the Sermon on the Mount, let
your light so shine before men that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in heaven. And so we come
to the positive aspect of God's leading and of this petition. And lead us not into temptation
rather May we be led in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Again David prays in Psalm 31,
For thou art my rock and my fortress. Therefore for thy namesake lead
me and guide me. Pull my feet out of the net that
they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength. Well
what is that net that is laid privily for the believer? Well
surely it is temptation. It's temptation. and he's laid
in order to ensnare the child of God and to entangle him in
sin and here again we see how the child of God feels his own
weakness and he's brought to depend upon the strength of God
for thou art my strength oh how we need the Lord to lead us and
to guide us and to keep us from the paths of the destroyer many
are the enemies of the child of God many are the enemies of
the child of God Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because
of mine enemies. Make thy way straight before
my face. This is the positive way to pray
this petition and lead us not into temptation. Lead me, O Lord,
in thy righteousness because of mine enemies. Again, David
prays in Psalm 27. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and
lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies. who are our
enemies, they threaten to overcome us. What enemies? Indwelling
sin. Our lusts and all the corruptions
of our fallen nature. The world, whether it's friendship
or it's hatred. And of course there is the devil.
Lead me in a plain path because of my enemies. We are to pray
that we might be led according to the truth of God's Word. lead
me in thy truth lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art
the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day oh this
is a part of our sanctification isn't it? sanctify them through
thy truth Jesus prayed for his disciples sanctify them through
thy truth thy word is truth And so we pray that we might be sanctified
and led according to the truth of God's Holy Word. O send out
thy light and thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring
me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles. In praying,
and lead us not into temptation, we are praying that we might
be led by the Spirit of God Romans 8 verse 13 For if ye live
after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Again the psalmist prays, Thy
Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness. Oh,
in praying and lead us not into temptation, we are praying that
we might be led by the Spirit of God. Led by the Spirit of
God. And is it not ultimately to pray
that we might be led to the Lord Jesus Christ? That we might be
enabled by the grace of God to continually look to Him. Hear my cry, O God. Attend unto my prayer. From the
end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed,
lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for thou hast been a
shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy." Or when my heart
is overwhelmed and I'm almost ready to give up. Indeed when
I'm tempted to despair because of cross providences and the
trial of my faith. when I am brought to despair
and tempted to give up all religion because I'm so overwhelmed with
a sense of my sin and the power of indwelling sin. Oh then lead
me, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Lead me to
Jesus and to his blood and his righteousness. The Apostle exhorts us to consider
him consider him for consider him that endured such contradiction
of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin oh here is where our strength
lies yes I am all weakness But here is strength, here is where
my strength lies. It lies in the one who has overcome
all temptations and who is able to succor those that are in any
way tempted. For in that he himself has suffered
being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. he's able to help support all
those who are tempted Paul goes on to say there in Hebrews for
we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we
are yet without sin he knows what it is to suffer
he knows what it is to suffer he knows what it is to be weary
to be tired to be hungry, to be thirsty. He knows what it
is to be falsely accused. He knows what it is to suffer
pain. And he knows what it is to die. All these temptations he overcame.
Temptations, that's how he himself describes his sufferings in his
state of humiliation. Ye are they which have continued
with me in my temptations, he said to his disciples. He overcame
all these temptations, He overcame the cruel death of the cross
being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit and
so now He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by Him seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for
them for all those who come to God through Him. We read earlier of the devil's
temptation didn't we in Matthew chapter 4 the Lord Jesus Christ
overcame all the devil's temptations and he overcame them all on behalf
of his people you know John Milton wrote Paradise Lost regarding
the temptation of Adam and Eve but he also wrote Paradise Regained
it's based on Matthew chapter 4 the temptation of Christ Paradise
Regained he overcame the devil's temptations and all those who
look to Him who believe in Him and upon Him they shall every
one of them overcome too that is the promise of the Gospel
Revelation 12 verse 10 And I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom
of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of
our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day
and night, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives
unto the dead. Oh, we are more than conquerors,
more than conquerors through him that loved us. In conclusion,
has not the Lord given us the means whereby we may overcome
all temptations of whatsoever sort they be? Jesus said to his
disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, pray ye, mark those words, pray
ye, Pray ye that ye enter not into temptation. Pray that ye
enter not into temptation. And so here in this pattern prayer,
commonly called the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray by the
Sovereign Head of the Church and lead us not into temptation. Prayer is the means which the
Lord has given by which we may overcome all temptation. You know, so a temptation of
the devil, this is one of his temptations. To say, well, God
doesn't hear your prayers. He doesn't answer your prayers.
What's the point of praying? That's a temptation. Let us heed
the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and not the devil's suggestions.
Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Pray and lead us not into temptation. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. for we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities
but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Why do we need mercy? Because
of our debts, because of our sins and forgive us our sins
as we forgive the debts of others. And why do we need grace? Or that we might not sin against
him. That we might be upheld by him and kept by him. Or that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. May the Lord then bless his word
to each of our souls and may he enable us to pray in true
faith and lead us not into temptation. Amen.