Would you turn back to Matthew chapter six? Leave us not into temptation. That ought to be something that is on our heart all the time. Leave us not into temptation. Now, temptation to sin, is part of the fallen human condition. I am a sinner if I am capable of being tempted to sin. Just being tempted is sin. Christ could not be tempted. Somebody says, well, what about the scripture where he says he was tempted at all points like as we, yet without sin? How can you say Christ could not be tempted? He was not tempted to commit sin. He's God. Can God be tempted to commit sin? No. Jesus Christ is God. John 1, 1 in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Christ could not be tempted in that sense.

I love it when he says, the prince of this world has come and found nothing in me, nothing to work with. How much does he have to work with you and me? A whole lot. But he had nothing to work with in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is impeccable.

He was tempted in all points like as we are in this sense. When he was made sin, he never committed sin, but when he was made sin, he experienced all the horror of temptation. He experienced all the horror of abandonment, of rejection and forsaken of his father. He experienced all that much more acutely than you and I ever have. You know, when you feel guilty, you've never felt as guilty as he did when he was made sin.

He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin. Now, why would we make this request? Lead us not into temptation. And remember, this is as the other request, one that is to be done in the closet. This is private before God. Lead us not into temptation. Why would we make that prayer? Well, first of all, because he told us to. That's a good reason, isn't it? When he's teaching us to pray.

But I'm saying, let me not be tempted, I fear and mistrust myself. If I am tempted, I will fall before that temptation. And I'm asking to not be tempted. I'm so weak, I'm so sinful, with such a sinful heart, with such a sinful nature, such a proclivity to sin, that when tempted, I'll be overcome, and I'm asking you, don't let me be tempted. That ought to be a big part of our prayer on a daily basis. Don't let me be tempted.

I'm so weak, I'm so sinful, I will fall. Now, this is true about every human being, believer and unbeliever alike. We're born that way. dead in trespasses and sins. David said, in sin did my mother conceive me. And you know, everybody has issues, don't they? Everybody has character flaws. Everybody has weaknesses. Everyone has particular weaknesses that are particular to them.

Lord, let me not be tempted. I even don't want my brother to be tempted. I'm not just saying this for myself. Remember, he said, lead us not into temptation. Not just lead me, but lead us not into temptation. Lord, don't let me be tempted. Don't let me be put in a position where I can be tempted.

Sad experience tells me what will happen when I am. Listen to these words from the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter six, verse one. if a brother be overtaken in a fault. Don't you see how easy that would be for your brother to be overtaken in a fault, just like it would be easy for you to be overtaken in a fault, captured, overtaken, defeated.

You, which are spiritual, Point it out to him. Let him know how wrong he is. You which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. You understand, you really do understand that if you're tempted like he was, you'll act worse than he did. you really believe it. Restore your brother, pray for him, accept him, preach the gospel to him. In the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.

Every one of us ought to know how easily we can be led astray. Isn't that the case with regard to sheep? Sheep are easily led astray. And the animal that the Lord uses to describe his people, sheep. Sheep, they're dumb. They're dirty. They can't protect themselves. They don't have claws. They don't have fangs. They're easily led astray. And the only way they can be brought back is for the shepherd to come and bring them back. Now, what is meant by temptation? Lead us not into temptation.

And this is, like I said, a big part of our prayer when we pray. This is something we're aware of. I'm so weak, I'm so sinful, that if I'm tempted, I'll fall. Let me not be tempted. Well, there are two things meant by temptation. First, a trial, a testing. And then the second meaning is the enticement to sin. That one word is used by both of those things. A trial, a testing, an enticement to sin.

Genesis chapter 22, verse 1, it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham. Abraham was an old man. It could be some of your biggest trials were ahead of you. Abraham was an old man. And it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, saying, take now thy son, thy only son, whom thou lovest, and offer him up to me as a burnt offering on a mountain that I'll show thee of."

What a trial. What a testing. Now, somebody says, well, what about that scripture in James where it says that, let no man say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, but a man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Well, that's true, but that's not talking about a trial. God sends your way. God is going to try me. God is going to try you. And it'll be for your good, but God is going to try.

What a severe trial sickness is. If you're sick, you know it is. And I'm not talking about having a cold. I'm talking about sickness. What a trial health is. If you're feeling so good, you might forget God. What a trial failure is. What a trial success is. Everything is a trial from God. Everything The trial of wealth? What a trial. Somebody comes into a lot of money, pray for them. They need it. What a terrible position to be in. The trial of poverty? The trial of being given a position of power? How do you handle it? The trial of loneliness? I think of the way God said to Satan, have you considered my servant, Joe? He brought Job up to Satan. Have you considered my servant Job?

There's none like him in the earth, a perfect man, one who fears God and eschews evil. Now, when I was a kid, I'd read passages of scripture like that, and I thought they were just better back then, or at least they didn't have the same temptations we have, because look at the way they're described. No, this describes every believer, a perfect man. Perfect in Christ Jesus.

One who fears God. And this is not a slavish fear of, oh no, I did wrong, he's gonna bank me. That's not the fear of God. The fear of God is that reverence, that awe before God that whatever he does is right. And you demonstrate the fear of God only when you look to Christ only. When you look to Christ only and nowhere else, you fear God. You have a reverence toward God. Now, if you look to your works, you have no fear of God, you have no understanding of God. But if you know who he is, you look to Christ only. This describes every believer.

How did Satan reply? Does he fear you for naught? You put a hedge about him, you've made him rich, he's the richest man in the East. You've given him health, you've given him a great family, he's got it made. take your hand off of him, take away his wealth, take away his health, take away his family, and we'll see what he is.

And the Lord allowed Satan to take away everything from him but his life. Now, God was trying, Job, for his good, to make him a better man, to humble him. You see, if you read the book of Job, he had such a high opinion of himself. But by the end of that book, he said, I've heard of thee with the hearing of the ears, but now mine eyes have seen thee. And I hate myself and repent of all the low thoughts I've had of you, of all the high thoughts I've had of myself. I repent in dust. and ashes.

Now, Satan is called the tempter. Would you turn back to Genesis chapter 3, the first temptation in the garden? Now, something that is amazing about this, there's not a more important passage of scripture than this in all the Word of God. This is foundational.

Satan was tempting someone without a fallen nature. She didn't, she was not sinful when he tempted her. And he got her to sin. If he did that, what could he do with me and you? The tempter. Genesis chapter three, verse one. Now the serpent, whom Christ called the tempter, the serpent, was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

And he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, I'm reading this in, no, he didn't say that. We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. Remember, there was only one tree they were forbidden to eat of. But Satan slightly changed it. This is how important it is to stick with exactly what God has said. Satan slightly changed it. Hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? No, he didn't say that. The woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.

Now before we go on, remember evil was before the fall. Now, Satan fell from heaven, Isaiah chapter 14, Revelation chapter 12, we don't know when this took place, have no idea, no point in speculating on it, but there was evil before the fall because Satan was before the fall, tempting her to evil. And even then, he was doing God's will. God's devil on God's chain doing God's will. I love to say that. I mean, it scares me, I think, what Satan could do to me, but I trust the Lord Protect me from him.

But she says, verse three, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, that tree of knowledge of good and evil, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. Now, I don't know how significant this is, but we don't read where God said, neither shall you touch it. but she seemed to add something to what God said. Maybe this is where touch not, taste not, handle not thinking came from. He said not to touch it. Well, we don't have it recorded he said that, and she seems to have added something to what God said, and the fall has already begun. Verse four. And the serpent said unto the woman, you shall not surely die God is not telling you the truth. You shall not surely die. He'd gone from a modification to a denial. You shall not surely die.

Now look at his reasoning. For God doth know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Remember, the tree was called the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of this tree, you'll be as God, you'll be like God. You'll know good and evil.

Now here is his reasoning. There's no goodness in you right now because you don't use your will in choosing good over evil. You're just obeying your nature. There's no moral virtue in the way you are. You were created this way, and you don't choose good over evil. You just follow your nature, your natural impulses, and there's no virtue in it.

But here's what is the truth with regard to God. God knows good and evil. And with His will, He chooses the good over the evil. And if you eat this fruit, you'll be like God. You'll make the choice of good over evil. That's what will make you like God.

You know, that kind of makes sense in the sense that it seems like it would be better to choose good over evil than to just obey your nature. It seems like that would be better. That's what he thought. It sounded, made sense to her. Made sense to her, I want to be like God.

And really, when you want to be like God, means you don't want God's thumb to be upon you. You want to be free from God. Free will is essentially free from his sovereign will. Free from his reign over me, not wanting that. The temptation was free will. And that's the issue today, just like it was then. Free will.

Verse six, and the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat. Now you'll notice the three things that she saw. She saw that it was good for food. The lust of the flesh. It was pleasant to the eyes. The lust of the eyes. It was a tree desired to make one wise. Pride of life. Same thing the Lord used with, or the same thing Satan used with the Lord in the day of temptation.

So what did she do? She did eat, and you know nothing happened. She didn't die. She wasn't changed at all. This is great. It tastes good. Nothing happened. Look at him, nothing happened to me. Here it is, it won't happen to you either. God said to Adam, Eve wasn't even around when he said this, in the day you eat. You shall surely die. You see, Adam was the representative man. When Adam ate of the fruit, Adam died spiritually. That's when their eyes were opened. And they knew they were naked. They knew they were naked beforehand. It wasn't even an issue.

But now it's an issue. because he's got a spiritually dead nature and you and I inherited his spiritually dead nature. And that is where our proclivity to giving into temptation comes from. We have a sinful nature inherited by our father, Adam. Turn with me for a moment to Matthew chapter four. For by one man's sin, entered the world in death by sin, so that death passed upon all men, in that all have sinned." Now look at the way the Lord handled the same temptation.

Now, remember, the Lord has gone 40 days without eating or drinking. I cannot imagine that. He's gone 40 days without eating or drinking. Can you imagine how thin and weak and hungry and thirsty he was at that time. Verse one, then was Jesus led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward hungered.

And when the tempter came to him and said, if thou be the son of God. Now, here it's called the tempter, and I have no doubt he was there when the Lord was baptized. You reckon he was looking at everything about him? He had some idea who he was. And he heard the father say from heaven, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased.

Well, if you are, prove it. You're hungry? Look at these stones. Command them to be made bread. He gave the scripture answer. You see, you can't command him to be made bread. And if he's your representative, he's gonna have to be in the same position you are. He could've, but he wouldn't because he's my substitute. He said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes.

He brings him up on the top of the temple. And he says, the devil quotes scripture. If you're the son of God, prove it, jump off, because the Bible says he'll give his angels charge over thee and they'll catch you unless you dash your foot against the stone. Now, if you jump off the temple and go flying down, all of a sudden an angel appears and catches you and keeps you from getting broken up, you'll prove to us you're the son of God. The Lord said, it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. If he said something, it's true. If you're saying prove it, you're saying against him. The Lord doesn't have anything to prove. He is who he is. He doesn't need to prove it to anybody.

But what Satan is doing is saying, give us some proof that we can see that you really are the Son of God. And then the third temptation, verse eight, again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. And he saith unto him, all these will I give thee. That's the pride of life. Power. Power. Pleasure, popularity, and power. Those are the three temptations.

You'll have all this power, then Jesus saith unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Now turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. And we're gonna see from this. Listen, temptation, To sin is very, very real. There's pleasure in sin for a season. And everybody in this room knows what it is to struggle with temptation to sin. This is a much greater temptation.

2 Corinthians chapter 11. Verse two, for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Now here is the greatest temptation you and I face.

Being corrupted from the simplicity of Christ. You know, he doesn't know infallibly whether or not you're one of the elect. If he knew you were one of the elect, he wouldn't bother. But he doesn't know. So he'll Do all he can to corrupt you from the simplicity of Christ, because if he can do that, you won't be saved.

Now you can fall to temptation. Doesn't the scripture say in Proverbs 7, a righteous man falleth seven times a day and rises up? That word seven means this, he falls all the time. And don't you know that's up with you? He falls all the time, but by the grace of God, he's raised up. But the wicked fall, and they don't get back up. I love what John said, these things write unto you, but sin not. We ought not ever sin again.

But this is where he, he's not trying to tempt you. Well, maybe he is, but here's his main temptation. To tempt you from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? Christ alone. Not Christ and. Christ alone. That's what the simplicity means, nothing else. The singularity of Christ. Christ alone as the only ground of my salvation, as the only object of my faith, as the only reason for assurance. as the only message of the Bible, as the only message to be preached, Christ alone.

If we're corrupted from that, we'll not be saved. And that's how serious this is. Satan will be quite happy for you to believe Christ and, but not Christ alone. because there's no saving power in Christ and, but oh, the saving power in Christ alone. Now, temptation involves more than being tempted to commit an outward sin. It's to be corrupted from the simplicity that's in Christ.

Now, you'll remember what the Lord said in Gethsemane's garden Disciples. You know, as I, I know he said, when you pray, pray like this, but we don't have any examples of them ever praying while they walked with the Lord, not one. And the only time he said, pray, he said, watch and pray with me that you enter not into temptation. And what did they do? They fell asleep. They fell asleep. You know, we don't ever read the Lord calling one of them to pray that I'm aware of.

Lead us in prayer. No, he's the one who did the praying, didn't he? But at this time, he said, watch and pray with me as he knew he was getting ready to bear the sins of his people and be forsaken by God when he sweat great drops of blood at the thought of what he was going to go through. He said, watch and pray with me.

And he comes back and oh, what? Couldn't you watch one hour with me? The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. It's powerless. The Lord knew that, but he said, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Lord, lead us not into temptation. Prevent it from happening. I repeat, the Lord brought up Job to Satan. And it all worked together for Job's good. Every horrible thing that he experienced, God was working it together for his good and his own glory. Aren't you thankful for that?

Turn with me to Matthew 26. I want to look at a final passage here on temptation. We'll first turn to Luke chapter 22. We'll get to Matthew 26 in a moment, but Luke 22. Verse 31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon. You know, every time he repeated somebody's name, it was with special affection. Paul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Mary, Mary. It was always with the deepest affection. The Lord loves his people. I'm so thankful for that. His saving love. You know, when people talk about the love of God in generic terms, he loves everybody the same, yet some of those people might wind up in hell. That's not love. No love to that. Those he loves, he saves. Simon, Simon.

Behold Satan. hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Satan asked permission to have Peter. He asked the Lord for permission. You know, Satan can't make a move without asking the Lord permission. Don't you love that? Remember the demons? Suffer us to go into the herd of swine. And Jesus gave them leave. Not even a demon can make a move without His glorious permission. He's Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of the universe, equal to the Father. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that your faith fail not. Not that you don't fall, but that your faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And we all know What happened to Peter after this? First, we know his swagger, don't we? Turn to Matthew 26 now. Well, but let's say he's at 33.

As soon as the Lord said that to him, and he said in him, Lord, I'm ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death. I'm not gonna do that. And as a matter of fact, in the other account, he said these other fellows will, but not me. He had a lot of swagger at this time. And that's when the Lord said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt deny that thou knowest me. Now, don't miss that. He didn't say you deny me. He said you deny that you know me. There's a difference.

Remember when the Lord said, He that denies me before men, him shall I deny before my heavenly Father. Now Peter, as we're gonna see, he knew Christ, but he didn't deny that he was the Son of God. Even when he was saying, I don't know the man, and began to curse and swear, he still believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now turn to Matthew chapter 26 now.

Hold your finger here, Luke, because we're going to go back there. Matthew 26. shall be scattered abroad. You know, everything that's happened, happened because it's written. Everything. But after I'm risen again, I'll go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Not me.

And you know, Peter meant that. He meant it from the depths of his heart. He thought that would be it. As a matter of fact, when the people came to arrest Christ, remember when Peter, it was Peter, John tells us that, he was trying to cut the guy's head off. He was gonna take on a whole army. That's how confident he felt in himself. He's gonna take on a whole army. And the guy ducked and just got his ear. And the Lord put his ear back on.

But Peter, it's not like he was some cowardly man. but he was just as weak as me and you, a weak and a sinful man. Verse 35, Peter said unto him, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee? Likewise also said all the disciples. Now look in verse 71 of the same chapter. Verse 69, I mean. Now Peter said, without in the palace and a damsel. He was going to take on a whole army, but not the damsel, a young girl that couldn't have done anything to Peter. came into him saying, Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee, but he denied before them all saying, I know not what you're saying.

Now, can you imagine how his conscience is screaming at him at that time? The Lord told him he's gonna do this. Here he goes doing it. And he feels like he's on a tidal wave carrying him. He can't resist it. He's going down and he feels it. Verse 71, and he was gone out into the porch.

Another maid saw him and said to him, this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again, he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him, David stood by and said to Peter, surely thou art one of them for that speech, but what of thee? Then began he to curse and to swear. He's making sure his speech doesn't betray him now.

You're gonna know that I don't know him because of my language. And say, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. You know what Luke's account tells us? Jesus looked at him. He didn't say anything. He looked at him, and that look broke Peter's heart. He went out and weeped bitterly, and I have no doubt that Peter thought he was not saved. I've denied the Lord. I was given a chance to make up for it, and I failed the second time. I doubly failed the third time. I've denied the Lord. He's gonna deny me on judgment day. I'm not a believer.

But you remember what the Lord, the angel said, the Lord told him to say, you go tell my disciples and Peter, make sure you tell Peter that I am risen from the dead. Now through this gut-wrenching story. We can see ourselves in Peter, but it's through this story we find out what faith is. Now you listen real carefully. Faith is not believing you're saved. You got that? Faith is knowing who He is. Peter didn't believe he was saved.

But remember what the Lord prayed? He said, I prayed for you that your faith fail not. And his faith didn't fail. He didn't quit believing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. He believed he wasn't saved. And he needed this fail. He was so arrogant. He had such a swagger, just like Job. When you're converted, strengthen your brethren. But here is the very essence of saving faith. Now let me ask you a question.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe He is God's Christ? Do you believe he's the creator of the universe? Do you believe that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in his body? He's the great, mysterious God-man, the man Christ Jesus, and because of who he is, it's incapable for him to fail in whatever he's intending to do. And all your hope of being saved is in who he is. Whoso believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. But don't, don't but. What about, do you believe that he's the Christ? God's Christ, God's prophet, God's priest, God's king? You have saving faith.

Lord, we pray, lead us not into temptation. For Lord, we know how weak and sinful we are. Lord, would you put this in our hearts like it never has been before. Lead us not into temptation. But Lord, how thankful we are that you've given us this story of Peter and his fall that makes us not just realize he's weak and we're weak. but we're given a true view of what faith is when you did not let his faith to fail.

Bless this message for your glory and for our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Let's close with number 125. Jesus paid it all. Hymn number 125. ♪ I hear the Savior say ♪ Thy strength indeed is small ♪ Child of weakness watch and pray ♪ Find in me thine all in all Jesus paid it all, all the debt I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. For now, indeed, I find My power and thine alone can change the leper's spots and melt the heart of stone. Jesus paid it all, all the debt I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. For nothing good have I Whereby thy grace to claim I'll wash my garments white In the blood of Calvary's lamb Jesus paid it all All the debt I owe Sin had left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow And when before the throne I stand in incomplete Jesus died my soul to save My lips shall still repeat Jesus paid it all All the dead I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. Yeah.