“The Lord’s Prayer - Part 3”
Sermon Title: The Lord’s Prayer - Part 3
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)
Introduction – Part 1 and 2 recap:
The Lord’s Prayer is a framework of Christian life that is consistent with the Kingdom of Heaven. We must internalize this prayer deep in our hearts by understanding what Jesus is teaching us through all the parts of this prayer: (1) “Our father in heaven” is about intimacy with God who is a loving and compassionate Father; (2) “hallowed be your name” is about the tension/balance we hold towards God as an intimate and loving father but also a most holy God; (3) “your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven” is about manifesting the things of Heaven on the Earth below as part of God’s justice; (4) “Give us this day our daily bread” is about trusting and relying on the efficiency and sufficiency of God as our daily source and provider; (5) “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (alt: “… trespasses as we have forgiven those who have trespassed against us”) reflects God’s grace and the need to be forgiven and to forgive others. Our love for God cannot be disconnected from our love for others.
Message:
1. “Lead us not into temptation” expresses our weakness in temptation.
- Temptation is a recurring issue in the Bible – Adam and Eve (Gen. 3), Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39), Achan (Joshua 7), Samson (Judges 13-16), King David (2 Sam. 11), and Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
- Temptation is a sign of our human frailty and weakness. We should not be surprised that we feel temptations from time to time.
- There is room for misunderstanding from this portion of the prayer with a surface reading. (1) It does NOT mean that God causes the temptation. For example, God will not place a chocolate cake in front of you when you diet and tells you to resist it. James 1:13-14 explains clearly that God cannot tempt with evil and He himself tempts no one, but we are tempted by the desires of our own heart.
- The word “tempt” in “lead us not into temptation” can be seen as “enticement” or “testing.” In the context of the Lord’s Prayer, “testing” is the proper interpretation and can be reiterated as: “Lord please don’t test me, because I’m going to fail. Lord, I know myself! Don’t let us be put to the test.” This portion of prayer is a vote of no confidence in our ability. Jesus reminds us that we are weak and vulnerable.
- It is difficult for us to admit that we are weak and vulnerable. We have a natural inclination to hide our dark sides, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. It is difficult to show our weakness and frailty when we live in a world that demands strength, power, and competence. But the body of Christ, in the presence of Jesus, is not about our own strength, power, and competence. We are called to be honest about our weakness and frailty and find God’s strength, God’s power, and God’s perfection (2 Cor. 12:9-11).
- Like relapse, in addiction or mental health, we are called to recognize and confess our weakness to the Lord and know how easy it is, how prone we are, how it doesn’t take much for us to fall into temptation.
2. "But deliver us from the evil one" is talking warfare against the evil one, the Devil. It is a recognition of a greater warfare beyond what our physical eyes can see.
- The word “deliver” is a violent action term that describes an instant snatching, pulling, dragging away from destruction by a more powerful God when the evil one lures and tempts us into danger.
- We are so prone to fall to our desires and pleasures that we easily fall prey to the evil one and we all need God to snatch and drag us away from our destruction (from destructive relationships, addictions, fears and anxieties, materialism, sexual immorality, pornography, etc.).
- The word “deliver” means to rescue from danger. We need God because only a power stronger than you can deliver and save you. Our own willpower will only get us so far in this spiritual warfare, so we pray for deliverance from the evil one.
- Some translations say “evil one” while others say only “evil”, but they all entail the same things: (1) the evil one is Satan; (2) the evil on is an evil person; (3) the evil one is the evil of our own heart.
- In all conflicts, it is always against flesh and blood, always against people. We must understand that these are only surface level. Beneath the messiness and ugliness of life, are principalities and powers, which are demonic forces, fueling all the messiness and darkness of the world – broken relationships, absurd social and political ideologies (sex and gender issues, Critical Race Theory, false religions, violence, crimes, wars – underneath the evil one and his demonic forces continue to fuel them. We do not wrestle against the flesh (Eph. 6:12). The evil one is strong, but our God is stronger!
3. “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” expresses hope.
- We recognize, "Lord the only hope that this world has is that YOUR kingdom, YOUR power, and YOUR glory will reign forever." This is the ONLY hope we have. We wait in anticipation for the day when the Lord makes everything right, restores and heals this broken world. This is how we close our prayer. We are asking God to fill us with hope for things we do not yet see with our eyes.
- This prayer reshapes, re-establishes, and reframes our worldview to be in line with the Kingdom of God. Our ultimate hope is knowing that Jesus’ Kingdom, Power, and Glory is eternal. Amen.
Reflection and Response
Throughout the Lord’s Prayer, there are key words for each section: intimacy; holiness; justice; dependence; grace; weakness; warfare; hope. Towards which word is God drawing your heart?
Throughout this prayer that Jesus has taught us, to which line is God drawing you towards?
- Our Father in Heaven – has your relationship with God has been distant and uncomfortable. Have you had difficulty seeing God as a tender, loving, compassionate intimate Father?
- Hallowed be your name – have you lacked reverence for God's holiness? Was He more a cosmic vending machine than your Lord and King?
- Your Kingdom come and your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven – have you been indifferent and apathetic in seeking God’s justice and the things of Heaven in the world that we live in? Are you seeking the things of Heaven so that they will be manifest in your life and in your community and the world?
- give us this day our daily bread – do you depend on God on a daily basis in all aspects of your life or are you content to rely on your own strength. Are you building a relationship with God daily?
- Forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us) – do you walk in the way of God’s grace and forgiveness? Is your love for God reflected in your love for others? Do you seek forgiveness as much as you forgive?
- lead us not into temptation – have you been trying to figure out and overcome your temptations, addictions, and problems by your own strength? The Lord invites you to confess, “Lord these are my struggles and weaknesses. If you leave me alone to myself, you know I'm going to fail, so Lord please do not put me to the test.”
- Deliver Us from the evil one – are you caught in destructive behaviors and pattern of life and need God to rescue you, to snatch you away, and drag you away to safety? Do you realize that it is not against the flesh that we fight but the unseen demonic forces underneath? Do you realize that these forces are greater than yourself and only a greater power can save you, and that greater power is Jesus alone?
- For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen – have you been living with a sense of hopelessness and despair? Has your hope been placed in other things other than the eternal promise of God, in His Kingdom, Power, and Glory? Have those things been sufficient and efficient in saving you from your hopelessness and despair? May you be re-established and reshaped by this new frame of hope in God’s kingdom power and glory.
So which part of this prayer has your name on it?