Lead Us Not Into Temptation (Mat 6.13)

Matthew Sermon 22 – Lead Us Not Into Temptation (Mat 6.13)

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Podcast intro

This particular sermon is entitled, “Lead Us Not Into Temptation.” And as the name implies, it concerns Jesus’ final petition in the Lord’s Prayer. This petition is simple and straightforward, but if we are thinking at all, it gives rise to a number of questions concerning the nature and purpose of temptation. The complexity of the topic can be seen in the fact that the Greek word for “temptation” in the Lord’s Prayer is elsewhere rendered “trial” and “test.”

So, which is it – are they trials, tests, or temptations? Are they good or bad? Should we seek them or avoid them? And what is the source of trials, test, and temptations? Is it God, Satan, or our own desires? If they come from Satan or from our own sinful desires, is God sovereign over them? Does he use them for good in our lives? And what should be our attitude be toward trials, tests, and temptations? Should we be fearful or confident?

All these questions and more are implicated by Jesus’ simple petition, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” And so we see once again that Jesus is not simply giving us something to pray, he is putting the truth in our mouths. I hope you enjoy the sermon. Thanks for listening. –Alan Burrow

Discussion questions

1. In the sermon, Pastor Burrow said, “As Jesus shows us, being a perfect son does not consist in having no needs, but in perfectly looking to the Father to meet those needs.” Does this truth put living for God in a different light for you? How so? What changes will you make in your daily walk as a result?

2. Overcoming temptation and the evil one was something God expected of Adam (even before the fall) and of Jesus, the new Adam. And God tested Adam and Jesus in this regard (Rom 5.14, 17-18). One implication is that, while sin makes the process more difficult, overcoming temptation and the evil one are rooted in sonship – they are part of the process of sons growing up to be like their Father, the one who destroys evil (Isa 25.7-8; 1John 1.5). Does this truth put contending with temptation, evil, and the evil one in a different light for you? How so? Will this help you as you encounter temptations and trials? What will you do differently?

3. Read Gen 3.1-7. What do the serpent’s words tell us about how the evil one tempts us? What mistakes did Eve make that opened her to temptation? (You may also want to consider 1Tim 2.14.) What mistakes did Adam make that opened him to temptation?

4. Read Mat 4.1-11. What did Jesus do differently from Adam and Eve? What takeaways can we draw in terms of how we should deal with trials and temptations?