Luke 11:1-4 - Great Dangers, Greater Savior

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Turn with me to Luke 11 again as we continue our study through Luke.

And this morning reached the end of the Lord's Prayer itself.

One more week on prayer next week.

I'm so thankful for what God has been doing in my life with this.

I grew up in the church, so I talked a lot about praying.

I knew it was a good thing, and I wanted to be a good person, so I said I prayed a lot.

A problem for most of my life was that I didn't.

I really prayed at the times you were supposed to pray, you know, when everybody prayed, and it looked good.

But over the past couple of years, especially as I've been studying this section of Luke's Gospel on prayer,

I find God leading me to pray not merely because I'm supposed to, but because I need to.

I love that.

I get to talk to my Heavenly Father, to tell Him what's on my heart,

and to rejoice in being a part of His kingdom work.

We're going to see this morning the final petition of the Lord's Prayer,

and it's another reason that we especially need to pray, and we especially get to pray.

Let's read again Luke 11 at verse 1.

Now, Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him,

Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.

And He said to them,

When you pray, say,

Father, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins.

For we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.

This is God's holy word.

Let's pray and ask His help as we study it together.

Father, we do come to You desperate this morning.

Those of us who listen, and the one who speaks as well, we all need to hear from You.

And so we've come to Your Word, and do so with great hope.

Because we know You love to speak to us.

And so, Father, by Your Spirit, through Your Word, would You speak clearly to all of our hearts.

We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

One of the most famous battles of the War of 1812 is the Battle of New Orleans.

It's famous because Andrew Jackson was the American general who led his troops to defeat the British forces in this great battle.

And later then became president, somewhat on the popularity coming out of this battle.

It's also famous because when the battle was fought, the war had been over for two weeks.

The two sides had met together in Belgium and signed a peace treaty two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans.

But while the battle was taking place, news of that treaty was still traveling by ship across the Atlantic.

And so these two armies, unaware of what had developed, walked into danger.

Hundreds of men killed in a major battle even after the war was over.

The dynamic of battles after wars are officially over has continued through the years, through the American Civil War.

Several battles after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse happened in World War I.

And even with communication improving still after World War II,

where some Japanese soldiers refused to surrender for decades after the war was over.

Into the 1970s, some still fighting to the death or insisting that the news they'd heard of Japan surrendering was merely propaganda.

That it wasn't true, they were still fighting.

Last week we focused on the petition, forgive us our sins.

And saw that Jesus has fully and finally paid our debts and conquered sin for us.

The war is over.

And Jesus is the victor.

And today he teaches us to pray about the ongoing battle.

The battle in the war that has already been won.

He says, pray, lead us not into temptation.

Sin's penalty has been paid, but its power and presence in our world are real.

Satan is defeated, but he nonetheless refuses to surrender.

It's this spiritual warfare that God's Word tells us we're engaged in,

but which we often choose to ignore.

And we hear news of physical battles in North Korea and the Middle East.

Those are front page news.

They grab our attention.

But we often neglect the daily reality of our dangerous, ongoing fight against sin and against evil.

And so what we learn as Jesus teaches us to pray this petition

is that prayer is the way we fight this battle.

It's a declaration of war of God's kingdom against Satan's, as we have said before.

It's a crucial part of the armor of God for our spiritual battles.

Remember the way Paul says it in Ephesians 6 when he's talking about the armor of God.

Take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

And having done all to stand firm.

And he goes on talking about the helmet and the sword and the shield.

And finishes praying at all times in the Spirit.

With all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance.

Making supplication for all the saints.

The battle continues.

And because our enemies are strong, but our Savior is stronger,

prayer is the essential weapon in our ongoing war.

We must pray all the time with all sorts of requests.

So what do we mean exactly when we pray,

lead us not into temptation?

It can actually sound a little odd when you slow down and start thinking about it carefully.

So first let me clarify three things it does not mean.

It does not mean these things.

You heard the not, right?

Does not mean this.

It does not mean, God, you promised life would never be hard, so make it easy.

No, that's not it.

God's Word is clear.

We will face trials and difficulties.

Secondly, it does not mean being faced with temptation is itself sinful.

We're praying against temptation,

but we see in God's Word that temptation comes even to whom?

to Jesus Himself, right?

Jesus was tempted many times yet without sin.

Temptation itself is not sinful.

Thirdly, it does not mean,

God, you sometimes tempt me to sin so it's your fault when I do.

No.

James tells us God doesn't tempt anyone in the sense of enticing them to sin,

promoting evil.

Sin is not how God works.

Sin is our responsibility.

Doesn't mean those things.

So then what does it mean?

What do we mean when we pray,

lead us not into temptation?

Best I can tell,

what we're asking is essentially this,

Father,

Father,

help us,

strengthen us,

and deliver us,

because our weakness is overwhelming,

life is hard,

and Satan is real.

Help us, strengthen us, deliver us,

because our weakness is overwhelming,

life is hard,

and Satan is real.

I love the way the Heidelberg Catechism says it from nearly 500 years ago.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one,

means,

by ourselves,

we are too weak to hold our own,

even for a moment.

And our sworn enemies,

the devil,

the world,

and our own flesh,

never stop attacking us.

And so,

Lord,

uphold us,

and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit,

so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual warfare,

but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.

You see how it starts?

We are weak.

Our enemies are strong.

Our God is stronger.

So you who's stronger,

help us,

who are weak.

Those three famous adversaries of God's people,

the world,

the flesh,

and the devil,

they're waging an ongoing war against us.

They won't stop attacking us.

And this petition is where we enter into the battle with them in prayer.

We're fighting against them as we kneel down.

We've said kneeling down is taking out our swords,

entering into the battle,

praying,

lead us not into temptation.

In fact,

as Jesus explains in Matthew,

as it's fuller,

deliver us from evil,

right?

As we pray this prayer,

we are acknowledging those who are at war against us.

Those from whom we cry for God to deliver us.

First,

the flesh.

It's our own personal weakness.

We're acknowledging how weak we are,

where we admit on our own we can't stand against our enemies.

We can't find our own way.

And so we pray,

Father,

lead us.

Even before we get to where?

Just,

Father,

lead us.

The spirit is willing,

but the flesh is weak.

It's an admission of our weakness anytime we ask to be led,

isn't it?

Go around asking people to lead you all the time?

Not too often.

And when we do,

we're saying,

I need help.

I can't find my own way.

I need somebody to lead me.

I don't know how to do this.

I can't figure this one out.

I can't handle the battle on my own.

So,

Father,

lead me.

So we ask when we sing,

guide me,

O thou great Jehovah,

pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak,

but thou art mighty.

Hold me with thy powerful hand.

It's saying,

Father,

here's our relationship again today.

I am weak.

You are mighty.

And you hold me with your powerful hand every moment,

all the time.

I want you to picture,

as you think of that,

a toddler who's learning to walk,

weak and wobbly on his legs,

and his parent who never lets go of his hand so that he won't fall.

You've done that before.

There he is trying to learn to walk,

but he falls,

but your parent holding his hand so those weak and wobbly legs can hold up.

Have you felt weak and inadequate recently?

I know I have.

I'll share something in each of these areas we talk about this morning

that has caused me to pray this prayer recently.

I've felt weak and inadequate as a pastor.

I said,

God,

lead me.

Help me.

How do I understand your word?

How do I help this couple?

How do I lead a staff?

How do I cast a kingdom-sized vision for your people?

Now,

you may not be asking those particular questions,

but you may also struggle with feeling inadequate for where God has called you to serve in his kingdom.

I'm not the only one who is not sufficient for the task.

God,

you have to lead me.

There's so much broken around me.

I don't know how to fix it all.

I don't have the wisdom,

God.

I'm tired in the battle.

I don't see any hope for what you've called me to being any better.

Father,

where do you feel your weakness?

You can pray.

In fact,

we must pray.

God,

lead us.

But not into temptation.

Father,

lead us,

but not into temptation.

Don't send me into the midst of the battle,

God.

It's too much.

I'm not sure I could bear it.

The world is against us too,

isn't it?

Because it also is broken and warring against God.

This is the part about life being hard.

Just the pains and difficulties of life,

the heartbreak,

the fears,

the disappointment that we all endure.

See,

the word translated temptation in our Bibles can also refer to testing,

like trials that God does bring to affirm the reality of our faith,

to strengthen us to trust Him more.

And it's a little bit strange to think that we would pray against those testings,

those trials,

those trials,

because James tells us we're to consider them pure joy.

Because testing produces perseverance,

and that's a good thing, right?

We should want that.

We long to have our character built up and perseverance developed.

So it would be strange if that were all that was meant.

And so theologians don't agree on whether or not this is in mind here.

But I believe it is partly in mind when Jesus teaches us to pray this.

At first, because the psalmist prays like this,

about the agonies of life.

Deliver me.

Deliver my life.

Rescue me.

I'm weary with my moaning.

I'm surrounded by my foes.

My soul is greatly troubled.

God, how long?

Over and over and over as you read through the psalms.

These are testings in which God will deliver him,

and through which God will bless him and strengthen his faith in God's steadfast love.

But they are painful.

And so the psalmist pours out his heart honestly to God and says,

take them away.

I can't endure them.

But I especially believe that Jesus is teaching us to pray this way here

because I see Jesus himself praying it.

In the garden, right?

What does he say?

Father, if it is possible, remove this cup from me.

I see the reality of the pain and the agony before me in this world.

The foes arrayed against me,

and I cry out not to be led into that.

It appears to be too much to bear.

Right?

I don't know what the seemingly overwhelming attack would be for you,

but I've prayed,

God, heal my wife.

I don't know what I would do without her.

God, protect my girls.

I'm not sure my heart could bear up under the crushing weight of losing one of them.

God, no more emotional situations right now.

I just don't think I can manage one more plate spinning.

My heart's full.

And God, in his mercy,

often meets us

there in those cries,

and he spares us the agony we fear,

the part of the battle we're sure we would be overrun by

would be too much for us.

But the example of Jesus reminds us

that God doesn't always answer this prayer

the way we would hope or expect

every time, does he?

Jesus still drinks that bitter cup.

Sometimes the trial still comes.

Sometimes the world seems to be having its way with me.

Sometimes the grief is too much to bear.

And so we pray,

as we already have in this prayer,

lead us not into temptation,

but

thy will be done.

You know best,

Father.

And you promised to care for me here.

See, sometimes God spares us

in the agony

that we thought we could never handle.

And we get there and find out

he's there too.

And we cry,

deliver us.

And we plead that God

protects us in those moments

from the attacks

of the devil

in the midst

of our pain.

Because that's where the devil

loves to show up.

Isn't it?

He loves to tempt us to sin

and to turn away

from our relationship

with God

and begin to think

it's not really true.

God doesn't really love me.

He's not really my Father

after all.

See, we know sin

is an ongoing battle.

We know that temptation

is always a reality.

And so asking God

not to lead us

into temptation

is largely asking God

to protect us

and deliver us

in the midst of it.

Praying this reminds us

of the danger of sin.

Right?

If this is one of those things

we have to pray,

we must pray,

even though sin is forgiven,

sin is still dangerous.

And we're to hate it

because it is against

the image

and the glory of God.

Our weakness is overwhelming.

Life is hard.

And now,

Satan is real.

God doesn't entice us

to sin

and direct us to that.

But Satan

surely does.

So we need

God's deliverance

from Him.

Here's what that's looked like

for me as a husband

first

and then as a pastor.

As a husband,

it's late at night.

My wife has

fallen asleep

after an evening

where I've

seen some of my sin.

I've neglected

to listen

well,

to prioritize

my wife

and my family.

I've said

in the midst

of that hurtful

and defensive

words,

thinking only

of myself.

I've hurt

the one person

I promised

to love

above all others.

I've been selfish

and unthoughtful

and I know

that she's just

gone to sleep

disappointed.

Rightly so.

So what do I feel?

It's discouraging,

isn't it?

I'm so upset

with myself.

How could I do this

again?

You've done these

things before.

And Satan

comes in

right at that moment

as the accuser

and says to my heart

as I lie in bed

alone at night,

what a failure

of a husband

you are.

She's the easy one.

You got to pick her.

What about all the

other ones

you're supposed

to love?

Could God

possibly be

okay with you?

He really

couldn't be okay

with you,

could He?

He certainly

couldn't delight

in you

after all of this,

could He?

Could He?

Could He?

Could He?

Could He?

Been there as a pastor

after a difficult season

in the life

of this church,

after a difficult day

and seeking to help

someone and they're

disappointed and I

couldn't help and it's

been all about me

and seeing the weight

of my failures

and my sin

and hurting people

I care about

in this church

and Satan whispers

God must be

so disappointed

in you.

You're such a failure

as a pastor.

What value

could you have

to God now?

You had one job

and you failed.

He's certainly

done with you.

God couldn't really

be okay with you

much less delight

in you

after all this,

could He?

because here's what

Satan loves to do.

He does it in different

ways in your life.

He loves to pull us

away from our Father.

He entices us

to sin,

to turn away

from God

and to chase

after our sin

and when we do

what He loves to do

is to show up

to accuse

with His lies.

He wants to draw us

away from our Father

because we're the

toddlers

who in Christ

are holding on

to Daddy's strong hand

and Satan wants us

to think that we have

to stand

on our own.

He wants to pull us

away

where we will

certainly fall

on our own,

where we can't

do it perfectly.

He wants to pull us

away to find

our identity

to trying to stand

as good husbands

and good pastors,

good mothers,

good engineers,

good kids,

good friends,

good Christians

and to think

that that's when

we'll stand

when we get

that right.

And then

when we fail,

when we sin,

His lies

and accusations

He brings

into our cycle

of shame.

your porn problem,

your self-image

issues,

your addiction,

your failure,

whatever it is,

is proof positive

God doesn't love you,

God couldn't love you.

He says

and our shame

wants to believe it.

That feels right.

That sounds right

in that moment.

He's tempting us

not only to sin,

which is dangerous

enough,

right?

Jesus had to die

for the forgiveness

we needed last week.

Sin is dangerous

and deadly

and then

He tempts us

to despair

of God's love

and drift

into the most

dangerous place

in the whole battle.

The one where

you're fighting

on your own

to protect

yourself

and your value

and your significance.

you're fighting

to stand

on your own.

And so I have to

wake up

the next morning

after my

sin

and my

shame

and come

pray

to my Father.

And remember

my identity

is in Jesus

being a good

Savior.

Not in me

being a good

husband.

God

will

stand

otherwise

I'll start

defending myself

again.

Defending my

failures

and my sin

because I have

to find some

way to stand

and if it's in

myself

I will make it

worse by

defending all

of the failures

I've already

had.

Instead of

repenting

from those

sins

and trusting

in Jesus

I stand

in Him

righteous

in Him

right?

It's the only

way God's

Word offers

me to stand

it's the only

way I have

to I'm in

Christ

forever.

And so we

cry out

Father

lead us

not into

that temptation

and when the

tempter

comes

deliver us

from Him

from the

evil that

would seek

to destroy

us.

Remind us

Father

that we

are Your

sons

and daughters

and You

will never

let us

go.

See that's

what we must

remember

as we pray

right?

I think we've

said it every

week

it's the one

to whom

we are

praying.

It's about

our relationship

with the one

to whom

we pray.

What is that

relationship?

What does

Jesus tell us

to call Him?

Father.

Even though

we still need

forgiveness of

sins,

Father.

Even though

we still need

to be delivered

from the

attacks of

our enemies,

Father.

How is that

even possible

when we don't

live like

sons all

the time?

When sometimes

we do fail?

When sometimes

our shame

even convinces

us to

believe

Satan's

lies,

it's possible

because Jesus

didn't.

He didn't

believe Satan's

lies.

He didn't

believe them

in the wilderness

temptation,

did He?

He submitted

to His

Father's will

and followed

His Father's

word

when tempted.

He didn't

crumble under

the crucible

of the

garden.

As He

sweats

drops of

blood,

He prayed,

Father,

Your will

be done.

He passes

the test

that we

fail so

often.

And in doing

so,

He willingly

goes to the

cross that

looked unbearable

even to Him

to defeat

evil and the

evil one

so that He

is able to

deliver us

from them

as well.

Jesus is

the victor

rising from

the grave

triumphant

over our

greatest enemies,

sin and

Satan and

death so

that He can

assure us of

our relationship

with our

Father no

matter what.

So that

what?

Nothing can

separate us

from the

love of

God in

Christ.

No

hardship,

no persecution,

no angel

or demon,

not the

devil himself,

not even

my sin

can separate

me from

my Father.

Even when

I pull away,

He will

never let

me go.

And if He

is for me,

who can be

against me?

We may

have strong

enemies

and they

may keep

fighting against

us and

refusing to

surrender.

In fact,

our King

promises that

they will

do so

until He

returns in

glory.

But our

Savior is

stronger.

And so our

ultimate victory

is sure.

We may

stumble in

the battle,

weak and

wobbly,

children that

we are.

but our

strong

Father holds

our hand

and will

never

let us

go.

As we

practice praying

this petition

this morning,

take a moment

quietly to

meditate.

As we've been

thinking about

questions that

can lead us

into prayer,

meditate on

your own

weakness.

happiness.

Meditate on

what sorts of

difficulties in

life would

overwhelm you,

would be too

much to

bear.

And consider

the temptations

you face,

especially the

ones that

would tempt

to isolate

you from

God, pull

you away

from your

Father in

your heart.

Take a

moment on

your own

and then we'll

pray together.

prayer.

Okay.

Peace.

Peace.

Peace.

out.

Peace.

Peace.

Peace.

Peace.

eniya

Thank you.

Thank you.

We read earlier.

Let's pray.

Father, by ourselves we are too weak to hold our own, even for a moment.

And our sworn enemies, the devil, the world, and our own flesh never stop attacking us.

And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual warfare,

but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.

Father, you are for us.

So who can stand against us?

No one stands against you.

You justify us.

Jesus, who died and was raised to life, intercedes for us.

No one can condemn us.

No one can separate us from your love.

We are more than conquerors through the conqueror himself, through Jesus who loved us.

Thank you for never letting us go.

May we then stand confident that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We ask it in his name and by his spirit.

Amen.