This morning we’ve come to verse 13 and Jesus teaching about temptation. But, before we come there - as we’ve been doing each Sunday - we want to read this prayer out loud together - to get it fresh in our minds - and then we’ll come back to verse 13.

Matthew 6:9-13: Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Verse 13: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

There are two main thoughts here that we need to see. First, is this strange request, “Do not lead us into temptation.”

Why would Jesus say something like this? Do you remember what James writes in James 1:13? “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” If God doesn’t tempt us why is Jesus asking us to pray and ask God not to lead us into temptation?

“Do not lead us into temptation” is an acknowledgment that we’re already surrounded by temptations. We don’t have to be led there. We’re already there. Say that with me, “We’re already there.”

A while back I had a membership in a health club. Every week I’d be there working out at the gym. Its taken me years of hard dedicated work to fine tune this body into the exemplary specimen of physical prow ness that you see today. Why are you laughing?

One time I was there for my regular work out - and there were two ladies - rather robust - dressed from head to toe in a head scarf - veil - black clothing - as traditional Muslim women. What made this strange was that they were doing laps in the pool. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen women swimming laps - freestyle - fully clothed from head to foot.

What a contrast to what women usually wear around the pool or beach - or just about everywhere. I often wonder if women realize what kinds of temptations they cause for men - or if women like being thought of with such disrespect - to be thought of as objects and not persons. In a recent survey 74% of men - most of whom were Christians - 74% said that they were concerned with the sexual content of their thoughts. (1)

We’re tempted by so much: Lust - envy - gluttony - lying. Tempted to hold onto our anger and bitterness - to lash out at others. Self-pity. Tempted to take our salvation and relationship with God for granted - to misuse His blessings and opportunities. Laziness - materialism - pride - self-centeredness.

James writes - in James 1:14, 15 - that temptation is not sin. Yielding to temptation - acting on it - that’s sin. And, almost everything in our society seems to be geared to take advantage of our weaknesses - to tempt us - to use us - to lead us into sin. Turn on the T.V. - forget the programs the commercials are bad enough. “You’ve got mail” can bring all kinds of problems into our home.

I recently read a statement by Orel Hershiser - remember him? Orel Hershiser used to pitch for the Dodgers and later the Giants. Hershiser was talking about his philosophy of pitching. He said that there was one theory of pitching that we don’t hear about too much but he used it. Hershiser said, “If the batter expects a particular pitch, you throw it, but you throw it in a place where he can’t hit it.” That is - know what a batter wants or expects and throw the ball almost there. If he’s a highball hitter, throw it a bit too high. He’ll swing at it. But, he won’t hit it well.

That’s how Satan works in our lives. He knows just what kind of pitch that we’re a sucker for - what temptation - and then he throws it our way. Most likely we’ll go after it every time. After all, it looks so good. It feels so right. (2)

“Do not lead us into temptation” is an acknowledgment that we’re surrounded by temptations. We don’t have to be led there. We’re already there.

Then, Jesus goes on - the second thought in verse 13: “But, deliver us from evil” its a prayer - a crying out to God - asking for the way out of temptation. What we need is deliverance.

Turn to the person next to you and tell them, “We need deliverance.”

Its a prayer. “God, I don’t trust myself. I’m naive and easily fooled. I could be taken advantage of by Satan unless You deliver me from evil.”

Turn forward with me to Matthew 7:13,14 and look with me at how Jesus - in a very practical way - how Jesus deals with temptation and our need for deliverance. When Jesus deals with temptation - He goes right to the bottom line - the core of the issue - the source of our struggle. That’s what we want to see here in Matthew 7:13,14 - if we’re going to have victory over temptation. What is the basic issue we need to deal with?

There are two truths here that we need to understand. First, in verse 13 - Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

Jesus says that WE NEED TO MAKE A CHOICE.

How many of you have been across the Bay Bridge? Can you picture the Toll Plaza - this wide expanse of road - thousands of people crowding to go through the gates - gate after gate - lane after lane of traffic. The only choice is about which toll booth to go through - which lane is moving faster. There are no hard decisions. We can take everything with us - fill a moving van with everything we’ve ever wanted - and travel down the road with everyone else.

But, Jesus says, there’s a narrow gate that leads to a narrow road. There are a lot of people on the wide road - but few on the narrow. One road leads to destruction. One road leads to life. We have to make a choice. No choice means that we stay on the wide road. Or, we can choose the narrow road. Which one?

The bottom line of dealing with temptation is choosing which road we’re going to be on - God’s road - or Satan’s road? All the other choices we make - how we handle what tempts us - which way or to whom we turn when we’re tempted - will all be decided by this one choice.

Do you remember Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof? Do remember the scene where Tevye - the poor milkman - father of five daughters - struggling through life - living in a traditional world that’s coming apart - he’s in the barn thinking about what it would be like to be a rich man? Remember the scene? He says, “If I were rich, my wife would be happy. Our house would be big. I’d be an important man and everyone would come to me for advice.”

At the very end of the scene he sings, “If I were rich, I’d have the time that I’d like, to sit in the synagogue, pray....to discuss the holy books with the learned men seven hours every day. That would be the sweetest thing of all.”

That’s where so many people are today - even Christians. “If I were rich” is a way of saying, “When I’ve dealt with all the issues of life, then everything will be okay and I’ll have time for God.” We wonder why we struggle and often times fail. We want to run down the wide way - through all the experiences of life - praying that God will somehow get us through it all - and then choose God’s way. But, if we want to know God’s strength - His guidance - His wisdom - His presence in our lives - to deal with temptations - we need to first choose to go God’s way.

C. S. Lewis writes, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. That is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.… Christ, because He was the only Man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only Man who knows to the full what temptation means.” (3)

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) To enter the narrow gate - to get onto God’s way - we have to go through Jesus. He is the only One who has faced all of what we face in life - and is victorious - is our deliverance. We need to choose to trust Jesus as our Savior - to commit our lives - now and forever - to Him. So that, the whole purpose of our lives - our direction in life - is to seek after Him and the doing of His will.

Second truth - Matthew 7:14, Jesus goes on, “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

We need to KEEP CHOOSING TO STAY ON GOD’S WAY.

When Henry Ford and his wife were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary one of the guests asked Mr. Ford to what he attributed their 50 years of happy marriage. Henry Ford replied, “The formula is the same one I’ve used in making cars - just stick to one model.” (4)

When we say, “I do” - the choice is made. We’ve made a commitment. “I’ll stay faithful to you alone.” Later on we don’t have to stop and think, “Okay, its Saturday night, who can I ask out on a date?” And we choose to do what it takes to maintain our commitment. We make subsequent choices based on the first choice we made.

Drew Anderson, writing in the Reader’s Digest, writes, “While my wife and I were shopping at a mall kiosk, a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. My eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, my wife asked, “Was it worth the trouble you’re in?”

Entering through the narrow gate is a choice. “Finding it” is a choice to look for it. Staying on the narrow path is a choice to keep looking for it. Its a daily choice. Say this with me, “We need to choose.”

We need to make choices - to leave some people behind - to say no to their companionship - to stop being like them. We have to choose to go in a different direction - to stand for different things. We have to choose what to take. The road is narrow - its not wide enough for all the things we’ve been carrying with us. We have choose what’s essential to stay on the road - to finish the journey - to reach our destination.

Do you remember the story of Eric Liddell? The movie Chariots of Fire? That doesn’t go back too far does it? Remember one of the main themes of the movie was how in the 1924 Olympic Games Eric chose not to run on Sunday even though he was favored to win the gold medal. He was under pressure from his nation - from everyone. That’s temptation: the Olympic gold medal - international acclaim - glory. He chose not to run in a race on Sunday because he believed that it would dishonor God. He had chosen the narrow gate and he chose the narrow way.

There’s one statement that stands out in my mind - a scene where Eric tries to explain to his sister why he’s making the choices he’s making. Eric says to his sister, “God made me for a purpose - to be a missionary in China - but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

We may have to leave behind the things we want and like that keep us off the narrow way. But what we gain - on the narrow way - is the pleasure of God - His approval - His strength - His guidance - His presence - His deliverance.

“Do not lead us into temptation” is the acknowledgment that we live with temptation - struggling each day. “Deliver us from evil” is a choice - choosing to cry out to God for deliverance - to look to Him and follow His plan for our lives.

This morning we have an opportunity to evaluate the choices we make - to review our walk with God. Jesus came - died on the cross - rose from death - to offer to us the choice to choose God’s way. Are we on the broad freeway or the narrow path?

__________________________

1.  Promise Keepers Survey - New Man, November/December, 1994, page 8
2.  From George Will, Men At Work, quoted by Doug Cecil, Dallas Connection, Spring, 1995, page 1
3.  Today in the Word, November, 1998, page 24
4.  Tovmassian, Rev. Edward, Humor Is The Spice Of Life, page 64