Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We are finally here at the beginning of Holy Week. Today we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people singing the words, Hosanna (Save us NOW) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The same words they used at the end of the seven feasts of the Old Testament on the seventh day of the seventh month they would sing out HOSANNA! During the feasts of Booths or tabernacles they would cry out Hosanna or Save us NOW as they prayed for the Kingdom of God to come.
Today we celebrate that the Kingdom is here. Because Jesus was willing to go into Jerusalem on the Sunday of Holy Week to begin the final stage of his journey to the Cross we can celebrate that the Kingdom is here.
We are continuing our 40 days of Prayer for the City which ends today for those of you who counted Sundays and will continue through this week for those of us who did not count our resurrection days, or Sundays during this Lenten Season. We continue our series on Lord teach us HOW to pray. This week we look at "Lead us not into temptation." This is the Sixth Petition and the one that seems most appropriate for Palm Sunday. Think about what the Lord is teaching through this petition. That we should not be lead by the world, satan or our sinful nature into temptation. We know that as long as we live on earth we will be tempted. Thanks to Adam and Eve we will not fair well with these. But we pray that the Lord, who does not tempt only tests, will give us the power and strength through HIS Holy Spirit to resist and overcome temptation.
The biggest temptation I see in the world is the same as the people experienced on Palm Sunday. THE CROWD. It seems that we are so easily pushed into falling for temptations when we see others, our family, peers, people we respect doing something with passion. We get swept away in the moment and may not take time to test and see according to the Scriptures if this in line with the Lord's will or take the easy route and say: "everyone else is doing it." Why is it that we think if we can find others doing the same sin and giving into the same temptation then it somehow makes it less wrong?
Take modern day examples: living together before marriage (more specifically pre-marital sex), homosexual behavior, heterodoxy or outright heresy; these seem to sweep away people who are believers yet don't take the time to slow down and check everything against the Holy Scriptures to see whether this is pleasing to God and in line with HIS WILL.
The CROWD on Palm Sunday was large, loud and passionate. They were using Messiah language only used in the fall at the Feast of Tabernacles in the spring at the Feast of Passover, they thought they were doing right. The funny thing is that they were accurate BUT it was short lived. They did not keep that passion when Jesus didn't set up his earthly government (kingdom) defeat the Romans, give them the glory and honor they expected. Instead of studying the Word to see that Jesus is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, the King of Zechariah 9:9 " 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king[a] comes to you, righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey," or Matthew 21:5 " 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”the Lamb of the Passover Psalm 22 etc... they just got discouraged and fled, disappeared. They let the crowd who said "CRUCIFY HIM" have the last Word. They did not get to see the true meaning of the CROSS. The way of the Cross is the way for us not the way of the Crowd. The CROWD is exciting but the CROSS is everlasting. May we have the enthusiasm of the CROWD with the perspective of the CROSS then we will resist the temptation to see things from the worlds perspective and we will resist Satan and the world.
The examples we have in Holy Scripture are Joseph resisting and fleeing Potiphar's wife in Gen 39, Jesus during his temptation in the desert recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 where he uses the WORD to overcome Satan's tempting. Romans 13:14 "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" or 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 " So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it"
The best answer to temptation I have found is to put on the full armor of God of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all
the saints.
May we pray for Christ our Lord to give the Holy Spirit and the POWER to resist the Devil as James 4 says: 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”[Proverbs 3:34]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
May we surrender to our Lord and trust in HIS POWER to give us the strength to resist and overcome temptations.
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD! Blessed is the King of Israel!
May we look forward to celebrating this HOLY WEEK not losing our zeal but being encouraged as we watch the Movie on Peter this Wed, celebrate the messianic Seder on Thursday before stripping the Altar, then the Tenebrae Service on Good Friday, the Sonrise Service on Sunday and then the CELEBRATION on Resurrection Sunday! Celebrate the one who is the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS! Who has defeated sin, death and the devil! He can keep us from falling into temptation!
Pastor Bryan
The Sixth Petition
And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean?
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so
that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into
false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by
these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.
228. What do tempt and temptation mean in the Scriptures?
In the Scriptures these words have two meanings:
A. The testing of our faith, which God uses to bring us closer to Himself.
John 6:5-6 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to
Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for
He already had in mind what He was going to do.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Bible narratives: The Lord tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:1-
19). Jesus tested the faith of the Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:2128).
B. The attempts of our spiritual enemies to lure us away from God and His ways.
Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the
body is weak.
James 1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil
desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
229. Into what kinds of evil do our spiritual enemies try to mislead us?
The devil, the world, and our sinful nature try to mislead us into false belief, despair,
and other great sins.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know
that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Prov. 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
Matt. 18:7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must
come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Gal. 5:17 The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary
to the sinful nature.
2 Cor. 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.
Bible narratives: The devil tempted Eve to doubt and disobey God (Genesis 3). The devil
tempted Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2) and to despair (Matt. 27:4-5). Among enemies of
Christ, Peter denied his Savior (Luke 22:54-60). King David's sinful nature tempted him to
commit adultery and murder (2 Sam. 12:9).
230. What do we ask God to do for us when we pray this petition?
We ask our Father in heaven to give us strength to resist and overcome temptations.
Luke 22:31-32 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you,
Simon, that your faith may not fail.
Rom. 13:14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify
the desires of the sinful nature.
1 Cor. 10:12-13 If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation
has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out
so that you can stand up under it.
Eph. 6:11, 17 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Bible narratives: Joseph withstood the temptation of Potiphar's wife (Gen. 39:1-20). Jesus was
tempted by Satan and won the victory for us (Matt. 4:1-11).
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