Amen. All right we're there in Matthew chapter number six and of course on Sunday mornings
we've been going through this series called the school of prayer, and we've really been with Christ in the school of prayer
we've been learning from Lord Jesus Christ how to pray and
We're going to finish up this of course
famous passage of scripture today the model prayer or the Lord's Prayer and
But there's other passages of scripture parables that Jesus taught on prayer. We're going to look at those starting next week
We've got a couple more weeks in this series as Jesus teaches us how to pray
And if you remember a couple of weeks ago
We started with a sermon called getting schooled on prayer
And we learned about the fact that the disciples came to Jesus after watching him pray
They came to him and said Lord teaches to pray apparently something about watching him
Pray made them realize that they weren't doing it right and and then Jesus affirms that by saying yes
I'll teach you how to pray
But before he can teach them how to pray he has to correct them on how not to pray
We learned about that a couple of weeks ago then last week
We got into the Lord's Prayer, and we talked about the purpose of prayer because if you remember Jesus said
that
We should not turn our prayer time into this vain repetitious ritual and we often
Will apply that to things like the Catholic Church and of course that's a good application
But the context in which he said that was you don't need to just be constantly bothering and repeating yourself
to your Heavenly Father because your father knows
What things you have need of before you ask them and then of course the question is asked and I believe Jesus was
Being of course the master communicator the master teacher
bringing that information out to draw the question because as soon as Jesus says
Your father knows what you have need of before you ask it the question is going to be asked
Well, then why pray and we saw that last week that prayer is more about us
remembering who God is than us reminding him about our needs and we learned about how we ought to come to God in prayer how
He's intimate and infinite and how the purpose of prayer is not to try to get God on our agenda
But to get us on his agenda and those are all the things we've looked at this far thus far this morning
We're gonna begin right where we left off there in verse number 11
And in this portion of the Lord's Prayer the Lord Jesus Christ is going to teach us how to ask if you look down at verse
number 11 Matthew chapter 6 and verse 11 he says give
He says this word give and to be honest and I've said this throughout the sir the series
This is usually where you and I start our prayer time
When we pray if we pray we usually begin with just asking requests and this is not where Jesus began
Of course, he began with our Father which are in heaven
Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven
Then he gets in verses 11 12 and 13 on the subject of requests of coming to God in prayer
He says give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and power and glory forever
Amen, and I want you to notice a few things about these verses first of all notice that Jesus is not taking prayer requests
He is teaching us how to direct our prayers prayer is asking and receiving
We're gonna look at that here in a minute, but he's teaching us in which categories and how?
We should approach God in prayer in fact
I'd like to just by way of introduction have you write some things down in your Bible if you're
If you're okay with writing notes in your Bible or think scribbling things on your own in the in your Bible
Once you notice there, there's three categories that he gives us in regards to asking for prayer
And again if you're okay with writing your Bible there next to verse 11 you could write this word
Provision in verse 11 he says give us this day our daily bread the first category that he gives us is
regards to coming to God in prayer is to ask in
Provision or for God to provide for our needs give us this day our daily bread then in verse 12
He gives us a second category, and you can write next to verse number 12
There is this word pardon he says and forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors
And he teaches us to come to God in a spirit of pardon and asking to be forgiven and then next to verse
13 there you can write the third category and it is this
Protection he says and lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and power and glory forever amen
What I'd like to do this morning for just a few minutes is kind of break down these thoughts in regards to these three
categories in which Jesus teaches us to bring our requests provision pardon and
protection so we'll start there with the first category and if you're taking notes
And I would encourage you to also take notes on the back of the course of the week
There's a place for you to write things down. We'll start with this first category provision notice
He says there in verse 11 give us this day
Our daily bread he begins with this request and now you're there in Matthew chapter 6
I'd like you to just flip over to Matthew chapter 7 if you would and look at verse number 7
I want to show you some other passages that are very famous passages in regards to prayer that Jesus teaches
And I want to say this prayer is asking and receiving no doubt about it
We when we come to God in prayer we come with our needs we come with our requests
And there's nothing wrong with that what we've been learning about
In regards to prayer up to this point is the attitude in which we come to God for our request. God is not Santa Claus
God is not some sort of a
divine genie up in heaven in which we simply come to him and
Tell him all the things we want and all the things that we need and again
I'm not gonna re-preach my sermon from last week, but we must remember that when we come to God
We must come to get him as as hallowed as holy as high as lifted up as our Heavenly Father who?
Cares about our needs, but prayer is bringing our needs to God notice there Matthew chapter 7 look down to verse number 7
notice what he says Jesus says he says asked
Ask and it shall be given you
Seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for everyone that asketh receiveth
And he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened notice verse number 11 same chapter if ye then being
Evil know how to give good gifts unto your children
He says how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him
So if you want to know you say well, what's prayer?
I thought prayer was getting our request from God it absolutely is we ask we seek we knock prayer is asking and receiving
however
We need to remember that it is coming to God with the right attitude with the right understanding we come to God asking
But understanding that we're not building our own kingdom. We're building his kingdom thy kingdom come that we're not pushing our agenda
Thy will be done and with that understanding once you come to God with the understanding that God is intimate
He's our father, and he's infinite. He is hallowed and we get on his agenda
we're building his kingdom, then he says you can ask and
He says you should ask ask
And you shall receive the Bible says he tells us to ask
He says ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find not and it shall be opened unto you
So prayer is asking and receiving
however
Let me say this go back to Matthew chapter 6 and look down at verse number 11 if you would
There is a limiting factor to our asking
Now please understand this
The limiting factor is not on God it is on us
The Bible says that the Bible says about God to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think
God can do all things God can do that which is impossible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord
Nothing is impossible for the Lord. However, when we come to God in prayer
I want you to notice when we come to God in in in our requests and our petitions
There is this limiting factor look down at verse 11 again. He says give us this day
Notice what he says our daily bread
You see we're daily there. That's a limiting factor
Notice he doesn't teach us to pray give us this day all the bread that we need for the year
He doesn't teach us to pray give us this day all the bread that we need for the next 10 years
He doesn't say give us this day all the bread that
That that that I would like to have he says give us this day our daily bread
There's this limiting factor when it comes to prayer now keep your place there in Matthew chapter 6
It's our text for this morning
But go with me if you would to the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter number 30 if you open your Bible just right in the center
You're more than likely fall in the book of Psalms right after Psalms. You have the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 30
He says give us this day our daily bread
Because isn't it true that when we do ask
When we do ask we often ask for this unlimited
Lord just give me all the money all the money that I need Lord
You know how much I need at least a million dollars. Give me all the money that I need Lord
You know help me to just not have any problems financially help me to not have any health issues problem
We we have this
limited
idea of God
Supplying our needs and God is unlimited he can do what he wants
But Jesus says when we ask he says we should ask yes for what for provision. What is that that look?
There's nothing wrong with asking God to help you pay the rent nothing wrong with asking God to help you pay the mortgage
Nothing wrong with asking God to help you with groceries and help you with your bills and to provide for your need in fact
Jesus began there
He says give us this day our daily bread, and he says it's okay to ask
But he says when you ask there's a limiting factor. He says give us this day our daily bread
In Proverbs chapter 30 we see this limiting factor as well
In Proverbs chapter 30 in verse 8 notice what he says in my opinion
This is kind of like the Lord's Prayer and in the Old Testament
Proverbs 30 in verse 8
notice what
The Proverbs says he says the Bible says remove far from me vanity and lies
He begins by saying
Keep away from me vanity. What's a vanity? It's emptiness. It's shallowness
He says remove far from me vanity and lies then he says this in that context give me neither
poverty nor riches
Wonder how many American Christians pray that way I?
Mean what's the last time you got on your knees and said God don't make me rich
Lord I'm not asking that you make me rich
Yet you say well who prays like that well when you look at the prayers in the Bible
Here's how they say give us this day. How much bread. Do you want just our daily bread Lord?
What we need for today Lord?
What what we need for now he says remove far from me vanity and lies
And he says give me neither poverty nor riches. This is how we pray
Well don't make me rich, and he says, but don't make me poor either
Give me neither poverty nor riches. He says feed me with food
Convenient
Know what the word convenient means it means suitable appropriate what I need here's what it means our daily bread
Remove far from me vanity and lies give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food
Convenient for me you say why would somebody pray that way why would somebody pray that way here here?
Here's what I want you to understand even see what Jesus is teaching us in this Lord's Prayer is how to approach God in
Prayers how to come to him and again. I don't want to keep repeating myself
But it's what we've been talking about we realize who God is he is high holy lifted up
We realize our place in God's position. We're not pushing our kingdom our agenda
We're pushing his kingdom his agenda and when we finally get to the place where we can ask
He says you want to limit that as well
He said in fact you want to limit that to align yourself to the will of God
You say well, well, what do you mean? Well? Why would somebody ask to give me neither poverty nor riches?
here's why verse 9 lest I be full and
deny thee
Know that riches can distract you from God
Know that too much wealth too much success too much good
Financially can cause you to deny
The Lord Jesus Christ
This is why Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of heaven and
Here he says even even someone that's saved even someone that's a believer even somebody that's praying well our hearts can be
distracted if God gives us too much if we get too much so here the
Proverbs prayer says give me neither poverty nor riches don't make me rich Lord
But don't give me poverty either why he says lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord?
when's the last time that you and I prayed and said Lord give us as
Much as you know we can handle
Give us as much as you think we need
Give us this day our daily bread
Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or here's the other extreme lest I be poor because remember
Don't make the prayer request is this don't give me poverty nor riches don't make me rich, but don't make me poor either
Why not rich here's why lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord he said?
But don't make me poor either or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain
You know that there is a we often talk about we often talk about the fact that
We
Like to go that we should bring the gospel to the poor first and Jesus did that and the poor areas are
Generally the ones that are more receptive when we talk about soul winning going on to the community
We go out to these nice rich neighborhoods, and they're very not receptive you go to the poor areas
And they're more receptive, but if you've been so winning for any length of time. You know this is true
There is a such thing as being too poor
There is a such thing as being too ghetto and
And I'm not talking about the value of an individual
I'm saying you can get to neighborhoods that are so ghetto so poor that they're actually
unreceptive as well I
Mean you get to some places where it's just like everyone's just strung out on drugs everyone's sleeping at noon
Everyone's just drunk, and it's like this isn't gonna work either
We talk about going to poor areas, but honestly sometimes as a soul winner you say when you get that map
You're just getting what you should be praying is Lord. Give me neither poverty nor riches
Just help me to find someone normal
that I can give the gospel to
Because there is a such thing as being too poor and let me tell you something in the Christian life
There's a such thing as being too poor, and I'm not I'm not talking about a prosperity gospel
And by the way, let me just let you in on a little secret you live in the United States of America in 2021
You're not poor
However poor you think you are you're not
By by historical standards by current world standards you're not poor
We we fall under the category of rich, but you know what I've noticed is that people will often have this poor mentality
They'll have this poor mentality you know the Bible calls us to be generous I
Mean Jesus said give and it shall be given unto you
He says to to he says that there is there there are those who who who?
Who don't spare who give out, but there are people there are Christians have this poor mentality
They won't you know you can't show up to a baby shower because you don't want to
Give away a gift I
mean you're just so just
Broke in your mind though. You're rich by world standards
You're so stingy
You're so and it becomes this bitter
Angry you know let me tell you something in the Christian life
you know how we have to live the Christian life with a positive attitude and
With an understanding that though I may not have everything that I want
God has given me what I need
He's given us this day our daily bread
You know you and we get this idea we say we're people I'm poor I can't I can't do that
I can't give to that. I can't go there. I can't give my time there
I'm poor, but by whose standards
Because the Bible says having food and raiment let us be there with content
If you ate in the last 24 hours if you have clothes on which I think you all do
God says you have enough to be content
So he says give me neither poverty nor riches
Feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and the nightly and say who is the Lord or lest I be poor?
and steal and take the name of my God in the name of my God in vain and
Look, please help
Let me help you understand something being poor has nothing to do with how much money you have in the bank account
It has to do with your mindset
Yeah, I just I if I had more I'd be content you could be content with what you have
If what you had is all you need
So Jesus says
Cuz because Jesus is the type of says Lord teach us to pray and then he said have a seat classes in session
We want to learn how to get our requests from God and he says well before we get there. Let's talk about who God is
Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done. Let's remember who we are
And he said okay, finally we're gonna get to the asking part
We're gonna we finally get to ask because you know, I've got a lot of things that I need God and Jesus said well
Wait a minute
When we pray for provision, there's a limiting factor. We pray give us this day our daily bread
Give us neither poverty nor riches
Lest I be full and deny thee
He said lest I be poor and steal and take thy name the name of my God in vain
Nothing wrong with asking for your needs asking for your provision asking
But let me tell you for some of us for some of us getting that raise getting that bonus
Starting that business get it's the worst thing that happened to you spiritually
So Jesus says why don't you pray Lord give me what I need
Here's a prayer request for you Lord, give me what I need so that I can serve you faithfully
Lord give me enough money so that I'm not broke and and and and trying to work on Sunday and I can actually serve you
But don't give me so much money that it'll draw my heart away from you
You say why do people
Stop serving God. Some people don't show up for soul winning because in their minds are so broke. They have to work
Some people don't show up for soul winning because they're so busy working
Some
People don't show up to church on Sunday morning because they're poor and they can't they have to go to work and and save money
Some people don't show up to church on Sunday because they're so successful and busy. They don't have time for
You just know what I'm saying
Lest I be full and deny thee
Lest I be poor and steal
So says give me an either poverty or riches
Feed me with food convenient give us this day our daily bread go back to Matthew chapter 6
So you see the first category here that of provision prayer is asking and receiving no doubt about it
You should ask and you should receive but never forget the limiting factor
Lord give me what you believe I need
Lord give me what you know, I can handle
Lord give me neither poverty nor riches
Lord
Lest I be full and deny thee and people will often bring this up and I don't have problem with this and say well
What about all the rich people in the Bible? What about Solomon? Remember Solomon did not ask for riches
He asked for wisdom and in fact, it was his prayer request that God said because you didn't ask for money
I'm gonna give you money
Because you didn't ask for for for success, I'm gonna give you success
Because you didn't ask for strength
I'm gonna give you strength because you didn't ask for the life of your enemies. I'm gonna give you the life of your enemies
You say well if I asked for my daily bread then I'm then I might not get everything that I want
You might not be getting anything you want because you're not asking for your daily bread
So he says give me another poverty or riches feed me with food convenient
Matthew chapter 6 look at verse 12. So we see the first category. What is it provision?
Asking and receiving for God to supply our needs but there's a limiting factor
Then I want you to notice the second category. That is that of pardon
And this is something that you should pray notice Matthew chapter 6 in verse 12 he says and forgive us
This is something that every time you get on your knees to pray should be a part of your prayer life
Forgive us
The Bible says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
So we should ask God to forgive us, however Jesus
again
The master teacher the master communicator turns it around on us
it makes it about something different than what we want and
By the way, if you haven't caught on that's what this whole Lord's Prayer is about
Everything we want he says no. No, it's not my will be done. It's thy will be done
It's not my kingdom come it's thy kingdom come it's not give me the bread that I need to feed an army for a year
No, it's give me us this day our daily bread
and
Then we get to this part and you would think like if there's a humbling part if there's a sincere part if there's an authentic
Part of prayer it would be the part of prayer when we get on our knees and ask God to forgive us
Too we confess our sins and ask him to forgive us and say Lord
I'm sorry for this and for that you would think that that would be the most
unselfish part of prayer, but Jesus finds a way as
the Word of God
To intersect into our heart and to show us that even sometimes in asking to be forgiven
We're selfish
Because he says and forgive us and we say
Yes, Lord. That's what I need. I need you to help me. I forgive me Lord. I did this and I did that
But again, Jesus gives us a limiting factor
He says you should pray you should pray to be forgiven if we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
So this I will say how should we pray he says you should pray that God forgives you and they said oh we need that
He says but wait a minute
Forgive us our sins. He says if you can say this as we forgive
He says forgive us as
We forgive notice again verse 12 and forgive us our debts
You see these two words as we
it means in the same way in the same manner as
the same way that we as we forgive our
debtors
Notice he goes into it a little further there in verse 14 same chapter louvers 14. He says for if
You forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive you your trespasses
There's a limiting factor to forgiveness and it is this that you should look you should and I should and we all should pray
forgive us
but only as long as we can say as we forgive and
Jesus turns this back around and says wait a minute before you ask God to forgive you make sure you're not holding grudges
Make sure you're not holding bitterness
Before you ask God to freely by grace in mercy give you pardon make sure you're not holding back forgiveness
from somebody else
Jesus taught this in detail in a parable. I like to share it with you
You're there in Matthew chapter 6 go to Matthew chapter 18 if you would
Matthew chapter 18 there's a
A
Parable that draws this idea
Very clearly
Before we get into the pair of eyes once you see the context to the pair well often these parables are interesting
but often the context
To why Jesus gave the parable makes it even more interesting
In verse 21 Matthew chapter 18 in verse 21 the Bible says then came Peter to him
and said Lord
How off shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?
He says how often that's what the word off means how many times if my brother sins against me shall I forgive him?
by the way
Let me remind you of something if you're a Christian
I'm assuming that if you show up to church on a Sunday morning, and it's storming like this in, California
Which means that you act like there's a blizzard out there or something
Then you're here because you actually love the Lord and you're saved I'm assuming that's why you're here
If you are a Christian and
Specifically I should say it this way if you're a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ because you can be saved and not be a follower
You can be saved to not be a disciple
But if you're a disciple if you're a follower of Christ you are required to forgive
I don't feel like forgiving. That's not what he said. That's not what he asked
Well, I don't think they've earned it that's not what he said that's not what they asked
The Bible says you are required period to forgive
So Peter says Peter well how often Lord and then he throws out this what he thinks is a very generous number till seven times
I
Mean if they sin against me seven times. I mean that's got to be pretty good right that's got to make me a pretty good
Christian right that I at the eighth time then I can I
Can then just withhold forgiveness and come down on them, right?
Jesus say that to him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven
My guess would be that if you start tracking how many times you forgive somebody before you get to seventy times seven
You'll probably lose track
In that context in that context he says let me tell you guys a little story verse 23
3
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain King
now let me just help you out with the parable the certain King in the story is a
representation of God
Often these parables are stories there
They're earthly stories with heavenly meanings and these different characters represent different things
The certain King is God says therefore is the kingdom of heaven like and unto a certain King which would take account of his servants
And when he had begun to reckon the word reckon means to take an account or to begin to judge
He says one was brought now that one was brought. That's us
That's you and me
One was brought unto him which owed him
10,000 talents
Today people argue about how much a talent is worth and all of that
But I would just say this 10,000 talents. It's a lot of money
But for as much as he had not to pay
his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and
payment to be made
and I'm not preaching on the gospel this morning, but let me just say this every single human being owes a
payment to God in regards to their sin
Verse 26 and the servant therefore fell down and worshiped him saying
Look at the story in your mind's eye
Look at a man
Who's brought before a king he owed 10,000 talents and he had not to pay and the judgment is given that he be sold
That's bad enough
But not only that he be sold his wife and his children and all that he had that he be sold until this payment be
Made understand, you know, look at a human being and we're saying there's a parable not a literal story
But the idea is to bring some human idea and emotion into it and he says he says think about this man
Who would then hear the sentence in verse 26?
The Bible says the servant therefore fell down and worshiped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all
Isn't that what you would say if your wife and your children were going to be sold for your debts
Then the Lord of that servant
He
Was a phrase that's often used about Jesus was moved with compassion
Would you thankful for that?
And lose Tim
Don't miss it and forgave him the debt that's salvation
That's what happened when you got saved
You owed a debt you could not pay he paid a debt he did not owe
He forgave the debt that was owed
And then in verse 28 the Bible says this but the same servant went out and
Found one of his fellow servants
Who's this? This is his wife
This is his husband or her husband
This is his neighbor
This is a co-worker
This is just another person in our lives
Being represented in this story, but the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants
Which owed him notice these words and a hundred pence
Again people debate how much a hundred pence is but we could imagine that it's a lot less than 10,000 talents
In hundred pence
Notice how he reacts to this individual and he laid hands on him
That means he hit him
That's what the word laying hands means not not in the in the ordination sense
But in the Bible when it says that someone laid hands is that they grabbed him that they hurt them that they hit them
And he laid hands on them
Look at this story in your mind's eye envision this man
He finds a fellow servant which owed him and hundred pence and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying
Pay me not thou always
The anger
Bitterness
The lack of mercy
There's verse 29
His fellow servant fell down at his feet
beside him saying
Have patience with me and I will pay thee all
The same words that he said to the king
The difference is verse 30 and he would not but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt
So when his fellow servant saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told their Lord
That's God all that was done then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him
Oh thou wicked servant
I forgave thee all that debt because thou desires me shouldest not thou also that
Compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity on thee and his Lord was wrong and delivered him to the tormentors till he
Should pay all that was due unto him
And again people argue about these amounts but the idea is this that he owed a lot of money
To his Lord and he was owed very little
from his fellow servant
Again, we could give it numbers and maybe that would help but when you look at the story you
You often have to ask yourself and and and often with the parables is like this. Do you read these parables and you're like
Come on
Who would actually do that? I
Mean, could you imagine that you owe somebody?
$200,000 just to put it in our in our in our
economy
you
legitimately owe someone
$200,000 the the payment is due and you don't have it and
You're gonna be cast in prison. You're gonna be your wife and your children to be sold
To pay this debt you fall on your knees and in mercy you you ask and say have patience and
You're forgiven
$200,000
Then you find someone on the street that you owe 200 that owes you $200
You grab them by the throat
Refused to forget
And when you think about it you say well who would do I mean literally who would walk away?
You just came out of the bank and and they just told you hey, it's been forgiven the
$200,000 has been forgiven. You don't have to pay and then you walk down the street find someone that owes you $200
What did you say man? I just got forgiven $200,000. I'm in the black. I forgive you don't isn't that what we would all do?
Isn't it kind of ridiculous to think that when you had been forgiven
$200,000 that you would not forgive $200. Isn't that kind of a ridiculous?
Story that Jesus told and Jesus says yeah, actually it is
But that's exactly how it is
When you refuse to forgive your wife
your husband
your father
your mother
your neighbors your co-workers
Look at verse 35. He says so likewise so my Heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive
Not everyone is brother their trespasses. Here's the truth you were forgiven much
And I'm not minimizing what people have done to you
And I'm not minimizing what how people have hurt you
But I am telling you this from the authority of the Word of God in comparison to what you owed God
It's ridiculous
That we would not forget
Go to 1st Peter chapter number 3
1st Peter chapter number 3 if you would if you start at the end of the Bible and go backwards
We've got the book of Revelation Jude 3rd 2nd and 1st John 2nd and 1st Peter 1st Peter chapter 3
Do me a favor when you get to 1st Peter put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there because we're gonna leave it and
We're gonna come back to it
While you turn there, let me read to you from Ephesians 4 through 2 you go to 1st Peter 3
Ephesians 4 through 2 says this and be ye kind one to another
tender-hearted
forgiving one another
Here's the key words to Ephesians 4 through 2 even as
God for Christ's sake have forgiven you
If cry if God for Christ's sake has forgiven me of all then I can forgive anyone
You said why would Jesus say
Forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors
Why do I have to forgive someone else why do I have to forgive someone else
before God
Will forgive me
If you remember in the Christian life, there are two areas that are connected to each other
I've taught you this in the past and I'll just briefly mention it to you again one day. Jesus was asked
What is the greatest law? What is the greatest commandment?
And he said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind
it is a
Direction
Vertically between us and God
To be right with your God
But then Jesus though only asked what is the greatest law he?
Volunteered to give the second greatest commandment, which is this to love thy neighbor as thyself
It is a
Horizontal commandment
You say well, how are these connected and here's other connected and I've done Bible studies on it
I'm not gonna take time to do it now
But the point is this you can't be right with God while you're wrong with others
You you can't
Be fighting and bitter and angry and unforgiving
To your brothers and sisters in Christ and think that you're right with God
These things are connected to each other
Your relationship with those around you
Influences and impacts your relationship with God period
Let me just give you another example 1st Peter 3 verse 7
Here's a example of the relationship of marriage
1st Peter 3 7 likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge
Giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life
Say why would I want to honor if she's the weaker vessel doesn't she have to just submit and listen to me?
Why would I need to honor her and dwell with her according to knowledge and and and and and treat her these ways?
Here's why that your prayers be not hindered
Because you can't be wrong with your wife and be right with God and
The reverse is true you can't be wrong with your husband and be right with God
So Jesus says
You should pray for
Provision go back to Matthew chapter 6 if you would keep your place right there in in 1st Peter
We're gonna come back to that section of Scripture here in a minute. He says you got to pray for provision
Asking and receiving no doubt about it
He says but there's a limiting factor
Remember your walk with God and don't ask for so much that it would draw you away from God and and ask God to just
Give you what you need give us to stay our daily bread. Give me neither poverty nor riches Lord
You know what I need. I'm asking you God don't make me rich and you might find
That God may treat you like a Solomon who says I'm not asking for riches. I'm just asking for wisdom
I'm just asking that you help me walk with you and God says there's somebody that I can trust with money
and
Then he says you should pray these words forgive us
But Jesus says don't pray them unless you're able to say as we forgive
Because your relationship with others is connected to your relationship with God
Then
We see the third category and it is protection. He says you got to ask for provision
He says you got to ask for pardon then he says you got to ask for protection
notice verse 13 Matthew 6 and verse 13 and
Lead us
Now I'll be very honest with you
For a long time. I struggled with this verse Matthew 6 13
And I I understood obviously it's the Word of God it's the King James Bible
It's when I say I struggled with it. I knew that the problem was on my end not God's end. I
Felt like maybe I misunderstood what God was saying
because he Jesus taught us to pray and lead us not into temptation and
to me it kind of sounded like
We were asking God
Hey God
would you not lead us into temptation or would you stop leading us into temptation as
Though God was leading us into temptation and
By the way, God's not
The Bible is clear about that
In fact go with me if you would keep your place right there in Matthew 6
But go to the book of James if you kept your finger in first Peter just right before Peter
You have the book of James James chapter number one
So Jesus says and lead us not into temptation and
It may kind of sound like he's at like you were saying Lord
Can you please not lead me into temptation as though like you're leading me into temptation or?
You might lead me into temptation. So I always kind of struggled with that. There's a little bit of attention there
I just got why is Jesus asking us
to ask God
To lead us not into temptation
Because God doesn't lead us into temptation James 1. Are you there look at verse 13?
Let no man say when he is tempted. I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempted he any man
We understand that there's different types of temptations in the Bible
The Bible says that God did tempt Abraham and the word temptation or temp there means to attempted or adventure
He put him up to a test
But here the Bible is talking about
Leading into temptation of sin and the Bible says let no man say when he is tempted
I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempted the any man
So Jesus saying lead us not into temptation didn't really make a lot of sense to me because God doesn't lead us into temptation
in
fact, I
It's almost like the Holy Spirit or like God wrote the Bible
because if you're me, right your pastor he man is and you're studying the Bible and you get to Matthew chapter 6 and
You read this phrase and lead us not into temptation and you stop and think to yourself
God doesn't lead us into temptation
in
Your mind would go to James chapter 1 and you turn over to James chapter 1 in verse 13 and read let no man say when he
Is tempted I'm tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempted the any man
And we were saying is there a contradiction here because God doesn't lead us into temptation
But the funny thing is that Jesus stating it that way
It's almost driving us to go to James because in James 1 13 we're reminded that God doesn't lead us into temptation
But in verse 14, he reminds us who does lead us into temptation
Who is it that leads you and me into temptation verse 14, but every man is?
tempted
When he is drawn away of his own lust and in times
Here's the truth, you know who leads you into temptation you
You know who leads me into temptation me
You know the problem is
That
When we go to temptation, we're drawn away. We are pulled we are enticed of our own loss every man
We like to say the devil made me do it, but that wouldn't make you do anything you did it
The devil might have put the temptation in front of you
He might have made it available for you, but it was your loss that drew you into that sin
So
we
Lead ourselves into temptation. Here's what I know about you
And I don't need to know you very well to know this about you
But I know this and you can know this about me as well
The biggest regrets we have in life the biggest mistakes we've made in life the things we fight
We hope people never find out about
We were the masterminds
Behind those decisions behind those events behind those stories we made those decisions why because the heart is desperately wicked above all things
It's
Your heart that's the problem out of the heart comes all these sins adultery fornication drunkenness
So we lead ourselves into temptation not God
God doesn't lead us into temptation. So then we come back to the words of Christ and
And we realize or maybe I should say and I realize
What he meant
Matthew 6 13
He's not asking
That G that God lead us not into temptation not necessarily he is asking that here's what he's asking
that God lead us
Period and
Lead us
He says and lead us
He says you come to God and you ask for provision
You come to God and you ask for pardon you come to God and you ask for protection and when you ask for protection
Here's what you ask you sit on your knees and you say God Jesus
Please lead me because the person that's been leading me has been leading me into temptation. It's me
Here's what he says he says
Would you lead us?
Because here's what I know when you lead us you lead us not into temptation
But you deliver us from evil
So it's not
Asking see the assumption see if you say well you're asking Jesus to not lead you into temptation and the assumption you're making is
That you're already following Jesus, but the truth is this when you're led into temptation, you're not following Jesus. You're following yourself
So
We're not asking stop leading us into temptation we're asking start leading us
So that I'll stop leading myself
Into temptation
He says lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
There's a request lead us and there's a recognition not into temptation. The recognition is this that when Jesus leads you
He never leads you astray
Matthew chapter 9 if you would you're there in Matthew just look at Matthew chapter 9 just real quickly
Matthew chapter 9
Because if you study the life of Christ, you'll find that what he often asked his disciples what he often asked people
Was that they would follow him, right? I
Can give you tons of examples. I'm not gonna do that this morning
I'll just give you one Matthew 9 verse 9 and as Jesus passed forth from thence
He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom and he said unto him follow me
And again, this is one of many examples where Jesus walked up to people and said follow me follow me follow me
You know what? Jesus says to you today follow me
And he arose and followed him
But here's here's what follow me means here's here's what the request is allow me to lead you
Allow me to be your leader
Follow me
So Jesus says when you pray and you get to the part about protection
What you should be praying and what you should be saying is this the person that's been leading me has been leading me astray
Who's been leading you me?
I've been leading myself into temptation. I've been leading myself into wrong decisions
I've been leading myself into doing the wrong things and Jesus says why don't you get on your knees and ask God and ask Jesus
To protect you. How do I do that by saying well you start leading us
Because I know when you lead us you will lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
And by the way, let me just say this if you kept your place there in James go back to James right before James
You have the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 2
Let me just say this
Jesus is the perfect person to pray to when you are tempted
You say why well the answers in Hebrews 2 18
For in that he the he there is Jesus himself have suffered being tempted
You know, Jesus was tempted
He is able to sucker the word sucker means to aid help relief them that are tempted
Because he was tempted and was victorious he can help you in your temptations
You're there in Hebrews to go to Hebrews 4 look at verse 15 Hebrews chapter 4 in verse 15
Hebrews 4 15 says this for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities
But was it all points tempted like as we are yet without sin
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find help
And find grace to help in time of need
And what is the time of need there in the context? It is temptation
We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities
But was an all points tempted like as we are here's the difference though yet without sin
He was tempted everything you every temptation you felt
I'm not saying every specific sin, but every temptation you felt
He was tempted the same way yet without sin
Therefore we can come boldly unto the groan of grace
That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need because here's the truth when Jesus is leading you
He will lead you not into temptation
And he will deliver you from evil, so just know this when you're walking into temptation that's not Jesus leading you that's you leading you
You're making those decisions
Every man when he's tempted he's don't say you're tempted of God no no no you're drawn away and entice of your own loss
So what should we do we should stop and say I've been leading myself Lord, and would you start leading me?
Because when you lead me you'll deliver me from evil go to Matthew chapter 6 we'll finish up Matthew chapter 6
So the question arises right because Jesus kind of dropped this tension on us. He says
Your heavenly father because they thought
Prayer is just coming to God and saying God I need this I need this I need this I need that I need this day
Off I need this vacation. I really need this money
I need you know all these things and so and we even spiritualize it my
Friend needs this my family member needs this and all those are good requests, and there's nothing wrong with that
but that's what we turn prayer into just coming to God and turning God into some sort of a cosmic genie and
Jesus says
Hey, don't worry so much about your prayer requests. There's nothing wrong with the prayer requests
Ask and it shall be given unto you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be open unto you
But just realize that your Heavenly Father already knows what you have need of even before you ask so that we would ask
Well if he already knows what we need if he already knows why we need why would we pray and
Jesus says I'm glad you asked
classes in session
Here's why you should pray to remember that your father is intimate and infinite
Here's why you should pray to remember that you're not building your own kingdom
But you're building his kingdom that you're not pushing your own agenda, but you're pursuing his agenda
And then when we finally get to the prayer requests
He said no, I'm not taking prayer requests
I'm teaching you how to pray
Because here's the truth
Here's the truth
You cannot
You cannot be covetous and greedy
While getting on your knees every day and praying give us this day our daily bread
You cannot be covetous and needy
While getting on your knees and praying every day give me neither poverty nor riches
Or let me say it this way. You cannot be those things and pray those things
without being a hypocrite
Because here's the truth you can't get on your knees and say forgive us our debts
While you're unwilling to forgive your debtors
You cannot get on your knees and say and lead us not into temptation while you're planning on
going into temptation later on that day and
And even our request has more to do with us aligning ourselves to God
and God
aligning himself to us
So Jesus ends the prayer
Where he began verse 13 for thine is the kingdom and power and the glory
forever
Amen
How do we end this model prayer
Here's how God is high
Holy and lifted up
And my job is to align myself to him
not vice versa
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer
Heavenly Father
Lord we thank you for this lesson on prayer by the Lord Jesus Christ
The truth is that most Christians don't pray and when we do pray
We ask amiss that we may consume it upon our lusts
But the truth is that we can't be covetous and greedy
While sincerely praying give me neither poverty nor riches
We can't be bitter and angry
While sincerely praying forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
We can't be
Planning to walk into temptations
While sincerely praying lead us not into temptations
So Lord I pray you'd help us to
Learn from the Lord Jesus Christ nothing wrong with bringing requests to the Lord
Ask and it shall be given you nothing wrong with making requests prayer really is asking and receiving
But even in our requests help us to be aligning ourselves to your will to your way in the matchless name of Christ. We pray
Amen