“Lord, Teach us to Pray: Temptation” by Rev. Cody Sandahl – March 13, 2016
Introduction
We are still in our series looking at the Lord’s Prayer. Last week we talked about forgiving our trespasses, our sins, our debts as we forgive our debtors. And we looked at what we “owe” our neighborhood and our community as a church. And I also just wanted to pause to celebrate for a moment. I can account for about 50 people and 14 blocks walked last week as we prayed for our community. I’m excited to see what God does with that in our hearts.
If last week was the terrible petition, this week is the fantastic one. We can all get behind asking God to rescue us when we are tempted or troubled. This one’s easy. At least, it’s easy until we ask what our role is in this.
Matthew 6:9-13
9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
Temptation
My grandfather was an interesting man and apparently quite a character. Despite being bound to a wheelchair due to polio, he managed to get a law degree, run a very successful Pepsi bottling company in Austin, and get elected to the Texas House of Representatives. In fact I have two Texas-shaped coasters on my desk here at the church that are from the Texas House – don’t rat me out, I’m not giving them back!
He had many reasons to be proud. But whenever you put a dessert in front of him, he would state, “I can resist anything…except for temptation.”
I love that – I can resist anything…except for temptation. Isn’t it so true?
I mean, I absolutely hate gambling. Not because I’m morally opposed to it as an entertainment form, but because I’m too good at math and too much of a cheapskate to enjoy it even when I’m winning! I’m just waiting for the inevitable losing to commence. I blame my Swedish roots.
So should I be proud of myself for resisting gambling when it isn’t tempting to me in the slightest?
I was talking with someone recently who decided to give up Diet Coke for Lent. They’re braver than I am, that’s for sure. But then I saw this person with a huge, 40 oz cup with soda in it, and my puzzlement must have been evident because they explained, “This is REGULAR Coke, so I’m still good.” Should we be proud of ourselves if we simply substitute one temptation for another?
We can all resist anything…except for temptation.
So let’s throw out everything that you easily resist because it doesn’t even tempt you. Maybe that’s alcohol or smoking or gambling or whatever. Throw that out for now. That’s great, but what actually tempts you? What takes willpower to overcome? What gives you pause? Does unattended cash tempt you? Does income that can’t be traced by the IRS tempt you? Does lying tempt you? Does pornography tempt you? Does a great dessert tempt you? What actually tempts you?
God Always Gives Us A Way Out = Signs Pointing Back to Him
Now I’ve long debated what it means to pray to God, “lead us not into temptation.” Why would God LEAD me there? Does he have a grudge or something? In Matthew it’s no better – “do not BRING us to the time of trial.” Why would God BRING me to trial? Is he bored? Have you ever wondered that?
Well James writes in chapter 1, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
OK, God isn’t tempting me. So what does “lead me not into temptation” mean, then?
Well to answer that, we need the whole phrase. In our version of the prayer it’s “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Matthew’s version has, “Do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”
To move this image into a contemporary setting, there’s a scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, and the main character is driving around asking and PLEADING with God for a sign. He passes by a “slow down” sign as he prays the first time. As he again asks God for a sign, a construction truck pulls out in front of him with a bunch of stop signs hanging out of the back. Finally he looks up toward heaven – while still driving mind you – and demands a sign. And that’s when he rear-ends the construction truck. The joke is that he was ignoring all the very literal signs God was sending him.
Temptation is kind of like driving around and finding yourself in a bad neighborhood and your GPS just keeps repeating in an ominous tone, “Make a U-turn, Make a U-turn.” When you’re in the bad neighborhood, somewhat lost, you need to follow the right signs to get out.
And this prayer isn’t asking God to keep you out of those bad neighborhoods, it’s a prayer to God to give you clear signs to follow to get out.
Our first text today from 1 Corinthians 10 says, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
Think about that – it’s incredibly hopeful. God will not let us be tested beyond our strength. No matter the circumstance, we have a way out. No matter our genetics, no matter our upbringing, no matter our situation, we have a choice. I know a guy who was taking his brother to rehab, and the guy going to rehab started talking about how it was his parents’ fault that he was doing drugs. So my friend replied, “I grew up in the same home, and I never did drugs.” Shockingly, the brother replied, “You know, you’re right.” My friend took the way out, his brother didn’t. But he could have. And maybe rehab will let him finally take that way out.
Our text today asks God to “rescue us from the evil one,” or as I usually call him, “the adversary.” My friend’s brother was falling for one of the most common detour signs the adversary throws up when we’re looking for directions out of the bad neighborhood of trial and temptation. The detour signs says, “it’s inevitable – just give up.” Another detour sign reads, “it’s someone else’s fault – just give in.” Another detour sign reads, “it’s so small no one will notice.” Or, “it’s just this one time.” What detour signs get in your way when you’re in the bad neighborhood of trial and temptation? What does the little red guy on you shoulder whisper in your ear?
Whatever it is, it’s a lie. It’s a detour. It’s not the way out.
God has a way out – always – but it’s a different sign. Many times it’s a much harder direction.
Ways Out
Back in the year 2000 the US government started requiring that clinical trials of medications and treatments start publicly registering their methods and how they were going to measure impact before doing the actual research. And when they looked at studies before that requirement and after it, the difference was striking. Before researchers had to tell other people their methods ahead of time, they found a positive impact – a reason to go to market with the drug – 57% of the time. But when they had to register their methods, they only found a positive impact – a reason to go to market with the drug – 8% of the time. It seems even researchers can succumb to the temptation of wealth while conducting their science. But public accountability took a lot of wind out of those sails. Public accountability was a much harder direction, but it was a way out of the bad neighborhood of temptation.
Just as the adversary has some common detour signs, God has some common direction signs. Being publicly accountable is one of those common signs. Could you use another person – or maybe several people – to hold you accountable and ask you about your temptation? Or maybe you know someone who could use you graciously checking in on them? Accountability is a common direction sign from God.
Another common direction sign from God is “Find Something Better.” Now probably this doesn’t mean going from Diet Coke to regular Coke for Lent – that’s not really helping. But we all know the phrase, “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.” When I was a bachelor, there were more opportunities for temptation because I had way more idle time. Having a wife and two kids certainly is an effective means of reducing idle time! Whenever that idle time is there and temptation comes, though, one way out is to have something better ready to go.
Weight Watchers has had an ongoing debate about how many points to assign fruits and vegetables. Scientifically, fruits and vegetables have calories and fruits have sugar. But many of the programs make fruits and vegetables free – you can eat as many as you want. I once heard someone say, “I don’t need Weight Watchers because I’m eating too many fruits and vegetables. That’s not the reason.” Having fruits and vegetables be free – always available if you’re hungry – was a huge blessing to this person because they always had a guilt-free option rather than trying to just ignore the hunger. They had something better. One of the common direction signs from God.
The third major direction sign from God says, “Exit here.” Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” There’s a progression there – walking with the wicked. Then that leads to standing – lingering – in the way that sinners take. And that leads to sitting – making friends with – the company of mockers. At any step along the way, someone can take the “Exit Here” sign from God. It’s a lot easier to take the exit when you’re walking, not lingering. And it’s a lot easier to take the exit when you’re standing, not sitting at the table. God gives us “Exit Here” signs so that we can get out of the bad neighborhood while we’re still on the outskirts, not trapped in the middle. What’s the first step that leads you closer to temptation? What’s the second step that leads to temptation? How can you exit sooner?
Summary
Sisters and brothers, we will all find ourselves driving around in the bad neighborhood of trial and temptation. But no temptation is stronger than you can bear, and God is faithful and always, always, ALWAYS provides a way out.
What direction signs might God be giving you? Is he telling you to find accountability? Is he telling you to find something better? Is he telling you to exit sooner?
Follow the direction signs from God, not the detour signs from the adversary. We know we’re not always going to do that. But now we know it’s always possible. And for that I say thanks be to God.
