WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.559 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:09.380 podcast, a ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:12.080 Church in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.160 Merrick, and it's our prayer that this message 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.519 strengthens your faith and draws you closer to 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.059 Christ. Let's dive in. Hello. Good afternoon. 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:26.199 Happy Good Friday. I'm super excited for Easter. 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:30.460 If this is your first time tuning in to Our little 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:33.020 podcast, my name is Pastor Logan Merrick and 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:35.240 I pastor the Christ Our Cornerstone Church in 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:38.920 O 'Neill, Nebraska. And on here, you either hear 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:41.619 sermons that I've preached on Sundays or I do 00:00:41.619 --> 00:00:44.820 these, what I call mailbag questions where I 00:00:44.820 --> 00:00:48.320 answer in these shorter podcasts, questions that 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:50.740 I get from people in our congregation. And today 00:00:50.740 --> 00:00:54.320 I got one that was a really good one and I actually 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:57.280 have been asked this many times by students. 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:03.759 Because it it's one that typically skeptics love 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:08.019 to point to when they say that the scriptures 00:01:08.019 --> 00:01:14.519 are. Contradictive, and so the question is this, 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:18.780 why would Jesus say in his prayer on teaching 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:21.120 us how to pray? Why would he say lead us not 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.939 into temptation? Like I said, this is a really 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:29.230 good question because. James 1 is very clear 00:01:29.230 --> 00:01:34.950 that God doesn't tempt, right? And so when Jesus 00:01:34.950 --> 00:01:37.890 says, lead us not into temptation, but then James 00:01:37.890 --> 00:01:41.590 1 says very clearly, God does not tempt anyone. 00:01:42.310 --> 00:01:45.310 What exactly is going on that feels like a contradiction? 00:01:45.829 --> 00:01:50.430 Well, this is a perfect question to talk a little 00:01:50.430 --> 00:01:52.730 bit about systematic theology, which I will talk 00:01:52.730 --> 00:01:57.519 about in just a second. And so, First, I just 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.980 want to say, though, in case you were unclear 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:03.840 or that you're someone who's new to the scriptures 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.739 or a skeptic yourself and you're listening to 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:09.819 this, the scriptures don't contradict themselves. 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:12.520 And so we have to be able to kind of dissect 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:19.659 what what exactly is happening. And so. So instead 00:02:19.659 --> 00:02:23.620 of assuming tension means error, we have to go 00:02:23.620 --> 00:02:26.930 a little deeper. because that's what it is, is 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:29.930 attention. It's not an error. It's not a contradiction. 00:02:31.050 --> 00:02:34.250 So James tells us that temptation actually comes 00:02:34.250 --> 00:02:38.169 from within, from our own desires. We're drawn 00:02:38.169 --> 00:02:42.430 away and enticed by what's already in us. God 00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:44.750 isn't out there trying to trip you up. He's not 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:48.090 up there even waiting for you to sin. He knows 00:02:48.090 --> 00:02:51.610 you're going to sin. He's not surprised when 00:02:51.610 --> 00:02:54.370 you do, and he doesn't need to tempt you to do 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:57.810 it. because he knows you're going to do it. That's 00:02:57.810 --> 00:03:00.810 not an excuse to sin. I'm just telling you so 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:05.469 you don't get mixed up. So, but if you go to 00:03:05.469 --> 00:03:09.969 first Corinthians 10, 13, Paul says this about 00:03:09.969 --> 00:03:14.830 no temptation is unique to you. And more importantly, 00:03:15.409 --> 00:03:18.270 God is faithful. So he won't let you be tempted 00:03:18.270 --> 00:03:20.830 beyond what you can bear. And he always provides 00:03:20.830 --> 00:03:23.990 a way out. That's what Paul says. 1 Corinthians 00:03:23.990 --> 00:03:28.770 chapter 10 verse 13. There's no sin that's unique 00:03:28.770 --> 00:03:30.650 to you. There's no temptation that's unique to 00:03:30.650 --> 00:03:33.009 you. All of us face all these different types 00:03:33.009 --> 00:03:36.750 of temptations. Temptation is just a part of 00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:41.090 the human life, period. But God will provide 00:03:41.090 --> 00:03:45.009 a way out, he says. Now that's crucial for what, 00:03:45.389 --> 00:03:48.210 when we're looking back at the initial question. 00:03:48.550 --> 00:03:51.930 So we hold those together. God doesn't tempt. 00:03:52.219 --> 00:03:59.039 Paul says that he provides a way out. So God 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:01.379 doesn't create temptation, but he absolutely 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:05.139 rules over it. So now we go back to Jesus' prayer. 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.060 When he says, lead us not into temptation, he's 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.500 not implying that God is the source of temptation. 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:16.459 He's teaching us to depend on God in the middle 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:21.079 of a real battle. So in other words, this is 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:24.819 the prayer of humility. God, don't leave me to 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:27.819 myself. Don't let me walk into something that 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:32.579 will overwhelm me. Carry me through it. Does 00:04:32.579 --> 00:04:35.379 that make sense? Hopefully it does. And this 00:04:35.379 --> 00:04:38.560 is where some theology helps. Okay. So scripture 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:43.199 often speaks of God actively doing what he sometimes 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.100 simply permits. So there are moments where God 00:04:47.100 --> 00:04:49.699 gives people over, right? Like we see Romans 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:52.779 one talks about that, that he gives people over 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:56.500 to their desires, not by causing sin, but by 00:04:56.500 --> 00:04:59.899 withdrawing his restraining grace. Because the 00:04:59.899 --> 00:05:04.319 Holy Spirit, he is the one that restrains. He's 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:06.939 the restrainer of the antichrist spirit. He's 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:10.860 the restrainer of what could be a whole lot worse 00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:16.980 of hell's onslaught onto earth. And so when God 00:05:16.980 --> 00:05:21.430 says, God gives us over, it's not God going, 00:05:21.709 --> 00:05:25.370 oh, here is some sin, go sin. It's him going, 00:05:25.569 --> 00:05:28.829 oh, you're just gonna continue to find sin, so 00:05:28.829 --> 00:05:31.410 I'm gonna withdraw my grace from it. And when 00:05:31.410 --> 00:05:35.689 you have fully been enveloped, James 1 says, 00:05:35.730 --> 00:05:39.689 right, that those sins give birth to, ultimately, 00:05:39.870 --> 00:05:42.750 to death. And so when we pray, lead us not into 00:05:42.750 --> 00:05:45.829 temptation, we're really praying, God, don't 00:05:45.829 --> 00:05:50.120 withdraw your hand. Don't leave me exposed. Keep 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:54.300 me, guide me, carry me through. This isn't about 00:05:54.300 --> 00:05:57.939 God setting traps. Like I said, he knows you're 00:05:57.939 --> 00:06:02.300 gonna sin. But it's against his nature of who 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:07.980 he is to provide sin, to cause you to sin. There 00:06:07.980 --> 00:06:11.120 is no evil in him. And so doctrinally that doesn't 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.899 work. It's about God being our protection. So 00:06:14.899 --> 00:06:17.740 this prayer isn't about isn't contradictory at 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:21.379 all. It's deeply relational. It's Jesus again 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:26.819 saying, Lord, keep me from myself. Help me. Give 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:31.620 me strength. This is about knowing our own weaknesses 00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:38.459 and trusting God's strength to lead us safely 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.959 through these things. And so when I talk about 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.870 systematic theology, Systematic theology is being 00:06:45.870 --> 00:06:49.589 able to take all of scripture from Genesis to 00:06:49.589 --> 00:06:52.990 Revelation and being able to look across the 00:06:52.990 --> 00:06:57.250 scriptures, not just at one verse, but looking 00:06:57.250 --> 00:06:59.589 across all of scripture and going, all right, 00:06:59.610 --> 00:07:04.089 what is true and what is it saying? And so we 00:07:04.089 --> 00:07:07.149 have to use systematic theology here to go, all 00:07:07.149 --> 00:07:12.149 right, this seems weird. I know that God doesn't 00:07:12.149 --> 00:07:14.800 tempt. So then what does the rest of the scripture 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.699 say and what is exactly Jesus trying to tell 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:23.180 me? And so I hope that helps. Always, I recommend 00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:26.339 definitely getting a systematic theology book 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:31.439 and reading it. Yes, we read systematic theology 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:35.180 in seminary, but I think it's a good idea for 00:07:35.180 --> 00:07:37.519 all believers to have a systematic theology book. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.800 One that I recommend is Wayne Grudem's systematic 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:49.509 theology. There's also Dr. John Frame has a systematic 00:07:49.509 --> 00:07:51.730 theology book. Sorry, I wasn't planning on reaching 00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:56.230 to try to find a book. John Frame has a systematic 00:07:56.230 --> 00:07:58.649 theology book as well. I find his to be a little 00:07:58.649 --> 00:08:03.629 harder to read than Dr. Wayne Grudem, but both 00:08:03.629 --> 00:08:06.009 of them are very thick. All right. They're like 00:08:06.009 --> 00:08:09.850 700, 800, 900 pages. So but you can approach 00:08:09.850 --> 00:08:13.240 them topically. So I would recommend that to 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:15.279 learn a little bit more about systematic theology. 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:17.060 But that being said, I hope that is very helpful. 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:21.899 I hope you have a good Friday and I'm excited 00:08:21.899 --> 00:08:26.339 to see you at Easter this Sunday. If you live 00:08:26.339 --> 00:08:28.699 in the O 'Neill or surrounding areas, we'd love 00:08:28.699 --> 00:08:32.039 to have you. Have a great day. We'll see you 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:32.860 Sunday. Bye -bye.