The Gospel according to Matthew chapter 6, we'll
read from verse 9 through verse 13.
Thus therefore pray ye, our Father who art
in the heavens, let thy name be sanctified,
let thy kingdom come, let thy will be
done, as in heaven, so upon the earth.
Give us today our needed bread, and forgive
us our debts, as we also forgive our
debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but save
us from evil.
We have been sharing together on the so
-called Lord's Prayer.
We mentioned at the very outset that this
is the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught
his disciples to pray.
And yet we call it the Lord's Prayer.
Because we do believe that our Lord Jesus
would never teach us anything that which he
himself does not practice.
So evidently it is the Lord's Prayer.
It is the prayer that our Lord Jesus
prayed while he was on earth.
And it is the prayer that he wants
his people to join with him in praying.
We mentioned that this Lord's Prayer is based
upon a relationship.
Because it begins with our Father who art
in the heavens.
We can pray because he is our Father.
And when we pray in this manner, it
is more than because he is our Father,
but because we as his children have grown
up.
And we begin to understand his thought.
And we begin to share with his burden.
So that's the reason why you find when
we first believe in the Lord Jesus, we
do pray.
At the moment we all say we cry
out Abba Father.
Prayer is natural to us.
It is our right.
It is an enjoyment to us as God's
children.
But we will notice that in the beginning
when we pray, we pray as babes in
Christ.
And as babes in Christ, of course, all
that we are interested in with our Father
is to receive something from him.
Our prayer is rather self-centered, self-interest.
But this is the initial stage of our
being God's children.
But as we grow up in the Lord,
as we are disciples to Christ, as we
begin to be under the discipline of the
Holy Spirit, as we learn to know him
more, then our Lord Jesus said, our prayer
shall have a change.
In other words, our prayer should not be
centered upon our needs.
But our prayer should be centered upon God's
purpose.
We should not be self-centered in our
prayer life.
We should be more God-centered in our
prayer life.
So in a sense, this Lord's Prayer, that
our Lord Jesus teaches his disciples to pray,
is not everyone who is a child of
God is able to pray in this manner.
We may have recited this prayer from our
childhood.
We may know the words intimately.
But oftentimes we just repeat the words.
But we do not really understand what we
are praying.
We do not enter into that prayer as
we should.
And because of that, that prayer doesn't mean
much to us.
But we must remember that this is a
prayer that our Lord Jesus teaches his church
to pray.
He teaches those children of God who have
become the disciples of Christ.
Those who are grown up to understand the
Father, and to stand with the Father in
his purpose.
And it is upon that we pray our
Father who art in the heavens.
We mentioned at the very beginning that in
the original Greek, you'll find it is our
Father who art in the heavens.
It is in plural number.
And we believe that it tells us that
our Father, who is not only in the
third heaven where his throne is, but our
Father is in the second heaven where the
stars are, and our Father is in the
first heaven where the air is.
In other words, no matter what happens in
whatever heaven it may be, there is our
Father.
And there is he with us.
A sparrow falls into the ground not without
your Father's permission.
But in the original, we do not have
the word permission.
We say it, not a sparrow will fall
into the ground without the Father.
In other words, not only the Father permits
that sparrow to fall, but as that sparrow
falls, he actually comes down with that sparrow.
He has never left us nor forsaken us.
So brothers and sisters, we do see that
our Father is the Father in the heavens.
He is in control over all things.
No matter what happens to us, there he
is with us.
And it is to this Father that we
are praying.
In the Lord's Prayer you'll find the primary
subject of prayer is not our prayer.
It is our Father's need.
In other words, we stand on the side
of our Heavenly Father and pray.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done.
And thy name be hallowed.
It is his name, his kingdom, and his
will.
Now we know that the will of the
Father prevails in heaven.
He has all these angelic hosts executing his
will.
And we know his kingdom is supreme in
the heaven.
Because there in the heaven he rules supreme.
Everything is under him.
And everything there in heaven takes up his
character.
And also we know in heaven his name
is always.
Wherever in the Bible you'll find people see
the heavens open.
And caught a vision of heaven.
You will hear the cry of the living
beast, the seraphim, the cherubim.
They are crying out, holy, holy, holy.
There his name is always honored.
There his name is unchallenged.
There his name is respected.
Stands alone above everything unique, special.
That is the name of our Father.
But unfortunately we find this is not true
on earth yet.
One day it will be true.
One day his name shall be hallowed on
earth as it is in heaven.
One day his kingdom will come upon this
earth as it is in heaven.
And one day his will will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
We know it is coming and is coming
very rapidly.
But today we find it is not yet
universally true.
And unfortunately it is not even universally true.
No, no, the church is where his name
should be hallowed.
The church is where his kingdom really is.
And the church is where his will is
being done.
That is what God wants the church to
be.
That is what the church ought to be.
But unfortunately we find that as the church
of God, as his people.
Often times his name is not hallowed.
On the contrary we find we bring disgrace.
Sometimes we put his name evil to ourselves,
to other people, even to Athene.
We make him common, we profane him.
And that is a very unfortunate thing.
And for this reason we need to pray
this prayer.
That his name be honored, hallowed, in the
midst of the church on earth.
And then of course through the church his
name will be honored throughout the whole universe.
And the same thing is true with his
kingdom.
Are we really characterized by his character?
Wherever he rules, his character will be characterizing
us.
But is it true with us?
Are we manifesting the character of God?
Instead we manifest our own character.
How we need a transformation.
How we need a kingdom to be supreme
in our lives.
And for this reason again we have to
pray.
Thy kingdom come.
Not only his kingdom will come one day
in the future on earth.
But we pray that his kingdom will be
a reality in us today.
And the same thing with his will.
His will is done in heaven.
And we are supposed to be a people
who do his will.
But often times we do our own will.
And we need to pray that not my
will, but thy will.
So in other words brothers and sisters, as
God's people, as the church of God, we
need to stand with God and pray this
prayer.
And if we do pray in this manner,
it shows that we do stand for God's
glory.
We do stand for God's right.
We do stand for him.
And as we pray the Holy Spirit first
will begin to work in our lives.
And make all these real in us.
Now we mention also that whenever the Holy
Spirit works in our lives, the cross will
be the mark.
You cannot find the working of the Holy
Spirit without leaving the mark of the cross.
How our self-life must be crucified in
order that he may increase and we decrease.
So this is the centrality of prayer.
The very center of the Lord's prayer.
And hopefully that we may take it to
heart.
Now this morning we will come into what
we call the universality of prayer.
In other words, after we have prayed thy
kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth
as it is in heaven, thy name be
hallowed, then the Lord Jesus said we should
continue to pray.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver
us from the evil.
In this Lord's prayer you find a divine
order.
And that divine order is we need to
pray for his name, his kingdom, his will
first.
And then we pray for our need, for
us, for ourselves.
Now oftentimes we find in our prayer we
reverse the order.
Or we just have the last part and
never really touch.
In our prayer we always put ourselves first.
Our needed bread.
Our sound soul.
A good spirit.
And this is what we really are interested
in.
We are so self-centered people.
And we need to deliver from that.
And put God first.
You know in our Christian life a priority
is a very important thing.
Life is so complicated.
Life is filled with so many things.
There are so many businesses that we have
to attain to.
And our time is just limited, so short.
That's the reason why you'll find priority is
a very important factor in our Christian life.
If we do not have the right priority
we find that we will be led astray.
But if we really set the priority right
then the direction of our life will be
correct.
Now unfortunately we find among God's people we
do not set our priority right.
And because of that how much we do
suffer.
And how much God suffers because of us.
You know in the so-called Sermon on
the Mount.
You'll find our Lord Jesus said, Before you
ask these things your Father has already known.
In other words our Heavenly Father, He knows
what we need.
Before even we ask of Him.
And that's the reason why the Lord Jesus
said, Do not worry.
Do not be careful.
Do not be anxious about your life.
What you should eat.
Do not be careful about your body.
What you should drink.
What you should be close with.
These are the things that the nations, the
Gentiles, they seek after.
But certainly not you.
Because your Heavenly Father knows that you need
these things.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
His Righteousness.
And all these things shall be added.
You know you cannot blame the world, the
nations, the Gentiles.
To seek after these things.
What they should eat.
What they should drink.
What they should be close with.
They have to seek after these things.
Why?
Because there is nobody else to take care
of them.
And if they don't seek for them, they
won't have them.
But this is not true with us, who
are God's children.
We have a Heavenly Father.
And our Heavenly Father knows that we need
these things.
And certainly He will take care of us.
And therefore it is not right for us
to seek these things.
You know with the people of the world,
they are not contented with just having all
their necessities met.
They want to live a luxurious living.
They want something more than is necessary.
And because they want something more than is
necessary, they are never contented, satisfied.
And that's the reason why they fall into
all kinds of temptations.
And they lie down in sorrows.
But we as God's children, the Bible tells
us that Godliness with contentment is great gain.
In other words, we know that our Heavenly
Father will supply all our needs.
And we are contented to have our meat
met.
We are not trying to live in such
a luxurious way of life, because we are
pilgrims.
Now if this earth is our permanent home,
then we have to decorate it in such
a way that we really enjoy to the
uttermost.
But as strangers and pilgrims, we are just
passing by.
You may be here today, you may not
be here tomorrow.
This is not our home.
And because of that, Godliness with contentment is
great gain.
The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
And all these things shall be added unto
us.
These things shall be added.
These things shall not be sought.
You know, if we seek the Kingdom of
God and His Righteousness first, these things will
be added to us.
Now sometimes you think that, why is it
that these things are not added?
It is because you are not seeking the
Kingdom of God first.
You know, there is an example in the
Old Testament.
You find the children of Israel, a remnant
came back from Babylonian captivity.
Now why did they came back?
During the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, you
know the Jewish people that were slaves, captured,
carried into a foreign country.
But even in that foreign country, they lived
a good life.
You know, they began to settle down, and
they are good in making money, always.
And there you find they began to have
their businesses, to build their houses, and they
began to enjoy their life in the strange
land.
And also you find under the Babylonian rule
and under the Persian rule, actually they were
given a certain degree of liberty, of religious
freedom.
Now if they were not given religious freedom,
probably they would not feel that comfortable.
But they were given a large amount of
religious freedom.
They were able to worship God in the
land of captivity.
Actually their captivity healed them of their idol
worshiping.
And in the land of captivity they wanted
to worship God.
But of course there was no temple.
There was no altar, no sacrifice.
They couldn't do that, because the temple must
be built in Jerusalem on the site that
God has chosen, where His name was put
there.
And you could not offer sacrifices anywhere else.
But there in the land of captivity, they
had the freedom to worship, and they wanted
to worship.
So they invented a most ingenious religious invention,
and that is the system of synagogue.
You know the system of synagogue is the
most ingenious invention.
Why?
Because in the synagogue you can do anything
you want to.
You can read the Torah, you can read
the prophets, you can sing songs, you can
pray prayers, and you can exhort one another.
There is a perfect liberty in the synagogue.
You know, any Jewish man can stand up
and ask a question, or stand up and
give an address.
You know, it's free.
And better than that, if you don't agree
with anybody, you just get hold of another
nine men of leisure.
That is, another nine Jewish men who have
time and who are willing to devote some
time for God.
You can have your own synagogue of your
taste.
And you find that is a good way
to worship God.
You know, you can worship God according to
your taste.
Now isn't that wonderful?
So no wonder, after they lived in Babylon
for 70 years, when God gave them the
opportunity to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the
temple, very few cared.
They were God's chosen people.
But there in the land of captivity, they
lived for themselves.
They were not an irreligious people.
They were very religious.
But they lived for themselves.
And here you find a remnant.
They answered the call of God.
They returned to Jerusalem.
In other words, you find a people who
really returned to live for God.
They did not live for themselves.
They lived for God because Jerusalem was a
ruin at that time.
There was nothing there.
But they went back to rebuild the temple.
In other words, they went back for God's
name, for His kingdom, for His will to
be done on earth as it is in
heaven.
And what a glory it is.
But even with that people, when they met
a little opposition, they gave up.
They gave up building the temple.
They said, this is not the time to
do that.
It is not convenient.
They do not give up completely building the
temple.
They just say, it is not convenient.
We'll wait for a more convenient time and
we'll do it.
But time must be occupied.
If they are not building the temple, they
have to build something.
And what did they do?
They built their own houses.
And if you read Haggai, you will find
the houses they built were not just huts.
They built panel houses.
You know, they want to live very well.
You know, so they began to build their
houses.
And during those 10 to 15 years, they
left the temple there lying in waste, and
they began to build their houses.
And did they enjoy their lives?
If you are in Babylon, you may.
But if you are in Jerusalem, you will
not.
Because here you'll find when the prophet Haggai
was sent by God to them, you know
what the prophet Haggai told them?
He said, consider.
You just consider.
You sow much, you gain little.
You drink, but you are not satisfied.
You are clothed, but you do not get
a wash.
You earn wages, but you earn wages and
put in a bag with holes.
In other words, they who are supposed to
live for God, and when they began to
live for themselves, they did not have the
privilege of really enjoying life.
God would not allow them to do that.
Now that's the mercy of God.
Isn't it true with God's people today?
If you care very little for God, you
may be able to love the world and
live a pretty, comfortable, even luxurious life.
But if you love the Lord, and if
you do understand that your life belongs to
the Lord, and you have to live for
Him, and you do have the intention, the
heart to do so, and yet somehow your
priority is wrong.
Somehow you are trying to build your own
houses and leave the house of God in
ruin.
You know what will happen?
You will never be satisfied.
Thank God He does not allow you to.
Because He wants you to live completely for
Him.
For His kingdom.
For His name.
And for His will.
So brothers and sisters, we need to seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
And all these things shall be added unto
you.
You know with the children of Israel that
is true.
After they resume the building of the temple,
then the Lord set the day and said,
Now from this day onward it will be
different.
You will have abundance.
God will open the window of heaven and
pour down His blessing.
And how true.
So do not seek for the things.
These things.
The Gentiles.
The unbelievers.
They seek after these things.
But these things are below our dignity.
Not for us to seek these things.
We seek the kingdom of God and His
righteousness.
And these things shall be added.
And He always did.
Now if this is the case, probably we
will ask this question.
Now why is it then that the Lord
teaches us to pray, Give us this day
our daily bread.
Now isn't it true that He knows what
we need beforehand?
Is it not true that He will add
these things to our soul?
You don't need to ask for these things.
Now why should we want us to ask
for these things?
I think there are several reasons.
Number one, the reason why He still wants
us to ask, Give us this day our
daily bread.
It is because He wants us to cultivate
a kind of spirit.
A spirit of dependence.
A spirit of...
You know, sometimes we may think now, We
seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness
first.
And because we are doing that, We don't
need to take care of our daily bread.
You know, He will add unto us.
We are too spiritual to bother with these
physical, material things.
And as we are taking that kind of
attitude, In a sense we become so spiritually
proud.
If there is spiritual pride.
You know, we can't be in such a
way.
We think that now we depend upon our
spirituality to get our daily food.
Instead of depend upon God to give us
our daily food.
And God doesn't like that.
He wants us to always have a sense
of how we depend upon our Heavenly Father.
Number two, I think the reason is, He
said, give us this day our...
You know, this is the prayer of the
church.
In other words, the Lord's prayer is not
a personal prayer.
The Lord's prayer is a corporate.
You may not have the need for your
daily bread today.
But somewhere, your brothers and sisters, Members of
the body of Christ, May be in need
of a daily bread.
And because of that, we cannot be so
selfish, That when we have our need met,
Then we just do not pray anymore.
We have to remember that we are members
of the one body.
Brothers and sisters, in the Lord's prayer, It
creates within us a body conscious.
We are not only thinking of our needs.
We are thinking of the need of our
brothers and sisters.
And you know that there is always such
a need to pray.
We live in such a hostile world.
And the world is a sinful world.
And because of that, we find that many
places, All over the world, there will always
be some famine, Some hunger, some need.
So when we have our need met, Thank
God for that, Do not forget our brothers
and sisters, In other places in the world.
So that is the reason why we always
need number three.
Why do we need to pray for our
daily need?
It is because we have an enemy upon
this earth.
And this enemy is always trying to starve
us.
You know, he tries to wear us out.
If not spiritually, then physically.
This is one of the ways of the
murderer.
Satan is the murderer.
So you find that we live in this
hostile world.
And the enemy is always trying to oppress
us, To deprive us even of our daily
need.
He will make situations so difficult.
And it is difficult.
You know, for the people of the world,
They can do many things that we cannot
do.
And because we cannot do these unrighteous things,
We will find sometimes difficult to make a
living.
The enemy is trying to deprive us of
our very maintenance.
And for this reason we need to pray.
And through prayer we overcome the enemy.
Through prayer we find that the enemy is
not able to deprive us, To wear us
out, To starve us to death.
So that is the reason why we need
to pray this prayer.
And the fourth reason is, When we pray
this prayer, And have our prayer answered, Then
it will increase our praises.
Thanksgiving.
You know, when you find your daily need
met, In a marvelous way, Then you know,
no one can do that but your Heavenly
Father.
And for that you are thankful.
And you praise God.
You glorify His name.
So, I do believe that there are many
reasons why, Even after the Lord said, Seek
ye first, and then all these things shall
be added unto you, He still wants us
to pray for our daily bread.
God is the supply.
Now, brothers and sisters, God is love.
You know, before God created man, He created
first the things that man would need.
You know, He first created the trees.
Bearing fruit.
Before He created man.
Because the man He created needed to eat.
And there you'll find all the wonderful fruits,
In the Garden of Eden.
There was plenty.
No lack of food.
God always provides for His own.
And you'll find that because man sinned, The
earth was cursed.
And man had to labor, To toil, For
his living.
Now the earth still grows wheat, Corn.
But the earth grows also thorns and thistles.
So you have to sweat, In order to
make a living.
And in a sense that's very good, Because
if man is too leisure, He tends to
sin.
So God forced him to work.
So busy.
He has no time to think of sinning.
You know?
And here you'll find He is working for
a living.
Now even if the earth is cursed, You'll
find there is still plenty, Upon this earth.
Now why is it today we find food
becomes a big problem in the world?
It is not because God does not give
plenty.
It is because of the greatness.
You know?
It is the sin of man that deprives
people of food.
God always gives plenty.
There should be plenty.
But here you'll find on this earth, There
is hunger.
Maybe one-half, one-third of the world
population lives in hunger, in starvation.
Now this ought not to be.
Why?
Because this world is under the evil one.
You know?
And we live under that kind of hostile
soul.
We do thank God that He always gives.
You know if you read Psalm 104.
Psalm 104 is a beautiful psalm.
It tells of how God created all things.
And after He has created all things, how
He gives food to all things.
You know?
It says that all look to God when
He gives their things.
You know?
God is the giver.
And we need to always remember that He
is the giver of our daily bread.
You know the world thinks that they earn
their bread by their own labor.
But we ought not to.
We know better.
We know that it is true we have
to labor.
It is God's will for us to do
so.
But even if we labor and that God
does not bless, there will be no food.
Or even if you got the food and
you don't have the appetite, now you cannot
eat.
So we do know who is the giver.
And we look to God for our daily
food.
You know when we thank God at meals?
It is not a ritual.
It is not a form.
Why is it that when we take meals
we give thanks?
Because we know who gives us.
And we are thankful.
And this is what it ought to be.
Give us today.
Brothers and sisters, God wants us to live
one day.
He says, do not be anxious.
Because tomorrow has its own evil.
You know the words, every day has its
evil.
We live on this evil world.
And every day has its evil.
Its trials, its temptations, its testings, its tribulations
of all kinds, its problems.
Every day has something there.
So do not borrow tomorrow for today.
Now it makes it unbearable.
The Lord wants us to live one day
at a time.
Just trust.
Now that doesn't mean that we cannot plan
it.
You know, it doesn't mean that God wants
us to be careless.
Irresponsible.
Now there are some people in this world
who are like that.
They live one day at a time, that's
true.
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die.
So why bother tomorrow?
Enjoy today.
You know, that is not the kind of
life God wants us to live.
You know, we can plan.
But of course, we know that we can
plan.
Disposable.
In other words, in the book of James,
you'll find some people say, now I will
today or tomorrow go to a certain city
and stay there for a year and do
business and gain a lot of money.
The Lord says, you do not know where
you will be tomorrow.
All you need to do is, if the
Lord wills, then I will go there.
Brothers and sisters, that should be always our
attitude.
Our attitude is, if the Lord wills.
Our attitude is, we live daily before the
Lord.
Trusting Him that He takes care of tomorrow
as He takes care of today.
Now, this kind of life will deprive us,
take away from us anxiety.
You know, the problem today is people live
in constant pressure of security, of anxiety.
What will happen tomorrow?
What will happen ten years from now?
We try to accumulate enough for your lifetime,
but you do not know how long you
will live.
Whether ten years will be enough or twenty
years will be enough.
And then you'll find a parable that our
Lord Jesus said that man, he said, well,
I have so much, and I have prepared
all things that I need, and he tells
his soul, and said, now, soul, just rest
and enjoy yourself.
You have enough for your whole life.
But the Lord said, you will go.
So, brothers and sisters, we need to see,
give us truth.
Don't worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow we'll take care by God.
Today, God will take care of you.
So you are asked for today.
Give us this day, our needed.
In other words, God promises to give us
all that we need.
But God has not promised us to give
us more than.
So do not try to get more.
You know, may I say something?
Modern civilization is very convenient in one sense.
But in another sense, it really is not
conducive.
Why?
Because it's too complicated.
You know, we live with so many things
that are not needed.
And actually, these unneeded things are the things
that entangle.
Now, if we can live a sinful life,
you'll find that our life will be much
purer, easier, and spiritually conducive.
So that is what our Lord Jesus wants
us to do.
When we pray, give us this day, our
daily bread.
On the one hand, it creates in us
a spirit of looking to God for our
physical need.
We know He is our supplier.
On the other hand, it gives us a
consciousness of the body of Christ.
And at the same time, it does help
us to live.
You know, this is not just a prayer
that you pray.
You know, when you pray, it affects you
first.
Now, do not think that prayer changes God.
Prayer never changes God.
Prayer changes you.
Now, if a prayer does not change you,
it is a prayer of the lips.
It is not a prayer of the heart.
So, when we pray this prayer, even though
it relates to physical things, material things, and
we need these things.
Now, when we cannot live without food, God,
our Lord Jesus said, man does not live
by bread alone.
You know, He does not say, man does
not live by bread.
He does not say, He said man does
not live by bread alone.
You know, so we do need bread.
But, sometimes the Bible uses the word soul
to represent man.
Seventy souls enter into Egypt.
In other words, seventy men, people, enter into
Egypt.
So, soul is the seat of our personality.
But unfortunately, you find when men sin, sin
enters into man's soul and reigns within him.
You know, in Romans it says, sin reigns
in you.
That is in our soul.
Our personality is contaminated, is poisoned.
You know, therefore you find self becomes the
soul life.
You know, the soul life is self.
And self is the nature of sin.
Therefore, everything that comes from our soul expresses
ourselves.
What we think, how we feel, how we
decide, all expresses that selfish, corrupted, sinful eye.
Now, that is how fallen we are.
But thank God, we find our Lord Jesus
came into this world to save us.
He saved our whole being.
Not just our body, not just our spirit,
but also our soul.
You know, that is the reason why in
the scripture you do find this term, salvation
of the soul.
For instance, in 1 Peter, chapter 1, I
think it is verse 9, salvation of the
soul.
And you find in Hebrew, the saving of
the soul.
Now, sometimes we mix up these things, soul
and spirit, you know.
Because we do not see the difference between
soul and spirit.
Now, for an unbeliever, that is true.
Because his spirit is dead.
So far as God is concerned, soul with
him is soul and body, that's all.
You know, when I was in China, a
missionary lived with us, we called her grandma.
She brought my father to the Lord, and
we do thank God for that.
And whenever something happened, he said, oh my
soul and body.
You know, it becomes an expression.
You know, where is the spirit?
Now, people do not know they have a
spirit.
They think they are just soul and body,
that's all.
But anyway, you'll find that when you are
born again, what is born again?
Born again is the rebirth of your spirit.
He that is born of the spirit is
spirit.
He that is born of the Holy Spirit
is the new human spirit.
And that is the reason why the Holy
Spirit can dwell in that new spirit cry
out after Father.
Now, when we are born again, it is
deep down within us, our spirit is born,
is renewed, comes into life with God.
We are of faith.
A relationship is made with the Heavenly Father.
Because God is spirit, and we have a
human spirit renewed that can contact and commune
with God.
Now, that is what we call being saved.
But after we are saved, now how about
our soul?
Our soul.
Sometimes we say, you have a new spirit,
but old soul.
Or to put it in another way, you
have a new heart, but an old mind,
old brain.
Now, isn't that true?
We find many Christians today, they are saved,
thank God for that.
In their heart, you know, they have believed
the Lord Jesus with their heart.
The Lord dwells within them.
No doubt about that.
There is every evidence they are the Lord.
But unfortunately you find that their mind or
their brain is just as old as it
was before.
In other words, they still think the same
way.
They still evaluate things in the old way.
Their outlook hasn't changed.
You know, they love the things of the
world just like the people of the world
love them.
And they have not much desire for the
things spiritual.
They still desire the things worldly.
And they do not desire the things spiritual.
In other words, you find they still carry
with them old mind and old...
Their soul need to be...
You see, transformation in the scripture refers to
when our soul is transformed.
Our soul is...
Now, I will not get into that too
much.
But anyway, you find that there is our
soul.
Now, when we believe in the Lord Jesus,
you know what the Lord Jesus did?
When He died on the cross, He not
only bore our sins in His body, and
through the shedding of His blood, our sins
are remitted, forgiven.
Thank God for that.
But our Lord Jesus did more than that.
When He died on the cross, He died
on the cross as us.
In other words, not only He took our
sins upon Himself and died for us, but
He took us within Him and died as
us.
Therefore, you find when He died, we died.
In other words, on that cross, our Lord
was crucified.
And in His crucifixion, our self-life, the
life of the soul, was crucified.
Know ye not that you were crucified with
Him?
Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ.
No longer live I, it is Christ who
lives in me.
And now I live in the flesh.
I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me.
In other words, you'll find when Christ died
on the cross as a man, you and
I, as human beings, we were crucified with
Him.
The I, the old I, your I, my
I, all the I's were crucified with Him
on the cross.
And be done with.
Now, that is what the Lord has done
on the cross to save our souls.
He has done it.
But because He has done it, therefore the
Holy Spirit today is to apply the cross
into our lives.
To make dead that self-life.
So that it will become a reality in
us.
And when the Holy Spirit is applying the
cross to our self-life, then you'll find
in the measure of self being decreased, Christ
be increased in us.
That's transformation.
Your old character began to fall off.
And a new character of Christ began to
be formed in you.
Until you are conformed to the image of
Christ.
You know, that is the salvation of the
soul.
And here you'll find our Lord Jesus has
done it.
And all that needs to be done is
on the finished Word of Christ, let the
Holy Spirit do it in your life.
And this is a lifetime.
Not a once-for-all process.
Lifetime process.
From glory to...
But, when the Holy Spirit is going to
do this work of transforming your soul, you
need to have your soul in a right...
And that condition is you are not under.
You know, when a person is under a
guilty feeling, a guilty consciousness, all the work
of God seems to be stopped.
God does not have an entrance into your
life.
Because you are under a guilt feeling.
You know, you're wrapped up with yourself.
You do not allow the Holy Spirit to
work in you.
So to have our soul in a right
state for the salvation of the soul coming
to us, we need to have a soul
without a guilty feeling.
And that can only come.
You know, that is very important.
A forgiving...
A forgiven soul opens the door to the
working of the Holy Spirit in transforming.
A guilty soul shuts the door of God's
Word.
You know, when a person is under a
guilty feeling, no matter what you say, it
doesn't enter in.
It seems that you are bound up with
yourself.
And unfortunately you find how many of God's
people today, God's people, living under a guilty...
And that hinders their progress in the Lord.
So we need to pray, forgive us our
debt as we forgive our debt.
You know, once when the Holy Spirit convicted
us of sin, of righteousness and of judgment,
we came to the Lord Jesus.
We confessed our sins.
And His blood cleanses us.
He forgives us.
He not only forgives us, He even forgets.
You know, the Bible says in the New
Covenant, He not only forgives, but He forgets.
All our past sins, all our past debts,
you know what is debt?
Debt is what you owe.
In other words, it's omission.
And what is sin?
Sin is what you ask.
It is commission.
So, whatever we commit, or whatever we omit,
before we believe in the Lord Jesus now,
nobody can count how much we have omitted,
and how much we have committed.
But thank God, when we come to Him,
our Lord Jesus, He forgives us all, and
not only forgives, but He literally forgets.
Now, if you want to remind Him again,
He said, I don't remember.
Now, that is how good is forgiveness.
No, you know, it's a wonderful feeling, you
know, to be forgiven.
Now, thank God for that.
But, after we are forgiven, is it not
true, that we continue to owe, and continue,
and you find that our Lord Jesus used
a parable.
When Peter came to the Lord Jesus, in
Matthew chapter 18, He said, My brother sinned
against me seven times, isn't that enough to
forgive?
You know, to Peter, that is quite an
accomplishment.
Because he has a quick temper, you know,
and for a quick tempered person to forgive
seven times that endurance, you know, I often
think that it is actually Peter who offends
his brother, and he thinks that his brother
offends him.
Because Peter's brother is Andrew, and Andrew is
such a quiet, good fellow, you know, and
that is always the case.
You know, when you offend people, you are
offended, and you think you are so kind
and generous to forgive, and when you forgive
seven times, you think, well, that's enough.
That's enough.
So our Lord Jesus used a parable.
He said, a servant, owe his master ten
thousand talents, millions of dollars, and of course
the master has every right to seize him,
to sell him and all that he has,
to repay, and actually even that cannot repay
actually.
But he begged his master, and the master
had compassion on him, and forgave him.
All right, everything is clear.
Then he went out, and he saw a
fellow bondman that owed him only a hundred
denarii, a few dollars, and he hold his
neck and said, pay.
If you do not pay, go to jail.
And when the master heard about it, the
master called him back, and said, I have
forgiven you all, and you do not forget.
All right.
Go to jail, and you pay every penny.
Now, in that parable, what is he saying?
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive.
Now, brothers and sisters, you have to see
the difference here.
It is important.
Before we are saved, you are forgiven without
forgiving anybody.
It is all grace.
Why?
Because it is impossible for you to forgive.
You know, we often say, to err is
human, forgive is divine.
In other words, forgive is divine, and you
are not divine.
You cannot forgive.
As human, you err.
As human, you always ask people to pay
back.
You know, you cannot forgive.
It is impossible.
So, if our forgiveness is based upon our
forgiving people, we will never be forgiven.
Now, thank God that we are forgiven freely,
without any condition.
But, what is grace?
Grace is not only something that comes to
us freely.
Grace is life.
When it comes upon us, it carries with
it the same character.
In other words, we who have been forgiven
now have the life, the divine life of
forgiving.
Because we are God's children.
We have our father's character, disposition.
So, as God's children, you will find forgiving
is with condition.
It says, forgive us our debts.
As with brothers and sisters, often times you
find God's people, they ask for forgiveness, and
yet they are constantly, continually under a guilty
feeling, because those
who owe them.
They are still holding some evil feeling, hatred,
against some brothers.
And that is the reason why you will
find they do not enjoy the liberty of
forgiveness.
Now, this is very, very important, brothers and
sisters.
Today, our being forgiven is conditioned on our
forgiving our brothers and sisters.
Because the new life is in us.
The new nature of forgiving is in us.
And we should not waste the grace.
Brothers and sisters, if God's people know how
to forgive one another.
You know, when God's people are together, as
a family, it is almost unavoidable that there
will be some omission and some condition.
It's unavoidable.
Sometimes you do something to your brother that
you shouldn't do.
Other times, you owe your brother something that
you ought to do.
And these things happen all the time.
And if we all hold these things and
these debts, what will happen?
You will find that the whole body is
blocked.
Is blocked.
There will be no fellowship, no flow of
life.
You know, and the whole body will enter
into death.
Brothers and sisters, that is what's happening in
the church today.
And the Lord wants us to pray, forgive
us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
We need to forgive that we may be
forgiven.
And our brothers and sisters need to forgive
that they may be forgiven.
Then we will have that kind of situation
that the Holy Spirit is free to work
in our midst to do the work of
transformation.
And how He will forgive us our debts
as we do.
And then the Lord continues to say, lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us.
You know, we have a physical need.
Give us this day our daily bread.
We have a soulical need.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors.
But we also have a spiritual need.
Why?
Because we have a spirit.
A human spirit.
A renewed spirit.
And the Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit.
And our spirits need to be sound, clear,
unblamish, happy, light.
We need such a kind of spirit.
So our spirit has also a need.
Unoppressed, free.
And that's the reason why the Lord wants
to pray, lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us.
You know, brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus
says, watch and pray that you enter not
into temptation.
Your temptation is ever.
Because the world is under the reign of
the tempter.
Satan is the tempter.
And, of course, he tries to tempt people
everywhere, on anything, in whatever time and place.
Temptation is all around us.
And for this reason the Lord wants us
to watch that we enter not.
I do believe there are many temptations that
we enter in unnecessarily because we do not.
We do not watch.
You know, temptation comes from the enemy.
God never tempts.
And He is not tempted.
That is the Book of James.
God never tempts anybody.
And God is not tempted, cannot be tempted.
Temptation comes from the enemy.
Now, what is temptation?
Temptation is trying to draw out from you
the lust.
And when the lust of the flesh are
being drawn, then it ends in sin.
Now, that's temptation.
In other words, temptation always has an evil
thought behind it.
Satan tempts us that we may fall.
And, unfortunately, we have a fifth columnist within
us.
The lust.
And that responds to the temptation.
Now, God does test us.
God does not tempt us.
But He tests us.
Now, that's the difference.
When God tests a person, He is trying
to draw out the grace that He has
already brought into that person.
So that when that grace is drawn out,
it's strengthened and it glorifies God.
Now, that's temptation.
So, let us know no mistake, that God
never tempts us.
Thank God.
Even though we live in a world full
of temptations, but actually, if God does not
permit, the tempter cannot tempt us.
You know, everything is under God's control.
So, that's the reason why in 1 Corinthians
chapter 10, you'll find that you will not
be tempted beyond that which you can bear.
In other words, God measures even your temptation.
Now, sometimes we go out of measure because
we stubbornly want to do that.
And God will just be unnecessary.
But even so, you'll find God really measures
our temptation.
So, do not think you are tempted beyond
that which you are able to bear.
And when you endure for a period, He
will open us.
You know, that is the grace of God.
Even with temptation.
But, the prayer here is not that.
The prayer is lead us not into temptation.
How does God lead us into temptation?
We say God does not tempt us.
We say that God sometimes permit us to
be tempted.
But does God lead us into temptation?
Why should we pray such a prayer?
I can think of only two reasons why
sometimes God leads us into temptation.
One reason is God is so confident of
us that He dares to challenge us.
You know, in the case of Job, Satan
came before him.
And Satan was not accusing yet.
And probably Satan did not know how to
accuse.
You know, sometimes Satan didn't know how to
accuse.
Unfortunately, most of the time he knows where
to accuse.
But, Job was such a perfect man.
Satan watched him, watched him.
But he couldn't find any loophole to attack.
So you find he didn't come to the
Lord to accuse.
To accuse Job.
He didn't.
God challenged him.
God said, now did you notice My servant
Job there's no one perfect like he is?
And then Satan tried to get permission.
You know, and God, Satan, Satan thought that
must be the reason.
It is because, he said, God, you build
a hedge around him.
You bless him.
Bless everything in his hand.
And no wonder he fears you.
Now take away all these things and he
will curse you.
God said, alright.
I challenge you.
You do that.
No.
Here you'll find it is God who leads
him into temptation.
But of course, the outcome, you know, God's
name is on it.
When all these things are taken away, and
even when he was stricken with swords, God
did stop it.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Now, here.
You know, God is glorified.
Satan's mouth is shut forever.
Now, that is the case.
So sometimes, now I, I wonder how many
of us God is able to do that.
I don't know.
But sometimes, you know, God really can do
that.
Because he has confidence.
Now that's one reason.
Another reason is, sometimes he leads us into
temptation.
Because there is something in us, some weakness
in us, that we are unaware.
And there is no way to teach us,
but by leading us.
Now the case of Simon Peter is one.
You know, Simon Peter said, Lord, I will
die with you.
I love you.
I will die with you.
Other people may fall.
Not me.
And he leads him.
He believes it.
He does not know and how is the
Lord going to teach him.
If the Lord said to him, and the
Lord did, he said, you will deny me
three times?
Peter said, no, never.
Teaching doesn't work.
So the Lord leads him to temptation.
You know, he was tempted.
And when he was so tempted, his witness
was revealed.
And because of that, and in repentance, he
was strengthened.
What is of Peter fell off.
What is of the Holy Spirit?
Now, brothers and sisters, this is why sometimes
the Lord does lead us.
That we may learn some lessons we can
never learn otherwise.
But we still need to pray.
Lead us not into temptation.
Do not be so self-conceited.
You know, if anyone thinks that he can
stay, then beware that you fall.
You know, some people think, oh, I'm strong.
God can use me to challenge the enemy.
I have no weakness.
Well, better be humble and fearful.
Lead us not into temptation.
Lord, you know my frailty.
You know my weakness.
Lest I fall, don't allow, lead us not
into temptation.
Lord, we need you.
Maintain me.
That is the proof.
Deliver us from the evil one.
If it is your will, that I have
to go through the temptation, then Lord, you
know, I cannot do it.
But you have to do it.
And thank God.
You know, our Lord Jesus said, Simon, Simon.
Satan has demanded of you, to sit you
as wheat in a sieve, that your faith
shall not fail.
And after you are recovered, brothers and sisters,
how we need to ask the Lord to
deliver us.
Remember, we are no match.
But our Lord Jesus is.
He has overcome.
And therefore, even in temptation, now that will
keep our spirit in good.
So we have the need of the Holy
Spirit.
And we need to pray this prayer.
Not only for ourselves, for the whole church.
The whole church.
And as we pray, you'll find how wonderfully.
This is the prayer that our Lord Jesus.
And may the Lord help us.
Dear Heavenly Father, we do thank Thee that
Thou has taught us.
We give ourselves to Thee.
We are willing to be that Thou mayst
be able to pray.
Thy name be hallowed.
Thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven.
To this day our needs lead us not
into.
For Thine is the kingdom.