We are covering the three enemies described in the catechism’s description of “lead us not into temptation” from the Lord’s Prayer. Those being, the Devil, the World, and our Sinful Nature. Yesterday’s message was about the Devil, today the World.

Why is the world our enemy? Because the priorities of the world are contrary to God’s will. 1 John 2:16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” NLT

We are here to serve and bring glory to God, but the World tempts us to serve and glorify ourselves. It is interesting too, how our marketers and advertisers have become expert in attracting us to those things of this world that draw us away from God and crowd him out of our time and attention. Tabloids, Gossip, Sports, Money, Toys, the list is endless; there are so many things in this world to entertain us. The world also condones and even promotes behaviors and activities that we all know in our hearts are wrong (“what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”).

The peer pressure to focus on these things is also powerful. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul writes, ” Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ.”

Ultimately the risk is, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul.”

Dear Lord, Help us avoid mis-prioritizing the things in this world over you and your will. Help us to recognize and reject those things in the world that are opposed to you and are drawing us toward destruction. Help us see and be thankful, to you, for the good things in this world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Those of us that have been through Confirmation, or Catechism classes may remember the words defining “lead us not into temptation” from the Lord’s Prayer. The catechism defines this phrase, “we pray that the Devil, the World, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or lead us astray….”

In the next three days I’ll discuss these three enemies. First the devil.

We read about the devil and his deceit many places in the Bible, including the temptation of Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4. The devil is a crafty supernatural being described as the “ruler of this world” in Ephesians 2:2. He is like “a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour” in 1 Peter 5:8. We can only imagine how effectively he can manipulate our thoughts and perceptions with thousands of years of experience. 1 John 5:19 writes, “We know that we are children of God and all the rest of the world around us is under satan’s power and control”

But in 1 John 5:18 writes, “No one who has become a part of God’s family makes a practice of sinning, for Christ, God’s son, holds him securely and the devil cannot get his hands on him.” TLB

Although the devil may be stronger than us on our own, he is nothing compared to us with Christ. Our Faith in Jesus’ power and love is what protects us from this enemy.

Dear Lord, as we pray in the Lord’s prayer, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. When we feel “the tempter” working on us, help us have faith in you to protect us and those we love from the devil’s ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We all have hopes dreams, and desires that we would like to achieve. It is good to have aspirations and goals. God knows what they are and will help us achieve them. Psalm 37:4 says, “delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Part of getting what we want, however, is being thankful for what we have. I think of it as, ” be thankful for what you have while you pursue what you want.”

Paul writes in Philippians 4:12,13, ” I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” TLB

No matter where we are on the economic ladder, we all have something for which to be thankful, so let us thank God first then ask for what we want.

Thank you Lord for all that we have. Help us be content while we pursue our dreams. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The dictionary defines the word worship with the following phrases: “extravagant respect, admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.”

So what do we do if we have extravagant respect, admiration for or devotion to something? We dedicate time on our schedule for it, we take time and energy to learn more about it, we purchase books, magazines, on-line subscriptions to stay up to date, we buy t-shirts, go to events, talk about it with others with the same interests, an so on.

The question is, Does this description of worship sound more like our activities revolving around our favorite sport, team, athlete, TV show, musician, band, movie star, business person, or our activities revolving around God?

The first commandment given to Moses by God in Exodus 34:14 Is, ” For you must worship no other gods, but only Jehovah, for he is a God who claims absolute loyalty and exclusive devotion.” TLB.

Dear Lord, Help us see when we are putting other “gods” before you, so we can correct ourselves. Help us remember that putting you above all else, and trusting you will give us peace and joy for a better life here on earth, and life eternally. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We have all seen examples of two kinds of people in politics, sports, business, and all walks of life. My simple descriptions are, first, the wise and humble, and second, the self-centered self-promoter.

James writes about these differences in James 3. In verse 13 he writes, ” If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” I am sure you have seen these types of people, the incredible athlete that credits the whole team for the win, even when he or she carried the team, or the CEO that successfully leads his or her company through difficult challenges, but shuns the spotlight.

In comparison, you have seen those who are constantly blaming problems on others, taking credit for all the success, and complaining that they are not being treated right, or paid enough. In verse 17 James describes this other type, ” For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” We have all seen the results of these types of people in failing businesses, cities, and even national governments.

We need to strive to be the wise and humble type. God promises to help and to give us wisdom if we ask. James writes, in James 1:5, ” If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.”

Dear Lord, Please give us wisdom and understanding, and the humility to use it for your glory and not ours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.