Let me call your attention this morning to that portion of God's Word that we began to consider last Lord's Day. So if you would turn with me to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. Just before the betrayer Judas arrives with the mob, who came from the chief priests and the elders, who were armed with swords and clubs, we read these words, beginning with verse 36, I'm sorry. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples, sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me. He went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed saying, oh my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will. Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, what, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Last Sunday, I sought to bring us to something of a context in which this prescription was given. I said last Sunday that this is one of the most painful passages in all of scripture. Yet amid the painful darkness of this hour, our Lord brings words of light, comfort, and help to his followers, to his disciples, to his friends. He came with a gentle word, a loving rebuke. So I've titled these messages, Our Lord's Prescription for Temptation. When we use the word prescription, we often think of it in relations to medicine. We make our appointments and we go to the doctor. And we try to explain what's going on, the ailment that we're suffering, and he listens. And he takes out his little notepad, and he does his scribble-scrabble thing on the notepad, which none of us can read. But we take it to the pharmacist, and we give it to the pharmacist, and we hope that after the pharmacist has filled it and we've taken it home, that it will render relief and a lasting remedy for what ails us. In the passage before us, our Lord with loving compassion rebukes his friends in the garden. Some of you think that rebuke or correction is not loving. But let me remind you of what the Bible says. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27.6. For whom the Lord loves, he reproves and corrects, just as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3.12. So beloved, don't despise or reject or detest or loathe correction or reproof, for it comes from love. It's like that unjoyful castor oil that mom used to give us that was painful to our taste buds, but it proved to be for our profit. I still despise castor oil. And I don't like Coca-Cola either. Why? Because my dad used to mix castor oil with Coca-Cola. There used to be a jingle, things go better with Coke. I don't know. But we got better. But I don't drink Coca-Cola. There was no question about our Lord's love. He declared it, and he demonstrated his love for his disciples. He says, a new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another, John 13, 34. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John chapter 15, verse 13. The Apostle John records this blessed truth just before the events of our passage. When Jesus knew that his hour had come, that he should depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them. to the end. John 13, verse 1. We are commanded to love one another as Christ has loved us, which includes sometimes a timely and loving rebuke when needed. Sometimes, brethren, we must be faithful to one another and demonstrate the same type of love that Christ exemplified and come alongside our brethren. When we see them walking out of the way, or we observe some things in their lives that are unruly, because of the love in our hearts, we need to do as the writer to the Hebrews say, come alongside and exhort our brother. lest he be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Rebuke is a loving thing. Children, I know you don't think it's a, and it's not a pleasant thing. And the Bible says it's not a pleasant thing to be corrected or disciplined, but it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness. So brethren, if we desire to see our brethren make it home at last, let us be faithful to one another as Christ was faithful to those whom he loved. And we are exhorted to humbly receive rebukes, knowing that they are for our good. Our Lord brings a rebuke to his disciples here in this passage, and Peter in particular, he argues with the Lord. It's interesting because Peter acknowledges the fact that Christ was omniscient, but he does not listen to his words. And sometimes God's word comes home to our hearts. And we are much like Peter. We argue with the truth of God's word rather than bowing in humility and tears, recognizing our waywardness and desiring to be delivered from those things. That's a little early application that some of you, like the disciples, fall asleep before this sermon is over. As we focus our attention on verse 41, let me remind you that I approached the words of this verse in reverse order under these three heads. First, the reality of our redeemed humanity, spirit and flesh. Secondly, the danger that confronts our redeemed humanity, temptation, and the divinely prescribed prescription for our redeemed humanity. Watch and pray. or the shorter headings that we're given, our person, our danger, and our help. Last week, I began to discuss our person or the reality of our redeemed humanity, being spirit and flesh. And indeed, brethren, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, the psalmist says. And we don't advocate that view of the Gnostics who say that the spirit is good and matter, including the physical body, is evil. We take the words of God to be true. And he records for us in his holy word. Even back in Genesis, and the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul, a living being. Male and female, created he them. He created them in his image. And in Genesis 1.31 we see these words, then God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good. Unfortunately, in chapter 3 of Genesis, we find recorded the ruin of what was very good. When through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, And thus death spread to all men because all sinned. Therefore, through one man's obedience or offense, pardon me, judgment came to all men. For by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. All of us in this room were born in sin because we are the sons and daughters of Adam. We have a bad record, and we have bad hearts. And that was the ruin that came upon the whole human race. And even the creation groaneth, even until today, waiting for the redemption. Thankfully, because of regeneration, the new birth, the spirit sanctified by divine grace is resolved with constancy and steadfastness to perform its duty. The spirit is unwavering in its desire to obey God. Our Lord said the spirit is willing. And in such a person who has trusted Christ alone for salvation, there is a true heart, an unhypocritical heart, a new creation, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. Second Corinthians 5.17. And because this change is real, I listed six things last week to describe regeneration's change. A change of quality or disposition. It's a supernatural change. It's a change that's wrought from heaven. It's a change into the likeness of God. It's a universal change. It affects the whole man. Yet it is but an imperfect change. It's a progressive work of sanctification that goes on in the life of those who have been regenerated. Nevertheless, it's a lasting change. It will never come to an end. God is working all things together in our lives, and he's conforming us to the image of his son. However, our Lord describes our person, our redeemed humanity, not only as being spirit, but also flesh. And he sets this sarx, flesh, in contrast to the Greek word pneuma, or spirit. So what is this flesh? The Greek word sarx has a wide range of meanings in the New Testament. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, its uses in the New Testament may be analyzed as follows. The substance of the body, whether beast or man. It speaks of the human body. It speaks of mankind in the totality of all that is essential to manhood, spirit, soul, and body. It's even used to speak of our Lord, the humanity of the Lord Jesus in the totality of his essential manhood. It speaks of the complete person. It speaks of the unregenerate state of men. It speaks of the seed of sin in man. It speaks of the lower and temporary element in the Christian. Even in religious ordinances is mentioned this word flesh. The natural tameness of men, the externals of life, Natural relationships related by blood, such as what we have in parent and child relationships, or even in marriages, this word is used. It's even used as a weaker element in human nature, such as what we find in Matthew 26, 41. Christ is here referring to the weakness of our human nature. Much of our acquaintance with the word sarx, or flesh, comes from the pen of the apostle Paul. And when Paul uses the word flesh, he is often referring to indwelling sin, or remaining sin, such as what we see in Romans 7, where the apostle says, I find in a law that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. Now, I know that there are different views concerning the I in Romans chapter 7. And good and godly men, some Greek scholars have differing views on who the I is in Romans chapter 7. Some believe that, and it's broken up in different categories, who is this one is being described in this portion of scripture. There's a non-autobiographical view that represents the I in this passage's Adam, or Israel, or every man, or Gentiles. And then there's the autobiographical view, which looks at it this way. It's maybe speaking of us as unbelievers, or as carnal Christians, or even a mature Christian. However, it's not my purpose to discuss the various views of the I in Romans chapter 7. But I only pointed out that I don't believe that what our Lord says here in Matthew chapter 26 when he refers to the flesh is weak is the same thing that Paul is talking about when he speaks of remaining sin or the corruption that remains in believers. Paul's use of the word in his writings have a different meaning, I say, than what our says, Paul speaks of indwelling sin. He sets forth the reality that it affects the whole man, the mind, the affections, and the will. And I ask you this morning, as you consider your remaining corruption, is it weak? Is your remaining corruption weak? Is it something that you don't really have to give much attention to or battle with? Galatians 5 says, for the flesh lusts against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary one to another, so that you will not do the things that you wish." The disciples did not fall asleep because of indwelling sin, or because of the weakness of indwelling sin. Luke sheds some light on this occasion here when the disciples were in the garden with our Lord. And he says, when he rose up, speaking of our Lord, from prayer, and had come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. Sorrow had so gripped their hearts that they were wearied and exhausted, even physically, because of what had come to their ears and what they had heard and witnessed. We read in Luke chapter 9 the same weaknesses. Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that he took Peter, John, and James and went up to the mountain to pray. And he prayed And as he prayed, the appearance of his face was altered, and his robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease, which he is about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep. And when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. The disciples were willing, but their flesh is weak. They were sleepy. They were weary. They were overtaken with heaviness. It's much like The wife and I, when we go out in the mornings for our little walk, we try to be diligent about those things. And we try to get in about three miles. Sometimes we can get a little bit more. And we come back home. And we might get a little bite. And then we might sit down and try to catch a little bit of the news and find out what's going on in the world. But while we're sitting there, We're overtaken, and we take a nap. Young people, that's what old people do, they take naps. Overtaken by the activities of the day, desirous to accomplish many things on a schedule of that day, but we come home and we are overtaken with weariness. It's much like what we have on the Lord's Day. We come with great expectation to meet with God, and we see the saints, and we enter into this sanctuary, and we worship the God of heaven, and we thank him for sending his darling son into the world to save sinners. And we fellowship one with another, and we encourage one another, and we speak of our journey through the week, and how we have progressed in holiness, or whether we've made some digression seeking the help and prayers of our brethren. And we're excited about these things and we share a meal together. And then we come back on the Lord's Day evening and we come and we pray together. And we come before the Lord's table, and we remember the sacrifice that was made on our behalf, and all these things excite us as we're pulled away from the activities of the world and the six days of labor, and we give ourselves to the worship of our God and these things, and we get home on the Lord's Day evening, we sit down and we... did not our hearts burn, but we're weary and we're tired because our flesh is weak. Man's entire human nature, which is not just physical but psychological, is weak in comparison to his regenerated, willing spirit. Our minds, our emotions, along with our bodies, are considered from the aspect of its frailty and needs. In Romans chapter 6, the apostle says, I speak in terms, in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness." He says, I speak to you in human terms. Paul speaks to these in these terms so that they wouldn't misunderstand what he was saying because of an account of the weakness of their understanding. So we had to break it down and use analogies to open up these biblical truths to them because our flesh is weak. There's much has been written about our person, our redeemed humanity. And might I commend to you the reading of some excellent volumes concerning what we are, Even those of us who have been saved by grace, what we are as the creatures of God. Thomas Boston has that book, Human Nature, in its fourfold state. I commend to your reading. The late Professor Gresham Machen has a book, The Christian View of Man. And in the second volume of the Collected Writings of John Murray, there's some excellent writing there about who we are as man. We come next to our danger, or the danger that confronts our redeemed humanity, temptation. The Lord Jesus knows these friends love him. Peter would say later, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. And the Lord also knows that even though the spirit is willing, that the flesh is weak. And for that reason, they are in danger. Brethren, be happy that you're saved, those of you who've trusted Christ. But don't ever think that you're not on enemy ground. You're always in danger as long as you are in this world. And no matter how much you grow in Christ's likeness, no matter how mature you become in your walk, in your pilgrimage, don't ever think that you are on safe ground. You're always confronted. with danger, and our Lord is exhorting his saints, his friends, his disciples of danger. The Lord also knows our weakness, but he tells us of our danger. He's already told them in verse 31, all of you will be made to stumble because of me. This night, they stand on the threshold of forsaking him by fleeing. This Greek word temptation is translated different ways in the New Testament and even in the Septuagint. I should just draw our attention to how our Lord uses it in our text, as he did when he taught his disciples to pray. in Luke chapter 11 and Matthew chapter 6. Do not lead us into temptation. Is that your prayer when you wake up in the morning, recognizing that you are on enemy grounds and temptation is all around? Do you pray, Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. The Bible says, let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desires have conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. What our Lord identifies as danger is the temptation, this handmaiden or this forerunner of sin. Before you come to a place of sinning and violating the law of God, and sin is the transgression of the law of God or lack of conformity to the law of God. But before you commit sin, you've entered into a state of temptation. And our Lord is calling his disciples to flee. He's calling them and telling them of this danger that they are in. Listen to how John Owen defines temptation. Temptation then, in general, is anything state, way, or condition that upon any account whatever hath a force or efficacy to seduce, to draw the mind and heart of a man from his obedience which God requires of him into any sin in any degree of it whatever." Another brother has taken John Owen's words and said it a little more in modern language. He said it this way, temptation is anything that seeks to entice, seduce, or draw men away from God onto sin. So our Lord's concern in exhortation is that we do not enter into temptation. Temptation is around us, but he's calling us not to enter into temptation. So what does it mean to enter into temptation? Well, commentators are divided on that as well. John Broadus believes that being tempted to sin is just undergoing temptation. He believes if you're tempted, you're entering into temptation. But the scripture tells us something very interesting, because I don't believe our Lord entered into temptation, but he was tempted. Therefore, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered. Being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted." Matthew 4, we read these words, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Lord Jesus Christ was tempted, and so shall we be tempted. But just being tempted, I don't believe, is entering into temptation. Calvin believes that yielding to temptation is to enter in. It's just being tempted. Just yielding to temptation is entering into temptation. But to give in or yield, as the old hymn says, is sin. not just entering. Owen, on the other hand, believes that to enter into temptation is less than sinning, but more than just being tempted. And so he says this, when we suffer a temptation to enter into us, then we enter into temptation. Whilst it knocks at the door, we are at liberty. But when any temptation comes in and parlays with the heart, reasons with the mind, entices and allures the affections, be it long or short, do thus sensibly or imperceptibly, or do the soul take notice of it, we enter into temptation. When we allow those enticements to come in and we start to have conversations with them as they seek to draw us away from God and to sin, know then, brethren, that you've entered into temptation. That's what happened to our mother Eve. The serpent came and he started lying and saying things to her that she began to process in her mind. The tree is good to make one wise. And now this allurement from the evil one is causing her to be entangled with his lies and questioning or just dismissing what God has already told them about that tree. Owen supports this definition with First Timothy 6.9, but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. As a man falls into a pit with a trap or a snare, he is entangled, but not presently killed, but he is entangled and detained and knows not how to get free. person wrestles, having difficulty to rid himself of the webs and the tentacles of this temptation to sin. And be it known, brethren, when you're wrestling and you're beginning to listen to and reason away from the truth, you've entered into temptation. When it comes in and parlies with your mind and causes you to doubt what God says in his word, you've given it a place that it shouldn't have. It's knocked at the door and you've let him in. And it's designing in is to draw you into sin. Now, the best thing to do is to keep him outside the door. But thanks be to God, if he comes in and you're in the midst of this wrestling match, know this, no temptation has taken you except such as common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. God will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able, Believers, and if you sin, it's because you've not taken the escape that God has given you to bear this temptation and to be untangled by its alluring speeches and suggestions. That is to be taken by the temptation and to be tangled up with it, it's like being wrapped up in cords, not finding a way to escape. But God is able to deliver the godly out of temptation. Do we seek God's help when we are being tempted? Do we cry like the psalmists? Have mercy on me, God, for I am weak. Or do we do like Peter and we argue? That's not, I'm not that weak. I can handle this. Let him that think he stand to take heed lest he fall. This pride in his self-confidence will cause many a sorrow. We need to recognize the fact that even though we're willing to obey and to serve God, that we have a weak flesh, And our Lord warns us that because our flesh is weak, we are in danger. We're like kindling next to gasoline and a match. But we have access to God's throne. He knows how to deliver us from temptation. We may be tempted and yet not enter into temptation. And we must recognize the reality that until we are perfectly sanctified, we'll always be tempted. You want to see what this temptation looks like and how this parling happens in the life of a person? Look at Proverbs chapter 7. Look, we've read this before, but it's such a classic example of how evil comes and seduces us and how it whispers in our ears and promises things that it cannot give. Verse 6, for at the window of my house I looked through my lattice and I saw among the simple I perceived among the youths a young man devoid of understanding, passing along in the street near her corner, and he looked and he took the path to her house. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark of night, and there a woman met him with the attire of a harlot and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious. Her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner. That's the way sin is. And that's the way temptation is, is always lurking around, seeking those who are simple and devoid of understanding. So she called him and kissed him, verse 13. And with an impotent face, she said to him, I have peace offerings with me. Today I paid my vows. So I came out to meet you, diligently to seek your face. And I have found you. And I have spread my bed with tapestry, colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh and alloys and cinnamon. Come, let us take our field of love until morning. Let us delight ourselves with love, for my husband is not home. He has gone on a long journey. He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the appointed day. He was very flattered that this woman thought he was all that in a bag of chips. The ticing words Perhaps a beautiful woman, but a woman so dressed that it affected what came through the eye gate. And he was not wise. He was not like Joseph. Ran. This one. With her enticing speech, she caused him to yield. With her flattering lips, she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost him his life. For she has cast down many wounded, verse 26. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death. Every temptation has this same desire. This speaks directly to us as men. We live in an age where this type of seduction and allurement is all around us. Some of us are confronted with it every single day. And because of that temptation and that allurement, many men are enticed and drawn away. And so when they get in the secret place, they can tap on their computer and see more of that which the enemy has brought into their minds and he reasons with them. Yeah, perhaps my wife is not as beautiful as she was the day that I met her. She doesn't look like this one on the screen. Or perhaps you're going through some difficult times in your marriage and you've not worked those conflicts out biblically, and so you decide, well, you know, I'm not really having much communication and interaction with my wife, so I'll talk to this one on the job. She understands me. Temptation. Draw you away. My husband's not like that guy down the street. He's very industrious. He's taking care of his home. So she asked him, can you come over and do some work for me in my home? Setting yourself up. Because your affections are going out in places that they ought not go out. Because temptation does that. It gets in and it reasons and causes us to think about things that we ought not think about. Things that we ought not be doing. And Jesus said, this is a dangerous place to be. Temptation is real. Let me bring this a little closer to home. Sometimes we are offended by people who are rude. And sometimes you hear, I've heard Christians say this, boy, if I wasn't a Christian, What does that mean? I give them a piece of my mind. I tell them a thing or two, I shut them up. And we're not talking about the same kind of shutting up that Christ did to the Pharisees by taking the scriptures and bringing conviction to their heart. We're talking about giving blow for blow. The mind thinks it's justifiable to retaliate What is that, brethren? Vengeance? Is that revenge? The Bible says vengeance belongs to the Lord. He will repay. Are we rendering evil for evil? Some of you know something about road rage. I know something about road rage from others and even in my past. And now that I'm retired, I'm driving up the road and folks are jumping in front of me and around me and I don't know who gave all these young people driver's licenses. But the temptation comes and it enters the mind and says, you know, you have justifiable grounds to retaliate because they are driving so recklessly. You need to teach them a lesson. Oh, that I had that 80,000 pound 18 wheeler. I teach you a few things. What is that? What temptation? Coming and telling us and working in our minds and causing us to think ungodly thoughts and hateful and vengeful thoughts, that's temptation. Thanks be to God, he knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. How about disobedient children? Have you ever gotten angry with your children? Have you ever disciplined your children in anger? Maybe not. Maybe I'm the only one who's done that. And I think about how I was reared, and how effective I thought it was, but it wasn't necessarily biblical. Our parents, they understood the use of the rod, but they weren't too heavy on the instruction part. The instruction was, I told you, and if you don't do it, that's it. Even a one, two, three, or go sit in a corner, and all that kind of stuff. And so sometimes, and my children are adults now, so this doesn't apply in that regard, but there are times when, because of disobedience, you get upset, and you say, man, I know this ain't right, but just this one time, kapow, and we'll nip this foolishness in the bud. What is that? Temptation coming to cause you to resort to something that's unbiblical and you're child rearing. That's temptation. Don't give in to that. The Lord knows how to deliver his people. Our Lord says to his people who have willing, eager, and ready spirits, but also have weak flesh, that they're in danger, being entangled by temptation. And this temptation is real. Therefore, he says thoroughly, you need help. And he gives this divinely prescribed remedy for our redeemed humanity. Watch and pray. That's what he tells them. You think he was gonna give some difficult and long and lofty thing, Woods? He says, watch. Be on guard. Have your antennas up. Recognize those known occasions to sin. Do you know every time you do this, are you with these people, you're just tempted to gossip? Well, maybe you need to stay away from those folks. Do you know every time you go down this street, you're gonna see all kind of billboards of pornography and all illicit kind of advertisement on the billboards? Find another way to work. Watch. Don't go through this world with blinders on as if you're on Buda's land already. We're in danger. And our Lord calls us to be alert, to be vigilant, to understand ourselves that we, though we're willing, we're weak, and we're on dangerous ground, and we must watch and recognize all those occasions. You name your sin. Go home in your closet and catalog the things that you've done to disobey God, and ask yourself, what was it that led me to this place of disobeying God? What was it? Write it down if you must. And put that at the top of your prayer list when you come to your closet. Lord, lead me not into temptation. When I'm here, Lord, this is what happens. I find myself weak here, Lord. There's a breach in the wall of my soul right here, Lord. And you get those scriptures that tell you how to deal with that particular sin and how to put off sin. But Owen's talking about, and our Lord is saying, he doesn't even want us to enter into temptation. So we must be people who are vigilant and watchful. We must be people of prayer. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. But at a crucial moment, they failed to ask God for the strength to stand against Satan's power. which was superior to theirs, but not to God's. And so if we're so weak, what we need to do is plead with God. Pray that help may be sent down. Watch and pray. Ask God for the strength to get us through. Peter, instead of arguing with Jesus, should have asked him, Lord, teach me some more about praying. Will you teach me how to pray like Jehoshaphat, who in time of great trouble and fear said, we have no might, but he set his eyes upon the Lord God Almighty. He set his eyes upon his great deliverer, El Gibor, the mighty God, the warrior, the champion of his people. Our Lord revealed to Jehoshaphat and the people, the battle is not yours, but God's. In our text, Peter uses carnal means. When Judas returned with the mob, he pulls his sword and cuts off the servant of the high priest's ear. And our Lord tells him to put away his sword. Brethren, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they're mighty. They're mighty in God. For the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Pray. Pray God's Word. Take these things. Didn't our Lord tell Peter, he says, listen, Peter, put your sword away. Don't you know I can call and ask my father for legions of angels to come to my rescue in this hour? Christ was on a mission. He came into the world, sinners to save. He must be about his father's business. He must go to the cross, and he must give his life a ransom for many. For those who have come into the world, lost sinners, destined to hell, Christ shed his precious blood. And we must plead with him. We must watch, brethren. Watch the gates. Bunyan talks about those gates of the city in the Holy War. The ear gate, the eye gate, the nose gate, the mouth gate, the hand gate. What kinds of things enter your ears that cause you to dance with temptation? What kind of things come through the eye gate that cause you to waver? What type of aromas and things come through your nostrils that cause you to maybe think back on former days when you were in sin and a slave of the evil one? What things enter your mouth that cause you to sin? Your hands, the things you touch, watch. The Lord is the one who makes us willing. And he makes us and gives us the ability to do of his good pleasure. And so we must plead with him for help. He is mighty to give us the ability to not enter into temptation. That it would not have the mastery or seek to have the mastery in our lives. The verb in this text means keep on watching. Not just one time, keep on watching, keep on praying. This time of temptation is a time of intense battle. And we must approach it that way with watchfulness, fervent prayer. That's why we come here on the Lord's Day evenings, because we need help. We need help from God. concerning the concerns of his kingdom, concerning our souls. And so we gather as his people and we plead with him because we know we're weak and we need his help. And if the ministry is to flourish, we need God's help. We can't do this in our own strength. This is God's work. And God calls us to pray that the gospel might go forward. You know what the apostle prayed? He said, brethren, pray for us. that the Word of God might run and have free course. It's not just because we have some nice orthodox tracts to pass out. No, we need to pray, plead with God for the souls of our loved ones, for the souls of those here and those who are not here. We can't impress upon our souls how important it is for us to pray and to pray together as God's people. What's more important than that? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me if I'm wrong. I'll listen to you, but you better show me a reason from the scriptures why you don't need to pray, why you don't need to watch for your own soul and for your brother's souls. When you think about your sin and what you're struggling with, maybe you're struggling with anger. Do you have a brother or sister who also struggles with anger? So when you're praying about your anger, that should bring your brother or sister to your mind. You pray for them too. Sometimes we're a little lenient with people who struggle with the same things we struggle with. We don't really exhort one another like we ought to. Brother, may we get past that. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. It's my feeble effort to exhort us to be busy, to heed the words of our Savior, who knew us, who knew his disciples and who knows us. And he tells us what we are, and he tells us where we are, and he tells us what we need to do because of where we are and who we are. And so, brother, may I exhort you to arrange your schedules and your lives around this great privilege and duty. Who else has the audience with the God who made all things? Think about it. who can order things. He works all things after the counsel of His own will. He's our Father. And His ear is open to our cry. Are we mute? Make excuses? Why are we not praying? Why are we not watching? May God help us. And He will help us. He has promised to help us. And He will perfect the work which He's begun in us. And that's a blessed truth. Amen. Let's pray. Our Father, we confess to our shame that we have not loved Thee as we ought. For our Lord has told us that if we love him, we would keep his commandments. And Father, we acknowledge that we are not sinless. We thank you that sin shall not have dominion over us, but that is no license for laziness. There's no excuse because we are weak. that we must not battle, we must not fight, we must not watch, we must not pray. Help us, Lord, to not go around the world like simpletons. Help us to be watchful. Help us, Lord, to plead with you in the midst of our weakness. that you might grant us the strength and the ability to battle our remaining sin. We thank you, Father, for all that you have done for us in Christ, and we thank you for this day. And we ask, O Lord, that you'll be a glory to yourself as we seek to honor and bless you and sanctify this day. And we ask it in the name of our great Savior, even the Lord Jesus. Amen.