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“Watch and Pray”

Allen Dvorak
10/06/24 - Sun AM

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From Matthew chapter 213 starting in verse 214 Matthew 213 verse 218 to 234.

Then Jesus went to, went with them to a place called gem.

And he said to his disciples, sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.

He began to be sorrowful and troubled.

He said to them, my soul is very sorrowful even to death, remain here and watch with me and going a little further.

He fell on his face and prayed, saying my father, if it is be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.

And he said to Peter.

So could you not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation?

The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak again.

For the second time, he went away and prayed my father.

If this cannot pass, unless I drink it, your will be done.

And he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time saying the same words again, they came to the disciples and said to them sleep and take your rest.

Later on.

See, the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise.

Let us be going.

See, my betrayer is at hand.

I enjoy watching wildlife documentaries.

I particularly like seeing some of the big animals of Africa.

The big five, which incidentally doesn't include the lion for some odd reason, but I enjoy watching those different animals and the way they behave some interesting patterns emerge.

The tiger which is not necessarily endemic to Africa is a solitary hunter.

The tiger is an ambush hunter.

In fact, some individuals in areas where the tiger is found will sometimes as they're out into the, the woods or in the fields or whatever, they'll, they'll wear a mask that shows eyes on the back of their head because a tiger doesn't want to attack when he's being seen.

And so that's their defense.

Of course, in Africa, the lion, the king of beasts is a stock hunter.

He blends in with the vegetation.

This is a she on the screen.

Lioness blends in with the vegetation and moves slowly and quietly and you can see the crouch in the picture on the screen getting ever closer until finally, the lion makes a short run and pounces and often suffocates its victim by grasping it by the neck and holding it.

With the exception of the very large animals like hippos and elephants and giraffes.

The lion's prey usually avoids being killed by being very watchful and it doesn't hurt to be fast either like the antelope.

You and I are being stalked by a vicious hunter.

The Bible describes him as deceptive and cunning that he uses schemes and wilds in order to capture his prey.

Many people are convinced that he doesn't exist that Satan is just kind of a hobgoblin of the medieval times or ancient times.

But Peter described him with the figure of a lion in first Peter five and verse eight, warning his readers that they needed to be sober minded and watchful.

Your adversary the devil.

He wrote Prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

He's called the Tempter.

He's called the adversary.

He's called the prince or the ruler of this world, but he is on the stock.

He is looking for pray.

And this morning, I want to talk to you about how it is that we can avoid becoming Satan's prey.

The very word was suggests that there must be something of some import or danger if you're using it as a warning word that exist, that would require us to watch after Jesus had observed the Passover with his disciples.

On that last night, they crossed the Kidron Valley and went on to the mount of Olives and Jesus predicted there on the mount of Olives, the desertion of all of his apostles.

He said in acts chapter 235 to 133 that the shepherd would be struck and all the sheep would be scattered.

But Peter proclaimed himself to be different from the rest of the disciples.

Even all if all others would flee or fall away.

Peter said, I will not.

He affirmed his loyalty even to the point of death if I must die with you.

He said, well, the disciples went into the Garden of Gethsemane.

You just saw the picture of the present day garden of olive trees that it is thought to be the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus of course, goes there with his disciples in the night.

It's dark and they're together and soon there will be a gathering of people, a mob from the rulers of the Jews who will come to arrest Jesus.

But before they come, Jesus begins to be sorrowful and to pray.

And he takes the disciples, he separates them into two groups, taking Peter James and John to a section to a place away from the other apostles.

And then he himself goes on so that he can pray in solitude.

And the text tells us that he says to Peter James and John, my soul is very sorrowful even to death, remain here and watch with me and going a little farther.

He fell on his face and prayed, saying my father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

But of course, as Phil read just a few moments ago, when Jesus comes back to these three, having prayed by himself, he finds them sleeping and he says to Peter.

So could you not watch with me one hour?

There's something interesting about that verse and it is that the word you there indistinguishable as to number in the English is plural in the Greek.

But we've all done this before.

We've talked to several people, but we took our eyesight and we focused it on one person because what we were saying may have had special import for that person.

And so the text says, Jesus said to Peter, even though he's talking to the others as well, could you not watch with me?

One hour?

It was Peter, of course, who had said that I'll die with you if necessary and yet he is unable to stay awake while the Lord's praying in sorrow, watch and pray.

Jesus said that you may not enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

The word that's translated watch here, vines says can mean simply to keep awake.

I have many times sat in the deer stand and found myself nodding off and realized my eyes have been closed.

Sometimes I even check my watch to find out how many deer have gone by while I've been sleeping.

That's one meaning of the word.

But Vine also says that the word can mean or refer to in a metaphorical way, spiritual alertness, being awake spiritually.

And I really think although Vine puts this passage with the first definition, keep awake physically, I really think that the second definition is what Jesus has in mind because he ends that statement by saying that you may not enter into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

And so I think the word watch here probably means more than just stay awake, Peter James and John.

I mean it, I think it means remain spiritually alert.

There are some notable differences between the synoptic accounts on this particular time of jesus' life and this last night of the synoptics only Matthew and Mark record the command watch and pray.

Luke uses the word rise, rise and pray, rise, meaning to stand literally in the Greek in chapter 213 and verse 212.

And it is also only Luke's gospel that records that earlier in the evening, Jesus had addressed Simon and said Simon, Simon behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat.

But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers, not only did Jesus link his instructions to watch and to pray in the struggle against or with the the struggle of avoiding temptation.

But he also mentions his our spiritual enemy to Simon.

Simon Satan wanted to sift you.

He wanted to take control of you, but I've prayed for you.

I want to talk a little bit about that twofold strategy that Jesus suggested to these three disciples, Jesus indicated the participation.

I think in these instructions, the strategy of both man and God in the struggle against temptation and sin man's part is to watch, to stay alert, spiritually alert, but also to pray, the solicitation of divine help.

And we're gonna look at both of those councils separately.

When you think about watching, if it is in fact an indication of the presence of danger, what is it that we should be watching for or what is it that we should be watching?

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter six said that you and I as Christians are engaged in a spiritual battle, there are things going on in our world that we cannot see because of the spiritual nature of the entities that are involved.

The Bible gives us glimpses into that world by suggesting uh that angels did this or did that and that demons possess people in the first century.

There are things going on in our world that we cannot see, they're not uh visible in the physical world and they are involved in a spiritual battle.

Paul said, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

But we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

And I believe perhaps included in that list of those with whom we are fighting are individuals humans who are being directed by Satan.

But I believe Paul, when he says for, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood is not indicating that we will not have to have, we will not have opposition by other humans.

But I think he's suggesting that in a not but construction that the greater battle, the larger conflict is against spiritual forces against the one who is behind evil in this world, Satan himself and those who do his bidding or as Paul describes them elsewhere, as his ministers, the nature of the pieces of armor that Paul then goes on to identify, I think also suggests the type of conflict that we're involved in the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace with which our feet are shod shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, which Paul identifies as the word of God.

Those are things that are related to spiritual matters.

Paul doesn't describe an armor that is physical, uh like armor that people sometimes have worn in the past and still do in physical combat.

But rather he talks about an armor that is effective or spiritual warfare as he describes these pieces or parts of the armor in just a few minutes.

We're going to be looking in the adult class in the auditorium as we study our way through Second Corinthians.

We'll be looking at chapter 225 verses three through five where Paul notes that his warfare, his battle was not uh according to the flesh, even though he was living in the flesh that is, he was in his physical body.

He says, for though we walk in the flesh, we're not waging war according to the flesh.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

We're involved in a spiritual battle and in that battle, we are dealing with false arguments, opinions contrary to God's will.

But we need to understand that the real conflict, the real enemy is Satan himself in second Corinthians, the 11th chapter, just the very next chapter, Paul says to the Corinthians.

But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ, the serpent didn't come to Eve and say disobey God, but rather he began to reason with her about what God had said and what God intended and what she could achieve if she would disobey God.

And that's the cunning with which Satan makes his way in this battle to capture prey.

A little bit later on.

Toward the end of that passage in Ephesians six, where Paul is talking about the panoply or the armor of God.

He says in verse 18, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end.

Keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Now, interestingly enough, the word that's translated, keep alert here is not the same word that's used in Matthew 26 and translated watch.

This is a different word that means literally to be sleepless, to be watchful.

But Vine goes on to say that the word expresses not mere wakefulness, but the watchfulness of those who are intent upon a thing.

Paul says, keep alert, stay focused on this business of prayer, making supplication for all the saints in the scriptures.

There are a lot of exhortations to be watchful.

I'm just going to present a mere handful uh to you this morning in First Corinthians 16 chapter verse 13, as sometimes letter writers do, Paul kind of strings together some uh various exhortations.

And he says in verse 13, be watchful, stay, stand firm in that faith act like men, be strong. Colossians.

The fourth chapter in verse two, Paul says, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

I think that's much the same as what he was trying to say in Ephesians six and verse 123.

In Acts the 20th chapter, Paul met with the elders of the church at Ephesus.

He met them at Miletus and Acts 20 gives us Luke's record of their conversation of Paul's address to these elders.

And he says in verse 31 of that chapter, therefore, be alert, having warned him that there are wolves that will arise, that will seek to make prey of the flock, those who are working for Satan.

He says, therefore, be alert.

Remembering that for three years, I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

The figures of light and darkness are sometimes used to talk about alertness or sleep.

Those things that are associated with light and darkness to the Thessalonians.

Paul would write in first Thessalonians five verse five for you are all Children of light Children of the day.

We are not of the night or nor of the darkness.

So then let us not sleep as others do but let us keep awake and be sober.

You know, it's interesting that we use the word sober with reference to uh alcohol or other things that might uh in uh prejudice our senses.

But the Bible doesn't use this word typically in that literal sense of being sober without alcohol.

It uses it usually in the sense in a metaphorical sense to be free from intoxicants, anything that would cloud my judgment, not necessarily alcohol, emotions can do the same thing.

And so Paul writes keep awake and be sober.

In order to be watchful, you can't have your senses, your reasoning clouded by anything, alcohol or emotions or fear or other things.

I want to talk to you just for a moment about the mechanism of temptation.

Jesus said, watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.

And James helps us understand that the enemy attacks us through the weakness of the flesh.

In fact, Jesus himself said after he said, watch and pray, he said, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

James tells us in chapter one of his epistle, the origin of or the mechanism, maybe I should say of temptation.

Let no one say when he's tempted.

I'm being tempted by God.

James writes for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

And so the mechanism of temptation makes use of the desires of the flesh, Satan and others who worked for Him, they appeal to those things that are sinful, sinful desires that we may uh cherish in our, in our bodies and our minds.

Then when desire, then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.

And so James says that the mechanism of temptation starts within us with our own desires.

And so it makes sense when Paul says in Romans 13 and verse 14, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

That's what happens when we give in to sin.

We sometimes place ourselves in circumstances or situations in which we're going to be.

Uh there's going to be an appeal made to our fleshly desires.

If we give in to that, if we make provision for the flesh by putting ourselves in that circumstance and then giving in to those desires, then as James says, desire is conceived and gives birth to sin.

We need to be cautious about the decisions that we make and the circumstances in which we place ourselves.

It strikes me that sometimes and particularly young people, but even older people, sometimes that sometimes we don't give a lot of thought to the consequences or the possibilities for evil that we introduce into our lives by agreeing to certain circumstances or situations.

Here's a young person headed off to college is the first consideration that there needs to be a local congregation of Christians that that person can worship with and be encouraged by while that person is perhaps away from home, sometimes that's the last thing on people's minds.

And so they put themselves in a situation where frankly, they're not going to get the encouragement of other Christians, which is part of the purpose of our gathering together.

And so their fleshly part starts to take over their lives and they end up yielding to temptation.

Or sometimes young people put themselves in situations, social situations where they know there's going to be behavior and activity, things going on that they can't participate in.

And yet because they want to belong, they want to be a part of a group or some activity, a larger activity.

So they put themselves in the middle of this.

Is it any surprise then that sometimes they end up participating in those things that they know to be wrong.

We can make provision for the flesh that way.

And we need to be careful.

I think that's what Jesus is saying.

Watch, be alert, pay attention to what's going on.

Sometimes we're so immersed in all of the physical things that are going on that we stop thinking about and considering the spiritual consequences of the decisions that we make.

Jesus said, pray, watch and pray.

You know, it's interesting that in the sermon on the mount Jesus gave a model prayer.

I don't know that he intended for us to just repeat that prayer.

But I think he was giving us an idea of the things that we should pray for, the kinds of things we should pray for.

And it's interesting that in Matthew six and verse 13, he said, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Very similar to what he says to Peter and James and John watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.

We already looked at Ephesians, the six chapter and verse 18, that we are to keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Notice all prayer, praying at all times, I should say with all prayer, with all perseverance, you're getting the impression that prayer is an important part of our defense against temptation.

In second Thessalonians three and verse three, the Apostle Paul again wrote to the Thessalonians, but the Lord is faithful.

He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Let me ask you a question.

Have you ever struggled with some temptation?

And it just seemed like you, you seem powerless almost to resist it.

You, you know it's wrong and you fall into that, that sin and so you repent you, you're sorry and you make the determination.

I'm not going to do that anymore.

And then you find yourself uh maybe not too long after that, you're, you're involved again in that same sin and that same temptation, could it be that maybe when we seem to have so much difficulty resisting a particular temptation?

It's because we're not praying for divine help when we face a temptation like that, I think Jesus understood the pressures that these disciples, his apostles were going to face on the night that he was arrested.

And even in the successive hours of his trial, et cetera, Jesus had already predicted as we noted earlier, the scattering of the disciples and in particular Peter's fall you will all fall away.

He said because of me this night for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

Jesus anticipated that it was going to be difficult for them to stay faithful, not to scatter but Peter of course, said though they all fall away because of you.

I will never fall away.

And Jesus says some sobering things to him.

Truly, I tell you this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

How would you feel if the Lord said that to you after you had just got done saying I'll never fall away.

And Jesus says, yeah, you're going to deny me three times tonight before the night's over.

Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.

And so Peter ramps it up.

He gives uh uh an even stronger affirmation of his loyalty to the Lord, which frankly is foolish when the Lord predicts that that's what's going to happen and understand the Lord's looking ahead and seeing history.

But Peter makes that affirmation.

And despite what Jesus said, he ventures into the high priest's courtyard, the disciples did scatter.

But Peter follows along and behind and he wants to see what's gonna happen to Jesus and he finds himself in the actual courtyard of the high priest while Jesus is being interrogated and he's in the middle of the group of people who had come to the garden with weapons and lights and they'd arrested Jesus and bound him and took him back into Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley.

And here comes Peter along behind and now he comes into the priest's courtyard, he's warming his hands at the fire along with the enemies of Jesus in his pride.

And I think his statement in verses 34 and 35 I think illustrate the pride of Peter in his pride.

He apparently thought that he could resist the devil.

Jesus said, watch and pray.

And Peter just blundered right into the midst of temptation and fell away in his fear.

He denied Jesus.

But understand he put himself directly in the path of temptation.

Watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation.

That's what Jesus said.

And Peter, it went in one ear and out the other ear apparently because he fell prey to the tempter.

How will it be with us?

Well, we need to stay alert.

Satan's not on vacation.

He didn't retire after the first century.

You may not be able to see him.

You and I can't see the spiritual world around us.

But the Bible tells us there are things going on that Satan is a roaring lion he's seeking whom he may devour.

And that includes you includes me.

We need to stay alert, we need to watch, re realizing the danger that temptation presents.

I would suggest to you that we need to pray not only that we can avoid temptation.

But that if we are tempted, we can understand, we can recognize the path of escape.

The Apostle Paul said in first Corinthians, the 10th chapter verse 13, no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.

But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

That's a promise to Christians.

Paul was writing to Christians and in verse 12, he warned them about arrogance.

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

That was Peter's problem.

And sometimes it's our problem.

We think we're so strong spiritually that we can just walk right up to the line of temptation and we'll be fine because of our spiritual strength.

Maybe the length of time that we've been a Christian or the fact that we're an elder or a deacon or a Bible class teacher, how will it be with us?

But we need to stay alert just as the Lord admonished his disciples on that fateful day in the garden of Yosemite.

Satan wants to destroy us.

He's already been condemned.

In fact, Jesus says in Matthew chapter 25 that the lake that burns with fire and brimstone that burns all the time eternally, that's been prepared for Satan and his angels.

But all those who serve him will join him in punishment.

But God has fortunately provided for our redemption from the bondage of sin when we have fallen, pray to temptation.

When we have violated God's law, when we sinned God's provided a way for us to be forgiven of that sin, to be redeemed from the bondage of sin.

The only question that we need to ask ourselves this morning is, are we watching?

Are we praying if we're Christians?

And if you're not a Christian, will you accept God's offer of grace?

Forgiveness this morning?

The path to forgiveness is on the screen.

We've preached it a lot of times the scriptures are there.

If you need to become a Christian this morning, we want to encourage you to do so.

Now while you have time and opportunity and we stand to invite you as we sing.