The Nature Of Temptation Series

INTRODUCTION

• VIDEO CLIP PC

• SLIDE #1

• Dan Evans has made it all the way to the small town of Contention where he is being paid $200 to deliver outlaw Ben Wade to the 3:10 train.

• Wade’s outlaw gang has been trailing them and Dan’s son William has snuck along and is now caught up in the deadly adventure.

• Dan desperately needs the $200 to save his ranch, and he wants the respect of his son who thinks he is a weak, boring, religious nobody. As they wait for the local sheriff and his deputies to show up Ben took another opportunity to try to tempt Dan into letting him go. (http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/310-to-yuma/one-thousand-dollars)

• Temptation can hit us from all directions; there are plenty of opportunities throughout a day to face temptation.

• Can you think of a time when you were told not to do something, but for some reason you just had to do it?

• Don’t touch the hot stove, you will get burned! You just had to touch it. Here is one many people can relate to. WET PAINT! DO NOT TOUCH! How many times do you seem to be compelled to touch the “supposed” wet area?

• How about the dreaded warning about tearing the tags off the mattress? Ever wondered how long it would take for the police to haul you away for that one?

• On a more serious note, even as a Christian, you seem to be drawn to things you know you should not be doing.

• As we are walking on God’s path to heaven, there are many things that happen in life that can sidetrack us. Sometimes unexpected tragedies happen and we get the opportunity to put our faith to the test.

• The difficult times are obstacles on the path to heaven that we overcome and become stronger as a result.

• The word Temp means, “to cause desire or craving to arise in somebody, to persuade or attempt to persuade somebody to do something considered wrong.”

• Today we are going to examine the nature of temptation so that we can better understand what we are dealing with on a daily basis.

• Turn to James 1:12-18

• SLIDE #2

• James 1:12–13 (NET)1:12 Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him. 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. What is the source of temptation?

• This is an important question because if we do not know the source of our temptations, we will never get a grip on them.

• Also when we succumb to them, we will not have to take any responsibility for the failure.

• It is interesting that the word in verse 12 that we translate “TESTING” or “TRIALS” is the same word we translate “TEMPTED” throughout our text today.

• The context clearly implies temptation, not just any test. James counters the charge that it is God who tempts.

• Why would anyone make such a charge? Perhaps it stems from a misunderstanding of the sovereignty of God; if this is truly God’s world, then evil as well as good must come from him. Perhaps blaming God is just the human way to escape blame.

• How many times have you gotten caught for something and then tried to blame someone else for your act?

• Look in Genesis 3:12-13. Adam and Eve were caught red handed. What was the first thing they did? Adam blamed God, he said that the woman you gave me, she gave me the fruit. Eve when questioned said, it was the serpents fault.

• So who is to blame?

• SLIDE #4

A. Is it God?

• James tells us the answer to that question is a resounding NO!

• Blaming God for sin was something that some of the Jews of Jesus’ day would do. They felt that since God created all things, He also created the evil in man.

• We are told that God is not tempted by evil and He does not tempt people w ith evil.

• It is true that God does test people at times. God tested Abraham in Genesis 22:1, Israel in Judges 2:22 are just a few examples.

• God does not tempt people to commit evil. Because James says that God cannot be tempted with evil.

• Some would say, what about Jesus? The bible says that Jesus was tempted in all ways but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

• We have to remember something about temptation when we think about our answer to that one.