Four R’s - Temptation Island - Part 2 Series

Temptation Island Pt. 2 – Four R’s

I. Introduction

Temptation Island is a dangerous place because temptation, when we don’t understand it and learn to deal with it, separates, isolates, and will become the gateway to your demise if you don’t learn to move off the island!

So last week we began by discussing the tricks the enemy uses on us. We did this so that we would understand how temptation works so that we wouldn’t be ignorant of the devil’s devices. So we said that:

- Temptation tricks us into passing the buck.

- Temptation tricks us into feeling special.

- Temptation tricks us into falling for hookers.

If it is deadly, then how do we defeat temptation?

II. Text

Genesis 39:2-15

2-6 As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.

6-7 Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me." 8-9 He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?"

10 She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her.

11-15 On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: "Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he’s trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside."

III. Temptation

Again we see the process of temptation . . . daily pestering. Temptation is consistent. Just because you defeated it today doesn’t mean you can let down tomorrow. You must learn to daily guard yourself. So let’s learn from Joseph four things we can do to defeat temptation.

A. Refocus

Temptation distracts us. The power of temptation is wrapped up in its ability to get our eyes off of the prize. Temptation gets us to forget what is important. Back to the hat . . . what the enemy does is tries to get our attention diverted until we are simply wrapped up and surrounded by the temporary so that we get our eyes off the eternal. We have to see past the bait to get our focus back on what matters.

Notice how Joseph defeats temptation by diverting his focus off of what was in front of him back to what really matters. He does this by asking this question, "How could I do this to God or to my Master? Oh, that we would learn to pause until we ask the right questions.

Notice his focus was correct . . . he could have focused on the pain he had been through (I have been rejected and now I am wanted) and that would justify it. He could have focused on his position of authority and therefore he would be above suspicion or entitled. He could have focused on opportunity . . . I mean they are all by themselves. He could have focused on her. Chances are she was attractive. However, that doesn’t really matter.

Ron White - once you have seen one you want to see them all. Is it just me or is it that when men leave their wives I always go ... really? Ugly. It isn’t about beauty. It is about lack of focus on destiny and God. He realized his focus was wrong if he only focused on her, the thrill, or the pleasure.