Sermon Central
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How Not To Deal With Temptation Series
Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Mar 23, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: David’s failure when temptation came shows us how NOT to deal with this thing called temptation. God has provided a way of escape, not a way of excuse.
How NOT to Deal with Temptation
1) ESCAPE, not EXCUSE
While God has provided an ESCAPE route, He has not given you an EXCUSE route!
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it.
(NKJ)
Do not be fooled into thinking that no one else has ever encountered this before! One of the lies of Satan is to say to you:
“You poor thing! Surely no one else faces a battle like you are facing! Go ahead and give into it! You may lose the battle, but you’ll win the war in the end! God will surely EXCUSE you this time!”
There is a difference between ESCAPE and EXCUSE. And it’s HUGE!
To escape means that I get away unscathed! An excuse is simply a lie in the skin of a reason!
MY PROMISE FROM 1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken ME
except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow ME to be tempted beyond what I am able to handle,
but with the temptation GOD will also make
the way of escape,
that I may be able to bear it.
(NKJ)
2) WHATEVER IS PLANTED IN MY GARDEN WILL GROW!
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
(NIV)
We open ourselves up to temptation. He who desires to have a clean garden does not reserve a plot for weeds! If you know that being around someone who gossips could cause you to gossip, stay away from the gossiper! The gossiper tells you about someone, maybe even as a “prayer request”: “You know, we really need to pray for so-and-so. Did you know that…”, and then the gossiper goes into an hour long, blow by blow account of the problem, all the while using their speech simply to get you to agree with them about how bad this person is! Stay AWAY! Think about this for a moment: If they talk about someone else this way, what makes you think you won’t be the next victim?
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Chapter 1. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in. It’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter 4. I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter 5. I walk down another street.
Whatever is placed into the soil of your life will grow! Let me go one step further: Whatever is placed into the soil of your life will be placed into the soil of your kids and grandkids! Good or bad! Do you want your children to smoke? If you smoke they might! Do you want your children to drink? Let them see you drink! Do you want your children to go to hell? All we parents have to do is live like the devil here in front of them! Do you want your children to love God? Parents and grandparents, do you love God? Whatever is planted in your garden will grow and your children and grandchildren will inherit it from you!
MY PROMISE FROM Galatians 6:7-8
7 I WILL not be deceived:
God cannot be mocked.
I WILL reap what I sow.
8 IF I SOW to please
MY sinful nature,
from that nature I will reap destruction;
BUT IF I sow to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
(NIV)
3) IF IT LOOKS BAD, IT PROBABLY IS!
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
(KJV)
In the account of Jesus’ temptation recorded in Matthew 4, you will note that Jesus did not engage Satan in a discussion about his enticing offers. He refused to ask Satan for more information about what he was tempting.
