Power of Temptation
Genesis 3:1-12
Historian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. "Captain, give me a gun!" he shouted. "This fight ain’t got any rear!"
Prevailing Sins
A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them:
1. Materialism
2. Pride
3. Self-centeredness
4. Laziness
5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness
5. (Tie) Sexual lust.
7. Envy
8. Gluttony
9. Lying
Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent).
Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent).
Biblical examples of Temptations
A.Eve : Gen 3:1-12
1.Came to Eve in the middle of the Garden. (In the center of God’s presence / we can be in the center of God’s will)
2.Came to her when she was alone. ( When we are the weakest)
3.Came to her when she was looking at forbidden fruit. (That which is forbidden is my times desirable)
4.Came to her to deceive and destroy. (Not as a friend or some enlightenment)
B.Jesus : Matthew 4:1-11
1. Tempted with food when Jesus was hungry. (Offers good things for evil reasons. / depend on mans bread instead God bread, or truth, the word, and direction)
2 Tempted to tempt of test God. (Christ came for us, not to be used as only a safety net when we live carelessly / we are living when we allow God to leads us)
3. Tempted Jesus to live for all the world offers (Real living is living with what God offers)
C. Samson and Delilah / Judges 16:1–21 / When we are overcome by the power of temptation, we lose our spiritual strength
1. Temptation is a process.
2. Temptation comes from the enemy.
3. Temptation comes in beautiful packages.
4. Temptation hits us where we are weak.
5. Temptation blinds us from reality.
6. Temptation builds us up before knocking us down.
7. Temptation plays on our emotions.
8. Temptation, when given into, separates us from God.
9. Temptation, when given into, makes us its slave.
10.Temptation has a way of escape.
Conclusion:
You know the old story of how to boil a frog. You don’t put him in a pot of boiling water. You drop him in the boiling water and he’ll jump out before he’s injured. So you put him in a pot of cold water, and he’s perfectly comfortable. Then you put him on the stove, and little by little the water gets warm. It’s very pleasant at first. Then it gets to Jacuzzi level, and he begins to be a little alarmed. Finally, when it’s boiling, it’s too late. Christians are like that, aren’t we? We get into the world and it’s oh so pleasant at first. And then it gets a little warmer and it’s pleasanter yet. And one day we realize the danger: "This is going to kill me, and I haven’t the strength to get out!"
