ILL>> Temptation >>>> Great time on the ski trip... no bones broken - other -3
No fear - highest hill<<<< fast<<<< Very helpful, fun, positive -- Proud!!!
On the TV show Hee Haw, Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, "Well then, stay out of them places!" He may have something there. We cannot regularly put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. When faced with the problem of temptation, we need to take the good doctor’s advice and "stay out of them places."
Take notes - write ref. remember -- you will need later - satan didn’t want me to preach this today
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).
How did Jesus handle temptation?
ILL>>> -- Jerry Kirk, founder of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. Men of Integrity,
I travel alone a lot in my job, and I stay in a lot of hotels with cable TV. I sometimes struggle whether to watch pornography while in the room.
One time, I was flipping through the channels to find the World Series. While flipping, I came across a channel with half-nude women. I flipped over to the baseball game. Ten minutes later, I flipped back to the movie, and then quickly back to the World Series. I did that four or five times before I shut off the TV.
I was unnerved at the power of temptation, especially since I’ve given my life to combat pornography. I’ve had to come face to face with the Lord and plead for mercy: "Lord, how is this possible?" I began to lose confidence in my prayers.
God reminded me, "Jerry, I’m not surprised by your sin. I’ve known all along you were a sinner. I’ve known all along that you were weak. I needed you to know that you were weak. And I need you to know that I alone will make you strong."
Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
I. Satan Questions the Truth. “If You are the Son of God,
3And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
Eve was tempted in the same way....
Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: LIAR (father of liars)
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
A. Attack a 2 pronged attack - after mountain top - now hungry and tired
(1 Pet 5:8 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1. Tempted by Doubt -- If you really are ... at baptism --“You are my beloved Son”.
a. Doubt what God said
b. Doubt who you are in God
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. -- 1 Corinthians 10:13
WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN
2. Tempted by Desire
ILL>>>> In one scene of the popular movie Robin Hood, The Prince of Thieves, Kevin Costner as Robin comes to a young man taking aim at an archery target. Robin asks, "Can you shoot amid distractions?"
Just before the boy releases the string, Robin pokes his ear with the feathers of an arrow. The boy’s shot flies high by several feet.
After the laughter of those watching dies down, Maid Marian, standing behind the boy, asks Robin, "Can you?"
Robin Hood raises his bow and takes aim. Just as he releases the arrow, Maid Marian leans beside him and flirtatiously blows into his face. The arrow misses the target, glances off the tree behind it, and scarcely misses a bystander.
Distractions come in all types, and whether they are painful or pleasant, the result is the same: we miss God’s mark.
a. desire to feed the human drives
b. desire to prove His power (ability) show off. ...
B. Answer
1. It is written, -- is the answer to every question -- even today - we must learn IT!!
(Heb 4:12 KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
2. It is written is the answer to all of life. -- We cannot live righteously without it.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
Rick Warren in “The Purpose Driven Life” said, Every temptation is an opportunity to do good!
(James 1:12 KJV) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
II. Satan Questions Commitment if You will
5Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7“Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
A. Attack
1. Tempted with the high life -- kingdoms of the world
2. Tempted with power --control, --- authority
3. Tempted with glory, praise and honor - and their glory
4. Tempted with ownership -- I give it to whomever I wish
B. Answer
(James 4:7 KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1. Get out of my sight “Get behind Me, Satan
Joseph put the temptation behind him ---
Gen 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
But David did not turn away
2 Sam 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her;
2. Get out of my sight For it is written - Scripture will do that - expel Satan
a. worship the LORD your God,
b. and Him only you shall serve.
(2 Tim 2:22 KJV) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
III. Satan Questions Faith If You are - prove it
9Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10“For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11“and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” 13Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
A. Attack the spiritual ploy - quotes scripture back to Jesus
1. Tempted by a selfish need for a sign from God (lack of faith)
(Luke 11:29 KJV) And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
(Christ death, three day in the grave and resurrection)
a. Prove to me God keeps His Word
b. Prove to me He cares if we fall
GOD HAS NOTHING TO PROVE! WE CANNOT DEMAND FROM HIM WHAT TO DO!
2. Tempted by the power to force God to do what you want.
ILL>>>> -- Ron Wilson in The Next to the Last Word. Christianity Today,
... face the temptation, as Jesus did, to test God and find a shortcut to success. If Jesus had jumped from the pinnacle of the temple, it would have been the ultimate publicity stunt. But that wasn’t the way God wanted to usher in the Kingdom.
B. Answer It has been said You shall not tempt the LORD your God.
(Exo 17:1-7) And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
1. Answer Satan by using the lessons from the Word of God
2. Answer Satan by prayer - as Moses did
(Heb 4:16 KJV)
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The anchor of Faith ...
The mighty Niagara River plummets some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls. Before the falls, there are violent, turbulent rapids. Farther upstream, however, where the river’s current flows more gently, boats are able to navigate. Just before the Welland River empties into the Niagara, a pedestrian walkway spans the river. Posted on this bridge’s pylons is a warning sign for all boaters: "Do you have an anchor?" followed by, "Do you know how to use it?" Faith, like an anchor, is something we need to have and use to avoid spiritual cataclysm.
Our train rolled into Kansas City at 1 a.m. Dim lights came on to help the new passengers find seats. Many of us who had been riding home through the night had spread out to occupy two seats apiece.
An attractive woman made her way down the aisle with her bags. She was looking from side to side, hoping for someone to move. I turned toward the window and watched her in the reflection.
"May I sit here?" she asked.
"Sure." I looked up and smiled as I moved over. She threw her things into the rack above and sat down. Near the back of the car, only one of my colleagues had managed to keep his extra space. Lucky guy.
"My name’s Kathy. What’s yours?"
I told her, and we talked quietly for a while. She was on her way to visit her mother after some rough spats with her husband. I was eager to get home and see my wife and family after an exhausting church leadership conference.
Soon we had both slipped off to sleep. At some later stop, I awoke to find Kathy cuddled next to me. "You don’t mind if I lean my head on your shoulder, do you?" she said sleepily.
"Uh, no. I guess not." She was just tired ... wasn’t she? And besides, I had a wonderful wife and a great marriage and would be home before noon. I looked around to see if anyone was noticing.
She cuddled closer. I wondered what she really wanted--or would allow. At first I couldn’t believe what I was thinking. But then it was her fault. She knew exactly what she was doing. I might as well enjoy it. After all, what could happen on a train full of people? Nothing, nothing really ... except what Jesus warned about happening in the heart.
Finally, I excused myself so I could go back and talk with my friend--the "lucky" one with the empty seat beside him. Or maybe I was the lucky one since that extra space was still available. I only knew I didn’t need to stay where I had been.
Perhaps it wasn’t luck at all. Maybe that was the "way of escape" that 1 Corinthians 10:13 talks about, which God had provided from the beginning.
-- Dave Jackson in Leadership,
