Sermon - Standing Strong In The Faith In A World Of Temptation

Subject: Standing Strong In a World of Temptation

Text: 1Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

Introduction: How do you stand strong against temptation? It’s not surprising for a church to have sin problems. A church is a group of sinners—saved and repenting sinners, yes, but still tend to sin. If that’s the case for a group of longtime Christians, imagine a church consisting entirely of baby Christians. When Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians to the church at Corinth, the believers had been Christians for no more than three years. They were all recent converts. They didn’t have generations of Christians in their culture. None of them grew up in a Christian home. So it isn’t surprising that the early Corinthian church continued to share some of Corinth’s worldly values regarding leaders and sex and other issues. After Paul heard troubling reports about the church in Corinth and received a letter that the church wrote him, he responded by writing 1 Corinthians. His most basic purpose is to exhort the Corinthian church to live like who they are: “saints” or God’s holy people.

The Bible exposes several characters who fell into temptation because they did not stand strong. Adam and Eve were given a proper warning and a word to obey yet they chose to fall into temptation pursuing knowledge that was reserve for God. Cain ignored God’s warning and gave in to the temptation of jealousy, anger and finally murder. David a man after God’s heart, in a moment of weakness gave in to the temptation of lust. It led him into adultery and finally murder. Samson, God’s strong man gave in to the temptation of pride. He thought he was stronger than he was, and his passion blinded his eyes from Delilah's Deception. Judas Iscariot, a disciple and treasurer of Jesus Christ, gave in to the temptation of greed, lost his soul and finally his life. We all remember Peter, a disciple of Jesus who boasted of his love and devotion to Jesus. He ignored Jesus’ warning and gave in to the temptation of fear and denial. 1Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” In every case, these men walk pass the door of escape. You see, you can be chosen, gifted, talent and blessed by the best, but none are beyond temptation.

If we are to successfully overcome temptation, we must armor ourselves with pray, avoid environments where we are easily tempted, refuse to do as the wicked do, and refuse to follow the path of evildoers. When facing temptation, get away quickly. Replace tempting thoughts with God's Word. Pray for God to help you. By putting on the Armor of God and cultivating a solid prayer life, you can find the strength to resist temptation and walk in righteousness.

Using these verses of Scripture, I want to address the subject: Standing Strong In a World of Temptation. Paul calls every believer to live victorious life that honor Christ. This is the challenge of every believer. How do we stand strong in a world of temptation in a generation that is not willing to stand for much? In this closing chapter of I Corinthians, Paul gives directions to the saints and expresses his desires for the Corinthian Church. He promises to visit them, and even to winter with them. He closes the book with a series of tender personal references and bids them farewell. First, he is concerned about the ministers who would follow him, especially Timothy. He encourages the church to receive him, help him and be a blessing to him. Then Paul encourages the church to “Standing Strong In a World of Temptation.” Apostle Paul warns the Corinthian Church that Christian believers are always in danger of attack. Satan, the adversary, comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Satan has a way of attacking us on many fronts. He attacks us spiritually causing us to struggle in our relationship with God. He attacks us socially causing us to struggle in our relationships with each other. Satan attacks our finances, physical bodies and our minds to cause us to faint, to give up or to quit. Paul knew that this church was in need of encouragement, especially while he was absent from them. The Corinthian Church had been plagued by division and factions. Some claimed to follow Paul, some Apollos, others Cephas and Christ. There were also irregularities in their worship and shameful practices during communion. There was confusion about the resurrection. Some of the Corinthian Christians were practicing open sin. In such an environment, Paul sends this wonderful exhortation for those who were faithful in Christ Jesus. The faithful Christians in the service of the Lord must not allow themselves to be shaken by the practices of those around them. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Paul understood that Christians sometimes become weary. They become weary because there is so much opposition; there is so much to be done; there are so many calls on their time and their money; and there is so little appreciation and gratitude shown them that they become disheartened. Paul exhorts them and us, not to give up nor stand down, but to stand up and persevere. Listen to the scripture again: