Overcoming Temptation

 

 

Our goal is to fully understand the meaning of temptation, its sources and its reason.

And for us to develop our strength on how to overcome it, and be able to be more

dependent on our Lord when time like this.

 

 

 

Subject:        Temptation

Theme:         Overcoming Temptation

 

Challenges: Question that we are going to answer today are:

1. What is temptation?
2. Where is the temptation came from?
3. How may one get victory over temptations?

 

Title:               Tonight we are going to discuss a study, entitled…”Christian Overcoming

Temptation”

 

Inspiration Text:   James 1:12-18

 

Introduction:

The Epistle of James is the how-to book of the Christian life. It is one of the practical book in NT because it offers intructions and exhortation to Christians who are experiencing problems, as all of us do. James knew that Christian scattered all over the world would face challenges to their faith. If they were to remain faithful, their beliefs needed to be not only intellectual, but also very practical. He urged his reader to put faith into action. Through his teaching James presents Jesus as One who insist the righteousness of His followers as written in Matthew 5:20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of God.

Tonight all of us learn on how to love God under challenges and trial.

 

Prayer:

 

Body:

 

1. Definition of Temptation

-it is the desire to perform an action that one may enjoy immediately or in the short term but will probably later regret for various reasons.(feeling guilt, health-related,economics)

– out of curiosity

– temptation is one of the most familiar experience of the true child of God, but some seem to be tempted much more than other. ( lahat tayo natetempt no one is exempted (Christ,Adam and Lucifer)

example: we cannnot stop birds from flying over our head but we can stop them from nesting in our hair, we cannot stop evil thoughts from passing through our minds but we need not accept them nor dwell upon them.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation…

– resist it and becomes the victor through the blood of the cross

-the believers who endures trials demonstrates that he or she loves Jesus and therefore will receive the crown of life. (2 Cor 5:9-11)

2. Sources of Temptation

It is not in God- James 1:13

Enticement to sin does not come from God. God will never deliberately lead a person to commit sin because that would be opposed to His purpose of molding his creation into His holy Image. Yet God does sometimes place his people His people to in adverse circumstances for the purpose of building godly character (Gen. 22:1,12)(Job 1:12, 2:6)

 

3. Reasons for Temptations

 

1. As a test of our faith (James 1:2,3) – trying of your faith works patience
2. As a test of obedience Gen 22:1) – God test men to know the depth of their LOVE and SINCERITY of their obedience – (listen to this)

***Words are easy, we can say everyday that we love God, that we obey Him that we want to follow him under all circumstances, but how can this be proven if we cannot experience the trials and testing?

 

And now that we know what is the meaning of temptation, its sources and the reasons, we will now proceed to our main concern for tonight:

How to get Victory over Temptations

1. By the faithfulness of God – 1 Cor 10:13

Paul provides the Corinthians with a word of comfort. The various temptation they are experiencing were normal; all belivers throughout the ages have had to resist temptation. God is so good that He will not let believers experience anything for which He has not prepared them. He will give every believer the grace and power to endure.

– we can rely on the faithfulness of God, 1 Cor 1:9 He changes not

because God is faithfulto his word

 

2. By using the word of God appropriately : Jesus quoted 3 times in Matthew 4.

Spiritual Victories are often followed by testing just like Jesus in Matthew.

Jesus response to all three temptation by qouting the Word of God, showing His follower the power of Scripture in battling the Evil One. There was nothing morally wrong turning stones into bread: Satan was tempting Jesus to do a miracle outside of the Father’s will. This explains why Jesus qoutes Deut. 8:3 “Bread alone does not sustain life; ultimately God is the one who sustains all life. Thus it is our responsibility to trust God and remain in His will.

-Jesus resisted Satan, then He defeated Satan with consistent , meaningful use of the scriptures

 

3. By personal prayer(Matthew 26:41) “Watch and prayer, that you enter not into temptation

remember the part of Lords prayer : He taught us to include this petition in our daily prayer “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

4. By resisting (James 4:7) “Resist the devil and he will flee from you

– Submit to god: we must follow in order the two commands in this first.

1. we must submit to God by abandoning our selfish pride. Submitting to the Lord also involves putting on the whole armour of God, an image that includes everthing from placing our faith in Him to immersing ourselves in the truth of God’s word.
2. We must resist any temptation that the devil throws our way. Ten the Evil One will have no choice but to flee, for we will belong to the army of the living God.

 

Conclusion:

Temptation are common to all men, every Christian must expect to be tempted.

 

Want to end this by sharing the inspiration Note of Max Lucado

Been thumped lately?

Late night phone calls. Grouchy employers. Grumpy husband. Burnt meals. Flat tires. Those are thumps. Thumps are are those irritating inconviniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Traffic jams, long lines, dirty clothes on the floor.

Thump, thump how do i respond? Do i sing or do i thud? Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:45). There is nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in thump-packed humdrum of day to day living.

 

Application:

How do you respond when you are “thumped” from people at work, family or people from grocery store? Your initial reaction during these times reflects who you are. What responses need to change? Make the changes today.