And cycle cycle sorry about that chip about the Gold Coast Titans
and actually I'm a little bit nervous. 'cause I'm a Melbourne
Storm support up and we're actually playing the Titans
today at Robina and it's kind of common knowledge. The team that
sucks. Their coach always wins. The next week. Now I'm believing
for that curse to be broken today in Jesus name. They won't
beat the storm. But otherwise praise. God there's still hope
AME in if you're in your bibles terminated the book of James
James chapter one.
James chapter one, I heard yesterday's women's event was
just awesome and I was so good. The high tea and with flourish
coming up in October that will be absolutely brilliant also
want to let you know that we're going to be doing a thing to
called hot August nights and basically it's four nights for
different speakers and that's coming up in August and it's
going to be completely free. There's no cost. Just turn up
come a bit early and have some dinner will be great and I'm
going to really enjoy it and so we're really looking forward to
that. That's coming up in
August. But you'll hear a bit more about that and also to
just want to let you know, we have a brilliant book shop down
the back, their Resource Center that that is run by the fullest
and there's a book that I would like to mention to you today
and that's a book called I declare by a guy named Joel
O'steen and this is a book. It talks about 30. One promises to
speak over your life and it's interesting. We're doing. The
Book of James and James Chapter 3 since if you control your
tongue then you're a perfect man.
Who he wants to be perfect?
Is that we're going to do is control your mouth and so and
here he talks about 30 one promises to actually speak over
your life and I remember a few years ago are going through a
very difficult season. I was actually an itinerant minister
when you do that. You really it's a real faith in your
believing for Finance and your income every single week and I
was going through a rough Patch there in a friend of mine
actually going with this book 'cause I speaking so negatively
and he said. To me, you guys. Look, I think you should you
need this book. It just send it to me in the Mail goes you need
to read it and start doing it
so. I started to every day just started declaring the promises
and just quoting the things that he said there and it's amazing?
How your demeanor attitude in faith doesn't rest up on your
circumstances actually recipe on the things that we actually say
you know the Bible says from the fruit of a man's mouth. His
stomach is filled and so I just declared it and I was speaking.
It just really help Maine and so this is a book like last book
that I mentioned to you. Called Love and respect in marriage,
but this is a book that I have read and put into practice as
well. And so we have some of these that you can look at in
the Resource Center after the service will be there in a
number of copies there, so this is just in their book.
Supper if you're interested great thing you get up in the
morning and just each day for a month and on the date that you
know the chapter reading just start declaring some of the
things that are actually says there and start setting your
data right if you're someone who hasn't been doing your devotions
for a while, you're struggling to get going with that
struggling to know how to pray. This is a good thing to actually
kick start and just get it going, and start doing that, so
if you're interested. Feel free to go down to the Resource
Center later on, and check that out, James chapter one.
Versus 12 to 18, says this blessed is the man who endures
temptation for when he has been approved. He will receive the
Crown of Life, which allowed his promised to those who love him
let no one say when he is tempted. I'm tempted by God for
God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he himself tempt
anyone, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own
desires and in Tyhurst. Then, when desires can save it gives
birth to sin and sin? Where did a full grown being brings forth
to death. Do not be deceived my beloved brethren every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above and comes from the father
of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning
of his own. Willie brought us forth by the word of truth that
we might be a kind of 1st fruits of these creatures. So then my
beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear slow to speak
slow to wrath for the wrath of men does not produce the
righteousness of God. Therefore layer side or filthiness, an
overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the
implanted word which is able to
save. Your souls let's pray father, I thank you for what I
just asked him pray that you help us to live the victorious
Christian life. You have for us. I thank you. and I praise you
for it. Lord in Jesus name Amen. For those of you that were here
last week. You would know that I started a new series, which we
will be continuing throughout the next couple of months and
it's a series on the book of James which is here from the New
Testament. The Book of James is actually one of the most
simplest books of the entire Bible. It's one that is actually
a lot about practical Christian
living. And I know that there are some People that think over
in history. People like Martin Luther have felt that it was too
simple that it was actually 2 practical and it lacked the
level of theological depth. The interesting thing for me is
actually about who wrote it, and who he was riding it too. It was
written by James, who James the brother of Jesus and he is the
leader of the early church in Jerusalem and that church was
primarily made up of Jewish converts so there. People who
raised up as Jews and then they
converted to Christianity. And as a result of that they took on
the Christian life so before that, they basically People who
were raised as Jews and because of that they will raise with a
great understanding of much of the Old Testament Scriptures, so
that People actually memorized much of the Old Testament and so
that would be People who actually knew their word, and
there, actually People who could be considered somewhat mature or
more mature than the gentle who were raised up without knowing
any of that sort of stuff they might be considered a little bit
more mature than your average.
Gentile this is probably written to them because it's written by
James and also he addresses it to the 12 tribes scattered
abroad. So basically that's kind of a phrase. It was a Jewish
term and so you could see he was actually writing this to People
who had raised this Jews and had that level of understanding, so
that's why it's really interesting to me that these are
the People that is writing to and yet, he's actually writing
to them a book that is quite simple and writing to them a
letter that is actually very practical and So what that tells
me is, it doesn't matter how much you know you word.
And it doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian living
the Christian life is another thing altogether. I've met a lot
of People who can argue even the word of God. I've met People who
used to be Christians walked away from the faith. And now
their Bible back to front, but they're not actually living the
Christian life. It's one thing to null it. It's another thing
to actually live it. And so we're doing a series this term
called life lessons and we're looking at some of the topics
that are covered here in the letter of James that can be
applicable to our lives.
And so last week. I actually talked about trials and how
trials are something that's a part of every single one of
their lives. Unfortunately, there's no point in your life
where you get so spiritual and so powerful that trials don't
come that just doesn't work. That way that as a Christian
trials are actually unavoidable. But we can count them all joy
and enjoy them joyfully because we can. We understand what God
is trying to produce in the midst of them that when trials
come actually produce something positive in our lives.
And so last week that's what we talked about the purpose of
trials today. I want to talk about another topic, and it's
the topic. He covered in James and it's not necessarily that
kind of topic that if I was just going to preach the once off
that I'd actually really be super pumped about teaching on,
but actually it's the topic, but because it's here. We have to
cover it and it's actually the topic of temptation temptation
now notice who is writing too. He's writing to People who know
their word, and probably quite mature. I would have thought if
he's writing to People like that that they've got it all figured
out. The temptations, not an issue for them that there's so
spiritual that literally no temptation could actually you
know that might be tempted to do anything wrong and that's really
more for more immature. Christians pardon me actually
thought. Maybe I shouldn't do this at Ready Creek in the
morning, although maybe I should do this one actually at the
night service. Or maybe over at pimple. Mark there's a lot more
nor Christians over there.
But the reality is it doesn't matter how long you've been a
Christian, it doesn't matter how long you've been walking with
the Lord Becaus away basically still flesh and blood temptation
is something that every single one of us faces and so I want to
talk to you about how to deal and handle temptation. The
temptation to sin. The temptation to do the wrong thing
here. It's interesting. He actually tells us that
temptation and sin and not actually the same thing
temptation enough itself is not
a sin. Jesus Christ himself, the Bible tells us was actually
tempted as well. The Devil came to actually tempt him so
temptation in and of itself is actually not a sin. But if we
dwell on it, and it continues on our life. It can actually lead
to sin and give birth to sin and the scripture here tells us that
scene actually leads to death and so here every single one of
us will have to at some point deal with the issue of
temptation in our lives. I thought when I was a younger
Christian there would come a point in my life.
Would I would be impervious to temptation. But I've been a
Christian now for something like you know, not as long as some
but about 27 years and the thing I've learned is that temptation
is still something that that I actually that are actively have
to deal with, and it's something that everyone of us continues to
deal with, and so I want to talk to you today about how we
handle, and deal with temptation. The 1st way is that
we have to deal with it.
Says in James chapter one verse 12.
Says blessed is the man who enjoys temptation for when he
has been approved. He will receive the Crown of Life, which
the Lord has promised to those who love him so notices. He
doesn't say blessed is the man who gives into temptation.
And doesn't say blessed is the man who ever actually never
feels tempted. 'Cause no man actually exists.
But he says blessed is the man who enjoys temptation So what
that means is doesn't give into
it. Doesn't give up just 'cause you feel tempted to do the wrong
thing doesn't mean you actually have to do it and then he says
for when he has been approved. He will receive the Crown of
Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him
the first key to actually overcoming temptation is number
one look forward look forward look beyond the temptation that
you're actually experiencing right now. You know it's
interesting that he's talking to them here and he says look while
you're in during temptation lift up your eyes and see what's
coming your way see the things that God has for you see the
Crown of life that you're going
to actually inherit. As a result of not giving into this
temptation, the first key to overcoming temptation is number
one look forward. That means look beyond it. When you're
tempted to do something wrong. When you attempted to do
something sinful that you know is wrong, one of the interesting
things that we learned is that when we become a Christian
Airhart actually gets changed and what that means is that we
get a greater awareness a greater understanding
intrinsically in our conscience of what is right and wrong but
that doesn't mean we don't actually experienced imitation
but what he saying here is that when you get tempted look beyond
it. When you get tempted with something what you do is you
want to satisfy immediate gratification or some kind of
immediate need and you start focusing on the here and now and
you actually you actually start focusing on that actual present
moment. But what we need to understand is if we can actually
look beyond it and realize what will happen can happen for us.
If we don't give into temptation that can actually help us to
actually overcome the Bible says God has a plan and purpose. For
every single one of our lives.
And one of the ways that we actually fulfill that is not
allowing temptation to actually uh a temptation to give birth to
sin and actually in's near us. the Bible says in Hebrews.
Chapter 12 verse one. It says let us lay aside every weight
and the sin that ensnares us.
And run with perseverance, the race, it before us now that's
written to the Hebrews and so he's riding to Christians and
he's telling them let us lay aside every weight and the sin
that ensnares us So what that means is sin can actually stop
us from fulfilling the plan and purpose and the destiny that God
has for our lives. And so when you're tempted to sin and what
that basically means when you feel like doing it. What we need
to do is look beyond it and realize this will actually
affect affect my destiny. This will actually affect my future.
If I give into this temptation, you know, I've been in ministry,
now nearly 20 years and had a lot of ministry friends and I
was just last week and this week. I've been running. This
camp on behalf of the ACC in Queensland, which is for
emerging leaders so lot of churches send father there up
incoming letters under 30 and we do like a ministry retreat with
them and some of our guys are going on one over the next 3
days. So I encourage you to pray for them and that sort of thing
and one of the things that we
talk about. I had mentioned to him last week when I did it in
North Queensland was Albania Ministry along time could
reasonably long time and it every 2 or 3 years. There's
someone I know a significant Christian leader who loses their
ministry. All becaus of sin. That's actually been come to
pass in their life that they've actually allowed to do it and
The thing is what happens is that they might even be
successful in general. If you hear about them. That's probably
why reason we hear about because they're probably well known and
very often they? Take their eyes of what they could lose will
they take their eyes off things off the future. And they start
focusing actually on the here and now and I don't lift up
their eyes one of the reasons why I don't actually one of the
ways it able to overcome temptation that that helps Maine
is the fact of my name. My name is Ben Nye to go and it's not
common. If was Ben Smith that would be a little bit different,
and one of the things I realize that's my name with the only
night tacos, and all of Australia and my children and
descendants are going to have to live with that name.
I would hide for the the only thing associated with that name
would be some kind of moral fall would be some kind of sinful
behavior and so in the moments in the Times like all of us were
I'm tempted to sin after trying to force myself to stop looking
at that moment and look beyond it and say no no not at all?
What's going to happen as a result of this? What's the
ripple effect on my behavior. If I give into this temptation.
Tim Tatian in and of itself is not actually a sin, but actually
giving into the temptation is I was talking to a evangelist who
was who was very close friends. It was essentially the chaplain
to the Australian cricket team about 25 years ago and he was
saying he was counseling. One of the Australian cricketers are
very prominent quicker. If I cities name know who it was who
at the time was very tempted who was actually planning on leaving
his wife for his mistress and so had a lot of those guys, they
travel in their tour and.
That sort of thing and sometimes struggle to stay faithful to
their well wives and there was one particular guy. He actually
had was planning and was actually planning to leave his
wife and to go and move in with his mistress and he was talking
to this friend of mine who was essentially like you know the
quasi Chapel into their team and he sat down with him and said
listen what's going to happen if you do this look at the ripple
effect of your behavior that's going to continue on the
generations think about your children how this is going to
affect their life. He's like I know, People have come from
homes like that, and it's affected their children
continually. Look at all these things that are going to happen
as a result of your behavior? What was he trying to do. He was
trying to get his head out of the here and now and he was
starting to lift up his eyes beyond, to see how to show him.
The ripple effect on the things that are actually going to
happen think about when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness
before he started his ministry. He was hungry in the enemy came
to him and he said. If you are the son of God. He's trying to
test if he's trying to actually make Jesus obey him and he was
testing the trying to test Jesus and he said to him turn these
stones into bread. He was tempted to do it and right now
at that moment that was his need his appetite would have been
driving through to actually fulfill that desire, but he
realized if I do this. This is not going to help me in my
future all the things that God wants me to do, I'll be
disqualifying myself and so he didn't give into that temptation
temptation comes to every single one of us Tim Tatian in and of
itself is not actually's in the fact that you feel temp that
doesn't mean you actually have to do. The thing you feel
tempted to do. That's why People
go on diets. You go on a diet? What are you doing? You stop
eating the things you actually want to eat? What happened when
we did the 21 days of right through it was impossible to
walk past a bakery. You won't possibly you could smell it him.
All you have that desire, and that temptation, but that
doesn't mean you actually have
to fulfill it. That doesn't mean you actually have to satisfy it
and one of the ways we overcome. It is to look down the right and
say what will happen if I give in to this temptation. This
momentary temptation. This momentary desire what's the
ripple effect. That's actually going to happen in my life. When
you get tempted and I don't want to be negative, but everyone of
us will. When you get tempted look beyond it and count the
cost and think of the consequences of what will happen
to your life and even your children's lives and the People
around you as a result of giving in to this temptation. The
number one thing we have to do is look forward the second thing
that we should do.
He says in Dimes chapter one versus 13 and 14.
Says let no one say when he is tempted on tempted by God for
God cannot be tempted by evil. Nor does he himself tempt
anyone, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own
desires an entire list.
The first first thing what we have to do is look forward.
The second thing we have to do when we're tempted is look in
the mirror. Is look in the mirror? It says when you
attempted doubt science God tempting you?
It's not God that actually tempts us and he doesn't even
say that blame the devil.
It's not the devil, making you
have this feeling. It actually comes from their own hearts.
So the second thing that we need to do when we attempted is to
own up and look in the mirror.
And so you know what the reason why I'm failing these
temptation. The reason warm feeling to step into this in.
It's no one else's fault. It's actually main I've got to look
in the mirror don't blame God for a feeling that he didn't
actually give you. That's why sometimes even when we have
desires and you may have heard me teach last year on the topic
of Psalm, 37 verse four that delight yourself in the Lord. He
gives you the desires of your heart and that sort of thing.
There are times when we follow our heart and we followed
desires. Make no mistake, but they're not the primary course
of whether we determine the will of God. The primary method, we
determine the will of God is not our desires is actually the word
of God. And if there are times when our desires are not
subservient to the word of God, then we take on the word of God
and do what it says that literally any kind of women any
kind of fancy is not necessarily actually the will of God and we
can't blame God when we're actually tempted one of the
interesting things. There is that when Jesus praise and it
gives us the Lords prayer, he actually praised and he says
Lord deliver us not into
temptation. So what that means is Lord actually help us to
actually avoid temptation that actually God does not want us to
get tempted. He's not lining that up, he's actually wanting
us to actually avoid it. And we can live our lives in such a way
that we can avoid temptation. But you can't live your life
that way. If you're not real about actually your nature and
your character in your desires. It's no good to say, and I'm not
saying that eating eating food is a center in a thing like
that. But as an example. It's no good, saying, You know, I'm
going to. I'm going to go on this diet and I'm just going to
be a vegan and then every day you go to McDonald's.
'Cause one day the first couple of days you might get the salad
at McDonald's, which is pretty
ordinary. But then there's going to come a day when that
temptation is going to overtake you because of where you
actually at. But if you're actually like Well, you know,
not to own font. All be fallen. I'll be strong if you lying to
yourself, like that, then you're not going to actually be out
orchestrate your life in such a way we can actually avoid
temptation as Christians. We need to understand that
temptation doesn't isn't isn't the desires of your heart. I'm
coming from the Devil. The desires in their heart aren't
actually coming coming from God that very often that we are the
ones who actually tempted to actually do the wrong thing and
we need to understand that you can orchestrate your life in
such a way. That you don't fall into temptation if your if your
issue is things to do with the Internet or something like that,
then a wise thing to do would not be able would be to not
actually have it in your bedroom so actually leave it out. If
your temptation if there's some kind of temptation with somebody
that you have some kind of connection with that. It's
probably not appropriate then what you need to do is actually
distance yourself from it. You know the scripture actually
tells us that way to flee youthful us, it doesn't say
overcome them. It doesn't say stay in trying to feed them. It
actually says run away from them and we need to understand the
things that can be happening in our heart and the desires that
we have that we actually need to look in the mirror. You can't be
tempted to do something that deep down you actually want that
you don't want to do.
That if you can't be tempted to do something that you don't
like it's not a temptation of told you before. There's
nothing you can do that could tempt Maine to eat cucumber?
This is not going to happen.
You know you can come up to me and say, I have got this
cucumber. And Wu wafted past my nose. I'm not like cucumber.
It's actually not going to happen. Why there's no desire V
actually like desire.
But a Krispy Kreme Donut.
Does that make sense?
I told you before all blind mole off couple years ago put on
tanki allies quite quickly.
And the reason why she stopped
working. And because you stopped working as many of you would
know if you ain't no brownies. She's good at baking.
And so I for fun, she would
bike. Every day.
And every day come home.
This brownies. Choc chip cookies.
Tight. And it's Italy.
Someone to monitor.
It would be.
It would be wrong, it would be rude.
For me not to have a try of all over.
Then she says to me after 12
months. So that's how you put on a bit of white.
So that's not my fault.
At your Phone.
Was it all was fine till you stayed home and started baking?
And then she said to me which is the dumbest thing
you can ever say to someone who's half Tongan.
Well, you don't have to eat it.
That would be like just put whiskey in front of
alcoholic you know.
So I blame her.
But the desire is actually from here.
Does that make sense? We need to know what's on the inside of us
and owner. 'Cause without that, we can't organize our lives to
avoid situations that might
tempt us. We can organize and structure life to the point
where temptation can actually we can avoid as much as possible,
tempting situations. That's why one of the things I learned when
I first became a Christian.
Was that I actually had to had to remove myself from some
relationships that I had before.
And it wasn't because of God didn't love them or God didn't
have a plan for their life.
But it wasn't healthy for me to
be around them. Because when all was around them. What was
happening is I keep getting dragged into the behavior I
don't want to do anymore.
Because I was a Christian now and saw oil and as hard as it
was that I had to separate myself from a couple of People
'cause. I knew that being around them wasn't helpful to me.
It would be a different story. If I was so strong that when I
was around them always leading
them. But for a couple People that wasn't actually what was
happening. Initially, I tried and I thought you know, maybe I
can help them and and maybe I can be in a situation to you
know lead them to lead them to cross but I found that wasn't
working, at all? what I found was happening that all was
getting dragged back. And so I thought you know what God is
going to have to send somebody
else. This isn't working for Maine and I had to remove myself
from that situation, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was just my
desires at in the inside. But I had to be open and honest enough
to understand that it was actually that I had a weakness
in that area and that temptation would come to me in that area
and so I needed to structure myself in such a way that
temptation will come to me. Actually, a lot less as soon as
we blame others. We become powerless. But the Bible says we
are not slaves to sin.
We slice the righteousness.
Having Temptations come our way is actually can sometimes be
unavoidable, but actually giving into them is actually optional.
And if we can orchestrate our lives and to the point where
we're not giving tempted as often. We can live the
victorious Christian lives that God has for us.
And so he says here don't say you're tempted by God.
You're actually our own desires that are causing us to be like
that. The third thing that he says he says in verse. Twenty
one of James chapter one.
He says therefore lay outside all filthiness, an overflow of
wickedness. Lie Assad.
And so the third thing that we have to do is the first thing we
gotta look forward. The second thing we got to look in the
mirror. But the third thing we have to do is look away.
Is look away look away or walk
away? From the thing that I'm actually tempted to actually do.
And so that's what he says. This is Laius lay it all aside. The
little we need to know ourselves in such a way that we actually
have to. Walk away from it, and get away from it.
There are some People that for myself. Alcohol has never been a
major issue in my life and the scripture tells us that when it
comes to alcohol that you know that the scripture says that we
don't drink to drunkenness. So we can drink in moderation.
That's actually what the scripture actually says so and
when I was when I first was a pastor and was a youth pass that
I made it a blanket rule with all my leaders at the time I
said, I don't want if you're going to be a leader in our
youth ministry. I don't want any of you to drink ever which is
what I said to them ever and they like our why that's not
fair and I said listen. The reason is because we're leading
these young People and one of the things about when you lead
People as we gotta take into account. Some of their
conscience. And so I said listen. I don't want you to. I
don't want you guys to drink alcohol because it might cause
one of them to actually stumble. I mean, the Apostle Paul said.
If my eating meat would cause someone else to senile never eat
meat again and so there's nothing wrong with eating meat
praise God. There's another lady made but he was saying he's
taking into account the People that he is leading if it is a
stumbling block and I said to my youth leaders or said. Guys I
don't want you to do that simply because and I said, you will
never see main drink any kind of alcohol or anything like that,
and then. After that time I stop being a youth pastor and that
sort of thing and went into some other ministry positions and
then every so often occasionally all would have a drink of
alcohol and that sort of thing. It was not a not an issue for
me, sometimes in a social
setting. It was fine as a minister, you know, there's you
know, basically if you want to be a minister. You're allowed to
drink just as long as at anytime you can hop in the car if you
need too. And so you never get to never drink one or 2 kind of
drinks and that sort of thing, so I remember at the time I was
not leading young People anymore and the caves in the opportunity
would come up and so I would I would do that. I remember one
time I was at the football with my brother in law my
brother-in-law enjoy drinking and we were going to.
Watch a game and he said. To me are you going to have a drink
with me today and I said, and on my initial reaction is now I'm
not and I just feel God say listen have one drink with him
'cause. He thinks he can't be a Christian cause. He has a drink
'cause. He never sees you have drink also archives so how to
drink within just a once off and that sort of thing and then
actually he lied about size and got water baptized here so part
of that whole thinking left him and and that sort of thing, but
then I had another rethink about it for myself personally when it
came to alcohol and that sort of thing and had another think
about and I realized. That my wife's family there's a strong
line of Alcoholics. My wife's dad's an alcoholic, and there
are a number of people in the family alcoholism is a major
thing and things I notice is that part significant amount of
that is environment, but also I think term. If you come up in
along like that. There's the occasional person that
literally. They've got a dispensation to it, and can
gravitate to it, and have an appetite for it and I knew for
Maine, having one drink actually
did nothing. You know it doesn't do anything and I can
stop it and not have another drink for 12 months or
something like that. But then I realized that was my wife's
family line. Then I realized my boys are from that family
line.
And I thought you know what one of them might actually have that
appetite. And I thought I would hate for it that if they saw me
as their dad haven't written. It doesn't really affect Maine. You
know have that group on main but then they have the appetite and
then they step into it.
And I thought you know what I'm just going to leave it away.
I was going to lie, it down the scripture says that you're
allowed to drink alcohol in moderation. You know what I'm
saying but I felt felt for May and because of my wife's family
history. I just thought it's probably wiser for us. If I just
step back from it, and not do it. And so I laid that thing
aside to try and avoid any kind of temptation to come into our
family just in case one of them, actually had an appetite or
dispensation towards it, he says
here. That when we're actually tempted to scene to actually
look away. You can't overcome a sin that you're into habitually
if you actually keep feeding it.
If you keep fading it. You can't actually avoid it. We actually
need to starve it. We actually need to shrivel it up. My
youngest son. Effel me and true center apology. She's home
today. Because Effel me's been sick all week and he's been
having a tummy bug and that sort of thing and basically what
we've noticed is he always vomits just after he's eaten.
And so the eating has not helping him to keep it all down
and so it's when you have a tummy bug that you tend to go to
fluids or liquids. And that sort of thing 'cause whenever you
have like dairy or something like that. You keep feeding it
and you keep stirring it up. It's the same way if we have an
issue in your life that we don't have control of that were not
victorious in. We're not going to overcome it by continually
feeding it. We actually have to lay it aside and to move on. I
know it's not always popular about talking about things like
this to be honest. I'd probably prefer not to and just jump over
it. But I made a promise that would actually do the whole
book. So I thought I might just cut and paste the bits that I
like which I can do on other occasions does that make sense.
And the realities, he's talking to People like us.
People who may have been Christians for awhile People who
may now word. But every single one of us still have can still
get tempted from time to time, and God wants us to overcome
that temptation so he says there lay aside leave it leave it be
look away don't keep on feeding it don't keep on stimulating
that temptation and the last thing that he actually says.
He says in any continues on, he
says. And receive with meekness the implanted word.
Receive with meekness the word that's been planted on the
inside. So the full thing is look at the word of God.
And do it. Do it the water God says notice this they've already
had the word god of God planted into them, he says that.
The words being implanted.
But he says receive with meekness the implanted word. You
may remember I've talked about the topic of meatless last year.
And the word make is actually talking about strength under
control. Another some you know, some interpretations of the word
meekness actually means someone who doesn't remove themselves
from the dealings of God.
Another way of putting it maintenance actually means
obedience, even when you don't feel like it.
So notice is he says receive with meekness the implanted
word. What is he saying well, he sang you've got the word planted
in there, but in order to receive it? We actually need to
do it. The letter of James is all about doing lighter on will
talk in the series about how faith without works is dead.
And so you can have the word of God on the inside. But it's one
thing having it or having it planted it in. But it's another
thing actually doing it and
actually obeying it. You know one of the one of the well known
stories in scripture talks about
King David. And King David was known as a man with a heart
after God and he rose up in prominence from being a Shepherd
boy to becoming the king of Israel and in hindsight, the
most well known king of Israel and known as a man after gods
own heart. But also David is known because of some of the
errors of judgment that he actually made and one of the
major errors of judgment that he made probably the most
significant thing. He did that actually affected his life and
affected others was when he
actually committed adultery. And he committed adultery with a
lady by the name of Bathsheba.
And then afterwards that he actually to hide it, he actually
had her husband killed.
And So what that means is that he committed murder and he
committed adultery and as a result of that. You know, there
was a significant amount of negative consequence in his life
and People say, well? How is it the David fell into this?
You know how is it that this
actually happened. But if you look at the story of what
happened with David and Bathsheba. It was pretty clear.
The Bible says at the Tom when Kings went to war.
David was at home.
And he was a time at the Palace.
And he was up on his rooftop.
And then he was looking out over the Kingdom and and he saw her
bathing on her rooftop.
And because he saw any didn't look away.
The desire came on the inside.
And then because of desire came in on the inside because he
didn't deal with it and in the board, it. It eventually led him
into scene in the sin that he
actually went into. But the most powerful thing for that for me
is this. It says at the time at Kings at the time that Kings. Go
to war. He was at home. What does it mean he wasn't supposed
to be at home?
He was supposed to be at war.
If he had gone to war, none of this would happen.
If he had to go on a war all the husbands would have been home.
I'm in. And be cause, he didn't do what he knew he was supposed
to do and open the door for temptation and then send to come
into his life. It's one thing to know God's word. It's another
thing to actually do it.
And if we just live, according to the principles of God's word,
and we now have weaknesses that we now have foibles. We can
actually orchestrate our lives in such a way that we can avoid
that we can actually avoid falling into sin. You've heard
me say before that, the Bible says that the enemy. The devil
is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
That's a very encouraging verse.
'Cause it doesn't mean he can devour whoever he wants.
He seeking whom he may devour.
And in the midst of happy having flesh and sometimes having
sinful desires. In the midst of being in situations where
sometimes we get tempted attempted we can still live our
lives in such a way.
That we can resist that temptation that we can give into
that. We don't have to give into it and we can orchestrate our
lives in such a way that we can lay ahold of the glorious future
in destiny that God has for every single one of our lives.
Temptation does not come to our lives in order for us to give
into it no matter how strongly
you feel. That actually we can overcome it and leave the
victorious Christian life that God has for us.
And it's a battle that probably never goes away.
It's something that every single one of us will continue to deal
with, but none of us have to give in I meant.
And so if you look at me like stunned mullets this
morning and.
Log off not talking to Maine so some of your elbow your wife.
Hyper listen, honey this is for you.
It's for every single one of us,
I'm in. I meant and gall wants us to leave in the victories got
for us. Lauf lessons inside might be your Angel Sign Ben.
Ominous situation right now where I'm experience a level of
temptation in an area of seeing that. I don't want.
You haven't given into it.
But you're saying that. I'm experiencing that United the
buses, we can pray that we can
avoid temptation. Deliver us not
into temptation. And so maybe you're here in your
same bent. I'd like that, prayed over me today.
Give me the sensitivity in my spirit to know situations. I
need to avoid. Give me the wisdom in my heart to know that
I need to, not go here or not go
and do that. Because of the temptation that I'm going to
experience at that time.
And so it might be a hearing your same bin I need that
wisdom. And with the scripture tells us we can actually pry for
that deliver us not into
temptation. So with every I closed and every head bad.
I'm not going to bring you out, the front.