Sermons
Dealing with Temptations
Genesis 22:1-14
Life is full of temptations and tests. Everyone is well acquainted with them. However, unlike an educational experience,
life presents the test first and teaches the lesson last. Something doesn't seem fair about that. Parents are first tested with the
responsibility of raising children, and once they've learned the lessons their
children are grown, married, and have their own children to make mistakes with. Regardless, we need to learn how to confront
and overcome life's temptations and tests.
(Definition)We need to first define temptation as the writers of Scripture
employed it because it has two meanings. When temptation comes from Satan it's always designed to injure or lead
into wrongdoing. Jesus said, "the
thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy." On the other hand, when God divinely permits
or sovereignly sends trials they serve beneficial purposes. The best way to differentiate between the two
is to call Satan's trial a temptation
and God's trial a test. James 1:13 says: "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot
be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone."
Satan's temptation of Adam and
Eve brought death. But God's test of
Abraham to sacrifice Isaac extended the Messianic covenant (GEN 22:12)—two
distinctly different temptations.
Satan's temptation of Job was
to cause him to curse God, however, God permitted this trial to refine and
improve every area of Job's life.
Satan flogged, tormented, and
imprisoned the apostle Paul to discourage and hinder him, whereas, God used
these trials to impress Christ's image upon the apostle.
You see, God's tests aren't designed to destroy you,
they're designed to develop you. I like
how Bill Hamon states it: "Everything
God does is for a reason. He is either
proving us, reproving us, approving us, or improving us." God isn't some angry out-of-control dictator
seeking to punish anybody that offends Him. He's our Savior and He always acts with redemptive purposes!
(Transition) Let's first
consider, How to face Satan's temptations. As we investigate this let's return to the Garden of Eden.
I. How to Face Satan's Temptations
Here were Adam and Eve with the whole world to govern
and enjoy and they couldn't stay away from one tree that God had placed
off-limits to them. Even in their
sinless estate they wrestled with the same temptation that plagues people
today—wrong, selfish desire. James said:"each one is tempted when, by his own
evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (1:14).
And when God confronted Adam and Eve with their sin
neither wanted to accept responsibility for their failure. When God questioned Adam about his
disobedience he responded: "The woman you
put here with me . . . gave me some fruit from the tree." And when Eve was interrogated she replied: "The serpent deceived me." Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the
serpent. And people have imitated their
progenitors and shifted the blame ever since. Today we call it being victimized.
(Example) In recent
years this victimization syndrome has
become a cultural art and judiciously refined. Courts often acquit criminals by letting them blame their crimes on
society or upbringing. When they were
young mamma didn't give them enough attention or daddy verbally abused them or
they suffered some other societal scorning. I understand that, to some degree, everyone is influenced by their
upbringing and environment, but in the end, God holds every man personally
responsible for their behavior. This victimization business is ruining
America.
Today's victims aren't the
aborted baby, they're women forced to endure nine months of an uncomfortable and risky pregnancy.
Victims aren't the burglarized,
they're the havoc-reeking thugs society forces to commit the crimes.
Victims aren't the brutalized,
they're the miscreants perpetrating the violence.
If you search long and hard enough you'll always find
an excuse or copout for your misdeeds. Like Adam said, "The woman made me do it . . . or like Eve said, "The serpent
made me do it." The victim mentality
says, "I shouldn't have to pay the penalty."
Don't buy this victimization
rationale. When you transgress it's
nobody's fault but yours. It doesn't
matter how America's jurisprudence rules. The Bible says: "Every man will give an account of himself before God." Blaming
society, others, or even Satan won't be admissible at God's Judgment Seat. We have to assume responsibility for our
wrongdoing, confess and repudiate our sins, and accept Christ's forgiveness.
Everyone will be tempted to sin. But temptation is no sin. Sin is conceived when we yield to
temptation. And the reason temptation
snares us is because it's initially enjoyable. Hebrews 11:25 says sin is pleasurable for a season. It begins harmlessly
and even fun; initially you don't feel its sting, but eventually its poison
breaks down your spiritual chemistry, and weakens your entire spiritual
character.
Since temptation is inevitable what we need to learn
is how to overcome temptation. And I
want to propose three ways we can do that:
A. First, Jesus said some trials could be
completely avoided through prayer. You say, "That almost sounds too good to be true." But listen to Christ's words in Matthew
6:13. Jesus said: "lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Imagine that! Prayer actually helps us circumvent some temptations! This was Christ's idea.
(Illustration) Years ago I read the story of a youngster named
Alexander that was struggling to save money for a baseball bat. One night his mother overheard him saying his
prayers: "Lord, help me save my money
for a baseball bat. And, God, please
don't let the ice cream man come down this street!" [i] That boy was wiser than most grown‑ups—he
prayed away the temptation!
B. Then secondly, Scripture says other temptations
can be overcome by avoiding them. The Bible teaches us that some temptations
aren't meant to be confronted, we're told to flee from them. We aren't commanded to rebuke the temptation,
or argue or debate with it, we're told to flee from it. Let me explain.
When Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph, he
didn't linger and offer her ten reasons why he shouldn't yield—he hoofed
it! Our problem is that we entertain
temptations we should completely avoid. We
should be running instead of wrestling!
That's why the Bible says: "flee
youthful lusts."
That's why God says in 1
Thessalonians 5:22: "Avoid every kind of
evil."
It's why Ephesians 4:27
says: "do not give the devil a foothold."
To put it plainly, certain
temptations demand that you, Run, baby, run!
Some temptations can be staved by praying them off
your street while others are overcome by you staying off temptation's
street! You see, every Christian should
have some predetermined boundaries that you have decided will not be
crossed. That's because every inch
surrendered to Satan is one less inch God possesses and one more inch Satan has
to strike.
(Illustration) The story is
told of an executive sinking into the airline seat next to a beautiful
woman. After the aircraft lifted, they
were both mesmerized in conversation. Before long, the executive said: "I'm wealthy and I'll give you $10,000
to spend the weekend with me." The woman
blushed, twisted slightly, and then sheepishly agreed. As they continued to converse the man amended
his proposition: "Look, you can feel the attraction, let's forget the money and
just spend the weekend together." The
woman responded: "What type woman do you
think I am?" The man replied: "I thought that was determined when you
agreed to take the money!"
C. Then thirdly, you can overcome other temptations
by resisting them. That word, resist, means: "to set
yourself against someone or something; to forcefully oppose." In what ways are we to forcefully confront
and resist the devil? We're to resist
Him when:
Satan tempts us to doubt God
and His promises.
Satan tempts us to question
God's providence and guidance for our lives.
Satan tempts us to compromise
our honesty or Christian values.
Satan tempts us to act in
opposition to God's love and the fruit of the Spirit.
(Transition) We've discussed
how to face Satan's temptations, now let's discuss how to face God's testing.
II. How to Face God's Testing
Here's how James 1:2 says we should deal with God's
testing: "Consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
I sincerely wish God hadn't chosen the crucible of a
test to develop our character, improve our worth, and determine our value. But
that's the way it works. Despite this
process you can be assured of one fact: The design of God's test is always to
bless! It's never to wreck and ruin your
welfare. Let me mention several purposes
of a God-sent test:
A. First, the
Purpose of God's test is to prepare us for His work.
(Illustration) Henry
Murray was a psychologist and Director of Assessment for the Office of
Strategic Services, during World War II. The OSS was the forerunner of the CIA (Central Intelligence
Agency). Murray performed an intensive
personality investigation for OSS candidates. His testing program was used to select spies and saboteurs for dangerous
situations. Murray engaged the
candidates in stressful real‑life situations to monitor their behavior. One test involved building a bridge across a
stream within a fixed period of time but without blueprints. The candidates were provided workers to help
with the project. "In this way, the
man's ingenuity, ability to improvise, and leadership skills could be assessed
in a realistic setting." What the
candidates didn't know was their ranks were infiltrated by stooges to determine
their reaction to frustration. They were instructed to prevent the building of
the bridge. The stooges raised objection
after objection to dispirit the candidates. The construction never had a chance of succeeding. Murray's program of
personality assessment reduced grown men to tears and maddening
frustration. But it was successful,
because it identified the qualified candidates and helped them solve future
problems as OSS agents.
(Quote) One noted
minister said, "The first church I pastored was a problem . . . [But] My ministry wouldn't be what it is today if I
hadn't pastored that first Church . . . Some of the hardest tests I've gone through in fifty years of experience
are because I was led by the Spirit of God. He knew the test was coming. It
was God's way of teaching me." [ii]
B. Secondly, the purpose of God's test
reveals our character. Christianity isn't designed to avoid
adversity, it's designed to produce a character and faith that conquers
adversity. Remember Hamon's words: everything
God brings our way is for "proving us, reproving us, approving us, or improving
us."
God wants to know how we'll respond when we're brought
to bitter waters or the wilderness or the lion's den or the fiery furnace. Will we complain, curse, or rejoice in the
Lord?
Weight lifters need the
struggle of pushing against a heavy load to increase their power.
Distance runners must run past
fatigue and muscle cramps to increase their endurance.
Children have to cut teeth,
mispronounce words, and repeatedly fall flat on their face before they are
fully matured.
And Christians have to bear the
cross and endure testing to claim spiritual maturity.
We want the easy way out of difficulty. We want to eliminate the "no pain, no gain"
principle. Give us the short-cut with the
light load. But God says: "No, you'll
have to bear the burden in the heat of the day, trek through the wilderness,
and even "press through the eye of the needle" if you want to be "perfect and
complete—lacking nothing.""
God doesn't think of you as piece of wood. To God you're a chunk of silver or gold. That's why Solomon said: "The crucible for silver and furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the
heart" (PRO 17:3). If you were wood
the fire would consume you.
C. Thirdly, God's tests usher in His blessings! Listen to Psalm 66:10: "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. (11) You brought us into prison and laid
burdens on our backs. (12) You let men ride over our heads; we went through
fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."
Temporary problems and setbacks aren't necessarily due
to wrongdoing; they're designed to move us toward blessing.
(Illustration) Sometime
back an aspiring young man envisioned being a missionary to Africa. He and his wife trained and planned for
months. Just before leaving they
reported to New York for their physical examinations. It was discovered that his wife couldn't
adapt to the African climate. He was
brokenhearted and discouraged. But it
was a test. He determined to support missions anyway and returned home to
assume responsibility for a small fruit business his father had started. It burgeoned into a huge industry. And because of its tremendous success he
donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to missions. And his family is still the leading
manufacturer of grape juice—Welch's grape juice.
God often gives a test, just as the professor does, to
prepare for a promotion and situate us in a more effective place of service.
When God told Abraham to leave
his Chaldean homeland it tried his faith. But incredible blessings attended his obedience!
And what about the blessing
following Abraham's sacrificial test with Isaac. In Genesis 22:16 God
said: "Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only
son, (17) I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.
When God tests a person by asking them to relocate,
change occupations, or give a certain amount of money, He wants obedience. If it's there, benefits will follow.
(Transition) Jacob's life
illustrates this well. His life was
filled with conflict and combat. Turn to
Genesis 30.
Genesis 30:32‑36
And we thought mother-in-laws were problems! Laban immediately violated the agreement by
having his sons remove the spotted, speckled, and dark of the flock for
themselves. So when the flocks were
separated by fifty miles the contract started without Jacob having one kind of
animal he requested.
What did Jacob do? Throw in the towel? No. He believed God and passed the test. He knew God could make that flock any color
or configuration imaginable. And, thank
God, Jacob believed that rather than succumbing to unbelief.
Genesis 30:43 says Jacob "grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and
maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys." Hey, sometimes all you can do is believe and
trust God's providential dealings.
He wants you to confess: "all
things . . . work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose" (ROM 8:28).
He wants you proclaiming: "God is
able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2CO 9:8).
He wants you announcing God
will: "supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of
your righteousness" (9:10).
Conclusion
When God tests it's not to wreck or ruin you, it's to
improve or bless you. Tests aren't meant
to make men mice or make giants grasshoppers. They're meant to make ordinary men extraordinary. They're meant to make
frail men into fearless soldiers.
It was testing for Gideon
beginning his campaign with 22,000 fighting men and have them reduced to
300. But faith brought the victory.
Silently circling a city hardly
seems strategic in conquering a city. But
Joshua's faith flattened the walls.
Using an oxgoad to fight 600
Philistine soldiers is an odd way of waxing the enemy. But it worked.
And aren't Christ's methods for
crossing seas odd? When Jesus gathered
His disciples and loaded them into the boat He knew they would encounter a
storm. But it was a test to prove their
faith. When He was aroused from His
sleep and calmed the storm, He turned to the disciples and rebuked them for
their lack of faith. The storm wasn't
meant to destroy them it was meant to build their confidence in God.
God will always furnish you
with power to overcome Satan's temptations and special grace to endure God's
testing.
[i]. Paul Tan, 7,700 Illustrations, Assurance Publishers, #6523).
[ii].(Must Christians Suffer?, Kenneth Hagin, K. Hagin Ministries, 1982.)
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