INTRODUCTION:

"David DuPlessis was a giant of faith who bore the message of the Spirit-filled life to virtually every denomination and on every continent.

"A few years before his death, he was asked a pointed question by a young man. Dr. DuPlessis, as a young Christian, I'm committed to serving Jesus Christ with my whole heart and to living in purity-body, soul and mind. Still, I sometimes have struggles with my thought life. Could you tell me, sir, about how old I'll be when improper thoughts-especially about women-won't tempt my mind any longer?

"David DuPlessis, whose purity of life and fidelity to the truth were legendary, looked squarely into the eyes of the young man, and then, in the 80th year of his life, said, Son, when I get that old, I'll let you know!" ⁽¹⁾

1. When I'm doing pre-marital preparation, I often encourage the couple to realize that they might be tempted to stray from their marriage vows.
1. One of the illustrations that I use has to do with a garden of flowers.
2. The phrase that is important is this: "you can walk through a garden of beautiful flowers, but you do not have to pick every one."
3. This may also be illustrated with the following story.

ILL: A newly married couple was shopping. The bride needed a new dress. Glancing towards her husband she saw him gazing quite intently at a beautiful woman who was walking by. When challenged the man said, "I was only looking." She replied, "I saw you follow her until she went out of sight." He was being inattentive or even wishful. The wife not as beautiful was upset, as well she might be.

1. He was tempted and was caught.
2. There was no way to escape except to admit that he was more interested than he might ought to be.

Oscar Wilde said:"I can resist everything except temptation." ⁽²⁾

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2. The purpose of this sermons is to help us lay the ground work to understand the meaning of temptations and how we may overcome them.
3. In next three weeks we will examine each of the temptations of Jesus to identify the basic thrust of the temptation and how we may use his principles to live a more victorious life.

MAIN BODY:

1. Temptations will come, we cannot avoid them.
1. Temptations that work upon the mind and may lead it into darkness.
2. Temptations that change the features of life from joy to bitterness or discouragement.
3. Temptations that damage relationships of all kinds and with all people.
4. Temptations can be used against us, to manipulate us.

"Fighting Bob Shuler was an early radio preacher whose radio station KGEF (Keep God Ever First) began broadcasting from his Methodist Church study in Los Angeles in 1926.

"He used a very creative fund-raising technique.

"I know a man listening in, Shuler told listeners. If he does not give a hundred dollars, I will go on the air next Tuesday night and tell what I know about him.

"A lot of money was raised for the church before Tuesday night. Indeed, it was one of the biggest nights in the history of the broadcast. How many of us would have been tempted to send money in?" ⁽³⁾

1. This was a very powerful appeal to the darker side of human nature.
2. It demonstrates that temptations can be used against us.

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2. It is most helpful for us to clearly understand the source of temptations.
1. In Matthew 4:1, w are told that Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
1. Now Jesus is without sin.
1. He has up to this point overcome every temptation.
2. He still has to be tested by the one source that apparently has not used all the power of deception and persuasion.
3. Everything that the enemy has will now be brought to bear.
2. Jesus is not tempted by the Holy Spirit, by God.
3. Jesus is tempted by the devil or Satan or Lucifer, or whatever name that you choose to call him from the many descriptive words that have been provided us.
2. The disciples of Jesus in the gospels, the epistles, and the letters that they wrote agree with, and confirm this conclusion.

1 Peter 5:6 through 1 Peter 5:11 (NRSVA)

⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

1. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around,
2. Looking for someone to devour.
3. Satan is the tempter.

James 1:12 through James 1:16 (NRSVA)

¹²Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ¹³No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; ¹⁵then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. ¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved.

4. No one should say when tempted that he or she is being tempted by God.
5. One is tempted by one's own desire.
6. When this destructive desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when it is full grown it gives birth to death.
3. All good and perfect gifts come from God.

James 1:16 through James 1:18 (NRSVA)

¹⁷Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

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3. It is most helpful for us to clearly understand the purpose of temptations.

Edward Sanford Martin, My Name IS Legion ⁽⁴⁾

Within my earthly temple, there's a crowd;
There's one of us that's humble, one that's proud;
There's one that's broken-hearted for his sins;
There's one that, unrepentant, sits and grins;
There's one that loves his neighbor as himself,
And one that cares for naught but fame and pelf.
From much corroding care I should be free
If I could once determine which is me.

1. Which is me?
2. To understand the purpose of temptations we can learn from Peter.

In 2 Peter 1:3 through 2 Peter 1:11 (NRSVA), Peter offers clarification.

³His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. ⁵For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. ¹¹For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

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4. It is most helpful for us to clearly understand the results of enduring and overcoming temptations
1. The words to an old song come to mind.

Yield Not to Temptation ⁽⁵⁾

1.
Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict'ry will help you
Some other to win;
Fight manfully onward,
Dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
Hell carry you through.

2.
Shun evil companions,
bad language disdain;
Gods name hold in reverence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thought-fill and earnest,
kind-hearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He'll carry you through.

3.
To him that o're cometh.
God giveth a crown
Thru faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Saviour,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
Hell carry you through.

Refrain.
Ask the Saviour to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2. Again look at 1 Peter 1:3 through 1 Peter 1:9 (NRSVA)

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith--being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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CONCLUSION:

1. We have been given a new birth into a living hope through Jesus Christ.
1. Thus we have protection through the power of God.
2. Through faith in Jesus who has the power to help us perform what is necessary.

Jesus And Satan ⁽⁶⁾

Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who was better on his computer. They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all of the bickering.

Finally God said, "Cool it. I am going to set up a test that will run two hours and I will judge who does the better job."

So down Satan and Jesus sat at the keyboards and typed away. They moused. They did spreadsheets. They wrote reports. They sent faxes. They sent e-mail. They sent out e-mail with attachments. They downloaded. They did some genealogy reports. They made cards. They did every known job.

About ten minutes before their time was up, lightning flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, the rain poured, and, of course, the electricity went off.

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the world. Jesus just sighed.

The electricity finally flickered back on, and each of them re-booted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming, "It's gone! It's all gone! I lost everything when the power went out!" Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours.

Satan observed this and became very irate: "Wait! He must have cheated. How did he do that?"

God shrugged and said, "Jesus saves."

2. Jesus saves.
1. This we can depend on
2. This we can live within.
3. Because Jesus overcomes, so may we.

   1. Jack Hayford, The Beauty of Spiritual Language: A Journey Toward the Heart of God (Dallas: Word, 1992), 62.

   2. Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, Act I.

   3. Quentin J. Schultze, The Wireless Gospel, Christianity Today, 15 January 1988, 21.
   

   4. Edward Sanford Martin, "My Name IS Legion," in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, ed. James Dalton Morrison (New York: Harper, 1948), 274.

   5. Words and Music by H. R. Palmer © Copyright 1976 by "Lexicon Music, Inc."

   6. (Subject: Made me LOL! Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 17:22:32 EDT From: Deonmicki@aol.com)

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