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Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP220903S
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00:12 [ Violin plays ] ♪♪ 00:22 ♪♪ [ Congregation sings ] ♪♪ 00:40 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 01:01 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 01:22 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 01:43 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 02:04 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 02:25 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 02:47 ♪♪ [ Piano plays ] ♪♪ 03:02 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 03:23 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 03:45 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 04:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 04:27 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 04:49 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 05:10 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 05:32 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 05:53 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 06:15 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 06:36 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 06:57 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 07:19 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 07:40 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 08:02 ♪♪ 08:08 >> Good morning, kids. >> Morning. >> It is so exciting to see 08:12 all of you out here. There was, like, a quarter of you in the first service. 08:17 My name is Pastor Austin, and I hope you enjoy 08:20 this little analogy that will hopefully 08:22 help you understand Pastor Dwight's sermon 08:25 a little better. 08:27 I'm gonna read for you a really amazing verse in the book of Acts 1:8. 08:35 It says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit 08:45 has come upon you." You shall receive what? >> Power. 08:50 >> Power. A little louder. You shall receive what? >> Power. 08:53 >> Power. Now, has anyone seen anyone -- someone be baptized before? 08:58 Has anyone seen someone be baptized? If you haven't, 09:02 to be baptized is to give your life to Christ and be laid in a little pool 09:08 of water that represents you dying to a life of selfishness and living to a life of love 09:15 and love to Jesus. So when you're baptized -- Tell me this. 09:19 When you're baptized, how much of you gets wet? >> All of your body. 09:26 >> All of your body. Kind of like this sponge. When it is baptized 09:32 in the water, it is dripping wet. Head to toe, you are dripping. 09:39 And the Bible describes a baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit is God 09:45 and our friend who helps us to be like Jesus. And he helps us 09:50 become like Jesus. I want to tell you a story. When I was in eighth grade, 09:55 I had a really good friend, and we were friends since we were babies. 10:00 We actually shared a crib together. We went to primary Sabbath 10:03 school together. But in eighth grade, we started arguing a lot. 10:07 Does anyone argue with their friends? Yeah? Anyone argue 10:11 with their friends? And when she would say something to hurt my feelings, 10:17 do you know what I wanted to do? I wanted to hurt her feelings. I wanted to show 10:22 how mean she was to me, that it did not feel good. And when I did that, 10:28 it did not help anything. It was kind of like taking this sponge, 10:33 which represents our heart and our mind and putting it in this dirt, 10:39 which represents sin and ugliness. And I just rolled around in it, 10:46 and I would say mean things to her. And so, when I would 10:52 then be with her, it would put dirty water out -- out of my heart, 10:58 out of my words and my actions. Would you want to clean your dishes with this water? 11:03 >> No. >> No. You would want clean water. 11:07 Now, I want to read for you another verse, because you may feel like, 11:11 "Man, I have so much hard time being angry with my friends or being sad with my friends. 11:18 I can't change. I don't know how to fix that." Well, let me tell you, 11:23 Jesus is the answer. In Ezekiel, we have a special promise. 11:31 Now, this is one of my favorite verses. I hope you understand this. 11:35 It says, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. 11:46 I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols." 11:51 So who does the cleaning, kids? >> Jesus does. >> Jesus does the cleaning. 11:55 You can't clean your heart. You can't make your heart be nice. 11:59 You can't make your heart be loving. You need Jesus to give you love. 12:04 And you ask Him to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And he'll give you that 12:08 clean water, which is like this. You take the dirty, nasty sponge, 12:17 and God cleans it, puts some beautiful Dawn soap, with four times more 12:23 grease-cleaning power. [ Laughter ] And with it clean, 12:29 when the pressures of life come at you, when people are mean to you, 12:33 you know what's gonna come out? Something clean. It's clean water now. 12:39 When you're baptized with the Spirit and someone hurts your feelings, 12:44 instead of mean things coming out of your mouth and your heart, the Holy Spirit 12:48 has put good things. So it's nice and clean. You want to wash your dishes 12:52 with this water? And that's when you can say what is in verse 26. 13:00 It says, "God says to you" -- and you and you and you -- "I will give you a new heart 13:09 and put a new spirit within you. I will take out the heart of stone out of your flesh 13:15 and give you a heart of flesh." Who wants to have a soft heart for Jesus? 13:20 Who wants to have a soft heart for people who are not being nice to you? 13:24 Maybe you don't want to raise your hand, but you can ask Jesus to baptize 13:28 you with the Holy Spirit, and He'll give you a new heart day by day. 13:35 Now, can I have a volunteer to pray for us? Wow, your hand was way ready. 13:40 All right, let's bow our heads. Let's close our eyes. And we'll have our friend 13:45 pray for us. Go ahead. >> Dear Jesus, thank you 13:47 for this day. Thank you that we are here today. 13:50 Help us to be good and kind and help nobody to get hurt. Anybody You have baptized, 13:57 be good and don't be tempted to be with Satan. Amen. 14:04 >> Amen. Thank you so much. You can go back to your seats now. 14:10 [ "Arise, My Soul, Arise!" begins ] 14:14 >> ♪ Arise, my soul, arise ♪ Stretch forth to things 14:18 eternal ♪ ♪ And hasten to the feet 14:22 of thy redeemer God ♪ ♪ Though hid from mortal eyes, 14:28 He dwells in light supernal ♪ ♪ Yet worship Him in humbleness 14:35 and call Him Lord ♪ 14:38 ♪ His banquet of love awaits thee above ♪ ♪ Behold the marriage festal 14:46 of the Lamb is come ♪ ♪ Rejoice, my soul, rejoice, to Heaven lift up thy voice ♪ 14:55 >> ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah >> ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah >> ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah 15:01 [ Organ plays ] >> ♪ The harps of Heaven are to the song victorious ♪ 15:09 ♪ The never-ending anthem sounding through the sky ♪ ♪ To mortals is not given 15:18 to join in strains so glorious ♪ ♪ Yet sing my soul the brace of Him, who reigns on high ♪ 15:27 ♪ Who bought with His blood the ransomed of God ♪ ♪ To Him be everlasting power 15:46 and victory ♪ >> ♪ And let the great amen >> ♪ And let the great amen 15:56 >> ♪ Resound again ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ Hallelujah 16:11 [ Piano plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 16:24 [ Congregation sings ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 16:41 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 17:02 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 17:24 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 17:45 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 18:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 18:28 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 18:49 >> We have a scripture reading now. 18:53 I'd like to invite you to open your Bible to 18:55 1 Corinthians, chapter 10. We'll be reading verses 18:59 12 and 13 from the new international version. 19:03 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. "So if you think you are standing firm, 19:10 be careful that you don't fall. No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common 19:17 to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted 19:23 beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out 19:30 so that you can endure it." Paul spent some time in Mamertine Prison. 19:39 It was not a place where there was hope. It was definitely a place 19:45 to lose one's faith. But Paul did not. Paul was able to say, 19:52 "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've 19:59 committed unto Him until that day." He expected, they all expected 20:04 to be alive and to be caught up in the air. But he knew that even if he was 20:09 one that slept in the grave, that he would be caught up in the air and taken to Heaven. 20:17 "I know whom I have believed." 20:22 ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Congregation sings ] 20:39 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 20:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 21:20 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 21:41 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 22:01 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 22:22 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 22:43 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 23:03 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 23:24 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 23:45 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 24:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 24:27 >> Let's pray. Father, the words of Paul we've made our own. 24:34 We've each given a testimony. We know who we believe in. We know You are able. 24:44 Take these moments left, impress that reality upon our minds, our spirits, 24:51 and our hearts. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 24:56 "Chasing Jesus: Lead Me Into Temptation." 25:03 Open your Bible with me. The words are not gonna be 25:06 on the screen. I want you to read this dramatic 25:08 story for yourself. Matthew, chapter 4. 25:11 Open your Bible to Matthew, chapter 4. 25:13 We'll pick it up at the top of the chapter. 25:16 Verse 1. Matthew 4:1. 25:22 "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 25:26 to be tempted by the devil. 25:30 After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. The Tempter came to Him 25:36 and said, 'If You are the Son of God, tell these stones 25:41 to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written man should not live on bread 25:49 alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Then the devil took Him 25:55 to the Holy City and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 25:59 'If You are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down, for it is written 26:07 He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands 26:11 so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.' Jesus answered him, 26:16 'It is also written do not put the Lord your God to the test.' 26:22 Again the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms 26:28 of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if You'll bow down 26:35 and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan, 26:42 for it is written worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.' 26:48 Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him." 26:56 Oscar Wilde once quipped, "I can resist everything but temptation." 27:03 [ Laughter ] The American writer Mark Twain -- you've heard of 27:07 him -- he declared, "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. 27:13 I know, because I've done it a thousand times." Hey, what is it about temptation 27:19 that makes it so hard to resist, so easy to give in to? They did some research on rats. 27:28 Divided the rats into two groups. One group easily enticed, 27:33 or tempted. The other group not so easily enticed and tempted. 27:37 They took the group easily enticed, and they gave those rats 27:43 a food cue. They saw food. And they noticed those rats 27:48 produced spikes of dopamine. You know what dopamine is? It's that neurotransmitter 27:54 produced in our brain. It's what happens when we experience pleasure. 27:58 Dopamine just starts squirting into that brain. Dopamine actually 28:03 helps reinforce the pleasurable behavior, increasing the likelihood that 28:07 we will repeat that behavior just to get that same feeling. And listen, the behaviors 28:12 are not all bad. You're thinking evil? No. A beautiful piece of music 28:20 produces dopamine. You react with pleasure. Now, some people in -- 28:25 with exercise experience dopamine. They call it the runner's high. 28:32 There's dopamine in eating. Isn't that pleasurable? And you knew I was gonna say it. 28:36 There's dopamine in sex, of course. Now, lookit, the flip side is 28:41 there are some -- some stimulants -- alcohol, caffeine, 28:47 painkillers, opioids, and recreational drugs -- that also create dopamine. 28:52 Now, back to the rat study. They took the other group, less prone to enticement, 28:56 to temptation. They showed the same food cue, and that group did not produce 29:02 the dopamine. Hmm. Makes you wonder. Did Jesus experience 29:08 dopamine spikes? Of course, you got to believe that He did. 29:14 When He would see a beautiful sunset, don't you suppose there was pleasure in that? 29:17 And the more sunsets He saw, the more He experienced that? When He heard music set 29:22 to his own cultural tastes, same dopamine. But did Jesus experience 29:29 a dopamine spike when He was tempted -- when He was tempted 29:34 with pleasure? Open your Bible with me to Matthew, chapter 4. 29:39 We were just there. Brand-new series -- "Chasing Jesus." 29:43 We're gonna chase Jesus straight into that barren, rocky wilderness 29:48 right after His baptism. All right, Matthew, chapter 4. I want to share with you 29:52 the opening salvo to the three gospel accounts. John doesn't say a word 29:57 about it, but Matthew, Mark and Luke do. And so, here are 30:01 the openings to this very familiar, dramatic story. Matthew 4:1 -- We just read it. 30:07 "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 30:12 After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry." Mark, probably written 30:17 before Matthew, Mark puts it this way -- "At once, the Spirit sent" -- 30:22 Now, the old King James says "drove," drove Him -- "out into the wilderness, 30:27 and He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan." 30:31 Luke comes along, not to be outdone. "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, 30:35 left to Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where, for 40 days, 30:41 He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, 30:44 and at the end of them, He was hungry." You see? 30:48 Do you see a common element? Now, there are several. He was led by the Spirit. 30:54 The Spirit drove Him out into the wilderness. Full of the Spirit, 30:57 He was led into the wilderness. And every one of those phrases ends with, "And He was tempted." 31:02 Now, that's the very reverse of the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer -- 31:07 What do we pray when we pray the Lord's Prayer? "Lead us not into temptation." 31:14 And yet Jesus, by the Spirit, is led to the wilderness, where He's tempted. 31:19 So I tell you what -- There's an automatic good news right here. 31:22 And that is, is it a sin to be tempted? Yes or no? 31:26 No, it's not a sin. Is sexual temptation, perhaps the most pervasive 31:31 temptation on the planet today, is sexual temptation a sin? It is not a sin. 31:38 Not at all. Which ought to be good news. In fact, it's quite interesting. 31:42 I find this intriguing, actually. The Greek word for "tempting," 31:46 or "temptation," is "peirazo," which can be translated "to be tempted or to be tested." 31:55 It depends on who's in the forefront of the moment. If the devil's in the forefront, 31:58 that word becomes "tempted." If God is in the forefront, that word becomes "tested." 32:03 Watch this -- Deuteronomy, fifth book of the Bible. Moses reminding Israel 32:07 after the 40 years, "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way 32:12 in the wilderness these 40 years to humble and" -- what's the next word -- 32:15 and to test. He tested you, "to know what was in your heart, 32:22 whether or not you would keep His commands." The Spirit of God 32:27 leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested just the same way He did with the children of 32:32 Israel, also into the wilderness, to be tested. Which means when the devil 32:39 sees a huge temptation opportunity, guess what? God sees a huge 32:46 testing opportunity. 32:51 God does not lead you and me into the testing hoping we'd fall. 32:55 Are you kidding? It's just the opposite. Robby Raney just read it 32:59 a moment ago. I'm gonna put it back on the screen because I just love 33:02 this promise. Man, I hope it's marked up in your Bible. 33:05 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common 33:11 to mankind." Now, here it comes. "And God is faithful. 33:16 He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." Keep reading. 33:21 "But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 33:26 What do you think about that? I'd put an amen to that, wouldn't you? 33:31 I mean, please. He will not let you be tempted or tested beyond 33:35 what you can bear. Karen, sitting with me on the front row here, 33:39 our third granddaughter, just on Thursday, September 1, had her first birthday -- 33:45 Lily. Now, when Lily's mother, Chelsea, 33:49 or her father, our son Kirk, or her two older sisters, Ella and Izzy, 33:54 come to bathe Lily, they do this little ritual in the plastic tub, 33:59 the tiny tub. Chelsea puts on that hot water, but she puts her hand 34:05 in the hot water. Ooh, ooh, ooh! Why does she put her hand 34:08 in the hot water? She wants to know, is this too hot? 34:10 And the moment if it's too hot, she just adjusts, little cool. Why? 34:14 Because no mother wants to put her baby in water that will burn the child. 34:18 I mean, please. When your Heavenly Father puts you in the hot water 34:25 of that temptation, He's doing the same thing. You say, "Hold a minute. 34:30 Gabriel, hold up, hold up, hold up. Let me just check this water. 34:34 Let me just feel. Yeah, I think she could do this. I believe He could do it 34:39 with my help. Go ahead, let the temptation come." 34:43 Do you know what that means? Every time you are tempted -- hold on -- every time you are 34:50 tempted, you can know God has already checked the temptation out, and He says, "That girl, 34:56 she can do it. That boy, he's with me. Never on your own. 35:00 You can't handle any temptation on your own. But with me, hey, let it go. 35:06 Watch her now." Man, that's good news. Not only that the temptation 35:12 is not a sin, but that God has already checked the temptation out in advance to make sure 35:17 that I can get through this temptation with His power. I was hoping for at least 35:22 a quiet amen from somebody in this building. Come on, guys. 35:28 Pretend like you're Pentecostal. Please. [ Light laughter ] 35:35 Wow. Desire of Ages. Oh, this is good. "When God brings us into trial," 35:40 or test or temptation, when He "brings us into trial, He has a purpose 35:46 to accomplish for our good." Come on. Oh, man. 35:53 It's just like -- It's just like the train is over here in the Andreasen Center, 35:57 you know, the health and wellness center? You know, we got a couple guys 36:01 on our staff. I think there are three, maybe four. 36:05 These guys are going over there and pressing iron every single day of the week. 36:09 Makes me sick. You ought to see them now, just when they stand up, 36:12 they stand up straight. [ Breathes heavily ] Can't breathe right, 36:15 but they stand up straight. That's what trainers do. Puts a little extra weight. 36:21 "No, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, I can't do that. I can't do it." 36:25 "Come on, you got to do it. Remember, the belly, the belly? Pull the belly in. 36:28 Don't stick it out. Pull the belly in. Firm up on the back. 36:31 You can do it. You can do it. I would not ask you to bear this if you could not do it. 36:34 Come on, put your weight and do it. See?" 36:38 And the trainer stays right there the whole time. The trainer's not off in the 36:41 room having a little snack. The trainer's right beside you. It's that way with God. 36:47 He tests. He knows your limit. He says, "All right, no, no, no, no, not that one. 36:51 Not yet. Not yet." Wow. "He will not let you be tempted. 36:58 He will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear." So it was with Jesus. 37:02 In the increasing intensity of these three temptations, His grip on His father 37:07 is growing tighter and tighter and tighter. He's being tested. 37:15 Wow. That's what the Bible says, by the way, of Jesus. 37:18 This is Hebrews 5:8. "Son though Jesus was, He learned obedience" -- 37:25 I love that. "He learned obedience through what He suffered." 37:30 Jesus learned obedience through His temptations. And it's ditto for you. 37:37 Now, I was reading something this last week, and I got to share it with you. 37:40 G. Campbell Morgan, one of the great English writers of a previous century, title of the 37:44 book in my library -- "The Crises of the Christ." I had not thought of this 37:48 before, and I share it with you now. G. Campbell Morgan -- 37:52 "This is a revelation," speaking of the three temptations. 37:55 "This is a revelation of the perpetual method of Satan and also of his estimate 38:00 of humanity. All attempts to work the ruin of man and woman 38:04 by the enemy are based upon a low conception of human life." Who's got the low conception? 38:10 The devil has a low conception of who you are. Watch this. 38:13 Here's what he thinks of you. The devil appeals first to man or woman as being animal only. 38:21 You are an animal to him. He's an angel. You're an animal. 38:27 He appeals to us first being -- as being animal only, calling us to satisfy our 38:34 material appetite as though that were the sum total of life. 38:38 God never so appeals to us, even in our fall. Now, keep reading. 38:43 This is beautiful. "The Divine plan is ever that of recognizing the divinity 38:49 in man," and woman, "the magnificence of His spiritual being," 38:54 and this gets even better, "ruined magnificence today, and yet truly magnificent 39:00 in ruin because capable of communion with God." My. 39:05 Hallelujah is right. We are not brute beasts with raging passions that are driven 39:14 by our clamoring appetites. I know Esau came in panting and huffing. 39:21 "Jacob, boy, I am so hungry, I could eat anything. Give me something now." 39:29 What a tragic mistake. That boy was run by his appetite and ruined by it. 39:38 [ Groans ] "Throw him some raw meat. 39:41 That's the devil's command. "Throw him raw meat 39:43 get him addicted, then trash him." 39:45 Thus, when he goes to Jesus, he begins the appeal 39:49 to uncontrolled appetite -- appetite -- so that the dopamine 39:54 of that addiction for food, the dopamine of that addiction 39:58 for drink, the dopamine of that addiction 40:01 for sex kicks in right there. "I got to have it now. 40:05 I have to have it." [ Sighs ] 40:10 Treats us like we are beasts. 40:14 Does God do that? You kidding? Look at God. Oh, these are beautiful. 40:18 "If anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation -- the old things of your past life 40:25 have passed away -- behold, all things have become new." 40:28 Some of you here today are troubled by your past life. You're not sure 40:32 what to do with it. You're here in this series as it unfolds. 40:36 And you're saying, "Oh, man, you don't know my past." I got great news for you. 40:41 Jesus does. And He loves you with that past. He says, "Give me your past. 40:48 I'll make it brand-new. Just give it to me. Oh, man, you're not 40:53 a brute beast." Look at this. This is John 1:12. 40:57 "To as many as received Jesus, to them, He gave the right, the power, the authority 41:03 to become children of God to those who believe in His name." 41:06 You know what? ♪ I'm a child of the King ♪ A child of the king 41:13 ♪ With Jesus, my Savior, I'm a child of the King ♪ You're not a brute beast. 41:26 You do not have to be driven by that appetite, not you. You're the child. 41:32 You're a princess, you're a prince of the King. Oh, my. 41:39 "Darwinism and evolutionary naturalism may declare me nothing more than 41:44 a sophisticated ape with a tinge of conscience." But Jesus battles the devil 41:51 to the dust of that wilderness floor to assure us, you and me, 41:57 we're children of the King. We're children of the King. Oh, no wonder. 42:04 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him 42:08 will not perish like the brute beasts but have everlasting life." 42:14 This is the Jesus Christ who came down to this Earth to win us back to God. 42:19 This is the Jesus Christ, by the way, who's coming soon to take us back with Him. 42:25 But here's the deal. We need to shift paradigm -- shift the paradigm 42:29 in our thinking. Here's what I'd like to suggest you take home 42:33 as the one sentence from our teaching this morning. "We need to turn our temptations 42:39 into tests." Would you just lock that in your mind? 42:42 We need to turn our temptations into tests. And I mean of all people on this 42:47 planet, those of us living in this university environment, we know all about the meaning 42:53 of tests, right? We do it for a living. You study for a while, 42:58 then your knowledge is examined. You study some more, then your knowledge is retested 43:03 and reexamined. Isn't that it, test after test after test? 43:07 Nobody likes to test. You're absolutely right. But every teacher knows 43:11 that if you're not tested, you'll not grow. So we live with these tests 43:17 on this campus, examinations over and over again. Why? You know why. 43:24 Because you're being prepared for a phenomenal future. You've been dreaming of this 43:28 career all your life, and now that future is almost within reach. 43:35 But you can't step into that future until you've been vetted 43:39 and tested. Once you're tested, you're welcomed -- 43:44 you're welcomed into that fraternity of professionals just like you. 43:50 But you have to be vetted. You have to be tested. And so it is 43:54 with our Heavenly Father. 43:59 First the dream. And the dream is clear. I don't know 44:06 if you're watching these James Webb Space Telescope. Are you seeing these pictures 44:10 that are coming back, these infrared pictures? Absolutely phenomenal. 44:13 The dream is, one day, with the creator of those 13-billion-light-years-away 44:19 galaxies, with the creator and you and me, we walk together with Christ, 44:25 and we'll spend eternity discovering the universe. Oh, don't ever let go 44:30 of that dream. Never, never, never let go of it. 44:33 But first, the test, to be tested, to be vetted, and then brought home. 44:40 You got a problem with that? We do it on this planet day in and day out. 44:46 But that's the problem. Somebody's trying to flunk us. Somebody keeps putting the "L" 44:53 on our forehead and reminding us we're losers, we're failures, 44:57 that somebody wants nothing more than to toss us under the ash heap of the human race. 45:03 But a capital "S" somebody came down into this -- this -- this life, 45:10 and bearing our own humanity, He takes the tests in advance of us. 45:19 He takes the examinations, endures the Crucible. 45:27 Some of you are saying, "Eh, I don't know, do I -- He didn't have -- 45:33 Jesus took my test? Come on. He didn't have a laptop through which He could surf 45:38 from porn site to porn site like I do. He didn't get these dopamine 45:42 hits that wear off faster and faster so that I have to go deeper and deeper into the dark 45:46 web just to get my hits. He doesn't know. He doesn't know 45:51 the life I live." Oh, my friend, hold that thought. 45:55 Take a look at these two lines. "For we do not have a high priest" -- speaking of 46:00 Jesus -- "who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been 46:05 tempted in every way, just as we are, yet He did not sin." 46:11 The end of chapter 2. "Because Jesus Himself suffered when He was tempted, 46:16 He is able to help those who are being tempted." One more. 46:22 Desire of Ages. "We have nothing to bear which Jesus has not endured." 46:29 Come on. Let's just cut to the chase. Was Jesus a red-blooded male? 46:35 Yes or no? Of course he was. He was a red-blooded male with dopamine and hormones 46:40 and testosterone like you have if you're a red-blooded male. Yep. All of the above. 46:46 Let's not mistakenly conclude that somehow, when Christ comes here, He does not experience 46:51 the subtle force of sexual temptation. He has everything -- He had 46:56 everything you have. It's true He didn't yield to the temptation like you 47:02 and I have. But He was thoroughly tested, thoroughly vested -- vetted, 47:08 rather -- on the sexual front in order to qualify at Calvary as the Savior from every 47:14 human temptation, not just sexual. Any addiction, every temptation. 47:19 You're in the right. And He wears a t-shirt now in Heaven that says, 47:26 "Been there, and done that." Somebody handed me a note afterwards to correct that. 47:32 The note said, "You should say, 'He wears a t-shirt in Heaven that says, 47:38 'Been there, and beat that.'" Well, I like that, too. But He's done the -- 47:44 He's done the temptation, just as you do the temptation. But He said no. 47:52 Wow. Battles the devil for the power over the temptation that is 47:58 my killer and yours. My. "Where are you going with this, 48:03 Dwight?" Well, let's put on the line again. 48:07 Put that line in front of us. "He learned obedience through what He suffered." 48:12 At Calvary, it's the ultimate learning. At Calvary, 48:18 the ultimate obedience. At Calvary, the ultimate suffering. 48:23 Which is why we must do as He did. We have to turn our temptations 48:28 into tests, to no longer regard them as brutal assaults 48:33 on our dignity but as divine testings and examinations and Heaven strategy 48:37 to save the human race from the destruction of the devil. 48:42 That's it. To turn our temptations into tests. 48:50 To know that every time that temptation comes, God has already 48:54 pre-tested the water, and He's sure that you with Him, me with Him, 49:03 we win every single time. I got to read it one more time before I sit down. 49:10 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common 49:14 to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted 49:18 beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out 49:24 so that you can endure it." Because when you walked into the room of that temptation -- 49:30 listen carefully -- When you walked into the room of that temptation, 49:35 you thought you saw everything around you. What you missed 49:40 was a door to your left. And when that temptation moves in for the kill, 49:48 you'll hear a voice whispering, "Get out. Get out now." 49:56 A door will open. God promises you. If you've got the temptation, 50:02 He already knows you win with God's power. But if you're faltering, 50:06 if you're weakening, just look for the door. You'll hear a voice 50:11 inside of you say, "Out now." God will never let you 50:19 be tested above what you are able, but will with every temptation 50:27 make a way of escape. That's it. That's the truth. 50:33 Martin Luther, the great reformer, had a prayer he prayed. 50:40 And I want to share that prayer in closing. Frederick Dale Bruner in his -- 50:47 in his commentary on Matthew records this passage. It's describing Luther. 50:52 And we'll get to the prayer, you'll see. "Luther preached 50:55 to his parishioners," just as we are doing here together, 51:00 "Luther preached to his parishioners that when the devil tempts believers, 51:05 they can be encouraged by the fact they know Him who conquered the devil 51:09 for them." We know Jesus. "Thus, for example, 51:13 when believers are fighting impurity" -- can you be a believer 51:16 and fight impurity? Are you kidding? "Thus, for example, when 51:20 believers are fighting impurity in themselves or the desire for revenge or for glory 51:26 and are driven almost crazy by these lusts, they can be encouraged 51:30 when they realize" -- now, these are Luther's words -- "'this is the devil 51:35 making me so hot,'" right now. And the moment you realize that, the battle, Luther says, 51:40 is half won. "Then," still quoting Luther, "fall down," Luther says, 51:45 "and say, 'O Christ, who has overcome the devil, help me.' 51:52 Then the devil must soon fall." Isn't that a prayer? "O Christ, 52:01 who has overcome the devil, help me." Please. 52:09 Now. 52:11 And the promise is...door. Go. 52:17 Because if every temptation is a test 52:22 and I say, "Lord Jesus, lead me into temptation, 52:29 and when you do, I, too, shall cry out by your grace. 52:34 O Christ, who has overcome the devil, 52:38 help me," and He will. 52:43 He promises. He will. 52:51 Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. And lead us not into temptation, 53:01 but deliver us from the evil and the evil one, for thine is the Kingdom 53:08 and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 53:14 For 40 school years now, when we've come to the first Sabbath 53:20 of the school year, we've concluded that worship service with us standing 53:27 together and collectively singing that mighty "Our Father in Heaven" prayer. 53:33 This will be the 40th time you and I have stood. This will be the last time 53:40 we stand at the beginning of the school year. But I want to invite you 53:45 right now to stand. And with all the meaning and desire of your heart 53:52 for the victory Jesus offers, sing this prayer of victory. Come on, let's stand together. 53:58 It's a beautiful prayer. And, by the way, when we're through singing this prayer, 54:01 the service concludes. Bretton Offenbach is gonna lead us as we sing together. 54:12 [ Organ plays ] ♪♪ [ Congregation sings ] 54:21 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 54:41 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 55:02 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 55:23 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 55:44 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 56:05 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 56:25 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 56:46 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 57:08 >> Think of the last time someone said, "I'm praying 57:11 for you." Didn't it give you a sense of 57:13 peace and reassurance that somebody cares for me? 57:16 I know how I feel when I get an e-mail from one of our viewers saying, "Yo, Dwight. 57:19 I've been praying for you lately." There's nothing like knowing 57:22 someone is praying for you. So I want to offer you an opportunity to partner -- let 57:26 me, let us partner with you in prayer. 57:29 If you have a special prayer request or a praise of 57:31 thanksgiving you'd like to share with us, I'm inviting you 57:33 to contact one of our friendly chaplains. 57:35 It's simple to do. You can call our toll-free 57:37 number -- 877 -- the two words "HIS WILL," 877-HIS-WILL. 57:42 That friendly voice that answers, you tell him, you tell 57:46 her what your prayer need is, we'll join with you in that 57:49 petition. 57:50 May the God who answers prayer journey with you these next few days until we're right back 57:54 here together again next time. 58:00 ♪♪ ♪♪ 58:20 ♪♪ |
Revised 2022-09-14