3ABN On the Road

Break Out #2

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Doug Batchelor

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000970


01:01 First Peter Chapter 5 verse 8.
01:05 First Peter 5 verse 8,
01:08 "Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary
01:13 the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
01:19 seeking whom he may devour.
01:22 Resist him, steadfast,'
01:26 we talked about standing this morning, take a stand.
01:29 'Resist him, steadfast in the faith,
01:32 knowing that the same sufferings
01:33 are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
01:39 Well, I would like to talk to you a little bit
01:40 this afternoon about some practical tips
01:44 in dealing with temptation.
01:47 Now we are all tempted.
01:50 If any one here says, well,
01:52 I don't really struggle with temptation,
01:54 that would really concern me, because, you know,
01:56 that really says is that
02:00 you are worst often than you think.
02:03 If you try to live the holy life,
02:06 you are swimming against the stream.
02:09 You are swimming against the current,
02:11 you are going to feel that resistance.
02:13 If you are just flowing downstream with the tide
02:17 then you say I don't, I don't notice any problem,
02:20 that's probably because you are giving
02:21 into temptation you just don't feel anything.
02:24 But if you resist temptation, you are gonna notice,
02:29 if you struggle with temptation,
02:30 you are gonna notice as a battle.
02:33 It's a battle that even Jesus faced
02:35 and it wasn't just once or twice
02:36 but through His life
02:37 Christ was tempted the Bible tells us,
02:40 in all points as we are yet without sin,
02:45 and the tools that Jesus used
02:49 are available to you and me.
02:51 A hundred percent of everything in the tool box
02:54 that Christ used to resist temptation
02:56 is available to you and me.
02:58 He did not gain victory over sin,
03:01 because He drew upon a supernatural power
03:04 that is non-available to us.
03:08 You know, the Bible gives us many samples of people,
03:12 who have overcome,
03:14 and you want to make sure they are your heroes.
03:17 And typically when we go through the Bible
03:18 we talk about the... we'll say well, you know,
03:21 we are all weaken, after all look at David,
03:22 and, you know, I can talk all day long
03:24 about people who have failed.
03:26 We need to focus on some of those who succeeded.
03:29 We all know how to fail already, right?
03:32 We need to know how do we succeed,
03:34 how do we get the victory?
03:35 Let me give you another verse in 1st Peter chapter 1.
03:45 It tells us about the tools that are available to us.
03:56 It says that there are exceeding,
03:59 oh! I said 1st Peter, no wonder I mixed up.
04:01 It's in 2nd Peter Chapter 1 verse 3 and 4 I apologize.
04:07 "According to His divine power,
04:10 He has given unto us all things''. How much?
04:14 ''All things that pertain unto living His holy life
04:19 unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him
04:22 that has called us to glory and to virtue."
04:25 He has called us to virtue.
04:27 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great,
04:30 not just great but exceeding great,
04:32 not just great and exceeding great
04:33 but exceeding great and precious promises that how?
04:39 By these
04:40 "you might be partakers of the divine nature,
04:44 having escaped the corruption
04:46 that is in the world through lust."
04:49 Through the word of God you and I have the privilege
04:52 and the right
04:53 to be partakers of the divine nature
04:55 and we can escape the corruption
04:58 that is in the world through lust, yes you can.
05:01 Now what I'm sharing with you right now
05:04 is really whether rubber meets the road
05:05 and it's so exceedingly important
05:07 and I knew when I looked at the clock
05:09 that I'd be sharing this information
05:10 after you all have lunch on a beautiful day,
05:14 that there was the very real risk
05:17 that you could drift off and you could go into your,
05:20 you know, rapid eye movements.
05:24 So if you love your brother, every now
05:26 and then I want you to look to your right,
05:28 and I want you to give a sanctified elbow.
05:33 And say, "Brother I need this and you need this too."
05:39 All right, so we're gonna talk about some of the tips
05:42 that are given in the Bible
05:43 about how to resist temptation,
05:45 how to be victorious.
05:46 And by the way, I'm not saying this
05:48 because I have arrived,
05:49 I'm sharing these things with you
05:51 as one of you believe me,
05:53 I have stumbled and fallen plenty.
05:56 And so I'm right in there with you,
05:58 but I found that these things work
06:00 and so when you find something that works,
06:02 you want to share with somebody else.
06:04 Two nights ago, I was with John Lomacang,
06:07 and we did a live program on 3ABN,
06:09 and they get the studio so cold,
06:11 they keep because of all the lights
06:12 and the camera equipment, all generates heat.
06:14 And I said John, you know, the older I get,
06:15 is my feet get so cold during this tapings.
06:19 And that's why I started wearing boots.
06:21 That adds about half an inch or inch to me.
06:25 But it really keeps my ankles,
06:27 he said, Doug, you know, I wear three socks.
06:30 I said what? He said, yeah, I wear three pairs of socks.
06:32 I said three? Yes, started doing
06:33 when playing basketball, now even when I dress up
06:35 I wear three pairs of dress socks.
06:37 I said John, I've known you for 25 years,
06:39 why didn't you ever tell me that?
06:41 So, as I was asking then,
06:42 he probably buys his shoes, his size is bigger too.
06:45 But any tip that helps a person to be successful
06:50 is the precious thing especially
06:53 when we are all in this battle together Amen!
06:55 So it's just some things I have found
06:57 that have helped me and by the way
06:58 what I'm sharing with you, this is, you know,
07:00 little more of the seminar.
07:02 There is a booklet
07:03 that you can simply download for free.
07:06 In other words the syllabus
07:07 for what I am sharing with you.
07:09 I'm giving you is kind of the expanded version,
07:11 it's called " Twelve Tips to Overcoming Temptation"
07:14 or "Twelve Tips to Resisting Temptation"
07:17 and you just and you download that for free
07:19 at Amazing Facts under the free library.
07:22 First thing to remember,
07:25 from the positive perspective,
07:27 remember the reward.
07:30 You know, sometimes if you just
07:31 keep your eye on the goal, there is nothing wrong
07:35 with wanting to go to heaven.
07:37 There is nothing wrong about thinking about the reward.
07:40 Ultimately we want to do God's will
07:41 because we love God, because we love our fellowmen,
07:44 but you know even Peter said,
07:46 Lord we forsaken all to follow you,
07:48 what will we have, and it's a valid question.
07:52 Now I believe that you grow and mature spiritually
07:56 when you get to the place where you love the Lord
07:59 so much you are willing to say,
08:01 no matter what's in it for me,
08:02 if I don't get anything Lord.
08:04 If it will glorify Your name, and if it will save others,
08:06 even if my name is taken out of the book of life,
08:09 that's what Moses said,
08:11 if it's doing your will, Lord I will do it.
08:15 But until we get to that high level
08:16 of spiritual maturity up there with Paul and Moses,
08:20 then sometimes we want to say,
08:22 Lord I want to be on those golden streets.
08:24 I want to be in the world we're never,
08:25 no one ever gets sick, or nobody ever dies,
08:27 so there is no more pain, Amen! No more cry.
08:30 And just think about the exceeding
08:32 great and precious glory.
08:35 That's why Paul said, the sufferings of this world
08:37 are not even worthy to be compared
08:39 with what God has in store for those
08:41 that love Him and those who serve Him.
08:45 It's a lot easier to endure the darkness
08:47 when you know the dawn is coming.
08:50 And so don't forget where we are going.
08:52 Don't forget that this life is not yet,
08:54 this is a very short, almost no it is
08:59 microscopic period of time compare to eternity.
09:03 But we become all consumed with this life,
09:05 and this life is not yet.
09:07 This life is just
09:08 the launching pad for eternity.
09:11 But what you do with this life
09:12 determines your eternity.
09:14 And so don't forget eternity;
09:17 don't forget this is not yet.
09:18 Keep your eye on the goal,
09:20 that is sometimes you think, oh!
09:22 Boy, it's just day after day this temptation.
09:24 We will think about millennium after millennium
09:27 in Jesus presence in heaven
09:29 eternal pleasures that His right hand
09:31 with no guilt forever more,
09:34 compare to the suffering of this life is nothing.
09:38 But you know, we typically think like kids.
09:41 You ask a kid, would you rather have
09:45 25 cents right now or a dollar in a week.
09:50 And they will say, well I want it now,
09:51 would you rather have the ice cream cone right now
09:54 or a gallon of ice cream in a month.
09:57 Yeah, they will say, I want it now,
09:59 it's almost a sign of childishness.
10:04 But some of us, we haven't grown up either.
10:07 We are thinking this is it,
10:08 or you know what in our minds we think,
10:10 what if I don't make it?
10:11 What if this is my only life?
10:12 You know that old beer commercial.
10:14 You only go around once,
10:15 better grab all the gusto you can right now.
10:18 And so we wanna hedge our bets and say,
10:20 well, what if I try so hard to be a Christian
10:22 and then I deny myself the simple pleasures
10:24 and I still don't make it.
10:26 You still better off, because for thing you do,
10:31 you will be rewarded.
10:33 And if you are not,
10:34 there are varying degrees of reward
10:35 and there are varying degrees of punishment.
10:38 So you are always better off doing the right thing
10:41 whether you are saved or lost.
10:42 Had you ever thought about that?
10:44 You are always better off doing the right things,
10:46 so don't get discourage.
10:47 Keep your eye on the eternal reward.
10:52 Believe in the badness of sin.
10:57 Not only is it the goodness of God,
10:58 but one of the characteristics
11:00 of the overcomers in the Bible
11:02 is they recognize the badness of sin.
11:06 Matter a fact, why don't you turn
11:09 we've got a case study here I mentioned earlier
11:11 I was going to talk briefly about Joseph.
11:14 And if you turn to the Book of Genesis,
11:16 and we all know the story, Genesis Chapter 39.
11:20 Joseph has been sold by his brothers
11:22 and he is out in Egypt now.
11:25 He is auctioned off to a man name Potiphar.
11:31 Things go well, actually for slave he begins to work
11:33 his way up from scrubbing floor,
11:35 so that he is over everything Potiphar has.
11:38 And you got to be careful, you know,
11:39 after a series of victory sometimes,
11:41 that's when the devil gets you.
11:44 It was after David has a series of victories,
11:47 that the Bathsheba incident came.
11:50 And it's after Joseph was being promoted
11:52 in Potiphar's house, so pretty soon
11:54 he is in-charge of everything,
11:56 that's when the great temptation came.
11:59 And so, you got to be on your guard.
12:03 Someone said, well I will save that for later.
12:08 Comeback to find out what someone said?
12:12 This is Genesis Chapter 39, verse 7,
12:14 "So it came to pass after these things,
12:17 that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph;
12:21 and she said, Lie with me."
12:22 Now, we all know what that means
12:24 or do I need to break that down?
12:27 I will break it down, not now.
12:31 "But he refused, and he said to his master's wife,
12:36 Look, my master does not know what is he,
12:39 with me in the house, and he has committed
12:41 all that he has to my hand, and he trusts me".
12:44 "There is no one greater in this house than I,
12:47 nor has he kept back anything from me but you,
12:50 because you are his wife.
12:52 How can I do this great wickedness,
12:55 and sin against God?"
12:57 Joseph understood how bad it was.
13:00 Sometimes I think we forget,
13:02 it's not only appreciating the goodness of God,
13:04 we've got to recognize sin is exceedingly sinful.
13:08 And when we understand how wicked it is,
13:12 it makes a big difference.
13:13 You know, I was raised in the world.
13:17 And I try to find delicate ways to say this,
13:20 but living immorally, you know,
13:25 I had sort of a natural understanding
13:27 within that was wrong.
13:29 I think everybody has a certain amount of God's law
13:32 written in their hearts.
13:33 And without meaning to be disrespectful,
13:35 it was really no thanks to my mother and father
13:37 because my mother's attitude was,
13:40 just don't get anybody pregnant.
13:43 I mean from just teenage on,
13:45 it's long as I can remember and that's kind of the way
13:47 my parents lived, both of them,
13:49 my mom was married four times,
13:50 my dad was married five times
13:52 and there were lot of relationships in between.
13:55 And, but I can't tell you everything,
13:58 but I leave it to your imagination just I grew up
14:01 with no understanding about the sanctity of marriage
14:05 and keeping your body holy and virtuous
14:07 and the value of that
14:09 and it was after becoming a Christian
14:10 and reading the Bible
14:12 finally the concept dawned on me,
14:14 the sinfulness of sin.
14:18 You know, we are surrounded by culture
14:20 that saying that, whatever you feel good,
14:23 whatever feels good,
14:24 do it and that's to be your criteria.
14:26 But, God's says that maybe the standard of the world,
14:28 but that's not my standard.
14:29 There are some things that are right
14:30 and some things that are wrong.
14:33 And the same way that an enemy will try
14:35 and soften up its opponent by bombardment
14:39 before it sends in the ground troops.
14:41 The devil tries to soften up our lovotion to sin.
14:47 So that it doesn't seem so bad.
14:50 Now I catch a lot of heap for this,
14:53 but in California
14:57 you know they got a big battle
14:59 about gay marriage,
15:00 I guess they do in several states now.
15:03 And even growing up in the world,
15:07 I understood that isn't right.
15:10 That there is something very wrong,
15:12 and perverted about that.
15:13 Now when I opened up the Bible,
15:15 it was further confirmation, well we should all know,
15:19 is just you know what they called a certain truths
15:21 are self evident and it should be self evident
15:24 in most of the world that men and women
15:27 are what you get married.
15:29 That, can I have an amen please! Amen.
15:31 Unless you've been softened up also,
15:35 you know, the devil has been trying to normalize
15:37 something perverted
15:38 and it's not even safe for me
15:40 to say something that is so basic.
15:44 But that's the way he does, with all of our things,
15:46 we get so over expose to these things,
15:48 pretty soon it's like well, you know,
15:49 everybody is doing it.
15:51 And the stuff that would have made people blush,
15:57 20 years ago barely gets reaction these days,
16:01 because we have been softened up by the enemy.
16:05 One of the characteristics of the Job,
16:08 he was a perfect and upright man,
16:10 one who feared God and notice this he hated,
16:13 he eschewed evil, he loved God,
16:16 he hated what was bad as well.
16:18 And so, pray that God will help you
16:20 to recognize how deadly sin is,
16:23 how contagious it is, because we toying with it?
16:28 And it's not only what kills us,
16:30 but it's what killed Jesus.
16:33 Jesus died because of sin.
16:38 If you had a child that was stabbed to death,
16:41 would you take a photograph of the knife
16:43 and wear it on your t-shirt
16:45 or would you be revolted by the sight.
16:49 And when you think about
16:50 what Jesus experienced in His suffering,
16:53 it was because of sin, so for us to trifle with sin,
16:57 to make light of sin,
16:59 is really applauding what the devil has done.
17:03 So, we got to understand the badness of sin.
17:07 Love people, not things.
17:11 The Bible says, the love of money
17:13 is the root of all evil.
17:14 Now it's not the paper money or money
17:16 of itself is bad, but it's because
17:18 people often use people to get things.
17:23 They use and manipulate people to get money.
17:26 You should love people and use money,
17:30 money is to be used not people.
17:33 And sometimes we get that backwards
17:34 and we are preoccupied
17:36 with how many things can I acquire?
17:39 Let me read something to you, 1 Timothy Chapter 6, verse 9,
17:44 "But those who desire to be rich
17:45 fall into temptation and a snare,
17:48 and into many foolish and harmful lusts
17:51 which drown men in destruction and perdition.
17:57 Some people get involved in gambling,
17:58 because they want to get rich quick,
18:00 or crazy multi-level marketing schemes,
18:03 because they are trying to get rich quick
18:05 and people always tracing this elusive dream
18:08 because they want to get things.
18:09 Our garages are full of things.
18:12 We become can't go away on a mission trip,
18:14 because who is going to watch our stuff?
18:16 And you can get to the place
18:17 where we become prisoners of our things.
18:21 And I think that the devil to a great extent
18:22 has succeeded to weigh down the Church of God with stuff,
18:28 so that we're not free to work for God
18:29 or love of stuff.
18:33 And so people fall into temptation.
18:36 Well, you know, the Bible says
18:38 temptation is really divided in three areas,
18:41 the lust of the flesh,
18:43 the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
18:47 And lot of people they see something
18:49 and they think I got to have it
18:50 or they will exult their pride.
18:55 Point number four, be prepared to quickly run,
19:00 be prepared to flee, I want to go back
19:01 to my story of Joseph here.
19:04 Notice it says in verse 10 he said,
19:06 this is great wickedness, in verse 9
19:08 how can I do this in sin against God?
19:11 And in verse 10, So it was,
19:14 as she spoke to Joseph day by day,
19:18 that he did not need her,
19:20 to lie with her or to be with her.
19:23 He did everything, he could
19:24 to totally avoid being around her.
19:29 If you know that something is a risky area,
19:32 we spoke about this earlier, don't go anywhere near it.
19:37 Some people are caught by temptation
19:40 because they don't flee temptation,
19:42 they crawl away from it
19:43 and they hope it catches them.
19:45 They linger near the edges sort of hoping
19:48 that they will be overcome.
19:51 And if you know that an area is a weak spot
19:54 for you particularly, you avoid that area
19:57 recognize and make covenant with yourself.
19:59 You know, why young people get into trouble?
20:03 They get into a situation
20:05 where you get the young guy and the young lady
20:07 and when they are with their friends and everything,
20:09 that's one thing, it's when they get by themselves.
20:14 Who was it?
20:15 C.D. Brooks has said,
20:16 a banana never gets in trouble
20:17 till it leaves the bunch.
20:20 And a lot of young people
20:21 if they were just make up their mind
20:23 and I guess it could happen to older singles too,
20:25 that, you know, whenever I'm with the opposite sex,
20:28 I'm gonna make sure that, you know,
20:29 we're in some kind of public venue.
20:31 It's when you get all by yourself
20:33 and you start kind of just having the friendly touching
20:36 and intimacy and start playing with Mother Nature,
20:38 things begin to happen that you can't stop,
20:41 and so avoid those areas of temptation,
20:44 Joseph wouldn't even be with her
20:46 and as soon as she put her hands on him
20:48 what did he do?
20:49 He ran, he fled, you've just got to act
20:53 like it's the plague,
20:57 so flee temptation how do you that?
21:00 Draw near to God,
21:02 this is James Chapter 4 Verse 7,
21:04 "Draw nigh to God
21:06 and He will draw nigh to you."
21:08 You submit yourself to God resist the devil,
21:11 the devil will flee from you, you draw near to God
21:14 and He will draw near to you.
21:17 So stay away from the areas of temptation and sin.
21:22 And this is how Joseph was able to get
21:24 the victory in this case.
21:26 Don't follow the crowd,
21:29 the idea that everybody is doing it,
21:31 and so it must be okay,
21:34 this is common logic that's used.
21:35 What does Jesus say about the crowd?
21:38 Follow not a multitude to do evil
21:41 is one statement there in Exodus,
21:44 Matthew Chapter26 verse 35,
21:50 Peter you know they will say, everybody is doing,
21:53 Peter said in Matthew 26 verse 35,
21:56 "Even if I have to die with You,
21:58 I will not deny You"
21:59 When Peter was with his friends
22:02 he was somewhat controlled by the crowd.
22:04 He said oh Lord, I will die for you,
22:06 it's easy and when you like this to say Amen,
22:08 Praise the Lord, let's live for Jesus,
22:09 let's be men of faith.
22:11 But when Peter was surrounded
22:12 by a different group
22:13 that was now making fun of Jesus.
22:15 He fell right in line with the crowd,
22:17 and started saying I don't know who he is.
22:21 So do you stand up just as much for Jesus
22:23 when you are separated from your support group?
22:31 Think of it this way, you are always
22:34 with a crowd of believers,
22:38 our angels watching you?
22:42 We are always on video,
22:44 think about that for a minute.
22:46 Everything you do is being recorded these days?
22:49 I know a little while ago I got something in the mail
22:52 and it says your traffic violation,
22:55 but before I even read everything
22:56 in the envelope I thought, what illegal U turn?
22:59 No, I didn't, I don't remember
23:00 ever even being in that town.
23:03 And I pull out what there was in the rest of envelope.
23:05 It was a picture of me doing an illegal U turn,
23:09 it's looking very intense.
23:14 They got cameras everywhere now.
23:16 I could probably teach drivers education if had to,
23:21 but Jesus said that if you will confess me before men.
23:26 I will confess you before my father in heaven.
23:29 You remember when Jesus
23:31 in the book of Job Chapter 1 and Chapter 2,
23:34 Jesus says to the devil
23:35 have you considered my servant Job?
23:38 Was Jesus aware of Job?
23:41 With the angels watching Job,
23:44 angels are intent looking into
23:46 what's happening here in this world.
23:48 So you are not alone,
23:49 so if you are gonna please a crowd,
23:51 don't please the devil's crowd.
23:53 Stand up for Jesus, Christ,
23:55 even when he was hanging on the cross,
23:56 he said don't you know, I can pray
23:57 and my father will send legion of angels,
24:00 They are watching me right down.
24:02 Do you believe that?
24:04 Do you believe there are angels in this room?
24:07 Probably not just good ones, but there are evil angels too
24:10 and they are trying to sedate us,
24:13 so that we don't hear what the spirit is saying.
24:15 But there are good angels and when we're tempted
24:18 and when we resist temptation.
24:20 In your mind, just imagine there are an army of angels,
24:25 the whole stadium of angels that are watching
24:27 what you are doing and they are cheering.
24:31 So you get to choose every time you are tempted.
24:33 Who do you want cheer?
24:35 Do you want the devil's angels to cheer,
24:37 or do you want God's angels to cheer?
24:39 Don't follow the crowd? Stay busy.
24:46 Somebody said, I think it's an Italian proverb;
24:49 He that labors is tempted by one devil;
24:52 he that is idle is tempted by a thousand.
24:55 A lot of times, we get in trouble with temptation
24:57 because we don't have anything to do.
25:01 When God first made man, how did God make man?
25:04 Part of the Sabbath commandment is not just
25:06 rest on the seventh day, what's the other part?
25:09 Is it a suggestion
25:10 that six days you should work or is it a command?
25:14 The command about working is just as real
25:17 as the command about resting.
25:19 Six days thou shall labor and do all your work.
25:24 And anyone here all out of work
25:26 let me see your hands, have no work left.
25:29 I'm not talking about today.
25:30 I'm talking about when you go home.
25:32 There is always stuff to do, right?
25:33 We're to be busy. God made man for activity.
25:36 He wants us to use our minds.
25:37 He wants us to be creative.
25:38 Hopefully you've got work that you enjoy.
25:41 But, when you are engaged and when you are busy,
25:44 and when you are active, when you got plans.
25:46 That will keep you from a multitude
25:48 of temptations and sin.
25:50 When you think about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah,
25:52 what's the first thing that comes in your mind?
25:56 Well of course that's where they get the word
25:58 Sodomy you think about him.
26:00 The homosexuality, what was going on with Lot,
26:04 the bad reputation they had for that.
26:07 But, you know the Bible records
26:08 that was not the only thing they were destroyed for.
26:11 Lot had daughters that were married to men in the city.
26:16 Not everybody in the city was gay.
26:19 One of their sins was pride,
26:21 fullness of bread and idleness.
26:25 Idleness you can read about that,
26:27 Ezekiel Chapter 16 verse 49 and 50.
26:31 You've heard the expression
26:32 idlenessism is the devil's workshop.
26:35 That verse is not actually in the Bible, but it says,
26:38 speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah they had,
26:43 abundance of idleness;
26:45 was in her and her daughters,
26:46 therefore I took them away as I saw good.
26:51 Now are we in a country that has an abundance,
26:54 you know farms used to be operated,
26:57 about all a person could handle was a 160 acres.
27:01 And if you ever drive through Texas,
27:03 every ten miles you'll see a town,
27:06 it's kind of sad now, because you drive across Texas
27:08 and every ten miles and in almost any direction
27:11 there is some kind of little sprouted town
27:13 you got church of Christ, Methodist Church,
27:17 Southern Baptist Church,
27:18 promise most of them now are empty.
27:21 There is just a few of those little towns
27:22 where everybody kind of congregated
27:24 they became cities.
27:26 And lot of this state little towns died out
27:28 you know why?
27:30 Because instead of one farmer and his family
27:32 being able to handle 160 acres
27:34 with these great big massive John Deere Tractors
27:36 is almost as wide as this gym.
27:39 They got stereo, and GPS and air conditioning
27:42 and one farmer can go all day long and he can plough
27:45 thousands and thousands of acres.
27:48 But you know what that means is,
27:49 that there is an abundance of bread for everybody else.
27:53 And so and that's one thing that made this country great.
27:56 But, let's face it, we've got a lot of comforts,
27:59 a lot of convenience, a lot of idle time,
28:05 personally you may think oh, I don't have any idle time.
28:07 Well, good maybe Lord is keeping you out of trouble.
28:12 But stay busy, now that doesn't mean,
28:14 you know sometimes we got wives
28:15 and they say you are too busy.
28:17 Anyone who doesn't agree with that?
28:19 You work too hard, you are workaholic
28:20 and I'm not suggesting that.
28:23 You can stay busy
28:24 she will be happy if you do things with her.
28:26 It's just not the idea
28:28 of you are not doing anything,
28:29 she just don't wants to be with you,
28:31 were you are doing stuff with her, with the family.
28:34 But, God doesn't want us to sit around
28:35 and do a lot of nothing.
28:36 He didn't create us for an activity.
28:37 Rest is good, rest is important,
28:39 that's why God gives us the Sabbath.
28:41 But if you are not staying busy,
28:44 chances are you are getting tempted a lot.
28:47 And so stay busy serving the Lord.
28:53 Have a plan.
28:56 This is point number seven, have a plan for escape.
29:00 We often stumble into sin,
29:02 because when we see temptation coming,
29:05 we wait to see what will happen,
29:06 when it arrives.
29:08 You want to be prepared in advance,
29:11 Proverbs Chapter 22, verse 3, Solomon says,
29:14 "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself".
29:21 Don't wait to see what's going to happen
29:24 or how you are going to act
29:25 when there is some pop-up message on your computer,
29:28 get a pop-up blocker as soon as you get your computer.
29:32 Get a security program on that.
29:35 Prepare yourself in advance
29:37 to avoid those kind of temptations.
29:41 There is a lot of areas where,
29:43 if you got a problem with eating junk food,
29:49 don't bring the cookies home
29:51 and then hope you can resist temptation.
29:54 If they are in the house,
29:55 you are going to have temptation,
29:57 don't bring them home from the store.
29:59 You want to be able to plan ahead
30:01 and stay close to Lord.
30:07 The Bible says, that if you got some area in your life
30:09 then you know is going to be a weak spot.
30:12 Matthew Chapter 5 verse 29,
30:14 "If your right eye offends you, pluck it out,
30:17 and cast it from me:
30:19 for it is more profitable for you
30:21 that one of your members should perish,
30:22 and not that your whole body be cast into hell."
30:28 If you just quit smoking
30:31 and your friends still smoke, find some new friends.
30:37 If you can't, do it you can
30:39 to avoid those areas of temptation, but you say,
30:42 Pastor Doug they have been friends for years.
30:44 If you have quit drinking and you quit smoking
30:46 they are still drinking and they are still smoking,
30:47 how can I say, there are my friends,
30:49 I mean how I'm gonna reach him?
30:51 Pluck out your eye, cut off your hand,
30:53 of course God is not talking about literally there.
30:55 It's a symbol for even if it's something
30:57 that's close to you as a dear friend.
31:00 Sometimes, you got a do something radical,
31:03 I know some people they say Pastor Doug,
31:06 I've got a problem with the internet,
31:09 but I'm at a job, where I'm online everyday
31:12 and there is no kinds of security
31:14 and I've got so much availability to my problem
31:17 and you know what I'll say to that person?
31:19 Get another job.
31:21 Some people say, Pastor Doug, now I've got a TV
31:23 and I just can just can't control myself
31:26 what do I do?
31:28 Get rid of your TV.
31:29 But there are some good things on the TV,
31:30 but if you cannot control it,
31:32 cut off your hand, get rid off your TV.
31:36 What profit is it, if you say
31:37 you know I had a TV, when I went to hell but,
31:41 what good is that,
31:42 so if you are struggling in these areas.
31:44 I know you probably think Pastor Doug
31:45 you are being little radical.
31:47 Well, maybe I am, but I think you know what
31:51 nobody is going to stand before the Lord
31:53 in the judgment day, and hear Jesus say to them,
31:56 you know I would like to let you into the kingdom,
31:58 but you got rid off your TV and you cannot watch 3ABN
32:00 and Amazing Facts anymore, so I can't let you in.
32:04 That's not going to happen,
32:06 if you got to do something radical
32:09 in order to get the victory, then do it, amen!
32:14 And you will set a good example for your families
32:16 about what your priority is?
32:19 Sometimes the devil gets us with these things
32:21 where we just, we're trying to ride
32:22 the middle of the line and we can't do it,
32:25 you want to get as far away from temptation
32:27 as possible.
32:29 So have a plan for escape,
32:33 lot of temptation comes as little things,
32:35 it nibbles away at our weaknesses.
32:40 Know yourself.
32:43 The things that tempt you
32:45 may not be the same things that tempt me.
32:47 There are probably some general areas
32:48 where we are all tempted.
32:50 But you know the devil knows how to
32:54 tailor his temptations and frankly
32:57 I should probably back up
32:58 and say something about this.
32:59 When we say the devil is tempting me,
33:04 it's typically not the devil himself.
33:06 The devil is operating through his demons,
33:09 and in the same way that God has the guardian angels
33:11 that know us and they guard us.
33:12 And I'm looking forward to meeting my angel
33:15 when I get to the kingdom.
33:16 You will probably be easy to recognize
33:18 because you will have great hair
33:19 and a street jacket on.
33:21 But, I think the devil has also,
33:26 he probably get demons
33:27 that are appointed to bring us down.
33:30 Matter of fact, there is a story in the Bible
33:31 in the book of Acts where these seven young
33:35 sons of some Synagogue ruler Sceva, he was an exorcist.
33:40 They heard that Paul was going around
33:42 and he was casting out devils in the name of Jesus,
33:44 and the demons would come out.
33:46 They said so what is that Paul does
33:47 he says in the name of Jesus, I caste you out.
33:49 He said okay, well we are going to do what Paul does.
33:51 They knew nothing about Jesus,
33:53 they barely knew who Paul was?
33:55 So they found this man
33:56 who was possessed by the devil,
33:57 they went to cast the devil out of this man.
33:59 And they said in the name of Jesus
34:01 who Paul preaches come out of Him.
34:04 You know what the demon said?
34:06 I know Paul and I know Jesus,
34:10 but I don't who you are?
34:13 And so, of course the devil is not omniscient,
34:16 he doesn't know everything.
34:17 I think probably Satan has designated
34:20 different demons are somehow organized.
34:22 Satan has got his legions, doesn't he?
34:24 And they are probably devils
34:25 that have studied your weakness.
34:28 Now I don't recommend C.S. Lewis across the abroad.
34:32 But he wrote one thought provoking book called
34:34 the "Screwtape Letters,"
34:35 and I read that one I was up in the cave.
34:37 It talks about how devil study our weaknesses
34:40 and they are trying plan things
34:42 that are tailored and a recipe
34:45 paste upon where you typically fall.
34:49 So know yourself, know what your weaknesses are?
34:53 Make sure as we mention to avoid
34:55 those areas of weakness and temptation.
34:57 The devil doesn't really worry about me
34:59 walking down some dark alley and having someone sell me
35:02 heroin or crack cocaine, that's not my problem.
35:05 He knows what they are and I'm not going to tell you?
35:08 But you know what your problems are?
35:11 And so just be aware of that
35:13 and then just pray for strength
35:15 specifically in those areas.
35:19 Know yourself, there is a Spanish proverb,
35:21 it says don't be a baker,
35:22 if your head is made of butter.
35:26 And don't ever boast we are all,
35:29 we all have the potential to fall.
35:30 One of the most important things
35:31 we can do to get the victory
35:33 is maintain a humble attitude
35:36 and be aware of how weak we are,
35:39 Let him that thinks he stands
35:41 take heed lest he fall.
35:43 It's only moment by moment trusting in God,
35:46 we are able to live the victorious life.
35:48 As soon as someone starts going around
35:50 boasting and saying you know,
35:51 I haven't sinned all week long.
35:54 Beware take heed, let him who thinks he stands
35:58 take heed lest he fall.
36:00 Peter did that though all men should forsake the Lord,
36:02 I will not forsake the.
36:04 He said, you don't know yourself Peter.
36:08 Overcome evil with good.
36:13 Now whatever you are doing, you can find
36:18 that there is usually a good way to overcome.
36:20 If somebody is giving you hard time
36:23 and you are tempted to be angry
36:24 or to talk bad about them, pray for them.
36:29 If you are struggling with smoking,
36:34 and you throw away your cigarettes,
36:37 get toothpicks that's what I did.
36:39 I carried around a box
36:40 of tooth picks in my top pocket,
36:41 if at least gave me the illusion
36:43 I had a pack of Marlboro there
36:45 and whenever I was tempted to reach down
36:47 and grab one I actually cut a little square corner out,
36:50 so I could shake one out,
36:52 and you know what it really helped me,
36:54 and people said well Doug, you like a beaver,
36:56 just tune on toothpicks all the time,
36:58 but I had rather look like
36:59 a beavers than a chimney, right?
37:03 And so you know, you could apply
37:05 this to your life a thousand different ways.
37:07 When you find out that you got some weakness,
37:10 figure out what it is?
37:11 Your problem is chocolate, get some grapes,
37:15 some peanuts, or something,
37:17 but just find something good
37:20 to overcome the area of evil.
37:22 If you are preoccupied and say you know
37:24 Pastor Doug, I got a problem with the DVD's
37:28 and you know I just keep wanting to go to blockbuster,
37:31 get an Amazing Facts or 3ABN video
37:34 or something and watch it right?
37:36 Overcome evil with good, play in a hand.
37:41 Think a head above, you know,
37:43 I always have a real time of weakness
37:45 when I am doing this or when I am doing that.
37:47 Think ahead, say Lord I don't want to fall
37:49 in that area again, and ask God to give you some wisdom
37:51 about how you can overcome in those areas.
37:55 Do not be overcome with evil, Romans 12 verse 1,
37:58 "Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."
38:03 Says it's one of the ways
38:04 that we get the victory over temptation.
38:11 Take care of your health,
38:13 now you maybe didn't expect that.
38:16 One of the real basic things that you can do
38:18 to get the victory is take care of yourself
38:21 as much as you can physically
38:22 part of the health message,
38:24 not only so you don't get sick
38:26 and die prematurely,
38:30 so you can be a more effective witness
38:32 and you have more energy
38:33 but another reason for the health message is,
38:36 it's easier for the devil to get us
38:38 when we're are sick and tired.
38:41 Now I'm not going to ask for show of hands,
38:45 but I think most of you would put up your hands
38:46 and admit that sometimes if you had a blow up
38:49 in your family or an argument
38:50 with your spouse, or you yelled at your kids,
38:53 you get hungry,
38:55 low blood sugar, and more problem.
38:59 You get tired, long day work,
39:01 lot of stress, you are fatigue,
39:02 you come home, you didn't have enough sleep
39:05 and also you snap and you say things
39:07 that you wish didn't say.
39:10 And you fall
39:12 and one of the simple solutions for that is,
39:15 take care of your health, get exercise,
39:18 get rest, eat right, eat a lot of sweet food,
39:24 drink a cup of espresso, and you get,
39:26 oh! you know, you hyperactive like that
39:28 and you are going to bite anybody's head off.
39:30 There is reasons for health message, you know,
39:32 and some of them are, it help you avoid temptation.
39:37 I had to be really particular as I travel a lot
39:40 and kind of a heavy schedule,
39:43 to take care of my health, not only because,
39:47 you know, I want be well when I get some where
39:49 so I can teach and preach,
39:50 but I find I'm a better husband,
39:53 I'm a better father, I'm a better Christian
39:57 if I take care of myself.
39:59 I can't over emphasize this friends
40:01 that there is a reason we've being giving
40:03 this health message and part of the reason
40:05 is that we can glorify God in our bodies,
40:09 when you take care of yourself.
40:10 When did the devil come to Jesus and tempt him?
40:13 After 40 days of fasting, He was weak,
40:17 He was tired, He had low blood sugar,
40:19 and that's when the devil came.
40:22 And he just open fire with everything he had in.
40:24 But don't forget this, even if you are tired.
40:27 Sometimes you can't control circumstances,
40:30 even if you're hungry, I've got on planes
40:33 before where they ordered a veggie meal,
40:35 and all they had is some big old leg of lamb
40:37 and I couldn't eat.
40:38 And you can always control all these circumstances,
40:41 but is that any excuse to sin?
40:43 You can say well, Lord you know after all
40:45 I'm tired so I'm absolved for yelling at the spouse,
40:49 without really having a good reason.
40:51 Is it a good reason? You yell at your spouse.
40:56 Take care of your health.
40:59 Sometimes we understand the spirit is willing,
41:02 but the flesh is weak, so you got to take care
41:04 of the flesh as well as you can.
41:07 Recognize your way of escape.
41:11 Be watching and aware.
41:15 Whenever I get on an airplane,
41:18 you know how they go through there the preflight list
41:21 and they say, you know make note of where your exits are.
41:24 I'm a pilot and I fly all the time,
41:26 but I still take a moment and I say to myself
41:29 in the unlikely event
41:32 that I might need to use a different door
41:34 to get out then what I used to come in.
41:37 I like to know where it is and in my mind,
41:40 and it's not because I'm afraid
41:42 I just think its part of being a good pilot,
41:43 part of being a good passenger.
41:45 I think about, all right,
41:47 just look around be aware Doug.
41:50 How do you get out of here, if you have to?
41:54 And, you know, sometime you might find yourself
41:56 in the situation
41:57 where you are going into a den of lions,
41:59 and the Lord's placed you in there.
42:02 You might have to extricate yourself,
42:05 because you weren't aware
42:06 that there were going to be things going on
42:09 or temptations facing you,
42:11 but you weren't embrace for it.
42:12 Know where the exits are? And be prepared to run.
42:16 You can be sure that in Joseph story
42:17 that we just read.
42:18 When it says he arose and he fled,
42:21 he knew which way to go didn't he?
42:23 So as he was sitting there, you notice it
42:25 with part of his wife and not only was Joseph
42:30 a handsome young man,
42:32 she did probably didn't look that bad herself,
42:35 because part of her was a wealthy general
42:38 and you know when you got a lot of money
42:39 and prestige back then it's possible that
42:43 he may have had a pick of fine wife,
42:49 and Joseph said he wouldn't even be with her,
42:52 but he had to come in the house
42:53 to do some business.
42:54 So, I want to just go back to that real quick.
42:56 It happened about this time,
42:58 I'm in verse 11 of Chapter 39,
43:02 "When Joseph went into the house to do his work,
43:05 but none of the men in the house was inside,"
43:08 he had to go into the house,
43:10 but there was temptation in the house.
43:13 So when he walked in, he made a note
43:16 where that door was because he recognized
43:18 there was a problem in the house.
43:20 "That she caught him by his garment,
43:22 and said Lie with me:"
43:24 Was that subtle,
43:26 you know as Joseph could have rationalized
43:29 and one reason we get into temptation.
43:31 Let me just say you some things that might
43:32 have gone through his mind.
43:33 These are some of the same rationalizations
43:35 it happened to us.
43:37 Joseph could have rationalized.
43:39 Well, there was one thing to resist temptation
43:40 when she was asking me, but now this is my master.
43:45 And the Bible does say, well slaves obey the masters
43:49 and obey the laws of the land
43:51 and you know what's going to happen to my paycheck,
43:55 if I hurt her feelings and then what's going to happen
43:58 and what I'm going to do about my retirement
44:00 and you can rationalize all kinds of things
44:02 and nobody is around
44:04 and after all she is pretty strong.
44:08 Maybe she is going to force me,
44:11 and he could just had all kinds of
44:13 clever rationalizations in his mind.
44:16 But he fought temptation, he probably knew
44:23 that she was going to retaliate.
44:27 Someone said that hell have no fury like a woman scorned.
44:32 Like a bear robbed of her whelps.
44:35 And he probably could have thought, you know,
44:38 if I spurn her advances this way,
44:40 she is going to sense his rejection
44:41 and she will retaliate,
44:43 but who was Joseph interested in pleasing
44:46 man or God?
44:49 And so he was determined to resist temptation,
44:52 even if it meant he would not only maybe be demoted,
44:56 not only what he stall in his position.
45:00 But he might loose his life.
45:02 He had his mind made up in advance.
45:06 He said this was great wickedness
45:08 and I will not do it.
45:10 Joseph presents a great example for us
45:11 someone who had sterling integrity
45:14 that was resolved to be pure.
45:18 And all of us by the grace of God can be pure,
45:21 so he fled and he ran outside.
45:25 Now what happened to Joseph
45:27 when he resisted that temptation?
45:29 She concocted a false acquisition.
45:32 He was arrested and thrown in jail,
45:33 spent years in jail for doing what's right.
45:38 Is it easer, sometimes it is given to temptation
45:43 to flow downstream?
45:46 Let me word this differently?
45:49 What's easier going with the flow
45:56 towards the waterfall of destruction
46:00 or swimming against the current
46:02 even though it requires more energy.
46:05 Those are really the choices that all of us have.
46:08 You can say, you know, swimming upstream is so hard.
46:10 I'm just going to lay here on my rubber raft
46:13 and go with everybody else,
46:16 if the world is just so hard to swim against the tide,
46:19 but often the distances
46:20 you can hear ringing in your ears,
46:22 the crashing waters and, you know, you are perishing.
46:25 Do you really enjoy the ride?
46:28 How much better and even happier
46:31 to swim against the current?
46:35 And to know that you are going to get to other side.
46:38 Did Joseph make it to the other side?
46:41 He suffered, he suffered years as a slave,
46:43 he suffered years in prison,
46:45 but did he make it to the palace,
46:47 was he exalted?
46:49 You know there is pleasure in sin,
46:52 I have been lying to you.
46:54 Whether it's a lust of the flesh,
46:55 or the lust of the eyes and the pride of life,
46:57 there is at least some temporary pleasure in sin.
47:02 But that's the problem, it's very short lived
47:04 and there is almost, always some form of hangover,
47:07 some form of regret, some form of guilt,
47:09 some form of debt.
47:11 I mean you know we could all divide up,
47:15 what our particular challenges are
47:16 and you know what that means.
47:20 The real peace comes from
47:22 seeking for God's kingdom and its righteousness.
47:24 There is going to be battles.
47:26 Moses turned his back on the glories of Egypt,
47:30 that he might endure
47:32 suffering with the people of God,
47:33 rather than to enjoy
47:35 the pleasures of sin for a season.
47:38 And this is really what we are all grappling with.
47:40 It's just these two choices.
47:44 Don't be discouraged if you do fall.
47:49 Now I got to spend a moment on that.
47:53 This is one of the most important things.
47:56 I want to ask for
47:59 a show of hands, and how many have fallen,
48:01 it could be everybody.
48:02 All have sinned and fallen short of glory of God,
48:06 but I want to tell you never need to fall.
48:10 With every temptation, God will provide a way
48:13 of escape that you are able to bear it.
48:15 There is no temptation that comes to you
48:18 that God does not first carefully measure
48:22 how long a chain he is going to give to the devil.
48:25 You realize that even when the devil came after Job,
48:28 God measured off how far he would let the devil go,
48:32 is that right? Am I right?
48:36 So God is on the throne and He loves you
48:38 and He is not going to allow
48:40 you to be tempted above what you are able.
48:43 And with every temptation that comes to you,
48:45 He is going to provide
48:47 a way of escape that you can endure.
48:49 Sometimes it will mean the way of escape
48:51 is in the form of dropping on your knees.
48:53 First thing, you should do
48:55 as soon as you recognize temptation is there,
48:57 submit to God and resist the devil.
49:02 So you turn to God in prayer immediately
49:04 and that's where you get strength.
49:05 But he is able to keep you from falling.
49:07 That by the way is Jude Chapter 1 verse 24.
49:13 We want to abide in Christ.
49:16 And don't beat yourself up if you fall.
49:19 Now this is an area where I pray God
49:23 will give a wisdom to try and explain this to you.
49:26 On one side of the equation, I want to tell you,
49:30 don't beat yourself up if you fall.
49:33 I don't want to so emphasize,
49:35 that you need to forgive yourself
49:37 that you set yourself up to say
49:39 well I'll just forgive myself later
49:41 and then I am going to fall.
49:44 You need to be conscious of
49:45 how dangerous it is to sin.
49:47 Let me see if I could illustrate it this way.
49:51 You all know what Russian Roulette is,
49:55 all right suppose that you have a shot gun,
50:00 a single barreled shot gun,
50:02 you all know what I am talking about,
50:04 single barrel.
50:06 And you got one shell in the barrel.
50:09 Can you play Russian Roulette with that?
50:12 Anyone here want to play Russian Roulette with that?
50:14 Now if you understand math
50:16 what percentage of the time that you are going to loose?
50:20 Hundred percent of the time, okay.
50:21 Then let's say you have got a double barrel shot gun,
50:25 but you only got one shell in one of the chambers.
50:27 And you hand it to your wife and say
50:29 pull one of the triggers.
50:34 I heard it someone was talking about
50:36 a list of famous last words,
50:39 it's interesting to read about
50:40 people's famous last words
50:43 and one of the famous last words was,
50:46 his husband said to his wife,
50:48 you couldn't hit the broad side of barn with that gun.
50:53 So, you give this
50:54 double barrel shot gun to your wife,
50:57 and you tell her to pull one of the triggers
50:58 what are your chances now?
51:01 About 50-50 all right, you are with me so far.
51:05 Any of you willing to play that game?
51:08 All right, now you got typical six-shooter
51:13 and you spin the barrel and you cock it
51:17 and you want to show your friends
51:18 how manly you are and you pull the trigger.
51:21 The Russian has to get pretty drunk to do that,
51:23 but I guess that's where the name comes from.
51:26 I have got a friend that at a party,
51:32 is back before I was a Christian
51:34 had a 38 revolver,
51:36 held it up to another friend's head
51:37 and he was going to pull the trigger,
51:38 and someone said, don't play like that,
51:40 isn't it's not loaded and he shot at his hand,
51:43 blew right through his hand.
51:47 And you know I always tell my kids
51:51 don't ever point a weapon, even a toy weapon
51:53 at somebody and play like that.
51:57 So you got the six-shooter, you roll it.
52:01 Your chances are now what?
52:03 One out of six, any of you want to play?
52:05 But what if I tell you know the other six times
52:06 you are going to have pleasure.
52:08 Does that make you to enjoy it any better?
52:12 All right, now you got a revolver
52:13 it's got 365 chambers in it.
52:16 One for everyday of the year,
52:19 anyone want to play?
52:22 Oh yes you do, who you are kidding?
52:25 You do want to play, you do play.
52:28 How many times have we gambled with temptation
52:31 and we say well I probably won't die right away.
52:35 God so merciful and He is so gracious,
52:38 that this, you know, I probably have a chance
52:40 to repent and confess before the shell goes off.
52:46 And really that's the way a lot of men
52:47 go through their lives, as we flirt with sin.
52:52 And we say well you know God is so merciful,
52:55 I probably can get away with this
52:57 and ask Him to forgive me later.
52:59 Now here is what I want you to understand.
53:01 God is merciful, God's longsuffering.
53:05 You never need to doubt God's willingness
53:09 to forgive you when you genuinely repent.
53:12 But here is what the danger is.
53:15 Men like to live on the edge.
53:17 And so we get away with something and we say,
53:20 hey there was no shell on that chamber.
53:23 I guess I can play this game one more time,
53:26 one more time, one more time.
53:29 And we start taking sin for granted.
53:31 We know we start taking God's mercy for granted.
53:34 We start taking His grace for granted.
53:36 He is always willing to forgive you,
53:37 but what happens is every time
53:38 you play with temptation and repent,
53:44 you begin to develop a callus were you can get
53:46 to the place where you not really
53:47 appreciating the sinfulness of sin
53:50 and how dangerous the game is that you are playing.
53:53 Sin kills! The penalty for sin is what?
53:59 And if you doubt that it's deadly, look at Jesus.
54:03 God so loved you that He gave His son
54:06 to die in your place for your sins.
54:09 So why would you want to keep
54:11 flirting with sin and temptation like that.
54:16 It's so deadly, and that by the way
54:19 is the best thing to remember.
54:22 Is that God's mercy is always available
54:25 when we are willing to genuinely repent.
54:30 So if you do fall, and we all fall,
54:34 don't get discouraged.
54:35 The Bible promises in 1st John,
54:36 if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father,
54:39 Jesus Christ the righteous.
54:42 And you may often, Spirit of Prophecy tells us
54:45 in the book "Steps to Christ".
54:47 You may often have to kneel and weep
54:49 at the feet of Jesus,
54:50 for your shortcomings and your sins.
54:52 Don't get discouraged, get back up again.
54:55 I'll tell when you need to be a little frightened
54:58 is when after 20 years of following Christ,
55:01 you don't see any growth.
55:04 If you are still giving into temptations
55:06 the same way now and it's frequently now
55:08 and you are falling now as much as you did
55:10 when you were a baby Christian
55:12 that maybe you are not growing.
55:15 If you got little babies, and when they are learning
55:17 to walk they stumble and they fall,
55:19 but they back up again.
55:21 You don't think too much of the babies,
55:23 but then if they to get to the place
55:25 where they are 11 years old and they still can't walk.
55:30 How many of you are going to take him to see the doctor?
55:32 You realize there is a problem there,
55:34 Are you growing in grace?
55:36 When you look back you He say well,
55:37 praise the Lord, He has given me victory,
55:39 I don't have that problem anymore.
55:42 You should be growing in maturity,
55:44 growing in grace, becoming more like Christ
55:46 and He can help you do that.
55:48 All things are possible through Christ,
55:50 you believe that? Amen.
55:53 Erwin W Lutzer said our response to temptation
55:57 is an accurate barometer of our love for God.
56:02 The best reason to resist temptation
56:05 is because we really love Jesus.
56:07 So what is it mean if we are falling frequently,
56:14 if that's a barometer of our love for the Lord?
56:17 If you loved Him better,
56:19 we'll probably serve Him better.
56:21 So what if you don't love the Lord enough,
56:24 what do you do?
56:26 I would like to suggest if you know Him better,
56:28 you'll love Him better.
56:30 How do you get to know Him better?
56:32 Spent time with the Lord in your devotions,
56:35 you know, whenever you're aware of God's presence
56:37 it's a lot easier to resist temptation.
56:40 When you know that the Lord is right with you.
56:42 Spend time in His word everyday,
56:43 are you doing that?
56:44 If nothing else would come from this conference,
56:46 if the men would have revival in their personal devotions
56:49 I can guarantee you, it would play itself out
56:52 into a higher standard of Christian living.
56:55 Spending more time with the Lord,
56:57 that's what the ammunition is,
56:58 that's what the sword is, that's what the sprit is
57:00 through walking with Christ.
57:02 If you love Him better, and you love Him more,
57:05 you'll serve Him better.
57:06 Is that your desire friends? Is that your prayer?
57:09 Why don't we stand together, we will close this session.
57:12 And don't forget there, the tips to temptations,
57:15 you can download this syllabus there at
57:17 the Amazing Facts website
57:19 and we put these things into practice, let's pray.


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Revised 2014-12-17