THE BUZZ: TEMPTATION EXPOSED

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT

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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

- James 4:7

14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
brings forth death.
- James 1:14, 15

I. What is temptation?

temptation- an invitation to sin

II. Why listen to a sermon on temptation?

1. It is a Bible issue

- If it is a Bible issue then it is your issue. It is the issue for the person sitting beside you. In
front of you. Behind you. It is an issue for the Christians, for the politicians, for the business
people, for the students, for the husbands, the wives, the pastors. It is an issue.

- Listen well because this is for you

2. Behind every temptation is an enemy you need to know

- His name is Satan

- Satan does not come to you in a person- form. He comes to you through “ temptation
form”.

- Through an invitation to give in to your weaknesses. Satan appears as a deceiver, an

angel of light then a mocker- an accuser.

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3. Because temptation can ruin you

- It can make you become ineffective in performing your ministry and your calling. It can
destroy your reputation. It can destroy your life. It can make you fall from grace.

- Marami na itong winasak na buhay.

III How can I get rid of temptation?

- be a monk. Live on a mountain where there is nothing there but birds and clouds and …

- wait for the rapture

- die now. Want me to help?

- How can I…? You can’t.

IV. How can I overcome temptation?

- Now, we’re talking possibilities. This we can do.

How to Overcome Temptation

1. Realize your tendency to give in

- Your weaknesses- don’t feed them. They are no longer your pet.

- Temptation feeds on your weaknesses.

- It feeds on your thoughts. The more you think of it the more it grows.

- When you don’t want to think about it anymore, hey, it stays; it doesn’t wanna leave. It has
become a comfortable tenant in your mind.

14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
brings forth death.
- James 1:14, 15

2. Run as soon as you can, as fast as you can, as often as you can
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- You know Joseph? Joseph the Dreamer.

- Well, Joseph, the hero that ran away, you know? It’s the same guy Wanna be a hero?
Run!

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Flee sexual immorality…
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For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are
God’s. - 1 Corinthians 6:18, 20

Genesis 39

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… Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took
notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"
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But he refused...
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And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even
be with her.
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One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household
servants was inside.
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She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her
hand and ran out of the house.

- Genesis 39

The following are from Sermon Central:

And what did he run away from?

He ran away from Potiphar’s wife.
He was a handsome young man
She was a desperate housewife. Well …

But unlike the perverted themes of today’s television shows, this desperate housewife didn’t get
the man she desired - because he never stood still long enough for her to get close to him.
HE KEPT RUNNING AWAY.

Day after day, she kept after him but he never allowed himself to be alone with her.

Now, there are those who believe that “real” men are those who are mature enough to handle
sexual temptation. They believe “real men” can watch sensual TV shows, read racy magazines, go to
R rated movies, visit those Internet sites… and it won’t bother them.

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But that’s a lie.
They can’t handle it.
It takes its toll on their lives

There’s a story of a young man who asked his preacher when he thought he would be mature
enough to withstand temptations of the flesh.
The preacher paused for a moment and then wisely replied "I wouldn’t trust myself until I had been
dead 3 days."

- Joseph did not just ran away from the temptation of committing sexual immorality; he ran
away from an even greater temptation: a temptation to help God fulfill His promise (but with
a twist!). How? By making the dream to happen much sooner than it should.

- By having a relationship with the wife of a powerful official of Egypt, Joseph could be
influential. He could make the dream happen. No longer in need for long waiting period.

- You see, no matter how good the situation of Joseph was at this time, he still was a slave.
An honored slave yes but a slave just the same. The dream of having people bow before
him is not within his grasp at this time.

- The temptation he overcame was more than what we thought.

- Maybe, you’re in a situation pretty much like that of Joseph. You know God will prosper
you but you can’t wait much longer. So you want to help? God. A little compromise here
and there would do.

- If you have almost the same situations. Do as Joseph did: run away as soon and as fast
and… as often as you can.

3. Resist the Devil and make him run.

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Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

- James 4:7

- Submit to God then resist the devil.

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After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

- Luke 4:13

4. Repent quickly when you fail

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
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But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins
away. - 1 John 1:9 (CEV)

5. Be geared up (Ephesians 6)

- wear the full armor of God 24/7

- you are not bullet proof my friend

- You can be hit at moments you least expected it.

- Also, fight like there is no tomorrow. Give the enemy a beating he can’t forget for as long
as he lives (in hell).

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in
the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s
righteousness.

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully
prepared.

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God.
- Ephesians 6:13- 17 (NLT)

6. Think about the rewards for enduring

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God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the
crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 (The New Living Translation)

7. Decide now on how you are going to be remembered

- your legacy

- how are you going to be remembered?