Sermon Central
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Overcoming Temptation
Contributed by Todd Nelson on Nov 26, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Whether it’s anger, insecurity, fear, low self-esteem, lust, infidelity, pride, financial problems due to over spending, laziness, unbearable marriages, broken parent-child relationships or being over weight, ALL of us have personal struggles in our lives
Overcoming Temptation: Discovering How To Reign In Life
Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17)
INTRODUCTION:
Whether it’s anger, insecurity, fear, low self-esteem, lust, infidelity, pride, financial problems due to over spending, laziness, unbearable marriages, broken parent-child relationships or being over weight, ALL of us have personal struggles in our lives!
In dealing with these difficulties in our lives, however, we have a choice:
We can either allow our issues to crush us, suffocate us and destroy any sense of personal dignity or self-worth, OR we can allow them to be a constant reminder of just how desperately we must depend on God’s faithfulness and grace in our lives.
Example: tennis ball vs. play dough
We are all affected by the storms and struggles of life. The question to consider is how are you going to respond? Like a tennis ball or play dough? You see, when you put pressure on play dough, it leaves a lasting imprint. Everybody can tell that is has been tampered with because of the mark it left. However, when you put pressure on a tennis ball, although it initially caves into the stress, it doesn’t remain in that condition. It always bounces back to its original shape. How do you respond to the pressures and struggles of life?
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Weakness – to restrain corrupt desires, to bear trials and troubles
The Message
My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.
Too many times we focus on the problem, the weakness, the struggle, instead of appreciating the gift of grace….
1 Cor. 10:13
But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
The MSG
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
The bottom line is that it’s really just a matter of comparisons:
I am going to compare my problem to my ability to handle it, OR
Compare the situation to God’s power, provision and promises in my life.
Ex. David vs. Goliath
David didn’t compare himself to Goliath;
He compared Goliath to His God. and said:
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, BUT I come against YOU in the name of the LORD Almighty, God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied.”
(1 Sam. 17:45 NIV)
YOU MUST USE YOUR WEAPONS
2 Cor. 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every high thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Arguments – sickness will argue with your healing, lack will argue with your provision, stress will argue with your peace, discouragement will argue with your joy, strife will argue with the love of God….
1. TRUTH – your greatest ally (favorite line in A Few Good Men)
You must know the truth about the situation, yourself, others, etc. discern
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
MSG
But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.
(Example: Susan with arthritis; marriage devil or principles; business prayer or not discerning the market; stock market)
