Temptation and Finishing Strong

1.0 Opening

Good morning,

It's so good to be with you,

and I’m excited for our time together.

If you have a Bible, please turn to the book of Proverbs,

and chapter 7.

And if you’d like a title for this morning I’m calling it,

‘Temptation and Finishing Strong’

If you’re new to the book of Proverbs let me give you a brief overview.

Different books of the Bible have different genres,

and the book of Proverbs falls into ‘wisdom literature’.

Proverbs uses characters to portray ideas,

such as ‘wisdom’ and ‘folly’,

and the book often shows these as women.

In Proverbs chapter 7 we see the character of folly,

simply described here as ‘the adulteress’.

Now remember,

this is not a general rule about men and women.

In that men are generally good,

and women are somehow generally bad.

No!

Both can be wise,

and both can be foolish at times.

This is just how Proverbs portrays things.

So, before we go much further let us read the text together.

2.0 Scripture

My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

keep my commandments

and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom,

“You are my sister,”

and call insight your intimate friend,

to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.

For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice,

and I have seen among the simple,

I have perceived among the youths,

a young man lacking sense,

passing along the street near her corner,

taking the road to her house in the twilight,

in the evening,

at the time of night and darkness.

And behold, the woman meets him,

dressed as a prostitute,

wily of heart.

She is loud and wayward;

her feet do not stay at home;

now in the street,

now in the market,

and at every corner she lies in wait.

She seizes him and kisses him,

and with bold face she says to him,

“I had to offer sacrifices,

and today I have paid my vows;

so now I have come out to meet you,

to seek you eagerly,

and I have found you.

I have spread my couch with coverings,

colored linens from Egyptian linen;

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,

aloes,

and cinnamon.

Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

let us delight ourselves with love.

For my husband is not at home;

he has gone on a long journey;

he took a bag of money with him;

at full moon he will come home.”

With much seductive speech she persuades him;

with her smooth talk she compels him.

All at once he follows her,

as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver;

as a bird rushes into a snare;

he does not know that it will cost him his life.

And now, O sons, listen to me,

and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths,

for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are a mighty throng.

Her house is the way to She-ol,

going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 7:1–27

Let us pray.

3.0 Pray

4.0 Opening Story and Introduction

Does anyone remember the movie, Home Alone?

It's full of slapstick comedy

and family fun.

However, right in the middle of it is an emotional moment that always throws me off guard.

It takes place between Kevin and his next-door neighbour,

an old man the neighborhood kids are afraid of.

In the story, Kevin happens to visit a church,

and there meets the old man for the first time.

As they chat you find out the old man had a falling out with his son many years ago,

and although they are now both estranged,

the old man really misses his son.

So with all the wisdom of an eight-year-old boy,

Kevin asks the old man,

“Why don’t you just call him?”,

to which the old man replies.

“I’m afraid if I call him, he won’t talk to me”.

“No offence,” Kevin replies,

“but ain’t you a little old to be afraid?”

The old man looks him right in the eyes and says gravely,

“You can be a little old for a lot of things,

But you’re never too old to be afraid.”

Now as true as this statement is,

I would also suggest,

“You are never too old to be tempted!”

You see, temptation doesn’t just affect the young,

or the newly saved Christians trying to live the right way,

temptation affects us all.

C. S. Lewis, the famous English theologian reminds us,

“Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.”

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Yes, we are all called to resist temptation,

to resist the devil's ploys,

the schemes of the enemy.

And this chapter of Proverbs is full of wisdom,

and advice for us.

So for the rest of our time together we’ll look at three main points,

‘Temptation’s Strategies’

‘Methods for Avoiding Temptation’, which is our longest point.

And finally ‘Finishing Strong’.

Let’s start with our first main point, Temptation’s Strategies.

5.0 Temptation’s Strategies

Temptation is an age-old problem.

We know we should live one way,

but we are drawn to another.

We want to please God,

to live life His way,

but something feels like it is pulling us in the opposite direction.

This is temptation.

And temptation is one of the enemy’s key weapons he uses against us.

But is temptation actually a sin?

or put another way,

when we are tempted, are we sinning?

Temptation by its very nature feels wrong to most of us.

We have God’s moral law written on our hearts,

and when we are tempted we often feel uncomfortable.

This is the Holy Spirit warning us of the dangers that lie ahead.

Now,

when we are tempted it’s either directly by satan

or by our own sinful nature.

But temptation in and of itself isn’t sin.

Temptation only becomes sin when acted upon.

In other words, the temptation itself isn’t a sin,

but our response to it could be.

So what can we learn from this Proverb?

What can we learn that will help us understand the strategies of temptation, and how it leads us to sin?

Look again at verse 5.

“the forbidden woman … the adulteress,

with her smooth words.”

Proverbs 7:5

Now, how often does temptation come to us with smooth, seductive words?

“A little worry isn’t a bad thing,

it’s caring after all.

Go ahead and worry,

its ok.”

or

“It’s good to let people know what’s going on,

it's not really gossiping.

Go ahead and share that secret.”

So often this is how temptation starts,

with a small, soft voice.

A voice that sounds like it’s looking out for our needs.

A voice that understands us,

and what’s the best for us,

that just giving us advice.

But it isn’t,

It’s all a lie!

As we move into verse 10,

we can begin to see temptation’s plan of attack.

“And behold,

the woman meets him,

dressed as a prostitute,

wily of heart.

She is loud and wayward;

her feet do not stay at home;

now in the street,

now in the market,

and at every corner she lies in wait.”

Proverbs 7:10-12

Temptation isn’t passive.

Temptation is waiting,

watching,

ready to strike,

looking for any opportunity.

Temptation isn’t passive.

Temptation has a plan,

and it’s ready to act.

Look how quickly temptation changes its colours.

Quick as a flash temptation is out from the shadows,

and right in front of us.

That smooth caring voice is now loud and demonstrous.

Now it’s hard to think,

hard to resist,

hard to know which way to turn.

And temptation has no limits,

it doesn’t play fair.

What you thought was harmless,

now leads you into a trap,

into ruin.

Look again at verses 13 and 18,

“She took hold of him

and kissed him …

…come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

let us delight ourselves with love.’ ”

Proverbs 7:13, 18 (ESV / NIV)

We can see now the gloves are off.

No longer do we want to get away.

We forget all that God has done for us,

all the grace He has given us.

We so easily forget the eternal prize that lies ahead.

Instead, we fall straight into the arms of temptation.

Straight into its gaping mouth of deception and despair.

So that’s the bad news!

What about the good?

How can we avoid the snares of temptation?

This takes us to our second point, methods for avoiding temptation.

6.0 Methods for Avoiding Temptation

Now, I would have loved to stand here and tell you I’ve mastered the art of not being tempted.

But not only would that be impossible,

it would also be a lie.

One temptation I regularly struggle with is what Christian author Paul Tripp calls ‘the fear of man’.

I can be tempted to wonder what people think of me.

What you think of me.

And I’m especially tempted when I respect people,

or want them to like me.

Just a few weeks ago one of my Pastors, Jeremy, reminded me that God wants me to be myself.

I need to be who God made me,

and not try and be someone I’m not.

I need to be comfortable in my own skin, so to speak,

and not worried about what others think.

The following Sunday at church I had an opportunity to put this into practice.

I was scheduled to close the church service,

and this often leads me into the temptation of ‘fear of man’.

“Will I do a good job?”

And more importantly,

“What will people think of me?”

But as I was reminded of what Jeremy said to me,

I noticed I was no longer fearful.

I was able to speak without the normal nerves.

Through God’s kindness,

in that moment my ‘fear of man’ had gone.

I was confident in who I was,

and more importantly who God has made me.

What a difference that made that morning.

Now there are a number of practical ways we can avoid temptation,

By knowing and obeying God’s word.

By acting wisely, and not looking for trouble.

And by knowing our own weaknesses.

Let's quickly look at each of these ideas.

6.1 Avoid temptation by knowing and obeying God’s word.

We can avoid temptation by knowing and obeying God’s word.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that,

…the word of God is living and active,

sharper than any two-edged sword…”

Hebrews 4:12

God’s word isn’t just something passive.

It isn’t something we just read,

something that Christians are meant to do.

God’s word is living and active,

a weapon we can bring to bear against temptation.

And because it's God’s word,

it comes with power and authority.

When we find ourselves being tempted,

God’s word is our main form of defense.

Remember the words we read earlier,

…keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

keep my commandments

and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 7:1–3

The Bible comes with authority because it’s the very word of God.

It’s His inerrant, living word.

Now, there are many things that are worth remembering,

your loved one’s birthdays,

the most recent password you used for Facebook,

or what time you promised to meet that friend for lunch.

But knowing God’s word is even more important.

However, it’s not enough just to ‘know’ God’s word.

Even satan quoted scripture at Jesus in the wilderness.

Yes, we must know scripture,

but we must also obey scripture.

Jesus’ brother James is helpful when he reminds us,

“...be doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving yourselves.”

James 1:22

When it comes to fighting temptation,

we don’t want to be ‘hearers’ of the word only,

we need to be ‘doers’ of the word.

It would be like jumping out of a plane with a parachute

but not pulling the cord.

Simply knowing you had a parachute

and how it works isn’t enough.

If you don’t pull the cord,

things are not going to go well.

So let us both know and obey scripture.

Let us use it to fight against temptation.

6.2 Avoid temptation by acting wisely and not looking for trouble.

Next we can avoid temptation by acting wisely

and not looking for trouble.

Sometimes temptation just comes out of the blue,

but more often than not, if we’re honest, we put ourselves at risk.

Look at the young man in our story.

“...a young man lacking sense,

passing along the street near her corner,

taking the road to her house in the twilight,

in the evening,

at the time of night

and darkness.”

Proverbs 7:7–9

We have to ask ourselves,

‘What is he doing?’

‘He is out at night, alone, in the neighborhood of the adulterous woman! What is going on?’

Let us be smarter than this young man.

If certain places cause you temptation,

don’t go there.

If there are people that lead you astray,

don’t meet up with them.

If there are things you watch or read that lead you to sin,

don’t look at them.

The Apostle Paul tells us to

“...flee these things.” [and instead]

“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

1 Timothy 6:11

Each step we take towards temptation makes it harder for us to resist.

The closer we are,

the harder it is to pull away.

Let me give you an example.

Maybe you played with magnets growing up.

I remember trying to see how close I could put them together before they would snap.

Temptation works the same way.

From a distance, it's much easier to resist,

but eventually, without warning it will snap,

and you’ll find yourself in its clutches.

Friends remember,

temptation is most easily avoided when you are far from it.

6.3 Avoid temptation by knowing our weaknesses.

Our final idea is

that we can avoid temptation by knowing our weaknesses.

The ancient Greeks had a saying,

‘Know Thyself’,

and although it’s not Biblical,

it’s still good advice.

Knowing what leads you personally into temptation can be a lifesaver.

And when you know what it is,

what leads you into temptation,

You can stay away from it.

One of the best ways you can do this is not to be passive.

Don’t just let life happen to you.

Look back at verses 8,

We see the young man,

“...passing along the street near [the adulterouses] corner,

taking the road to her house in the twilight,

in the evening,

at the time of night and darkness.

Proverbs 7:8–9

This guy’s not looking out for himself,

he is just passively wandering along.

Is he looking for trouble,

or just unaware of the dangers?

Does he think about who’s around him,

and what temptation may be about to befall him?

When our guard is down,

that is when temptation strikes.

I was recently reminded of the acronym HALTS.

We are more vulnerable to temptation when we are

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

or Stressed.

And you could add sick to that list too.

So be actively aware of your weaknesses.

These are the times temptation looks to strike.

Avoid the situations where temptation likes to creep in.

However the great news is that we are not alone in this!

Paul reminds us to…

“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in you,

both to will

and to work for his good pleasure.”

Philippians 2:12–13

God works in us,

through His Holy Spirit,

and we work alongside Him, keeping in step with The Spirit.

By His power,

He enables us to resist temptation

and fight against sin.

Paul again reminds us,

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful,

and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability,

but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,

that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

And what's wonderful is that God has given us the gift of community to help combat temptation.

Jesus tells us,

“For where two or three are gathered in my name,

there am I among them.”

Matthew 18:20

We are not designed to live out the Christian life alone.

We are meant to be in a family,

in a church community.

We are meant to watch out for one another,

to care for one another.

If we don’t see someone at church for a few weeks we should call them up and see how things are going.

“Are they struggling with anything?”

“Can I pray for you?”

We can also hold each other accountable.

Coming alongside a friend when they’re struggling with a repeated temptation or sin.

We can pray with them,

encouraging them,

remind them of God’s word.

It is hard to stray from the path,

when you’re walking in community.

However, even with the best intentions in the world

we inevitably will fall at some point.

This is where we need to remember the gospel.

Let us run back to the foot of the cross,

repent and turn away from our sin.

Pray for God’s grace in our lives.

And remind ourselves that Christ died for all our sins,

even the one we just committed.

As the song reminds us,

“My sin was great,

[but] your love was greater”

What A Beautiful Name, Hillsong Worship

Finally let us consider our last point, Finishing Strong.

7.0 Finishing Strong

In recent years, in fact in recent months,

we have seen great men of God fall into sin,

and bring disgrace on themselves,

their families,

their churches,

and most importantly on God.

At some point, they too fell into temptation,

and for whatever reason were unable to overcome it.

When we think about our Christian life,

we often think about that day God called us,

the day The Holy Spirit illuminates the gospel to our heart

the day we said ‘the sinners pray’.

But the Christian life isn’t based around a single day,

it's a journey.

And yes it has a start,

but it also has a finish,

and between the two is a lifelong journey of trust and obedience.

The enemy's first priority is to keep you from coming to Christ.

To dull your ears to the call of The Holy Spirit.

To dim your eyes to His illumination of truth.

And to harden your heart to His mercy and love toward you.

But when that doesn’t work he comes at you with schemes,

with deceit,

and with temptations.

His hope is that you will make a shipwreck of your faith.

Or at least get sidetracked or bored,

turning away form it.

Anything to cause you to eventually stray from the path.

The writer of Hebrews talks about this when he says,

Take care, brothers,

lest there be in any of you an evil,

unbelieving heart,

leading you to fall away from the living God.

But exhort one another every day,

as long as it is called “today,”

that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have come to share in Christ,

if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 3:12–14

Let us not give in to temptation.

Let us not give it a single foothold in our lives.

Let us not harden our hearts towards God,

Instead, let us remember Christ’s work on the cross for us.

Let us remember the prize that awaits us at the end of our journey.

The Christian life isn’t about how we start,

it's about how we run,

it's about how we finish.

Let us not fall by the wayside at the last moment,

having become distracted by the ways of this world.

The crown of glory awaits us.

The praise of our Father calling us home

The knowledge that one day we will see Him face to face.

8.0 Conclusion

So as we wrap things up,

let us remember temptation’s strategies.

Remember God has given us grace to resist.

And remember that salvation isn’t a one off event,

but a life long walk of obedience with God.

Let us look forward to that day when we hear the words.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:23

And as we close,

let me leave you with this encouragement from the writer of Hebrews,

Therefore,

since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses

surrounding us,

let us lay aside every hindrance

and the sin that so easily ensnares us.

Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

keeping our eyes on Jesus,

the pioneer

and perfecter of our faith.

Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSV)

9.0 Pray