The Way of Escape

Introduction

I want to talk to you about a subject that everybody in the room deals with.

It’s all around us all the time.

It’s a constant battle and a constant fight.

If you beat it you can experience a victorious Christian life.

If you let it beat you it will lead you straight to death:

Death to your physical body

Death in your relationships

Death in your ministry and witness to others

And ultimately death to your physical body

What we are going to be discussing this morning is Temptations.

Temptations are all around us all the time.

Hom many of you have already felt some temptation of some sort this morning?

Temptation is there when you’re wake up by your smart phone.

Temptation is there when you watch TV.

Temptation is all around when you go to work, or school.

Temptation is all around you with you go the grocery store.

Temptation is with you even when you come to church.

Temptation is there when people want to gossip about others.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Everyone has temptations in their life.

In Paul has been talking about the necessity to exercise self-control as we do the work of the ministry.

You see, your temptations are not just about you. when you through the power of the Holy Spirit learn to control your flesh and temptations. You gain the ability to preach the gospel of repentance and salvation.

The title of the message this morning is “The Way of Escape.”

Overcoming Temptation before it Overcomes You.

Bible Teaching

3 Things necessary to take the way of escape God has given you.

Let me start with a statement then we will look at the scripture and finally I will give you the step.

Statement One: When temptation comes remember what God has separated you from.

1 Corinthians 10:1–2 ESV

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

1 Cor 10:1

1 Corinthians 10:3–4 ESV

3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

1 cor 10:3-

You must remember our Exodus from Sin

Israel’s salvation from slavery in Egypt.

Through God’s great power he saves them from the bondage of this world.

He baptizes them when they pass through the Red Sea and separates them from the past life.

God then sustains them with spiritual food called Manna and bring living water from the rock which is a picture of Christ.

Our salvation from the slavery of sin.

Through God’s great power he saves us from the bondage of sin.

Romans 6:12–14 ESV

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans

We are baptized into Christ and separated from the world.

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Rom

We are sustained by the Spiritual food of the Word and the living water of Christ.

Step One: Claim your freedom in Christ from the sin of this world.

1 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1 Cor 10:5

Statement Two: Know the desires of your heart and the triggers where sin starts.

1 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1 Cor 10:

1 Corinthians 10:6 ESV

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

Sadly this is the commentary on to many Christians.

You are delivered from bondage through the power of the gospel but are overtaken in the wilderness by your fleshly desires.

1 Corinthians 10:8 ESV

8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

1 Corinthians 10:7–8 ESV

7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

1 Cor

1 Cor

1 Corinthians 10:9–10 ESV

9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

The Pattern is clear:

1 Corinthians 10:11 ESV

11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

vs. 6 “That we might not desire.”

1 Cor 10

vs. 8 “We must not indulge.”

Unchecked desire will always lead to indulgence.

Every person knows their struggle. You need to be honest with yourself and identify the sinful desires of your heart.

The Pattern of sin is laid out in .

James 1:14 ESV

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

James

Sinful desires will overthrow you and cause you to wander in the wilderness of life instead of living in the promise land of God.

James 1:15 ESV

15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The pattern

You can’t stop the temptation but you can control it in your mind before it becomes an indulgence.

Sin that is not put to death will grow like a cancer and bring forth death.

2 Corinthians 10:5–6 ESV

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

You must learn to be in charge of your thoughts.

The battle is in the mind.

You must capture the desire before it becomes an indulgence.

Learn to apply the truth of the gospel to your thoughts.

Lean on others to help you through the temptation.

Illustration of the Donut.

Step Two: Identify the desires and triggers in your life so that you can bring them into captivity through Christ.

Last Statement

Statement Three: If you don’t have a plan you will fall to the temptations of Man.

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 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 Cor 10:12

In the midst of your temptation God is still faithful.

He has not left you or forsaken you.

God is walking through the temptation with you.

He is not watching from a distance.

He is providing the truth that you need and the way of escape right when the temptation is happening.

Flee the sinful desire and run to God.

James 4:7 ESV

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

James 4:7–8 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James

God has the final say over the severity of your temptation.

Call on the mighty power of God to help you and deliver you.

Don’t be afraid to use the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus.

What is the exit plan that you have for your known desires and triggers.

You must have a predetermined exit plan for your internal struggles.

God will provide an escape for struggles that come from the outside.

When Joseph was being tempted by Potipher’s Wife he just needed to run. That was an outside temptation but God made a way of escape for him.

Step Three: Map out the exit plan and take the way of escape that God gives you.

Turn to God

Run to God

To Endure the temptation of the present you must learn from examples of the past.

Closing Remarks

The struggle of fleshly desires is one that is common to man. There is no escaping it. There is no growing out of it. But you can learn how to overcome it.

I want you to bow your heads with me this morning. Remove all the distraction from your mind and think about the message today:

There is someone in this building today that needs to be set free from your sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as God delivered the Children of Israel from Egypt you need the mighty hand of God to set you free and set you apart for His glory. That’s where the victory begins. You will receive the help of God until you are a child of God. You must be born again.

Some of you that have experienced the joy of salvation find yourself overthrown in the wilderness. God is faithful. The whole time his people were wandering around in the wilderness he was still providing them spiritual food and the spiritual Rock. Humble yourself. Resist the devil. Draw near to God and you will find that victory in Jesus is one step away.

The alter is open. If you need to be set free from your sin, you come. If you need to call on the name of Jesus and rebuke the desires of your heart, you will find there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.