The Temptation Trap
LUKE 17:1-4 - THE TEMPTATION TRAP –
KESWICK DEVOTIONAL – JAN. 11, 08
A DAY DOESN’T GO BY WHERE WE DO NOT HEAR OF SOME WHO HAS FALLEN INTO THE TEMPTATION TRAP. EACH WEEK....THERE IS A LIST OF MORAL AND ETHICAL FAILURES THAT HAPPEN ALL AROUND THE NATION AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
THIS WEEK A TORONTO PASTOR WAS ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX WITH TWO WOMEN, CLAIMING TO RID EVIL SPIRITS FROM THEM. HE IS CHARGE WITH ABUSE OF HIS POSITION OF TRUST AND GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
IN SOUTH CAROLINA, 41 YR OLD MINISTER, A PASTOR, WHO WAS A REGISTERD SEX OFFENDER, WAS CHARGED THIS WEEK WITH TOW COUNTS OF LEWD ACT ON A MINOR.
HE HAS BEEN IN JAIL SINCE NOV. OF 2006 BUT WAS RECENTLY CHARGED WITH ADDITIONAL CRIMES.
IN CINCINNATI, THERE WAS A PASTOR WHO ENTER A PROGRAM FOR TWO MISDEMEANOR CHARGES IN THAT HE VIOLATED THE STATE’S CONCEAL AND CARRY LAW. THE PASTOR WAS ARRESTED AFTER POLICE FOUND HIM AT 12:30 PM CHRISTMAS EVE WITH A LOADED 9MM GLOCK AND .25 CALIBER HANDGUN IN HIS BRIEFCASE AT THE MR. SPOTLESS CAR WASH.
FROM OUR COMMUNITIES, TO OUR CHURCHES INTO THE COLONY...THERE IS A NEVER ENDING MINE FIELD OF TEMPTATION TRAPS.
JESUS WORD RING TRUE.....THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TEMPTATION TO SIN.
THE WORD USED HERE GIVES US OUR ENGLISH WORD FOR SCANDAL....SIN WILL ALWAYS LURE US AND ENTICE US AND LEAD US TO SCANDAL.
LESSON IS SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SCANDAL.
HOW DO WE AVOID THE TEMPTATION TRAP?
WE MUST WATCH OUT FOR SIN....SIN IS INEVITABLE – THE STUMBLING BLOCKS OF SIN ARE EVERYWHERE; SIN CROUCHES AT THE DOOR AND CALLS US BY NAME. SIN SEEKS TO RECRUIT US AS WELL AS OTHERS.....THERE ARE THOSE WHO BAIT AND LURE PEOPLE TO SIN FOR THEIR OWN GREEDY GAIN. THERE ARE THOSE WHO DO IT KNOWINGLY AS WELL AS UNKNOWINGLY I.E. PETER’S GOOD INTENTION ENCOURAGING JESUS NOT TO GO TO THE CROSS. V. 2 IT IS BETTER TO DIE THAN TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO MISS HEAVEN.
WE MUST WATCH OUT FOR “SELF”– V. 3 GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF AND HOLD TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND. WATCH YOUR HEART, .THE IS DECIETFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED.; WHO CAN KNOW IT JER. 17:9.....FOR OUT OF IT FLOWS THE ISSUE OF LIFE. WE MUST BE MINDFUL OF OUR OWN WEAKNESSES...THE LOGS IN OUR OWN EYES OVER THE SPECKS IN OTHER EYES...
WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS,
WATCH YOUR EYES AND EARS
WATCH YOUR TEACHING
WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE
WATCH YOUR WALK I.E. LIFESTYLE
WATCH YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES
WE MUST WATCH OUT FOR THE SAINTS AND AINT’S – V. 3B-4 CONFRONT AND FORGIVE.
LEADERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE – REBUKE THE PERSON WITH AUTHORITY SO THAT THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND....REPENT ..SO WE CAN FORGIVE.
WATCH FOR THE TRAPS, BUT ALWAYS WATCH AND BE WILLING TO TAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE.
WITH EVERY EVIL ENTRAPMENT, GOD MAKES A WAY OF ESCAPE
THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN; BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; BUT WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY OF ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT. 1 COR 10:13.
HERE IS A QUOTE FROM THOMAS FLEMING, IN THE MAN WHO DARED THE LIGHTNING. “WHEN BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, A VISITOR GAVE HIM SOME SMALL CHANGE.
LATER, SEEING ANOTHER BOY PLAYING WITH A WHISTLE, YOUNG BENJAMIN GAVE THE BOY ALL HIS MONEY FOR IT.
HE PLAYED THE WHISTLE ALL OVER THE HOUSE, ENJOYING IT UNTIL HE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD GIVEN FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS THE WHISTLE WAS WORTH. INSTANTLY, THE WHISTLE LOST ITS CHARM.
AS HE GREW OLDER, FRANKLIN GENERALIZED THIS PRINCIPLE. WHEN HE SAW A MAN NEGLECTING HIS FAMILY OR BUSINESS FOR POLITICAL POPULARITY, OR A MISER GIVING UP FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SAKE OF ACCUMULATING WEALTH, HE WOULD SAY, ‘HE PAYS TOO MUCH FOR HIS WHISTLE.”
THE ABOVE STORY HAS AN EXCELLENT LESSON IN IT: TOO OFTEN WE PAY TOO GREAT A PRICE FOR SOMETHING THAT LOOKS SO GOOD AND PROMISES SO MUCH. FISH ARE HOOKED BECAUSE THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE FOOD AND WOULD MAKE A GOOD MEAL ONLY TO BECOME FOOD THEMSELVES. DO NOT BE FOOLED, THE WORLD OFFERS YOU WHISTLES THAT ARE NOT WORTH THE PRICE.
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SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT TEMPTATION:
1. TEMPTATION IS COMMON TO ALL CHRISTIANS.
2. TEMPTATION IS OF THE DEVIL (SEE TEMPTATION OF JESUS, MATTHEW 4:1–11).
3. TEMPTATION ITSELF IS NOT SIN, BUT SUCCUMBING TO IT IS.
4. GOD DOES NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION IN THE SENSE THAT HE PURPOSELY AND PERSONALLY TEMPTS. BUT, GOD DOES PERMIT US TO BE TEMPTED (SEE JOB 1:6–12), SO THAT WE CAN FACE TEMPTATION, OVERCOME IT, AND BECOME STRONGER.
5. NO TEMPTATION IS IRRESISTIBLE. “YOU CAN TRUST GOD TO KEEP THE TEMPTATION FROM BECOMING SO STRONG THAT YOU CAN’T STAND UP AGAINST IT (1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, TLB).
6. WHATEVER WE EXPERIENCE, JESUS HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE US. HE “WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN” (HEBREWS 4:15, KJV).
A. WE MUST RESIST THE TEMPTER: “RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU” (JAMES 4:7, KJV).
B. WE MUST SUBMIT TO GOD: “SUBMIT YOURSELVES...TO GOD” (JAMES 4:7, KJV). THIS WE DO BY:
(1) COMMITTING OURSELVES DAILY TO GOD ACCORDING TO ROMANS 12:1, AND BY DAILY CONFESSION OF SIN SO THAT THERE IS NO BUILDUP (PSALM 51:10).
(2) SUBJECTING OUR MINDS TO HIS CONTROL. “
(3) THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER” LET US THEN APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH CONFIDENCE, SO THAT WE MAY RECEIVE MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP US IN OUR
(4) READING, STUDYING AND MEMORIZING THE WORD OF GOD. D. L. MOODY USED TO SAY, “SIN WILL KEEP YOU FROM THIS BOOK (THE BIBLE), OR THIS BOOK WILL KEEP YOU FROM SIN.”
(5) ASSOCIATING WITH THE RIGHT KINDS OF FRIENDS: GOD’S PEOPLE. “DO NOT BE MISLED; BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER” (1 CORINTHIANS 15:33, NIV
(6) PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (SEE EPHESIANS 6:13–18).
(7) DEPENDENCE UPON THE HOLY SPIRIT.”WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH...” (JOHN 16:13, KJV).
THE BILLY GRAHAM CHRISTIAN WORKER’S HANDBOOK, (MINNEAPOLIS: WORLD WIDE PUBL., 1984), PP. 231-233
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[1] AMG Bible Illustrations. electronic ed. Chattanooga : AMG Publishers, 2000 (Logos Library System; Bible Illustrations Series)
[2]Galaxie Software: 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press, 2002; 2002