Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction

!! A.    TEMPTATION IS NOT OF GOD

1.      God is never tempted

2.      God tempts no man

 

!!! B.     TEMPTATION IS OF MAN, OF HIS OWN LUST

1.

There is lust & enticement

2.      There is the conception of lust & the birth of sin

3.

There is the result: Death

 

!!! C.    TEMPTATION IS NOT OF THE NATURE OF GOD

!!! 1.      God is only good

2.      God gives only good gifts

3.      God wills only to see us born again

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

I.

The Origin of Trial & Temptation, 1:13-18

!!! (1:13-18) Introduction: Where does temptation come from?

1.      Sometimes the desire and craving for things upon the earth are almost unbearable.

a.

We see something and we know that it is wrong, that we should not have it or do it.

b.      Sometimes the desires and craving become so strong that we can hardly stand it.

c.       Can you give me any examples of desires you have that you know are wrong?

—    Having one’s own way                --clothes

—    Food                                            --more components for my computer

—    Alcohol                                        --more guitar equipment

—    Cigarettes                                     --watching things on T.V. that are wrong

 

2.

This is what temptation is: 

a.

The desire and craving for wrong things, that God forbids, and that are harmful to our bodies and spirits.

b.

No matter what it is—even if you or I try to justify it and say that it is acceptable—it is sin if God says that it is wrong—and if it harms our human bodies and spirits.

c.

Therefore, when we feel an urge or craving for such things, we are being tempted, and the temptation is to be fled from.

3.

Now, where does temptation come from?

a.

Take any one of the things mentioned from above, why do we desire and crave them?

b.

What causes the urge for them?

c.       Knowing, (remember the word /know/?) the origin of temptation will help us to conquer the trials and temptations of life.

1)      Temptation is not of God (v.13)

2)      Temptation is of man, of his own lust (v.14-16)

3)      Temptation is not of the nature of God (v.17-18)

 

 

!!! A.    ( 1:13) TEMPTATION IS NOT OF GOD

1.      Man is always blaming someone else for tempting him and leading him into sin.

a.

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God found Adam and asked him what had happened?

b.      Adam, trying to escape the guilt said, “the woman /you gave me /tempted me” (Gen.

3:12)

c.       Then Eve said to God, “the serpent deceived me” (Gen.

3:13).

2.

The point is this: man seldom takes responsibility for his own wrongdoing.

a.

This is called “passing the buck”

b.      Don’t try and get away with sin by blaming others, admit what you have done wrong, ask God to forgive you, and learn from you mistakes.

3.

Man can even make jokes or excuses about temptation and sin, such as:

a.       “if I hadn’t have been there, I wouldn’t have done it”

b.      “the Devil made me do it”

c.       “or it may even be a second helping of food”

d.      “I couldn’t help it”

e.       “everybody is doing it”

f.       “it was just a mistake,” “I didn’t know it was wrong”

g.      “What we do is justify our behavior and try to quiet our conscience by blaming others”

 

But note what we have done: we have blamed God.

How?

—         By wondering why God ever let such a thing happen to me: flunk my math test, get into an accident, and a lot of other things we blame God for.

—         By thinking that God created us with desires and passions; therefore, when we slip here and there, He will understand and forgive us (abusing /The Grace of God/).

4.

God of course, did create all things in their raw form, and yes He did create us with desires and cravings.

a.       God created food and He gave us a desire for food so that we would eat and take car of our bodies, however, gluttony (overeating) is sin.

b.      God gave man to woman and woman to man so that they would keep the human race going and would build a family, full of love.

c.

We desire to sleep that’s is good because we need to rest our bodies but /“laziness”/ is sin.

d.

But God *did not* make us to…

1)      To desire and then to desire for more.

2)      To crave and then to crave for more.

God is not the Person who arouses lustful desires and cravings within us.

Note what this verse says:

         

           Let no one say [or think or rationalize, or justify] when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

(James 1:13 NKJV)

 

*1a.

**( Verse 13a) God Is Never Tempted*

1.

By God’s very nature He can have absolutely nothing to do with evil or temptation.

2.

To tempt a person is an evil thing to do.

a.

It takes an evil person to try and entice someone to sin against God.

And God is not like this.

3.      God is the very opposite.

a.       God’s holiness does not allow Him to be tempted to do evil (there are things God cannot do).

b.

He cannot be tempted to tempt man, to do such an awful and unholy thing

 

2a.

( Verse 13b) God tempts no man

1.      God loves, cares, and seeks to save man, not to damage or destroy his body and spirit

2.      Why would God tempt us to sin, if sin is the very reason that Christ died for us?

3.      When we are tempted, God wants us to turn away and to flee the temptation, not to give in to it.

God has one eye on you and one hand on the thermostat; God knows your breaking point.

—    1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God /is/ faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear /it/.

—    2 Peter 2:9/ then/ the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

—    1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest /your/ hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, /as/ in your ignorance; but as He who called you /is/ holy, you also be holy in all /your/ conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

—    2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

!!!  

 

!!! B.     ( 1:14-16) TEMPTATION IS OF MAN, OF HIS OWN LUST

There are three significant steps involved in temptation and sin, three steps that we must understand if we are to consistently conquer temptation.

* *

*1b.

**(Verse 14) There is lust & enticement *