Finally, um, figured out what we were going to do and, uh, confirmed through a lot of things.
First John mentioned about possibly doing a series on sin and temptation.
And we began to kind of pray about it and, uh, asked around and like, I asked three people last week and like three out of four is like something on temptation would be really good.
So it was just cool to see how the Lord kind of narrowed that down.
Um, so we're going to kind of begin a long series on that.
And tonight is going to be kind of like an introduction or overview of what we're going to be kind of going after.
So I invite you to turn to Ephesians chapter two.
Thank you for praying for my voice.
Those of you who were, I know a lot of you were, um, grateful to kind of return to me a few days ago.
So, um, thanks man.
Water, not coffee.
Um, Ephesians chapter two.
We're going to start reading in verse one.
I'm going to read one through five.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world,
following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is not work in the sons of disobedience,
among whom we all once lived in the passage of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.
But God being rich in mercy because of his great love, which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
By grace, you have been saved.
Just pray with me for a moment.
Father, we want to approach your word with reverence and awe tonight.
And I pray that you would work it into our hearts.
Holy Spirit, those who don't know you, um, would be convicted of sin.
Lord, that you would show them your grace and your salvation.
I pray that those who do know you, Father, would be strengthened through what goes on in the next few weeks
through your word and what we share from your word about sin and temptation.
I pray we would see a lot of victory as a result.
Lord, I pray we would be doers of the word and not just hearers.
I pray that people would just sit and come here to be cool and just learn something and go home,
but to be obedient and to allow your word to saturate into our hearts.
Lord, we offer ourselves up to you.
Be glorified.
In Christ's name, amen.
First of all, in this passage, we see some things mentioned.
This is Paul writing to the Christians in Ephesus,
and he's looking back, trying to remind them of their past life,
their past life that was in sin and in bondage.
And he's saying, you were dead.
It's all kind of written in like the past tense, something that you were in.
And this idea of what sin is, we'll just briefly talk about what sin is.
We talk about it a lot here.
Hopefully we talk about grace just as much or even more as sin.
But briefly, sin in essence is the word itself.
A lot of times it means missing the mark.
And we were created to walk with God, to glorify God, and reflect who he was.
And we failed to do that.
All of us sinned against God.
All of us.
We've rebelled against God.
And so we've forfeited the reason for our existence because of that, because of our sin.
Because we were designed and created to know God, to fellowship with him, and to glorify him.
And so sin destroyed that.
So we missed the mark for which we were created originally to do.
So all of us, if you want like another picture of what sin is, it is giving our love and our affection, our worship, our adoration, whatever,
and giving it to things that are infinitely lesser than God, unworthier than God.
And we've all done that.
We've all loved many, many other things.
And it hasn't been God.
We've put people, relationships, hobbies, sports, looks, whatever, ahead of God.
And you follow like that trail of your time and your money and your energy.
It's going to like show you where your God is.
And usually the living God is not the one that you find there.
And for this word here that's used in verse 1, it says we were dead in our trespasses of sin.
Also used in verse 6, dead in our trespasses.
That word dead, it means corpse.
It means that you were spiritually dead at one point in your life.
And before you came to know Christ, this is what he's talking about.
This was your condition.
It wasn't just you were sick, you were dead.
And a desperate condition to be in.
So, Tim Keller wrote this about sin.
He said, sin isn't only doing bad things.
It is more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things.
Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than God.
Whatever we have built our life on will drive us and enslave us.
Sin is primarily idolatry.
So, things that might not necessarily be evil or bad, we have turned into that by making them ultimate things,
by loving them and pursuing them more than God.
That's what we've done.
All of us have done that.
From the greatest to the least.
And we're all guilty.
So, the next part, we read in verse 4,
But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love for which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
By grace, you have been saved.
So, God did not, like, leave man in that dreadful state, in the state of rebellion where he was going to have to judge and destroy man.
But, according to his love and according to his grace, he provided a way for man to be reconciled, brought back into fellowship with himself,
so we can know him again, but ultimately so that we can actually live a life that can glorify him again, like we originally were created to do.
So, Christ came, died on the cross, lived a life, died on the cross, resurrected.
And now, all those who put their complete trust and faith in Christ alone to have, like, a right standing with God and to be restored back into fellowship with God can have that through Christ alone.
And it's something that we can't earn, that idea right there of how it's by grace you have been saved.
And it kind of elaborates even after that, after our passage.
We are saved by grace and not by works.
This was something outside of our power to do.
We couldn't save ourselves.
We couldn't improve the condition that we were in.
So, God came to save us.
So, the question is, for some of you, I need to ask, where do you stand?
There's not, like, a neutral time.
You either have Christ in your life as your Savior, and you're trusting in him for salvation, and you're following him daily,
or you're an enemy of God.
There's not one in between.
And if you've been coming around Christ's family, you've been around Christian friends,
or you've been involved in a campus ministry, BCM, Campus Outreach, Wesley, whatever,
and you're hearing gospel truth over and over.
You're hearing things about grace.
You're hearing things about who Christ was, the gospel.
You're like, okay, well, that's cool.
And then you go home, and you forget about it, and you wait until the next time to hear about it.
You need to know, like, you're in a serious state without Christ.
This isn't something you can just put off.
God's not waiting for you to RSVP.
He's not looking upon you as neutral.
Well, he hasn't responded yet, or she hasn't responded yet.
So, cool.
It's like you need to understand that you're an enemy until you come to Christ.
Turn to Romans 5 really quickly.
So there's some urgency in this response.
You need to come to Christ.
You need to think about what you're doing and weigh the cost,
but this is an urgent matter.
Romans 5, verse 8, sorry.
Now, some people have an idea that God is all loving,
that he would never punish anybody for their sin.
There's just such thing as his wrath or his judgment.
The other camp says that God is only wrath and God is only judgment,
and both camps are wrong.
The truth is that God is both loving, but he also is just,
and that he will destroy sin, but he's willing to save sinners.
Verse 8,
But God shows his love for us,
that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood,
much more shall I be saved by him from the wrath of God.
You see that?
We got, like, there's the love of God.
Verse 8, the love of God on the table,
the most purest, most awesome kind of love,
unconditional love on the table.
But then the next verse, it says,
So that we might be saved from his wrath.
Both things on the table there.
And Christ came to save us.
He said, well, I'm saved.
You hear that a lot in the South.
And you've got to ask the question,
what are you saved from?
And the answer is the wrath of God,
the justice of God.
And so if you don't know Christ,
I beg you to come talk with me,
talk with John, talk with Dan, talk with Alex,
someone who brought you tonight.
Like, don't rest.
It's been like, oh, I'll wait till next Thursday.
Don't do that.
You're in a serious state.
And God is loving and he's willing to come and save you by Christ.
Read this next verse.
Verse 10, it says,
So you want restoration to God and have this forgiveness of your sin
and relationship with God
and a life that you can, again, walk with him and honor him.
And Christ is the only way.
He's the only way to be saved.
So either in that condition,
and you need to talk to somebody tonight,
or you have met Christ,
you have come to him broken
and without any goodness of your own
and said, I need you.
Please save me.
I have no hope.
I will follow you
and I will do whatever you ask me to do.
I will live for you
and I will die for you.
Whatever it takes,
I will follow you.
So,
if that's your case tonight,
then you need to be aware.
This is like a long introduction.
Sorry.
If you're a believer and you know Christ,
there's two existing realities.
You can just kind of write this down if you're taking notes.
Two existing realities.
And for all you
campus outreach,
beach projectors,
SLPers,
you probably have heard some of those before.
It's not a new idea.
But,
they have this idea in Scripture about the kingdom of God.
It means like,
God's dominion,
God's reign,
God's rule being manifest throughout,
you know,
the earth,
the universe.
And,
it's in a progress now,
though.
Like,
it started when Christ came
and it's ultimately moving towards,
like,
the second coming.
Um,
toward the fullness of the kingdom
that manifests.
But,
there's two existing realities.
That,
the kingdom of God
is here,
but it's not fully here.
And,
I'll give you one,
two examples of this real fast.
Mark 1,
don't have to turn there.
Mark 1,
14,
it says that Jesus came
and he was proclaiming the gospel
and he said this,
the time is fulfilled
and the kingdom of God
is at hand
or it's present
right now.
Repent and believe the gospel.
So,
the kingdom of God is here.
Like,
right now.
Like,
me,
Jesus,
I'm ushering in
the kingdom.
Here I am.
And then in Matthew 6,
verse 9,
we read this.
It's the,
it's known as the Lord's Prayer,
but it's really not the Lord's Prayer,
it's the disciples' prayer.
Because he's actually teaching
the disciples how to pray.
He says,
pray like this,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
So,
Jesus is like saying,
pray that his kingdom
would come,
that it would,
that his will would be done,
that everything he desired
would manifest itself
here on the earth.
Pretty cool.
So,
the kingdom is here,
but it's also coming.
And the best analogy
I can think of is like,
it was really,
really dark,
pitch dark,
can't see a thing,
and the sun begins
to come up.
You know,
you see the sun,
the sun is rising,
it's there,
but,
as it's coming up,
it kind of pierces
through the darkness,
but it's not fully up
in the air yet,
so,
there's still some darkness
that remains,
some,
you know,
shady places.
That's the way
like the kingdom
is right now.
A long time ago,
the 5th century,
there was a guy
named St. Augustine,
or St. Augustine,
if you're thinking
about Florida,
the same guy.
He wrote a book
that actually changed
history,
and how we think
about history.
You learn about him,
some of you history
may have probably
heard about this before,
but it was called
The City of God.
Pretty heavy read.
I thought,
I'll read that.
I read that the first chapter,
but I can't read it anymore.
It was just very,
I did read Confessions,
slowly,
but The City of God's
intense,
but it was the first time
that somebody
had said,
history had a beginning,
and it will have an end.
Like,
it started with creation,
and now we're in
the redemptive mode,
and then it's moving
toward the second coming.
When the second coming
comes,
history,
as we know it,
is over.
So,
it began to,
like,
people began to think
that way.
History had an end
in the beginning.
So,
this is helpful.
Again,
this was mentioned
at Beach Project,
some of you who went,
but there's,
you ever thought,
like,
what is the Bible?
What's,
like,
some of the main,
a main theme
or storyline
that I can follow
as I read the Bible?
Here's,
here's four things
really fast.
This is,
like,
a process we see.
Starts with,
number one,
creation.
Creation.
And that is that
God created man
and all things
in the universe
perfectly.
Everything was good.
It was without sin,
and he created it
for his glory,
all of it.
Secondly,
after creation,
there was fall.
Man's sin
rebelled against God
and destroyed
his relationship
with God,
put him at hostility
towards God.
It destroyed
his relationships
with other men.
Our relationships
with each other
were broken
and suffering
and sin
and death
entered the world.
So,
that's fall.
So,
creation,
fall.
Then you have,
thirdly,
redemption.
And this is
God's
at work
in history
to restore man
back to himself
so that man
could again
glorify him.
And this really
started when Christ
came,
lived,
died,
resurrected.
That was kind of
like the climax
of that.
And so,
made it possible
for man to be,
like we just said,
reconciled back
to God.
And then,
so that's kind of
like in the place
we kind of live
right now,
like in the
redemptive mode.
Don't all of us
are redeemed.
That's kind of
where we live.
But fourthly,
is a big word,
consummation.
C-O-M-S-U-M-M-A-T-I-O-M.
Consummation.
This is basically
when Christ returns
and restores
all things
and everything
is made new
and the new
heaven,
the new earth
and everything
is brought
and restored
back to its
original form
or even greater
actually.
So,
the kingdom of God
is here
but it's coming.
And,
for the Christian
life,
like right now,
we're kind of
like in a really
unique period
of time,
period of history.
And,
Christ has
said,
I will come back.
And,
he actually calls
these the last days.
We live in
the last days.
That doesn't mean
like,
you know,
we'll get into all that.
Don't take it too far.
It just means like,
this is called
the last days.
Jesus said that.
After I leave,
it will be like
the last days.
So,
we can experience
as Christians,
we can see
the
fruit of
what Christ
has done.
But,
we can't fully
see his power
manifested yet.
We still have,
we live in the world,
we see many,
many things in the world.
The Bible uses
phrases like,
you are saved.
Then,
like in,
1 Corinthians 1,
18,
it says,
you are being saved.
So,
this idea that we are
saved and we're being
saved.
The kingdom is here,
yet it's coming.
So,
a Christian
has to deal
with a lot of things
in this life
that are not
fully redeemed.
And,
this is going to
kind of bring us
to our topic
a little bit.
I like our intro
to understand
this is where we live
right now.
We're not
fully redeemed
yet.
So,
if most of us
are honest,
and you get like
a,
guys,
you sit down
one day with me
and get lunch
or breakfast
or girls,
you go sit
with somebody else.
I don't think
I'll meet you
but somebody else
that knows Christ
and another believer.
You begin to share
about your Christian life.
I think most of us
because it's just
the truth.
Most of us
don't live
like in the victory
that Christ
has to cure for us.
We live
depressed,
defeated.
We don't,
we don't,
we live between
fears and hopes
back and forth.
We hope our state
is good
and we kind of,
we hope that we're
doing okay
but we're normally not.
It's just like this
idea that we just
live in a constant
defeat all the time.
So,
though Christ
has saved us,
we barely,
we feel like we're
just barely hanging
on spiritually.
Like,
it's not really good
and we come to
places like this,
come to a worship
service somewhere
or a campus
Bible study,
whatever.
It's all smiles
and you know how to like,
we're really good
at hiding our sin
from people.
Really good.
I'm pretty good.
Unless you know me
really well like
my roommates do
and I know
something's going on.
But,
we're really good.
Most of us don't
live in victory.
We don't have
the inner peace,
the joy,
the confidence
we should have
before God.
We have a lot of
junk that we're
trying to hide.
So,
we kind of feel like,
we're kind of like
this ship
getting thrown
everywhere by a storm
and just like
crossing our fingers
when we get
to the other.
We feel like
we're barely
hanging on.
And that's the
truth with me too
at times.
So,
I have a
letter here
that
a guy
who actually
attends
John MacArthur's
church
in California
and
he's really
depressed.
You can tell.
And this is kind of
like what he writes
MacArthur.
He says,
Dear Pastor John,
I've been attending
Grace,
that's the name of
the church,
attending Grace
for several years
and as a result
of a growing
conviction in my
heart
and seemingly
temptations
have come
and I am
powerless to stop
and constantly
succumbing to them
in the talks
with other
golly men
around me.
I have
growing doubts
that have led
me to believe
that I'm not
saved.
How sad
it is,
John,
for me not
to be able
to enter in
because of the
sin that clings
to me
and from
which I long
to be free.
How bizarre
for one who
teaches in a
Sunday school
with heartfelt
conviction,
a trainer in
discipleship,
evangelism,
a seminarian,
a discipler.
So many times
I have determined
in my heart
to repent,
to shake
loose on the
sin that I
have,
to forsake
all for Jesus
only to find
myself doing
the sin I
don't want to
do and not
doing the good
that I want to
do.
After my
fiance and I
broke up,
I memorized
Ephesians as an
all-out effort
to make war
against sin
only to find
myself weaker
and more painfully
aware of my
sinfulness,
more prone
to sin
than ever
before,
grabbing cheap
thrills to
push back
pain of lost
love,
mostly in the
heart,
John,
the best word
that counts
the most in
the heart
is where you
live.
I sin because
I'm a sinner.
I'm like a
soldier without my
armor running
across the
battlefield getting
shot up by the
fiery darts of
the enemy.
I couldn't
leave the
church if I
wanted to.
I love the
people.
I'm enthralled
by the gospel
of the beautiful
Messiah.
I'm a pile
of manure
on the white
marble floor
of Christ,
a mongrel dog
that snuck in
the back door
at the king's
banquet to
lick the crumbs
up the floor
and by being
close to other
Christians who
I hope to get
some of the
rich blessings
of Christ,
I come of an
overflow,
excuse me,
I get some of
the overflow and
I ask that you
would pray for
me as you think
best.
When I read
that I thought
like man I
haven't felt like
that before.
Like I'm so
lost.
I feel like I
just, I
can't defeat
the sin that's
in my life,
but I love
Christ, I love
the people of
God, I feel
like a pile of
manure on the
white marble
floor of
Christ.
I love to be
around people
who love
Christ and
almost feel like
I can't get
around them
because they
have such a
good walk
with God
and I
don't.
This is how
a lot of us
have felt at
some point and
maybe even
some of us
now.
So, if
you're feeling
this way,
know that
it's not
unusual,
okay?
People that
have experienced
Christ and
have been
saved by his
grace and
have the
Holy Spirit,
this is typical
of what you
actually might
think.
This guy
actually doesn't
sound like an
unbeliever,
he actually
sounds like a
Christian in
Romans 7,
he sounds like
Paul,
saying I
can't do
the good
that I
want to do.
Nathan,
our pastor,
is actually
preaching on
that passage.
He started
that two
weeks ago and
is still in
Romans 7.
But we're
going to kind
of talk about
temptation now.
And I
have, I
think,
I think three
things to
look at,
okay?
First of all,
what is
temptation?
What is
temptation?
It's an
enticement
to sin.
Whether
arising from
within yourself
or an
outside
circumstance.
It's an
enticement
to take our
God-given
desires that
God gives
us and
taking those
desires beyond
the God-given
limits.
That's a good
way of phrasing
that.
It's an
enticement
to sin.
Sin is a
product.
And temptation
is like the
selling of it
to you.
You know,
you want to
buy this?
Come on.
You want
that.
It's an
allurement.
we may be
seeking something
else harder
than the
Lord that
He doesn't
want for
us or
not being
patient for
something that
He does
want and
pursuing it
like in an
immodest,
improper way.
That's what
temptation is.
It's the
sale that's
going down.
So,
I have,
under this
question,
I have a
few things
that a
good way to
define something
is by defining
what it doesn't
mean.
temptation.
So,
we're going
to start
with that.
Some myths
about temptation.
I just
don't know
that first
question about
what is
temptation.
Temptation
itself is
not sin.
A lot of
people,
I'm just
so sinful,
God's angry
with me.
I'm like,
what happened
man?
I was doing
this one
day and
I was
attracted to
this girl
and immediately
I caught
myself and
I just
turned away
and I
began to
pray.
I sinned
against God.
I'm like,
no you
didn't,
man.
You didn't
like carry
it that
far.
Like,
temptation
itself is
not sin.
Here's
what it
does become
sin.
Temptation
becomes sin
when you
act or
you dwell
on that
particular
thing.
You take
action on
it or
you just
muse over
it so
that it
controls
your mind.
So,
I kind
of got
into a
little
disagreement
about that
with a
guy who
started to
say that
temptation
was sin
and I
just had to
remind him
about Hebrews
4,
15,
where it
says that
Christ was
tempted in
every way
we were,
yet without
sin.
So,
if temptation
itself was
sin,
then Christ
cannot be
the perfect
Messiah.
So,
that was
the end
of that
debate.
Number
two,
number
two,
giving into
temptation,
and we're
talking about
from the
perspective of
a believer,
okay,
from a
Christian,
giving into
temptation
disappoints
God or
angers
God.
What I
mean by
that is
that you
think that
it destroys
your relationship
with God,
that things
are over
because you
sinned.
Are you
tempted?
Excuse me.
While the
Lord might
be displeased
that you
did sin,
it doesn't
destroy your
relationship
with God.
You are
accepted and
loved on the
basis of what
Christ has
done, and
that's eternal,
and that's
unchanging,
but just
like, you
know, last
year, I
remember I
got into a
really intense
argument with
my dad, who
really had it
out about
something.
It was over
something that
was kind of
a big deal,
we just
disagreed,
and I was
like not
respectful,
and I was
a jerk,
and there
was some
tension,
hostility in
my relationship
with my dad,
right, but
a few weeks
later, I
just thought,
like, man,
I was wrong,
and I went
and told my
dad to
forgive me,
and we
were brought
back together,
and our
relationship
was not,
you know,
rocky anymore.
Secondly, or
excuse me,
thirdly, under
this, believers,
this is a myth,
okay, believers
can fall into
temptation.
I've been
guilty of this
before, but I've
been trying to
change my
thinking for a
while, okay,
as a believer,
you have the
Holy Spirit,
and you
actually have
been given
the power,
to resist
temptation,
and we
use the
word like,
I fell
into temptation,
or, you
know, like
that kind of
language,
it's almost
like, it
got me,
and you're
almost like
not taking
responsibility,
sin doesn't
just happen,
you deliberately
sit against
God, there's a
moment in your
mind where you
literally cross the
line, it's not
like you're just
like walking
around this
fallen guy,
and you
just fell
in a trap,
it's like,
no, what
happened?
So, believers
don't just
fall into
temptation,
and most
deliberately
step into
it, and
like, cross
that line.
So, number
four, it is
always best to
run away from
temptation, that's
kind of a myth.
It's certainly
true that
sometimes the
best thing to
do is avoid
things, okay?
But there's a
reality that
in some
circumstances, you
can't escape.
Things are going
to happen, like
temptation is
going to come,
so if your
battle tactic is
just to avoid
every situation,
you won't be
able to always
do that.
So, Martin
Luther once
said,
temptations, of
course, cannot
be avoided,
but because we
cannot prevent
the birds from
flying over our
heads, there's
no need that
we should let
them make a
mess on our
hair.
So, this idea
of like, things
are always going
to come, but
we don't need to
let it settle
in on us.
Fifthly, this is
the one I used
to believe,
maturity will
eliminate
temptation.
Man, like this
dude, he's been
walking with
Jesus a long
time, man, when
I get to where
he is, I won't
have to struggle
with this anymore,
I'm just going
to be okay.
Not true.
Actually, a sign
of maturity in
a believer is
that God is
actually revealing
more and more
sin to you.
Like, you can
form the outside
of your behavior,
look good, God's
going to go
after your motives
and why you're
doing those
things.
He's never
going to let
you go about
that.
So, those are
a few myths
about temptation.
But, first of
all, also under
this, know that
temptation is
common and it's
universal.
It's common
to everybody.
Joseph was
tempted in
Genesis by
Potiphar's wife.
He got David
tempted by
Bathsheba and
he followed
through with it.
Joseph ran.
And then Jesus
himself tempted
by Satan in
Matthew 4 so
that he would
sin and not be
the perfect
Messiah that
was needed.
So, 1
Corinthians 10
13 says this,
no temptation
has overcome
you.
It is not
common to
man.
So, temptation
is common
and universal.
So, it's not
unusual.
Second
question.
That was the
first one.
My voice is
better.
My throat is
going to be
dry.
Sorry.
What are the
sources of
temptation?
That's the
second question.
Right now, I
think you're
still in the
Ephesians 2 and
that's what we're
going to look at.
So, stay there.
Back to our
original text.
There's usually
three things that
are the sources of
temptation.
And let it be
said, you can't
really section
these off.
They all kind
of work together
in a lot of
ways.
So, I'm like,
well, this day
this one got me
and that day
this one got me.
They kind of
work together
simultaneously a lot
of times.
First of all,
if you look at
verse 1 in
Ephesians 2,
it says,
and when she
once walked,
following the
course of this
world.
The first one
is the world.
That's the
first thing.
That's where
a source of
temptation comes
from, the
world.
And flip to
hold your hand
in Ephesians 2,
but I just
got a few
places for you
to turn.
1 John 2.
1 John 2.15.
It says,
Do not love
the world
or the things
in the world.
If anyone
loves the world,
the love of the
Father is not
in him.
For all that is
in the world,
the desires of
the flesh,
the desires of
the eyes,
and the pride
of possessions,
is not from
the Father,
but is from
the world.
And the world
is passing
away along
with its
desires.
Whatever does
the will of
God,
abides forever.
So, the
word world
is used
right here
in 1 John 2.
It's the word
cosmos.
It means
like the
order or
the system
of the world.
And it's
used in this
case like in
a negative
connotation.
It's not
being spoke
of in a
positive way.
It means
like a
world that's
turned and
is now
alienated from
its creator.
That's
kind of
what it's
used as.
And it
encompasses
a ton of
things.
False
religions,
false
philosophies,
ideas of
man,
just whatever.
It could
mean like
even just
the ads
or commercials
you see
that entice
you to
spend your
money on
something that
God would
not have you
to spend
your money
on,
something that
simple.
guys and
girls can
mean like
in modest
clothing to
entice or
to allure the
opposite sex.
The world is
like the
things that
do allure
us and
pull us
in.
It's the
things in
the world.
So that's
what the
world is.
And also
it says it
there, I'll
read this
back in
Ephesians 2
verse 3
you can
flip back
there if
you like
back to
Ephesians
it says
in verse 3
we're going
to see the
third thing
verse 3
among whom
we all
once lived
in the
passions of
our flesh
carrying out
the desires
of the
body and
the mind.
So
the flesh
you got the
world and
now the
flesh.
That's the
second source
of our sin.
And
it means
like
if you're
being controlled
by the
flesh
it's like
what does
your flesh
do?
It gets
hungry
it desires
comfort
it likes
to sleep
it likes
sex
those are
the things
that like
are of
the flesh
and all
those things
are not bad
things right?
Like they're
natural things
that happen
but what
the sinful
fallen flesh
is that
it seems
to allow
those things
to like
dominate you
or control
you
and run
your life
what you
live for
is to
fulfill those
desires
that you're
having
that's
ultimate
and that's
when you'll
do anything
to get
fulfillment
for those
things
that's
why
you know
people that
are just
controlled by
sexual sin
it starts
with this
and moves
with this
and eventually
leads to them
raping somebody
and then ultimately
prison
so you begin
to let those
desires
control you
and the
flesh is
fallen
and it will
die
like
your body
that you work
on and take
care of every
day
like it
will die
this
person
because it
has sinned
against god
thirdly
you've got the
world
the flesh
and now the
devil
you see that
in verse 2
back in
ephesians
following the
course of this
world
following the
prince
of the
power of
the air
that's
referring to
satan
the spirit
the evil
spirit
of satan
that is now
at work
and the
sons of
disobedience
and all
three of these
things
the world
of flesh
and the
devil
we're going
to like
discuss more
in coming
thursday
nights
it's just
an overview
but satan
the word
means like
in hebrew
satan
it means like
adversary
or opponent
someone that's
like out to
destroy you
the devil
another word
is used
another name
for him
it means
like to
throw
or to
hurl
that's what
the devil
means
it means
that he's
slandering you
he's throwing
insults
against you
he takes
the truth
of god
and who
god is
and twists
it and makes
you try to
believe lies
about it
let me see
1 peter
5 8
says this
be sober
minded
be watchful
your adversary
the devil
prowls around
like a roaring
lion seeking
someone to
devour
so
the devil
is
this is the
kind of
thing that
the devil
would try
to say
to you
or lie
to you
remember
he's a
slanderer
he wants
to like
hurl up
insults
and slander
against you
he'll say
you're the
one who
has stolen
you've lied
you've
taken the
lord's name
in vain
you've
looked at
pornography
you've
seduced
girls
you have
allowed
these things
to control
you
you've
lied
to people
you've
lied
to your
parents
you
cheated
this
guy
that's
the kind
of stuff
that the devil
will do
is he'll
remind you
he'll like
point out
your sin
and make you
guilty
and convicted
and
none of us
are like
above
being attacked
by him
nobody
he's been
doing this
a long
time
he's very
good
this is
something
Spurgeon
said
it's
ridiculous
to see
on his
Christian
channels
on TV
all these
dudes
are like
put it on
Satan
we've got
you
and Satan
is really
laughing
but you've
got to be
kidding me
this is what
Spurgeon
said
he said
about
Satan
he is
more cunning
than the
wisest
how soon
he entangled
Solomon
is known
as the
wise man
he got
he made
Solomon
sin
or tempted
Solomon
sin
he is
stronger
than the
strongest
how fatally
he overthrew
Samson
yes
even the
man
after God's
own heart
like David
he had
been led
to fall
into grievous
sins
by seduction
so he
took down
Solomon
the wisest
he took
down
Samson
the strongest
he took
down
David
the most
passionate
we're not
beyond
his assaults
so
those are
three things
the world
the flesh
and the devil
we're going to
unpack
those things
more
and figure
out
discuss
what the
word says
about overcoming
those particular
things
number three
the third
question
what is
temptation
or the
source of
temptation
and secondly
question
can we have
victory over
sin and
temptation
and
so we have
victory over
sin and
temptation
the answer
is a
resounding
yes
you can
without
Christ
all you
can do
is sin
period
not one
good thing
those of us
who are in
Christ
you can
have victory over
sin and
temptation
like right
now
like in this
present life
flip to
I think you
only have
like three
places to turn
real fast
flip to 1
John
chapter 2
again
excuse me
yeah
back to just
a second ago
1 John
2
1 through
2
and John
is writing
to Christians
and like
listening to the
language he
uses he
says
my little
children
excuse me
chapter 2
verse 1
my little
children
I'm writing
these things
to you
so that you
may not
sin
okay
so in other
words he's
saying like
you don't have
to do this
anymore
pretty cool
before like
all you could
do is sin
period
but now
that if you
are in
Christ
this is
what he
says
I'm writing
these things
to you
so that you
may not
sin
like you
don't have
to do this
anymore
type language
okay
but then he
says but
if anyone
does sin
we have an
advocate with
the father
Jesus Christ
the righteous
he is the
propitiation
for our sins
not only for
ours but also
for the sins
of the whole
world
so he's
saying as a
believer you
have the Holy
Spirit you've
been given a
new nature
you're born
again
you've been
given power
from God
God's enabling
to not sin
then he says
but if you do
like don't
despair
don't be like
I quit
I'm a miserable
failure
I'm not going
to follow Christ
anymore
he's like don't
do that
but if you do
sin
you have an
advocate of the
father Jesus
Christ the
righteous
so he's
trying to
remind you
of like
your ultimate
eternal standing
is on Christ
not on your
performance
pretty cool
so that's
one thing
there's a hundred
texts to look at
I'm going to
talk about this
more in the
future
but ultimately
I thought it
would be really
cool to bring
up this
turn over to
Hebrews 4
we're going to
kind of finish
in Hebrews
tonight
Hebrews 4
we can have
victory over
sin and
dictation
because
Christ has
made it
possible
he has
been there
he has shown
us the way
chapter 4
verse 14
going down
a little bit
the theme of
Hebrews is
Christ is
better
he's better
than the
old covenant
he's better
than all the
things that
have proceeded
before
pointed to
Christ
as the
ultimate
fulfillment
and here
he's talking
about
the high
priest
who is
one who
is like a
go-between
a mediator
between
God and
man
and
how
saying
Christ
is the
ultimate
high
priest
chapter 4
verse 14
since
let us
So that's a powerful passage.
I'd encourage you to go and study on that one some more.
We can draw near to God's throne in the grace of Christ based on what he has done.
Before you had been consumed, his holiness would have destroyed you.
He can't have sin in his presence.
He's too pure, too righteous, too good, too loving to even look upon evil.
But based on what Christ has done, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
So, some of us might think, man, God is so distant.
He can't relate to me at all.
I don't understand.
He's perfect.
He's sinless.
He hasn't suffered like I've suffered.
He doesn't know what sin's like.
Wrong.
He does.
And Jesus came here and experienced everything far greater than you have, actually.
And here's why.
I'll show you a few things first.
He suffered emotionally.
He was emotionally, like, beaten down.
Like, I can't imagine what he worked through.
He was persecuted.
He was betrayed by his best friends.
He was rejected and he was sorrowful.
He's called the man of sorrows in Isaiah, prophesying about him 700 years before he came.
So, he emotionally was afflicted.
He suffered physically.
He grew hungry.
He was fatigued.
He was thirsty.
He was beaten.
He was whipped.
He ultimately was killed.
He went through the physical suffering like some of us wouldn't have imagined.
He was tempted by all the forces of evil.
They turned it down.
You know, Satan, in Matthew 4, I'll bet either John or I will probably use this as a main text at some point about the temptation of Christ.
He was tempted with prestige, with power, you know.
He had everything.
He could have had it, but he didn't.
He denied it and stayed true to his mission, which was to come here and save us.
So, he was human.
We talked about this.
John 1, you know, talked about this, that the Word became flesh, Christ, and dwelt among us.
So, he was human.
He went through everything that we went through.
Okay?
And like we just read here, he was tempted in every way.
Okay?
That's like a big emphasis there.
In every way we were, yet without sin.
Okay?
It's been made, and this wasn't something I thought about when I read it.
And that's a really good point.
Because Christ never gave in to temptation, he never did.
That meant that his temptations were much, much stronger than ours.
And the reason why is we usually like break in and capitulate before like sin has like brought its full onslaught.
You know, like it kind of starts with this, you know, like a little small enticement.
And usually we're like, ah.
And then maybe one more little thing, and then we break.
And we're like, okay.
So, we never really feel like the full run of it.
And an illustration of this is like, if I sat down and wrestled this really, really, you know, built, enormous, ripped dude.
You know?
And like I'm arm wrestling this guy.
We're just like shaking.
And I'm just like in my mind, I'm thinking like, I can't beat this guy.
He's got to break my arm.
I just kind of like break and give in.
And I haven't fully taken everything that guy had to offer.
I just broke, right?
But if I like beat him, like I absorbed all his strength.
Like he brought me to everything we had.
Like and I took him.
So, like that's what Christ's temptations were like.
He never gave him.
I mean, his temptations were far stronger than anything we experienced.
He felt the full assault of it.
So, flip over to chapter 12 now in Hebrews.
Chapter 12 is where we're going to kind of wrap it up.
Chapter 12 and verse 1.
Because Christ was sinless, he was able to be that perfect sacrifice on our behalf.
This is an exhortation to Christians here.
Verse 1.
Therefore, as we have been surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.
That's probably all the believers that have gone before us that are now in heaven.
Let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings to us so closely.
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Before the joy before him endured the cross.
Despising the shame and the cedar at the right hand of the throne of God.
We're only going to visit Tom there, but look at one part of that.
This idea of the author or the founder of ESV.
Cool word there.
It means a leader who goes ahead of a group in order to show the way to others.
To prepare the way for others.
Speaking of military, you're out with a special forces group or whatever.
You arrange out a few years.
Figure out maybe SEALs or whoever you like the best.
There's a small team of guys.
They're going on a mission.
They come across this crazy ravine.
They can't figure out what to do.
They don't have time to go around it.
They have to make a decision.
So the leader, the commander of that group, takes a rope and he somehow, like as they were,
like get it across the other side and get it wrapped around a tree or something.
And like at great risk to himself, like he goes out first.
Kind of like goes and goes across the rope on the other side.
He secures the rope and he makes it safe for the guys behind him to follow him.
And that's what this word kind of implies.
This is what Christ has done.
Like he came here.
He went through everything we went through.
Had the perfect life.
You know, went to the cross.
Died on our behalf.
And now he stands like the high priest sitting at the right hand of the Lord of God.
And he's like, I've shown you how to do this.
And I will enable you to do this.
I've come this way.
He's gone before us.
And by his grace, like we can follow exactly where he leads.
Because of what he has done, we don't have to be slaves to sin any longer.
We have a new master in the world to Christ and not sin.
So know that Christ has been there.
He can sympathize with whatever you're going through.
He's not indifferent.
But he can show you how to overcome the sin that is constantly entangling you in your Christian life.
So that's where we're going.
We're going to be talking about a lot of different things.
About overcoming sin.
The enemies that we have to face.
As well as like the weapons that we have at our disposal as believers to overcome sin.
So I pray that that will not work in our hearts.
I can't wait to get into it even for myself just to study more on it.
So let's just pray and kind of respond just from the time of singing together.
Father, if you had given us what we deserved, we would have perished and spent eternity in a dreadful state.
Separated from you.
Facing your wrath and your judgment with you.
You sent Christ on our behalf.
You died on our behalf.
He was our substitute.
And he bore your full wrath.
All of us who come to him and trust in him.
To save us from your judgment.
We can come freely.
Come by your grace.
You did this not because we deserved it.
You loved us.
And you sent Christ on our behalf.
Lord, I pray that we would, if they don't know you, unite.
You would work in the hearts of those people here.
And show them their sin.
Show them the cross.
And let them not rest.
That's a question unsettled.
Father, if we do, I pray that we would just realize that we don't need to win victory.
We just need to embrace the victory we already have in you.
The victory is secured.
We don't have to just, the work is done.
We don't have to do it again.
So help us to walk in the freedom, the joy, the peace, the liberty that you intended for us.
And we don't have to sin anymore.
And Lord, though we do, and though we can mess up, and we can commit things that grieve you greatly,
we have an advocate with you, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
And we are secure so we can press forward with confidence and approach your throne.
He's been there before us.
He suffered, and you've suffered even to a greater extremity.
He overcame it, Lord.
Now he shows us the way.
He's called, in your word, our elder brother.
He shows us what to do.
He's our example.
Help us just to fix our eyes on him and give us the grace to follow him.
I pray you would just use this series we're about to get into.
Use your word to give us the victory in our life over sin.
All to your glory, Lord.
In Christ's name.
Amen.