Welcome to Faith Chapel.
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I'm Dennis Smith,
pastor of the New Haven,
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Connecticut, Seventh
day Adventist Church,
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those ready to
meet Jesus will be
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victorious over every temptation
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and sin in their
life. Do you have
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temptations
that seem to overcome
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you
continuously? Do you wish and
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desire that you would have
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greater victorious in your life?
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Today's message
we've obtained a look
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and see how you're
gonna have that kind
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of victorious life in
Jesus. Now, let's pray.
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Our Father in
Heaven, I thank you that
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through Jesus Christ
you paid the price for
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our sin, and that
through him we can
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be forgiven and
have the assurance of
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eternal life. I
thank you also Father
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that on the cross,
Jesus broke the power of sin.
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I pray Lord, that
as we study your word,
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that you will
open our understanding.
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May we hear your
word speak to our
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heart, may we
receive hope that we too can
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be victorious over
every temptation that
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Satan brings our
way, in Jesus name, amen.
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The Bible is very
clear on the kind of
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life that the
Christian is to live.
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When we turn to
Hebrews chapter 12
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verse 1 we read:
"let us lay aside every
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weight, and the
sin which has so easily
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beset us, and let us
run with patience the
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race that is set before us."
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Here we find that we
are instructed to lay
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aside every weight.
And the context here
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of weight is talking
about every sin that so
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easily besets us.
So, the Bible is clear
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that we are to lay
aside the sins that we
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are attempted to
commit that we are
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to be victorious.
Paul instructs us in
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another place
in Romans chapter 6
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verse 11 to 12
along these same lines.
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"Likewise reckon ye
also yourselves to be
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dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God
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through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body,
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that ye should obey
it in the lust thereof."
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Now, God would not ask us to do
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something if it
was impossible to do,
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but I know many
times when we read
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these scriptures
it might be a bit
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discouraging you
when we look at the
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reality in our
life. We also read in the
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Bible concerning
those who are ready
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to meet Jesus, you
see we're told in First
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John chapter 3 verse
2. "Beloved, now are we
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the sons of God, and
it does not yet appear
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what we shall be,
but we know that when
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he comes we shall be like him,
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for we shall see him as he is."
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The Bible is very
clear on the fact when Jesus
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comes back those
who are ready to meet
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Jesus will be just like him.
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And if they are just
like Jesus, they will
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not be living a
life of well for known
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continues sin.
That is really what
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the gospel's all
about; Jesus on the cross
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paid the price for our sins.
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The price for our
sin was death and so by
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faith in Jesus, we
can be free from the guilt
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and penalty of sin
that's called justification.
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Also on the cross
Jesus broke the power
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of sin and so if
we accept Jesus as our
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savior and if we
accept what Jesus has
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done for us on the
cross. Then the power of sin
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can be broken in our life,
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we read also in
Christ Object Lessons,
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page 69 Ellen White
says: "Christ is waiting with
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longing desire for
the manifestation of
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Himself and His
church. When the character of
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Christ shall be
perfectly reproduced
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in His people, then
He will come to claim
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them as His own."
That statement also
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makes it very
clear; those who are ready
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to meet Jesus will
be perfectly reflecting
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the character of
Jesus. And so it indicates
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that those who are
ready to meet Jesus
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will have been experiencing the
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victory that God offers to them.
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Now, I don't want
you to get discouraged in
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this message today, it
is a process but I want
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you to realize today
is that there is hope.
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I do not want you to
look at your life the
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way it is now and
say well I give up I just
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got to wait till
the Lord comes to
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overcome that temptation.
If you're living when
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Jesus comes and
you've come to that
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conclusion you
will not be ready.
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That's why this
message today is a
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message of
mercy; God's judgments
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are coming, but
before judgment comes mercy.
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And God is giving
a call to his people
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today to come
out of their Laodicea
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condition, come
out of this sinful
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condition that
they keep being overcome
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with, those sins
that so easily beset them
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and avail themselves
with the power of the
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gospel and be
victorious over every
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temptation and sin that,
that Satan brings our way.
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Another statement by
Ellen White, in manuscript
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161 written in
1887: "He who has not
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sufficient faith in
Christ to believe that
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He can keep him
from sinning, has not the
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faith that will
give him an entrance into
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the kingdom of
God." I'm sure that such
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statements can
cause us to get a bit
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discouraged, so
often in preaching,
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the preacher will
tell you, do this, don't do
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that, there will be
councils to overcome
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this and overcome
that. We try and we fail,
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what I wanna
focus on today is how,
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how you can be victorious?
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How you can overcome every
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temptation and sin
that comes your way?
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What God is offering
to us, is that we can
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live a life where
we are not committing
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any known acts of
sin, if we know it's wrong
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we don't have to do
it. I'm not getting in
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perfectionism, there's
been a lot of controversy
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in perfectionism
through the centuries,
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but I want you to
realize today is this
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plain and simple,
if you know it's a sin
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you don't have to do
it. That's what God is
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offering to us, so
that we can be pure and
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Holy like God says be
you Holy for I am Holy.
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God calls us to be
a Holy people and so
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we can be Holy and
thought in word and in deed.
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David had that
prayer in the Psalms, Lord:
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May the words of my
mouth, the meditation
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of my heart, be
acceptable in your
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sight O Lord, that
is what God is offering
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to us through
what was made available
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to us on the cross.
How can that happen,
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how can we have
that kind of experience?
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Well, John chapter 10
verse 10 Jesus gave us
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an insight: "The thief
comes not but to steal,
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and to kill, and to
destroy, but I've come
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that they might
have life, and that you
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might have it more abundantly."
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Satan has one goal
for you, Satan wants to
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take you down, he
wants to take your
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happiness, he wants
to destroy everything
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that's in your
life that he can and
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he wants to kill
you. Jesus came for the
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opposite, that you
might have life and
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that you might
have it more abundantly.
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Now, it's hard to
have the abundant life,
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if you're
continually being overcome by
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this temptation
and that temptation,
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this discouragement
and that discouragement.
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That's why we must
realize the power of
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the gospel
that's available to be
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victorious and we
must realize what the
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weapons of our
warfare are and how
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we can be
victorious over the temptations
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that come our
way. Let's look exactly
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how temptation
works, let's turn to
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James chapter 1 verse 14 and 15:
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"But every man is
tempted, when he is
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drawn away of his
own lust, and enticed.
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Then when lust hath
conceived, it brings
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forth sin: and
sin, when it's finished,
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brings forth
death." This scripture gives
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us a very clear
description of how
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temptation works.
All of us have a sinful
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nature we are born
with it, and there is
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within us an
inclination and infinity to sin.
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So, the Bible
tells us that when we're
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tempted we are drawn away of our
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own lust and
enticed. Another word lust can
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apply in many things,
as we often think lust
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is a sexual sin,
but it could be lust for
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power, lust for money,
a lot of different things.
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And so what he's
saying there is that
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when there's a
temptation our here,
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there is an
affinity in me, there is an
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attraction in me to
be attracted to that
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temptation,
that's the enticement.
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Every Christian has
that. Now there is no sin to
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be tempted but what
happens when the sin
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takes place, he says,
there is the temptation
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out here, we're
drawn away of our own lust,
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our sinful nature, and our own
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sinful desire and
enticed. And then it says then
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when it is
conceived. Now, when you think
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about conception
what happens in the
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natural realm of conception.
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Well, nine months
later a birth takes place,
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same thing with temptation
here's the temptation,
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here's within me the
affinity to it and so
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I'm enticed, you're
enticed, whatever the
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temptation is,
and if you allow the
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enticement
within you, the iffinity
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within you
toward that temptation.
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If you allow
yourself to go there in your
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mind, conception
takes place with that
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temptation and
then the scripture says
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when conception
takes place then it
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gives birth to the
sin for act and then death
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follows that. Temptation begins
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in the mind then, it
begins with the sinful
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desire when there's
something out here to
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entice, how can I
be victorious then
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over the sinful
nature that's within me?
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Well, Jesus is our
example in all things,
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let's look at the life of Jesus.
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When we go to Luke
chapter 3 verse 21 and 22:"
00:11:38.88\00:11:42.35
Now when all the
people were baptized,
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it came to pass
that Jesus also being
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baptized and praying,
the heaven was opened.
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And the Holy Ghost
descended in a bodily
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shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice
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came from heaven,
which said, Thou art
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my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased."
00:12:00.74\00:12:02.64
At the water baptism
of Jesus, he prayed to
00:12:04.31\00:12:06.42
be filled with
the Holy Spirit and to
00:12:06.43\00:12:08.33
answer to that
prayer he received the
00:12:08.34\00:12:10.43
baptism of the Holy Spirit.
00:12:10.44\00:12:11.61
That was important
when it came to Jesus
00:12:13.30\00:12:15.59
being
victorious over temptation,
00:12:15.60\00:12:17.02
because we read in
the next chapter of
00:12:17.76\00:12:20.81
Luke chapter 4 and
this time in verse 1:
00:12:20.82\00:12:23.98
"And Jesus being
full of the Holy Ghost,
00:12:25.41\00:12:27.39
returned from
Jordan, and was led by the
00:12:27.73\00:12:30.09
Spirit into the wilderness."
00:12:30.10\00:12:31.49
When we read that
section of scripture
00:12:33.69\00:12:35.40
we find that
Jesus was led into the
00:12:35.73\00:12:39.25
wilderness to be
tempted. Now, he was ready
00:12:39.26\00:12:43.18
for his greatest
temptations he was
00:12:43.19\00:12:45.07
fill with the Holy
Spirit, the same for us,
00:12:45.08\00:12:48.59
you and I are not
ready for the greatest
00:12:49.05\00:12:51.46
temptation to be
victorious over them
00:12:51.47\00:12:53.66
until we too are
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:12:54.37\00:12:56.72
It's number one,
next let's look how Jesus
00:12:57.70\00:13:01.74
dealt with the
temptations as we go to verse 4,
00:13:01.75\00:13:04.09
Jesus was tempted and said:
00:13:06.61\00:13:07.64
"And Jesus answered him, saying,
00:13:07.65\00:13:09.17
It is written, man
shall not live by bread
00:13:09.77\00:13:12.87
alone but by every word of God."
00:13:12.88\00:13:15.34
This scripture tells
us that when Jesus was
00:13:17.20\00:13:19.56
tempted to turn
the stones into bread,
00:13:19.57\00:13:21.48
now you wonder what
kind of temptation is that?
00:13:22.58\00:13:25.18
I thought Jesus was
tempted like we are,
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every temptation in
essence is a matter,
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are we gonna
trust God and obey him.
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Jesus came to this
world to live like you
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and I live, Jesus
laid aside his divinity and
00:13:37.40\00:13:41.88
if he was to be
victorious as we're
00:13:41.89\00:13:44.30
to be victorious.
He could not use his
00:13:44.31\00:13:46.61
own divine power
in his own behalf.
00:13:46.62\00:13:49.08
Now, he had the
power to turn those
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stones into
bread if he so choose,
00:13:51.33\00:13:53.21
but the temptation
then was to exercise,
00:13:54.51\00:13:58.88
to just trust his
Heavenly Father and
00:13:58.89\00:14:00.98
kind of take
things into his own hands
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same with us isn't
it? We maybe tempted to
00:14:03.33\00:14:05.54
disobey God in some
way in order to avoid
00:14:05.55\00:14:09.05
some necessity in our
life. We may choose to
00:14:09.06\00:14:13.19
disregard God's
Holy Sabbath day,
00:14:13.20\00:14:15.28
in order to work as
we have to provide for
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our family same
essence of temptation.
00:14:17.22\00:14:19.73
We maybe choose not
to return any of our
00:14:20.13\00:14:23.48
means to God through
tithes and offerings as
00:14:23.49\00:14:25.65
we have to
provide for our self same
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.75
thing, take things
into our own hands and
00:14:27.76\00:14:30.03
disobedience to God
that was the essences
00:14:30.04\00:14:32.88
of that
temptation. But I want you to
00:14:32.89\00:14:35.32
notice how Jesus
met that temptation,
00:14:35.33\00:14:37.42
he did not argue
with the devil, he simply
00:14:38.21\00:14:41.32
spoke the word
of God, he spoke the
00:14:41.33\00:14:45.53
word of God that
said man shall not live by
00:14:45.54\00:14:47.38
bread alone, but
by every word that
00:14:47.39\00:14:49.64
persuades from the mouth of God.
00:14:49.65\00:14:51.00
Very significant point
in overcoming temptation
00:14:51.44\00:14:53.86
then we find in
other temptation here when
00:14:54.72\00:14:57.35
we go to verse 12:
"And Jesus answering,
00:14:57.36\00:15:02.04
said unto him, It
is said, Thou shalt not
00:15:02.05\00:15:05.50
tempt the Lord thy God."
00:15:05.51\00:15:06.59
Again when Jesus
was tempted he did
00:15:07.15\00:15:10.32
not argue with the
devil, he did not go
00:15:10.33\00:15:12.39
though things in
his mind well should I,
00:15:12.40\00:15:14.17
should I not,
whatever, he simply
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.22
spoke the word of
God. Now, that is a very,
00:15:16.23\00:15:19.62
very powerful truth
in God's word of how
00:15:20.00\00:15:24.11
you and I are to be
victorious over temptation.
00:15:24.12\00:15:27.32
Jesus gave us the example,
00:15:28.08\00:15:29.40
when we turn to
the writings of Paul,
00:15:31.04\00:15:33.08
we see this very
same thing illustrated.
00:15:33.58\00:15:35.57
In Ephesians
chapter 6, verse 10 and 11:
00:15:36.74\00:15:41.16
"Finally brethren,
be strong in the Lord,
00:15:42.79\00:15:45.78
and the power of his might.
00:15:46.56\00:15:48.18
Put on the whole armor of God,
00:15:49.15\00:15:50.46
that ye maybe able
to stand against the
00:15:50.47\00:15:52.60
wiles of the
devil." Here we see Paul
00:15:52.61\00:15:57.80
counseling us to depend on God's
00:15:57.81\00:16:00.86
might and God's power again,
00:16:00.87\00:16:02.70
we give our will
to God, we make the
00:16:03.14\00:16:05.33
choice to obey
God. He provides the
00:16:05.34\00:16:08.05
power, that's
significant and then
00:16:08.06\00:16:11.59
he goes on when
he's talking about the
00:16:11.60\00:16:12.91
armor of God and
when you look at the,
00:16:12.92\00:16:15.26
armor of God,
here every part of the
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.71
armor of God is
defensive except one weapon.
00:16:18.72\00:16:21.46
And we find what
that weapon in when we
00:16:22.78\00:16:24.74
look here at verse
17: "And take the helmet
00:16:24.75\00:16:28.85
of salvation, and
the sword of the Spirit,
00:16:28.86\00:16:31.36
which is the word of God."
00:16:31.37\00:16:32.35
The one offensive
weapon that we have
00:16:33.80\00:16:35.92
is the sword;
Paul said, the sword
00:16:37.32\00:16:43.08
is the word of
God. Now, in the Greek
00:16:43.95\00:16:47.83
there is a couple
terms that are translated
00:16:47.84\00:16:51.04
word one is Logos,
which is many times
00:16:51.05\00:16:54.04
translated the written word,
00:16:54.05\00:16:55.27
that's not the word used here.
00:16:56.29\00:16:57.37
The word used here
that's translated word
00:16:58.08\00:17:00.36
from the Greek is
Rhema and the word,
00:17:00.37\00:17:04.85
the Greek word
Rhema carries with it
00:17:04.86\00:17:07.08
the meaning of spoken word.
00:17:07.41\00:17:09.50
So, what Paul is
telling us here that
00:17:11.67\00:17:13.72
when we are
fighting against Satan and he
00:17:13.73\00:17:15.67
says you know we
don't wrestle against
00:17:15.68\00:17:17.24
flesh and blood,
now we have an up close
00:17:17.25\00:17:19.00
and personal
battle? He says we wrestle
00:17:19.01\00:17:22.06
with the enemy,
now I wrestled in high
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.41
school and I can
tell you when you're in a
00:17:24.42\00:17:25.71
wrestling match it is
up close and personal.
00:17:25.72\00:17:27.55
And you let up for
a moment, you're gonna
00:17:28.10\00:17:29.53
end up on your
back, it's the same with
00:17:29.54\00:17:31.80
Satan we must
be confronting him.
00:17:31.81\00:17:34.15
We must not be
afraid of him and we must
00:17:34.94\00:17:37.41
use the weapons
that God's given us
00:17:37.42\00:17:39.27
to overcome him and overcome the
00:17:40.24\00:17:41.89
temptations that
he sends our way.
00:17:41.90\00:17:43.81
And the offensive
weapon that we have
00:17:44.48\00:17:46.30
is the sword of
the spirit which is
00:17:46.88\00:17:49.56
according to
the Greek the spoken
00:17:49.57\00:17:51.74
word of God. And we see that is
00:17:52.23\00:17:54.44
exactly what Jesus
did, when Satan came
00:17:54.45\00:17:57.31
to him and tempted
him in the wilderness.
00:17:57.32\00:17:59.55
Every temptation you
read it says Jesus said,
00:17:59.87\00:18:02.17
Jesus said, Jesus
said in every case,
00:18:02.57\00:18:05.70
he didn't
rationalize in his mind,
00:18:07.00\00:18:08.47
he didn't think about
it. He didn't discuss it
00:18:08.48\00:18:11.04
with the devil not
at all, he went against
00:18:11.05\00:18:14.55
that temptation with
the spoken word of God.
00:18:14.56\00:18:16.83
Now, what this is
talking about is when
00:18:18.51\00:18:22.47
you speak the
word of God in faith,
00:18:22.48\00:18:25.63
what you speak will
become a reality in your life.
00:18:27.25\00:18:31.12
This earth was
created on that principle,
00:18:34.26\00:18:37.13
when you read the
creation in Genesis 1,
00:18:39.01\00:18:42.12
every act of
creation began with God said,
00:18:43.07\00:18:47.94
God said, God said.
Even the creation of
00:18:49.40\00:18:53.04
man he said, God
said let us make man,
00:18:53.05\00:18:56.31
and every act of
creation is founded on
00:18:57.33\00:19:00.58
the spoken word of
God. So, when God spoke
00:19:00.59\00:19:03.82
the word, he spoke
his will of course 'cause
00:19:03.83\00:19:09.13
it's God's
speaking and when he spoke
00:19:09.14\00:19:11.92
the will of God he
had faith and what he said
00:19:11.93\00:19:15.44
would come to pass
and it came to pass.
00:19:15.87\00:19:19.59
That's the exact
same principle when it
00:19:21.46\00:19:23.80
comes to overcoming temptation,
00:19:23.81\00:19:25.35
when Jesus spoke
the word of God against
00:19:28.08\00:19:30.24
Satan he had
faith that word would be
00:19:30.25\00:19:32.61
fulfilled in his
life. And so whenever
00:19:32.62\00:19:36.50
temptation comes and I
don't care how big it is.
00:19:36.51\00:19:39.10
Mark over and,
shared with us the word of
00:19:39.48\00:19:43.12
Jesus where he
said, you know if you have
00:19:43.13\00:19:45.37
faith, you can say
to this mountain be thou
00:19:45.38\00:19:47.58
cast into the sea.
I don't care how big
00:19:47.59\00:19:49.81
that mountain of
the temptation is,
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.53
if you have faith
he says you can say to
00:19:53.49\00:19:56.10
that mountain, I
want notice that, then
00:19:56.11\00:19:57.14
you can say to that
mountain be thou cast
00:19:57.15\00:19:58.73
into the sea. And
he says, don't doubt
00:19:58.74\00:20:00.77
because if you
believe those things you say
00:20:01.18\00:20:02.98
you will have what
you say that's written
00:20:03.23\00:20:05.80
in Mark chapter 11.
And so the principles
00:20:05.81\00:20:09.35
there again and
that was Jesus own words.
00:20:09.36\00:20:11.51
And so when we're
tempted and Satan's
00:20:12.83\00:20:14.81
trying to take us
down instead of depending
00:20:14.82\00:20:17.20
on our own
strength, and on our own
00:20:17.21\00:20:18.84
toughening it out,
and our own will power
00:20:18.85\00:20:20.82
depending on
God. Speak the word of
00:20:20.83\00:20:23.82
God against that temptation,
00:20:23.83\00:20:25.23
how does that work,
lets say Satan comes
00:20:27.60\00:20:30.71
along and you know
you've asked God to
00:20:30.72\00:20:32.71
forgive you for some
sin. Now, how often do
00:20:32.72\00:20:35.05
you have to ask for
forgiveness once for
00:20:35.06\00:20:38.41
any particular sin,
but sometimes you do
00:20:38.42\00:20:40.83
something so
terrible you may find yourself
00:20:40.84\00:20:42.43
going back again
and again for asking God
00:20:42.44\00:20:44.53
to forgive you and
Satan's coming along
00:20:44.54\00:20:46.50
and tempting you
and saying you're not
00:20:46.51\00:20:48.01
forgiven, you're not
really sincere in that.
00:20:48.02\00:20:50.01
And you might get
in an little argument
00:20:50.80\00:20:52.08
with them or
whatever, never do that.
00:20:52.09\00:20:53.94
Well, scripture
could be used to speak
00:20:55.21\00:20:56.77
against that
temptation well you could quote
00:20:56.78\00:20:59.85
John 1, First John 1 verse 9:"
00:21:00.65\00:21:03.41
If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just
00:21:05.40\00:21:07.92
to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.32
all unrighteousness."
So, whenever you're
00:21:10.33\00:21:12.76
tempted to doubt
that you're forgiven you
00:21:12.77\00:21:19.13
simply speak the
word of God against it
00:21:19.14\00:21:21.08
and you simply say and you can
00:21:21.49\00:21:22.96
personalize it.
If I confess my sins,
00:21:22.97\00:21:25.22
he is faithful and
just to forgive me my sins,
00:21:26.35\00:21:28.35
and to cleanse me
from all unrighteousness.
00:21:28.36\00:21:29.75
And when you say it,
believe it, that is true
00:21:30.03\00:21:33.73
and what will
happen when you speak it in
00:21:34.48\00:21:36.53
faith, it will
work back on you and
00:21:36.54\00:21:39.46
become a reality in your life.
00:21:39.47\00:21:41.15
And so your conviction of your
00:21:41.79\00:21:42.97
forgiveness becomes solid.
00:21:42.98\00:21:45.06
Now it, like I say
it's a process, it may take
00:21:46.36\00:21:50.25
time in exercising that weapon
00:21:50.26\00:21:52.57
in that area of life.
But if you continue to
00:21:52.80\00:21:55.66
exercise the weapons
of your warfare to be
00:21:55.67\00:21:58.05
victorious over
whatever temptation
00:21:58.06\00:21:59.65
you will become
stronger and stronger
00:22:00.04\00:22:01.75
in the victory in
that area of your life.
00:22:01.76\00:22:03.74
Lets say Satan
comes along and he says
00:22:05.36\00:22:07.13
God's not gonna provide for you,
00:22:08.02\00:22:09.27
you've just lost your
job, you got this problem,
00:22:09.28\00:22:11.06
you got that
problem. And you're tempted to
00:22:11.07\00:22:13.02
start disobeying
God in certain areas of
00:22:13.03\00:22:14.77
your life in order to
survive, again you can
00:22:14.78\00:22:18.60
look at your
situation, you could argue a bit
00:22:18.61\00:22:21.26
with the devil whatever but what
00:22:21.27\00:22:23.20
could be a
scripture you could use,
00:22:23.21\00:22:24.44
you could use something like
00:22:24.91\00:22:25.98
Philippians chapter 4 verse 19:
00:22:26.38\00:22:28.06
"But my God shall
supply all your need
00:22:31.37\00:22:33.46
according to his riches
and glory in Christ Jesus."
00:22:33.47\00:22:36.00
Again we see the
scripture Satan tempts
00:22:38.05\00:22:40.56
you to doubt that
God will provide for you.
00:22:40.57\00:22:42.54
Go immediately
to the word of God,
00:22:43.88\00:22:45.52
take out your
sword and go against that
00:22:45.86\00:22:47.84
temptation with
the word of God and you
00:22:47.85\00:22:49.82
can even say, I suggest folks,
00:22:49.83\00:22:51.19
say it out loud if you can.
00:22:51.20\00:22:52.17
Now, if you're in
a crowd of people you
00:22:52.49\00:22:53.52
may not be able to
do that, you can say at
00:22:53.53\00:22:55.31
yourself. But if
you're able to speak it
00:22:55.32\00:22:57.20
out loud there's
power in the spoken word.
00:22:57.21\00:22:59.02
And when you say it
out loud my God shall
00:23:00.00\00:23:03.00
supply all of my
needs and you say
00:23:03.01\00:23:05.37
that in faith
believing it, it will work back
00:23:05.38\00:23:08.05
on you and it will
become a reality in your life.
00:23:08.06\00:23:10.26
That's the
principle, that's how it works,
00:23:11.40\00:23:14.41
now Satan comes
along to you with,
00:23:15.66\00:23:17.23
with some other
temptation of sin
00:23:17.24\00:23:19.04
whatever it might be
there is kind of like so
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.41
you can take a
general text like over here in
00:23:21.42\00:23:24.01
Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not
00:23:24.02\00:23:28.27
have dominion over
you, for you're not
00:23:28.28\00:23:30.61
under the law, but under grace."
00:23:30.62\00:23:31.73
So, Satan comes at you with that
00:23:33.04\00:23:35.55
besetting sin, the
sin that you've been
00:23:35.78\00:23:39.15
struggling with
and struggling with.
00:23:39.16\00:23:40.83
Instead of looking
at your weakness and
00:23:41.60\00:23:44.05
the history of
how many times you've
00:23:44.06\00:23:45.46
been overcome
with that temptation?
00:23:45.47\00:23:47.39
Again immediately
turn to the word of
00:23:47.90\00:23:49.35
God and you can say and you can
00:23:49.36\00:23:52.38
personalize it
again, sin shall not have
00:23:52.39\00:23:55.04
dominion over me, for
I'm not under the law,
00:23:55.05\00:23:57.36
I'm under the grace of God.
00:23:57.37\00:23:58.83
When you say that
you must believe that,
00:23:59.33\00:24:02.43
when you say the word of God you
00:24:03.80\00:24:05.65
must believe
what you've just said,
00:24:05.66\00:24:07.53
that what you've
just said will become a
00:24:08.11\00:24:10.17
reality in your
life. That's biblical,
00:24:10.18\00:24:13.90
that's the sword of
the Spirit, that's how you
00:24:15.02\00:24:17.62
use the sword of the Spirit.
00:24:17.63\00:24:19.89
And you may find
that, that Satan has
00:24:21.28\00:24:23.27
certain strongholds
in your life in Second
00:24:23.28\00:24:25.79
Corinthians
chapter 10 verse 4 and 5,
00:24:25.84\00:24:27.52
a wonderful
promise: "For the weapons of
00:24:27.53\00:24:30.54
our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty
00:24:30.55\00:24:32.39
through God to
the pulling down of
00:24:32.40\00:24:33.85
strongholds.
Casting down imaginations,
00:24:33.86\00:24:36.73
and every high
thing that exalts itself
00:24:36.74\00:24:39.62
against the knowledge
of God, and bring into
00:24:39.63\00:24:41.48
captivity every thought to the
00:24:41.49\00:24:43.00
obedience of
Christ." Wonderful promise,
00:24:43.01\00:24:46.61
you may find in yourself certain
00:24:47.01\00:24:48.63
strongholds, strongholds of,
00:24:48.64\00:24:50.59
of lust,
strongholds of addictions
00:24:51.62\00:24:54.68
whatever it might
be. You cannot fight
00:24:55.36\00:24:58.21
those strongholds
in and of yourself,
00:24:58.22\00:24:59.73
you don't know how
to do it, but you can
00:24:59.74\00:25:01.77
turn to God and this
scripture that we just
00:25:01.78\00:25:05.48
read tells us that
God will pull down the
00:25:05.49\00:25:08.33
strongholds in your
life. So, you can turn to
00:25:08.34\00:25:11.39
God believing
and you can say that,
00:25:11.40\00:25:13.80
that my God will
cast down the stronghold
00:25:15.03\00:25:18.35
of whatever it is,
alcohol in my life and
00:25:18.36\00:25:23.75
you can say it believing it.
00:25:23.76\00:25:25.38
I got to cooperate
with God, if you got
00:25:26.44\00:25:28.69
to struggle with
alcohol, you're not
00:25:28.70\00:25:30.16
gonna start
thinking about how good beer
00:25:30.17\00:25:31.67
tastes or whatever
it is you like to drink.
00:25:31.68\00:25:33.38
And you're not
gonna look at those
00:25:35.10\00:25:36.17
advertisements in a
magazine or in the bill
00:25:36.18\00:25:39.34
board wherever
it might be to start
00:25:39.35\00:25:40.91
thinking about the alcohol.
00:25:40.92\00:25:41.89
Remember that
temptation begins in
00:25:41.90\00:25:43.23
the mind,
that's why Paul says in
00:25:43.24\00:25:45.44
Philippians:
"Whatever is lovely, pure, just,
00:25:45.45\00:25:48.11
good, think on these things.
00:25:48.12\00:25:49.27
So, we have a part
to do to cooperate."
00:25:49.28\00:25:50.83
But as you
cooperate with God and not let
00:25:52.61\00:25:54.77
your mind go
there, but fill your mind
00:25:54.78\00:25:56.88
with the word of
God. Stay close to God in
00:25:56.89\00:25:59.28
prayer and that's an
important part of this,
00:25:59.29\00:26:00.94
because Paul said
pray without ceasing,
00:26:00.95\00:26:03.05
stay connected
every moment of every day
00:26:03.36\00:26:06.61
and when the temptation comes
00:26:07.29\00:26:08.72
God will bring your
mind to scripture and
00:26:08.73\00:26:10.98
speak the word of God
against that temptation.
00:26:10.99\00:26:13.91
Believing what the
word says will be a
00:26:14.33\00:26:16.72
reality in your
life, you see if you're
00:26:16.73\00:26:21.27
tempted to do anything you know
00:26:21.28\00:26:24.44
it's not God's
will. The good news is you
00:26:24.45\00:26:28.32
do not have to yield
to that, the good news is,
00:26:28.33\00:26:31.75
is that you can
become just like Jesus.
00:26:31.76\00:26:34.41
And victorious over any and all
00:26:35.36\00:26:37.89
temptations that
are seeking to come into
00:26:37.90\00:26:40.78
your life and again
I want you to know it's
00:26:40.79\00:26:43.82
not a matter of will power.
00:26:43.83\00:26:45.29
Remember Paul was
tempted and he was
00:26:47.55\00:26:49.25
having some
struggles and God told him,
00:26:49.26\00:26:52.01
my strength is made
perfect in weakness.
00:26:52.02\00:26:54.13
I can tell you the
truth, the weaker you
00:26:54.94\00:26:56.91
know yourself to be
the stronger the power
00:26:56.92\00:26:58.71
of God can be in
you. And so God is calling
00:26:58.72\00:27:02.75
you and me and all
of his children to come
00:27:02.76\00:27:05.03
out of Laodicea
condition, to be filled
00:27:05.04\00:27:07.57
with the Holy Spirit.
To let Jesus live in us
00:27:07.58\00:27:12.10
fully, to become
just like Jesus in
00:27:12.11\00:27:15.27
character, in life, in ministry,
00:27:15.28\00:27:18.00
in victory over temptation.
00:27:18.38\00:27:19.74
And to use the weapons of our
00:27:20.78\00:27:22.07
warfare that God is giving us,
00:27:22.08\00:27:24.14
he is calling us
to come out of that
00:27:25.45\00:27:28.01
condition, to become
filled with the Spirit,
00:27:28.02\00:27:30.17
because he is preparing a people
00:27:30.73\00:27:32.93
for the second coming of Jesus.
00:27:33.60\00:27:34.97
This message to
receive the baptism
00:27:36.68\00:27:38.46
of the Holy Spirit
and to exercise the
00:27:38.47\00:27:41.27
weapons of our warfare, are not
00:27:41.28\00:27:43.60
simply, it's not
just simply an interesting
00:27:43.61\00:27:46.03
message to hear, it's a
vital message to accept.
00:27:46.04\00:27:48.87
And I pray by
God's grace you'll heed
00:27:49.31\00:27:51.45
God's call, become just
like Jesus in your life.
00:27:51.46\00:27:54.13