Don't take offense at this...

What do you do with offenses?

Read John 8:1-11; Luke 9:43-62; Matthew 17:24-27; Matthew 18:1-13

     Who among us can say we have never ever been offended? Yet 1 Corinthians 13:5 says love is not easily offended or "provoked" (KJV, NKJV). Other versions say "irritated" or "angered". 

     I hope this doesn’t hurt your feelings, but if you are thin-skinned, it may be a sign that you are not very loving.

     Take a look at today’s readings and see how many times someone was offended by someone else. The scribes and Pharisees were offended by the adulterous woman (John 8:1), likely motivated because they were offended by Jesus. 

     The religious were offended that Jesus did not give money for the temple (Luke 17:27). John was offended by people who were doing things in Jesus’ name but not a part of their "denomination" (Luke 9:49). The Samaritans were offended by Jesus going to Jerusalem (Luke 9:53) and James and John were offended by the Samaritans because were offended (the sons of thunder wanted to call down fire to consume the Samaritans see Luke 9:54…now that’s some pretty thin skin).

     Jesus cast some woes on people who cause offenses (Matthew 18:7) and then starts talking about a foot that offends or a hand that offends or even an eye that offends. And don’t you dare offend or cause a little one to stumble! See Mark 9:42! 

     And you know that “seventy times seven” phrase? Yep, that too came because Peter wanted to know how many times he had to pretend he wasn’t offended (Matthew 18:22).

     Would it surprise you to know that the word “offense” comes from a word that means to set a trap? To cause someone to stumble. 

     The word “scandal” and “scandalize” come from this word because offenses that cause someone to stumble can often result in a scandal. Who likes scandals?

     We do! We do!

     Reporters love scandals because they know they sell newspapers (oops, sorry, I mean they cause a bump on the internet tics). Scandals get viewers to watch the broadcast and click on the video. Regardless of the media, scandals sell because, face it, we love scandals. 

     But you want to know something else about offenses? Come here, close, now I want to whisper to you a secret.

     Shhh. Now come close and listen to me whisper this dirty little secret (are you listening?): 

we like to be offended!

     It’s true. We actually like having our feelings hurt. Now, don’t you drop your jaw like that! 

     Think about it: when someone hurts your feelings, when you get offended, guess what you do. You make a beeline to tell someone else how they hurt you. Why? Because that makes you better than they are or at least think you are better. “How dare they?” you ask yourself, but not just yourself, you ask as many other people as you can to get more sympathy.

     How do I know? Because I too have been offended.  Does it seem that people are always offending you? Do people say you are too sensitive? Are people rude to you and you would never be so rude to someone else the way they were rude to you? How dare they indeed!

      Let me finish by saying absolutely there are true scandals, true offenses, and true stumble-makers. I’ve not only been offended, I’ve done my fair-share of offending, unfairly and unfortunately. But isn’t it true that we excuse our offending but we refuse to excuse those who offend us? 

    Ponder this today, and, no offense, please, but maybe you need to re-read this and pray the prayer below. 

Pray: God, I am so sorry for all the offenses I have done. Please help those whom I have offended forgive me. And seriously, God, please very seriously, help me to forgive those who have offended me. Thank you for loving me, in Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

The Proverbs Thirty-two Man

 Have you heard of the Proverbs 31 woman. It’s a passage in Proverbs 31:10-31 that tells of a super woman who is able to do so many things and begins with "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."

How many of you have heard of the Proverbs thirty-two man?

One person commendably shouted out on Sunday during my sermon, "There IS no Proverbs 32!" Which is true.

But there is a Proverbs 30:2. "Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man."

There were a few amens when I read that verse on Sunday, and there may even be a few wives who would claim this as a life-verse for their husbands!

If you, as a man or a woman, resemble this verse regarding discerning God's will, perhaps you should pray as I have often prayed to the Lord many times: "Father, I cannot discern Your will, so will You close doors and don’t let me open them. Or, if it be Your will, would You open doors and do not let me close them."

God has answered that in my life so many times. I base that on a couple of verses, primarily Revelation 3:7-8. 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says, He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

We also see it in Isaiah 22:22. "The key of the house of David, I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open."

When God shuts a door that you wanted open or opens a door that you really wanted Him to shut, we must seek not only His will, but also our having a right heart attitude. The Bible says that His ways are not always our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts.

It also reminds us of two absolute rules:
1) There is a God.
2) You are not Him!

Proverbs twice says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death," (see 14:12, 16:25).

In all humility, we must confess Proverbs 30:2 at least in comparison to God's knowledge. Rest in His sovereignty and have the wisdom at least to know the difference between the things we can and cannot change.

If you are in this stage of life when you cannot see God's hand, trust God's heart and pray this prayer to God,

"Father, I will trust you in revealing Your will in my life. I relinquish my desires for Yours, my foolishness for Your wisdom. Comfort me when I do not know what is right, I can always trust that what You do cannot be wrong. In Jesus's Name, Amen."

Be our guest

        The proverb of “You can’t see the forest because of the trees” means that we often miss the overall picture because of the details. The corporate unity of the church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is paramount for His success. The needs of the individual members, though important, must come under the direction of the overall leadership of Christ in accomplishing His purpose.

        1 Corinthians 12 repeatedly shows that the church is one body with many members, each one uniquely gifted and talented for the service to the church as a whole. This week’s lesson on the incorporation of the members into one body is balanced with the individuality of each member. Both are to bring glory to Jesus Christ through His church.

        Seven times in First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul began a section with the words “Now concerning...”, apparently in response to controversial questions which they had written for him to answer. This section is the lengthiest response concerning spiritual things, and he did not want the Corinthians to be uninformed (ignorant). The tendency for the Corinthian church was to be divided, either by who to follow (1:10-17; 3:1-8), immorality (5:1-13), lawsuits (6:1-8), even the observation of the Lord’s Supper (11:17-22). Some were divided on the resurrection (15:12). Some were hung up over legalism, while others were indulgent on their liberty (8:9).

        The recurring theme of chapter 12 is not to describe fully the effects of the various gifts within the body, but rather affirm the necessity of each aspect of the church body and the overall unity. Chapter 12 leads directly into the “more excellent way” of love. 

        In 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul wrote, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." As the local church, we must never forget the ultimate purpose of the body is to be Christ’s physical representation on the earth. We are His hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc. on earth.  While we can recognize our differences, we are to never forget our ultimate unifying purpose is in Christ and to show Christ to each other and to the world.

        Step #1 is being incorporation, the very first step in getting people into the Body of Christ, is getting them as guests to our church. In Mark 5:1-20, a demon-possessed man was healed and sought to become a disciple, a follower of Christ. However, Jesus said, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. (See also Luke 8:26-39)

        The best way to invite people is to get those we know, family, neighbors, and friends, and tell them what the Lord has done for us. Luke 14:23 states we should "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." The psalmist proclaimed that he was glad when they said to him, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

        As we are “incorporated” (literally meaning put into the body of Christ) into the church, one of our GracePointe Steps is to Get Guests through our friends, co-workers, family, neighbors, and acquaintances. 

        Numerous times Jesus told us to go to the “highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). See also Matthew 22:9-10, Acts 1:8, 4:20, and 26:20.

    In John 17:14-18, Jesus called us to be in the world but not of it. This is a delicate balance of not having friendship with the world’s system and worldly ways and yet being relevant to it. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:10 that the only way we could refrain from associating with those who are worldly would be “if you were to leave this world”.

        We are to be light to the world and salt of the earth, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (See Matthew 5:14-16.)

        It has been said “Never send a light to China that won’t shine at home.” We are to take the gospel message around the world, but also around the corner (we will see this later in the week). We are to be witnesses across the globe, but also across the street. As members of GracePointe, our first step in corporate membership is to grow in our relationships with friends and bring them to a saving relationship with Christ (this is given more in detail tomorrow).

        As members, we should look for ways to connect with guests who are coming to the church. We should reach out to those in the worship service whom we do not know. We should prioritize others over ourselves. For instance, if we come into the worship service and someone is sitting where we normally sit, we should never say, “That’s my seat!” Instead, we should look for ways to make a guest to become a regular attender and ultimately a member.

        Our focal passage this week is 1 Corinthians 12, which says in verses 12-13, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

        Prayerfully consider how you can take the first step in connecting to others in friendship, both in bringing your friends to church, and being a friend to others at church.

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

 Regarding the word "dross", it is not a word we readily use. I may not have adequately made an application for what "dross" may be in my sermon yesterday. In the symbolic, spiritual sense, "dross" is anything we have that falls short of God's purity that He desires for us or that blocks us from truly worshiping Him.

It does not have to be a major sin that God seeks to burn off, but anything that convicts; that which blurs our focus for Him. It may be a major conviction, a minor one, or even a distraction from intimacy with the One who loves us the most.

For me, politics and the news distract me from God. A few weeks ago, I was tested to spend money on grass to plant on a piece of dirt that really didn't matter to anyone but me; money which could be used better spent elsewhere. For someone else, it may be a second chocolate chip cookie that no one "needs" to eat; a failure to control their speeding or continuing to text while driving; it may be the pride which prompts you to post a picture from your luxurious vacation to Cancun (or the envy which prompts me to be offended that you posted it). Those socially "acceptable" sins are to God the "dross" that needs to be purged and skimmed because though small, they mar the silver from reflecting the image of God, the Refiner.

But "dross" can be something so major that no one would publicly, willingly admit. Scandals in the church that are only repented from when openly exposed; marriages in distress because wayward husbands and wives are not submitting to God; people teetering on going back to addictions that will ruin their lives and so many others whom they love; backsliders who do not realize that their spiritual indifference does not only hurt them, it hurts the church to which they should be faithful as well as their own families; unforgiveness that has lingered far too long; abuse that if exposed would send the perpetrators to jail; family finances in peril because they are not honoring God, not only in the ten percent tithe, but because they are not providing for their own families with the essentials and spending on selfish desires with no eternal significances. These are the dross that needs to come to the surface by the fiery trials and tests from the Lord.

Dross can be "small" sins, "large" sins, but they also may be "secret" sins. Someone said that secret sins on earth are open scandals in heaven. No one but God sees the secret dross, but He is the one to whom it matters the most. Critical spirits; rolling of the eyes; harboring of hatred thinly masked by broad smiles; knives pointed to backs, longing to be thrust; jealousies and envies; mean spirits; gossips veiled as prayer requests.

Are these tests from God or temptations from the tempter? Either way, the fires of God which purge the dross should not be feared but welcomed. Burn off in us that which obscures You, O God!

https://www.youtube.com/live/yBGyUrx5kIc?si=BGQQDTTl3jJC4daM&t=1437

God will test us, but He will never tempt us with evil

    

 One final lesson in this series on “Have we trials and temptations? Absolutely!” While the devil indeed does tempt us with evil, God never will.

James 1:13 clearly teaches that no one should say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

At first glance, that may seem contradictory that God cannot be tempted by evil, since Jesus was tempted by the devil. Does that mean Jesus is not God? No, but His deity in human flesh was not tempted but His humanity was indeed tempted. It’s like saying that God can never die, yet Jesus died on the cross. But the God of the universe cannot die, but the second Person in the Trinity, Jesus the Son, in His human manifestation, indeed truly and physically died, and Jesus the Son, in His human manifestation, indeed truly and spiritual was tempted.

However, the greater point is that we should not blame God if we are tempted with evil.  ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

The fault is not solely limited to the devil when evil comes our way. It can be the simple fact that we are in the world of sin that we are drawn away from God, but it also can be our own sinfulness itself. Even we believers can have our own desires and be enticed. Our sin can be birthed, grow, and even cause spiritual and physical death. We, as believers and possessors of the Holy Spirit, can give into our sinful passions or we can choose to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:14).

God will allow us to be tempted by the devil, as He did with Job, but He Himself does not do the “dirty work”. Even knowing that God allows temptation, He also sets the parameters and amount of temptation, as shown in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Some may not think that is a strong distinction that God cannot tempt us with evil, but he allows both Satan and human and worldly desires to tempt us. But it is tremendously significant and here’s why: God is on our side. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not responsible for our sins, nor our temptations.

Car manufacturers allow cars to go above and beyond the speed limit, but they are not responsible for it. God allows temptations but the blame for yielding to it lies completely on us. As a result, we should fight sin, knowing that God is on our side and in control.

Which leads me to one final thought on this issue which leads into tomorrow’s sermon: While God does not tempt us with evil, He absolutely does test us. God’s tests are not for Him to find out whether we will pass or fail, but rather, (and this too is majorly significant) He tests us to prove to us what lies with us, to refine us from our impurities, and to prepare us for His future purposes.

The sermon for September 29, 2024, is entitled, “God’s Refining Fire”.   I hope you come or tune in at https://www.youtube.com/@gracepointesbc.

How many times?

 Does the Bible tell us what happens when we fall in temptation? Not fall into temptation but fall, fail, and succumb to temptation?

Fortunately, yes. The New Testament records many failures by the disciples: Peter denied Christ; Paul and Barnabas got into a dispute; John Mark got homesick; the unnamed woman got caught in the very act of adultery.

And then there is one person who did the unspeakable: Judas betrayed Christ.

Let’s look at what Jesus did for people who failed him. Peter, James, and John were supposed to watch and pray that they not enter into temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane. And yet, three times, they fell asleep when they should have been praying.

It wasn’t that they were supposed to be watching out for Jesus so that He could escape if evildoers came to arrest Him, which of course they did. No, they were to watch and pray that they themselves would not fall in temptation. Their spirit was ready, but their flesh was weak (Mark 14:38).

The disciples didn’t know how to answer Jesus when they fell asleep not once, not twice, but three times (Mark 14:40). Peter tries to overcompensate by cutting off someone’s ear (he probably was going for the throat and missed).

Does Jesus hold unforgiveness in His heart? We all know the answer. Peter would later deny Christ, again three times, which was a sign of complete failure.

Even after the resurrection and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Peter messed up, hypocritically refusing to eat with Gentiles after the religious leaders from Jerusalem showed up (see Galatians 2:11). At another time, Peter said, “Not so, Lord,” when God told him in a vision to kill and eat unclean food.

Many identify with Simon Peter because he proves again and again to be a “work in progress” and so aren’t we all?

But Jesus gave him the answer to what we should do when people continually fail us, then repent, and seek forgiveness, then do it all over again. That answer is the famous “seventy times seven” number of times of forgiveness found in Matthew 18:22.

And therein we see what God’s response is to us when we fail, not once or twice, but again and again. We cannot imagine that God would do anything different than forgive us, despite our many failings. Certainly God is even more merciful than Christ Himself commanded us to be.

Which leads us to the ultimate forgiveness, which is not from God, but from ourselves. There is an instance in which a sinner named Judas Iscariot committed a sin which Jesus knew from the beginning he would commit; just like Jesus knows and knew from the beginning what sins we have, would, and will continue to commit from the day of our salvation.

Except Judas could not forgive himself. Neither could he seek forgiveness. Overwhelmed with conviction, he took his own life (Acts 1:25, Matthew 27:5).

But even Judas’s taking his own life was not the “unforgivable sin”. There is only one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is the continual rejection of the Holy Spirit which convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (see Matthew 12:31, John 16:8, 1 John 5:16-17).

If we have committed horrible sins but seek God’s everlasting and eternal forgiveness, we shall be washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

But if we, like the Pharisee in the parable, live lives of worldly religiosity and morality, but fail to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy, we should read the words Jesus spoke, found in Luke 16:14.

“I tell you, this (repentant though sinful) man went down to his house justified rather than the other (who was unrepentant, judgmental and unforgiven); for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Does God want us to sin, again and again? No, of course not! But He does want us to come to Him, again and again, asking for forgiveness.  Find comfort in this verse, 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

By any other name... he still is a tempter

 In all that I am writing about temptation and the devil, I feel led to state that while God is certainly more powerful than he is and while angels surely outnumber the demons in this world, we should never underestimate the devil.

He is called “the evil one” (Matthew 13:38), “the prince of this world” (John 12:31), “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Revelation 12:10), “the serpent … more cunning and crafty” (Genesis 3:1), “the enemy” (Matthew 13:39), and others.

But even more than what he is called, it is what the tempter does that makes temptation so bad. We can be defiled through unforgiveness (2 Corinthians 2:11), bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), evil promptings (John 13:2), false signs (2 Thessalonians 2:9), false thoughts (Matthew 15:19), and false beliefs (John 8:44).

With all of those things in mind, we need to fight against the tempter and the temptation. I came across this poem (although I cannot find it on the internet but is similar to Good Timber by Douglas Malloch¹):

The tree dug in, facing fiercest wind,
   will stand well past tomorrow;
It's the deepest roots
   which yield sweetest fruits,
       though grown by greatest sorrow.

 The book of James in the Bible said that we should "count it all joy when we face temptations." Why? My theory is that there is a connection of joy with temptation as well as tribulation and testing from God because they all have a potential of bringing us closer to Him. We may fail to enter into the joy because we falter at one or all of the “Triple T” connections.

All three words, temptation, tribulation and testing are found in James chapter 1.

² Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face temptations of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. … ¹² Blessed is the man who perseveres under temptations, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³ When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death... ²⁷ This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Peirazo = Temptation with evil (James 1:2, 12-14). When we are tempted, we are not in sin, but we are in serious danger. Jesus was tempted every day of His existence, in every way (Heb. 2:18) that we are, yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is able to help us, but temptation is nevertheless still a battle. There is an escape, 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, but every temptation has the potential of either being an opportunity to get us closer to God, resulting in joy and perseverance OR of being an obstacle to get us closer to Satan and further from God, resulting in sorrow.

Stephen Charnock, a preacher from the 17th century, said, “A deep sense of the Divine Goodness of God would strike Satan’s temptation dead at a blow.”

A way to victory is to remember God is good, divinely good and will deliver from evil (Matthew 6:13).

Can You Spot the Difference between what is False and True?

This is a third part on dealing with temptation.

“…I have forgiven that one…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

Can you tell the difference between false and true?

Paul said that we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. In other translations, it says we know his “schemes”, and literally it means we know Satan’s mind and intentions. Regarding temptation, I ask ourselves this: Do we really understand Satan’s way of thinking, scheming and manipulating?

We need to really know our enemy. More than 500 years before Christ, Sun Tzu wrote the following in The Art of War:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

How much do we know about Satan’s schemes?

First, we know that he wants to replace God. He will appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14[i]), not only literally but figuratively, he will appear to us and try to replace the thoughts of God with his own deceitful plans. Satan will influence false apostles and teachers, who will appear as “ministers of righteousness”.

In other words, all that glitters is not gold. There is a way that seems right to human reasoning, but it will result in death (This is so important of a truth that Proverbs records it twice in 14:12 and 16:25[ii]).

If Satan’s schemes seem right and righteous, how can we know what is Truth? We must line up things with God’s Word and God’s Truth, especially as revealed in the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus. Paul wrote in Romans 1:20-23[iii] that if something takes glory away from God or glorifies human reasoning, then we should reject it.

Despite the movie The Parent Trap, a mother of identical twins can always tell the difference because she knows them intimately and thoroughly. We too must know God intimately and thoroughly. Judas Iscariot probably thought he was doing the right thing and in fact he often came across as very righteous, to the point the other disciples trusted him with the money bag and assumed even on the night of Christ’s betrayal that he was going off to do something good.[iv] But Jesus knew the Truth. If we know Jesus intimately, we can know the Truth.

In addition to knowing our enemy and his schemes and knowing Jesus intimately, we also need to be alert. As I mentioned on Sunday, 1 Peter 5:8[v] says, “be sober, be vigilant” or alert and on guard.

Be on the lookout and ready. The secret service spotted the assassin’s gun in the bushes because they were on the lookout. You’ve likely heard the phrase, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!” That phrase comes from scam artists who are liars and are appealing to our sinful nature of greed, pride, and laziness which makes us want to “get rich quick”. Being sober and vigilant means that we are not just praying (as mentioned yesterday), but also watching.

Unfortunately, Christians can be the most gullible of all people. We are people of faith and trust and sometimes that leads us to be too trusting of wicked and evil people. We must be alert. We must not be ignorant of evil schemes.

Thirdly (there are so many more, but I will stop here), we need to not only be knowledgeable and vigilant, but we must be spiritually in tune with God. We first must be sure we are “born again” (John 3:3[vi], 1 Peter 3:23[vii]) and have received the Holy Spirit of God within us (Romans 8:15[viii], John 14:17[ix]). “Christ in us” is the hope of all glory (Colossians 1:27[x]) and we spiritually have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

That verse (1 Corinthians 2:16) concludes one of my favorite passages from the Bible, which tells us we can know God’s thoughts because we have His Spirit within us. His Spirit will help us discern what is God’s Truth and what is Satan’s lying schemes:

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. ¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 

---

[i] And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

[ii] There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death.

[iii] ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

[iv] But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.  For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. (John 13:28-29)

[v] ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

[vi] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

[vii] having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

[viii] For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

[ix] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

[x] To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 

Bringing prayer to a spiritual fight

 On Sunday, I preached on “Have we trials and temptations? Absolutely!” and there are so many things to write about testings, trials, and temptations. I couldn’t put it into one sermon, so I am writing the rest of what the Bible speaks. (I won’t restate my sermon, but if you want to watch the sermon, go ahead!)

One of the points I made was “don't bring knives or guns to a spiritual fight.” So, what should we bring? Prayer. 

Peter definitely knew about temptations, and not just when he was tempted and succumbed to denying Christ. Even in the last stages of his life, Peter wrote about temptations. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment and especially those who walk according to the flesh,” (2 Peter 2:9-10a).

Earlier in the chapter, we see that God rescued Noah and Lot out of the “enticements, adversities,” which is what the word “temptations” means. We are to pray that the heavenly Father will not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.

So, in addition to what I preached, how can we be delivered? Today, we will look at one more way and it is not profound in its statement, but very profound in its practice. We should PRAY. Jesus told the disciples, “Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation,” (Matthew 26:41, Luke 22:40). Temptations are a spiritual battle and need to be fought spiritually in prayer.

God allows us to be tempted, otherwise, Jesus would not command us to pray that the Father would not lead us into temptation. It is something from which we can pray to be protected. Today’s verse says that “God knows how to deliver us.”

Isn’t that a funny way to put it? But don’t we all sometimes act like God doesn’t know how to deliver or that we can, by our own power and fortitude, stop the temptations? Peter could have been writing to the churches today that there were “false prophets, false teachers” among the people. Underline how many times “destruction” is mentioned in the first six verses! The first thing we should note is that temptations can destroy us, and we must pray against them.

Also, temptations can deceive us (2 Peter 2:3, 13). That’s why their false! Eve was deceived when she was tempted to not believe God’s Word. Don’t listen to the lies of the tempter! If it’s false, if it contradicts the Bible, don’t listen, don’t try to make sense of it, and don’t try to add to or take away from God’s Word. Eve said, “don’t even touch it,” which God didn’t say and maybe Adam added that but she first touched the fruit and then when she didn’t die, she felt emboldened to eat it. Same thing is true with the slippery slope of temptation. If God said it is right or wrong, take Him, literally at His Word!”

Thirdly, look for deliverance (verse 9). Simply reject the evil and look for Jesus to provide a way out (recall also 1 Corinthians 10:13). Remember that Jesus also “has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted,” (Hebrews 2:18). Why do we have to pray that we would not be led into temptations? Because the heavenly Father wants us to draw near to Him. He wants us to seek Him first. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Temptations can destroy our witness and more, temptations can deceive us, and we must look for God’s deliverance in these inevitable attempts to draw us away from God’s best for our lives.

Pray this prayer to God: Our Father in heaven, I praise you for deliverance from the evil in this world and the temptations in my heart. I glorify you for the opportunity to pray to You for help in the future and forgiveness from the past. Through the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, I shall achieve the victory over the enemy. In the mighty power of name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen. 

Read also Revelation 12:11

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxyLmy29J8GS0pGkNvvgmOCzifj6nmeHJk?si=EsrwNjCoEn_nd4ui

Have we Trials and Temptations? Absolutely.

 The following is a transcript used for the basis of the sermon preached at GracePointe Church in Springtown, Texas on September 22, 2024.

Why are so many pastors falling (Satan). A recent news story said there were 14 individuals who have resigned from churches due to some sort of scandal over the summer in the DFW area alone. That is a staggering number to me, but then I looked up that there are 5,842 Christian non-profit centers in the Metroplex, including Fort Worth, meaning that the number of churches affected represents 0.2 percent of all churches. One church is too many but that equates to 2 out of every thousand congregations.

Someone has said that if there is a mist in the pulpit, there will be fog in the pew. While that generally refers to confusion over a biblical passage, I think the same truism could be related to moral failures and falling in temptations. In other words, there are untold thousands of moral failings and fallings in churches, and tens of thousands of failings inside and outside the church.

If pastors of the pulpit are falling prey to falling to temptation, what is going on with the people in the pew? There are good and bad cops, good and bad teachers, construction workers, farmers, and lord help us good and bad lawyers and politicians. At least I have heard of good lawyers and politicians.

So, the title for my message is Have we trials and temptations? Absolutely! The title is taken from a hymn and the background to the hymn is as follows (found at this webpage )...

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In the vast canvas of historical figures, some remain hidden in the background, their tales whispered among only a few. Joseph Scriven is one such name. His life was a complex tapestry of faith intertwined with profound sadness.

 Early Life of Humility and Service

Born in Ireland on September 10, 1819, to an affluent family. He grew up as a noble man with a heart of mercy, always looking to help the destitute. A story is told of him where a man looks at him carrying a wood saw and a sawhorse, “That looks like a sober man,” the man exclaimed. “I think I’ll hire him to cut wood for me.” The response from the other man was, “That’s Joseph Scriven. He wouldn’t cut wood for you because you can afford to hire him. He only cuts wood for those who don’t have money enough to pay.” Joseph was a devoted man of the Plymouth Brethren Church. A man of high aspirations who was regarded with favor among all those he met. He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin.

Tragedy Strikes

While still in Ireland, he got engaged to be married to his childhood love. He had great hopes of a family who would serve the Lord together. Tragedy struck his life as his bride-to-be accidentally drowned the night before their wedding. She fell from her horse while crossing a bridge over the River Bann. Joseph arrived seconds later only to find her knocked out, drowned in the river. Her death was swift. He described his sorrow this way: “The bottom of my world seemed to disappear.”

A Man Acquainted with a Heavy Heart

This led to a life of depression, sorrow, and devotion. Like so many others who wrestle with God emotionally, he held his head above water and continued to walk with Jesus and serve the Lord. He wandered the land to ease his pain and traveled across the Pacific. He became a leader of a Plymouth Brethren fellowship and started a school for orphans in Canada. He would often read the Bible to railway construction workers who were building the Grand Trunk Railway across the Canada West. He was known to all for his selfless service, his continued battle with physical ailments, and his heavy heart.

 Unrelenting Storms of Life

In 1857, at the age of 38, he moved near Port Hope, Ontario where he fell in love again with the 23-year-old aunt of a young child he was tutoring. Her name was Eliza. They were promptly due to be married. His pain was briefly abated with the renewed prospect of a family. But in August 1860 his fiancée fell ill with pneumonia and unexpectedly died.

 Even through this, Scriven continued to serve all those who were in need. He was known for never turning down anyone who needed help. He was often sick with bodily ailments. These plagued him his whole life. But he was devoted to walking with the Lord. Even though he was a man with deep spiritual wounds, he never stopped groping for his confidence that Jesus was a friend who would never leave him.

 One day a close companion was visiting and happened across a poem on Joseph’s bedside table. He asked him who wrote it. Joseph said, “The Lord and I did it between us.” The poem was titled “Pray Without Ceasing.” He wrote it for his mother, believing the poem would bring some spiritual comfort to his mum, who lay ill in Ireland. He had not intended that anyone else should see it.

 “Take Me Home”

Later in life, he was very ill with a fever and had been brought to a friend’s home to recover. This friend observed Joseph prostrate on the ground, imploring God for something. Soon his friend realized that he was asking Jesus to take him home. His companion was not overly alarmed as it was typical for Joseph to break down in such ways. Later that night, it was very hot. Joseph may have gone outside to cool down, or to get a drink of cold water from the spring. His friend reported, “We left him about midnight. I withdrew to an adjoining room to watch and pray. You may imagine my surprise and dismay when upon visiting his room I found it empty. All searches failed to find a trace of the missing man until a little after noon his body was discovered in the nearby river, lifeless and cold in death.”

 It was never determined whether his death was accidental or a suicide. He was buried in an unmarked grave.

 What a Friend We Have in Jesus

The poem entitled “Pray Without Ceasing” was soon changed to “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” It became one of the most popular Christian hymns of all time.

 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

 Are You Weak and Heavy-Laden?

Amidst life’s darkest storms, the story of Joseph Scriven stands as a testament to the enduring faith of a man acquainted with loss and a man who held Jesus’ hand until the end. You’re not alone in your struggles, and like Joseph, you too can find peace and purpose amidst the pain. Hang on. Joseph’s life encourages us to look beyond our sorrows and see the broader tapestry of life, where faith, service, and love intertwine to bring comfort and hope to our souls. I know it is hard, but take it to the Lord in prayer and pray without ceasing.

You and I are undoubtedly victors as well as victims from some of the spiritual skirmishes, and today we will examine specifically and explicitly what the Bible says we can do emerge from these battles as victors rather than victims.

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Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 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.

Dear Lord Jesus, we come to you today as you are the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. You know what it was like to walk this world in the flesh. You faced down temptations and spiritual oppositions on all sides and as a result you are certainly more than able to come to the aid of those who are fighting the battle. There are more dangers and distractions today than ever in my lifetime and perhaps greater than even in the history of humanity. Please God, use Your word and the preparations I have made in this sermon to come to the aid of myself, our members, and anyone who is struggling to be victorious in the spiritual battles with the wiles of the devil. In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Our passage today begins with that very rich, respected and significant word of Therefore. I firmly believe that the Old and New Testaments are very relevant in our lives. The Therefore in this passage is referring to the previous 12 verses which state that the Old Testament examples are given to us so that we can learn from them. So are the examples from the Gospels and the New Testament. In Paul’s final epistle to Timothy, he said that ALL SCRIPTURE is God-breathed for our teaching (DOCTRINE), our reproving or rebuking from what is bad, our correction to what is good, and our training in right living.

Look to Job for patience. Look to David for praise and worship. Look to Solomon and proverbs for wisdom. Look to Joseph on handling adversity. Look to Abraham for faith. Look to Deborah for how to lead as a woman. Look to Hannah for prayer. Look to Esther for Courage, to Mordecai for guidance for the family and yes look to Nehemiah to see how teamwork makes the dreamwork.

Having explained what that therefore is there for, let’s look at verse 12.

#1 Be Humble. Point number 1 in your struggle with temptation, in steps to being a victor rather than a victim, is first of all BE HUMBLE. 2C10:12 does not say that this can happen to you, but rather this WILL happen to you. Every church member. Every attender. Every child. Every deacon, teacher, every staff member.

Humility is at the heart of true discipleship because humility is at the heart of who Jesus is. No, Jesus did not fall in temptation, but he certainly FACED it and won the battle.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 that he was lowly and humble in heart and before we point our finger at a fallen, failing, faithless sinner, we should pray to God and look to Jesus and say, “Lord Jesus vanquish pride from my heart.”

1a. How can we be humble? 1^st Look to Jesus. They say never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. The same can be said about fighting temptation. Find a righteousness fulfillment from Jesus. Stay in the Word. Stay in Prayer. Stay in Church. Seek the Holy Spirit’s filling. When you look to Jesus, and are seeking the Holy Spirit’s filling, He will not lead you into temptation.

1b. Identify your enemy. Humility comes when we see that easily besetting sin is lurking at the door of our hearts. Before Cain killed Abel, God said sin was crouching and lurking at the door of his heart, waiting to pounce and spring into action. Sin is lying before you and lying to you, desiring and lusting after your heart and the first invitation you can give to your temptations is to deny that it is there. Hebrews 12:1 says “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.”

Jeremiah 6:14 says, “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!” Call it out by name. Don’t deny it. Identify it.

Pride is the root with many fruits. Greed. Lust. Selfishness. Arrogance. Laziness. Gluttony. Atheism. Agnosticism. When Jesus met the demonized man at the Decapolis, He asked what His name was to identify the sin. When you identify your sin by name, it’s easier to defeat it. Identify it for what it is EVIL. Only then can he deliver you from evil, when you identify it.

You know I would love to tell you that I have really defeated the sin of pride, but to be honest, I am way too humble to brag about that!!

Seriously, get over yourself and your righteous indignation about the sins and failures of other and pray to God that you would not fall.

2. Don’t bring a knife or a gun to a spiritual fight   . Take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). When an ungodly thought, a worrisome fear, a lying spirit comes to mind, cast it out, cast it down to the pit of hell where it came from. What tempting strongholds are in your mind? Look at verse 4. With the right weapons, we can pull down those strongholds. What are those weapons?

2a. Scripture meditation. If I were to tell you to memorize verses, you probably wouldn’t do it, so really more important than memorization is meditation. It means saying it over and over again until it goes from your head to the heart. Do you struggle with envy, desires, being discontent. Meditate on 1 Tim. 6:8 “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Heb. 13:5 “be content with such things you have.” 1 Tim. 6:6 says “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

2b. Break curses. You know we believe in blessings. We say God bless you. We speak blessings. But some of you have curses put on you, even from childhood. “You’ll never change!”  Curses can be broken! “You’re just like your father.” “You’ll never amount to anything.”

1) First, let Jesus free you. As a believer, your chains are gone, you’ve been set free, but like Otis the drunk on the Andy Griffith show, you take the key and lock yourself up. When Jesus preached in his home town, He quoted Isa. 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

Jesus’s hometown crowd was no advantage. They started putting curses on Him, saying, you’re  just a carpenter’s son. but He wouldn’t let them and neither should you.

2c. Reverse the curse with blessings. Bless those who curse you and not with “bless your heart”. When Satan or demons or people try to curse you and you bless in return,  pretty soon, Satan will stop cursing you.

Remember Balam and his donkey? Balak wanted to curse on Israel, so he hired the prophet Balaam. But every time Balaam went to curse Israel, God put blessings instead of curses in Balaam’s mouth. Four times this happened and finally Balak gave up. Get rid of temptation by reversing the cursings in your life.

1. Be Humble

2. Use Your Weapons 

3. Submit to God & Resist the devil. That sounds silly, because it’s so simple. It’s not silly, it’s not simple, but it is Scriptural. “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.”

When you give in to temptation, the temptation will stronger, and you’ll get weaker. But if you resist, just for a minute, an hour, a day, you will find that you get stronger, and the temptation gets weaker. Remember the first part though: Submit to God. Submission and resistance.

This formula is found in 1 Peter 5:6-9 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,” that’s obviously the humility part. “that He may exalt you in due time,” That’s using his weapons, His power. “⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” This is submitting to God. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

This is where partners come in. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, ⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!... ¹² though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.