Where Temptation Comes From

e e e e e e e e e e loves me so he will hold me fast he will hold me fast he will hold me fast for my savior loves me so he will all be fast he will hold me fast he will hold me fast for my savior loves me so he will hold me f [Music] come th found of every blessing to my heart to sing thy Grace streams of Mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise me some melious Sonic sung by [Music] fling above raise the mountain fixed upon it m of God unchanging love here I raise my eer hither by by thy help I come and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to our right at home Jesus saw me when a stranger wondering from the fold of God he to resue me from danger interpose his Precious Blood oh to Grace how great a de daily unstrained to be let thy goodness like a fet by my wondering heart in to thee to wonder Lord I feel it to leave the God I love here's my heart oh take and seal it seal it for thy courts above Come Thou F of Every Blessing to my heart to sing thy Grace streams of Mery never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise teach me some melodious Son Sun by flaming Tong above prise the mountain fixed upon it Mount of D changing love teach me some melious song s by flaming TS above praise the mountain I'm fixed upon it mountain of unchanging love praise the Lord brothers and sisters for this morning that we can all come here together and be in the house of the Lord and praise His name and glorify his name and I'm going to read a Bible verse in uh John 16:33 and it says here I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace in this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world praise God and I also just want to announce our program for this morning we'll be having brother Tim continue his series and me message for today God bless wow it's a it's a beautiful morning it's nice and white you know this just shows that God he has a sense of um I would say a creativity you know he wants to show us that not everything is the same and today we see the the snow uh for me it's a hassle for my kids it's a blessing so so uh you know they've been waiting for a snow day for a while already and every time they get a snow day they have no school or every time snow comes down it happens to be when they have no school so but uh today we will be continuing our lesson in James and just a recap of kind of what we uh spoke about yesterday we're going to be uh opening up from James chapter 1 and continuing from 12 to 18 but I kind of shared a story with with everybody and I would like us to kind of think about it which um it was about that man who was uh driving by the the dut shop and it happened to be that that yesterday I had to get some donuts and I'm like oh man I'm I'm that guy but uh but uh this man he's driving by the the donut shop and he sees that you know there's donuts and he's like I'm going to only stop by that place if if there's a parking spot right in front of it and sure enough after seven times around the block there was a parking spot right in front of it you know and I know some of us heard that story some of us didn't but my question to you is that where is the sin going to happen is it the fact that he drove into that parking spot is he sing when he enters the the store or is the sin committed when he takes the bite of that yummy donut and so over here we're going to be talking about where do Temptations come from in James chapter 1 vers 13- 18 and we're going to be learning about how Temptations and how sin it could damage our life it could steal our joy our peace it could steal everything we have but but God he actually wants better for you and for me and uh let's open up to James chapter 1: 13 uh through 15 we'll be reading over here it says let no one say when he is tempted I am tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he himself tempt anyone but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed then when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown brings forth death see over here we we see that verse 13 James is trying to make it clear that God does not tempt with evil that's not in his nature last week I mentioned that Bible passage where Jesus speaks of himself and says the the evil one Speaking of Satan did not find anything in me so over here even Satan was not able to find any evil in Christ showing that God cannot tempt us with evil he has no evil in him everything he has for us is for the good even trials that we go through is for the good it's to build us it's to restore us it's to make us stronger but temptation is to make us weaker it's to take us down and it's to enslave us to that sin and keep us captive and over here here we once again read that God himself does not tempt anyone but why do Temptations come into our life you know the question is how do Temptations work Temptations we see over here they come into our life when we are verse 14 drawn away by his own desires and enticed you see the devil he throws the bait and that's and that's us in this world we're we're swimming around in this huge Lake that's all we know this big world and there's and there's little Temptations can we turn away yes we can we can turn away when we understand that that hook can damage our life but when we are too weak we are ignorant and as that innocent I would say person in life goes onto to that bait that's where the devil wants us it starts with the desire it begins in Our Minds when we when we see something we want when our desires um see something that maybe it could be I want this nice car or I want these nice shoes right and like look at this I mean it's not bad to have a car and shoes right we all need that it's not bad to have a roof over our head we all need that right but over here that's the trick of the devil is that when he can set our mind on those things that please our flesh then he tempts us with whole different things that that we never expected in our life there was a testimony of of a lady last week that that says she was a ballet uh person she was a ballet and from ballet she became a drag addict it's like it's like hold on a sec I mean how do you put those things together ble ble and then became a drug addict right the reason why is because when we are all in to our desires of the flesh then the devil already tempts us with things that for us it's hard to get rid of for for us it's hard to to free ourselves from he's he knows what the body what the body wants and so over here we cannot take the uh bait you know and those like when we do say not rebuke those thoughts when when we're too weak we start entertaining those thoughts we start uh like thinking we start planning our future if I have this if I have that if we start kind of planning our thoughts with the desires of the flesh we take that bait meaning that it becomes into action um you know sin it doesn't destroy a person right away it it grows over time to destroy the person it's like a caner when it's small it's unnoticed but when it's noticed usually it's already too late because it's already on its last stage it's already taken the body with it and over here we have to understand that when we are being tempted we have the power to say no we should have the power to say no we should have the power to walk away but the reason why we don't it's not because because of God is because of us we want that we want that in our life and when we take that hook bait then it drugs us down so Temptation it it's it's not only a sin when we bite into it but it it also becomes a habit and then it becomes our lifestyle when we constantly take the bite of the sin then it becomes a lifestyle it becomes a part of us we cannot live without it that's why the world is the way it is people like to war because they don't know how else to live people like division because they don't know how else to live that's in their nature they tried it once and it worked and now it entertains them when they SE division people like alcohol and drugs is because they tasted it once they tasted it twice and now it took a hold of them and now it became a part of them why do Believers fall into temptation see over here James he's speaking to the church he's speaking to those that that believe in Jesus Christ but even if we don't believe in Jesus just today like even if we don't know if we truly have him these lessons are also for us why do Believers fall into temptation lack of spiritual discipline we are distracted lack of spiritual discipline you know we're we're very disciplined when it comes to eating right we we make sure we we're well fed we eat in the morning or some of us eat at lunch some of us eat for dinner because we know that our body needs food to survive we know that our body needs food for strength to overcome but when we are distracted we we put our mind and our life on the Earthly desires more than on spiritual growth like we talked about I want this I want that some of us already have some of these things but we want more of it and we can spend spend hours hours hours trying to get what we want but we don't need it or another thing we could spend hours on is obviously one of the biggest issues and this is not even from the the church's Pulpit but this is from the secular World they say that the biggest issues is social media Instagram uh Tik Tok the reals you YouTube even it's the reals they take up our time they take up our mind they take up our life and when they take up our time life in our mind we have no more time to invest into spiritual growth and what we don't realize while we're entertaining ourselves while we here online shopping for hours a day not buying anything while we're dreaming of the house that I [Music] want never getting it we are spiritually dying we are spiritually dying and you know and sometimes we wonder why am I so weak to overcome Temptation why am I so weak that is because my dear friend your spirit is starving you think you're strong you think you're strong but when Temptation comes you constantly fall into it it's not because you're a bad person it's because your spiritual body your spiritual body is weak it has no strength to to overcome you know and and usually we ignore the the warning signs the warning signs that my friend not everything is maybe okay in your life there's some things that you need to adjust we ignore it and how does God warn us is through what I'm doing right now through sermons through preaching through teaching through songs Through friends that care about you through parents that that want good we ignore those warning signs because we are too invested into our fleshly body a weak Spirit does not have strength to resist a strong Temptation a weak Spirit does not have strength to resist a a strong Temptation I mean just just put a like 110 lb person to to go against a 220 lb um Macho Man I mean what are the chances of that 110b guy winning I mean there's a chance I would say maybe 0 one% chance that he'll win but how many times once twice or does that mean that he needs to do something about his body to make sure he has strength to go against somebody like that and sometimes even being Believers even being Believers we are investing too much of our precious time to things that do not strengthen our spiritual body and when Temptations come when Temptations come we fall the danger of sin like I said it's it starts small it's like a seed it's a seed that it's planted you know we took the bite we took the bite but then it grows it grows when uh over here it says when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin and sin when is full grown brings forth death you know sin it never stays small it always grows don't think that um if you tried something that all of a sudden it's not going to tempt you if you tried something if you do not repent right away if you do not ask God to to forgive you then it will drag you it will grow in you and it will damage your life you know and how we talked about it starts in our mind then we take action then becomes our habit and then it becomes our lifestyle in Romans 6:23 wouldn't have to open that I'm just going to read it real quick but over here it says for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord you know a True Believer that says that he's a Christian when he sins he does not it's not comfortable for him he feels out of place he feels that something is wrong it's like example of the Splinter when we get a splinter that splinter bothers us why because it hurts right that means that we are still alive our body is still living and when we get something small into our body it's not our arm getting cut off yet it's just a little Splinter what do we do we try to remove it from our life try to remove it but if we don't remove it what happens it might get infected and then it might take more than just taking out the Splinter it will take off your whole arm and could even take your whole life for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus my friend if you are struggling in your life with Temptations If you are biting the bait Jesus Christ is saying that leads to death but I have something better for you I have something good for you and over here we read every good gift comes from God James 1:17 it says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of ter learning God is is offering all of us freedom from our sins he's telling us that you don't have to live you don't have to be a slave to that bait that you took once in your life and now it became a problem you don't have to live like that God is offering good gifts you know I was I was hearing some people and they're saying well good gifts are uh we got to be thankful for you know good good weather or um that we can walk that that we can move our arms but not everybody has legs not everybody has arms not everybody can enjoy a good weather and I'm like there has to be something more In this passage every good gift imp perfect gift is from above what is a perfect gift my dear friends God gave us the perfect gift and that's Jesus Christ he's the perfect gift he offers us salvation he tells you my dear friend I see you I see each one of you today right now and I know your struggles I know your pain I came to set you free why do you want to struggle you don't have to you do not have to struggle anymore because I came to give you a life and in that salvation in Romans 109 Romans [Music] 10:9 we read in Romans 10:9 we read that that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved you will be saved you know sometimes we not knowing how eternal life is we are selling it for the life we have here but God is saying only if you knew only if you knew the gift that I want to offer you only if you knew you would give your life to me and and God says in one first John 9 1:9 that those who confess their sins will be forgiven forgiven and in Isaiah 43:25 he says and he will not remember he will blot out your sin he will not remember he will wash you clean and in Romans 6:23 it says he will give you eternal life the saddest part is when people sell eternal life for this life that we have here I mean what good does the life here bring us there is chaos everywhere there's hurts there's pains they suffering and people are willing to turn away from the life that God gives them the paradise the life that is without pain the life that brings joy and peace back into your hearts the life that you don't have to walk on your own he will walk with you some of us are turning that down for this life for the life where we have to struggle for the life where it doesn't benefit us in any way but only takes us down takes us into the Dirt Drags us through keeps us there we take our head up puts it down stay down there we some of us are trading the eternal life for this kind of life but Jesus offers us the perfect and true true gift and that's salvation and those that are already saved those that believe but fell into temptation fell into sin Jesus offers us forgiveness forgiveness he says you don't have to live in the past anymore your past is the past you did that in the past but if you bring your sins to me I will wash you clean and I will not remember them I will not remember them yes we might remember our past because our past maybe did some damage to us but God says I don't you are free my friend you are washed you are clean you are saved act and live like that rejoice in your salvation rejoice in your salvation that you are washed and clean what are you most thankful for today what are you most thankful for today you know the Bible teaches us watch and pray Matthew 26:41 Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation what we learn today is couple things when Temptation comes into our mind don't entertain it rebuke it how do we rebuke the Temptation in our mind it's when we pray how do we rebuke that Temptation in our life is when we start invested into our spiritual body if social media tempts you delete it do you have the power to do that do you have the power yes it's just one click away just one click away if it tempts you if you need to if it doesn't tempt you it's okay but if it tempts you if it gets your steals your time if it gets you into trouble cut it off if it's your friends if it's bad company that constantly invite you to sin to do bad things walk away walk away the reason why we have a hard time to walk away the reason why we sometimes have a hard time to delete those things in our life that drug us that that keep us down is because we are too weak our spiritual body is too weak and the Temptation is too strong so we have to start from the beginning how can we overcome Temptation how can we overcome temptation is to start investing into our spiritual body sin is not a joke it separates us from God's presence so we have to take these steps in our life to make sure that we are not only able to overcome temptation but we are able to win every time the devil tempts us that we are able to win and if you're if you're wondering why that maybe you are currently struggling with some kind of sin my dear friend where is your mind where is your mind is it in your phone is it with your friends where is your mind or is it in the word of God do you have a prayer life Watch and Pray Matthew says Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation do you have a prayer life and to those that maybe are not saved yet those that don't have Jesus Christ I want to ask you a question how has life been treating you so far are you happy with it but I guarantee you that Christ can give you a better life Christ can give you a better life he will wash you clean he will forgive you and you will have eternal life with him in Paradise where the Bible says there's no more pain there's no more suffering and there's joy and I think that's what we all long for in this world but we will get that when we give our life to Christ amen let's pray e and all Rising we're going to be singing the song by the name of are you washed and I'll Fly [Music] Away have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power are you washed in the blood of the Lamb are you fulling trusting in his grace this hour are you washed in the blood of the Lamb are you wash are you in the blood in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb are your garments spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood of the Lamb lay aside the garments that are stained with sin and be washed in the blood blood of the Lamb there's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean oh be washed in the blood of the Lamb are youh are you wased in the blood in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb are your garment spotless are they white as snow are you washed in the blood god of the Lamb some glad morning when this life is over fly away to a home on God's Celestial Shore I fly away I Fly Away Oh Glory F away when I die Hallelujah by and by I'll Fly Away I'll Fly Away Oh Glory I fly away when I die Hallelujah by and by Fly [Music] Away praise God praise God praise God that was a a beautiful song a good song for the ending but uh my dear friends you know um kind of like the the message was saying that you know sometimes God is trying to get our attention in life you know and he he tries to get our attention through people who care about you and that would be ministers and that would be pastors and that would be preachers and that would be friends and so today if you feel like you need you know Jesus today if you feel like you need a change in your life you can come up to me or Pastor Henry and we can talk to you we we'll uh listen to you will hear you out we'll pray with you you know because God he offers something better something better something much more better that we will never regret if we make that choice in our life but with that said um so if you feel that God is knocking on your heart after service you can come up to us um so Allan asked us to pray for his knee his knee is is hurting and we're going to pray for Allan we're we're going to also uh Sylvia had a a need for World Peace uh she sees the the struggle in this in this world you know and she's uh praying for that and may God not only give peace to this world but also give peace to to our hearts and uh Debbie she she asked us to pray for her her friend Tim Timmy uh he is coming here and for safe travels and Fabian asked us to pray for him so P so God gives him a path of guidance okay and then Jose Chavez he uh asked us uh to pray for him for more understanding from God so God guides him in the spirit and also uh brother Doug he's um the one that he would sit in the back I don't know many people might not know him but uh he goes to our church and he just had his arm amputated but um he's doing good he's back he's happy he's joyful you know God gave him peace and uh we're going to pray for him that God blesses him and his family and that God uh strengthens him Gwen go ahead we just had brother my uncle known as Leo he died last night of a heart attack okay my family in prayers okay so so her uncle he died of a heart attack last night so we're going to pray for for Gwen and all the relatives that God gives them peace and comfort does does anybody else have any needs okay let's pray Lord God lord we're thank you we're thankful for this wonderful day and thank you God for for bringing us here Lord God where we could hear your message Lord God where we could be encouraged Lord if there's maybe some things in our life God that we don't that we didn't know uh how to overcome Lord God but what we know today is that we need to invest into our spiritual body through prayer and through the word Lord God we also God are bringing all these needs into your hands Lord for Allan's kneee God may you bring healing on his knee God we've already been praying a couple times God but we know Lord we know that you can bring healing to Allan and in the name of Jesus Christ bring healing upon Allan today amen Lord God we also are praying for Sylvia's need for World Peace God you see God this world is just is just going downhill God but may you may you uh bless us and give us peace and to those who need peace Lord God open up to them and save them as well Lord God we pray for Debbie's need for Timmy Lord God he's going to be traveling may you protect him on his travels and we pray for Fabian Lord God he's asking for your guidance in his life he's he's asking God for for your leadership Lord God and may your hly the Holy Spirit come over him and guide him and like and also for Jose shavez we pray the same prayer Lord God may your Holy Spirit Guide him and give him understanding in his life to make the right decisions Lord Jesus and we also pray for for uh Gwen's needs Lord God may you comfort them may you comfort her cousins may you comfort her her sisters Lord God with this loss may you comfort them God and may you bless and also we're praying for Doug Lord God we're happy to know God that that he is in a joyful Spirit Lord God and we Rejoice God that that you Lord God gave him that Comfort Lord God and may you bless him in his wife and his son may you bless them all in Jesus name we pray amen Our Father in heaven Hallowed Be Your Name Your Kingdom Come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from the evil one for your kingdom power and Glory forever are yours amen be blessed