Pastor Motshwaiwa

INTRODUCTION

There is nothing in this world as permanent as Temptations in this world – We live in the fallen world and it is guaranteed that temptations will always be there around us so long as we live!

It is not about the temptations that surround us that’s the problem – the problem is our ability to overcome temptations!

To become Christian or being born again does not mean you overcome temptations – in actual fact it is the opposite

OBJECTIVES

• Sources of temptations
• Ways or way of overcoming temptation

Test/Trials/Tribulations        - Job 1: 6-13    What to do in time of tests

Psalm 11:5 “The LORD tests the righteous”             

• Trials or test are outside yourself                                          
• Hope you will pass – To upgrade you to the next challenge – more responsibility
• James 1: 2 – 4 Trial of faith worketh patience, tying of faith
• Gen 22: 1-2 – Tested Abraham – Hebrew 11:17 – Abraham passed the test! Great Faith
• Isaiah 48:10 – Behold I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of afflictions
• Zacharia 13:9 – I will bring the 1/3 through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested

SILVER – Need to remain in fire until your image appears to it! Your Image is the image of God! As he has created us! Holy as He is!

Jeremiah 6:29 – 30 “Rejected silver – removed too soon from the fire! – People are refusing to be refined! BUT THEIR REFINING GOES ON IN VAIN

but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.” Jeremiah was called to speak to the nation of Israel in a time when they were in complete disobedience to God. They were worshiping other gods, seeking help from ungodly nations and living life in an unholy manner.

In other words, we can buy Christian parenting books, read Christian faith blogs, get advice from godly women, sit in church on Sunday, spend our Friday mornings in Bible study and still not want to be refined. We can still step out of the process and refuse to let go of the dross.

• Read and do Bible study
• Attend Church and still not being refined

                        God desire is to refine us but it is our choice whether we want to be refined!

TEMPTATIONS 

• From inside yourself – Attack the spirit though the body senses
• Condemnation and previous habits are being repeated
• Hope that you will fail
• There should be something already in you – For the devil to use!
• 1 Corinthian 7 – Have wife or husband so that devil does not temp you
• To be tempted is not a SIN but when you fall into temptation its result in the SIN

SOURCES OF TEMPATIONS

• James 1: 14 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed”
• Mark 7: 21-23 “21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness(greed), wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man
• Jesus had no sin (desires) and he had to be led by the Holy Spirit for Him to be tempted. Matthew 4: 1-11
• Jesus had to be tempted and experience it so that He could sympathize with us (Hebrew 2:17) Hebrew 4: 15 - 16
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Matthew 6:13 – Temptation come from the devil – want you to fail

James 1: 13 – God does not temp any one that is why Jesus taught – LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATIONS

I Corinthians 10: 13 – 14 – IDOLS! IDOLS! IDOLS Temptation are such that you can overcome them – All temptations are possible to overcome!

ARE YOU TEMPTER – WHAT TYPE OS PERSON ARE YOU?

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS?

• Jesus used the WORD – written WORD OF GOD – PAUL CALL IT SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
• Psalm 12:6 “The words of the LORD are pure words, Like Silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times
• Silver is message of God
• Clay/Earth is human messengers
• Fire is Holy Spirit 
• Revelation 12:9-12 – Testimony – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamp and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death’’
• Testify personally to what the WORD of God says
• Testify personally to what the blood of Jesus does to us
• Hebrew 3:1 ‘’ Therefore holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus
• Pray
• James 4:7 – Resist the devil and will flee from you!