Temptation Revealed

Well, let's take our Bibles and let's turn to the book of James Turn to the book of James James chapter 1 we're gonna be in verse 13 through 16 this morning We are continuing in our series that is called good works flow from good faith good works flow from good faith now This series has been very good for us so far. God's been answering some questions God's been preparing us and teaching us and I've really enjoyed hearing some of the things that God has done in you some of the questions that you've had and You've expressed to me some of the correction that God has brought about and I'm thankful for that But we really are seeing the need for good works that come From good faith and we know that our culture of desperately desperately needs to see Real Christian works that flow from real Christian faith You know those of us here down in the south in the Bible belt, you know, everybody around us is a Christian in that right?

But yet nobody seems to be a Bible Christian It seems you go down to the grocery store or Walmart and you can poll everybody you see and everybody's a Christian But yet the culture that we live in is in desperate need of seeing real Christianity Flashed out in the lives of the real Bible Christians And I believe that is what God is teaching us here in the books of James now In our introductory message to the book of James that message was called the who of the book of James James taught us that this book is very practical matter of fact some of the Some of the Explanations are descriptions of the book of James went like this One of the explanations or descriptions called it a book of practical religion One writer that I came across called it a manual for Christian living now I like this manual for Christian living because in the previous three messages on trials We have seen how the teaching on trials really prepares us for what right What is right around the corner and that is trials in the life of Christians and really these verses previous verses? versus 2 to 12 have just been a manual on trials and tribulations that do come in life and this is very practical I've Said it like this.

These messages have been an explanation What I mean is they have explained to some of you what you've gone through but for some of you they have been a preparation some of you have not really hit trials headlong yet and what they these messages have done if they have Prepared you for what is right around the corner and let me tell you this is just a manual for Christian living now I gave you in that introductory message a theme verse Every book of the Bible has a theme verse if not more than one But James chapter 2 verse 17 is what I call the theme verse many Bible commentators say the same thing This verse says even so faith if it has no works is dead being by itself and in this manual for Christian living in this Learning about trials.

We are seeing that the ability to deal with trials according to the scripture is works that come out of true Biblical faith and I'll tell you church that is just what your neighbors your family members your sons your daughters your mothers your fathers Your co-workers need to see coming out of your life now in this morning's message and in these verses this morning verses 13 through 16 We are transitioning from tests and trials to another word and that word is temptation temptation we are transitioning from the experience of trials to the experience of Temptations and not only temptations temptations that lead to sin now in the Christian life and in the church many people have many misunderstandings about temptation and sin sin is very much understood even in culture today now Let me give you an example or some examples of how sin is misunderstood First of all, I want to tell you that sin is minimized today.

Is it not I give you an example people do not Commit adultery anymore. They just have an affair in that right We have changed the Bible words up a little to make it just taste a little sweeter and in that sin is Minimized and as a matter of fact in our culture sin is laughed at today All you have to do is turn on your television and you will see see program after program late night Comedian after late night comedian laugh at Sin it's even sad to say that sin is laughed at in the life of the church I never forget in the church service one time I heard an ordained minister of the gospel stand behind a holy desk just like this and make jokes about horrific horrendous sin Going on in the culture in that day and everybody in the church house knew about it And I would venture to say that 99% of the people there laughed But because I had the heart of God in the mind of God I sat in the back and I wept Because sin is nothing to be laughed at Also in culture today sin is entertainment All you've got to do is listen to some of the popular music today All you've got to do is watch the popular television shows today and watch popular movies today and Entertainment is just chopped full of nothing but biblical sin and in many people's eyes it is entertainment Also, I want you to see that sin is ignored today, especially in public figures.

Is it not I? Was thinking last night and I was even doing a little research But years ago I was watching a television special on public broadcasting About the president Harry Truman. I wish I had it documented and I wish I had it on paper But I'll just have to work from memory But when Harry Truman took office after the death of FDR and he was appointing those men to his cabinet He refused to appoint a man to his cabinet who had been divorced What he went on to say was if a man will lie to his wife He will lie to the American people That was his position Now I'm not here to bash divorce.

There are many people who were divorced because it's not their own fault I'm trying to make a point and in that day a public figure the president of the United States Had a standard and he would not ignore lying in the life of a man But yet in our culture a president like Bill Clinton can commit unspeakable acts and lie And get away with it and it's ignored Also in our culture sin is admired You take a businessman and he might have Questionable business practices, but if he is successful in other words if he makes money and acquires properties He is admired What am I trying to show you sin is misunderstood in the culture?

But sin and the way sin works is terribly misunderstood in the life of the church and in the lives of Christians and going back to the book of James it is a manual for Christian living We have learned how to be prepared for trials and now James is going to teach us What temptation looks like and what happens in temptation when it comes into our lives?

Now a little more introduction is Christians we need to see that there are three great enemies that we face today listen close as Christians we need to see that we face three great enemies today first sin Second self and three Satan First sin Second self in third Satan and this morning we are going to dive into sin and into self And we are going to see how sin works Now if you're taking notes, and I trust that you are I want you to jot down the title of the message I like titles that helps us get our mind around what the what the Lord is wanting to teach us and the title of the message this morning is temptation revealed Temptation Revealed and let's look into the scripture.

Let's read together or look together at James chapter 1 Starting in verse 13 James says let not let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt anyone But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust Then when lust is conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death Like I said earlier.

I want us to dive into this thing of sin and self and I believe Temptation is going to be revealed now if you're taking notes We have two main truths this morning and you can jot these down The first main truth is this the source of temptation? the source of temptation That would be Roman numeral one and then Roman numeral to the process of temptation the process of Temptation so let's look at Roman numeral one the source of temptation From verses 13 through 14.

Let's read the text again The word says let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt Anyone then James goes on to say that each one is tempted When he is carried away and enticed by his own lust and what James is showing us He is showing us the source of temptation now before we dive into this.

I want you to get one word this is informational What I mean is this is James? informing the readers the source of Temptation and for us for you and for me it is informational it is educational and what God wants to do is show us the source of our Temptation and there are a lot of people who misunderstand The source of temptation. So if you're taking notes jot these down first I want you to see that temptation does not come from God Temptation does not come from God look at verse 13 Let no one say when he is tempted. I'm being tempted of God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt Anyone and what James is showing is?

Temptation does not come from God Now let's just take these verses and let's divide them up and let's let's just hang a little more truth on this Temptation does not come from God notice first man's rationalization I Want you to notice first man in his? Rationalization go back to verse 13. Let no one say when he is tempted. I'm being tempted by God What are we seeing here now if you look into your scripture if you look into your Bible?

The English Standard Version and the new American Standard that I'm reading from it has these words in print in Quotations I am being tempted by God now the King James does not have the quotations But it does have I am tempted of God now What are we learning here if we study the construction of the language? what we're seeing here is James is quoting an individual and James is showing us in the construction of the language that man is rationalizing his predicament of Temptation go back again with that thought in mind.

Let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt anyone and What James is showing is he's showing that man will rationalize his sin He will rationalize his temptation and this is nothing new because it has been in the scriptures since the beginning Also, I want you to notice that God cannot be tempted What does he say let no one say when he is tempted?

I'm being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil The word cannot right here in the verse carries the idea that God is Untemptable he is without the capacity for temptation We learn this in Isaiah's great vision out of Isaiah chapter 6 You do not have to turn there But we know that Isaiah had a vision of God and not only did he have a vision of God He heard some of the things going on in glory. And what does he say? When he had that great vision of God Verse 3 of chapter 6 says and one called out to another those angelic beings So what did they say holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts? Now what do those words holy mean?

The word holy meant simply means to be set apart to be separate to be different And what we are learning here is God is entirely different He cannot be tempted He does not have within him the capacity to be tempted and that is what Isaiah saw Isaiah saw God and he heard the voice of those in glory and they were saying God is separate God is completely different from anything we can ever imagine and what James is saying is that God cannot be tempted Notice also that God does not tempt anyone Let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil and he that's God himself Does not tempt anyone now notice the difference in a test or a trial and a temptation? we've been studying trials and tests and now we have a Temptation and what James is doing he is Trenching between the temptation to sin and a trial because what does he say God can't be tempted and God himself Will not tempt anyone and what we see here is the scripture plainly says God will not bring temptation Let me give you a biblical example.

I know that I've spoken a lot of Abraham during these Sermons on tests and trials, but you know the great trial the great test that Abraham faced God came to Abraham and although Abraham was old and his wife Sarah was beyond childbearing years God said to Abraham you will have a son as a matter of fact He took him outside on a clear night and he said Abraham you will have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky But yet the test began because year after year day after day month after month Sarah did not conceive and as a matter of fact her biological clock just kept ticking You know, right and then one day those three visitors came and they told Abraham that he would bear a son His wife Sarah would bear a son and she was in the tent and she heard what they said and she laughed They were in a trial They were in a test See what God was doing was God had put him in a test God was proving who Abraham was not that God didn't know but God was showing Abraham Who he was and God was about doing an inward work to make him more like Himself and to make him more useful, but in the midst of that trial he had a temptation.

I Think you know the story As time kept ticking away Sarah kept getting older Maybe as she looked in the mirror and the wrinkles got deeper. She sat in her heart This - just this just just nothing got to happen What did she do? She came to Abraham and she said Abraham. Here's my maid servant Hagar now remember Hagar came from Egypt and Egypt is always a picture of the world and What Sarah did was she said Abraham take Hagar as your second wife just like everybody else See that was a common practice in that day That was trying to do the work of God the world's way and that's what's going on in the life of the church That's another sermon for another day But what Abraham did was there was a great temptation and he failed to that temptation and there is a distinct difference between a trial which God brings and temptation that comes and God did not bring that temptation from Sarah All the trial came from God but not the temptation and so what I want us to see is in the source of temptation first temptation does not Cannot and will not ever come from God Now second under the source of temptation.

I want you to see that temptation does come from man Go back to the verse Verse 14 but Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust Verse 13 James says God doesn't bring temptation But now verse 14 shows us the source the true source of the temptation now Let's just look at this verse But each one is tempted when he is carried away and in touch by his own lust now with this Temptation comes from man and verse 14.

I want you to notice a few things first notice the universal problem of temptation What does it say? but each one Each one that's the new American standard the English Standard Version says but each person The King James says but every man. What are these translations communicating? What is the original language say in the original language? It is inclusive and this word each one it is in the present tense indicating the continuing and repeated temptation Not only is it universal to all men. It is not a one-time event.

It is ongoing in the life of the Christian this is a universal problem of temptation Also, I want you to notice Specifically the source of the temptation Now we can see that the source of temptation is man, but it gets a little more specific notice verse 14 again But each one is tempted When his he is carried away and enticed by his own lust Now let's just divide this verse a little further and I want you to notice the source of temptation Now the new American standard says he is on lust The English Standard Version says by his own desire the NIV says His evil or his own evil desire now. What are we seeing here?

This is the strong desire Communicated this is the strong desire of the fallen man and his desire To enjoy or to acquire something that would satisfy the flesh you understand Let me explain this lust this desire two translations use the word desire One translation that I'm read from uses the word lust This is the strong desire of the fallen human soul who has the desire To enjoy or acquire something that would satisfy The flesh and look that is the source of the temptation Not just man, but his own desire go back to the verse But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed what by his own lust now I want you to notice that word by I would really like you to circle it Because this word by In the original it carries the idea of a direct agent What are we seeing here?

Man is not indirectly implicated But man is directly implicated by the very word as a matter of fact You can say it like this the word by Points straight to man. So with that being understood, let me read the verse again But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own Desire another words the verse says it like this James is saying listen fella You are carried away by your desire You see the source of the temptation the source of the temptation is man But the very specific source of the temptation is his desire is his desire to satisfy the flesh I'll give you another biblical example We know the story of King David the Bible says that God rejected Saul as king Saul was the first king and The Bible says that that God literally tore the kingdom out of Saul's hands The Word of God says that God that David was looking for a man after his own heart and he found that man And it was the young shepherd boy David the prophet anointed David is king and David walked with God and obeyed God and was a great mighty man of God But lo and behold there became a series of temptations that came into his life and I will note one of these There was a day when he was at home in his palace and he was not in his rightful place Leading his men to war there was another sin for another day and another sermon for another day But what he did was he gazed across the rooftop and he saw another man's wife about Sheba And what did he do?

He desired her in his heart and James says that David was carried away He was enticed in the word by point straight to David by your desire you lusted for her And in that what the prophet did the prophet came and the prophet didn't rationalize the prophet didn't blame God The prophet didn't say oh mankind had fallen. No, he pointed his finger and said you you took another man's wife See this word by implicates man and not only implicates man it implicates man's desire to Satisfy the flesh now.

Let me just pause here for a minute And I want to give you a scripture that really helps us see all of what we've looked at with this source of temptation You don't have to turn there, but we go all the way to the beginning to the book of Genesis After the creation has been created and man has been put in the center of that creation man is complete because he has Eve by his side and then lo and behold Sin enters the picture through the fall of man We know that the enemy used the serpent in chapter 3 of Genesis and there became a great fall in the garden But what do we see here?

After Eve had fallen and after Adam had fallen God comes and God meets him in the garden and noticed his encounter in verse 12 Notice this encounter and the man Said let me back up The Lord God verse 9 the Lord God called to the man and he said to him. Where are you and he? he said and He said I heard the sound of thee in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked So I hid myself and he thus God said who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I have commanded you not to eat and the man said the woman whom thou giveth to me With me she gave me the tree and I ate what did Adam do?

He rationalized his singing the very first thing that James deals with is the very first thing that Adam did He tried to rationalize. Oh God. I didn't do it. She did it He passed the buck and See not only did Adam try to rationalize that sin Adam tried to Side-step the fact that he was guilty and it was his desire that caused him to reach out and take that and eat that Which God said do not eat So matter of fact if you know the story when they saw that fruit it was pleasing to the eye why that was gratifying that sinful flesh And that is a great example of how what James is teaching is exemplified right here in the scripture Verse 13 then the Lord said to woman what is this that you have done and the woman said the serpent deceived me See this is universal is it not it wasn't just Adam that fit the bill in James It was Eve as well and what James is showing us the very source of temptation And let me tell you when temptation comes your way you fall prey not because of any body, but you and your desire and See the devil has always been about trying to get mankind not to see this I thought about something last night.

I don't know why I thought about it It was a little before my time, but those of you who are a little bit older than me might remember this There was a famous a comedian and actor in the 60s and 70s his name was Flip Wilson He had some television shows and comedy shows I can remember those days the certain shows that my parents would watch but Flip Wilson in the 70s coined a little phrase that became famous with one of his characters and that phrase was the devil made me Do it and it became kind of a catchphrase in the culture. Let's see.

Here's a problem with it It might be catchy, but it's not biblical And see the devil is all about Enabling or causing men to side step and not see the source of their temptation And see this is the way it works if you were in your office. There's a secretary in your office It does not matter how she is dressed if you allow yourself to look at that woman lustfully you were at fault Because what you have done is you have fallen prey to temptation because you have gratified that Lustful desire in your heart. It's not just about immoral things. It's about money.

It's about power It's about position the list goes on and on and on anything that is sin So what we see is the source of sin I'll give you a real-life example of how this is fleshed out. I Remember years ago in a church that I was serving I Watched a leader in the church start doing some things and behaving in some odd ways To fast forward the story he didn't live around here He ended up leaving his wife and taking his Friend's wife and I'll never forget as I had to step in the midst of that sin the first thing he did Rationalize Pass the buck Side-step. Oh, it's not me. It's not me.

You just don't understand what it's like to live with her I James says that what he did was he fell prey to himself and His own wicked sinful desire and he chose to gratify His flesh and in so doing we see the source of the temptation and he ruined a lot of lives let's continue with Roman numeral to we see the process of Temptation the process of temptation again.

We pick back up with verse 14 because these truths overlap in the verses Let's look at verse 14, but each one When he is carried away and enticed by his own lust Then when lust is conceived gives gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death Now earlier with our first main truth. I told you that that was informational or educational But with this main truth the process of temptation. This is practical in nature I guess you can say it like this.

This is just how it works This is just how it works So under this heading of Roman numeral to the process of temptation first, I want you to see I want you to see temptation Begin begins its work temptation Begins its work look at verse 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lusts now in this verse We see the beginnings of temptation now notice a couple of things first.

I want you to notice that man is carried away man is Carried away go back to the verse But each one is tempted when he is carried away the new American standard the English standard version uses the word lured The King James uses the word drawn away now in the original the verb it means carried away Now I want you to get this picture This word carried away this word lured this word drawn in the original It is a picture of a hunter who is baiting his trap for an unsuspecting prey I remember when I was a little boy Tagging along behind my grandfather my grandfather always kept a pile of steel traps Those of you who maybe were raised in the country you might know what a steel trap is my granddad He was always raising chickens or turkeys or some kind of animal, but lo and behold It would always be some type of varmint or some type of predator that would get in and steal some of his chickens And it didn't matter if it was a bobcat or a coon or a fox or the neighbor's dog He was going to break out those steel traps and I can remember walking with him and following lines of chicken feathers and Finding the remains of chickens and he would set those steel traps out because he was going to catch what was getting his chickens and What he would do was he would lure he would draw he would draw that Predator in whether it was a bobcat or a coon or a possum He would draw that animal in in an unsuspecting manner why to catch them?

And he did and I can just imagine that picture that animal thinks he's coming in for a free meal And then all of a sudden way him he is caught by that trap And I'll tell you what I learned lots of times. He caught a dog And there's two things when you catch a dog either. He's real mad when he sees you or he's real happy But the point of the matter is this picture new notice the picture man is carried away He is lured away But also I want you to see another word notice that man is enticed Now the English Standard and the King James uses the word enticed as well go back to the verse but each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed see James is piling up words and the Word in the original is another picture The word in the original is a picture of a fisherman who uses bait to lure in a fish to be caught I Remember back in the day before I went into the ministry I used to love the fish my wife and I used to fish together and I would just fish different types of Baits and different types of lures but for a period of a few years there I got into fishing with live minnows if you're from the country you call them shiners for bass and I'll never forget.

I had a place in law, Mississippi, and I could get the biggest shiners you could imagine I never forget one time. I was getting a hundred shiners and the guy said man. What are you doing whale fishing? I? Was trying to catch the biggest bass I could catch And I would get in the boat lanes of that lake and I had a special rig and I would throw that lure out there And it was live bait, and I have had it set up just right well that minnow or that shiner It could swim around and he could look so good But that bass didn't know there was a hook in there, and I'm telling you I would catch him I would stack them up like firewood, and that's what he is saying this man is enticed Just like a fisherman would entice a fish with a hook now.

What do we see in here? James is showing how temptation begins to work go back to the verse go back to verse 14 But each one that's universal is tempted when he is carried away There's a trap that's been set for the unsuspecting prey. He is enticed There is a bait out there dangling with a hook in it, but notice again this word by Because notice where how he has been carried away notice how he is being enticed Remember the source of his temptation it is his own lust it is his own desire It is his own desire his own longing to satisfy that flesh We've seen the source of the the beginnings of temptation It originates within the very heart of man.

It is his own lust It is his own desire and there is a trap set there is a hook in the bait Go back to the verse But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed what by his own lust What we're seeing is the beginnings of of the temptation and the beginning of the temptations work and look It's all right in the heart of man because what we're learning is man is wicked man is sinful Also second I want you to see Temptation where it leads it leads to sin see first we saw temptations Begins its work and now we see temptation it leads to sin go back to the verse verse 15 then When lust has conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death see now We're seeing where?

Temptation leads now notice a couple of truths Notice there is conception Now all of the translations that I refer to a read from use the word conceived or conception go back to the scripture But then when lust is conceived I Like what John MacArthur says he says the life of sin as it were has Started to form and grow at this point what we're seeing here is this those of us who understand Those of us who are adults who understand conception? We know that life starts at conception With a woman it starts with conception.

So what we're seeing right here is sin it begins at Conception Also, I want you to see or notice there is birth The English Standard Version the new American are the same the King James says bringeth forth sin But we see birth now this allows the process to continue and sin is brought forth now go back to the verse then when lust Here's the desire then when lust or desire has conceived there's the conception it brings birth to Sin this is the birth. This is allowing the process to continue and Sin is brought forth.

This is at the place where the Word of God is broken The law of God is broken sin against God takes place I like how John MacArthur explains the process he says this that which is desired rationalized and Willed is actually done Committed and accomplished. Let me read that again That which is desired are lusted after rationalized and wheeled is actually done and committed and accomplished desire leads to deception deception to design and designed to disobedience which is sin so we see Sins cycle is complete sin has been accomplished notice the process Man is carried away.

There is a trap that said there's a hook in the bay So we see temptation in the beginning of its work now we see that temptation it leads to sin and then third I want you to see where sin leads it always leads to death Go back to the verse Then when lust is conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death Now I won't turn to these verses because of time, but I want you to notice some truths about death notice there is spiritual weakness Because of sin We learn this in first Corinthians chapter 11.

We learn this in first Corinthians In dealing with the Lord's Supper, did we not what did Paul tell the Corinthian church? He said you were weak. He said you were sick your fellowship is sick Your fellowship is weak why because of sin and he said some of you have even died so Sin brings about spiritual weakness, but also we know that there notice there is spiritual death Romans chapter 3 teaches us about spiritual death another words when sin comes into a life there is death But also we know from first John chapter 5 verse 16 that there is physical death sometimes because of sin Preachers don't preach about it much anymore, but there is a sin that leads to death Now listen there is a sin that can lead to death I've heard people say you mean to tell me there is a sin that a man can commit and he will die Yes, there is Moses committed that sin You might not know it But Moses committed that sin God said speak to the rock and he got angry and he struck the rock and what God said is That's enough.

Moses. You're not going into the promised land You will die and as a matter of fact the scripture says that his eyes were weak his body was strong There was nothing that would impair him from going into the promised land But what did he do he sinned against God and it caused death and he died and Sin always brings death it brings weakness that it brings spiritual death and then it brings physical death and let me tell you this is the process of temptation Let me go back to David We know that story He wasn't in his rightful place He should have been fighting with his men But he was home and he let others go do his work and what did he do?

He gazed over the rooftop and he looked at another man's wife and notice the temptation notice the process of the temptation David noticed that wife of the man's wife and here he He falls prey. There is a trap that said there is a hook and debate and what does he do? He yields to that temptation and notice when he yielded that temptation there became conception Because sin was conceived in his heart and in his action And then what happened was it gave birth to sin and he took another man's wife and what did he do? He conceived with her because of that sin and then it produced more sin Because he tried to lie to cover it up.

He tried to trick his Her husband Uriah to go in with her to cover up his sin Then he had him killed so he could take her but you cannot cover up sin because what we see we see the process of sin David looked and he was carried away by his own desire And it led to sin and it led to death now notice the death in his life First of all, it led to the death of her husband in that right.

This was a good man a Good man a man of God who was at the fingertips of David and it led in death in his life There was the death of the child There was the death of its testimony because what did the prophet of God say he said you have caused the enemies of God to Show contempt for Israel and for God's name There was death in his witness.

There was death in his family because what happened was Devision and strife and heartache entered into David's own family Because of his sin and I've already said there was physical death because the child died and this is the process of temptation and you can take all that that David unleashed and you can rewind it and Rewind it and rewind it and it goes all the way back to that day when he was on the rooftop And he saw another man's wife and he yielded the temptation You see the process And there was nobody to blame listen But himself and what did I say earlier in the beginning of the message?

We have three things to fear sin self and Satan and notice the two things that have been so detrimental to mankind Self and sin Because where does this sin come from it comes from self? When temptation is yielded to You know people I want to tell you There are two things out of this that we must see first who we really are Let me tell you something We need to be knocked off our little high horse and we need to see really who we are and really what we are capable of And then second the process of sin see people don't fall into sin They decide to see him and they slide into sin they take one step after one step after one step Remember that individual I told you about that leader in the church.

I Saw him taking those steps. I Saw him distancing himself from his wife. I Saw him acting in a flirtatious manner with another man's wife. I Saw him take step after step after step after step Now as I close I want to show you just how big this can be I'm not one that keeps up with lots that go on in Christian circles But it's sad to say every now and then in Christianity One of the big names they fall There is an individual. I won't call his name He is very popular in certain Christian circles and just in this past year.

It's been revealed It's been exposed that he had been involved in a very grievous and immoral sin I've kept up with the story. I've read some information Some I wonder if it's true but it seems to be that the truth is coming about out about this individual and It seems that he has been involved in a immoral in a in an immoral relationship for a very long time And he's covered it up And it's amazing to see how the people around him have dealt with it And it's amazing to see the ignorance of the Word of God as to how they deal with it Let me tell you it's one thing to know the truth of the word.

It's another thing to apply them in everyday life That's where it gets hard Let me tell you something that man that I had to go talk to about his behavior or leaving his wife that was hard It was no fun But I ran across a sermon that a man preached Concerning this individual who had fallen and they were good friends They had done ministry together and these are well-known individuals And I want you to notice how this man who preached a sermon about this individual had a firm grasp on James Let me read it a title of the message is the smell of apostasy And this is just a couple of excerpts out of the sermon. These are his words.

So I'll begin the quotation One of my dear friends is falling has fallen into a great sin and there are many people that say oh That could have been me but the truth is I hope not Because one falls into that kind of sin after many many small compromises long before No one just immediately falls into that sin they fall because they have been falling a Friend of mine says you don't fall into sin you slide into sin because every public sin is a private sin beforehand then let me pause the one preaching is a minister of the gospel and now he turns his attention to Interns who were under him in his ministry and notice what he says I was telling our interns the other day that I could take everything I have done over 40 years and destroy it in one second All I have to do is kiss another woman and in one second it would all be over Everything would be over it would all be burnt to the ground But let me just make this point you do not kiss another woman without doing many other things Beforehand you don't fall into sin you slide into sin you make one compromise after another Every public sin is a private sin for a very long time before and he says this brothers Fortify expunge every vestige of lust that would inflame it But you would not do it that's talking about immorality if you did not cultivate it So do not cultivate it.

Please do not burn everything to the ground Please do not destroy everything that you have worked for your entire life Everything you've ever done will be compromised and everything you've ever done will be burned to the ground now what is this minister saying? He's basically saying I Understand temptation and sin I understand what James is teaching and it's been very interesting to notice How different people have approached this man sin But this man understand Now how does this apply to us? How does this apply to you? How does this apply to me? What can this do for us? I?

Want to tell you church listen close big sin Starts with a little sin You hear what that man saying before one falls into immorality it starts off small it starts off with flirtatious behavior It starts off with being around the wrong person it starts off in the mind It starts off small and private and then it escalates to the big sin it escalates to the public sin So what I want you to see is big sin start small see what we'll do is we'll say oh I'd never do that, but yet we'll entertain those small sins that lead to the big sin and The second thing is this most public sin it starts private Remember the man that I told you I knew that took another man's life it started private It was private and then it became more in the open and more in the open and then finally one day They were brazen enough to announce it to the whole world.

This is what we are going to do and everybody said ah When all along it was little sin after a little sin that got bigger and bigger So what I wanted us to see this morning is this church Temptation is revealed and why I chose that title I looked at many different things that would influence my chip my decision for a title is we need to have the process of Temptation that leads to sin reveal to us so that we can understand it, and we know how it works and look we won't fall prey We won't take the bait Because listen I told you we have three enemies self sin Satan And I'm gonna tell you he's good He's so good.

He can put that lady who doesn't wear enough clothes right in your office He's so good he can put the bait right there in front he's that good Let's pray Father I pray that you'll teach us today Pray that you'll help us to to gain understanding today I pray that we'll absorb all that you want us to see today.