Okay, turn to Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4. Get us started tonight. Luke chapter 4, we'll begin reading in verse 1, and we'll read from a few other passages as well tonight. Luke chapter 4, verse 1, and Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being 40 days tempted of the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing, and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of a temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, it is said, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him, and he underlined those next three words, for a season. Now I want you to turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and we'll be coming back to Luke, so don't lose your place. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and I want you to notice verse 13. The Holy Spirit of God writes, there hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." I want you to turn over to 1 Peter, chapter 5. 1 Peter, chapter 5. And notice verse 5. He says, Okay, I'm in the right place. Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Now, I want you to go back to the book of Hebrews, chapter 2. Hebrews, chapter 2. Obviously, we're dealing with temptation tonight. If you haven't figured that out, thought I'd help you. Verse 18. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. That word, succor, means to help, all right? And then we'll go over to chapter 4. Notice verse 15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Now these are not all the verses dealing with temptation, but they are a number of them. We learn that there is no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man. What Jesus went through, you'll go through. You need to understand that you're not the only one to be tempted. And your temptation is not greater than other people's temptation. There's been victory over each of the temptations that come your way by others, and you can have it, too, because we have the same God. Now, I'm talking to saved people. If you're not saved, I'm sorry. You're just on your own, and you're just not gonna make it. But you can have victory over the temptations. How many believers in our churches are just defeated because they have given in to temptation? I'll almost guarantee you that there is not a person here who in their Christian life at some point or another has had a time when they gave in to a temptation that they knew they should not have given in to. There had no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. So what you've experienced, others have experienced, and the Lord Jesus Christ has experienced the very temptations that we go through. And because he has, according to back there in Hebrews chapter four and verse 15, he is our help to see us through it, if we will rely on him. Temptation to do wrong, temptation to think wrong, temptation to feel wrong, temptation to speak wrong. See, it's not limited to just one thing. And all too often we fail in the temptations and then we feel guilty. and we are discouraged. You know, the devil, we're not ignorant of his devices according to 2 Corinthians chapter two. We're not ignorant of his devices and all we have to do is just think back on the temptations and what normally happens after the temptation has been offered, the devil will try to convince you it's not that big of a deal. It's just not important. And once he's got you convinced of that, then you give in to it, and then he says, oh man, God can never use you now. You're done, you don't have any hope. Try to get you defeated so that you'll not be used of God in your life in any way. So let's notice some valuable truths about the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we'll look at some other verses in line with that as well. First of all, the place of the temptation, back here in chapter 4, verse 1, it says, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. At this place, Jesus is in the very center of God's will. As a matter of fact, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit of God led Jesus to that place of temptation. In the center of God's will, Temptation will come your way. You don't have to be in a bar someplace to face temptation. You don't have to be in the red light district of some city somewhere to face temptation. You don't have to be down at the beach with a bunch of nudity all around you to face temptation. You can be in the very center of God's will. Face temptation now if you got to face temptation the center of God's will is the blessed best place to have it Do you understand that? Because at least you're not disobedient by being out of the place where God would have you to be. The Spirit of God led Jesus to the place of temptation in the center of God's will, and you, in the center of God's will, will be offered temptation as well. Just understand that. Don't be shocked by it. I must not be saved. I have this temptation, and here I am trying to serve the Lord. That is normal. That is not un-normal. It is normal. Think about Achan. Achan was with the children of God. He went up. He marched around the city one time a day for six days. And on the seventh day, he marched around the city seven times, just exactly like God said. When they blew the trumpets, the walls of Jericho came down. Achan went in the city. He hazarded his life, as did all the other Israelites that had gone into the city that were fighting the battle. While he's fighting the battle, he goes into a house. Everything's okay, but of all places, here he is in the center of God's will in the midst of jubilant victory. I mean, the walls had been knocked down. God had done all of that. He walks into a house, and he sees some gold, some silver, and a goodly Babylonian garment. I can only think he must have thought, I think I'd look good in that. Why should I have one made when I can just take this one? And besides that, not having to spend any of the gold or silver, I'll enrich myself as well. There he is, now he's facing a temptation. What's he gonna do with the temptation? Of course, you know the story. He took it, he worked it out. He was gonna go back to his tent. He was gonna keep it hidden, go back to the tent and bury it in his tent and no one was going to know about it. The only problem with that was God saw him go in. You cannot hide from God. If I make my bed in hell, even thou art there, according to Psalm 139. The darkness hideth not from thee, Psalm 139. You can't hide from God. He sees you at two o'clock in the morning. He sees you at seven o'clock at night. He sees you when you're off at another town or another city someplace. He knows where you're at. He knows what you do. But here is Achan in the center of God's will. Faced a temptation, failed, lost his life, lost his wife's life, lost his children's lives because he failed that temptation. Not only that, 36 other Israelites die. because he failed the temptation while he had been in the center of God's will. Do not think that because you're where God wants you, or even doing what God wants you to do, that you can't mess things up. You surely can't. This is serious stuff. It is extremely important, if you understand that ahead of time, that there are consequences. Be sure your sin will find you out. Bible says, be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. So the center of God's will. Now, there's a Bible truth that some people face temptations out of the will of God. And it doesn't have to be out of the will of God by being in a bar or being in a brothel or anything like that. For instance, Samson went out of God's will by going down to the Philistines not to fight him. but to find a wife. That was the wrong place, to find a wife. I mean, he was a Nazirite. He belonged to God. He was supposed to be separate, as all of God's people are supposed to be separate. The Bible tells us we're not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. It wasn't just a matter of unbeliever here. It was a pagan heathen. It was a people that hated God's people. So here he is out of God's will. A lion come. God lets him kill the lion. And he uses that out of God's will by coming back later, finding honey in the lion, taking it to his parents, and defiling his parents. They got that from a dead body. That defiled them. It made them unclean. We find the heartache that come. By the way, his trip down there ended up costing the life of his wife. That's where you find that amazing statement. You remember he passed a riddle on, trying to get the best of the Philistine young men by getting their clothing, and makes a bet with them. But they threatened his wife, and so she goes to him, and she cries all over him, and he finally tells her. And you remember, after being threatened, she goes to those men, and she tells the answer to the riddle. to those young Philistine men that she knew. And Samson makes that amazing statement, had you not plowed with my heifer. Now, that can't be a proper term to refer to a female. But he was out of God's will. And it's amazing what men and women will say when they're out of God's will. The point is, it's the beginning of a long line of disobedience to God that leads to the poking out of His eyes and being a laughing stock to the Philistines. Yes, in God's will, you can face temptation. Out of God's will, you can face temptations. Look at David. At a time when kings went forth to battle. He's in the palace. Had no business in the palace. He was king. He didn't belong there. The palace was not a wicked place. He wasn't in a bar. He wasn't in anything like that. He just wasn't where he was supposed to be. And after that sin, and because of that sin, the enemies of God blasphemed God. Because of that sin, we find his daughter Tamar's been raped by his son, by David's own son, Amnon. We find Amnon being killed by Absalom. We see the rebellion that came about in Absalom, all because that's where it started. It started when he was supposed to go to battle and he didn't go. That doesn't look like a big thing, does it? But it does when you see the whole story. When you see the whole story, it's a gigantic thing. So the place of the temptation can be in God's, while you're in God's will, can be while you're out of God's will. Then there are the persons of the temptation. Now, this is interesting. We really only see two, and that, of course, is Jesus, number one, the devil, number two. But think about this. Jesus, there's none as powerful as he. Remember in Matthew 28 and verse 18, he says, all power is given unto me, and in heaven and in earth. Jesus is God, came to be the sacrifice for our sin. All of that, if the devil was not afraid to tempt Jesus, he's sure not gonna be afraid to tempt you and me. You understand, God's not impressed when the name Mike Allison is floated out there. And the devil's not impressed when your name's floated out there either. If he'd tempt Jesus, he'll for surely tempt you. You remember his accusation against God people in the book of Job? He said, do your people praise you for nothing? You're so good to them, that's why you praise them. And then he's, God says, have you considered my servant Job? Wow, all the people that God could have chosen. You notice he didn't choose any of the three friends in this. He's chose Job. These men that felt like they were full of wisdom. He didn't use Elihu either. He picked Job. And yet Job ended up making a couple of mistakes. He messed up. He went seven days without praising God after his three friends got there. And then on top of that, not only did he not praise God for seven days, when he did open his mouth, he cursed his day. And then when his three friends called his spirituality into question, he justified himself instead of justifying God. What about that? Now, spiritual is what Job was. The devil wasn't afraid of a temptation there at all, and to accuse him along with the other of God's people. The other character here is the devil, and he's described as many things in the scripture, but especially, and I read the verse in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8, be sober, be vigilant for your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Do you know the devil hates you? The devil hates your family. The devil hates your children. Jesus said to the devil, the thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. But I am come, they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Do you understand when the devil brings a temptation your way, it's because he wants your destruction, not your best. I mean, you understand, the devil don't like you. He hates you. He doesn't want you to have a good future. You're saved, He can't get your soul. He's after your testimony now. And He'll try to get your testimony to ruin your children because He hates you. That ought to make you hate Him. I mean, it's really strange. Things happen to people and they want to get mad at God. Why don't you get mad at the devil? You go all the way back to the Garden of Eden, everything He said to Eve, that wasn't to help her. He wasn't setting her free from God like he made it sound. He's a liar and he was a liar from the beginning according to what Jesus said in John chapter eight. So we've got the persons of the trial. We've got Jesus and we've got the devil. He's sly. You know the devil knows your weaknesses. I don't know if he has a supercomputer or what. We know he's not omniscient by the way. That's an attribute of God, that's not an attribute of the devil. And he's also not omnipresent. He could be here right now. More than likely though, he's probably got a couple of his demons floating around. He's probably somewhere else. You know, he might be at Wally's house. I figured you felt that way. But somehow he communicates these principalities and powers, they do that. They know your weakness, he knows your weakness. And he also knows your strengths. And it's amazing how many people fall when they're tempted according to their strengths. Devil knows that too, because usually we're not looking at those things to be a problem. He wants to, he'll brag on you, try to get you lifted up and feel good about yourself. I was preaching on Thursday night at a soul winning ministry in Maryland, in Tawnytown, Maryland. And I wasn't watching a map, so I can't tell you exactly where it is. I'd have to get a GPS for Tawnytown, and it was at the Best Western that was there. They had a banquet center, they were having a special awards thing for their people who had gone so winning. And the fellow that introduced me got up and said, Brother Allison is going to be speaking to us. He's a great preacher. He's one of the greatest preachers in the nation. I got up and I said, I want to thank you for saying those kind words about me. But if I ever believe that I'm through as a pastor. You know, I've said this many times, God got along real good before I ever came along. And when I die, pass off the scene, he'll do just fine. You understand that? God's in control. And when we start talking about the greatness of men, we go way overboard on things. Man, just to be a servant of God, that's enough. It's got to be enough. We get so lifted up in our own minds. We're people outstanding in our own field, is what happens. Anyway, you've got the place of the temptation. You've got the persons of the temptation. Then you've got the panorama of the temptation. And one of the things we understand, temptation itself is not a sin. Now, how do we know that? Well, Jesus was tempted. At all points, like as we are, Jesus didn't sin. It is the giving in to the temptation that is the sin, not being tempted. Well, that's good to know, so I don't have to feel guilty about being tempted. As a matter of fact, James gives us a little more insight into this. Turn over to the book of James, chapter 1. James, chapter 1. I'll begin in verse 13 when he says, Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempteth he any man, but every man is tempted. Now learn this. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Let me stop right there for a moment. When we hear the word lust, We usually think of immorality. That's not necessarily how the word is used here. The word lust simply means desires. There's some things that you really desire, there's some things you don't desire. And they're not necessarily bad in themselves. It's all right to lust after or desire some things, but to be content not to have them if you don't need them. For instance, Jesus would have liked some bread. He was hungry. There's nothing wrong with that. Just he wasn't gonna do it at the devil's bidding. You understand that? He did have the power. The devil's telling the truth. He had the power to change those stones into bread. He had the power. but not at the devil's bidding. I mean, you could sit there and say, you know, that sounds pretty reasonable. Why wouldn't he do it? He'd been fasting for 40 days. How long do you have to fast to please the Lord? Well, no doubt Jesus had pleased the Lord. And he was hungry, so why not have the food? And he had the power to make those stones food. That's just reasonable. But Jesus said no, and he gave the reason why. He quoted from scripture, and we'll get into that more in a moment. So he says, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. It says, then when lust hath conceived, It, that desire, bringeth forth sin. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. So notice the step. First of all, there is a desire. Now, for instance, let's take this matter of food. I like food. I have a desire for food. As a matter of fact, if I see a cupcake with that buttercream frosting on it, I have a desire for that cupcake with buttercream frosting on it. Anybody else have a desire for that? Am I the only one? Do you understand what I'm talking about? All right. No sin yet. As a matter of fact, if I even take it and eat it, as long as I'm not stealing it from somebody, there's really no sin there. But if I want to lose weight, I'm an idiot for eating it. And what keeps me from losing weight? My desire. I want that cupcake. Now, when do you have a successful diet? You have a successful diet when your desire to be thin is greater than your desire for that cupcake. And unfortunately, that time only comes around. It's a small window. You've got to hit it. Oh, man. Say, I'll put it in the freezer for a later time. No, no, you'll eat it. You'll eat it before midnight. I can promise you that. But the panorama of the temptation has to do with our desires. Jesus was hungry. Okay. So he deals with food. Now Jesus didn't listen to the devil, and of course he rebukes the devil in that thing. But the panorama of the temptation really is summed up for us, and of his temptation as well, is summed up for us in 1 John chapter 2. Beginning in verse 15, he says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, The love of the Father is not in Him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Would to God we would get more caught up in wanting to do the will of God than satisfy our desires. Now for instance, a desire to fly. It's not a bad desire in itself, but it could turn into something where you get caught up in it, and the flying would become more important than the mission. The desires themselves are not, don't have to be a sinful desire, but when it takes you away from that which is the best thing in your service from the Lord, that's when it becomes a problem. So the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Some of Jesus' temptations are not bad in themselves. I already mentioned the bread. Some want to leave out the hard times in their living. As a matter of fact, I confess that I made a mistake. several years ago now, I've made more since then, but I'm just saying, several years ago, we had our college, we had some young guys that instead of a four-year degree, they wanted to get a three-year degree. They didn't wanna get four years and three years, they just wanted a three-year degree so they could get out earlier. We let them have a three-year degree, hurt them. It hurt them, they needed the whole thing. They needed all four years. Why did they want a three-year degree? They wanted a shortcut. If you're looking for a shortcut in serving the Lord, why don't you just say, I want to serve God, I just don't want to do it well. I want my life to count for something, but I'd just as soon cut down that tree with a dull axe and cut it down with a sharp one. I'd rather not accomplish as much as what I could accomplish. Now, there are some people, we have had people. I'll just tell you, Brother Jim Davidson didn't need a four-year degree. Brother Jim Davidson didn't go quite as long. Well, good night, he was in his 50s when he was going to the Bible college. He had a direction in his life already, his desire to preach, serve the Lord. He wasn't going to be a pastor. He didn't need all the pastoral stuff that we had in the degree. And so we gave him what he needed. And then he went out and mentor things up, preaching in the prisons and winning people to Christ. But those young men, they needed the four year degree. Unfortunately, we saw that later. And so we banned all degrees less than four years for the guys after that. Because we made a mistake. But it's the man's natural way to want a shortcut in it. What's the quick way out, the quick way to get through, the quick way to get done? It's interesting, you read the scripture, God's never in a hurry in the Bible. God does things always right on time. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. He could have planned to send Jesus earlier. He sent him, though, at the right time. He didn't take any shortcuts. He just did it right, and that's what counts. Sometimes, matter of fact, after all, Jesus is going to rule someday, and the devil was offering him a shortcut. You worship me, and I'll let you have these things now. You can have all the nations of the world, Jesus, now. You don't even have to go to a cross. I'll make it easier for you. You don't have to go to a cross. Just right now, worship me, and you can have it all. Jesus didn't take the shortcut. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. Hallelujah for that. Remember, every cult, by the way, also, quote, or every cult, quote scripture. That was hard to say for some reason. But in the last one here, the devil even quoted scripture. Go ahead, if you're the son of God, throw yourself off the temple, and God's promised, and it's true, God had promised that he would protect him. You see, he wasn't going to do it though. And he quoted scripture back at him because the devil, all the cults quote scripture. All the cults. Now, they either misquote it or they misapply it or they make up their own translation. The Jehovah's Witnesses made up their own translations called the New World Translation. And of course, John 1, 1, which is a famous verse in our Bible, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And they changed it just a little bit, and the Word was a God. Now, He wasn't a God, He's the God. And the world was made by Him. He is the creator of all, that's Him. So you've got to be careful about these cults. That's why you need to know scripture. That's why you need to study. You're going to face the devil in temptations. You better have the Word of God down so that you know what's right and you know what's wrong and stand by it. When the cults come along with some weird thing out of the Bible that you hadn't seen before But the part that they quote, you say, well, it sure does sound like that. Know your Bible so you can give them what the scripture actually says. Well, the modern-day movement that's out there today that rules out standards and things like that, they got a great term for it. It's legalism. Legalism. Of course, they misuse it. Somehow to obey God is legalistic. To obey God is legalism and it's bad, it's terrible. Now, if you're trying to keep the law in order to go to heaven, that's legalism and that is bad. But if because you're saved, you wanna please God by obeying him, that's good, that shows you love him. A big difference seeing those things. The psalmist said, I will walk in liberty because I keep thy precepts. Obeying God is freedom for the child of God. You don't end up in bondage to sin. Then there's the principle of conquering the temptation. All three of the temptations that Jesus faced, he quoted scripture back at the devil. And he quoted them all from the same book. He used Deuteronomy 8 and verse 3, Deuteronomy 6 and verse 13, and Deuteronomy 6 and verse 16. How about that? The Lord Jesus Christ quoted scripture back at him, and of all the books in the world, it was the book of Deuteronomy, the most hated book among independent Baptists. And why would that be the most? I don't understand. Why would that be the most hated book among independent Baptists? But it seems to be. It's caused more trouble in churches than any place else. Just always a fight. There's some prohibitions in that book that the flesh doesn't like. So it tries to get you to give in on it. Now, I'm not going to get off topic tonight. I'm not going to chase that rabbit to the end. You already know where we stand. In Psalm 119, in verse 9, he tells us, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word. In verse 10, he says, Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against God. God's Word is right. God's Word is true. It's always true. So we have the promise in Joshua 1 8. Man, success is found in the Word of God. defeat is found in violating the Word of God. God's Word's always right. If you want the best for your life, you follow that. So it says in Ephesians chapter 6, Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. He goes on to warn us, he tells us later, he says, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Yeah, that's how you win the battles. We got a battle to fight. Even in that passage that we read in Hebrews chapter four, turn back there again, just a moment. Hebrews chapter four, I promised myself I wasn't gonna preach long tonight and I broke another promise to myself. That's why I didn't tell you I wasn't gonna preach long because I have disappointed myself many times. Hebrews chapter 4. I'm going to read verse 15 again. He says, "'For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.'" But look what he says before that in verse 12. He says, "'For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. piercing even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Man, you give this book, you can take this book to a person that's lost, who doesn't believe that the Bible is the word of God. You go ahead and stab him with the word of God anyway. I mean, if I had a guy coming at me to try to kill me, and I had a sword, if he said to me, you know, I don't even believe you got a sword there. I'm not throwing it away. I'm gonna slice him with it. He's gonna find out it's real. And the truth is, a man may tell me, I don't believe the Bible's the Word of God. Well, I still just, I poke him with the sword. Tell him what God said. It's amazing. They'll go home mad, and they'll think about it, and it'll be amazing what God will do with that Word, because it goes deep inside, and they cannot get away from it. You give them God's Word. This is powerful. We know that it's right. and we have to use it right. That's where the victory comes in. How about in our thought life? A lot of people have trouble with their thought life. How about this for praying early in the morning when you're starting your day? It says, pray, commit thy works unto the Lord, God says in Proverbs chapter 16. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. You having trouble with your thought life during the day? Why not take time out, commit what you're gonna be doing that day to the Lord? what things you're wanting to get done. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. I love to also quote when the devil seems to be giving me a hard time here with my mind and some of the thoughts that may come around. In 2 Corinthians 10, beginning in verse 3, he says, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God. I should have started a verse earlier than that. You say, preacher, that's three verses. That's just too much to memorize. No, it isn't. And the good thing about a verse like that is you can't think about anything else while you're saying it. So whatever you were thinking about, that's gone for at least a few seconds while you're trying to say it. Or how about Philippians chapter four and verse eight. Find there brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise. Think on these things. Truth is, when you're having thought problem, quote scripture. The devil doesn't like to hear it, and that's okay. Gonna poke him back a little bit. He had trouble with doubt? Man, quote verses that say you're saved. Quote them out loud. Just say, listen here, devil. God says I'm saved, and here's where he says it. And just go ahead and quote it. If he didn't believe it the first time, you quote it again. Finally, he'll just get upset with you and leave. He's got to. Submit yourself therefore unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. He's got to. It'll only be for a while. It'll be for a season. He'll come back. He's not done. He's still gonna try to give you problems. He's still gonna bring temptation your way. That's all right. That's the persistence of the temptation. The persistence. The devil's not done. But there's no temptation taking you but such as is common to man. You've got the same frailties every other man has had. You've got the same desires every other person has had. Now, some more strength than others. You know, it's funny, before I got saved, I never had a desire to drink alcohol. I mean, when I was lost, as could be, and had a foul mouth and all that, I didn't drink. I thought that was... We used to have a funeral guy. worked at a funeral home, an undertaker, that's what they're called, who lived below us. We were living in an apartment in Kalamazoo, Michigan while I was working at WAOP Radio in Otsego and while I was working at WTPS in Kalamazoo. And every time we would go down to his and his wife's apartment, he would reach up, he had as much booze in his cupboard as the local VFW had in theirs. I mean, every time we'd go down, he'd fix us something different to try to find something I'd like. I'd take a sip, put it back down. No, I don't want that. Give me a Coca-Cola. It's just nasty. Now, if you don't believe that, why is it whenever the person takes a drink, they go... It's nasty. It's what it is. Terrible. But it's amazing what people will eat because of peer pressure and what they'll drink because of peer pressure. and they'll try to make it sound good. How many here know what a balut is? Anybody here know what a balut is? We got a few know what a balut is. A balut is a rotting duck egg that has been put in the sand, left underneath the hot sun, not to hatch, but to just rot. And in the Philippines, it is a delicacy. If somebody, you go to the Philistine, or Philistines, yeah, you go to them too. You go to the Philippines and they offer you a balut, go ahead and eat it if you like. You take it, you eat it, you can feel the little duck's bill crunching, its little feet. But the taste. Now, I have often, I've seen a balut. I've never eaten one because I have more sense. But I always wondered, who was the first person that ate a Balut and then got his friend to do it? And then you wonder, what did the friend think? Now he's got to be, man, that's nothing. That's not bad. And thus began the desire for Balut. It's terrible, but I wonder why a lot of people eat a lot of things. I wonder who ate the first tarantula. He said, you know, it's kind of nasty. Yeah, it was nasty. So he probably suggested to his wife, fry it next time. You understand, in the world, they eat a lot of stuff. And I've always wondered, how did some of that stuff begin? Somebody had to be the first one to do it and had to convince the second person to try it. Well, anyway, that was extra, by the way. Temptation a lot of Christians sit in defeat Sunday after Sunday and I said, yeah, I know I was serving God I was faithful. I was involved. I did this and that And I failed the Lord. He doesn't want to use me anymore Well, why don't you just try him now to be sure when it comes to being a pastor I There's certain qualifications for a pastor that if you have certain things happen in your life, you wouldn't be qualified anymore. You can be forgiven, but you're not qualified anymore. And when you're not qualified anymore, there's a lot of other things you can do. You can still go soul winning, still knock on doors, still tell people about Jesus, still usher in a local church, still be involved in different ministries in the church, still drive a bus for the church, Still bring people to Christ, still work in BBS. There's an awful lot of things you can do, but I've seen people sitting on the sidelines doing nothing because they can't do the one thing that they used to do. And they give the devil another victory. Or you can make your life count and do what you can do for the glory of God. Temptation. You say, well, I messed up, preacher. Well, you're not the first and you won't be the last. Everybody, you know, I'll guarantee is messed up somewhere along the line So, what do you do don't mess up again and when the devil comes along resist him Rebuke him and he'll flee from you Father we come to you in Jesus name Lord. We brought this message tonight. Hopefully to be a help to your people Lord there are some that are very discouraged in themselves tonight and May they look to you. You're not just the God of the first chance or the second chance, but the third, fourth, fifth, I don't know how many you've been through with me, Father. Thank you for your great love. I pray, dear God, you'd help some people tonight in their walk with you. There might be one facing some severe temptation right now in their life. May they get in the scripture. and rebuke Satan with the scripture exactly like Jesus did, and find victory, for he's there to help. Have your way in every life now. Bless in this invitation for your glory. In Jesus' name I ask.