The Reality of Temptation

I Corinthians 10:1-14

Christ was tempted to prove he is God because he was able to overcome all the temptations of Satan.

Tempted with:

Material supply – insufficiency.
Fame – Over-sufficiency.
Power – Self- sufficiency.

Different types of temptations for different folks – whichever Satan believes you will fall for.

1. Exodus 32:1 – When Moses delayed to come down from the mount.

Idolatry – physical/material image, which is a symbol of the spiritual, and the image is worshipped as being the spiritual.

I Samuel 15:23 – rebellion is as witchcraft and stubbornness is as idolatry.

Consider our waiting on God – do we begin to worship something else when God does not “perform” when we think he should?

2. Numbers 25:9 – 24,000 died. (compare to I Corinthians 10:8 – one day)

Numbers 25:14 – Look at the status of the people Phinehas killed.

Fornication – See I Cor. 9:27 – (23-27)

Sexual sins is a symptom of disease: a lack of dedication to God. A natural desire, wrongly used.

Spiritual fornication leads to physical fornication.

James 1:4 – We are tempted when we are drawn away of our own lusts.

Matthew 5:27-28 – To look on a woman to lust after her is commit adultery already in your heart.

I Thessalonians 4:3-5 – It is the will of God that we refrain from fornication.

3. Tempt Christ – Numbers 21:4

The people were discouraged because of the way, they remembered Egypt, and they did not appreciate God’s provision.

Deuteronomy 6:16 – Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Exodus 17, verse 7 – The story of Massah. (See verse 1-7)

Matthew 4 – Satan wanted Christ to believe God would not provide/was not with him.

4. Murmur – grumble – doubting God/blaming God.

Exodus 15:24 – And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Bad circumstances – don’t like, but trust God.

Being uncertain of future may not be grumbling, but complaining is.

Murmured many times, Moses also suffered with them.

Doors of escape – there is always a door of escape – LOOK!

1. We are addicted to SIN – we like it.

2. Everybody has some sort of sinful temptation. We never stop having that particular temptation, although at times the temptation will not be as strong as at other times. This is the easily besetting sin spoken of in Hebrews 12:1.

3. Satan wants to harm our relationship with God, family and friends.

4. We must realize we cannot overcome temptation.

5. James 1:2 – Joy when you fall into divers temptations.

6. James 1:14-15 – We are drawn away of our own lusts into sin. This is not the devil’s fault.

7. II Corinthians 12:7-10 – There are many good things that come from our trials. Paul fully understood this, and then prayed for infirmities and weakness that he might know the power of God more fully.

8. Colossians 3:5-11 – Mortify our members.

9. I John 2:16 – Love not the world.

10. Romans 7:15-25 – Paul struggled against sin all his life.

11. Philippians 4:8 – Think on good things.