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[no audio] [music] But this morning I want to say a few words because this song is so important to me and to you too when you hear it.

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The words are very expressive. The words are very meaningful. The words are very encouraging. And so I want you to listen carefully while I sing these words.

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The song "Threw It Off" and I specially dedicate this to the pastor because I know he knows exactly what they mean. Thank you. [piano playing]

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I've had many tears and sorrow I've had questions for tomorrow There've been times I didn't know right from wrong But in every situation, God gave blessed consolation

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Now my trials come to only make me strong I've been to lots of places and I've seen a lot of faces There've been times I felt so all alone But in those lonely hours, yes those precious lonely hours

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Jesus let me know that I was his own Through it all, through it all, I've learned trust in Jesus, I've learned trust in God. Through it all, through it all I've learned to live in the Holy Word I thank God for the mountains And I thank Him for the valleys

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I thank Him for the storm that He brought me through For if I never had a problem, I would know that He could solve them I'd only know what faith in God could do Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God.

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Through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word. Through it all, through it all I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God (music) Let's all say Amen.

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Amen. Hear this word read from the simple English Bible, Epistle of James, First Chapter,

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the 12th through the 16th verses. James 1 chapter verses 12 through 16. "Therefore happy is the man who, though tested, endures. When he endures tests, God will give him the reward, of eternal life which God has promised to those who love Him. When someone is being tested, he shouldn't think that God is tempting him to do wrong.

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Evil cannot tempt God, and God does not tempt anyone with evil. When someone desires things which he knows are wrong, he is tempting himself. His selfish desire pulls him away from God and holds him. After that desire has been conceived, it produces sin.

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Then the sin grows and results in death. Make no mistake about it, my dear brothers, this is true. For several weeks now, we have been considering a series of sermons based on the Lord's Prayer, commonly called that model prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.

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And we come today to consider that portion of the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." lead us not into temptation but deliver us

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from evil. Some time ago a young attractive female college student was in

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a room in the boys' dormitory with other boys around two o'clock in the morning. In the course of events it was later reported that the young lady was

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raped. Those who were connected with the situation expressed varying opinions concerning that particular incident. Some said it was a clear case of rape and a blatant violation of human dignity and human rights.

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They contended that the young lady was forced to engage in sex against her will. One of the male college professors stated in a public address that she got what she asked for. She was dressed in a manner that was tempting to the brethren. And he went on to say that when women dress with scant clothing,

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that this is what they should expect from men. It was a case of yielding to temptation on the part of the brethren. And then the question was raised, what in the world did she think was going to happen up there in that room at 2 o'clock in the morning? And of course those who were concerned about freedom came back with the fact that no matter what she was dressed with or in,

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to recognize the fact that she is a person and sacred in the sight of God, demands that she be treated in a certain way. In a similar discussion regarding an incident somewhat related to this, we were together in a meeting and Dean Abner McCall, who was the president of Baylor, said that at Harvard that the students, the female students, were permitted to stay in the boys' dormitory until 2 o'clock in the morning, and then they had to get out only because they wanted to provide some time for them to study.

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So I asked one of my daughters about this. She said, "Well, Daddy, if they can't handle it, they shouldn't be there. They should be able to handle it." So this is not just an isolated incident that occurs once in a blue moon, it occurs regularly, constantly. So with that being said, I announce again the topic of this message, "Lead us not into temptation." This is a petition that Jesus has encouched in this model prayer that he gives his disciples.

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Oh, we've heard it. We've heard it since the early days of our youth. We've sung about it. Oh, yield not to temptation for yielding is sin.

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Each victory will help you. Some other to win. Fight manfully on what dark passions subdue. Look ever to Jesus.

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will carry you through. Lead us not into temptation. This is a petition, this is a plea, this is asking of God. Lead us not into temptation. Temptation means to be placed on trial. We are told in scripture that when Jesus was baptized of John that he came forth from the Jordan with the baptismal waters dripping from his garments and immediately went into the wilderness where he was tempted of the devil.

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Temptation is enticement to do wrong. In the garden of Eden Eve was tempted by the serpent. serpent. She was alone and she was enticed to do wrong. She was encouraged to obey the snake rather than to obey the word of

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the Lord. She was tested, I say, alone in the garden and we are by Satan in the wilderness. In the epistle of James we are told that our Christian development is measured by the temptations we overcome. Listen to his words, "Blessed is the man that

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endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed.

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Temptation comes when we are in a quandary about whether to obey the word of God or the word of the devil. Temptation comes in the wilderness when two roads cross, or when the roads cross, we're confused, we do not know which road to take,

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and we are prone to take the well-beaten path, or to take that road which leads to death. So be careful about the road you take. Some roads are deceptive.

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They look very attractive, but they end up being dead end streets. Be careful, the devil is known as the deceiver. He makes it appear as if it were a through street

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when in reality it's a dead end street. And that's his job. To lead and deceive. Milton says,

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there is a road that leads to hell from the gates of heaven. Let me say that again.

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There is a road that leads to hell from the gates of heaven. Well, that's the reason Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Now the evil one is hidden among the grass or in the grass,

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in the garden. one hides among the trees, in the bushes, evil one. So, we need to pray in order not to become Satan's prey. Now let me break that down. We need to pray P-R-A-Y in order not to be

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Satan's prey. P-R-A-Y. So if you don't remember anything else about this message, just remember that sentence because Because all I'm trying to say is wrapped up in the fact that we, not some, not the preacher alone, not the choir alone, not the deacons alone, but we. All of us can take a place in that we.

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So, Satan is seeking to destroy. When the sons of God are called together and God looks around, so to speak, and sees that Satan, he says,

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"Satan, from whence have you come?" You see, "From going about the earth "and seeking what I may devour." But there is a prayer, a model prayer

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that has been provided by the Son of God Himself, saying, "Lead us." It's addressed to the Heavenly Father on our behalf. Lead us not into temptation.

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You know, life is a journey. It is a journey through the wilderness. Wilderness is not a parking place. (audience laughing)

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It's a through experience. You have to pass through it. Some of us have not altogether recognized this, but we are on a journey and we have wilderness experience

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and we cannot go from Egypt to Canaan without passing through this wilderness. That's the biblical story.

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>> Amen. >> As the wilderness experience. And Jesus, who is our model, shows us how that may be done. It's a test.

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You know, some people don't like tests. The moment the doctor said I'm going to give you some tests, we started getting nervous. And the moment the professor announces that he's going to give a test, the students began to get concerned. I remember I was teaching a group of ministers many years ago in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

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And I'd been teaching for some time and I announced that next week we would have a test. And there was one brother in the class when I was teaching, oh he was wrapped up in my teaching, he was, "Yes, yes, amen, amen, amen." He was just shouting amen, but after I announced that test, I never saw that brother again. We don't like tests, but they are arranged for us all along the way.

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The cars we drive, they're tested before they're put on the road, see if they can take certain things. And we are tested. Can you take it? Many of us can't take it. Some of us, if someone says something we don't like, we're out of the choir, we cool off from the church, all of that is because somebody said something.

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We can't stand the test. But Jesus was tempted, tested, tested. Now we look at this story of the wilderness journey And Jesus here is approached by Satan and he's asked, "If you are the Son of God, if you are who you say you are,

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Then turn these stones into bread. And some of the most successful ways Satan tempts us is through our appetite. Oh, many of us will be destroyed by our appetite. It's the appetite. If you are, turn these stones. He passed that test. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

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And there comes another test, if you are the son of God, cast yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. He wants Jesus to submit himself to popularity, fame, but Jesus does not take that.

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He passes that test. If you are the son of God, if you really are who you are, fall down and worship me and I will give you the world. That's the temptation of Satan. Well, some who may say that this sermon is not for them.

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I'm no young co-ed, why is the Reverend talking about this? I passed through all that, we haven't passed through that. Look over there and see what Jesus says about temptation. He said, "Any man," and that includes the women too,

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who looks at a woman and lusts, you don't have to touch her, has committed adultery. - Amen. - That's right.

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- That's what the Lord said. - Amen. - That's the book. Any man, any person who looks at lusts

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has committed, and there isn't a single person in here. hasn't looked in lust. And we want to evaluate people on the basis of what you saw if he got caught in bed with somebody. That's not the way God evaluates. This is the way he

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And he evaluates, he says, "Any man who looks and blushes "is guilty of adultery." In that same passage he says, he said, "If you're," they talked about the eye,

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this eye that's doing the looking, "If it causes you to stress, then pluck it out." But you have to have a whole lot of eyes. (audience applauding)

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Lead us not into temptation. Jesus here has come to this earth and has walked among us. And we think it's going a long way when we tell our children just to say no.

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Well, that's good. That's good, but we must go further than just say. There are some fellows who say when you say no, you mean yes.

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And some have yet to be taught that no means no. So, Satan is not particular about where the battle takes place, whether it's in a crowd or whether it's a lonely desert. The word is the same, "Lead us not into temptation." Temptation. Temptation. Joseph has a dream. Dream of diadem. He has a dream. But he has to go through a wilderness experience.

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He's sold by his brethren. But he gets into Egypt and there in Egypt Potiphar's wife has a crush on David. And no doubt the tabloids of Egypt picked it up. It was the whispering gospel around the palace.

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You know that slave, Joseph? He had something going with Potiphar's wife. But Joseph still tried to be upright, tried to conduct himself in the best manner.

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And one day, Potiphar's wife, while he was around doing household chores, she said, come get in the bed with me. Temptation. But Joseph resisted.

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And what we ought to do really is to flee temptation. That's what the Bible says, flee it. And Jesus said, lead us not into today. And so Joseph runs, but he couldn't run fast enough.

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She grabs his garments and he ends up in jail. And you look at that and the question we faithful people ask, where was God that let this happen to Joseph? Good fellows, Joseph was, why did God let this?

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Well, God lets a lot of things happen. He lets us go through certain things in order that we may be strengthened. Test and we find, we find that later that Joseph comes through

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and wise Joseph, he is the prime minister of Egypt. So if ever you're tempted, go to God. Because he controls earth and heaven. If ever you're tempted, go to God, trust in him.

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Whoever you tempted, go to God. And we are tempted. We're tempted and tried. When we're off, as the song says,

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made to wonder why it should be thus all the day long. But just keep going to God. That's the meaning of it. Lead us not into temptation

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for yielding his sin. Ask, oh yes, ask, yes, ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to aid you.

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He will carry you through. I'm so glad that along this wilderness way that he walks with us and talks with us, tells us that we are his own.

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He's there and we can lean upon Him and receive the strength that we need. To Him, go through it. You may be in your wilderness now. You may be having it now.

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But go through it. Go through it. He that overcometh, God giveth the crown. By faith, just faith in God.

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Joseph had to go through some dark experiences, but by faith we shall conquer, though often cast down. He who is our savior, our strength will renew, look ever, ever, not just for a while, but ever.

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Not when things are going well, when you're in good health, But when sickness comes, look up! - Amen. - Not just when the sun is shining brightly,

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but when you're passing through valleys of darkness, look up to Jesus, He will carry you through. Brethren and sisters, that's good news. - Yes it is.

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- That's good news, that's good news in the world, bad news, that's good news. To trust in Him. So as we come to the hymn of invitation, this is a good time to, you don't have to tell

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anybody but God and he already knows as he walks with us through this valley of temptation. The door of the church is open. You may come by letter, by Christian experience, or on professional faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

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We ask you to come. Come. Come. ♪ ♪

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Come. Come. You may not understand it now, but we will, Father of Lord, as we continue the journey with Him as our eternal companion.

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Come. [MUSIC PLAYING] Come. [MUSIC PLAYING]

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(upbeat music) [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

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♪ And it all makes you wonder ♪ ♪ Why it should be thus ♪ ♪ All the days long ♪ ♪ While there are others ♪

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♪ Thinking about us ♪ ♪ Never molested ♪ ♪ Nor in the wrong ♪ ♪ Father of all ♪

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♪ We know of Thee ♪ ♪ Father of all ♪ ♪ We understand Thee ♪ [Music]

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[SILENCE] [BLANK_AUDIO]