00:00:00.000 - 00:00:21.000

[ Silence ] [MUSIC] ♪ To reign and win ♪ ♪ To build and pray ♪

00:00:21.000 - 00:00:33.000

♪ It's my duty ♪ ♪ To be a soldier ♪ ♪ Yes, it is ♪ ♪ For his great cause ♪

00:00:33.000 - 00:01:00.920

♪ To live my life ♪ ♪ As he did ♪ ♪ If my heart is like Thine ♪ ♪ To be like the Lord ♪

00:01:00.920 - 00:01:25.420

♪ Be like the Lord ♪ ♪ If my desire ♪ ♪ To be one is true ♪ ♪ I am ♪

00:01:25.420 - 00:02:07.740

- Some people have become so modern, so sophisticated in their theology that they do not believe in the devil. But here it is recorded in clear language

00:02:07.740 - 00:02:33.140

that Jesus, the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, was tempted by the devil. So there are two forces in the world.

00:02:33.140 - 00:03:20.140

The divine and the demonic. Light and darkness, good and bad. I do not need to present a strong argument regarding the reality of the devil. Because every one of us here has at some point, at some time in your life been tempted by the devil.

00:03:20.140 - 00:03:52.660

It matters not how good we may be, how much we read the scripture, how often we attend prayer meetings, and how regular may be our attendance in the worship services, we will be tempted by the devil. God, our creator, father of us all, made a wonderful world.

00:03:52.660 - 00:04:09.980

- Yes, yes it did. - A world that was perfect when he finished his creation. He said, "It is good and very good." And he planted a garden east within Eden,

00:04:09.980 - 00:04:27.220

and in that garden he placed man and woman. He placed the human family. But in that garden, there was a serpent. So no matter how may be your life,

00:04:27.220 - 00:04:45.620

how pleasant it may seem, how prosperous may appear, your life, there is a serpent in your garden. There's a serpent in my garden. And Jesus Christ,

00:04:45.620 - 00:05:12.000

is led by the spirit into the wilderness. Now, a lot of people have various views about asceticism, where we want to withdraw from society. And there are those who think that by withdrawing

00:05:12.000 - 00:05:36.080

from society, they'll be away from the corruption, from the evils, and they can live the good and pure life by withdrawing. Years ago we established our colleges on that basis.

00:05:36.080 - 00:05:56.520

You'll notice most of the colleges years ago were established in small towns. Crockett, Texas, and the like. Sagin, Marshall, Texas.

00:05:56.520 - 00:06:12.240

These are, Tyler, Texas. These were places we established our colleges so our children would be removed from the corruptions of the big cities.

00:06:12.240 - 00:06:31.180

But here, Jesus is led away from the crowd into the wilderness. Now, the wilderness experience is an experience where

00:06:31.180 - 00:06:48.340

you are in what we call wild territory. In fact, the name itself, wilderness, wildness. - Yeah, that's right. - Jesus goes, he is led of the spirit

00:06:48.340 - 00:07:10.840

into this wild area, wild animals, wild spirits lurking in the desert. And while he is in the desert, He fasts.

00:07:10.840 - 00:07:27.360

He does not eat. He fasts. And at the lowest point, so to speak, after he had fasted many days--

00:07:27.360 - 00:07:48.240

he fasted 40 days-- At the lowest point, the devil appears. And temptation is enticement to do wrong. It's enticement.

00:07:48.240 - 00:08:02.860

Now, if you don't have any enticement to do anything wrong, then you're not tempted. There are some people who don't like certain things anyway, So they're not tempted.

00:08:02.860 - 00:08:22.580

You can't boast of what you don't do if it's a case where it's something you just don't like anyway, but when you're enticed it has an appeal. That's what temptation does. It comes to you as an appeal.

00:08:22.580 - 00:08:42.440

And if it has an appeal to you, then you are somewhat tempted. - Yes, Lord. - We were over in Israel and we went to the Baha'i Temple and they had a lady there who was representing that religion

00:08:42.440 - 00:08:51.640

who was absolutely beautiful. I mean, she was really beautiful. - Yes, Lord. - And I could easily understand why some people

00:08:51.640 - 00:08:58.280

would be enticed to that religion by looking at that lovely lady. - Yes, Lord. (audience laughing)

00:08:58.280 - 00:09:27.800

So, now here is a man, and I want to emphasize this, here is a man who has been without food for 40 days. Now, brothers and sisters, most of us can't miss a meal. [ Laughter ]

00:09:27.800 - 00:09:40.500

Now when we were driving across the country from time to time, my children, you know, it looked like the only times they wanted to stop were restaurants and restrooms. They missed all the beautiful scenery.

00:09:40.500 - 00:09:58.940

But they remembered. So here is -- and certainly there is an appeal to the appetite if you have been without food for 40 days and 40 nights. doesn't appeal to the appetite.

00:09:58.940 - 00:10:11.200

And it is at this point, this level, that the devil appears to him. He's out there in the wilderness.

00:10:11.200 - 00:10:29.120

Now in the wilderness, he's in a starving land. Starving land. He doesn't have supermarkets out there.

00:10:29.120 - 00:10:47.280

He's out there, he's without food, and there's no food around him. But the very presence of those rocks and the like caused the devil to say to him,

00:10:47.280 - 00:11:13.280

if, if, if, if you are the son of God, If you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread. That's the first temptation, the first serious test. This is not mockery or anything.

00:11:13.280 - 00:11:32.160

This is real. He's hungry and he sees the bread. Now if you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread. So the first temptation Jesus faces is the temptation of bread.

00:11:32.160 - 00:11:44.360

That's the first temptation that you and I face. Most of the things I hear about people who've been asked to make sacrifices in the church, they talk about that bread. - Yes, sir.

00:11:44.360 - 00:11:53.960

- Yes, sir. - Different times people want me to go down and testify in their defense. And some problem they may have on their job

00:11:53.960 - 00:12:06.600

and they don't wanna speak themselves about their own problem because they say it may affect their bread. Their bread.

00:12:06.600 - 00:12:22.080

So, the temptation of bread. When the children of Israel left Egypt and arrived in the wilderness after they had crossed the Red Sea,

00:12:22.080 - 00:12:41.540

one of the temptations they faced was to cry for breath. And time and time again, when I found myself in a crisis, the person always brings up the fact this may affect your breath.

00:12:41.540 - 00:13:04.220

So Jesus, Jesus faces the temptation of bread. And the temptation is, well, how will I direct my ministry? If I direct my ministry toward bread, I'll have a large crowd.

00:13:04.220 - 00:13:19.880

Many people will follow me. Have you noticed how people follow you when you have bread to distribute. Largest crowd you get when you have some bread to distribute.

00:13:19.880 - 00:13:31.520

Father Divine years ago, Father Divine who said, "I am God." He had his own heaven and in his heaven he was distributing bread.

00:13:31.520 - 00:13:47.540

Many people came and believed Father Divine because he was giving them bread. And Jesus could have easily established a very popular ministry

00:13:47.540 - 00:14:02.300

had he based it on bread. And so the tempter comes to test him, saying, "If you are the son of God,

00:14:04.020 - 00:14:21.420

turn these stones into bread. And Jesus says to him, man shall not live by bread. Sure, you need bread. Sure, you need to have bread in your cupboards,

00:14:21.420 - 00:14:40.380

and you need to have meals. And even Jesus himself teaches us to pray. Give us this day our daily bread. And the Father knows that you have need of these things,

00:14:40.380 - 00:14:58.300

and just as he provides for the sparrow, he provides for his human beings. Pray. So Jesus stands firm, he will become.

00:14:58.300 - 00:15:27.140

he overcomes the first temptation, temptation of bread. Then Satan, the temper doesn't give up when you pass the first test. shows him the kingdoms of this world, with all of their power.

00:15:27.140 - 00:15:41.060

Oh, that's a wonderful sight. Kingdoms of this world, the bright lights. Bright lights. And that has an attraction to us.

00:15:41.060 - 00:16:11.980

Has an attraction. When I went to Paris the first time and I saw all those bright lights, I said, "My, my." And then after that I went to Las Vegas, and I could see why so many of the people in my congregation weren't at that church. Bright lights! Power! Power of this world!

00:16:14.980 - 00:16:21.460

And that has an attraction. I don't have to explain. I don't have to belabor that point. Y'all understand that.

00:16:21.460 - 00:16:30.900

(audience laughing) And Satan presents this. Look, look, look, look at all of this. You can have it.

00:16:30.900 - 00:16:52.580

If you would just bow down and worship me. If you just do what I say. You can have this. And Jesus passes that temptation.

00:16:52.580 - 00:17:16.580

In other words, the earth is the Lord's. It doesn't belong to the devil. You know, some people used to say that all these other days may belong to the Lord, belong to the devil, but Saturday night belongs to the devil.

00:17:16.580 - 00:17:43.580

And maybe Jesus Christ controls the others, but he controls all of them. Every day we've got is his. This is a day the Lord has made. It belongs to him. We'll rejoice and be glad in it. So, hasten on here to this third temptation.

00:17:43.580 - 00:18:12.580

He takes him up to the pinnacle of the temple. And there he seeks to make a deal with Satan. Pinnacle of the temple. And Jesus says to him, "Depart from me, depart from me.

00:18:12.580 - 00:18:31.580

Get thee behind me, Satan." So brothers and sisters, if ever you're tempted, if ever you're tempted, and you will be, this very day, some people were enticed to stay at home.

00:18:31.580 - 00:18:50.580

And they're hoping. And you, that temptation. And whenever you choose something less than the best, when the best is available to you,

00:18:50.580 - 00:19:03.580

you are yielding to temptation. God is the best. Whenever we choose anything less than the best, Yes, we're yielding to temptation.

00:19:03.580 - 00:19:21.580

Yes, sir. So Jesus overcame temptation. He overcame the temptation of materialism. You know, some people, the moment they get two cars and a few changes of clothes, they forget about the love.

00:19:21.580 - 00:19:36.400

Yeah. But he overcame the temptation of materialism. And he overcame the temptation of power. Now some people don't know how to handle power.

00:19:36.400 - 00:19:51.040

Power makes them drunk. But he overcame this temptation. He had all power in his hand and yet, he has humility of heart.

00:19:51.040 - 00:20:29.380

Then this temptation of the temple, you know, temptation. Some people get into the church and they feel that they are so spiritual, so spiritual that they cannot even stoop to helping someone who's in a ditch. So, so spiritual. But Jesus has that kind of spirituality that triumphs over the false ritualism of his day,

00:20:29.380 - 00:20:40.380

and that's the model that we are to follow. So I say to you, "Year not." You're not tempted of God. Wherever you're tempted, you're tempted of the devil.

00:20:40.380 - 00:20:54.780

Yes, God does. So yield not, yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin. Each victory, every time you overcome one victory,

00:20:54.780 - 00:21:06.060

each victory will help you, some other to win. Fight, fight against it. Fight manfully onward. Bad passions subdued.

00:21:06.060 - 00:21:17.660

Look ever to Jesus. He will carry you through. Praise God. We extend the invitation now to church.

00:21:17.660 - 00:21:52.140

[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ A field of true dedication ♪

00:21:52.140 - 00:22:11.140

♪ For you in His name ♪ ♪ He will give you help to ♪ ♪ Strive hard to win ♪ ♪ And happily onward ♪

00:22:11.140 - 00:22:29.180

♪ God's blessings for you ♪ ♪ Look ever to Jesus ♪ ♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ Ask the Savior to help you ♪

00:22:29.180 - 00:22:46.900

♪ Love, understand, love, and keep you ♪ ♪ He is willing to make you ♪ ♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ Shining with compassion ♪

00:22:46.900 - 00:23:04.460

♪ When anguish is gained ♪ ♪ God's name all in reverence ♪ ♪ God's name you'll obey ♪ ♪ Be thoughtful and earnest ♪

00:23:04.460 - 00:23:35.020

♪ Kind-hearted and true ♪ Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. Ask the Savior to help you, Come for strength and a keeping. He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.

00:23:35.020 - 00:23:55.020

Ask the Savior to help you, Come for strength and healing. He is willing to help you, He will carry you through.

00:23:55.020 - 00:24:05.020

[BLANK_AUDIO]