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[ Silence ] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

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[MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ That languished this day ♪ ♪ Stars they hold in faith ♪

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♪ Stars they give in faith ♪ ♪ King of all the heavens ♪ ♪ High, honored and true ♪ ♪ Look at my son Jesus ♪

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♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ I was a slave but you had a few ♪ ♪ So much strength could I give you ♪ ♪ He is willing to save you ♪

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♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ To his battle promised ♪ ♪ God give him the crown ♪ ♪ Good faith we shall find there ♪

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♪ No other can crown ♪ ♪ He who wills Australia ♪ ♪ Our strength and will ♪ ♪ Love the air by your knees ♪

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♪ Love the people carry you through ♪ ♪ Christ was the Savior to help you ♪ ♪ God was brethren and He is true ♪ ♪ He is willing to make you new ♪

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♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ As He was made can to help you ♪ ♪ God was brethren and He is true ♪ ♪ He is the way to save you ♪

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♪ He is the way to save you ♪ - Amen. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

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Matthew chapter four, verse one. The subject of the message, "When Temptation Comes." When temptation comes. Jesus was at the period prior to the beginning of his public ministry when this particular

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incident which is described in the language of our text occurs. had just been down to the Jordan River where he was baptized of John the Baptist. He comes out of the Jordan with the baptismal waters dripping from his garments and the scripture says that he was led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted

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of the devil. First I would like for us to consider the reality of the tempter. We think of the tempter as the devil, the adversary. When I was a child, we thought of the devil as a rather strange monster that evoked horror in the mind of children.

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We thought of him as being dressed in a red suit with a long forked tail with a pitchfork around the flames of hell, those are my earliest recollections of the devil. But the tempter is not one who comes to us in such a fashion.

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The tempter is that which seeks to induce us to do evil, to entice us to do wrong, the tempter. But you notice that the scripture says that Jesus is led of the Spirit, the Spirit of God and that he is tempted by the devil. So both God and the tempter are real.

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God is real so is the devil. We all have the devil somewhere we encounter him along the way. Scripture talks about it time and time again. No matter how good you are, how noble may be your aspirations, you must contend with the devil. Job, a righteous person, a model, a dynamic model of what it is to live the good life.

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But as we read the story, we're told that the sons of God gathered together at the heavenly court and Satan was there with him. And the Lord God asked him, "Satan what are you doing?" He said, "Oh I'm just going about the earth walking up and down in it seeking what I've made it." He still does that. The tempter is real. There is that

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antagonistic force. There is that up against this that we must consider in life there is that which is contrary to our well-being. We don't really understand it how it all happens how did Satan get here and all that we don't know we know he's here. And God made a beautiful garden the paradise of Eden

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and placed man and woman in it and told them what they were to do and behold there was a servant present to entice them to do what God had told them not to do. So Jesus is is led of the Spirit, God leads them, God leads people today just as he led Jesus when he was upon this earth. But in the midst of being led by

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God, the tempter is also present. The tempter, the adversary, one who fights against God, one who fights against goodness, the tempter is present. So the first thing to consider is the reality of the tempter. He's real. And secondly, we need to consider the fact that temptation is real, that there is testing.

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You can't live your life, I can't live mine without some testing, and so temptation is a test. If you really are supposed to be a Christian, you're gonna be tempted. In fact, you're gonna be tempted whether you're Christian or not. It's going to be tested.

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And the only way one can really know whether he or she is real, whether you're an authentic person has to do with the kind of temptations that you face and how you deal with those temptations. Test.

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You tell whether something is steeled by the tests that it is able to endure. Temptation comes. Well, the tempter is real, temptation is real, always this enticement or inducement somehow to do wrong, the testing that one encounters. But what about the terrain? Where does it occur? the terrain, the temptation and the terrain. Jesus is led by the Spirit

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into the wilderness, into the wilderness. Where is that? Well geographically the wilderness was that barren wasteland in Palestine. I had the privilege of being there again just a few weeks ago and the guide showed us the place that is called the Mount of Temptation. Huge, rocky, barren place. No trees, no. In the wilderness. Temptation

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always comes to you in the wilderness when you're alone. And so really, let's not think of the temptation really as just some geographical location. Let's think about it as being the terrain, as being in our hearts and in our minds and our thoughts. We have to deal with temptation, an enticement or an inducement to do

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wrong. That's where it is. That's where we have to wrestle within our minds and in our hearts with thoughts and decisions that have been made. That's where we encounter temptation. That's the terrain. Three temptations Jesus faced. The first one, the tempter says to him, "Now look, if you are the Son of God, if you are

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who you say you are, turn these stones into bread." Now mind you, this record which we have in the scripture isn't something that was arrived that by some disciples being gathered around there, sitting down, watching Satan and Jesus as they engage in this conflict. No, it's not like that. In fact, they weren't there.

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I said, "It happens when you're alone." Jesus is alone. He's all by himself. And this comes—so what we really have is sort of an autobiographical account Jesus has to tell about this because they weren't there. If you are who you say you are, turn these stones to bread. That's the temptation, that's the first temptation. Oh temptation comes to us

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right on the level where we are, right where we are. Bread, oh we all understand that bread I'm gonna look out after my bread I've got to have bread bread and that's where the temptation comes the temptation is he's been fasting for 40 days right at the point when the body is crying out for food 40 days yes every

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Every fiber of his being cries out for bread, bread, bread. And the tempter comes right at that moment. "Oh yeah, if you are who you say you are, have these stones, turn them to bread." That's the temptations.

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Sell your soul for bread. That's the temptation. It comes to us through the appetite. Something you want and this is the wrong way to get it, but I can get it this way.

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That's the temptation. You don't have to look far. We have prostitutes standing on the corner and wife for bread, sell their souls for bread. Now we don't have to look on the corner.

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can look at a man who's at his desk, the officer, the preacher, we can look at every area of life, every human being. Sell your soul for bread. Worship that which is material. And look Jesus, if you want to get ahead in life, "Sit on bread and people will follow you. You'll be the king of everything in the

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eyes of the people if you just provide them with bread." But Jesus says, "No, I'm not going to make materialism that which is almost in my ministry, no, no. I'm not going to make that which is material, that which is of the greatest concern of my disciples, in other words I'm not going to have the material over the

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spiritual. And oh so many people do that today. They worship the material rather than the spiritual. Jesus faced that temptation before us. He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Well, you know, really they say that the Temptations represent three parties that existed during New Testament times,

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and bread represents the Herodians. The Herodians were the party of Herod. Herod, Herod. In other words, we, you see, Herod's in power and we don't care about what principles we have to sacrifice. If we want to get what we can,

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we'll stay in with Herod. The Herodians stay, we're in with Herod. So whatever it takes, this is the worldly crowd, whatever it takes to get along with Herod, we'll get along with Herod, get all the bread we can get.

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We'll get the positions. We'll get the appointments. We'll get everything. We'll have it made with heritage. Temptation of bread, Jesus says no. Then the devil didn't stop there. Whoever think he stops overcome one temptation, you got another one to face. Second one,

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he takes him to the pinnacle of the temple. The pinnacle of the temple. He's tempted. The pinnacle of the temple. The temple? The house of God. The place of worship where the pious assemble. The holy of holies located at the temple. Yes, he takes him to the temple. Pinnacle of the temple. If you are the son of God. If. This is an if-y situation.

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If, if, if, if, if, if, if, if. Devil has doubts. He creates doubt. That's the purpose of the devil,

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try to make you doubt yourself. If you're the son of God, jump down from here. Why, it's written, see, devil quotes scripture too. Oh yes, he knows the book, he read,

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sometimes he reads it more, it seems, some so-called Christians. If you are the son of God, cast yourself down. You know there is a way of going to hell from the gates of heaven. Be in the church all the time and go straight to hell. So he tempts him that way.

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Enticement to do wrong in connection with the temple. But Jesus rejects that temptation. Pharisees, they represent that, that second temptation. Oh, they were pious, that's what the word means in Hebrew, the pious ones.

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But Jesus had so much to say against those Pharisees. know it's a kind of sweetness that sours on your stomach that they had, name of religion. They were so concerned about the rules and the regulations and all of that but they had the wrong spirit. So Jesus rejects it, no no, and

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then he didn't stop there, there's a third temptation, he takes them to an exceedingly high mountain and in a moment he shows him all of the kingdoms of this world. Oh you can have all this if you just bow down and worship me. See what Satan always promises you son? The false promise, if you just bow down and worship me.

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This is an enticement to do wrong. Look, you can get everything, fella. You can have the whole world at your feet. You'll just bow down and worship me. You know, Satan claims to have the world. It's God's world. The earth is the Lord's, the fullness thereof, but Satan is, you know, it's mine. I'll give it to you. Jesus rejects this temptation. You see, the tempter is real.

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The temptation you face is real, the terrain is real because it's gonna happen in your mind in your heart, but you'll notice in all three of these temptations what the outcome depends upon is your trust, trust, your commitment that Jesus had committed himself to God and all that Satan did, all that Satan said could not

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cause him to fail to trust in God. That brothers and sisters is an example for for us. We say we trust in God. We sing about it, "Whoa, I trust in God." And when the enticement, the inducement to do wrong comes, it's how we stand at that moment as to whether we continue to put our trust in God. All the difficulties I've had, false accusations and all that.

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One person said to my wife and me, "Oh, Reverend, all your troubles will go away if you just go down to Louisiana and see Sister so-and-so. That's right. So you're having trouble listening, but that'll all go away, Rep. The audit will cost you just a thousand dollars.

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See that's all. I said, is that so? Oh yeah, Rep, my money. Just go down and here's the address.

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And for $1,000 they rip all your troubles, behold! Just for $1,000. Well, all the preaching that I do about faith in God, but sister so-and-so down in Louisiana for $1,000. Temptation. All your troubles be over. A thousand dollars. Well, my wife and I laughed about it. This is ridiculous. We trust in God. I trust in God no matter what happens. I trust in God. I don't care what God does to me. I trust Him.

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Though he slay me yet will I trust him. I don't know how I'm gonna come out of anything. I just trust God. He hasn't promised me all my bed will be one of roses. He never promised me that. In fact, he says that the prophets will be persecuted, but trust God no matter what happens. Trust God. I trust in God no matter where I am. On the land or on the starless sea. Trust God. Trust Him. And you know when you trust God, there are some tragic experiences when you trust Him.

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Maybe some of you don't understand that. But I know some of you do. There are some tragic experiences when you trust God. When you put all your eggs in one basket, sometimes you wonder what's going to happen to the basket. You trust God.

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But when you trust God, there's a fiery furnace. when you really trust God. The three Hebrew children say, "We don't know what God's gonna do, but we know that we're gonna trust Him. No matter how hot that fiery fire is, we're going in there. We're trusting God. God hasn't told us we're gonna come out, but we're going in. Daniel, lions did. Tragic experience. I know the lions are there, but I trust God. I'll go where the lions did, but I'll trust God. I don't know what will happen, but I'm going in. One young fellow said to me some years ago, "Mr. Robinson, I enjoy your sermons.

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They're scholarly and all of that. You seem to know how to put them together and all that." He said, "There's one thing I don't understand about your preaching." He said, "When you get to a certain point, you get up there and you start talking about

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all this business about God." and it's mysterious and you sort of lose me. I said that's right, that's right. I always do that because somehow God is that great mystery in my life. I don't fully understand him. I understand some things about him, but there's so much I don't understand about him. He's that great mystery. I trust him. And God somehow leads us through tragedy to triumph when we trust him.

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So you're going to face it, temptation. The tempter's going to be around. He's been around a long time. He's going to be around a long time to come.

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Face him. But God is present. That's what the scripture says. He's led of the spirit into the wilderness

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and tempted by the devil. But he overcomes it. See, you're not tempted by God. You're tempted by the devil.

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God never entices us to do wrong. He always encourages us in doing right. But what he does promise to do, if we are faithful to him, he promises to bring us through it.

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So ask. That's all you have to do. And you do that through prayer, through commitment to him. Ask.

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Ask. Moody was asked during a crisis in his life, so why is it you didn't go to the prayer meeting this prayer meeting was being held concerning the matter of a shipwreck and

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we were praying. So why didn't you come to the meeting? He said, "Well, I was prayed up." You can pray so that you have that resource that enables you to be ready. For we are prayed up, prayed up, built up in strength by God. Ask, ask, ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He's willing to aid you. He will carry you through.

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That's the life we are called upon to live in the midst of all of the mysteries of human existence. We don't understand. We don't understand where we are and the conditions that many times we face in in the midst of temptation, but we'll understand it better by and by. Farther along, we're tempted and tried, but we'll come to understand it all better by

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and by. So the door, the door is open to those who are perfect in their lives to Jesus Christ. [ Music ] ♪ If heaven and earth are here ♪

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♪ Oh, they should wonder ♪ ♪ Why it should be so ♪ ♪ Oh, how they long ♪ ♪ But there are others ♪

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♪ Living above us ♪ ♪ Never more less than ♪ ♪ Those in the room ♪ Father, oh Lord, we know all about it.

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Father, oh Lord, we understand why. Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine. We'll understand here, all by and large. ♪ When death was nigh ♪

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♪ When death was nigh ♪ ♪ It gave my soul ♪ ♪ Lonely and free ♪ ♪ Then to be parted ♪

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♪ I always trusted ♪ ♪ In His holy hand ♪ ♪ Here I am again ♪ ♪ But there are no wings ♪

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♪ No water ♪ [MUSIC] ♪ Understand why ♪ ♪ Cheer up my brother ♪

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♪ Give him the sunshine ♪ ♪ He'll understand it ♪ ♪ All night long ♪ Rainbows will never fail,

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All of you have failed. A new born day is due, Labor and praise to you, ♪ Was of the Holy ♪

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♪ Then she was jolly ♪ ♪ As this we hold our ♪ ♪ Beautiful day ♪ ♪ Mother of all ♪

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♪ Oh, glory ♪ ♪ Oh, glory ♪ ♪ Oh, glory ♪ ♪ Understand, mother ♪

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♪ Cheer up my brother ♪ ♪ My, my ♪ ♪ He understands ♪ ♪ That he is ♪

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♪ All I am, my ♪ [Gunshots] [BLANK_AUDIO]