1 00:00:31,379 --> 00:00:35,699 He was our victory. Amen. What a great song. I have always loved 2 00:00:35,699 --> 00:00:39,299 that song. If you win your Bibles this evening, turn To Genesis, 3 00:00:40,099 --> 00:00:50,579 chapter 39, our study of the life of Joseph. And really the title 4 00:00:50,579 --> 00:00:55,019 of the series is Lessons from the Life of Joseph. And so we're 5 00:00:55,019 --> 00:00:58,969 taking a little more time than we have in the past and just picking 6 00:00:58,969 --> 00:01:02,849 out life lessons from it. Biblical lessons from his life again. 7 00:01:02,849 --> 00:01:05,169 The New Testament tells us that the Old Testament was written 8 00:01:05,169 --> 00:01:09,449 for our example. The New Testament tells us that the Old Testament 9 00:01:09,449 --> 00:01:13,889 was written for our learning. So the lives of these patriarchs, 10 00:01:14,048 --> 00:01:19,649 lives of these Old Testament saints are given to us to help us 11 00:01:20,129 --> 00:01:24,809 learn, to learn from their lives, to take examples from their 12 00:01:24,809 --> 00:01:28,229 life, good and bad. I told you, one of the proofs that the Bible 13 00:01:28,229 --> 00:01:32,149 is true, especially the Old Testament is true, is that as the 14 00:01:32,789 --> 00:01:37,989 scribes and those who were copying the Bible and the Old Testament, 15 00:01:37,989 --> 00:01:41,589 particularly as they were copying it from generation to generation, 16 00:01:41,989 --> 00:01:47,589 that they didn't leave the bad stuff out. I mean, why would they 17 00:01:47,589 --> 00:01:50,669 just not, you know, wipe out the bad stuff and leave the good 18 00:01:50,669 --> 00:01:53,639 stuff? That's what most historians did, especially if they 19 00:01:53,639 --> 00:01:56,159 were hired by the Roman government. You know, they're going 20 00:01:56,159 --> 00:02:01,959 to say all the good stuff about Rome and Romans, the fights 21 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:06,519 of the Romans and the wars, but not the Old Testament. It gives 22 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:10,919 you the good and the bad. And so they're there for our learning. 23 00:02:11,239 --> 00:02:18,239 And so we're life lessons from Joseph. So let's look at verse, let's 24 00:02:18,239 --> 00:02:21,319 look at verse one and then we'll skip around a little bit. And 25 00:02:21,319 --> 00:02:25,879 so that we going to continue the message from last Wednesday night. 26 00:02:26,119 --> 00:02:29,879 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of 27 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:34,279 Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands 28 00:02:34,279 --> 00:02:37,759 of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither. And the 29 00:02:37,759 --> 00:02:41,879 Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. And he was 30 00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:45,839 in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master saw 31 00:02:45,839 --> 00:02:48,919 that the Lord was with him. And that the Lord made all that he 32 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:53,209 did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, 33 00:02:53,369 --> 00:02:57,249 and he served him, and he made him overseer over his house. And 34 00:02:57,249 --> 00:03:02,009 all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from 35 00:03:02,009 --> 00:03:05,369 the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all 36 00:03:05,369 --> 00:03:08,289 that he had that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for 37 00:03:08,289 --> 00:03:11,809 Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all 38 00:03:11,809 --> 00:03:16,169 that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that 39 00:03:16,169 --> 00:03:20,309 he had to Joseph's hand. And he knew not aught he had save the 40 00:03:20,309 --> 00:03:25,589 bread which he did eat. And Joseph was of a goodly person and 41 00:03:25,589 --> 00:03:30,789 well favored. We talked about the integrity of Joseph. And it came 42 00:03:30,789 --> 00:03:35,069 to pass after these things. That his master's wife cast his eye 43 00:03:35,069 --> 00:03:40,189 upon Joseph. And she said, lie with me. And he refused and said 44 00:03:40,189 --> 00:03:43,509 unto his master's wife, behold, my master wanteth not what 45 00:03:43,509 --> 00:03:46,229 is with me in the house. And he hath committed all that he hath 46 00:03:46,229 --> 00:03:50,789 to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I. Neither 47 00:03:50,789 --> 00:03:56,309 hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art 48 00:03:56,309 --> 00:04:01,469 his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness. And notice 49 00:04:01,469 --> 00:04:06,789 this phrase and sin against God? And it came to pass that she 50 00:04:06,789 --> 00:04:11,749 spake to Joseph. And again notice this day by day. That he hearkened 51 00:04:11,749 --> 00:04:16,719 not unto her to lie by her or to be with her. And it came to pass 52 00:04:16,719 --> 00:04:19,519 about this time. That Joseph went into the house to do his business. 53 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:23,599 And there was none of the men of the house there within. And she 54 00:04:23,599 --> 00:04:27,319 caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me. And he left 55 00:04:27,319 --> 00:04:30,999 his garment in her hand and fled and got him out. And it came 56 00:04:30,999 --> 00:04:34,719 to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand. 57 00:04:34,879 --> 00:04:38,479 And was fled forth. That she called unto the men of her house 58 00:04:38,479 --> 00:04:43,199 and spake unto them, saying, see, he hath brought in a Hebrew 59 00:04:43,199 --> 00:04:48,359 unto us to mock us. He came in unto me to lie with me. And I cried 60 00:04:48,359 --> 00:04:51,719 with a loud voice. And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted 61 00:04:51,719 --> 00:04:54,719 up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and fled 62 00:04:54,719 --> 00:04:58,839 and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her until his Lord 63 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:03,319 came home. Verse 17. And she spake unto him according to these 64 00:05:03,319 --> 00:05:06,799 words, saying, the Hebrew servant which thou hast brought unto 65 00:05:07,399 --> 00:05:11,519 us. Came in unto me to mock me. And it came to pass as I lifted 66 00:05:11,519 --> 00:05:14,599 up my voice and cried. That he left his garment with me and fled 67 00:05:14,599 --> 00:05:18,919 out. And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his 68 00:05:18,919 --> 00:05:23,239 wife. Which he spake unto him, saying, after this manner did thy 69 00:05:23,239 --> 00:05:28,119 servant to me. That his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master 70 00:05:28,119 --> 00:05:31,399 took him and put him into prison. A place where the king's 71 00:05:31,399 --> 00:05:36,409 prisoners were bound. And he was there in. In the prison. Let's 72 00:05:36,409 --> 00:05:39,769 pray. Heavenly Father, again we ask for your help tonight. Lord 73 00:05:39,769 --> 00:05:43,529 may you lead and direct and guide us. And, Lord, again I can 74 00:05:43,529 --> 00:05:46,929 simply do the teaching. And I pray the Holy Spirit would give understanding 75 00:05:46,929 --> 00:05:52,169 tonight. And may we, as children of God, rely upon you and 76 00:05:52,169 --> 00:05:55,929 your grace. In the hour of temptation. Again, we love you and 77 00:05:55,929 --> 00:05:59,329 we thank you in Jesus name. Amen. I don't want to repeat the 78 00:05:59,329 --> 00:06:03,529 entire thing from last Wednesday, but again we talked about 79 00:06:03,929 --> 00:06:08,149 the life lessons from Joseph in this particular chapter. I'm going 80 00:06:08,149 --> 00:06:11,629 to skip the introduction from last week and talk about again him 81 00:06:11,629 --> 00:06:15,429 being sold into slavery by his brothers. And he was sold to Potiphar. 82 00:06:15,509 --> 00:06:19,669 Potiphar again was an Egyptian of the Egyptian guard. He was the 83 00:06:19,749 --> 00:06:24,229 chief of the royal guard. And so he was a member of the aristocrats. 84 00:06:24,229 --> 00:06:29,669 He was high in office, he was wealthy and had a vast palace. And 85 00:06:29,989 --> 00:06:35,229 no doubt, and this was what Joseph was put into after coming 86 00:06:35,229 --> 00:06:39,129 from a rural environment, coming from a place where he was 87 00:06:39,129 --> 00:06:44,369 favored by his dad and on and on and on. I could go, I can't imagine 88 00:06:45,089 --> 00:06:49,369 being a 17 year old and being thrust into that. Can't imagine being 89 00:06:49,369 --> 00:06:54,209 a 17 year old and being sold into slavery by your brothers. And 90 00:06:54,209 --> 00:06:57,529 we mention again, and this is my third time to mention it, in Genesis 91 00:06:57,529 --> 00:07:01,969 chapter 50 it says that. Or Genesis chapter 48, it says they, 92 00:07:02,049 --> 00:07:06,669 the brothers said this has happened to us because we did not 93 00:07:06,669 --> 00:07:11,749 listen to the cries of our brother when we sold him. They did 94 00:07:11,749 --> 00:07:16,549 not listen to him. Imagine the cries, imagine the wailing that Joseph, 95 00:07:17,589 --> 00:07:20,589 you know, with his brothers trying to get to their heart, to 96 00:07:20,589 --> 00:07:23,829 get them to stop, you know, again throwing him into the pit and 97 00:07:23,829 --> 00:07:27,869 selling him. So the point is that Joseph was thrust into this. 98 00:07:27,869 --> 00:07:32,569 He was sold as a common slave to there in Egypt. He would have 99 00:07:32,569 --> 00:07:35,649 been put on a, you know, a platform and sold with hundreds of 100 00:07:35,649 --> 00:07:40,809 other slaves. But God in his providence saw fit to put him in 101 00:07:40,969 --> 00:07:45,769 Potiphar's house. And there in Potiphar's house, God blessed him. 102 00:07:47,049 --> 00:07:53,409 Now I think again, as I said last week, we take for granted, we 103 00:07:53,409 --> 00:07:57,719 take for granted that God just magically blessed him. That just, 104 00:07:57,719 --> 00:08:03,959 you know, poof. No, that's not what happened here. And we went to 105 00:08:03,959 --> 00:08:06,199 various scriptures in the Bible last Wednesday night to show 106 00:08:06,199 --> 00:08:09,479 you. It says he was a prosperous man. Why was he prosperous? 107 00:08:09,879 --> 00:08:13,199 Well, because he was a man of character. Talking about Joseph was 108 00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:17,159 a man of character. It means he was diligent. It means he was 109 00:08:17,159 --> 00:08:23,479 a hard worker. It means he was industrious. He had a good testimony 110 00:08:23,559 --> 00:08:27,629 among the household. Amen. If he hadn't done all those things, 111 00:08:27,629 --> 00:08:31,589 there's no way that Potiphar is going to put him, you know, over 112 00:08:31,589 --> 00:08:37,109 his household. No, no, no, he worked hard at it. He submitted to 113 00:08:37,109 --> 00:08:41,269 his boss, he submitted to his master. He worked hard for his boss. 114 00:08:41,269 --> 00:08:47,349 He worked hard for his master and God blessed him for it. God blessed 115 00:08:47,349 --> 00:08:52,879 him immensely. A common Hebrew slave rose in preeminence in this 116 00:08:52,879 --> 00:09:01,799 house. A very wealthy, a very. A man with much authority. And here's 117 00:09:01,799 --> 00:09:11,119 Joseph, late teenager, early 20s. Over his whole house. The Bible 118 00:09:11,119 --> 00:09:13,599 says Potiphar didn't even know what was going to be on the table. 119 00:09:14,959 --> 00:09:18,239 He said that he was not only over what he had in the house, he 120 00:09:18,239 --> 00:09:23,769 was over what he had in the field. God blessed him immensely. 121 00:09:24,249 --> 00:09:29,849 Remembering that it is character that God blesses. We mentioned 122 00:09:29,849 --> 00:09:33,329 last week about again that word prosperous or what brings about 123 00:09:33,329 --> 00:09:39,049 prosperity in our lives. Well, walking close with God, walking close 124 00:09:39,049 --> 00:09:42,089 to God, which brings about good character in our own lives. 125 00:09:44,089 --> 00:09:48,609 And then again being. Whatever you do, do heartily unto the Lord. 126 00:09:48,609 --> 00:09:52,939 Do it with all your might as unto the Lord. And whether you're 127 00:09:52,939 --> 00:09:58,099 working a secular job or whether you're working whatever it 128 00:09:58,099 --> 00:10:04,179 is. We were talking with one of our men. Mike just got hired on 129 00:10:04,179 --> 00:10:08,619 at Lockheed. I said, we're going to start a Lockheed Club. We 130 00:10:08,619 --> 00:10:16,309 have like 27,000 members that work at Lockheed. 27,000. It's a 131 00:10:16,309 --> 00:10:18,189 little. I mean, I'm exaggerating a little bit, but there's 132 00:10:18,189 --> 00:10:20,949 a bunch of you. So I think Reed will just start a club for you 133 00:10:20,949 --> 00:10:25,109 guys. Is that all right? Yeah. Okay. But wherever you're working 134 00:10:25,109 --> 00:10:30,469 at, whoever your employer is, or if you are an employer, we ought 135 00:10:30,469 --> 00:10:33,749 to do everything to the glory of God. We ought to do everything 136 00:10:33,749 --> 00:10:36,589 to the glory of God. Whatsoever you do, do heartily. As 137 00:10:36,589 --> 00:10:40,989 to the Lord, do all for his glory. Our testimony at work is important. 138 00:10:41,149 --> 00:10:44,549 And that's where we see that in Joseph's life. I just wanted to 139 00:10:44,549 --> 00:10:48,129 make sure, because again, I've been in church all my life and I 140 00:10:48,129 --> 00:10:50,729 just. I don't know why this time it just became a little more 141 00:10:50,729 --> 00:10:58,329 real to me. This was not magic. Joseph wasn't blessed because 142 00:10:58,329 --> 00:11:03,729 he just was blessed. No, no, no. There was effort on his part. 143 00:11:04,609 --> 00:11:07,209 I used that little saying that, you know, we are to work as 144 00:11:07,209 --> 00:11:09,649 if everything depends upon us and pray as if everything depends 145 00:11:09,649 --> 00:11:14,019 upon God. And that's a true biblical principle. Why should God 146 00:11:14,019 --> 00:11:18,419 bless you? And why should God prosper you if you're not working 147 00:11:18,419 --> 00:11:26,179 at it? That's it. That's it. We'll do a conclusion here in a moment. 148 00:11:26,179 --> 00:11:29,419 So this is where we stopped last week again, right there. And 149 00:11:29,419 --> 00:11:34,739 so tonight is the temptation. And what a temptation it was. Boy, 150 00:11:34,739 --> 00:11:39,969 Joseph handled it, handled it well, didn't he? How did he do that? 151 00:11:40,049 --> 00:11:45,609 How could he do that? Let me give you several things about Joseph's 152 00:11:45,609 --> 00:11:50,529 temptation. Number one. Temptations often come when life 153 00:11:50,529 --> 00:11:54,249 is going good. You say, well, Joseph's life was going good. He 154 00:11:54,249 --> 00:12:00,329 was. No, it was. Imagine being sold into slavery. But now you're 155 00:12:00,329 --> 00:12:06,509 over the house of this wealthy man. I mean, you're directing other 156 00:12:06,829 --> 00:12:12,509 slaves, employees. You're the one leading the house. And life was 157 00:12:13,309 --> 00:12:16,789 a lot better than it was. It was going good. And many times temptations 158 00:12:16,789 --> 00:12:22,149 come when life is going well. It's easy to wear a coat when it's 159 00:12:22,149 --> 00:12:28,589 cold outside. I'm going to use Texas as my illustration. In Texas, 160 00:12:28,589 --> 00:12:33,629 the weather can change in 30 seconds. One of the most memorable 161 00:12:33,789 --> 00:12:39,709 things to me as a teenager is I had a job in the oil field. A daddy 162 00:12:39,709 --> 00:12:43,789 got me job, right? Daddy got me that job. I'm thankful for those 163 00:12:43,789 --> 00:12:49,389 in high school, right? Dad's mom. And it was a good job. I made 164 00:12:49,389 --> 00:12:57,309 man money. But I would work after school and I was checking pump 165 00:12:57,309 --> 00:13:01,409 jacks and, and you know, gauging tank batteries. In other 166 00:13:01,409 --> 00:13:05,809 words, seeing how much oil was oil. I'll say it right for you guys 167 00:13:05,969 --> 00:13:09,129 was in the tank battery. You go up the stairs, you open the lid 168 00:13:09,129 --> 00:13:13,409 of the 300 barrel, whatever it is, tank, and you got a little thief 169 00:13:13,409 --> 00:13:18,369 thing, measures. Anyway, I was on top of the tank battery and you 170 00:13:18,369 --> 00:13:24,009 could see the clouds coming and it wasn't rain. And in like three 171 00:13:24,009 --> 00:13:30,379 minutes it went from being 90 degrees to 40. And I'm exaggerating 172 00:13:30,779 --> 00:13:35,099 only a tiny bit. It was the most extreme. And that's why I remember 173 00:13:35,099 --> 00:13:38,019 it to this day. I can tell you I can go. I could actually take you 174 00:13:38,019 --> 00:13:42,859 to that place now. It was that drastic of a difference. I'm on top 175 00:13:42,859 --> 00:13:47,299 of the tank, I'm doing my job as I'm supposed to. And the temperature 176 00:13:47,299 --> 00:13:51,669 changes from shorts and T shirts to you needing a coat like 177 00:13:51,669 --> 00:13:55,469 that. It's easy to wear a coat when it's cold and you know it's 178 00:13:55,469 --> 00:13:58,029 going to be cold or whatever the case is. But it's hard to wear 179 00:13:58,029 --> 00:14:03,029 it when you know it might get cold. But you. It's hot right now, 180 00:14:03,029 --> 00:14:07,029 so you got your shorts and T shirts on. That illustration is not 181 00:14:07,029 --> 00:14:10,629 very good, is it? It's a good illustration. It's easy to put the 182 00:14:10,629 --> 00:14:14,989 armor on when you're in the battle. When you're not in the battle, 183 00:14:15,149 --> 00:14:17,779 it's hard to say, well, I got to get up this morning and everything's 184 00:14:17,779 --> 00:14:23,099 going good. I don't know that I need my armor today. Right, right. 185 00:14:23,579 --> 00:14:26,739 Don't know if I need my coat today. It's plenty, you know, warm 186 00:14:26,739 --> 00:14:29,939 outside and then. But the weathermans kept saying, it's going 187 00:14:29,939 --> 00:14:32,819 to be cold and rainy, you know, by three o'. Clock. You better 188 00:14:32,819 --> 00:14:43,589 take your coat or umbrella with you. We need to be pretty. Be 189 00:14:43,589 --> 00:14:47,909 prepared, watch and pray. The Bible. Jesus said to his disciples 190 00:14:47,909 --> 00:14:55,109 that ye enter not into temptation. Number two. Again, temptation 191 00:14:55,109 --> 00:14:57,749 often comes when life is going good. Number two. Temptation often 192 00:14:57,989 --> 00:15:07,829 comes from unexpected places or people. Joseph's a slave. It's 193 00:15:07,829 --> 00:15:17,039 Potiphar's wife, you know, she's here, Joseph's there. Many 194 00:15:17,039 --> 00:15:22,519 times temptation comes from just unexpected places. I have no 195 00:15:22,519 --> 00:15:27,159 doubt this startled Joseph. Wouldn't you think that. Why would 196 00:15:27,159 --> 00:15:36,569 you want. I'm just a slave. I'm telling you. The temptation often 197 00:15:36,569 --> 00:15:44,409 comes suddenly and appeals to our passions. Beware of the storm. 198 00:15:45,849 --> 00:15:48,569 Beware of that sudden storm. And I got illustrations for that 199 00:15:48,569 --> 00:15:53,529 too. But I'm going to move on. Beware. Number three. Temptations 200 00:15:53,529 --> 00:15:58,929 often test our convictions versus the application or the living 201 00:15:58,929 --> 00:16:06,379 of it. By that I mean, had Joseph gave into the temptation and 202 00:16:06,379 --> 00:16:13,739 pleased her, he would have advanced in the house. Everybody 203 00:16:13,739 --> 00:16:20,979 see that? I mean, it would have helped him. The here and now. 204 00:16:20,979 --> 00:16:23,299 It would have helped him. How do you know that? Well, because she's 205 00:16:23,299 --> 00:16:26,989 not going to tell nobody. She's not going to tell nobody. I 206 00:16:26,989 --> 00:16:32,949 slept, you know, I. With the sl. You know, everybody. So it would 207 00:16:32,949 --> 00:16:37,429 have advanced him maybe quicker or whatever the case is. 208 00:16:37,429 --> 00:16:41,469 What I'm saying is to not do that, to not give into temptation. 209 00:16:41,788 --> 00:16:49,429 He had to have known it was not going to go well. In other words, 210 00:16:49,429 --> 00:16:53,389 that sudden appeal that to cross her would make her his enemy. 211 00:16:53,879 --> 00:16:57,919 And that's exactly what happened. No one was in the house. 212 00:16:57,919 --> 00:17:00,879 No one was around. It would have been much easier just to give 213 00:17:00,879 --> 00:17:05,599 in. You could see the wheels turning in his brain going, reasoning 214 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:08,599 this out. If I don't give in to her, I'm going to lose my position. 215 00:17:09,559 --> 00:17:19,159 I'm going to lose my ability to feed myself. You ever been there? 216 00:17:21,419 --> 00:17:26,019 Maybe a boss tells you to do something you know is wrong and you 217 00:17:26,019 --> 00:17:35,779 have to make a decision based upon conviction or maybe even in 218 00:17:35,779 --> 00:17:40,499 your livelihood. I've had men and women come to me for advice concerning 219 00:17:40,499 --> 00:17:43,699 that. Well, preacher, my boss asked me to do this. What should 220 00:17:43,699 --> 00:17:54,869 I do? I'm telling you, it happens a lot. It may be you reason 221 00:17:54,949 --> 00:17:59,269 it out that if I don't do this, then I might lose my home. 222 00:18:00,229 --> 00:18:03,749 I've got to feed my kids, I have to provide shelter for my kids. 223 00:18:03,989 --> 00:18:07,909 I got to have a job and you could just reason it out, the wheels 224 00:18:07,909 --> 00:18:11,589 will start turning and you can all of a sudden find yourself justifying 225 00:18:11,909 --> 00:18:16,889 doing what you know biblically by conviction is wrong in order to 226 00:18:18,329 --> 00:18:27,449 whatever blank we need to be careful. There is no justification 227 00:18:27,449 --> 00:18:34,329 for sin. There is no justification for doing wrong. Well 228 00:18:34,329 --> 00:18:41,179 then what's the remedy? Well, faith is faith. Faith looks beyond 229 00:18:41,179 --> 00:18:44,259 the here and now. It looks forward and says, you know what, 230 00:18:44,659 --> 00:18:49,339 the here and now may satisfy my needs for now, but satisfying 231 00:18:49,339 --> 00:18:53,379 my needs for now is going to hurt me in the future. Whereas I 232 00:18:53,379 --> 00:18:56,579 know if I do the right thing now in the future, God will bless 233 00:18:56,579 --> 00:19:01,339 me. God will take care of it. God will provide for me. He's promised 234 00:19:01,339 --> 00:19:04,219 to provide for me. He's promised to supply all my needs. 235 00:19:04,219 --> 00:19:08,179 He's promised that he will take care of me. I'm just going to 236 00:19:08,179 --> 00:19:12,949 trust him. I'm going to put my faith in him and not in my circumstance. 237 00:19:12,949 --> 00:19:16,749 I'm not going to justify in reason out that I can do this and 238 00:19:16,749 --> 00:19:21,149 this and this. Because if I don't do it, bad things are going 239 00:19:21,149 --> 00:19:27,869 to happen. I think you would agree had Joseph given in, he would 240 00:19:27,869 --> 00:19:33,549 have never rose to power in Egypt. He would have never rose to 241 00:19:33,549 --> 00:19:36,349 perimeter. He would have never saved his family. He would have never 242 00:19:36,349 --> 00:19:40,839 saved the then known world from starvation had he given in to 243 00:19:40,839 --> 00:19:51,759 the temptation. Doing right will always be blessed of God. Awful 244 00:19:51,759 --> 00:19:58,639 quiet in here. Temptation often comes when life is going good. 245 00:19:58,639 --> 00:20:02,479 Temptation often comes from unexpected places or people. Temptation 246 00:20:02,479 --> 00:20:07,989 often tests our convictions versus the application of the living 247 00:20:07,989 --> 00:20:11,109 out of it. Number four. Temptation appeals to our nature. 248 00:20:11,749 --> 00:20:18,309 Pretty simple one. Here it's pretty simple. The strength of our 249 00:20:18,309 --> 00:20:24,029 response to that temptation is the strength of our nature. In other 250 00:20:24,029 --> 00:20:29,469 words, whatever is appealing to us, the Bible says, keep thy heart 251 00:20:29,469 --> 00:20:34,629 with all diligence. Proverbs 4, 23, Jeremiah 17, 9 reminds us 252 00:20:34,629 --> 00:20:37,949 that what our hearts are desperately wicked, who can know 253 00:20:37,949 --> 00:20:43,309 it? We need to guard our hearts. We must keep watch and be 254 00:20:43,309 --> 00:20:50,229 careful. We have, we are born with appetites and desires, appetites 255 00:20:50,229 --> 00:20:55,589 and desires that come natural. There's no sin in having tendencies. 256 00:20:56,309 --> 00:21:05,109 If we did not get hungry, we would not live. I mean, if you didn't 257 00:21:05,109 --> 00:21:11,429 have a desire, a natural desire to eat, then, you know, some 258 00:21:11,429 --> 00:21:17,309 of us probably would still eat anyway. But that's natural. Rubber 259 00:21:17,309 --> 00:21:27,079 meets the road. The desire we have for intimacy of the opposite 260 00:21:27,079 --> 00:21:33,319 sex is natural. If it was, if there was no tendency towards that, 261 00:21:33,399 --> 00:21:43,439 there would be no kids. God gave us that. Hello everybody. Everybody's 262 00:21:43,439 --> 00:21:47,599 looking down. It's not time to pray, you know. No, no, that's. That 263 00:21:47,599 --> 00:21:53,849 was given to us and in the right place. It's honorable and godly. 264 00:21:53,849 --> 00:22:01,249 And again, the Bible says the marriage bed is undefiled. So we 265 00:22:01,249 --> 00:22:05,609 have these appetites and desires and many of them are given 266 00:22:05,609 --> 00:22:11,169 to us by the Lord to keep the race going, the human race going, 267 00:22:11,649 --> 00:22:15,889 to keep ourselves going, whatever the case may be. But many 268 00:22:15,889 --> 00:22:20,969 times we allow these natural desires and natural appetites to 269 00:22:20,969 --> 00:22:28,729 get out of control. One of the subjects that come up a lot is these 270 00:22:28,729 --> 00:22:32,409 tendencies. Are there tendencies in a person's life that 271 00:22:32,409 --> 00:22:35,289 may differ from somebody else's tendencies? The answer is 272 00:22:35,289 --> 00:22:43,889 absolutely yes. Lay aside the weight. And the sin which so easily 273 00:22:43,889 --> 00:22:48,969 besets you. When we talk about this a lot and we have from the pulpit 274 00:22:49,049 --> 00:22:52,449 the besetting sin, and I believe everybody has a besetting 275 00:22:52,449 --> 00:22:56,329 sin. The Bible proves that out. And everybody has tendencies. 276 00:22:57,369 --> 00:23:00,809 One of the ones that has really come to prominence the last 277 00:23:00,809 --> 00:23:05,089 few. Well, the last 10 or 20 years is. It's called SSA. It's same 278 00:23:05,089 --> 00:23:09,889 sex attraction. I've been asked by multiple people in the congregation 279 00:23:09,889 --> 00:23:15,629 as well as others, is that a real thing? Absolutely it is. You're 280 00:23:15,629 --> 00:23:21,069 saying someone can be attracted to the same gender. I just 281 00:23:21,069 --> 00:23:25,469 don't understand that, preacher. I don't get that. Well, 282 00:23:25,469 --> 00:23:31,229 it is a real thing. There may be environmental things in that person's 283 00:23:31,229 --> 00:23:34,869 life that has attributed to that. And I believe that nearly every 284 00:23:34,869 --> 00:23:39,349 case I know of, I can tell you there was contributing factors in 285 00:23:39,349 --> 00:23:43,259 that young person's life, whether it was pornography, an addiction 286 00:23:43,259 --> 00:23:47,139 to pornography, or many other things that may have caused and again 287 00:23:48,579 --> 00:23:55,979 influenced that same sex attraction. But it was there. There 288 00:23:55,979 --> 00:24:00,059 are those who have a tendency to be alcoholics. There are those 289 00:24:00,059 --> 00:24:03,699 who have a. And you can go through the entire thing where you 290 00:24:03,699 --> 00:24:12,379 have this tendency. It's. You are prone to this more so than another 291 00:24:12,379 --> 00:24:18,059 person. Everybody with me say amen. It's true. And you may not 292 00:24:18,059 --> 00:24:21,419 understand it. I may not understand it, but we know it's true. 293 00:24:21,819 --> 00:24:24,459 It's been proven scientifically. But it's also proven 294 00:24:24,459 --> 00:24:28,939 in the Bible. The Bible makes that clear as well. In other words, 295 00:24:28,939 --> 00:24:32,939 the devil knows what dart to throw at you. He's watching you. 296 00:24:35,319 --> 00:24:40,839 And the point to that is, is same sex attraction wrong? Well, 297 00:24:40,839 --> 00:24:49,959 that person may have it. What's wrong is giving into it, whether 298 00:24:49,959 --> 00:24:56,039 you have that tendency or not. Amen. It's a sin to give in to that 299 00:24:56,039 --> 00:24:59,959 tendency. It's a sin to give in. And I could go on and on and 300 00:24:59,959 --> 00:25:03,519 on throughout the deal. But again, just because you say, well, 301 00:25:03,519 --> 00:25:08,259 I was born that way, you weren't, number one. Number two, 302 00:25:08,739 --> 00:25:14,259 all of us have tendencies. Yours happens to be that. That is 303 00:25:14,259 --> 00:25:19,019 your besetting sin. It's your job by way of the Holy Spirit that 304 00:25:19,019 --> 00:25:24,579 God gave you to not give in to that tendency. Joseph stood firm. 305 00:25:25,939 --> 00:25:33,129 Joseph stood on faith. Joseph stood on grace. Whatever tendency 306 00:25:33,129 --> 00:25:36,249 you may have, maybe it's your tongue and gossiping, or maybe it's 307 00:25:36,249 --> 00:25:40,609 just your stinking attitude or whatever it may be, man, it's your 308 00:25:40,609 --> 00:25:45,729 responsibility as a born again child of God to stand on the grace 309 00:25:45,729 --> 00:25:51,329 of God to stand upon his unmerited favor and say, I know my 310 00:25:51,329 --> 00:25:54,969 heavenly Father has given me victory over this and I stand firm 311 00:25:54,969 --> 00:25:58,289 on faith that if I do the right thing right now that God's 312 00:25:58,289 --> 00:26:02,129 going to bless that in the future. It may hurt me initially, 313 00:26:02,769 --> 00:26:06,609 it may cause some damage in my own life, it may even cost me my 314 00:26:06,609 --> 00:26:09,609 job. But I'm going to do the right thing no matter what. Because 315 00:26:09,609 --> 00:26:16,489 I know God is going to bless that in the end. Our appetites and 316 00:26:16,489 --> 00:26:24,249 desires will only get stronger if you give in to them. Man. Could 317 00:26:24,249 --> 00:26:28,749 we use food as an example? I had this discussion with somebody 318 00:26:28,749 --> 00:26:32,989 the other day. Do you still believe that gluttony is a sin? Absolutely, 319 00:26:32,989 --> 00:26:35,869 yes. And this is why we need to be careful about pointing fingers 320 00:26:35,869 --> 00:26:41,269 at people. Because again, man, we're all sinners saved by grace. 321 00:26:44,629 --> 00:26:48,589 We need to be careful with the appetites and desires, even again 322 00:26:48,589 --> 00:26:51,629 these that God had given us. And there is that appeal to pride, 323 00:26:51,629 --> 00:26:55,579 and there is that appeal to finances. And it goes back to we 324 00:26:55,579 --> 00:26:59,699 understand and know that the devil appears to us or appeals to 325 00:26:59,699 --> 00:27:02,659 us through fun, fortune and fame. The lust of the eye, the pride 326 00:27:02,659 --> 00:27:08,899 of life. Listen, we have to stand firm. We have to resist the 327 00:27:08,899 --> 00:27:16,779 devil when we can only stand by the grace of God. I did mention 328 00:27:16,779 --> 00:27:20,299 this last week. A healthy person is less likely to get sick. 329 00:27:21,599 --> 00:27:25,439 I know that's profound and none of y' all would think of that 330 00:27:25,439 --> 00:27:31,039 point. But a healthy person is less likely to get sick. Someone 331 00:27:31,039 --> 00:27:35,039 who takes care of themselves, somebody who eats right and exercises 332 00:27:35,439 --> 00:27:37,999 is less likely. I didn't say they wouldn't get sick. I said they're 333 00:27:37,999 --> 00:27:41,519 less likely to get sick. And that same thing applies spiritually. 334 00:27:42,479 --> 00:27:46,439 When we walk with the Lord, when we have that relationship with 335 00:27:46,439 --> 00:27:50,359 him on a daily basis, when we we are less likely to give into temptation. 336 00:27:53,159 --> 00:27:58,119 Number five. Temptation comes daily. The Bible says she pressed 337 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:06,639 on him daily. Every day she pressed him. Yet he stood firm in 338 00:28:06,639 --> 00:28:10,399 verse 9, he responds to her and he says, there is no greater 339 00:28:10,399 --> 00:28:14,999 house than I. Neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee. 340 00:28:15,159 --> 00:28:19,479 And because thou art his wife, how then can I do this great wickedness? 341 00:28:19,999 --> 00:28:27,199 How can I cross my master? How can I betray my boss? And then again, 342 00:28:27,199 --> 00:28:33,279 I love what he says next. And sin against God. So he recognizes 343 00:28:33,279 --> 00:28:37,679 that it would be wrong because of his boss. But it also absolutely 344 00:28:37,679 --> 00:28:41,799 ultimately is wrong because it's a sin against God. How can I 345 00:28:41,799 --> 00:28:45,079 sin against God? By the way, this is the secret of victory. Understanding 346 00:28:45,079 --> 00:28:48,309 that when we sin, and though we may be offending someone else 347 00:28:48,309 --> 00:28:51,109 or maybe we're doing this or that, remember that ultimately that 348 00:28:51,109 --> 00:28:57,429 sin is against God. It's rebellion against him. We must be 349 00:28:57,429 --> 00:29:03,149 very careful. Sensual sins corrupt the heart. They weaken the 350 00:29:03,149 --> 00:29:09,149 mind. I was doing a lot of reading on this. Sensual sins short 351 00:29:09,229 --> 00:29:13,469 circuit your brain. And I won't go into. We actually preached 352 00:29:13,469 --> 00:29:16,429 on this a couple years ago how the brain works when it comes to 353 00:29:16,869 --> 00:29:20,949 especially sensual. Our sensual being. And I'm telling you, 354 00:29:20,949 --> 00:29:26,749 the brain is an amazing, amazing thing. But it will short 355 00:29:26,749 --> 00:29:30,589 circuit when it comes to these appetites again, that come natural. 356 00:29:30,589 --> 00:29:35,349 But when we allow them and we feed them and we allow them to go 357 00:29:35,349 --> 00:29:38,669 too far, the brain can short circuit. By the way, I don't want 358 00:29:38,669 --> 00:29:41,749 to make that as an excuse. It's not an excuse because your brain 359 00:29:41,749 --> 00:29:44,359 short circuited. It's short circuited because you gave in to 360 00:29:44,359 --> 00:29:52,559 the sin. Somebody has said this. And by the way, the book I 361 00:29:52,559 --> 00:29:57,679 got this out of was written in the middle 1800s. And the author 362 00:29:57,679 --> 00:30:04,799 said this. The surest way to national ruin is sensual sins. How 363 00:30:04,799 --> 00:30:09,769 would the author from the 1800s know that? Pretty easy. Go 364 00:30:09,769 --> 00:30:14,009 back and read history, whether it's Rome or Greece. I mean, just 365 00:30:14,009 --> 00:30:20,649 go back and we know America is headed that way. He also said it 366 00:30:20,649 --> 00:30:24,889 this way. He said, a society, in not condemning this sin, talking 367 00:30:24,889 --> 00:30:30,729 about sensual sin condemns itself. Society as a whole that does 368 00:30:30,729 --> 00:30:38,249 not condemn sexual sins is condemning itself. Ultimately, a 369 00:30:38,249 --> 00:30:43,609 nation who does not condemn sin will find itself in ruins. Because 370 00:30:43,609 --> 00:30:47,969 it's happened every time in history. Not once, not twice, every 371 00:30:47,969 --> 00:30:56,089 time, man, America. Once our politicians started condoning sin, 372 00:30:56,969 --> 00:31:03,859 then our judges started backing them up. Pray for America. 373 00:31:05,379 --> 00:31:09,099 Pray for America. I'm thankful for a little space of grace. We see 374 00:31:09,099 --> 00:31:13,739 that now and again. When some politicians stand up for morality 375 00:31:13,739 --> 00:31:18,219 and for Judeo Christian ethics, which our country was founded 376 00:31:18,219 --> 00:31:22,539 upon. No matter what the liberals say, they try to rewrite 377 00:31:22,539 --> 00:31:26,459 history. I'm telling you, that is not a conspiracy. Theory, that 378 00:31:26,459 --> 00:31:37,879 is fact. The liberals love to rewrite history. We need to be careful. 379 00:31:38,839 --> 00:31:41,559 Let me give you some application tonight. So what do we 380 00:31:41,559 --> 00:31:46,639 do? Well, let's think about it. Second Timothy says, flee, also 381 00:31:46,639 --> 00:31:49,599 youthful. Thus, what did Joseph do when he was tempted? He 382 00:31:49,599 --> 00:31:57,419 fled. He ran. He ran so fast he came right out of his coat. That's 383 00:31:57,419 --> 00:32:02,419 pretty fast. Romans tells us to make no provision for the flesh. 384 00:32:03,459 --> 00:32:09,019 Don't even put yourself in that position. Be careful. Be careful. 385 00:32:09,019 --> 00:32:12,939 And again, a lot of reading that I was doing, some commentaries 386 00:32:12,939 --> 00:32:15,899 said, well, Joseph was wrong for going in the house because he 387 00:32:15,899 --> 00:32:19,739 was by himself, alone with her. But if you're doing a job, sometimes 388 00:32:19,739 --> 00:32:22,499 you're going to be put in that position. You may have no choice. 389 00:32:25,059 --> 00:32:28,139 You're going to have to stand firm on the grace of God. Make no 390 00:32:28,139 --> 00:32:31,699 provision for the flesh. Number two, remember that God is 391 00:32:31,699 --> 00:32:36,619 omnipresent. He's everywhere. He sees everything. By the way, this 392 00:32:36,619 --> 00:32:40,339 is not just a message for. We repeat that to kids all the time. 393 00:32:40,339 --> 00:32:43,419 Hey, remember now, when mom and dad are not around, God is watching 394 00:32:43,419 --> 00:32:47,059 you. Hey, adults, you know he's watching you, too. He's watching 395 00:32:47,059 --> 00:32:52,299 us. He is there. No matter if it's dark or light, no matter if 396 00:32:52,299 --> 00:32:55,439 you're in the depths of hell or the heights of heaven. The psalmist 397 00:32:55,439 --> 00:33:03,359 says, he is there. Number four. With character comes prosperity. 398 00:33:07,439 --> 00:33:10,719 You want to be a prosperous person, Be a person of character. 399 00:33:11,999 --> 00:33:15,119 Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, 400 00:33:15,119 --> 00:33:17,279 nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat 401 00:33:17,279 --> 00:33:19,519 of the scornful. For his delight is in the law of the Lord. 402 00:33:19,519 --> 00:33:23,659 And his law doth he meditate day and night, day and night. And 403 00:33:23,659 --> 00:33:25,859 he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that 404 00:33:25,859 --> 00:33:28,739 bringeth forth his fruit in his season. And whatsoever. And I'm 405 00:33:28,739 --> 00:33:31,619 skipping a little bit. And whatsoever he doeth what shall prosper, 406 00:33:32,179 --> 00:33:36,019 shall prosper. Walk with the Lord. Delight in the law of the Lord. 407 00:33:37,059 --> 00:33:41,459 Be a person of integrity. I mentioned last week about every survey 408 00:33:41,459 --> 00:33:45,459 still, every survey that's done with multinational or big corporations, 409 00:33:45,859 --> 00:33:49,059 every one of them comes back with, we want employees with integrity. 410 00:33:49,849 --> 00:33:55,769 It's usually number one on the list or number two every time. And 411 00:33:55,769 --> 00:34:01,089 then there is no sin in being tempted. There is no sin in being. 412 00:34:01,089 --> 00:34:05,769 Remember that. And then remember that God will not put you 413 00:34:06,009 --> 00:34:12,089 in a position that is more than you can resist. That's a fact. 414 00:34:12,089 --> 00:34:14,769 Because he says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, There hath no 415 00:34:14,769 --> 00:34:19,309 temptation taken you, but Such as is common to man. But God will 416 00:34:20,269 --> 00:34:26,869 by his grace. God is faithful, it says, to make a way for you to 417 00:34:26,869 --> 00:34:34,509 escape again. It may get hot, but God has his ham on the thermostat. 418 00:34:34,509 --> 00:34:37,669 He knows how much you can take. I still get a. I get a kick 419 00:34:37,669 --> 00:34:42,069 out of people who have come to my office and. Preacher, I know you 420 00:34:42,069 --> 00:34:44,509 preach this, but you don't understand my life. You don't understand 421 00:34:44,509 --> 00:34:47,068 what I'm going through. You don't understand what I've been through 422 00:34:47,068 --> 00:34:51,228 or what I'm facing. And then they tell me, and I go, and I'm kind. 423 00:34:51,228 --> 00:34:53,588 I always am. And I would be kind to you, too, if you came in. 424 00:34:53,748 --> 00:34:55,988 I said, you know what? I just counseled somebody about that last 425 00:34:55,988 --> 00:35:04,188 week. Such as is common to man. I don't know. Rarely ever does 426 00:35:04,188 --> 00:35:09,828 anything surprise me. I hardly ever, ever, ever get surprised. Because 427 00:35:10,308 --> 00:35:18,119 most people. Problems in people's lives are the same. How 428 00:35:18,119 --> 00:35:22,159 do we overcome those things? Submit yourself, therefore, unto 429 00:35:22,159 --> 00:35:28,439 God. Resist the devil. And what? He will flee from you? Abide 430 00:35:28,439 --> 00:35:33,039 in Christ. Be a healthy Christian. A healthy Christian is 431 00:35:33,279 --> 00:35:37,039 less likely to fall into temptation. Walk with him. Galatians, 432 00:35:37,039 --> 00:35:39,599 chapter five. And y' all know this verse, Walk in the Spirit. What? 433 00:35:39,909 --> 00:35:46,069 And ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. A match. It's 434 00:35:46,069 --> 00:35:53,989 a lot harder to get a fire going if you've got wet wood. A lot 435 00:35:53,989 --> 00:36:01,189 harder to strike a match and light things if they're wet. It's 436 00:36:01,189 --> 00:36:04,029 hard to get a big flame going. You might get a small one going for 437 00:36:04,029 --> 00:36:07,369 a minute, but it's hard to get a big flame going if you've got wet 438 00:36:07,369 --> 00:36:11,689 wood. Most of you see the illustration. I'm telling you, we 439 00:36:11,689 --> 00:36:15,329 need to walk with the Lord. We're less likely to see a flame 440 00:36:15,409 --> 00:36:23,689 get started in our life that shouldn't be there. It is the Lord 441 00:36:23,689 --> 00:36:29,129 who keep the flame from burning a hole in our lives. Because 442 00:36:29,129 --> 00:36:33,779 that's what happens when we give into temptation. It burns a 443 00:36:33,779 --> 00:36:39,899 hole in our life many times that will affect you for years and 444 00:36:39,899 --> 00:36:44,819 years and years. That's why God always has his best interest, 445 00:36:44,819 --> 00:36:47,939 your best interest in mind. There's a reason why there's do's 446 00:36:47,939 --> 00:36:52,859 and don'ts in the Bible. Because he put them there for our 447 00:36:52,859 --> 00:36:57,139 good. I read that again the other day in the Old Testament. That 448 00:36:57,139 --> 00:37:02,219 the laws he gave Israel, he said, were for their good. Every 449 00:37:02,219 --> 00:37:09,179 one of them. I'm thankful one day that we'll receive a glorified 450 00:37:09,179 --> 00:37:14,819 body. Aren't you? One day the trumpet will sound. One day the Bible 451 00:37:14,819 --> 00:37:19,539 says that we will be changed in the moment of a twinkling of an 452 00:37:19,539 --> 00:37:24,419 eye at the last trump when we see him, the Bible says we will be 453 00:37:24,419 --> 00:37:31,979 like him. That glorified body that no longer has those natural 454 00:37:31,979 --> 00:37:37,139 tendencies. That body that no longer craves to do things it should 455 00:37:37,139 --> 00:37:42,979 not do. A spirit that no longer burns within us to do things 456 00:37:42,979 --> 00:37:47,939 that are at enmity with God. It's going to be an amazing time, 457 00:37:47,939 --> 00:37:52,819 isn't it? No longer that war within that Paul describes in Romans, 458 00:37:52,819 --> 00:37:57,049 chapter seven. That war that struggles the spirit. The Bible. 459 00:37:57,129 --> 00:37:59,929 I didn't finish the verse over. In Galatians 5. It says, for 460 00:37:59,929 --> 00:38:04,049 the Spirit wareth against the flesh, there's a great struggle, 461 00:38:04,049 --> 00:38:08,889 isn't there? I'm thankful for the grace of God. I'm thankful for 462 00:38:08,889 --> 00:38:12,449 the grace of God that helps us to overcome sin. I'm also thankful 463 00:38:12,449 --> 00:38:17,569 for the grace of God that allows our sins to be forgiven. And 464 00:38:17,569 --> 00:38:22,689 as we said last Sunday, when it came to Joshua, what do you do 465 00:38:22,689 --> 00:38:29,009 when you fail? He said to Joshua, get back up. Go forward. 466 00:38:29,809 --> 00:38:35,009 They built an altar. God forgave them and he forgives us. 467 00:38:35,009 --> 00:38:40,849 What a gracious God we have. Amen. Be careful. What an example 468 00:38:41,009 --> 00:38:45,209 Joseph is for us in our lives. Let's all stand. We're going to sing 469 00:38:45,209 --> 00:38:50,319 hymn 350. Where he leads, I will go after we pray. Heavenly Father, 470 00:38:50,319 --> 00:38:53,959 we again thank you for the example that Joseph has set for us. 471 00:38:54,919 --> 00:39:01,919 Lord, may we follow his example. May we flee the temptations 472 00:39:01,919 --> 00:39:05,719 in which we can. And Lord, may we walk close to you in order that 473 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:09,119 we might have a healthy spiritual life and in order that 474 00:39:09,119 --> 00:39:14,169 we might overcome those sins. Lord, you promised in your word that 475 00:39:14,169 --> 00:39:17,049 you would save us from the power of sin. And we know you have. 476 00:39:17,049 --> 00:39:23,569 And Lord, help us to reckon that. Help us to reckon that promise, 477 00:39:23,569 --> 00:39:26,729 to accept that promise, to believe that promise. Lord, may we 478 00:39:26,729 --> 00:39:28,849 have faith in you. In Jesus name, amen.