Taming Your Temptation

'Tis the season....  the season to, rather than turn away from temptation, turn over to it.  So many temptations seem to be placed just a little bit closer to us.  Many of the places we go to that rarely had sweets before, now offer the sumptuous fudges and sugar cookies.  Church, homes.... we can't seem to escape the allure of sugar and chocolate.  Retail stores place  many of the things we don't need, but suddenly seem to really want, right in the center isles.  

Should I?  Aw, it's Christmas, just a little more than usual won't hurt me.  So, we eat a little more and we spend a little more.  When January arrives, we may find the little mores added up to a lot more than we thought and the thrill of the moment we yield to in December is long gone.

The decisions to eat a little more or spend a little more don't tend to be that detrimental.  Yet, they are reminders to us of the kind of thinking that can lead to detrimental consequences or at least thinking that takes us out of our Lord's will for us.  

Probably the greatest temptation during this holiday season is not one to "do" something, but one to "not to do".Our greatest temptation can be to slack off on our devotional time with the Lord.  Is that you?  Have you "turned over" to that one?  If so, turn back - and turn back today.  When Jesus meets our needs, the other temptations of the season lose their attraction to us.  Don't fight temptations by simply trying to turn away from them.  Fight them by turning to the Lord by spending time with Him.  

Eugene Peterson wrote this paraphrase of Psalm 4:6-8.  Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more", they say.  "More, more."  I have God's more-than-enough.  More joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.  At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep.  For you, God, have put my life back together.

Here's the key to taming temptation, this holiday season and always.  ... put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.  Romans 13:14

What have you discovered to help you keep Jesus as your "reason for the season"?

The House That Stands

Having set forth the principles of discipleship, Jesus closed this sermon with a series of choices for those who would follow Him.  

The house(life) that stands has made some choices.  He/she has considered paths, trees, professions, and foundations.

Matthew 7:13-27 contains four sets of twos:

1.  2 paths (verses 13,14)

2.  2 trees ((verses 15-20)

3.  2 kinds of people (verses 21-23)

4.  2 kinds of builders (verses 24-27)

Two gates - the narrow gate and the wide gate.  One well trodden, chosen by many.  The other, narrow and difficult, found by few.  The narrow gate leads to life -  eternal life and, may we not too quickly dismiss these choices as relating only to our salvation, but also to abundant life here and now.  As Pastor Dale reminded us, "It's not only the narrow path to get in, but it's the narrow path the whole way home".

Two kinds of trees - One bears good fruit; the other just can't.  It can only bear bad fruit.  The kind of fruit born reveals the tree.  It takes time to go from a sapling, to a tree, to bearing fruit.  Take time and watch.  Watch for false teachers.  Do they shun from teaching the narrow way?

Two kinds of people - those who only say "Lord" and those the Lord calls "Mine".  Who will they stand before?  Jesus.  Who will determine their entrance into heaven?  Jesus.  What will be the basis of that entrance?  Those who do the will of the Father and those who do not.  What is the will of the Father?  John 16:29 and John 14:21 - Believe on His Son.  The fruit of that will be loving His Son by keeping His commandments.

Those whom Jesus reject will point to what they have done.  Those whom Jesus accepts will point to what He has done.

Two kinds of builders - foolish and wise - those who only hear the word and those who hear it and do it. The foolish fall when the storms of life come; the wise stand.  There is a place where houses stand, even when there's been a storm.  Those who stand have built on the Rock;  on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.

Those who fall, even in this life, are those who take the easy way, the short cut, the cheaper materials.

What choices are you making with the storms that confront your life today?  Your choice will determine whether you fall or whether you stand.  

There was much in this message today.  What spoke to you?