In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of temptation and the fallen nature of humanity. He acknowledges that everyone experiences temptations and sometimes even hostile feelings towards others. However, he emphasizes that God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. He encourages the audience to take heed and not fall into temptation, reminding them of the verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that assures God will provide a way out. The speaker shares his own experiences with temptation and highlights the importance of prayer and relying on God's strength to overcome it.

But it's well worth seeing if you're not in that American meeting. It's called Explosion. It's about population explosion and world evangelism at 9.30 for non-North Americans. I'd like you to turn to 1 Corinthians 10. Temptation. I feel that I have credentials to speak on this subject. My own Christian life for 29 years has been one endless series of temptations. When I was a young Christian, I never thought I would make it. And the more I learned about the Christian life, at times the more impossible and at times, I thought, the more ridiculous it seemed. Now this is a very heavy chapter, a very strong chapter. It tells about the history of Israel. Not only how they were tempted, but how they fell. Not a very encouraging chapter. In fact, I don't think I'll read it now. You can read it on your own if you want something discouraging. You can read this chapter. On the other hand, this chapter is written as a warning. You'll notice that in verse 11. Why are we told about all these people falling into fornication? Must we have this in the middle of the New Testament? Thousands of people in one day falling into sexual immorality. Verse 8. But notice verse 11. These things happen to them as examples. And are written down as warnings for us. Very appropriate. This is written for us. That's why we're here in the tent. If this is written for us, then we ought to read it. We ought to study it. And we ought to see what it means. Because if you can get to grip with this great reality in the Christian life, dealing with temptation, well, it's hard to think of anything more important. Notice what it says in verse 12. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. Now some of you perhaps feel that you're really standing firm. You're a leader in your youth group. You've been standing firm. You haven't fallen into any fornication. Or some other terrible sin, murder or whatever. But the Word of God says, thank you Lord, I appreciate that. What does the Word of God say? Let's see here. Take heed, lest you fall. Then there's this wonderful verse, verse 13. One of the first verses I learned as a young Christian. This is our key verse for tonight. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Isn't that a great verse? By the way, in England you talk about the King James Version. They don't know what you're talking about. That's not an acceptable term in the British Isles. It's the Authorized Version. It took me 20 years to learn that. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with a temptation also make the way to a state that ye may be able to bear it. Now there's a verse we need to stand upon, and I read Acts chapter 2, there was a mighty rushing wind, and the tent went over to France, and I hope you'll memorize this verse, and you'll stand on it. Now let's look at it a little more carefully. For a while I thought that God would not allow me to be tempted in a way that I could not always win, but after losing a number of battles, I decided to restudy the verse. My theology was not coming up to my practice, and as I studied it again, this was my conclusion. God does always provide a way of escape, but you have to choose it. He doesn't force you. Victory is not automatic. When you are seriously tempted, there is a way of escape. But at that moment, though it is a mystery, you are a free agent. You can sin, or you can refuse sin. The way of escape is here. In this tent, there is a door, but I can't force you to go through that door, and you have to choose to go through that door each time you leave here, and this has really helped me. When I'm tempted, and I get a lot of temptation, I know God is faithful. I know God's word is faithful, and therefore there is a way of escape. So when I'm under temptation, I try to look for the escape route. Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said, flee youthful lusts. So sometimes the escape route is running. You have to run away from certain temptations. And I've been learning to run. Not just physical jogging, which I do, but spiritual jogging. And I think it's important to understand that temptation is not sin. How many have ever been surprised by the unbelievable, ugly thoughts that come into your little semi-sanctified head? Ever get surprised by your thought life? Any of you? Well, I tell you, my thoughts, you know, there's some things I'd just rather not repeat. And at the strangest times, you're in a prayer meeting. You're really getting through to God. And you're praising the Lord. And you're quoting scriptures. And you're singing choruses, bless the Lord, oh my soul. And you're just caught up with the Lord. And somehow, in God's mysterious, providential way, some chick comes floating through the prayer meeting door, not very modestly dressed. You're just praising the Lord. And suddenly you're looking over the top of the screen. And all kinds of thoughts. And you immediately want to say to the guy next to you, Hey man, did you see that came in the door? Then you realize you can't do that in a prayer meeting. And so she sits down. And you're just really struggling. Wow! So you decide you'd better go sit opposite to her. So you go around the other side of the prayer meeting. And you're agonizing in prayer with your hands over your face, crying out to God. Oh Lord, send out workers to Egypt. And then suddenly you just go. And then all of a sudden you start to feel this is not really the main purpose of this prayer meeting. Can that happen to a dedicated soldier of Jesus Christ? I think it can. Now I don't want to project my problems on you. But temptation is not sin. If when that temptation, even to have a little lust trip in your mind. And just looking at a woman is not sin. But if you entertain wrong, unclean thoughts about a woman. You entertain that, you run it through again. Then it's sin. So don't be surprised by strange thoughts. Some of them are actually very, very normal. Don't be so surprised. But realize that if you just then replay it and just start going down the road thinking the wrong thing. Then you are moving into that which is sinful. You are yielding to the temptation. Stage one, thoughts. And of course a lot of Christians, most of their battles are in stage one. They are in their thought life. And there are many other temptations. Some of you have had a struggle with hostility. Don't be surprised by that. When man fell, it was an awesome, awesome terrible thing that has affected the whole human race. And our fallen nature or whatever you want to call it, it's there. And we've got to deal with it. So don't be surprised if hostility comes out. At times you get a feeling. Have you ever had that feeling? You just once and for all would like to punch this guy right smack in the nose. Just once, you know. Not you. It's not that you hate him. You just don't like him. It's not that you want to have any permanent hate trip. That would be terrible. You'd like to just give him one good whack and then forget the whole thing. Now I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about different temptations. You know the area where you get tempted. I get tempted a lot to be discouraged. Just go back, lay on my bed and say, blah, eh, eh, eh. And you know, even here in this wonderful spiritual environment, you can get some pretty negative thoughts. It's normal. And we need to understand every temptation we have, according to this scripture, it's common. You're no big special person. Boy, I've got a really special temptation nobody else has. Stop flattering yourself. Don't give yourself too much credit. Forget it. These temptations that you have had and that you will continue to have, they are common. And the Bible says Jesus was tempted in every point and yet without sin. And I just pray that people will not allow themselves to come into tremendous bondage simply because they have a lot of temptation. As Christians, we need at times to come down to earth. We have often too much super spirituality in our thinking. If I am a victorious, crucified, spirit-filled Christian, then I will never think that thought. I will never have that particular temptation. And I think it's just so important. Now, what do we do when these temptations come? I don't believe there's any one simple little answer. Somebody says, quote a verse. That's the answer, quote a verse. I believe in that. Use the word of God. But the word of God is not a magic wand. It may not instantly bring all the victory you're hoping.