Rick Warren’s Son of God series. “Jesus Living in You”
Last week: Jesus’ Baptism and Your Baptism イエスの洗礼とあなたの洗礼
Today: Jesus’ Temptation and Your Temptation イエスの誘惑とあなたの誘惑
Key verse: The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Firstly, temptation is not sin.誘惑は罪ではない It’s not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted but He never sinned. The call is for us to be likewise when we are tempted.
And that’s what we’re going to look at today.
How to deal with temptation.誘惑にどのように対処するか
Some preliminary points:
• You will never outgrow temptation. Spiritual maturity does not lessen temptation. (Probably makes it worse!) 誘惑から逃れることはない
• After a spiritual high, you can expect a spiritual test. Get ready for it! (Jesus’ baptism then temptation) 霊的に気分が高まっているときに、試みにあうことが多い
A. How to Deal with Temptation 誘惑にどのように対処するか
i. Get into the Word. 御言葉をよく知る
Jesus’ response to the devil
You can’t say “It is written” if you don’t know what is written!
Psalm 119:11: I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
ii. Identify Your Vulnerabilities 自分の弱さを知る
It’s not enough to pray! We need to be vigilant.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
Watch/examine/identify your vulnerabilities
– When am I most tempted.いついちばん誘惑されやすいか Biggie for me. Curious as to why night brings more temptations than day. (I’m a ‘morning person’. At night I’m tired, careless etc)
1 Thes 5:5-8a (NIV) You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled.
• Where am I most tempted? どこでいちばん誘惑されやすいか
• Who is with me when I am most tempted? (Alone? With friends? With strangers?)
誰といるときにいちばん誘惑されやすいか
• How do I feel before I’m tempted? What are my emotional triggers? (Frustration? Exhaustion? Anger? Stress? Boredom? Loneliness? Self-pity? etc)
誘惑を受ける前はどう感じるか
iii. Plan what you’re NOT going to do. しないことを計画する
“Plan carefully what you do…Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Don’t go one step off the right way.” Proverbs 4:26-27
Plan who, where, when you’re going to avoid to keep away from temptation.
Ever seen a kid run from a bee? Stay away from the bees if you don’t want to get stung.
You can’t stop birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair. – Martin Luther
Niki, Remi and magpies.
iv. Guard your Heart 心を守る
Temptation comes from within. We often think of it as being from outside stimuli (which plays a part, of course) but scripture teaches us that temptation comes from our own desires. If we have no initial desire for something then any outside stimuli is meaningless (it’s not stimuli!)
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. James 1:14
v. Pray for deliverance 救出を祈る
Remember a few weeks ago I was referring to “and deliver us from evil” in the Lord’s Prayer and asking why that needed to be a daily prayer.
Temptation is a daily thing. Every day we need to ask for deliverance from evil.
This ‘deliverance’ is not a vague spiritual notion or a metaphorical teaching or something that is only for those who are possessed by the devil.
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13
“he will show you a way out so that you can endure”
But you have to take it! The showing is God’s. The choice is yours.
vi. Refocus your attention 焦点を再確認する
In Wednesday’s mail, I mentioned that living the faith is not simply a matter of ‘not doing’ something wrong but rather is a matter of ‘doing’ something right. Specifically, not a matter of not getting drunk on wine (or whatever sin is holding us) but rather, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
It’s exactly the same with temptation. It’s not enough to just not think about something. Because by trying to not think about something that’s exactly what you end of thinking about.
If you have a serious attraction or an addiction to the internet. Then in trying to not think about going online, all you’re doing is thinking about going online!
Rather than resist temptation, refocus your mind. Actively focus on something else – do some gardening, walk the dog, do some photography, go kayaking, engage in conversation with your family, etc. 誘惑と戦うのではなく、心を別のものに集中させる
vii. Find a Friend 友を見つける
Have an ‘accountability partner’. (Doesn’t have to be so ‘formal’.) Share with a trustworthy friend the temptations you’re dealing with.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9,10a
The more we confess temptation, the less we will need to confess sin.
誘惑を告白すればするほど、より少なく罪を告白するようになる。
Review 7 points.
i. Get into the Word.
御言葉をよく知る
ii. Identify Your Vulnerabilities
自分の弱さを知る
iii. Plan what you’re NOT going to do.
しないことを計画する
iv. Guard your Heart
心を守る
v. Pray for deliverance
救出を祈る
vi. Refocus your attention
焦点を再確認する
vii. Find a Friend
友を見つける
Like those TV commercials: “But that’s not all!”
Point #8: We have another friend. The Holy Spirit. 私たちにはもう1人、友がいます。それは聖霊です。
Paul struggled with temptation and sin.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Romans 7:24
Even the greatest Christian in the world will go through times when they feel a raging battle within. That’s because our human nature, or flesh, is opposed to the life that we want to live in Christ. For example, sometimes you want to pray, but the flesh fights prayer, because the flesh always tends toward self-gratification.
So what do we do? We are left with the cry of the Apostle: “What an unhappy man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death?” Thank God, there is an answer! Jesus Christ, the Son of God who has given us His Holy Spirit. The way to overcome the flesh is by receiving direction from another master – the Holy Spirit!
肉の欲を克服するには、もう1人の主ー聖霊から導きを受けることです。
“Surrender to him a thousand times a day if necessary, because by yielding to the Holy Spirit you get the victory.” Jim Cymbala
Once we are born again, the Holy Spirit lives in us. Now that he’s in us, let’s allow him to control us every moment of every day?
Pray.