Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - When the Urge Is Too Strong | Been There | Part 4

Episode Date: April 30, 2023

The Bible says God won't allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes that seems impossible—especially when temptation is so strong. Like you, Jesus has been there. He faced the most intense temptation anyone has ever known, but He never sinned. In this message, we’re learning how to resist temptation like Jesus.ABOUT THIS MESSAGEHave you ever been hurt by a friend? Jesus has. Maybe you feel like God isn't listening? Jesus knows what that’s like. No matter what you’re facing, Jesus understands because He’s Been There.NEXT STEPSHave you made a decision to follow Jesus? You may be wondering what’s next on your journey. We want to help! Let us guide you to your next steps in your walk with Christ: https://www.life.church/nextCONNECT WITH A PASTORDo you need prayer? Would you like to find out how you can get involved at Life.Church? One of our pastors would love to meet with you. Schedule a video call with a pastor: https://www.life.church/meetwithusABOUT LIFE.CHURCHWherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.churchFind locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/appFIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/life.churchInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/life.churchTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurchYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LCNowCONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIGYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/craiggroeschelFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschelInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschelTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel#lifechurch #craiggroeschel #beenthere Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, I just couldn't resist it. I told God that if the parking spot right in front of the donut store was open, then it was his will that I would go in and get a dozen donuts. I'm talking about the one right in front of the store. If it was open, it was his will. And sure enough, after eight tributt, around the block. It was a miracle, it was open, and it was the will of God, and I just couldn't resist. A little bit of a joke, but I am guessing that in your life you may

have something like that. Some area of weakness, something that's very difficult for you to resist, so when you don't really want to, you end up doing it and you buy it. Or click on it, or eat it, or drink it, or smoke it, or say it, or bet on it, or tell someone all about it. Because you had to, you just couldn't resist. If you've ever felt vulnerable to give in to temptation, to do something that you really know you shouldn't do and you probably don't want to do, Jesus actually understands. The title of today's message is when the urge is too strong. And the good news is we're going to get to know the one who is stronger, the one who always gives you a way out. So Father, we pray today in the

name of Jesus that your word would speak to us, convict us, empower us, and give us a way out. To always honor you and all that we do. We pray this in faith, belief, and all God's people said, amen, amen, online. Type it in the comment section, amen. We don't want you to just watch but be a part of it. We're in a message series. It is called Been There. And we're looking at the life of Jesus,

and for the most part, whatever challenge that you're enduring, whatever pain that you're facing, for the most part, Jesus understands. And what I want you to do today is if you've got something in your life that you think, I really wish I wasn't doing that, and I've tried to stop, and I continue to do it. I want you to listen to the message through the lens of whatever that temptation is that just seems too difficult to defeat. If you've been tempted to say it, or look at it, or touch it, or eat it or whatever it is, Jesus understands. Because

scripture actually tells us this. In Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 4, the Word of God says this, then Jesus one time was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus knows what it's like to be tempted. And then I'm going to read you the most obvious verse in all of the Bible. This is it. After 40 days of fasting and 40 nights of fasting, he was hungry. Duh. After 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was hungry. The tempter, Satan came to him and said, if you're the son of God, tell these stones to become bread.

Even Jesus, the son of God, was tempted by the evil. And what does it mean to be tempted? I'll give you a definition that I like from Tim Chalys. He defines temptation this way. He says that temptation is anything that promises, satisfaction at the cost of your obedience to God. It's something that promises satisfaction, but it leads you away from the will and the purposes of God.

And you know in your own life you've got those things, you may be hurting. And the drink or the pill promises to dull the pain even though you end up disobeying God. Or looking at something that you know you shouldn't look at. You binge on porn. and it promises the thrill and the relief, and it gives it to you for a moment, followed by depression, and you feel even more alone than you did in the first place.

Or you feel low and you feel a little down, you feel unworthy, and so you justify your gossip or your criticism of somebody else, because for a moment it makes you feel better when you make someone else look bad. Temptation. It's anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of your obedience to God. And so I want to talk about it today, and we'll start with what I'd call the process of temptation, how it is we're actually tempted, and then we're going to look at how to overcome it.

Many people say there's four different steps in the process of temptation. The first one would be a thought. You have a thought. The second would be you imagine more about it, your imagination. And then there's justification, and finally there is the choice. Temptation starts with the thought. You think something like I feel kind of depressed, and so maybe a new outfit would help me feel better.

You have a thought. And then you have a little justification, like I work really, really hard, and I've been going through a lot lately, lately, and so I deserve an outfit, and I can probably find one 20% off. You have the justification. And the imagination, I'm going to look good, and the justification. I'm going to look good in the justification, and then eventually you get to the choice, which is if I go to the site and there is one that's 20% off, I'm going to click buy,

and I'm going to get the outfit and the shoes and the watch to match because I need to have the whole outfit to honor God with excellence in all that I do. It starts with a thought, and it might not be something as benign as shopping. It might be a thought, I'm bored. What should I do with my time? and you think, oh yeah, there's that girl in my life group that often posts bikini photos. Or there's that guy who's so fine. Okay?

I'm going to look at him. That's what girls say, right? Okay? Maybe you don't. I don't know, but just work with me, okay? Okay? Just work with me. And so you have the thought, and then you have the imagination.

They might look so good. And then you've got the justification. Hey, it's no big deal. I'm just looking, and they put it out there anyway. And my spouse isn't putting it out there anyway. And so I might as well just look. And then you make a choice. You go to it and you're careful.

Don't double click and then zoom in just so you can get a better look so you can know how to pray for them when you're praying for them. You guys are so quiet as well. almost like I'm preaching about something you know about. It starts with a thought. It starts with a thought. And that's why what happens in those first critical moments of temptation are far more important than you could ever imagine. So what we want to do is we want to decide now

how we're going to fight and with the help of God's word overcome. the temptation of the evil one. And what I want to do is give you three truths about temptation from God's word. The first thing might surprise some of you, and I want you to recognize, number one, it's not a sin to be tempted. A lot of people think, I've been tempted,

I've already failed. It's actually not a sin to be tempted. In fact, the writer of the Hebrews in Hebrews 415 says this, that Jesus, he understands every weakness of ours, Why? Because he was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn't sin. It's actually not a sin to be tempted. You're going to be tempted, and that's not the sinful part. And that's why you have to understand that becoming a Christian doesn't mean you won't be tempted. Sadly, you're more likely to be tempted because the devil's not threatened when you're doing his will. But the moment you step away from darkness and start to glorify God, that's when your spiritual

enemy wants to take you out at your knees and disarm you from living God's word and fulfilling His will. Don't be surprised when the enemy attacks when you're being obedient to God. You're going to be tempted. And when you are tempted, again, don't blame God. Like don't say, well, God's tempting me. I've heard people say, God's tempting me. No, God is not tempting you.

God may test you, but he'll never tempt you. And there's a big difference. In fact, scripture says this, James chapter one tells us this. Remember, when you're being tempted, don't say God is tempting me, because God never tempts anyone. Where does temptation come from? It actually comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away. And what do those desires do? They give birth to sinful actions, and when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

God may test you, but he'll never tempt you. Why would God test you? God actually test you to promote you. He wants you to succeed. He wants to propel you forward. He will test you to promote you. The devil will tempt you to fail you. you. He wants to pull you back and keep you away from the will and the purpose of God. We have to

understand this. It's actually not a sin to be tempted. The second truth is very important, and that is this, that you're most vulnerable to temptation when you're weak and when you think you're strong. you're most vulnerable to giving in to temptation in those genuine weak moments and you're also equally or maybe even more vulnerable to temptation when you think you're strong and you can handle it on your own look at when Satan tempted Jesus when he was weak when he was hungry he was 40 days and 40 nights he hadn't eaten and the devil doesn't come up to go hey you out of gossip about Peter. He didn't do that, right? He said, hey, turn these stones into bread. Why? Because he attacked exactly where Jesus was weak. And that's what's going to happen for you.

And that's why we have to be honest about where we're weak and where we're vulnerable. I always say you're only as strong as you are honest. And the reality is you're weak to some things I'm not and I'm vulnerable in some places, you're not, and we need to be open and transparent and confess our needs and pray for one another that we may be healed. You may be tired sometimes. I'm a little bit tired right now. So you know what? I might need to be a little bit more on guard because I'm more vulnerable. When you're angry, you're vulnerable. You got something bad going on at home right now. You're ticked to everybody, you're ticked to the world. You're actually very vulnerable to temptation when you're angry or when you're lonely or when you're hurting. And you need to be aware of those times

because you're vulnerable in some weak moments and you're vulnerable when you think you're strong. And I want to talk to some of you right now. The one of you right now who's thinking of, I'm so glad Craig's preaching on this because my husband needs to hear this message. Oh, he's a mess. He's a sinner and he needs to hear. I need to do it to a woman's voice. Oh, he needs to hear this. He's just a mess and he's just a sinner. Or you're the one going, I'm going to so send this link to my friend who's sinning in a big way. The moment you think that may be the moment God needs to speak to you. Because when we're pointing to somebody else and say,

I don't need a message like this, that's when you're very, very vulnerable. In fact, scripture tells us this in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, verse 12. If you think you're standing firm, if you think you don't need this and you're not weak at all, scripture says be very very careful that you don't fall there are times when you're vulnerable because you're weak and there's times that you're vulnerable because you think that you're strong i did this one time years ago i was preaching a message somebody may remember this i was making fun of the kind of arrogant

prideful narcissistic people that in a traffic jam think that it's their right to drive on the shoulder on the right side by all of us, law-abiding, God-fearing, God-pleasing citizens. Who knows what I'm talking about? Those people? Type it in the chat. I know what you're talking about. I hate those people. I mean, like, I know you're supposed to love them, but I love to hate them. How about that? Is that in the Bible? I don't know. I hate those people. And I was talking about how I hate those people. And the very next day, next day, I'm driving into the office and there's a traffic jam out in front. And we owned the land, the church did, and the traffic was backed up on the church land. And so I just thought, well, we kind of own that land.

It's kind of gods and kind of ours. And so I just thought, well, I'll just drive on my land, you know. So I just pulled over it. The next day I'm talking Monday right after Sunday. And I'm driving on the land thinking, well, it's kind of my land. And sure enough, I'm driving by this guy named Mark, who's on staff. And Mark's got his little kid, maybe eight years old, Alex, in the pastor's side. And Alex screamed out, dad, there's one of those guys that.

Pastor Craig hates. And then he screamed even louder. Dad, that is, Pastor Greg. You're strong. And that's why Scripture warns us. Stay alert. And watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Can I tell you right now, he wants to devour your marriage. He wants to devour your finances. He wants to devour your testimony. He wants to rob you of peace. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy in the lives of your children. Do you understand that? Christianity is not a playground. It's a battleground where the forces of darkness are attacking you.

And the more you do, the will of God, the more the forces of darkness come against you. Don't be surprised when you're tempted. When you're doing the will of God, the enemy's coming after you. So if you know he's coming because he is, stay alert, be on your guard. alert, be on your guard. If you know he's coming, shut the door through which he will likely enter. Because he comes in the same door in your life over and over again, doesn't he? You've all got that door or that window. If you know he's coming, if there's a door he's likely to enter through, shut that door. Because I've discovered that temptation often comes through a door

that's been deliberately left open. Can I get in your business now? I'm telling you, almost every time you give in to something you gave into before, the reason you gave into it again after you gave it into it before is because you deliberately left the door open. I'm not going to lie to you. I have binged on M&Ms and ice cream and chips and salsa. But I have never binged when I didn't have them nearby.

Never. I've never eaten 400 M&Ms when I had no M&Ms within my reach. And that's why one of the best ways to resist temptation is to eliminate it. If you know the devil's coming, lock that door and throw away the key. make them find another way to try to get you. You came in there before. You're not coming in that way again. Proverbs says it this way.

Proverbs 4.14, do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil doers. Watch what Proverbs says. Avoid it. Don't travel on it. Turn from it. Go on your way. In other words, listen, dummy. if you're not paying attention, let me say it to you again. Avoid it. Don't go near trouble.

Don't travel that way. Turn from it. Go on your way. If you know where the devil might attack, close that door so he can't get in. If you got a problem with alcohol, you don't host your life group at the local bar. You're laughing, but you do this kind of stupidest. all the time. We all do, right? If every time you go to the gym, you find yourself going to praise the Lord for that. Oh, hallelujah for that and praise the Lord for that. No, no, no, no, no. Don't go to the gym. Get you an app and work out at home. If every time you go there, you find yourself lusting. If every time you get on Instagram, you're on the gram, and you're going, my life sucks. I hate her. I hate him. They've got everything. My life sucks. You find yourself

comparing and miserable, get off the gram. If you find yourself at the office, enjoying the presence of someone you're not married to and you are married to someone, and he got a little flirty, flirty thing going on, and you're just enjoying their presence, and you find yourself putting on a little extra cologne and enjoy them when your hand brushes up against them and thinking about them. What you want to do is you want to ask to be transferred to another office or if you can't get away from there, you look for another job. You don't mess with it. You don't mess with it. The devil's coming for you. Turn from it, avoid it. Walk away from it. Go on your way. one of the best ways to resist temptation is to close the door completely to it whatever it is within your power

why would i resist a temptation in the future if i have the power to eliminate it today so scripture teaches us it's actually not a sin to be tempted you're most vulnerable whenever you're weak and whenever you think that you're strong and the third truth i want to show you is that our good God always gives you a way out. God will always, no matter what you're facing, will always give you a way out of temptation. And Paul promised us this, this powerful life-giving promise in 1st Corinthians 10, verse 13. And our God, what is he? He is faithful. He is good. He is righteous. He is pure. Our God is faithful through and through. And he is so faithful that our God will not let you be tempted beyond whatever it is that you can bear. But when you are tempted, every single

time our faithful God will also provide a way out so that you can endure it, no matter what it is, no matter where it is, no matter what you're facing, no matter how many times you've given into it, your God will always give you an exit. He will always give you an off ramp. He will always give you a way out. It is a faithful and true promise from the living Word of God that every single time he will give you a way out. And you find the way out through the Word. The Word will show you the way out. The Word of God is living and active and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. And you work the Word, you live the Word, you internalize the Word, you memorize the Word, you meditate on the Word. And when the devil attacks, you fight back with the Word. In the very same way

that Jesus fought back against the temptation of the evil one, when he was tired and hungry and vulnerable. And the devil said, turn these stones into bread. He said, people will not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. And he fought back with the word of God, the sword of the spirit. And the devil said, hey, why don't you throw yourself off? this mountain and let the angels of God come and save you. And Jesus quoted the word and said, do not put the Lord your God to test. Get back away from me, devil. And the devil came at him again. And you're going to find the devil will attack and he'll attack and he'll attack. And at some point when you resist him and you fight him back, in the name of Jesus, he will flee from you.

And the third time the devil says to him, hey, why don't you just bow down? And if you bow down Jesus and you just worship me, I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world. And Jesus quoted the word and said, get away from me, Satan. For it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only. You work the word, you live the word, you internalize the word, you fight. back with the Word of God. The Word will give you the way out. Be alert.

Be alert, church. Be alert saints. Be alert believers. The devil is like a roaring lion, trying to take you down, trying to take you out. Trying to take the lives of your kids. Lying to you, lying to them,

lying about your marriage, lying about, trying to talk you out of the will God and he promises satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, thrill, they hit at the cost of your obedience to God. He's attacking. Be alert. Be on guard. Amy, my best friend and I, we are coming up on on 32 years of marriage. I am blessed beyond measure. I love her more than I can imagine. But I'm embarrassed to tell you that 28 years ago,

I was in bed watching TV. She was in the bathroom, and I was flipping through the channels because, as you know, for many of us, men, it's not about whatever is on at the moment. It's all about what else might be on. Click, click, click, click. Why don't you stop and watch?

Click, click. It's just what I do. And I was clicking through the channels. Golf channel, click. Infomercial, click. Game show. Click. Old sitcom.

Click. house renovation show click news click weather channel click girls and bikinis click and I just hesitated I probably had a one second rhythm and on that one it was probably a full two seconds only two seconds but I hesitated and my bride of my best friend minute later walked in, came in, got in bed. And without emotion, without anger, she just looked at me and she said, well, was it worth it? And what I want to tell you about any and every sin? It's not a popular word in our culture today, but anything contrary to the will and the way of God

is called sin. And a moment of lust is sin. and it's never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever worth it. And I broke and apologized and repented, and somebody going, well, that ain't really nothing. Actually, with the standards of God's word and the love in my heart, that's something to me. And I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.

want to dishonor God or dishonor my bride. And I was broken about it. What happens is this, at some point you will sin. And there's two responses to it. You're going to be sorry about it to some degree unless your heart gets hardened. And that's a whole other message. That's a whole other message when you stop even feeling bad about it.

But assuming that you still do, you'll feel sorry. And there's two types of sorrow. worldly sorrow and this is where some of you are right now it's a worldly sorrow um if someone confront you about it you're defensive not that big of a deal you're argumentative you may push back on it in my case i could it was only a second it wasn't that big of a deal i mean i haven't done anything else i mean look how good that's what i've been to and you have your own things right defensive and you're sorry you got caught oh i got caught i got caught And you make excuses.

And you minimize the pain that you're causing someone else. And that kind of sinfulness, it can take you away from God. That's worldly sorrow. There's another type of sorrow in scripture that's called godly sorrow. And this is a deep and sincere brokenness over what you've done. And it's a decisive and more. genuine humility and repentance. God, I am so sorry.

And it's an awareness that you hurt someone else. And you're not sad that you got caught. You're sad that you've broken the heart of God and sinned against someone else. And it's this humility of receiving God's mercy that you don't deserve and you could never ever earn. And listen to me,

changes you. It makes you different. You don't want to do that thing anymore because God changes your heart. There is a worldly sorrow, and that's where some of you are right now. Not my fault. Not that big of a deal. You've got your own problems anyway. Who are you to point this out? Ah, I la. And then there's a brokenness. God, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. This humility that maybe you hurt someone else and you don't ever want to do that again. Because scripture tells us this, that godly sorrow, it brings repentance. It's a turn of our heart away from the sin and back toward God. And this godly sorrow, what does it lead to? It leads to salvation. And it leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow, it brings death.

Godly sorrow. Godly sorrow. If the urge feels too strong and you give in, you run to God, and you confess your sins to him. Why? Because he is faithful and just to forgive all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. And this isn't a worldly sorrow. I'm not that bad. No big deal. I'm just mad. I got caught.

No, this is a godly sorrow. I am repentant. God change me. This leads to salvation and leaves no regret. Temptation is anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of obedience to God. And listen to me when I tell you, it is never worth it. What do we do? God heal us.

God change us. God forgive us. Wherever you are today praying, Father, we ask that you would do a work within us, a work within our church. God turn our hearts. away from all of the filth and sinfulness of this world. Turn our eyes toward you. As you're praying today at all of our churches, those of you online, those who say, I want to honor God with the life of righteousness.

Would you just lift up your hands right now? I hope it's all. Have you lifted up your hands right now online? Just say, I want to honor God. Type it in the comment section. And Father, I pray right now, I pray God for those who have been stuck in darkness, those who go back to the same old sins. God, give us the wisdom to lock the doors. Anywhere we can resist it and eliminate us, God, just give us the wisdom. God, give us the courage to be

honest in our life groups. God, if we don't have a life group, let's get a life group and confess. God, we confess to you for forgiveness, but we confess our sins to one another and pray for each other that we may be healed. God, I pray there be confession. Even today before the end of this day, God, we confess our sins before those that we trust and we pray for healing. God, we thank you that no matter what temptation comes our way, that by your grace and your goodness and your power, you'll always give us a way out. May your word lead us out of temptation and into your will.

We pray, God, that you would break the bondage that has held so many people hostage, set us free in the name of our God. of your risen son Jesus, we pray. Set us free, God, forgive us. Godly sorrow with repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. As you keep praying today, I know that there are many of you right now that you've got to wait that's holding you down,

the weight and the burden of your sinfulness. You've done some things you wish you hadn't done, you've hurt some people, and you feel it, and you wonder where do you stand with God. And so you might try to be good or try to be better, and you still end up doing the wrong things. Let me tell you about God's goodness. He loves you so much.

Even though you sinned, even though you've hurt people, even though you've done the wrong things. He loves you and he loves you right now and he loves you so much that he sent his son Jesus. His son, perfect in every way. And Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for us. He died in our place on the cross and three days later God raised him from the grave

so that anyone, and this includes you, it doesn't matter how broken your life is. It doesn't matter how much you've done wrong. Anyone who calls on his name, the name of Jesus, your sins will be forgiven and you will be new. There are many of you you're not watching by accident. It's not a coincidence you're here because God loves you. In a moment you step away from your old life. It's a repentance.

It's a godly sorrow that leads to salvation. The old is gone. And all becomes new wherever you're watching. Those who say, I need that I want his forgiveness. I'm going to call on him. When you call on Jesus, he hears your prayer. He makes you. knew wherever you are you say yes I need him I'm turning away from my old life today by faith I give

my life to Jesus that's your prayer lift your hands high right now all over the place and say yes that's my prayer right up there God bless you guys others in any day say yes Jesus right here both of you praise God for you together today others say yes Jesus I need you lift up your hands and say yes I surrender my life to you online you can type in the comment section I'm surrendering my life to Jesus. Just type that in the comments. And as we have people in all of our churches coming to faith, let's pray aloud. Pray Heavenly Father, forgive all of my sins. Save me by your grace. Make me new. Fill me with your spirit so I can serve you and know you and follow you for the rest of my life. My life is not my own. I give it all to you. Thank you for new life.

Now you have mine. In Jesus' name I pray. Come on, church. Let's worship God right now. Let's give him thanks. Let's give him praise. Welcome those born into the family of God. Come on.