When Men are Tempted March 2 nd 2008 Presented by: Mike Walker Capstone Ministries www.redtoolbox.ca

1. When Men are Tempted March 2nd 2008 Presented by: Mike Walker Capstone Ministries www.redtoolbox.ca

2. 4 Decisions • Deny yourself • – you have chosen to honour God. • Honour your wife and your kids. • Willingness to seek change in yourself • – leave here a different man • Desire to pursue heart transformation

3. What is it? • Temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. • Temptation is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilt), health, economic, etc. • Temptation also describes the coaxing or inducing a person into committing such an act, by manipulation or otherwise of curiosity, desire or fear of loss.

4. Temptations we face

5. Here is where men are at. • 8 out of 10 Christian men do not find their job satisfying. • 81% of Christian men describe their jobs as highly stressful. • 63% of Christian men are concerned about the future health of their careers.

6. Here is where men are at. • 44% of Christian men would like to change the way they feel about themselves. • 43% feel a deep sense of failure when they think of their past. • 75% are not satisfied with their roles as fathers. • Only 62% are satisfied with their relationships with their wives.

7. The 3 truths about temptation (1Corinthians 10:13): • No temptation we will experience is beyond what other men have had to face: • “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man” • God will never let us down or allow us to be pushed past our limit: • “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” • God will always be there for us; helping us come through it: • “God will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”

8. The 3 truths about the way out (2 Corinthians 10:4-5): • The way out is supernatural with our God Tools: • “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On • the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds”. • Our God Tools smash warped philosophies and tear down barriers erected against the truth of God: • “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up • against the knowledge of God” • Our God Tools help us to fit every loose thought and emotion and impulse into a structure of life shaped by Christ. • “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

9. The 3 truths about my God Tools • We have God Tools that are always better than our Saboteurs: • “No weapon formed against you shall prosper”(Isaiah 54:17 NKJV) • Our God Tools can move a mountain: • "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw • yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but • believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” • (Mark 11:23 NIV) • Our God Tools are active, operative, energizing, and effective: • “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharperthan • any two-edged sword,” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

10. V The First Man • Fully dependant on God. • Selfless • Sinless. The Fallen Man • A result of poor choices: temptation • Partially dependant on God. • Selfish • Sinful

11. V The First Man The Fallen Man The Fearful Man • Not Good enough – can’t do it. • Fear of Failure. • Internalizing self doubts – creating the secret. • Externalizing the Pose – camouflaging the secret. • Acting on temptation to feed the secret. • Fear of discovery breeds more sin.

12. V The First Man The Fallen Man • Experiencing Inward or Outward crisis • Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired • Midlife crisis masking/justifying whole life crisis • Running the Rat Race is not working • Seeking Success and Significance The Fearful Man The Broken Man

13. V The First Man The Fallen Man The New Covenant • Jesus paid the price for your (our) sin. • We are born again as First Men. • We are a new creation – died of our old selves. • Jesus has taken on our cloak of sin and given us His cloak of right standing. • All things are possible through Christ who strengthens us. • Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. The Fearful Man The Broken Man

14. V The First Man The Mighty Man • I know I am His beloved son. • I know who I am in Christ – count it all JOY. • I know all things are possible. • I have the CONFIDENCE of Christ. • I know I am not alone - the COMFORTER is in me. • Plays offense with an advantage every down. • I know my God Tools will lead me to victory in the face of every temptation. • I choose to walk by Faith not by sight and lead by example: - Attitude - Philippians 2 – Humility of Christ - Action - Acts 4:13 – Courage and Confidence - Accountability - Proverbs 27:17 – Iron Sharpening iron The Fallen Man The New Covenant The Fearful Man The Broken Man

15. V The First Man The Mighty Man The Fallen Man The New Covenant The Fearful Man The Broken Man

16. The 3 truths about temptation (1Corinthians 10:13): • No temptation we will experience is beyond what other men have had to face: • “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man” • God will never let us down or allow us to be pushed past our limit: • “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” • God will always be there for us; helping us come through it: • “God will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”

17. What is holding me back from being a Mighty Man of God? • Am I playing defense with temptation and need to start playing offense? • Am I doing the same things expecting different results? • Am I doing more re-fruiting than re-rooting?

18. Re-fruiting or Re-rooting?

19. What is holding me back from being a Mighty Man of God? • Am I underestimating my 3 saboteurs? My World My Adversary My Self

20. Where is My World winning? • 1 John 2:15 • “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.” • 1. Am I trading the love for the Father for the • lust of the world. • 2. Am I trying to fit into the world. • 3. Am I beginning to adopt the world • tolerances of “okism”

21. Where is My World winning? • 4. Am I tolerating a little lust in my life • The lust of the flesh, of the body: • The wrong desires of the heart, the appetite of • indulging in all things that excite inflame sensual • pleasures. – People • The pride of life: • We seek grandeur and idolatry, the look at me, • I’ve arrived. • We thirst for recognition and applause – the entire • world is my stage and I am the only actor. – Places • The lust of the eyes: • The eyes are delighted with riches and possessions, • the lust of covetous - Things

22. Where is My Adversary winning? • Eph 6:12 • “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers, against the rulers and against the authorities of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” • 1. Am I being wounded by his fiery darts? (Eph 6:16) • Which darts are hitting the mark? • Am I giving my adversary footholds into my life through Sin?

24. Where is My Self winning? • James 1: 14-15 • “But each one is tempted when by his own evil desire; he is • dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived it • gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death.” • Am I practicing Patterns and Habits that are self destructive? • When I gave into a temptation in the past what did I do for: Preoccupation – Fear/Fantasy • Enticement/Ritualization – No Danger/Won’t get caught • Conception – Take the bait not the hook • Acting Out? • Shame/Fear? • How do I medicate my sin/confess cycle? • How do I add to my “pose”?

25. My Adversary Distract Deceive Destroy James 1: 14-15 “But each one is tempted (Distracted) when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived (Deceived) it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death (Destroy).” DIVIDE The Deadly D's

26. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My World • I know where my passport is? • I am ready to be proud of my place of citizenship? • I am ready to fight for my place of citizenship? • I am ready to have my temple stand for Him and not the world? • I am ready to make God the center of my attention and not my temple? • I am ready to own who I am in Christ with a contagious passion?

27. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My Adversary • I am ready to PUT ON the full armour of God? • I am ready to wear the armour of God with unwavering confidence in it’s superiority? • I am ready to take up the shield of faith which can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one? • I am ready to come together as a team both in the flesh and spirit?

28. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My Adversary • I am ready to use prayer as a powerful offensive weapon? • I am ready to pray for another man when that first fiery dart arrives? • I am ready to stand and after having done everything stand?

29. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My Self • I am ready to own the truth?1 Cor 10:13 • “No temptation has seized you except that which 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.” • I am ready to walk by faith not by fear? • I am ready to take action to access my way out? • “We demolish arguments and every pretension that set’s • itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive • every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor 10:5

30. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My Self • I am ready to demolish arguments that try and distract or defeat or destroy me? • “Finally brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Phil 4:8 • I am ready to look at my patterns and habits and that lead to my sin/confess cycle?

31. Game Plan - Taking Out the 3 Saboteurs • My Self • I am ready to break these patterns and habits and the bondage that comes with them? • I am ready to confess these patterns and habits to God and ask for forgiveness? • I am ready to receive a fresh start and know today is the first day of the rest of my life?

32. The 3 sure signs of Victory and Freedom: JOY • “So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, • all you who obey him”! • “Shout for joy, all you whose hearts • are pure!” (Psalm 32:11 NLT) • “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) • “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” (James 1:2 NIV)

33. The 3 sure signs of Victory and Freedom: CONFIDENCE “For the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:26) “While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence. (Acts 4:31 Message) “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13 NASB)

34. The 3 sure signs of Victory and Freedom: COMFORT “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 NIV) “But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 AMP)

35. Showing Standing and Staying Up – It is ours guys “Let love be sincere, hate what is evil, cling to what is good” Romans 12:9 Showing Up is about “Sincere love” - Jesus died on the cross for you. Standing Up is about “Hate what is evil” - Hate evil don’t tolerate it. Staying Up is about “Clinging to what is good” - Grab hold as if your life depends on it.

36. Showing Standing and Staying Up – It is ours guys Let's make our YES's YES's and our NO's NO's! No more adjusting our grays! Today can be the first day of the rest of your life!