Crossover Part 7: The Overcoming Anointing… A Time of Temptation
Pastor Sharon Bendixen (WTB)
Scripture reference: Psalm 92:13 (AMPC); 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 (NLT); John 8:43-44 (AMPC); 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT), Revelation 12:9 (KJV); Revelation 12:12 (AMPC); 1 John 3:8 (NKJV); Exodus 13:17 (AMPC); Hosea 2:14 (AMPC); Luke 8:13 (KJV); Hebrew 4:16 (KJV, TPT); Luke 4:1-21 (KJV); 1 Peter 4:12-13 (AMPC); 1 Peter 1:6-9 (AMPC); James 1:12-15 (AMPC).
No, I don’t need that. I need my file. Thank you. With His presence you know and with what He wants to do in people’s hearts. Wasn’t this absolutely wonderful? These are eternal things and you, congregation, are wonderful as you come to pre-service prayer to pray. You prayed for Johnny this morning, you prayed for Lorraine and you prayed for Hloni, you prayed for her, you prayed for them this morning. Glory and that is wonderful.
So, just a few announcements from me, our message moments this afternoon that we’ll be doing, will be the Sunday I think it’s Sunday the first of October, it was Pastor John’s last message of the Crossover weekend. So, we’ll be looking at that, we’ll be talking around points in that message and this last Sunday’s message. So, when you’re preparing for message moments this afternoon, if you have a moment to do that, just keep that in mind. Right?
We’ll be talking around wonderful points that God made from those two messages, and then the other thing that I wanted to give you opportunity to flow with is that before Pastor John left, he said this to the MiXchangers, he said, “Won’t you read the book of Proverbs while I’m gone? Won’t you take time to discuss it among yourselves?” And I thought why don’t I make it available to everybody that wants to just take that and to read because Pastor John was ministering so beautifully to the A-team and the MiXchangers on the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, from the book of Proverbs. Then he said, “Let’s read the book of Proverbs together until I get back.” If that’s in your heart to do then it’s something because that goes hand in hand, people, with the Tuesday night that Pastor John came here to prayer. He came to prayer and he deputised us, he used those words, “I deputise you to be meditating on the Word day and night. I deputise you.”
I took that deputation to be meditating on the Word sometime during the day and sometime at night because that’s what Joshua 1:8 says; when they were about to go into life for life’s victories God said to Joshua, “Don’t let this Word depart from your mouth or from your eyes but meditate on this Word day and night so that you can make your way prosperous and you can have good success.” Isn’t that wonderful?
So, we were deputised on Tuesday night at prayer meeting, all of the Heritage of Faith people to be meditating on the Word day and night whether it’s in Proverbs or whether it’s one of the messages that Pastor John brought – that’s what we do, that’s what we do. In our church, we really just do believe that God speaks to Pastor John during the week about what He wants to say to us and then he brings the message. We really just do believe God’s Word from Thessalonians where the Apostle Paul said to the church, he said, “I’m so grateful to God for this, that you receive the Word of God from us, not as the Word of mere man but as the Word of God as it truly is. That’s exercising its superhuman power in you who believe and who adhere to it.”
In this church, we really do believe that Pastor John hears from God during the week and then he comes to bring God’s message to us. So that’s why we take it seriously here. Glory to God.
So, the Lord has been speaking to me a while about I would say it’s a series, I’m not quite sure how it’s… how God’s going to bring it all out of me because of the Crossover. The Crossover, my insides have crossed over into a place that I’m still navigating it with God is still teaching me. Hmmm, does that make sense to you? And so I know I’m not the same. I know that I’m transforming. I’m being formed into something that I wasn’t before, because that message, I am actually speaking to the people of Heritage of Faith today. I’m speaking to Heritage of Faith family today. Those that are called to be planted here. Those are who are called to be divinely… who recognize that they’re divinely connected to Pastor John and that God has called them to this church, right?
Now, if you are visiting here from another place, I’m sure you will be able to receive something from the Lord, but it is God’s plan for you to find a place. Deuteronomy chapter 12, and you shall find a place which the Lord your God shall choose for you to go. And there you shall go and there you shall rejoice you and your children and there you shall bring and there you shall hear the word of God. And of course, we know that beautiful scripture about those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish, glory to God. Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish (Psalm 92:13). And so, if you are visiting here there are some things that you might not understand because I’m coming from messages that have been coming from Pastor John that are all in me and I’m ministering out of that. But I am sure that the Holy Spirit will have something for you this morning if you’re just visiting.
So, my message is Crossover Part 7, and I wasn’t quite sure what to call it, I will decide. But I had three things here –The Overcoming Anointing, but then also, the way He gave it to me, is A Time of Temptation. A Time of Temptation where we’re going to have a look to see, how Satan is very intentional in his temptation. Satan is very intentional to tempt you – to tempt you. So, that he can get you to come to where he wants you to be, not where God knows you can be.
So, we’re going to look at a lot of scripture today. You are such a most wonderful congregation. You have learned to sit and listen and look and receive the Word of God into your heart as you sit here, so I know that you are going to be so focused on the scriptures that are going to come up and you are going to let the scriptures speak to your heart this morning.
So, when we are tempted, there is a tempter, and then there is our carnal nature. There’s another word for our carnal nature, it is our flesh. Now, Pastor John’s message on the Crossover Weekend, he says: I have been around in the church a long time where everything was a demon. And then I have been around the church for a long time when it swings the other way. Ag no, it’s not the devil, it’s just your flesh. It’s just your carnal nature. You can’t say it’s one or the other, I’m quoting him, it’s both. They feed each other. That was very powerful to me. Can I read that again to you? You know what you are like sponges here. You’re sitting, I feel like you’re sucking these words out of me. You’re going [Pastor Sharon makes a slurping sound] into your spirit. My my my.
So, I’ve been in the church for a long time where everything was a demon. And then I’ve been in the church when it swings the other way and it’s all your own lusts and your own desires. You can’t say it’s one or the other, it’s both. And scripture is going to prove that to us today. They feed each other.
So, I want to show you that an entire church, an entire church can be beguiled by Satan. So God is speaking to this church to say, “I want an entire church that believes, that knows how to recognize temptation, knows how to deal with temptation.” Especially knows how to recognize temptation so that you can then say, “Now I will deal with this temptation.” Right? So, that we can overcome, we can tap that overcoming temptation anointing. Because it’s in you.
The anointing, says in the Book of John, little John, the anointing which you have received abides and remains permanently in you. So, that you have no need that anyone should teach you anything and this anointing is no falsehood and it’s no lie. It’s the truth. So stay knit to it. What is the anointing? Oh, let’s rather say, “Who is the anointing?” The Holy Spirit among us and within us.
So, I wanted to show you an example out of The New Living Translation, it’s going to come up. 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 1 to 4. This is the Apostle Paul talking to a church. So, therefore, this is the Scripture speaking to us today. 1 I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God Himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband – Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent (2 Corinthians 11:1-3 NLT).
Wow, Apostle Paul talking to an entire church saying, “You all, I was fearing that you all were being tempted just like Eve was tempted.” We know what Eve was tempted with; to go her own way, not to listen to God, to go her own way, make her own way and not to obey God. So, let me finish this because it’s quite a powerful portion of Scripture. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed (2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT). Okay, that’s it. I just wanted to show you that an entire church can be deceived and beguiled by Satan, right?
So, this is quite a shocking statement – Satan hates. Satan hates. As God is love, Satan is hate. That’s all that is in him, is hate. Isn’t that quite shocking? Satan is hate. We’re going to see from scripture here. He hates all mankind, he hates God, he hates the church. His army is marching specifically against the church, he is marching specifically against this church, he is marching specifically against you. Let’s have a look and see what Jesus and His word says about Satan John chapter 8 verse 43 to 44, here’s Jesus speaking. He’s speaking to the Pharisees and the Sadducees that are just debating with Him and say “We don’t believe a thing You’re saying”.
So, this is Jesus in the Amplified Bible 43 Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.] 44 You are of your father, the devil, you are of your father the devil. Are there people in this world that are of their father the devil? Yes. They don’t listen to a thing Jesus says, they couldn’t care. “Jesus who? Jesus what? The cross what? Born again what?” 44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will you see they’re willful it’s their will it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, right? Does he hate? Is he hate? To murder is hate, He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood or a lie, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. (John 8:43-44 AMPC) Right?
One Peter five, eight and nine. We’re looking to see what scripture says about Satan. 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters’ family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT) Right? Watch out for your great enemy. He has great enmity in him; he’s an enemy of all that is good of all that is love of all that is Jesus. Right?
Revelation 12, 9 King James version. Revelation 12, 9 says 9 And the great dragon was cast out — that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, can you see all his names there, who deceiveth the whole world. (Revelation 12:9 KJV) The whole world is deceived by the devil. That’s why the Bible calls him the god of this world. He’s the god of this world system, the way things run and operate in the world, he’s the god of that. Father God has a kingdom completely in the light; everything is in the light. Satan has his world system kingdom of darkness so everything that is in his world system is a lie. Right, interesting?
Revelation 12:12 12 …the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]! (Revelation 12:12 AMPC). That’s what’s happening in the world right now. That’s why the devil, this thing like Pastor John has been teaching us, this thing in Israel is a spiritual war. It’s not a natural war, because that land was given to the Israelites. Jerusalem was given to the Israelites as far back as Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham, “This shall be your land”.
So, the war that’s happening there now, that always has happened against Israel, always has happened against God’s covenant Jewish people, is a spiritual war. It’s just not for a whole race of people, the Hezbollah and the Hamas to say, “My whole purpose for living is to wipe every Jew off the face of the earth”. That’s what they say, “It’s all over.” They say it out openly, “My whole purpose for living is to wipe every Jew off the face of the earth.” They are God’s covenant people. Why has there been such a war over that little bit of dirt? Because God gave it to them in 1948. He gave them a country. They never had a country, and then God gave them a country. And there has been war, spiritual war over it. The war happens through Satan and his demons, through human beings – that let him in to do his will. It is hatred, it is hatred, pure sheer hatred.
So, he 12…has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]! (Revelation 12:12 AMPC). So, these are God’s covenant people, as we are God’s covenant people, as powerfully as Pastor John ministered to us. I can’t go through all of that now.
So, here’s 1 John 3 verse, 1 John 3 verse 8 and 9. It’s one of those verses. 8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8 NKJV). So, in this church, God wants to speak to the people in this church. That was just some, I’m just laying a foundation here because next week we’re going into some intense things. I need to lay a foundation here for you today.
I’m just going to give you a definition of the word temptation. It’s a 12th-century word. It says the act of enticing someone to sin, an experience of being tempted. The 12th-century etymology says of the devil, flesh etc. Isn’t that interesting? Then it says this, to lure someone from God’s truth. You see because the word temptation has gone back as far as the 12th century. Today the word temptation does not mean what it meant then but when God was using the word it meant what it meant then. That’s why it’s so good to go to the etymology of a word. So, to lure someone from God’s Word, to provoke and defy God just like Eve did and Adam. The Webster’s, 1913 Webster’s dictionary says this, enticement by arguments by flattery or by the offer of some real apparent good. Some real apparent good and Webster says that which is presented to the mind. That’s where his warfare begins, is presenting to the mind. Actually, he’s set up this world system so that he doesn’t even have to talk to you very much. There are just things that present themselves to your mind all the time because he’s the god of this world. But then there are times when there’s a believer- God is talking to us believers today. Right.
So, in this church, many are in a time of temptation because of the word we’re receiving. Because of the word we’re receiving, many are in a time of temptation and this is good news because it means we’re in a growth spurt together. To be strong in our faith, strong in our love for one another. To come up in love, to come up in faith. It’s the levels. It’s the year of the maximum. It’s the levels attainable. Levels attainable. Transformed relationships that Pastor John’s been ministering to us about because when we come up to the unity of the brethren level…
Remember, Pastor John read that when we come up to the unity of the brethren level when we come up to the unity of the brethren level, the enemy is powerless among us as a church, as an ecclesia. When we come up to the unity of the brethren level.
Now, unity isn’t because we come to sit together on a Sunday morning and we’re unified because we’re together. No, the unity of the brethren that the Bible talks about is to be of one mind, we all think the same. One heart, we all believe the same. And then there’s a powerful scripture that says, one mouth. We’re of one mouth. We’re of one mind, we think like each other. Here in this church, we think like each other, we speak like each other. We speak His Word that we receive here. We think and meditate on His Word that we receive here. One mouth, and one heart, and we believe; we believe as I said to you earlier on. We really do believe the messages that come from the Holy Spirit to this church. We really do believe God’s precious, Holy, written Word. We really do believe the prophetic Word that comes; that this is the year of the maximum it’s a year of levels, levels going up to levels never attained before. Spiritual levels, natural levels you know, just everything God has for us and we really do believe.
You see, God speaks personally to you too. So, there are those four things – it’s the precious, Holy written Word, then it’s the public Word that comes to us, then it’s the prophetic Word that we receive not because we surf the web because we receive it from our own family. And then there’s the personal Word that He speaks to us too. Those things we believe.
So, when we sing I’m a believer we’re singing what we are. We are believers, so we’re coming up, because when we come up to the unity of the brethren level the enemy is powerless amongst us as an Ecclesia. I’m building a foundation for next week when I come to show you how Satan comes to bring division between us.
So, almost an entire people were tempted in the wilderness by the devil and their flesh to not believe God’s blueprint for them; they didn’t even believe that He had one. Even though He said He had one, He said to his people, “I’m bringing you out of Egypt, and I’m bringing you into your promised land.” And the Bible says, “They didn’t believe Him.”
They went a little way with Him and then they said, “No we want to go back to Egypt.” You think that they were tempted? Both and, right? They were tempted because these ancient spirits, that tempt today, were still there then, they’re the same spirits.
So, I want to show you something very precious here that the Lord highlighted to me. Exodus 13, 17-18 the Amplified Bible. This is God taking an entire people out of bondage, out of Egypt, out of their world system of that day. Taking them out and say, and making promises to them. “17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines…” You see God’s leading them out, “…although that was nearer, for God said, “Lest the people change their purpose when they see war and return to Egypt.” (Exodus 13:17 AMPC)
So, He had a reason for taking them through the wilderness. I don’t want them to get so frightened from war and so overwhelmed by war that they want to go back. Can you see God’s purpose? And it says here, “18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites went up in ranks out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:18 AMPC)
Now Hosea 2:14 – this was His purpose for them. This was His intent of His heart, what He wanted to do with them in the wilderness. He didn’t want them there for 40 years. He had a purpose. I’m taking you out of Egypt and now, I’ve got you. I’ve got you, “14 Therefore, behold, I will allure Israel and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly to her heart.” (Hosea 2:14 AMPC).
The time of the Israelites in the wilderness was to be a time of tenderness. A time of God tenderly speaking to His people, where they had been in bondage for so long. It was His whole motive to draw them with chords of love. This is how He put it to me. He brought them to the wilderness to love them, to love on them; to speak tenderly to them. Then for them to learn to love Him. You can see it in the book of Deuteronomy. I have told you this so many times before. In the book of Deuteronomy, when Moses was preparing the people for the promised land and God was speaking to Moses; God was wearing His heart on His sleeve. There must be about seven or eight times that He says, in Deuteronomy, “Now when you come, when you come into the promised land; love Me. Love Me. Love Me. Love Me, the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your strength; love Me.”
He took His people to the wilderness to love them and for them to so be loved by God so that they in turn would love Him; it’s all about the love of God. It’s time to believe the love of God. But they refused, they yielded to the lies of the devil and of their own selves. We are going to look at a time of temptation. God wants you to know that you will have times of temptation. You will be tempted to do things that will draw you away from God, that will not be you loving God.
Let’s go to Luke eight verse 13, King James Version. It’s talking about the different types of soil; Jesus is talking here about the Word of God that falls on hearts. Like today, this word is falling on hearts, but your reception of it, you see, there is nothing wrong with the transmission of His Word here this morning; it’s the reception. It’s how you receive the Word, it’s how you sit and think about it and debate it and question it and then reason it right out of your life. Or, like most of you have learned just to pull it right into your heart. Glory to God. But God wants you to know that there is real temptations and times of temptation.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, so that is what God wants you to grow, Johnny, root. You will only grow root from the Word of God that you keep coming to hear, you keep coming to listen. It’s the same for all of us. It’s the only way any of us grow a root that will settle us in God; that we will be so steady, we will be so unmovable in God. We allow His Word into our hearts. Right? We allow His Word and His Words, Words, into our hearts and so it says here.
They receive the word with joy, and these have no root. (Luke 8:13 KJV) There is another translation that says; within themselves; because they haven’t grown it yet. They haven’t grown a root yet, they just heard it with joy. Right? But there is an advancement and a maturity and a development that God wants to have happen in you now. There is a development. He wants you to become a grownup, mature son of God, right, that walks with Him, talks with Him, hears Him, obeys Him; like a grownup, a grownup son of God. That’s what He’s after with all of us. To be grown-ups in Him, grown up in Him in His Word so these have no root which for a while believe. So they believe for a while some translations say a short time they believe and in time of temptation fall away. (Luke 8:13 KJV)
So, this thing of temptation is very very important for us to know that there’s a tempter, there’s temptation but there’s… we got to see it here now. So, now we’re going to have a look at Jesus being tempted, Jesus tempted. We have to see Jesus’ temptation and how it was. It was fierce. His temptation was so fierce that angels had to come and minister to Him afterwards. Because when you’re being tempted your spirit man is saying, “I want to I want to do the right thing. I want to serve God, I want to obey.” And your flesh and your mind and everything is screaming, “No I want to go this way! I want to go this way!” And then he’s bombarding your mind and he’s bombarding your mind and friends are saying things to you and you’re going to places where you shouldn’t be going where you’re being tempted.
And you’re reading stuff that is tempting you. You’re looking at stuff that’s tempting you and you’re thinking about things that’s tempting you. And God is saying, “There’s an overcoming power, there’s a strengthening, there’s an anointing.” There’s a help that He can give you if you make a pull on Him and you run to Him for help in a time of temptation. You can overcome temptation because Jesus did and you’re born again and you’re created in the image of God. You can overcome. Sometimes the temptation is so strong because it can be things that you’ve given yourself to it, to them, for so long. So this temptation is so strong that’s God speaking to you now because you’ve given your flesh over to it for so long. And so the temptation is so strong. And you need all the help you can get. And you’ve got to go to God for help.
I’ll give you that scripture. Maybe I should give it to you now because I’m not going to, let me see here I’m going to give it to you right now. It’s in Hebrews, it’s in Hebrews, it’s that scripture that says, come boldly to the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrew 4:16 KJV) You’ve got to come boldly to God and you’ve got to say, “God, I’m being tempted, I’m acknowledging the temptation, I’m being tempted. I’ve come to You for help.” And He might say to you, “Go and see. Go and see Pastor G, go and see Pastor C. Go and see.” A strong one in the Word to stand by thee. Glory to God. To stand with you in this time of temptation. Because you choose to not yield, but it’s so strong, it’s so strong.
And the devil has a stronghold in your mind on that. I’m going to just find that come boldly. See, these are some scriptures you must know. You must know this Word so that you can do it. You can know, you must know, you must not feel ashamed when you’re being tempted. You must not feel ashamed when you’re being tempted. Everybody gets tempted. Temptation comes to all. You must go to God for help. It says here now, okay. All right, I don’t really like the… The TPT is okay on this but really the Amplified Bible is powerful. It’s Hebrews 4, chapter 4 verse 16, 16 So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy … and discover the grace we urgently need, it is very good actually, to discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness (Hebrews 4:16 TPT). I’m so weak, Lord. I’m so weak. He’s got a way out for you out of that temptation. He’s got a way out for you.
Here we’re going to look at Jesus’ temptation. I think, let’s go to the Luke 4 one. I’ll read you the other one next week. Luke 4:1-8, 1 And Jesus, King James Version, being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing: and when they were ended, He afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said, (Luke 4:1-3 KJV). The devil said; does the devil have a voice? Just as much as there’s this inner power going on in you, so the devil comes from outside to your mind, he comes to your mind to bombard your mind. When you’re born again, he can’t touch your spirit, he can’t touch your spirit, the Holy Spirit lives in there, he comes to your mind, right? He came to Jesus’ mind to be tempted.
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, It is written, you see He knew He’s… You’ve got to have the Word handy for that with which you’re being tempted with, you’ve got to have the word handy, at hand for that with which you’re being tempted with, right?
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, He spoke God’s word. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. Yeah, he is the god of this world and Jesus did come to save the world. So this was a massive temptation. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, Satan can also quote scripture, it is written. 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. (Luke 4:2-13 KJV)
And look at this here, look what happens to you when you’ve overcome. Oh, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. Oh, thank You, Lord! What happens to me when I overcome temptation; every time I return out of that cycle of temptation, when I beat him and I return in the power of the Holy Spirit! I’m much more strong. I’m much more powerful. Hallelujah. I’ve grown up. I’ve grown up. I’m grown up. I’m becoming grown up in God. Not just yielding to every little temptation. Baby! Baby! God wants us grown up.
Okay, 14 And Jesus, verse 14, returned in the power of the Spirit… He could be strong, He was so powerful after that, right? …returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. After the overcoming of the temptation, there was a shift and a change in Jesus. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal… Look at this. Phew, after He overcame the temptation, look what He could step into. Now, He has this anointing on Him. This was not said before His temptation, of Jesus. …he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:14-21 KJV)
I overcame I am going to read you the scripture next week in a different translation where it says “and Satan left him for a season”. Satan was always coming to tempt Jesus and then His great hour of temptation was in the garden of Gethsemane, right. So, I’m going to read I want to show you Luke chapter 8 verses 11 and 12 from The Passion Translation have we got that one? Thank you. Luke 8:13 Passion Translation. I’ve read it to you from the King James it says 13 The seeds falling on gravel represents those who initially respond to the word with joy, but soon afterward, when a season of difficulty and harassment of the enemy comes to them, they wither and fall away, for they have no root in the truth and their faith is temporary. See? He wants the truth of His Word to grow root in your heart. And you’re only going to grow root from the Word you hear with joy that you’ve overcome the devil with now. You understand that? This word that I heard with joy and now the temptation comes to me to steal this word out of my heart.
We have to find that scripture where Jesus says, “When you hear the word Satan comes at once to steal the Word out of your heart.” The Word, what Word? The Word you heard with joy. He comes at once, immediately to steal this Word out of your heart. That’s why it’s got to be your choice to say, “I’m coming to God to overcome temptation. Right. So let’s look at our time of temptation from scripture just to show you that it’s real. 1 Peter chapter 4 verses 12 to 13, Amplified bible. 12 Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality.
Was that a fiery ordeal Jesus was going through to test His quality? Where do fiery things come from? Not from God. The fiery darts of the enemy, that’s what you have to have your shield of faith for, is to quench the fiery, fiery darts of the enemy. Fiery, okay? So I’m going to read this, it says, 12 Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. 13 But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings. What did He suffer there? Being tempted, tested and tried. You share in His sufferings. I too am being tempted, tested and tried. Rejoice so that when His glory is revealed, you may also rejoice, triumphantly (1 Peter 4:12-13 AMPC). That’s why your armour has got to be on, right? We’re going to look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 6 to 9. I’m building a foundation here so that you can understand that there’s a temptation that happens. It will happen to you for the rest of your life. That’s why Pastor John says, “Oh, you want to choose a life of comfort?” You’ve been born into war.
You’ve been born to fight the good fight of faith. You’ve been born to win. So, don’t make this life of ease an ideal that you want to live by, rather be a grown-up son that says, “I resist temptation. I overcome. I fight the good fight of faith. I’m winning because I’m actively at war here with all these things coming to my mind. I’m actively subjugating and putting them under, because I can, so I am.”
So, it says here, 6 [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations. Temptations come to you so that your faith can fail. Your faith can fail that which you believed and you received with joy can just fail. Why do temptations come? Though you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, 7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. (1 Peter 1:6-7 AMPC) Right. So, I’m not going to go into that.
I want to go to James one, two to five, Amplified Bible. He’s after your faith and the Word of God in your heart. What you really believe. What you really believe. He’ll come, he’ll come to, he’ll come to your door, he’ll come to your face, he’ll come to your mind and he’ll bombard you. So, do you really believe this? Do you really believe this?
Look at this 2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in; You see what temptations can do? They can envelop you. Whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Can you see that? There are various, his temptations are varied. They are various, they are varied temptations. Whooo! Right?. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed; (James 1:2-4 AMPC)
Grown-up. Grown-up. Grown-up. Developed, fully developed; God wants you fully developed as His Son, as His child, He wants you fully developed. You can be fully developed. God has given us everything we need to overcome. He has given us the church, He has given us His Word, He has given us the Holy Spirit within, He has given us each other, His love. He has given us everything to overcome.
James 1 verse 12, Amplified Bible, 12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man or the woman or the boy or the girl, 12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test; Did Jesus stand the test in the garden? when He has stood the test and been approved, He will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
Why would you want to resist temptation? Because you love Him. Why would you want to resist temptation? Because you love Him. You love Him. You love Him. You love Him. I want to resist temptation, anything that the devil wants to throw at me to lure me and to entice me away from living the high life that God has called me to live because I love Him. I love Him because He died for me so that I can live this life for victory. I love Him. Hallelujah. Glory. I love Him. That’s why, I will resist temptation, that’s why He resisted temptation, He loved the Father. He loved the Father. He came to do the will of the Father. He was tempted in the garden. Drops of blood. He loved the Father, the love of the Father, it just kept Him being obedient. Hallelujah. Now I am going to stop there. I believe I am going to stop there. And now I am going to finish this scripture.
12 He will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. He knows that those who love Him, because that whole verse says, “I have been patient, I am being consistent under temptation. I am going to stand the test, and I will receive the crown of life because God knows I love Him.” God knows I’m resisting because I love Him.
And so then, verse 13 is very powerful, please people. This is probably one of the most powerful scriptures you can ever know about temptation. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; let no one say, let no one say when I am tempted, I am tempted of God. Now there are some scriptures where it indicates and God tempted and got tested, but I want to read you this from Vine’s so that you can settle it.
James 1, the scripture I am reading seems to contradict other statements of Scripture in two respects saying that God can not be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no man. But God tempted or tried Abraham in Hebrews 11:17, and the Israelites tempted and tried God in one Corinthians 10, however makes it plain that where as in these cases the temptation or trial came from without. James refers to temptation or trial arising from within, from uncontrolled appetites and evil passions. See? So, such temptation does not proceed from God. God is not tempting you in your flesh with evil things, evil passions and your evil fallen nature. Right? Because God regards His people while they endure it and by attests and approves them.
Well done Sharon, that you, you used My overcoming anointing and you used My Word, and you stood the test, and you bore up under this temptation from Satan. He is called the tempter, God does not tempt you with evil, never. Never, never, never, never, never, never. That’s why we had to look at that again. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one, with evil. 14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, can you see that? 14 Every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). 15 Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured; When sin is full grown, grown up. Sin has grown up in me now. That’s what happens, when it is fully matured, it brings forth death. (James 1:12-15 AMPC). The death is not physical death, but it is separation from God, and the goodness and the life that actually God has for you.
Isn’t this powerful? I am stopping right now because this is enough for this morning. Ahh. Yeah. So God wants us to know about temptation, acknowledge temptation and choose to overcome temptation, and not be ashamed, and be ashamed of yourself, you know when you are being tempted. Because it is common to man, the Bible says, “Everybody is tempted like that.” Glory to God. I know you got something out of this this morning, Right? You got something out of it.
Let’s pray. Father, I thank You for this wonderful day, I thank You for ministering to us about temptation. Thank You for this ongoing Word that You are going to be giving us, Father, showing us all the things that the enemy can tempt us with, and how he comes and how we can overcome Lord. And I thank You for Your people, any of Your people that are being tempted right now, Father, that they are in a time of temptation as Your Word says, “In the time of temptation, they fall away.”
Father, that I pray for them just like Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, Satan has asked for You to be sifted like weed but I pray for you, I pray for you this morning Heritage of Faith people, every one of you, that your faith may not fail you. And that you may stand up strong and endure and overcome the temptations that are happening in your life right now. Right now. Whatever you are being tempted with, I pray that your faith may not fail you, but that you successfully come through the cycle of temptation and return, return into your life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, that you return in the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name. Hallelujah. And I pray for you that you are blessed going out, and blessed coming in. You’re blessed in your day today. The Word and the Blood of Jesus surround you and protect you in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And the peace of God be upon you, the peace of God be upon you. His touch is upon you, His touch is upon you, upon you all. Be so blessed. Bye-bye, everybody. Bye.
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