Hey everybody, have a good Christmas.

I think Rancho had a great Christmas in West Cohen, Upland.

I was able to get to some of the campuses, a lot of celebration.

This is the last weekend of the year, in case you didn't know it.

And this last weekend of the year, kind of what we call pastor's choice.

He gets to talk about something that he wants to talk about.

It's not related to a series that we've done in the past, not related to a series that we're going to do next year.

And by the way, man, it's going to be a great year next year.

We're looking forward to having one of the best years we've ever had as far as vision.

And I'm going to release all of that in January, where God is leading us, where our church is going.

Because if you know anything about our church, we never sit still.

We think that God's got a calling on our lives.

to make a difference in the world, to be salt, to be light, to be a city on the hill that cannot be hidden.

So we're always planning, always strategizing, always working hard as if we're working for the Lord because we are.

However, this weekend, I get to talk about something that, well, I like to talk about.

And everybody's making resolutions right now, right?

And notice I didn't tell you to turn to a scripture because I think you're a lot smarter than you know.

I really do.

So I'm going to refer to scriptures that you know.

Some of them will be on the screen, but we're going to weave a story together.

We're going to weave kind of a thought, an idea, and I think it's going to really prepare us for what's going to happen next year.

So I read an article, seven steps to getting everything you want in 2024.

That is so American, isn't it?

Seven steps to getting everything you want because you're worth it and you deserve it, right?

But I hope you know by now that if you've been following Jesus for any length of time, you know that the question you should be asking, that we should be asking together collectively and individually is what?

What does God want for me in 2024?

When you grow and you mature in your faith, you get to a point where you stop saying, here's the thing I want.

It's more like, God, what do you want for me?

Now, along those lines...

I want you to remember something.

I want you to think along these lines as well.

And here's the first thing.

Only Christ can redeem those who are lost, right?

We believe that.

So that's why sometimes when you share the gospel with somebody, it's like the light comes on and man, they want to know more.

And you're thinking you're the greatest evangelist ever.

but it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the spirit of God opening their eyes, the right time, the right place.

Okay.

So and other people, you talk to them about the gospel and there's either a lack of interest or they just don't, the light doesn't come on.

And that's why I'm saying it's not your job to convert anybody.

That's the job of the Holy Spirit.

Your job is to present the good news, the gospel, to sow the seed on every path and let it fall where it may.

Okay?

So only Christ can redeem those who are lost.

But the second part is God intends for those whom Christ redeems to look increasingly like Jesus.

That's not profound.

It's just the gospel in simplicity.

He saves you.

in order to sanctify you.

So you're saved by grace through faith, and then the journey of your life and mine, the journey is for God to do whatever is necessary to make us, create us in the image of Christ Jesus.

One of my favorite passages seldom discussed, and I'm sure you know this passage, Ephesians 2, verse 10, for we are his workmanship.

That is the Greek word that looks just like our English word poem.

And the idea is that God is putting you together line by line as if somebody who's writing a poem.

So from the time you were born to the time that you become an adult, to the time that your eyes are open to the goodness of the gospel, God has been patiently equipping you with talents and abilities, insights, temperaments, personality, whatever it is, because there is a unique singular calling on your life.

Yes, everybody's called to be saved.

Okay?

You're called to be saved.

But...

Ultimately, there is another calling on your life that God is equipping you to achieve.

Some know what that calling is in their 20s. Others don't discover it until their 30s.

And some people don't discover it until almost near the end of their lives because God's been working so hard on you and you're not getting it.

So it just took a while.

Okay.

Romans 8, another favorite passage that I'm sure you know, for those God foreknew, he also predestined.

Now, I have said for a long time, these two words are not the same, and it's why the apostle Paul uses two distinct words.

One is the Greek word progenosko, which means God knows beforehand.

The other is proorizo, which means that God determines beforehand.

Those are two different concepts.

There are some things that God knows beforehand.

Well, actually, there's nothing that God doesn't know beforehand.

And the reason is, you can think a little.

The reason is, is because...

God created time.

Because God created time, He's not subject to time, which means every moment in God is in the present.

Okay?

So the reason God knows what you're going to do 30 years from now is because He's already there.

Okay?

That's the foreknowledge of God.

So he knows who's going to come to him and who's not, but it doesn't mean he determines who's going to come to him and who's not.

He just knows who's going to take the bait, who's going to take the information, who's going to humble themselves, and who's going to lean on him.

So he knows, yes, who will be, who will not be, but he doesn't predetermine that.

But there is something that is predetermined, and the thing that is predetermined is He's going to make you into like Jesus, whether you like it or not.

And you can fight him all your life if you want.

But guess what?

He ain't going to give up.

And if it means that you don't arrive to where he wants you to arrive until heaven, okay.

But your whole life is going to be that journey.

Okay.

Now, let me repeat what I've just said.

Only Christ can redeem those who are lost.

So you need a Jesus revelation.

You need your eyes to be open.

And second, God intends for those whom Christ redeems to look increasingly like Jesus.

So here's the question then.

If it is his goal of 2024 for all of us to look like Jesus, how is he going to get us there?

Now, if you notice in Romans 8, where I just read that passage, for those whom God foreknew, he also predestined.

That whole chapter is about pain and suffering.

So...

Well, okay, starting with verse 18.

Let's go back.

The last half of that whole chapter is about pain and suffering.

So Paul basically says, consider, he's saying, weigh it up, and if you compare the troubles and the trials we'll go through in this earth, you will not be able to compare them to the glory that shall be revealed in all of us.

So he says, it's all going to be worth it.

However, Paul is somewhat of a realist.

He says, I know that you cry out.

You cry out to be restored.

You know something's been lost.

You know that in the flesh, things aren't functioning the way they should function.

And you cry out to be restored to what you were originally meant to be.

And then he gives the metaphor of creation itself.

Creation also cries out to be restored to what it was meant to be.

So in the context of this world is not the way it was meant to be.

Sin entered, the fall happened, and now things are tainted.

In that context, he says, however, Just remember, God is able to work all things together for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.

So what the Bible teaches us is that God is shaping and forming us into the image of his son.

And guess what?

One of the primary vehicles of doing that, pain.

What the Bible calls pressure.

Again, two more Greek words, philipsis, which is a word that means pressure, and then periasmos, which is another word that means, we've used this before, of stepping on the grapes in the wine press and squeezing them until the good stuff comes out.

So the number one vehicle that God uses to get you, to equip you, to be who he wants you to be, is you're going to have to experience some pressure.

Now, you know what?

I've always said that athletes make the best Christians.

You know why?

We grow up understanding that.

No pressure, no hardship, no growth.

I'm sorry, old cliche, no pain, no gain.

So if you and I are following Jesus, and we're meant to be like him, Jesus was a significantly, let's just call him, he was a high achiever.

And for God to get us to be high achievers, because if you think God called you to a life of mediocrity, if you think God just wants you to survive this tough world and just go into heaven all tired and weary because, you know, the world's so bad, no, he wants you to be a light shining in the darkness.

He wants you to waltz into heaven having given your best and to live a life way above mediocrity into this outstanding high achiever.

That's what he wants.

He's a game changer.

We're supposed to be game changers.

So here's your goal.

While everybody's making resolutions, here's your goal for 2024.

God's goal for you is to conform you through continuing difficult circumstances.

You heard the good news right here.

Now, believe it or not, this sermon is not about pressure.

This sermon is about temptations.

Because I hear so many people say, I'm praying that God will take this temptation away from me.

Good luck with that.

Because as long as you're in the flesh, temptations are going to happen.

And God's answer to you is not to remove that temptation.

See, the temptation is too advantageous for God.

He's waiting for you to win the victory over it so that you can go on to the next phase of growth.

You understand?

So in God's mind, he's got this plan.

knowing that you're in the flesh, knowing that you're going to suffer temptation, what he does is he says to us, because Jesus endured temptation victoriously, those united by faith in him have the power to do the same.

So, if you have difficulty with the idea that you're telling me that, whoa, that God is not going to remove this temptation, but instead is going to give me the power.

to have victory over it so that I can continue to move farther and farther in conformity and close to the image of Christ?

If you have a problem with that, I want you to think about something.

And I told you, you know more than you think you do.

If you go back to Matthew chapter four and the temptation.

Have you noticed a few things?

Number one, I think I've written these down for you.

God ordained Jesus' temptation, and Matthew states it very clearly.

Luke 4, verse 1, Then Jesus was led up, Matthew 4 as well, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

So who led Jesus to be tempted?

And who tempted him?

Who tempted him?

That's right.

So God does not tempt Jesus.

Satan does, but God allowed it.

He could have stopped it.

So the next question is, and I know what some of you are thinking, you're thinking, wait a minute.

In the Lord's prayer, we're told, lead us not into, we're supposed to pray, lead us not into temptation.

That's why you have to understand the purpose of Jesus' temptation.

What is it?

Why is it important we know this story?

And the answer is because we're supposed to look at what Jesus did and know that we too can overcome temptation.

That's why the story's there.

You say, whoa, wait a minute, but I'm not Jesus.

No, but according to Galatians 2.20, it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you, which means the Christ in you gives you the power.

Don't ever believe the lie of the evil one, that God gives you the power to overcome temptation no matter what it is, all right?

Just quickly, second, not only does God lead him into the desert, but second, Jesus endured temptation for the entirety of 40 days.

Now, this is important.

Because if you've ever been tempted, let me ask you something.

The longer the temptation goes and the longer you say no, does it get harder, stronger, or weaker?

And the answer is yes and no.

Because when you fast, the first few days are hard, man.

Right?

I want some food.

Your body's saying, give me some food.

Give me some stuff.

And then about the third or fourth day, you kind of hit a stride, don't you?

Hey, wait a minute.

I don't want food as badly as I did.

I'm doing okay.

But then if you keep going, you'll get to a point where your body says, you better give me some food or I'm going to kill you.

right?

So the point is Jesus endured all three of those phases, the first, the second, and the third.

So when somebody says to me, I'm sorry, Pastor Jeff, I just can't resist the temptation.

It's too powerful.

That is the lie of the devil to get you to give up and to give in.

Okay, let's move quickly.

Third, the devil was the personal agent of temptation.

and targeted Jesus' temporal circumstances as well as his broader kingdom mission.

Now, here's what I mean by this.

The devil waits.

Remember, we talked about in the past the difference between a desire and a lust.

Lust is the word.

Epithumia.

And epithumia is different than desire because desire is the concept whereby God gives us all God-given legitimate desires.

The desire for food, the desire for sex, it's legitimate.

desire for food, the desire for love, those things are God-given to us.

They become lusts or epithumia or illegitimate desires become lust when they're fulfilled, when legitimate desires, God-given desires are filled by illegitimate means.

Then they become lust and sinful.

The desire itself, nothing wrong with it.

So if you have the desire for sex and you have it outside marriage, then now it becomes lust.

If you desire bread, but you still to get it.

it becomes lust.

So these God-given desires, God gives you a way to fulfill those within his parameters that lead to life.

If you try to fulfill them outside, it leads to death.

So Satan waits till Jesus is fasting.

He's hungry.

And he comes in at that moment.

He comes in when you're most physically weak, he comes in for the kill.

But why did, what was the temptation here?

Because if you read the passage, and we're not going to go into that right now, but you know more than you think you do.

What would be wrong with Jesus turning the stones into bread?

What would be wrong with showing his power?

Because that was basically the temptation, right?

He said, if you're the son of God, if you're who you say you are, then turn these stones into bread.

And by the way, you know, God said, if you're his Messiah, he'll take care of you, so jump off this high pinnacle.

You know, what would be wrong?

And this is so important.

In and of itself, nothing.

And yet, The call on Jesus' life was to be a suffering servant, not a thundering Messiah.

This has more to do with the call on his life rather than an illegitimate or legitimate desire being filled legitimately or illegitimately.

So that means that the call on your life, there are things, the call on your life, there are things that you're going to say no to because of the call on your life that if you say yes to will destroy ultimately what God's trying to do in you.

So it's important to know what God is doing in your life, what your ultimate call is.

And it's important to know when the evil one comes in the manner he's going to attempt to attempt you to try to destroy, not only to create a situation of death, whereby you're feeling a legitimate desire with legitimate means, but ultimately what Satan wants to do, he wants to rob you of every possible joy.

And he definitely wants to make sure that God can't use you for something greater than yourself.

Okay.

Now, fourth, and we'll get back to, we'll bring all this together.

Fourth, Jesus' response to each temptation demonstrates knowledge of, reliance on, and confidence in Scripture.

Here's what Jesus does when he's tempted.

He takes his feelings and emotions, and he leads them to the truth of God's Word.

What an example.

So you're going to have feelings that are strong because you're in the flesh.

But Jesus stops and he grabs those by the scruff of the neck and he leads them to what is objectively true.

Actually, he says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.

What does that mean?

Jesus is saying bread's good, but it's temporary.

The word of God is eternal.

Bread is temporary.

It's good.

But the word of God is eternal.

There are some things like bread.

that are not wrong in and of themselves, and they will meet a need or a desire, but at the same time, the right thing at the wrong time ruins your life.

The right thing at the wrong time ruins your life.

Remember what happened when Jacob and Esau in the Old Testament?

Jacob is doing his thing.

Esau's out in the field, you know, hunting.

He comes in.

He's famished.

He's starving.

Jacob's making some soup, and his mother's taught him these culinary delights.

And Esau, I'm hungry.

Give me some soup.

Now, what's wrong with having soup, especially if you're hungry and about to die?

And Jacob says, okay, give me your birthright, and I'll give you some soup.

Whoa, trading your birthright for a bowl of soup, man, you're going to ruin your life.

So the big question then, and all of this to me is, why are we given Matthew 4?

Why are we given this temptation?

Why did God allow Jesus to be tempted?

And I think the whole thing is for you and I to take a good look at it and to know how we can overcome temptation.

but also to know that you're capable of overcoming temptation because it's no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you.

You know, I've read some pretty far out theology where I've heard some people I respect that say, you know what, Jesus' temptation was not real.

Boy, that's dangerous territory.

Because in Hebrews, we're told that he was tempted in all ways like us.

And besides that, how can Jesus identify with me if his temptation is not real?

Because my temptations are real.

So there's something about Jesus being in the flesh where he knows what it's like to be tempted in every way, just like we.

In that respect, he's called our brother.

Now, notice that he's praying and fasting.

And I think there's another lesson.

Is that he's praying and fasting because something about him told him something was coming.

But you and I know temptation is going to come every day, right?

So what's that tell us about fasting and praying?

Now, stay with me here.

Resist the devil and he will...

See, you're smarter than you thought.

But alternatively, if you don't resist the devil, if you've had any experience with this at all, you know he'll dig in and make a home and then you're toast.

Okay.

Man, we're making good headway here.

If you had a...

We'll pull it all together.

If you had a coach, which kind of coach do you prefer?

Do you prefer the kind of coach that goes, let's go, come on team, let's go kill them.

Nobody comes into our house and defeats us.

Let's go get them, woo!

doesn't tell you how and you go out and you get killed 42 to nothing or 63 to three.

You know, you felt good.

You were passionate, but okay, let's go, you know, or do you want the guy calmly gets on the board, draws the O's and X's.

Now this is a very good team, but this is how we're going to do it.

And you're going to go there and you're going to go there.

And I'll tell you, if we do this and we stay to our game plan, we're going to win.

Now, which one would you rather have?

And the answer is both.

That's right.

Because if he just does this, X, O, Y, Y, then you're just what?

You're cerebral.

There's no passion.

But if you just like that, then you got passion, but you don't know how.

What if you have a coach that comes out and says, okay, here's how we're going to do it.

Right here.

This is a game plan.

Now, don't do it.

Let's go.

Nobody comes into our house and defeats us.

Let's go.

And he's out there on the sidelines encouraging you.

Here's the point.

Jesus.

is the perfect coach.

Because on the one hand, he places an internal desire in you, if you're saved by grace through faith, to want to be holy and to conform to the image of Christ.

So it's there because he gave it to you.

He's the coach and he's always with you and he's always pulling for you, but he gives you instruction of how to do it.

And the problem I had, like I said, when I was growing up, our pastor, he was rambunctious, and he was, you know, woo-hoo, but that was it.

And I always wanted to say, but how?

But how?

But how?

So here's how.

And this is where we're doing the, this is where the pastor gets to do what he wants the last Sunday of the week.

This is where I get to give you a big picture, okay?

He tells us how.

Here's the instruction.

First.

He reminds us that every temptation believers face is part of the common human experience, and God is so meticulous in governing His world that even in every temptation, He will make a way of escape.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind, 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 endure it.

So here's what the Bible tells you.

You're not special.

You think that, oh man, nobody faces this.

Oh yes, they do.

There's no temptation that you're facing that is so overwhelming.

Oh, I can't do it.

No, there's not a person in this room that doesn't have some kind of burden to bear, me included, me included.

I can tell you, there is an area of my life that I have to constantly watch.

And as I'm going to show you in a minute, because the evil one has the goods on you.

This is what makes it even tougher.

But we all have a cross to bear.

It comes with flesh in a fallen world.

Somebody asked me one time, do you really think Jesus could be tempted?

I said, absolutely, because he's in the flesh.

And if you're in the flesh, you could be tempted.

It's that simple.

The question is, are you ready to conquer in 2024?

What's been kicking your...

Right here.

for the last I don't know how long, and robbing you of God's ability to use you in the way that he wants to.

Now, I know you're saved by grace through faith, and I know the love of God never changes, but if you think the way you respond to temptation does not impact what God is willing to do and the degree to which he's willing to use you, you're sadly mistaken.

He saved you for eternity, but your usability has a lot to do with your conforming and being willing to allow him to conform you to the image of his son.

Man, I can't tell you how many times the Spirit of God has told me that.

I cannot tell you how many times I've sat in my office and in prayer, and God says, you better sharpen this up.

Yeah, but God, you know, I'm saved by grace.

And God says, oh, yeah?

Okay, go ahead.

But your using days are over.

And, man, that fear, that, wait, what?

Yeah, because everybody wants to be used by God.

It's not only a pastor.

It's everybody.

We want to know.

Second, he gives you the discipline of fasting.

Okay, now we're getting into some good stuff here.

When I was in high school, we had a player on our team.

His name's Chris Troutman.

He ended up getting a full scholarship to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

And we had a hard coach, and I've talked about this.

As a matter of fact, I got a call last week.

I got a call, and I recognized the area code, 423.

I said, that's Elizabethan, Tennessee.

I picked that up.

And the accent, you can't imagine.

Drop my eyes.

This is CY Kim.

Who?

This is CY Kim.

Oh, CY.

Now, CY was kind of a coach that helped the coaches.

He said, I'm writing a book.

And I'm thinking, there's a miracle in itself right there.

He said, I'm writing a book.

I want you to write a chapter on Coach Lindhugger.

Put it in that book.

I said, okay, what do you want?

He said, I want you to talk about what it was like when Coach Lindhugger first came.

So I thought, man, I would love to do that and honor him like this.

So anyway, we're talking Lindhugger.

We had this kid, Chris Troutman.

We had a good team, but he was the standout among all of us.

And I remember this one practice.

We would do this drill where a guy would have the ball and the defender would be here, and then you would do this slide drill.

So you've got this guy moving, and you've got to keep him in front of you full court.

But when Chris got the ball, it wasn't just one-on-one, it was one-on-three.

And Coach would say to Chris, Chris, if you can't get past three, You're going to do it until you do.

Now, I've got sympathy for him and compassion.

So about the third time down the floor, I saw he was going to, he was losing.

He was going to throw up.

He wasn't going to make it.

And Coach was not easy on him.

So I kind of didn't cut off the sideline and let him get through just out of compassion.

Man, did I get.

Coach came, do you think you're helping him?

Do you think you're helping him by doing that?

Yeah.

No, you're not helping him.

God's given him a gift.

We got to see how strong he is.

And you just took it easy on him.

You think when he gets to division one, people are going to take it easy on him.

Oh, man, I got it.

And I learned a valuable lesson.

Here's the thing about athletes.

And here's what Coach always tried to do.

He tried to put us in situations.

that would mimic a real game so that when the game time came, we'd already practiced, and we knew how to overcome this so that when the real test came, we'd be victorious.

That's what fasting is.

Now, I see a lot of people misunderstand.

Fasting is good for the sake of denying yourself something, but you know what the best thing about fasting is and why the Bible teaches it?

When you fast, you teach yourself to deny yourself something that you want so that when the real game comes, you've already done it and you know how to do it.

If you don't fast...

I say fasting trains believers to deny themselves the normal comforts of eating and contentment for a season.

You deny the flesh, so you train the flesh.

If you don't do this, can I tell you, and I don't know why, that we're so resistant to it.

If you don't do this, a neglect of fasting leaves Christians spiritually emaciated in times of temptation because you've not learned how to do it.

Every Christ follower ought to have a few seasons every year where they deny themselves food for a season.

Because food is the strongest desire, right?

And if you can train yourself that way, when now a new temptation desire comes, guess what?

You've trained you.

You have the ability.

That's why I said athletes make good Christians, because they know that unless you discipline yourself here, unless you learn how to deny yourself here for a greater good, then when the real test comes, you'll fail.

So the question is, are you willing to fast in order to learn how to conquer the thing that's killing you?

Some of you, you keep failing in this temptation, but you've never trained for it.

And you're not willing to go through training to accomplish it.

So if there's something that's destroying you, this is your first thing.

Learn how to fast.

Teach yourself how to deny yourself something that you think you can't live without.

Some of you say, you know, Pastor Jeff, come on, you're, you know, we all have temptations.

It's not killing me.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

you are forfeiting, if you're addicted to something and you've given up on fighting it and you think it's not wounding you or hurting you, man, it is robbing you of so much because God is a wise investor.

He needs to know he can trust you if he puts you in certain situations.

And the only way he knows that, and the only way you know that is to practice putting you in those situations until you learn how to overcome.

So that he can use you in specific situations for the future.

I really believe that.

And I've seen that.

So how many of you, sometimes you wake up and you're, it's amazing.

Sometimes you wake up, oh, what a great day.

It's going to be good.

And other days you wake up, you're just ticked already.

You ever notice that?

You know, you can call it chemicals or whatever you ate, but sometimes you wait, you're mad already.

As soon as you wake up, you're mad.

And you're just mad all day.

And sometimes other days you're happy all day and you don't know why.

Sometimes you're anxious.

I know what that's like.

You just wake up and you're like, you know, you're just, you're not quite there.

What's going on?

Do you know that all of those things can be defeated?

All of them by training the mind.

The thing I learned most during my three years of anxiety is the power of the mind.

What?

When those things come now, I know how to stop them in their tracks.

And I'm not bragging.

I'm just simply telling you, you go to the Word of God.

And if I start quoting Scripture, do not be anxious for anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your request known to God and the peace of God.

And I just start quoting that Scripture, and I listen to it.

See, that's my practice mechanism.

I started practicing those verses so that when I feel a certain way, boom.

And that's exactly what Jesus did, right?

He knew the scripture so well when the temptation comes, he didn't try to fight it in and of his own accord.

He knew what scripture combated, the feeling or emotion he was having.

Third, he gives you the discipline of watching.

Let me read you some cool passages.

Matthew 26, 41.

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

First Corinthians 16, be watchful, stand firm in faith.

Galatians 6.1, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

This is a beautiful Greek concept or word, but it's actually a compound.

It's a military concept.

Watchfulness is situational awareness.

It's a proactive posture whereby one pays active attention to themselves and their surroundings.

So any gritty bodyguard worth his or her salt develops...

this situational awareness ability to prevent confrontations.

So it means that you're maintaining vigilance.

You're constantly in a state of readiness.

You're recognizing lurking threats just around the corner.

In order not to have confrontation, you want to avoid confrontation.

How do you watch?

You say, okay, what does that have to do with my temptation?

Good bodyguards will not place themselves in a situation they can't control.

You know that?

They want to know the exits.

They want to know everything, what to do when.

Watching means this.

If I struggle with pornography, I don't have a computer in my bedroom.

It's out in open where everybody can see what I'm doing.

Right?

If I'm having trouble with food, I make the decision at the grocery store.

Right?

What I buy goes on the shelves of my home.

See, in a way, you make up the decision whether you're going to defeat it or be defeated by it way back here.

You've got an alcohol addiction.

You make up your mind that I am not going to go to parties with open bars.

That's just too tempting.

It's free and accessible.

Ask any alcoholic who's had the click.

who has been sober for a long, long time, they will tell you there are just some situations I just do not put myself in.

I actually know a guy, no names, I actually know a guy who was dating somebody that there was an attraction there, and it wasn't a sinful thing, but because the other person drank so much, I can't date you.

Not because you're bad, just because I can't be around that.

The Bible calls that watchfulness.

I had a youth pastor in New Zealand.

I said, Pastor Jeff, I don't trust myself on a date.

You know, I'm 30 years old.

I'm really attracted to women and the hormones are flying.

So I need you to do me a favor.

I'm thinking, what do you mean me to do for you?

He said, every time I go on a date, I need to know that I have to call you afterwards.

Because if I have to call my pastor afterwards, it'll help me.

And it did.

He called.

I said, I'm going to call you, Bill.

Tell me when your dates are.

I want to know.

And then I'd say, hey, how'd you do?

And most of the time, I was fine.

I didn't do so well.

I said, okay, let's talk about this.

That's called watching.

Watching.

Believe it or not, you've made the decision to succeed or fail long before the temptation comes.

By the disciplines and the training in your life and by exposure.

What are you going to make sure that I am not around the situation?

And then in those times when it does occur, you've trained yourself to know how to handle it because you're a professional faster.

You have fasted, you've denied, and you know how your thinking goes.

And fourth and finally, he gives us a discipline of prayer.

Now, this is crucial.

You know, if you are tempted by something, Okay, the best time to pray is every day.

God, you know I'm facing this.

Please help me deal with this.

But the second best time to pray is right after the temptation.

Get down on your knees.

Thank you, God, that I pass this.

Thank you, God.

Or forgive me, God, and help me do better next time.

Best time to pray, because then you realize that you're not in this alone, that God is with you.

So if you want to summarize those four steps, okay, I've told this before, but I get to do what I want.

This is the last thing.

And I've got three minutes and 44 seconds.

So here's how I want to end.

Here's how I want to end.

So when I was in high school.

My junior high, I went to a place called T.A.

Duggar Junior High.

And when you graduated from junior high and went to high school, things were different.

You know, when you go to high school, things just look differently, don't they?

I mean, suddenly the people are different.

So there's this annual, they call it the blue and white game.

So there's a university adjacent to our high school called East Tennessee State University.

Big, big university basketball football team.

And they would come into our gym to play the annual, they call it Midnight Madness now, but it was blue and white.

It was where the A team would scrimmage the B team to let the people in our town know how good our team was going to be this year.

So I'm walking into the stadium, got some, you know, just walking in to see this big game.

And I've got my Elizabethan Cyclone sweater on because all us basketball players sit together.

So I'm walking in, you know, and as I'm walking in, this beautiful blonde, just beautiful blonde walks by me.

You know, I think I'm 14 years old now.

And guys, she gave me the look.

It's nonverbal communication.

You know, you don't have to say a word, but we speak that team language.

And it was like, hmm.

So I don't know what happened.

I think I was so shocked that someone like this would give me the look, but I knew I'd gotten the look.

So I forgot kind of where I was.

And I went back to junior high days.

And in my mind, I'm walking as if I would when I was in junior high.

And in junior high, when you walk in the stadium, you keep going straight.

But in high school, you have to make a right-hand turn or you'll be right on the court.

So I have this five packs of popcorn and about five Cokes that I'm taking back to my fellow players because I drew the short straw and I've got this thing I'm carrying back and I forget where I am.

And the last thing I saw was a striped shirt and it was the official running down to get ahead of the play at a fast break.

But he had his head turned that way.

And I had my head turned that way to the girl and we collided.

And there in 3000 people in the gym, there's this cloud of popcorn.

and Coke everywhere.

And, and what's amazing that, I mean, that was so, you got no idea that scarred me for life.

Uh, back, back in those days, you could take a dime and call.

So I called my mommy and I told her, please come get me because my life is over.

But you know what, you know what the astounding thing is?

You're not going to believe this.

I still got the girl.

That's amazing.

I still got the girl.

Why?

I don't know, but I learned a lesson.

It's an old cliche, still powerful.

Keep your eye on the Creator and off His creation.

Right?

That's temptation.

If you know what He's trying to do in you, I promise you next year, here's when it clicked for me.

Okay, I told you I have my thing.

We all have our things.

Here's when it clicked for me.

I keep hearing pastors say, and I've said it too, the devil's got the goods on you.

And according to James 1, he does.

He has the goods on you.

He knows your weakness and he's coming after it.

But you know what?

I got the goods on him.

And the goods on him are this.

One, he's already defeated.

He's going down.

And two, he's trying to take me with him.

So the click happened for me.

When the temptation comes, I stop and I realize, whoa, he's trying to ruin my life.

He's trying to forfeit my ability to be used by God.

And that brings out the competitor in me.

Whoa, no, I don't think so.

No, no, no.

So as I got older, I had the click.

No, I'm not doing that.

You are not robbing me of this.

And I refused to sacrifice my future for the pleasure of the present.

And you will too when you get serious about prayer and fasting and watching.

Prayer and fasting and watching.

Prayer and fasting and watching.

And when you admit, you're not special.

We're all dealing with it.

Amen?

And therein is Pastor Jeff's sermon for the end of the year.

Father, we know you love us and we're so thankful that we're saved by grace through faith, but never, never allow us to think.

that the manner in which we respond to the difficulties in our lives doesn't impact your ability to use us in the way that you want to use us, the calling on our lives.

And I pray in 2024, as we see what you're getting ready to do in the life of our church, I pray that we would all get serious about holiness, that we don't want to miss out on what you're doing in our church as people far from God are coming near and people are seeing things that they haven't seen in a long time.

Remind us that we're all in this together.

And we will confess our sins to one another, and none of us are perfect.

We know that.

And the tempter comes to all of us.

I pray that we would have a passion to engage in the disciplines in 2024 that would help us gain so much ground in being holy as you are holy.

Prayer, fasting, watching.

these disciplines.

It's our prayer in Christ's name, remember what he said.

Amen.