Do you know how to deal with temptation when it comes? This message reveals 5 keys to avoid temptation, plus 5 ways God cares for you personally.

Are you living in the full blessing God has for you? When was the last time you evaluated your priorities? This series will help you stay on track or get back to the right priorities with God. Plus, learn how to grow spiritually. He wants to be close to you, to bless you, to give you rest. But getting God’s blessings will require you to consider your ways and focus on what’s important to God.

You Will Be Strengthened When You Put God First

Temptation vs Trust

Last week we focused on the phrase “give careful thought to your ways” found in Haggai. We saw how the people of God took Haggai’s message from the Lord to heart. In a matter of 23 days, the people of God returned to rebuilding the temple of God that had been dormant for some 15 years. The temple had been destroyed and the people taken into exile many years earlier, but now the people of God were allowed to return, and they began to rebuild the temple of God. Now it has been 15 years since the foundation was re-laid and completed but still no construction regarding the temple itself. Opposition to building the temple was great and the people slowly lost focus on what was truly important. The people began to focus on building their own homes. The people of God slowly lost the courage, passion, focus, and desire to rebuild the temple. Worshiping the Lord in the temple of God became secondary to their own houses and welfare. The people choose to embrace temptation rather than trusting the Lord in the face of opposition.

Partial Obedience Is Disobedience

There is always a choice with temptation. Just say no to temptation.

In Haggai 1:12, we read that the people begin once again to obey the Lord and rebuild the temple of God. The Lord sent the prophet Haggai to confront the people and their backward priorities. The people had lost sight of spiritual priorities along with obeying and worshiping the Lord. They chose to focus on themselves. Their desires. Their homes. The people soon became busy with life and focused on their own wants and needs. They decided that they had no time for rebuilding the temple of God. They had no drive to resume the rebuilding of the temple. They thought to themselves, “we will rebuild the temple later because the timing is not right.” The people of God chose to serve themselves before serving God Almighty. They thought in their hearts that it was better to build their own homes and “get their lives together” than rebuild the temple. Besides, they thought, they had already started building the temple. The foundation was complete. Church, partial obedience is not obedience; it's disobedience.

Remember what King Saul did? Saul was to totally destroy the Amalekites, but he didn’t. The prophet Samuel confronts Saul.

And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” 20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal” (1 Samuel 15:18-21, NIV).

Saul blames others for the choice he made. Saul yielded to temptation. His personal desires blinded him into thinking he obeyed the Lord. He started to obey, but partial obedience is not obedience.

How To Find Order and Blessings in Life

Obedience is better than sacrifice. Consider your ways. Just say no to temptation.

So, God sends Haggai to confront the people of God much like God sent Samuel to confront Saul. The people responded to Haggai’s message. The people feared the Lord. Haggai’s word from the Lord rekindled the fear and reverence of the Lord in their hearts. The people returned to doing what was once spiritually important: rebuilding the temple of God.

The house of God had been left undone while the people focused on their own houses. The place where God's glory was to reside remained unfinished as the people focused on their own homes and lives. Let me say today, do not neglect your spiritual heart. As people of faith, as believers in Christ, we worship the Lord in our hearts.

We can find order and blessings in life. The lesson to learn here is not to focus on self but rather focus on God Almighty. Everything else will fall in line when you have God first in your heart. God will bless you as you obey him with all your heart.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

He loves you with everlasting, passionate, perfect, and unchanging love.

5 Ways God Cares for You Personally

Every spiritual revival begins with the Lord. God inspires some to seek the Lord. God places a spiritual hunger for more of God in others. God sets individuals apart to excite, inspire, and to encourage others to obey and believe in him. I want to challenge each of us to give careful thought to how we are living. God sent Haggai and Samuel to speak to individuals and warn them to refocus their hearts and put God first.

God called Billy Graham and many others to speak into people’s lives and to place their faith in Jesus. Their message was much like Haggai’s message.

Give careful thought to your ways. Just say no to the temptation of making yourself first in your heart. In Haggai 2:15-19 we find the words “give careful thought”.

“Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple” (Haggai 2:15).

Haggai is also calling us to give thought to both the past and the present. It is a word we should consider.

When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

“‘From this day on I will bless you.’” (Haggai 2:16-19).

Consider your life. What was your life before you knew Jesus as Lord and Savior?

• Give careful thought to how things were before knowing Jesus and the love of God.

• Give careful thought to God’s blessing and what he is doing and will do as you obey him with all your heart, mind, and soul.

Haggai gives us a final word in 2:20-23. In five places Haggai reassures us that God will care for you personally:

1. I will overturn (Haggai 2:22).

2. I will overthrow (Haggai 2:22).

3. I will take you (Haggai 2:23).

4. I will make you (Haggai 2:23).

5. I have chosen you (Haggai 2:23).

Those are powerful words. They are words of promise. They are words that you can believe.

I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

23 “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:22-23).

Not only will God personally do something, but he declares you are chosen. The Lord Almighty has chosen you to be his own. Those words should bring comfort and assurance to your heart that God is on your side with concern and love. Shouldn’t this kind of knowledge and concern God has for us cause us to carefully consider our ways? What we say; how we live; what and who are first in our hearts.

This is a word of blessing regarding what the Lord was going to do for the people as they refocused their hearts to serve and obey the Lord.

1. I will overturn (Haggai 2:22).

2. I will overthrow (Haggai 2:22).

3. I will take you (Haggai 2:23).

4. I will make you (Haggai 2:23).

5. I have chosen you (Haggai 2:23).

I believe those same words are true for us today.

Actions Reveal Priorities

What about you? Will you give careful thought to this truth from this day forward?

Haggai’s words were to the people of God in his day. Let them also be a good word for us today. A word of blessing and a word of warning.

Reading the book of Haggai, and all the books of the Old Testament, you will see that the people of God returned from exile and were to rebuild the temple of God, but something happened. The people experienced opposition. The people took their spiritual eyes off God and focused on themselves. In time, they became discouraged. They lost focus on what was truly important. Their passion and focus on rebuilding the temple of God was gone. Their spiritual desires grew faint and gave way for them to focus on their own comfortable homes and pleasures while the temple of God remained unfinished and forgotten.

Personal desires are not bad unless those desires get in the way of you serving the Lord and when they take priority over God being first in your heart and life.

In time, the people of God drifted away from serving God and obeying the instruction to rebuild the temple. By not rebuilding the temple, the people were saying worshiping God is not important. The temple is where the presence of God resides and by putting off the rebuilding of the temple the people by their actions showed their hearts were far from God. The same is true today.

Your actions, or lack of, reveals the priority in your heart and life. When a person’s heart is not focused on the Lord, life becomes murky. Soon the difference between right from wrong becomes undistinguishable. The truths that were once black and white issues are no longer clear. The distinctions that were once clearly visible are not as clear. The issues become a gray area in the mind of the person.

Let me be perfectly clear. God has no gray area regarding obedience or worship. With God there are no spiritually gray areas. Sin is sin. Disobedience is disobedience. Truth is truth.

Let me be clear no one is exempt from being tempted. We are all tempted. But know that you do not have to act upon that temptation. You can say no! You can walk away.

Jesus was tempted in the desert. Both Mathew and Luke’s gospels record the event of Jesus being tempted by the devil.

‘Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”’ (Matthew 4:1-3).

Jesus was tempted three times on this occasion. Each temptation was to address either a physical need, a spiritual authority, or to simply disobey God and avoid the painful situation of being crucified on a cross. Yet Jesus did not sin; Jesus trusted God. Jesus believed God and refused to believe the lie. Jesus focused on doing the will of the Father. Jesus knew in his heart the love of God and he knew the truth in the word of God to be true. The serpent was trying to confront and tempt Jesus’ physical weakness along with Jesus’ faith and obedience to the will of God.

The 5 Keys to Avoiding Temptation

Consider your ways. Just say no to temptation.

“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” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

‘When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death’ (James 1:13-15).

God will not tempt you. Now you will never be able to totally avoid the temptation to sin.

However, Jesus knew the key to avoiding sin. Jesus knew that the Word of God is powerful, and he used the Word to avoid temptation. The same is true today. Jesus looked to God Almighty.

What are the 5 keys to avoiding temptation?

1. Stand on the promises of God.

2. When you are being tempted, begin to pray and draw close to the Lord.

3. When you feel you are being tempted, remove yourself from the temptation.

4. Turn and walk away.

5. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength.

Just before Jesus was betrayed by Judas, Jesus and his disciples go to the Mount of Olives and pray.

‘Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”’ (Luke 22:39-46).

Notice, twice Jesus tells his disciples to pray “that you will not fall into temptation.”

As you live each day, no matter how things appear, do not forget to pray.

Don’t Put Off Spiritual Things or Lose Sight of What’s Important

Do not get discouraged or lose sight of what is truly important. Don’t lose sight of the truth of God. Don’t lose sight of the Lord. Do not forget the cross and how much God loves you. Don’t allow your faith in God to waver when things in life get murky or gray. Pray and know right from wrong and let the light of the gospel and the Holy Spirit guide you in every decision.

Don’t let your desires get in the way of serving the Lord with all your heart. The enemy of your soul will try to get you to focus on your dreams and desires rather than obeying God’s plan and his will for your life. Do not fall for the tricks of the enemy. Do not be led astray by some murky gray area that the world tries to promote. Many people twist God’s word into saying what they want to hear. Some will purposely misquote the scriptures in order to excuse or condone their actions. Others are simply ignorant of the word of God all-together and have no idea they are saying anything wrong.

Know the word of God and confront false teaching. If you do that you can often avoid the temptation to sin.

Let me list a few verses you can refer to later:

“do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven” (Deuteronomy 4:19b).

“My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him” (2 Chronicles 29:11).

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7).

‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame’ (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).

Do not make excuses like the people of God did concerning the rebuilding of the Temple. The people thought it was not time yet to build the temple. They were too busy doing what they wanted; living in the homes they built for themselves and working in the fields to supply their desires.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’” (Haggai 1:2).

Church, we can always find excuses of why we cannot do what God desires us to do. Why you do not have time to pray. Why we do not have time to help someone in need. Why I cannot go to church today. Why I cannot serve in some areas of ministry. Why I do not have time to read the Bible.

Do not put off spiritual things. Do not think that you will find time later. You will find that you will have another excuse then.

Jesus told a parable of a certain rich man who decided to build bigger barns and store all his grain. This man thought life would be easy in later years. But what he did not know was that tomorrow he would die. This man was focused on his desires and not on God.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21).

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

Say yes to Jesus and no to the temptation. Say no to placing your desires before God being first in your heart.

Temptations will come when you least expect them. Temptation is real. Refuse to yield to worldly lies. Refuse to yield to pear pressures. Refuse to do something that you know in your heart is wrong. Consider your ways carefully. Seek first the kingdom of God.

Live in such a way that no matter what comes your way, your faith in Christ is first and secure. Know the promises of God and know that his word is true.

Remember what the Lord declared to the people of God. “I have chosen you.” You are chosen by God. Know that he loves you and he knew you in your mother’s womb.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

I believe this word is true for everyone. Before you were even formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you appointed you to do the will of God.

Say yes to God. Choose today to avoid temptation. Choose today to consider your ways.

• Pray and ask the Lord to guide you in all truth.

• Pray and be strong and courageous in the Lord.

• Pray and take a step of faith and know, as you place Jesus first in your life, he is with you.

• Pray and choose to glorify God in all you do.

• Pray and choose to lean not on your understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him.

• Pray and believe with all your heart to love God and say no to temptation and sin.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you” (Psalm 139:13-18).

Know God is always with you no matter the temptation. Consider your ways and say no to temptation. You will never regret just saying no to temptation.

Suggested Praise and Worship

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