How to Overcome Lust & Protect Your Mind: Using Scripture as Our Fact Checker

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What is the list you will love your way.

Your 00 were long for you need to know if our minds are full of God's word. There will be any room for thought. To the contrary, Greg Laurie Seuss for love of God is a good thing to carry a Bible in your verse. The word of God is generated in your heart is your sports. You know all about songs on the radio revert one when someone says something that's inaccurate in your particular special alarm bells go off in your mind. No Greg Laurie says we should be specialists in Scripture Satan tries to plan a thought. Contrary to the Bible right away will say no, no, no, were in the sermon on the Mel and I summoned out to grab your Bible and turn to Matthew chapter 5 the title of my messages how to overcome loss and protect your mind, let me take a quick poll before we begin, how many of you have ever been tempted to sin richer and dump the dissent.

How many of you have ever given into those temptations before.

While this is a sinful crowd. You guys leave you though I thought my hand was up with yours as well. Temptation comes an attractive package is right.

Satan makes bad stuff look good. He makes what good things look appealing.

He makes deadly things look like they're going to be the best experience. You are my God, he's a liar and he'll do whatever he needs to do to pull you down so everybody gets tempted but here's something to understand. It's not a sin to be tempted. Did you know that I've ever heard of the fiery darts of the devil like flaming arrows from hell that he fires at your brain. That doesn't mean you're a wicked person, though you are but what it does mean is that you don't have to let that thought into your mind. It sort of knocks at the door of your imagination. You could say no way. I'm not thinking about that are easy to come right in and make yourself at all. That's up to you, so it's not a sin to be tempted. Let me take it a step further. If you're not being tempted something's wrong with you spiritually, why would the devil wasted time on some of that is not a threat to his kingdom so Cuban coming under spiritual attack lately that could be an indication that you're on the right track and that you're a threat to the devil. So let's answer the question what is temptation come from no immediate answer would be well devil, of course, and there's truth to that, but we need to understand we play a key role in our own temptation lesson Satan needs our cooperation in this area to give into temptation where there is no desire on my part. There is no temptation. We blame a lot of things on the double. And rightly so, but we need to responsible love you stop and think about the last time you gave me the any sin, chances are it started right here started right here in your imagination and then it led to action. That's why it says in second Corinthians 11 three I'm afraid that as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning. Your mind will somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ, so it's your mind starts in your thinking. Second Corinthians 10 forces we use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments we capture our rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. So when those thoughts comments.

I guess you can come right in. No you are not coming in. You are not welcome here.

So let's see what Jesus said now about how to deal with the loss and immorality, how to keep her mind clean. Matthew chapter 5 verse 27. You've heard the commandment that says you must not commit adultery but I say who even looks at a woman with lust is already committed adultery with her in his heart. So Jesus is not talking about a casual glance here.

He's talking to a person who is engaged in a continual act of looking in this usage.

In this context of this is not talking about an incidental or involuntary glance, but an intentional and repeated gazing with the express purpose of lusting, so it's not just all well look there's a pretty girl or oh, there's an attractive guy know it's not just that you're going to notice that note the differences no there is a pretty girl I'm in a go find a pretty girl or an attractive guy with the intention of lusting after them. It's a different thing. And this isn't just for men looking lustfully at women. It's also for women looking lustfully at Ben or men looking lustfully at men and women looking lustfully at women just anything outside of God's order and think of the pornography problem today.

You see, now it's not something for many that's considered forbidden.

There's no shame about it. You see it joked about on sitcoms and you see movies like 50 shades of gray bringing it to a larger mainstream audience, and if you engage in these things only just say if you are engaging in watching porn.

This is talking to end well for you and you are specifically doing something Jesus is told you not let me explain why pornography is creating a desire in you that cannot be satisfied properly in any way because it's creating an unnatural desire. It's like you have a out-of-control fire and you're trying to put it out with gasoline. It's just going to get worse and worse and the Bible says can a man take fire into his lap and not be burned in the answer of course is no so be practical you know if the scene comes on in the film that you should not be watching. Did you know you can actually get up and leave your seat but I paid for it yet. So get up and walk out. Better yet demand refunds that you should do a little research on the movie before you go watch if you're watching something on your TV. In this scene comes on he should be saying turn it off now. This obviously includes conversations with members of the opposite sex that don't engage in sexually suggestive conversations.

This obviously includes texting, which is sometimes called 16 right don't do that because you're just headed down the road that's going to lead you to a miserable and so you know, think about these things.

Think before you send that text and then let's remove this from sexual things and just everything I posted something on Twitter the other day I said, think before you tweet.

Think before you tweet THINK run into this grantee is a true H is it helpful I is it inspiring and is it necessary K isn't time if it isn't, don't tweet it that would eliminate a lot of my tweets that be great actually just twitter you know the whole world of twitter is become a very hostile environment has met so we bring all of these thoughts and of the captivity of Jesus Christ.

Alright so if you look in a woman or a man to lust after her. It's like committing adultery. So what's the solution you're ready for it.

Let's find it. Verse 29 Jesus tells us what to do if your eye even if it is your good eye causes you lust, gouge it out and throw it away. If your arm causes you to sin, even your best arm carted off. Will there is no good solution. Living is a Greg you making fun of the Bible known this, pointing out the obviously Jesus is not speaking literally do have to say that I hope you know even if I gouge on my right. I could still sin with my left eye right even a bison with my right arm. I can still sin with my left arm or my left and so the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart is so it all comes down to the heart.

So what is Jesus saying in this culture, the right hand was considered the dominant and best can. Sorry if you're a southpaw and the right. I was considered the dominant and the best I so Jesus is a not just cut off your arm or plug out to write the plug out your Best Buy cut off your dominant arm. The point is simply this, whatever would cause you to fall into sin must be dealt with decisively and quickly this would be for instance some let's see you about struggle with your computer. It's always when you go online you're looking at all the stuff do you can put filters on your computer you can give your password to other people so they can look at what you're looking at on your computer� Say that doesn't work, you literally could get rid of your stinking computer. If you had to because that's what it took to keep you from being struck by lust.

Would that not be a practical step to take her about your phone. I think some people would rather cut off the right arm and give up their phone. But you know if your phone is your problem you know stinking training your smart phone again one of those old-school typos and actually only make phone calls right member. Those they still exist. You can buy them. You can view media on them.

You can look at Instagram on them. You can't boast in them you actually use the phone to make phone calls and that's it. That's the way it used to be the old buddies. Now we carry these powerful computers around in our pocket that give us access to a lot of great things and a lot of really horrible things and so we have to be very careful but do what you need to do now. You may have heard the story, but there was Manny was climbing rocks. His name is Erin Ralston.

This happened a number of years ago.the film was made out of his life called 127 hours, so Ralston was climbing in Utah when a boulder shifted, pinning his arm. He tried everything he could to get out from under this folder.

Nothing was working two days past. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He was cold, he realized that nobody was coming to rescue him, and the only way he can get out of there was. He was getting up to take the worst step imaginable. He was getting up to cut off his own arm if he wanted to live. This is a true story. He is the pocketknife. It took a long time. He caught his arm off repelled 65 feet to the canyon floor walked out.

I guess he figured better to be alive with only one arm than dad with two so he took radical action, but it illustrates the point that Jesus is making do with needs to be done lay aside those things that would pull you down for Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment.

So many listeners have commented on the help they received from Pastor Greg's teachings's books and God's word hi Pastor Greg, thank you for writing about your personal loss and help her hurting heart. I read your book many times in the past two years. After my dear son went to had been three days before his 20th birthday. I continually refer to your book for encouragement and help as you know firsthand what it's like to lose your own precious son.

I also appreciate your podcasts and glean wisdom from please pray for me as I still cry God bless you, your ministry and your dear family, thank you for being God's messenger for information on Pastor Greg's book for hurting hearts search for that title@harvest.org if you have some words to share how Pastor Greg studies God's word touched your life, drop him an email at greg@harvest.org doing today would you that's great@harvest.org today. Pastor Greg is highlighting some important help for standing against the temptations that come our way.

It's a message called how to overcome lust and protect your mind. Okay, so now what is the best defense to use 1 Lustful Thoughts Come Your Way. Here is the answer.

It's the word of God. Remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He said that Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he wanted to take that walk and turn it into a ghetto and In-N-Out Burger about some of the Bible says is this is a piece of bread, but turn it into some photo and Jesus responded. It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by everywhere that comes from the Lord, all the devil take him to a high point of the temple whether to jump off a pier and the angels will get you, Jesus, as it is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God, the devil tells in the fall and worship him. And Jesus says it is written, you shall worship the Lord God and him only shall you serve. How did Christ defend himself against the onslaught of temptation to use the word of God.

That's what you need to know the Scripture, someone 19 verse lines is probably young men cleanses way by taking heed according to your word.

Someone 1911 says your word of I should know my heart that I might not sin against you. Look, it's a good thing to carry a Bible in your purse or in your briefcase, but the best place to carry the word of God is in your heart carried in your heart, memorize it while you can memorize that yeah you can do memorize all kinds of stupid stuff all the time. You know you do. I have shingles in my mind I was to go away stats and information that means nothing. Going back decades is Alonzo my brain don't tell me you can memorize God's word. I have versus in my mind memorize that I learned when I was 17 years old and they're still in the brain.

Today, those are precious to me one of those verses. This first Corinthians 1013, it may have been one of the first verses I have her memorize which says Amanda forgot know I'm it says there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God was faithful will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear. So basically is saying whenever you've been tempted.

There was always a way out wasn't there. There was always a way out. Sometimes it was as simple as the door. The off button. The termination of a conversation or whatever was there was always a way out and there is always a way out so memorize the word of God fill your mind with the word of God know the word of God, and sometimes I even quote it out loud when things come my way out.

Quote Scripture you know it's interesting because in the armor of God given to us in Ephesians 6 were to take the helmet of salvation and have her feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and the shield of faith, but what is our sort. This sort of the spirit and what is the sort of the spirit who knows the word of God. This sort of the spirit which is the word of God. It's the one offensive weapon God has given us in our spiritual armor and so when you're dealing with temptation. You pull that sword out and you use that sword and you use the word of God. Let it help you. There's an old Puritan expression. I read that I really like it's the explosive power of a new affection, the explosive power of a new affection. What is that mean mean something is so powerful that it's more attractive to you than the other thing you want to get a child to drop something. Give them something better in its place and there be playing with their whatever it is or playing with the many go check this out right. The new affection is the Lord, the new affection is a relationship with Jesus. The new affection is walking in closeness with him. That's the explosive power of a new affection and explosive meaning it pushes the old stuff out. I don't want that stuff of my life anymore. I don't want that garbage in my life anymore.

I have something far better in its place in the far better thing is knowing God facility close by asking do you know God you may know about God but do you know God, you know him in a personal way to this is why Jesus came and died on the cross for our sin because we've all broken his commandments and we've all fallen short of the standards and we've all messed up everyone of us have given into temptation. Everyone of us have done things were ashamed of. But here's the good news Jesus shed his blood for every sin you have ever committed, and if you'll admit your sin not make excuses for it, not blame it on someone else, not even blaming it all on the double.

But, own it, so you know I did that I should've done it, and if you'll churn from it repented and asked God to forgive you.

He will maybe some of you need to do that right now. Maybe the some of you here that don't have the confidence that Jesus is living inside of you. You don't know for certain that if you were to die, you would go to heaven but you would like to know that that can happen for you right now to pray, to give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come in your life and an opportunity for others who may be of sin to ask the Lord to forgive them. Let's all bow our heads for prayer father, thank you for loving us so much. You sent Jesus Christ your son to die on the cross in our place. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and laying your life down. Thank you for your incredible offer of forgiveness and now I pray for any person here any person listening, watching, wherever they may be. They don't have this relationship with you. If they don't know you in a personal way. I pray your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their sin and bring them to yourself in Jesus name I came to Greg Lord important word of prayer.

If you like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that and he'll do so before today's addition of a new beginning.

Concludes so stay tuned. Now today's presentation is titled how to overcome lust and protect your mind if you missed any of today's insight you can get a replay instantly by going to harvest.org or go inside our harvest app on such a privilege to have author J. Warner Wallace with us today.

Jim Wallace is a good friend of the ministry and he's just finished a book called person of interest. He makes a case for the uniqueness of Christ, much as a detective would make a case for a crime where there is no crime scene. It's a fascinating read and very convincing that Jim you were an atheist for many years. What if you had read this book.

During that time would've changed your mind is a question and I cannot wonder sometimes we really hold intellectual objections are most of our objections deeper than that. Their emotional or volitional, as I was really in a bit behind my objection, but I will tell you this in half and said I only met two kinds of Christians out I was in Southern California. To be honest I didn't have any Christian friends growing up didn't know never invited us to church and never invited me to church.

My parents were Christians. I just did not have a sense I didn't know anybody and and then I met some Christians at work now present the just as a police officer than a detective in the two groups of people.

I met the most often were number one police officers couple at our agency, who were Christians and why would asked him questions they did not have good answers I thought. While these are people who are have a high value for evidence. Yet, when I asked him questions early, evidentially based alike.

So really you would never build a case against the sky was put in jail. The way you just got that case from Richey eyes that really this is a very unexamined worldview, then the other group I met to those other Christians.

The people I was taken to jail okay and those folks were telling me not yet.

You know I just I be honest with you it would tell me I just got saved, like in the last year when driving to jail. I'm thinking to myself really yeah so so we had to have Kaiser groups.

Here we have people who are either unwilling to look at going to know. This is supported by the evidence and people who don't behave is not supported by the evidence. I wanted no part of either one would be just comforting to know that there is a way of of of living as a Christian that is very well informed.

Informed about history informed about science informed from educational perspective.

You have to turn off your brain to be a Christian. As a matter fact this is the I think the that the great gain of of all the dogs in the yard located the dogs you are young, philosophy of philosophies of the world in the history of philosophy. I see this is the great Dane right that we don't need to act like Chihuahuas were consciously barking because of the smallest dog in the yard. It turns out the Christian worldview is very well-informed and is supported by the evidence. You can repeat be comfortable enough to react aggressively. All you have to do though is know what the evidence is you have a sense of calm about defending the case for Christianity great statement.

You don't have to turn off your brain to become a Christian. You know the Lord says come let us reason together, says the Lord. Reason there's a place for that place for answering the objections that people have in giving the biblical evidence. This is a resource that you will consult again and again, footnoted research, well written, but at the same time, illustrated and made understandable, so anyone I think a young man or a young woman be able to understand this as well as someone who is older and more of a reader. This is something everyone can benefit from. It's a brand-new book called person of interest. Subtitled why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible, written by former cold case detective G. Warner Wallace. I will send you a copy for your gift of any size. Yes, brand-new.

In fact, the publisher graciously sent some advanced copies only available through a new beginning, and we want to send this resource to you to thank you for partnering with us. So these daily studies can continue reaching out with the gospel in our prayer is that this book will help you reach out with the gospel in your own circle of influence. So ask for person of interest. As you send your generous gift today to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

We can speak with you anytime again at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord. Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now.

Yeah they really can. That's the amazing thing. I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months.

It doesn't take weeks. It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness. A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life. If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God in friend thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen, amen Allison if you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg. The Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible assures us Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you as you begin to live this new life we call it our new believers growth packet just ask for it and will send it free of charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg Wright, a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

We are here to take your call around the clock again the number 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org and click know God everybody Greg Laurie here encouraging you to join us as we give her what we call harvest that home is worse in the message of the word of God. You can watch it with your family and your front room where you can watch it on the go on your tablet on your phone or your computer. Take it with you think the word of God with you. Join us for Harvest at Home harvest when next I pastor Greg Iversen will the burdens of life again piling up just like when the trashcan is overflowing. It's time to take out the trash. Learn how to do that next time your new beginning and things really doing new beginning. Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org