I come to thee. I need thee every
hour, O Holy One. Our blessed Son I need Thee,
I need Thee Every hour I need Thee Oh, every hour I need Thee
Lord, I come to Thee I'll go back with me to 1 Corinthians
10. We had a good time of worship
and fellowship with the saints in Franklin, Tennessee. We heard
three wonderful messages by my pastor. I was greatly blessed
and needed to sit and listen and be fed myself. I know when
I have been blessed, when I get several messages from the preaching,
and I did just that. I jotted down so many texts that
were a blessing to me and thoughts that came to me as a result of
my pastor's preaching. But this message did not come
from that. I grabbed a book of sermons by
Charles Spurgeon just for my personal reading while we went
down there. And I haven't read a message
by Charles Spurgeon in years. Years. And I just grabbed one. And I was browsing through it
and something caught my eye that he dealt with from Hebrews 11.
And he preached on the simple phrase they were tempted. They were tempted, and it was
such a blessing to me, and one thing led to another, and it
led me to this passage here in 1 Corinthians 10, which we are
going to deal with tonight. And I hope this will be a great
comfort to you if the Lord gives me liberty to preach and you
liberty to hear it. Verse 13 is our text and subject. There hath no temptation taken
you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye
may be able to bear it. The common temptations of God's
people, that's the subject. Does that interest you? Common
temptations, also entitled this, the subtitle, Common Temptations,
The Common Savior. Now, the word temptation has
two meanings, two meanings. First, it means trial, affliction. Secondly it means an enticement
to see. Persuasion or temptation to say. Those two trials and. As you remember in Genesis
twenty two it says after these things the Lord did. Abraham. Meaning try him. Didn't entice
him to sin. Tried him. So it has these two
meanings. And all of God's people experience
both. All of God's people experience
trials and afflictions. No, they're not God's people.
All of God's people experience enticements or persuasions to
sin. Someone once said this, I read,
They said God had one son without sin. But no sons without temptation. And we will see why later on.
First of all, I want us to consider these common temptations. Look at verse 13 again. Let's
read it again. There have no temptation taken
you. Or nothing you have gone through.
be a trial or an enticement to sin but such as is common to
man. Common temptation no trial affliction
no difficulty no tribulation that is unique to you and you
alone. Nothing you have gone through
or will go through that someone else has not gone through. Experience to some degree by
all. Some more some way but some degree
about there have been no temptation nothing you have been enticed
to do the same no allurement but such as is common to all. All the bread look with me at
Hebrews chapter eleven. Hebrews eleven. This is the chapter
you know of the hall of faith it is a chronological Or in order
of an account in order of the people, the saints of God with
their trials. And the well-known saints, that
is not all the same, but the well-known ones, the ones you
know, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Sarah, Moses and
so forth. The ones you know, I look at
it in verse 32, verse 32 through 37, let's read this. I want you to notice something
here that. Mr. Spurgeon brought to my attention. Verse 32, he says, What shall
I more say? The time would fail me to tell
of Gideon, of Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David also, Samuel,
of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword,
out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned
to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised
to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others had trial of cruel mockings
and scourgings. Yay, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with a sword, and wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and
tormented. Mr. Spurgeon pointed out something
I'd never seen before. Right in the middle, between
being sawn in half. and being slain with the sword,
he says, they were tempted. Putting temptation equal with
being slain by the sword. Isn't that something? Mr. Spurgeon also said this. Some
of the old writers thought that that didn't belong there. But he said, I beg to differ.
And he showed me why. That though all were not stoned,
you and I will probably never be stoned. All were not slain
with a sword. All were tempted. And being tempted
is put right alongside being slain with the sword because
in some ways it is more painful. Being slain with a sword is immediate
and instant death. That would be great mercy, would
it not? But this thing of temptation lasts a long time. And it's sometimes
more painful and cut you to the heart. Some of you, and I've experienced
this, you go to a place of work on Monday morning right after
you left this place of bliss and happiness and joy with God's
people who are rejoicing, who are worshiping God, thanking
God, blessing God, And the first thing you hear when you get to
work is them blaspheming your God. And it cuts you to your
heart. And you think you hear this day
in and day out. And you think, I don't know how
much more I can take it in. Is that true, anybody? I remember
well. Lot was vexed. Old Joe, you know all of his
pains that he went through? Going home to an unbelieving
wife who mocked him and ridiculed his religion and wanted him to
curse his God was more painful than the boils covering his body.
Does anybody know anything about that? You see, you're not alone. You're not alone. And you say, I can't take any
more. I don't think I can take any more. When you reach the
point where you say, I'm going to quit. I can't do this. But
the scripture says that God is able. The sufferings of believers
may differ. They're in their way. or tempted,
or tried, or enticed, and the degree in which they are tempted,
but all are tempted. This is the point I'm trying
to lay. All are tempted because Satan
is a real person, and the world is no friend to
us, but rather an enemy. It was to Christ, and he said
it would be to us. And the worst enemy of all is
the one you live with every day that you never get rid of until
the day you die. It's called self, the old man.
And these three, this unholy trinity, tries to keep us from
following Christ. It is their mission. It is their mission to keep us
from going to glory. Now these are common trials.
Common trials or temptation. Trials. Trials and afflictions
are a test of faith. That's why they're sent. Trials
are the test of your faith, Scripture says. Faith, you see, is in an
unknown God, and God tries that faith to see if it be real. Not
for him to see, but for others to see. He knows. He put it there.
He knows what's real. But for others to see. that it
is real, and I'll dwell more on that in a moment. But faith
must be tried. True faith must be tried. He
said in the next twelfth chapter of Hebrews, he said, if you be
without chastisement, that's correction, for proof, rebuke,
correction, instruction, and trials, whereof all are partakers,
then you're a bastard. You're not God's children. So
all are tried, all are tested, all who claim to have faith must
have that faith tested, like a ship put out to sea. You look
at a ship, you build this ship, and you say, what a beautiful
ship. Isn't that a beautiful ship? And everybody thinks it's
a beautiful ship. Well, it may look like a ship,
but you just don't know if it's a ship until you put it out to
sea, and I mean out in deep waters. A soldier may look good, he may
have a nice uniform, he may sound good, he may seem obedient and
so forth, he may seem like a good sharpshooter and all this and
that and the other, a good fighter, but you won't know until the
bullets start flying. And no man could call him a soldier
is himself a soldier if he said I'd love to be in the army but
I don't want to be shot at. I'm joining the army for an adventure
but I don't want to go to war. That's what soldiers are for. Now as I said there are different
types of afflictions and trials and tribulations for all different
types but all Here's the first point all are trying in some
way. And God Almighty is the heavenly
father of his children and according to his wisdom and his purpose.
He suits the trial to each one of his sons according to the
way he knows them and knows how to do. It doesn't deal with you
the way it deals with me doesn't deal with me the way it deals
with you. It's all according to his wisdom. and his purpose
as he sees fit but all will be tried and these trials are sent
by God. Try talking about trials and
afflictions troubles and so forth test but what about enticements
and. Now the scripture says clearly
that God cannot be tempted nor can he tempt any man to say God
did not tempt Adam to sin. God tempts no man. God cannot
tempt or entice to sin. That would make him unholy. But
he allows others to do so. Could he not remove it completely?
Absolutely. Could he not take Satan out of
the way and remove Satan from us? Absolutely. But he doesn't. Could he not have prevented Satan
from casting the whole human race into the pit of corruption? Somehow or another, it works
out his purpose and for his glory. But these three things, as we
say, it's Satan, the world and the flesh. Now, listen here.
These common enticements to sin, Satan. It is Satan's constant
work. Our Lord warned Peter this, and
what he said to Peter applies to all of his disciples. He says,
Satan hath desired thee to sift you like wheat. Now that is true
of all of God's people, but especially true of those who are in the
lead. The captain who's up front is getting shot at the most. And Peter went down, but not
forever. But he said to him, and what
he said to him, he says to all of us, Satan hath desired thee. Satan knows who is not in his
captivity. Now, this will be of great help
to you if you try to ask the Lord to let you pay attention. Satan knows who is not in his
captive, he knows it. So he is constantly trying to
lure them away by enticements and temptations, as I said, especially
the prominent ones whom, if he brings them down, could bring
many with them, like David. And again, once again, what is
a temptation to one may not be to another. And someone's weakness may not
be another person's weakness. Satan is a master of human nature. And he knows. And all flesh is in some way
weak. Some weaker in some ways than
others. And all tempted by Satan in a certain way. And the world, the world tempts. And I think that we're being
saved from where we remember the children of Israel were the
Lord said, I've come to bring you out of Egypt. They were in it for a long time,
according to God's purpose. And our Lord said of his disciples,
Lord, he prayed to the Father. He said, I pray not that thou
shouldest take them from the world, take them out of the world,
but save them from it. Because the world is an enemy
of God's people. And he is saving us from being
overthrown by the world. That's what our text says. It
says many were overthrown in the wilderness. That is, the
wilderness Sucked them in. The places, and
the towns, and the vanity fair, and the things they went through,
and the people they met, and the wives, and so forth, just
swallowed them up. Overcame. That's where they forgot
about the promised land, forgot God their rock, and hewed out cisterns, and so
forth. And the whole book, the whole
Bible is basically about that and keeps reminding us over and
over and over and over. The world, we live in the world,
we must, we must. But God is saving us from it,
from being overthrown by it and being destroyed with it, because
God is going to destroy this world, meaning people. And like lots like lots it is
though it is a constant it is both a constant vexation to the
people of God and. A lot showed that very shortly
after he got out of. He showed. Great deal of it was
still in it didn't. As long as we are in this world
we will be tempted by. That which is flesh is flesh. Spirit is willing, our Lord said,
but flesh is weak. Does anybody in here know what
I'm talking about? I think most everybody does.
And the flesh finds pleasure in sin, but it fails to realize
it's for a season. And the next thing, the last
thing is this self, this old man that entices us, tempts us,
is ever with us. Listen to Spurgeon. I wrote down
this one quotation from Spurgeon. And he said this, and every believer
has this very experience. He said, every good man is two
men. Don't have any trouble with that
now. We've already seen from scriptures that God's people
are indeed good people. The next verse we didn't read
in Hebrews 11 says the world's not worthy of it. And what God calls good, don't
you call unclean. All right? Call yourself that,
but don't call your brethren that. But every good man, he
says, quoting Spurgeon, every good man is two men. He finds
an eye fighting against his real eye. That's what Paul said in
Romans 7, didn't he? I find another law warring in
me. Again, Purgeon says, the old
man who, according to its corruptions and lusts, daily wars with this
newborn man within, which cannot stand, the new man, because it's
born of God. And this is true of all of God's
people all of the people of God. They have this inward conflict
these inward conflicts within themselves of the most painful. So painful. So it's a common lot of all of
God's people to be tempted. God allows it according to his
purpose. And listen to this Spurgeon here's
a couple more things I got from Spurgeon and I do want to give
credit where it's due. I don't want to practice preaching
plagiarism. Spurgeon said that all are tempted all are tempted
So this should leave us all without excuse for murmuring and complaining
under the temptation. In other words, no one can say
nobody knows what I'm going through. Oh, yes. Oh, yes, there are probably
a zillion people that. Probably every one of your brother
right now, you know, to some degree, what you're going to
give you an example. Do we have daily struggles to
make a living? Financial struggles? You wonder
if you're going to meet your next bill? Try living 900 years
with 4,000 or 5,000 children to support. That's so. Ask Methuselah. Methuselah, how many jobs you
work in, Methuselah? How many good people you got
dependent on? And God met his needs for nine
hundred and sixty nine years. We owe it to seven. Nobody knows how tough I've been.
Not so. Not so. What about family trouble?
You don't know the troubles that go on in my family. Let's ask
Adam and Eve. My children, I've got one pretty
good boy and one that's just given us no... Ask Adam, the
very first parents experienced the worst pain and sorrow of
the worst sort, didn't they? The very... What does that say?
That that's going to be the lot of all of the sons of Adam. Ask Abraham. What if Abraham
said, nobody knows what I'm going through with my sons, my wives? Marital problem. Ask Job. As
we mentioned, Job. Married to an evidently an unbeliever. Let's ask Solomon. He had three
hundred wives and seven hundred concubines and many of them,
maybe most, did not, were not believers. I have real trouble. You're not
alone. Not alone. What about temptations
with lust of the flesh or whatever. Ask a lot. Again, living in Sodom,
surrounded by all of that. No restraints whatsoever. He
was just bombarded with it. Couldn't get away with it. No, no excuse for murmuring and
complaining, you see. It cost a lot. What about pride? Anybody got trouble with pride?
Ask Peter. And on and on we could go with
that. Mr. Spurgeon also said that, since
it's the common lot of all of God's people to be tempted and
tried, and all do, all are, that leaves all without excuse
for yielding to it. Now listen carefully. Some, by God's
grace, like Joseph, resisted, didn't it? David did not. Joseph resisted, but had no room
for boasting about it. David yielded, but had no room
for excuse. Let me repeat that to you. Joseph
resisted. I mean, yes, Joseph resisted
but had no room to boast, could not brag about it because of
his own personal holiness. My pastor once said most people
mistake the restraining grace of God for their own personal
holiness. Did you hear that? People out in the world who think
they're holy and moral and so forth. And even we at times are
proud of ourselves for not doing something bad. That's pretty bad. And that's self-righteousness,
that's worth it. Because that's boasting against God's grace.
It's God's grace. Joseph resisted but had no room
for boasting David did not resist but the other rather yielded
to the temptation and so he had no room for excuse because the
same grace was available to David as to most as to just. The same
Lord. Answers and rich for it all and. Right. All right, let me ask you this
question. Why temptation? Why does God try us and why does
God allow us to be enticed? There's a passage over in Isaiah,
I didn't write it down, but I've always thought about it, where
the children of Israel said, Why hast thou made us to err from
thy commandment? Anybody ever read that? I didn't
write it down. I've read it many times. They said they weren't
blaming God, but they were just saying, Lord, you could have
kept me from doing this. Why didn't you? Why? Why does God try us, put
us to the test, trials and afflictions? Why does God allow us to be tempted?
Several reasons. Number one, trials, as we've already said,
test our faith. What they do is shift and separate
the chaff from the wheat. And they do the same thing with
wheat they take away the chaff from the wheat you say we itself
has chaff on it right. That's where the chaff comes
from husks it takes that off of the wheat to reveal the bare
kernel. Separates the chaff from the
wheat it reveals the truth from the false. That's to reveal the
true people of God through trials and affliction. temptations,
that is, reveal to us our depravity, this indwelling sin. It reveals
to us. If it did not, if we did not
have that problem, we wouldn't need Christ. And it's to humble us. Everything
in this life is sent by God to humble his people, because whoever
is humbled will be exalted. He that exalteth himself shall
be obeyed. But he that abases himself, and
God knows how to abase you and me according to
his wisdom concerning us, bring us down, even in ways where we
don't know it about each other. But whomever God brings down
and keeps down That keeps them looking up. And the lowly shall be set. Those on a dunghill will be set
among them. And it's the temptation, the
trials, tribulations and enticements and so forth, reveal grace. Reveal God's grace. There's somebody
in here. Let's give him a blessing that
I'm glad that they reveal God's grace. These temptations reveal
the work of God's Holy Spirit trials, afflictions that God's
people often go through that are beyond comprehension. Some
of them that people go through that some of us don't go through. And we think, how did they do
that? How did they endure that? And they have peace afterward,
peace that passes understand. Well, that's what God said He
would give. And the one who understands it
the most is the one that went through it, understands that
peace because of God's will. Peace. Our Lord is a supreme example
of that as a man. Peace. He said, My peace. And
his whole life was a temptation, a trial. And he said and he had he was
a piece for something that perfectly. So to reveal God's grace he lived
on God's grace yes he did. And this why temptation they
drive us to prayer. drive us to prayer, which I believe
a deficiency in that area is the leading cause of yielding
to the ten things. They drive us to prayer because
without Him we can do nothing. Nothing. Nothing. We couldn't take a step without
the Father. That's true. and drive us to prayer. So that
makes them good. And listen to this. This is good.
Temptations, why temptations? Either trials or whatever temptations
to enticements to sin, because the life of Christ, listen carefully,
the life of Christ, Christ lived on this earth as a man to the
glory of God, and he endured temptation as a man. And so, the life of
Christ is extended in his people. Christ in you is your hope of
glory. Christ in you is also glorifying
to God and a testimony to the world. These people in Hebrews
11 were a testimony to the world of Christ in them. They took note of the disciples,
these men that were chained so drastically. It says they took
note who they'd been with. Someone was in. They were just
like. Oh, not perfect. As Christ was
holy, harmless, undefiled, that that describes God's people.
Then. It really does, you know, you're
you're you're not agreeing with me because you think if you said,
don't think of yourself, OK, don't think of yourself here.
Thank you, somebody else. God's people. Let me say it again.
I'll get more nods of agreement. God's people are like Christ.
They're holy. harmless and undefiled. So the life of Christ is extended
through them for God's glory. We're not perfect. They're not
perfect. We're not saying that. We're not preaching sinless perfection. And listen to this. They make
us fit for eternity. Temptations and trials, they're
building up character. Building, you might want to put
it this way, building down. Because this growth in grace
is a growth in humility. Downward bending the head, bending,
stooping. This growth in grace is not where
the head's being, but the head's being bowed, and the heart's
being, and the whole mind, body, and soul is just being brought
into submission. And so, they make us fit for
eternity, conforming us to the image of Christ. Scripture says,
now are we the sons of God. Now. But it does not yet appear what
we shall be. Actually, I don't feel like the son of God. I don't
look like the son of God. That's what it says, isn't it? But it
does not yet, not yet appear what we shall be. It doesn't
yet appear. Now, let me give you an illustration. I've preached
a while and I want to tell you something. a piano factory. You go in a
piano factory, a place that produces, say, Steinways or Dussendorf
or whatever. Is that how you pronounce it,
Jeanette? These fine pianos that are made
for producing the world's greatest music. You go in a piano factory,
and you go in that factory And you'll look around and you'll
see things that look like pianos, bits and pieces. And you think,
boy, I don't see any real pianos in here, any beautiful style
in here. And you keep walking, keep looking. Some look a little
more like them than others. And then you go in the room where
they're tuning them. They just put the strings on
them. And you listen. And it sounds awful. And you say to the man that's
tuning them. You say, I'm not hearing any beautiful music in
here. And the man will answer you by saying, we don't make
music here, we're building pianos. Did that make any sense to you? Only the Master, someday when
it's finished, will thank you. And we've got
one note of discord. And we've got a lot of broken
strings. And a lot of parts that aren't yet formed yet. And a lot of discord goes on
in our lives. Hold on now. And so, our text says this, it
says, there hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common
to man. Now here's the good news, the
real good news, okay? It says here that God is faithful.
Here's our common help, our common savior. God is faithful. Who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that you're able? I remember asking an older believer
one time who was going through a terrible trial. Long trial. He said, he said, he said, I
don't, he said, I can't take any more. That's what he said.
That's what. I'm here to tell you that he
lived many many more years after that he did. He took a lot more
matter of fact he went through something worse. So, that is true. Our God is
faithful. His promises are sure. He said,
He will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able,
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that
you may be able to bear it. God does not say that God's people
will never fall to temptation, never yield to it. That's plain.
That's clear in Scripture and in your own experience. But He
says there is a way to escape. What is this way? What would you turn it back with
me to Hebrew back to Hebrews and I'll close with this only
been forty two minutes. Back to Hebrews and this is.
For your great. How do we do or try. How do we
resist temptation it's the same for all. The same for all this
way to escape Christ said. I am. Not just salvation, though he
is, but the way to escape, to endure these temptations, these
trials, these afflictions. Christ said, I am the way. God
said this long before, and it's Christ speaking also, he says,
look unto me and be Christ said, I am the way Christ
said without me, you can do nothing without me. So look under me.
Look at Hebrews two. Look at this. This is wonderful.
We look at Christ as an example. Oh, my, this is for our instruction. This is for our also for our
comfort. Look at Hebrews two. I love this
verse 17 and 18. In all things, it behooves him,
Christ, to be made like unto his brethren. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad he didn't take
on the nature of angels? But he was made like unto his
brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For
in that he himself hath suffered, since he hath suffered being
tempted, since he was tempted in all points, like as we are.
He's able to sucker that is help to enter into and to be compassionate
with to understand them that are tempted and sucker means
also to call them. It means that like a mother would
steal her troubled child sucker. That's what that means. It's
OK, it's OK. But that's OK. We know he knows
our brain. Go over to chapter four, says
this over and over for our comfort, for our consolation. Verse 15,
look at this. This is wonderful. Oh, I love
this. He says, We have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities. We don't have a potentate who's
sitting in an ivory palace in Rome who nobody can get near.
who's shielded from temptations and so forth. And oh, no, no,
no. We have one who came amongst
us and was tempted in all. Look at it in verse 15 was the
feeling he's touched with a feeling of our firmness in all points,
tempted like as we are. All point, say all point. And I was going to have you turn
to chapter five, which just down the page, verse two, he says
he can have compassion on the ignorant, them that are out of
the way. He himself was compassed with infirmity. Christ lived
by faith. He had to, as a man. He had to. To glorify God's name, he had
to live by faith. Had to. And he did. He trusted God implicitly. He
lived off of God's grace to him. Yes, he did. He went through
trials, God sent them. He endured temptations, which
God allowed Satan to tempt him by. All the things we knew. But
here is for our salvation. That's for our comfort. Here's
also for our comfort and our salvation. He did it without
sin. Without sin. You see, we look
to Christ for salvation. Look at chapter 12. Chapter 12.
Look at this, chapter 12, and I close with this. I promise
you, this is it. Sometimes you don't want me to
quit. Tonight's not the night, I can tell you. But this has
been wonderful for me and for you both. If you didn't get anything
at this time, get the tape. This is also good. Hebrews 12,
we look to Christ for salvation. We're a fallen people were simple
people, not him. Look at this, it says in verse
one, seeing we are compassed about was so great a cloud of
witnesses. They're all they all went through the same thing we
went through. Same thing, to one degree or
another. There's no temptation taken us, but such is common.
OK. You're late read on what he says
first of all in in reproof or buke and exhortation let us lay
aside every way and be seen which does so easily beset us what
is that wasn't saying a particular thing and probably not know if
it's not meant to be seen which all of. The same that all of
us are so prone to and which if God doesn't deliver us from
we will fall in the wilderness what is. And I like to make again. That's it unbelief. Was it that what the disciples
were constantly struggling with it when that what the Lord was
constantly approving them for. Oh, you have little faith. Why
are you so faithful? Are you yet without faith? And this this this sin, which
does so easily beset it. And let us lay aside every weight
or burden and the sin, and let us run with patience. We're in
a human race. We have a course to follow. God's purpose for us is set before
us. How do we do it? Here it is.
Here's our salvage. Here's all our help. Here's all
our hope. Here's our common help, looking unto Jesus. The author and the finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before endured the cross, despised
the shame, is set down right now at the majesty on high. Christ
came, lived as a man. Why? To show us how? Yes, but
cheaply to do it for us. Because we can't do that. He
tells us we can't do that. With man it's impossible. Not
with this man. That's why it says Jesus. You
see, that's why it says Jesus. Whenever you see it says Jesus
throughout Hebrew, it's talking about his humanity. We look to
him as our substitute, as a man, looking unto Jesus, the man approved
of God. You hear this? There's a man
approved of God. And all men and women, all of God's people
are approved, accepted in him. So he's the author and the finisher. He lived perfectly for us as
our substitute. And he and God is well pleased
for his right. All our. And so. There's no no temptation. But such is common. To me. But God will with the temptation
got it right. With the temptation to make a
way. to escape. And not suffer you to be tempted
more than you're able, but will with the temptation make a way
to escape. And that way is Christ. You look
to him. You look at him as our example. This is how I'm to live and so
forth. You look to him as your savior. You understand that. I know you
do. And he says, look unto me and be All the ends of the earth. All who are tempted, no matter
what way. Because without me, you can do nothing. Nothing.
The Lord showed Peter that, didn't he? And he shows all his people
that. I'm going to let you fall here. I'm going to let you fall. And you're going to call on me,
like the children of Israel. And you're going to call on me.
And I'm faithful. I'm going to pick you back up.
It's all one life-long lesson in humility and a lesson of His
grace. It's for His glory and for our
good. And I didn't put this down. It's
also that we might have compassion with one another. It's also that
we might, if we judge ourselves, we won't be judged. We'll have
compassion on one another and not be so quick to judge one
another. If we do, God will let us take the greatest fall. Okay, stand with me. Our Lord, thank you so much for
this great consolation, which is Christ himself, which is the
word concerning Christ. The comfort and consolation of
thy people is that Christ for us, Christ in us. Thank you,
Lord, for coming down here and doing what you did for us, and
thank you for sending your spirit to do what he has done in us. And we know that you will perfect
that which can Because faithful as he that calleth will also
do it. And you will perfect that which concerns us, and that's
our hope. We look to you, but not to ourselves. Leave us not to ourselves, dear
Lord. So we ask for your help, your
comfort, your peace, your instruction, your approval, your rebuke, and
all things, even chastening. Thou art our Father, we are thy
children. Thou art our shepherd, we are
thy sheep. Keep us from going astray. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.