The Way of Escape

First Corinthians ten thirteen. I'll read again in just a moment. I don't think I have it up here. No. Yeah.

Alright. This is the second sermon in a series on on getting the victory in Jesus Christ and this sermon is entitled The Way of Escape. The Way of Escape. There is a way of escape. The Bible says so.

From sin, we do not have to be bound in it. We do not have to succumb or give in to it. Praise God. There is victory and escape from sin's penalty. And that is all thanks to Jesus Christ, our savior.

Just a little illustration to start out with this morning. Some of you probably may not be football fans. That's okay. I forgive you. But back several years ago was Monday night.

I was watching Monday night game. It was between the Indianapolis Colts and I think it was the other team was the Bucks. If I remember right and I was laying there watching the game. It's getting late. There was two minutes left and the Colts were down by three touchdowns.

Two minutes, three touchdowns. Now, if you know anything about football, it's hard to come back from three touchdowns with only two minutes. Well, anyway, I thought, well, this game is over. I fell asleep. Well, when I woke up, Indianapolis won the game and down by three touchdowns, came back, won the game.

It was it was incredible and for Bucks fans, it still stinks. Fortunately, I'm not one of them. But anyway, another example, two hundred and some years ago, 13 colonies fought off and defeated the world's greatest power of the day. The British Empire, the greatest navy in hundreds of years. The empire on which the sun never set.

And yet 13 colonies. Defeated them. And gained their independence. While the world lay trembling and falling to the armies of Hitler two or three nation US Britain I think maybe some troops from Canada stormed the shores of Normandy and took Europe back from the hands of Hitler. Last week, we learned of the defeat of the combined armies of Edom, Moab, and Ammon at the hands of Judah but it really wasn't Judah.

It was God who defeated them without shooting one arrow. Read stories in the Bible, David, Goliath, Gideon's army of 300 men. He started out with a lot more. God kept whittling down his army. He defeated hundreds of thousands with only 300.

Back about two thousand years ago, there were 120 people sitting in a 2nd Floor room, in Jerusalem and from there went forth the gospel around the world and millions have come to Christ The first step in winning any battle is believing that it can be won. Let me say that again. The first step in winning any battle is believing that it can be won And when God tells us it can be won. We better believe it. When God says you can win, you need to believe him.

No matter how the circumstances may appear. No matter how big the mountain or the waves, or how scary the enemy Believe me, sin and Satan are scary in but God says, you can win When God says it, we need to believe it. We need to trust him. Most important, the first step in winning any battle is believing you can win. That's what this verse is about here.

First Corinthians ten thirteen, there are no temptation temptation taken you but such as is common to man. Guess what? You're not the first person that had to deal with this. But God is what? Faithful.

He's trustworthy. Who will not suffer, allow you to be tempted above that you are able. But will with the temptation also make, what's the next four words? A way of escape. He will make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for this time this morning. We can look into your word together and be reminded that there is a way of escape from sin. There's a way of escape from sin's penalty, from sin's bondage, and from sin's temptation. Lord, we can't escape in Jesus Christ.

We can have victory. You say so in your word. Lord, grant us faith this morning to believe it, to stand upon it, to claim it, to make it part of our lives, and trust you to give us the victory. In Jesus name, amen. Three points I want to make this morning.

This has a part one and a part two. We're going to hit three of the points this morning. Point number one, understand there is a way of escape. To get victory over sin, you must understand that there is a way of escape. There is a way, first of all, to escape sin and hell.

The Bible says, God is not willing that any should perish. That means die and spend an eternity eternity separated from him in the lake of fire described in Revelation 20. God is not willing that any, not desirous, that any should perish but that all should come to what? Repentance. God is desires.

God is not willing, not willing, not desires that anybody should perish and spend an eternity in the lake of fire but God has made a way for all to come what? To come to repentance, to have victory, to be saved from that faith, to be redeemed through the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in John three sixteen and seventeen, for God so loved the world. This sinful, wicked humanity that rebelled against him. God so loved us.

We were unlovable. God so loved us that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have what? Everlasting life. That is the opposite of everlasting death in hell.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoso believeth in him should perish should not perish but have everlasting life. Do you believe that? Amen. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Why did Jesus come come the first time he came to die on the cross?

He came to make a way for you to be saved. From the bondage of sin and from the penalty of hell. Christ did that for you. He made a way that you might be saved. He made a way of escape.

That way of escape is Jesus himself. There is a way. Do not be fooled by the devil. Do not think, oh God cannot save me or God cannot forgive me. He can.

If you will come in repentance and faith, trust him. Trust Jesus who died for you and rose again to save you. There is a way of escape. He can forgive you. He can save you.

He will. He has said so in his word. In first John five four and five, says this, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. What?

Born. It reminds me of John three three. There's few verses preceding John three sixteen where Jesus said to Nicodemus, except the man be born again. He shall not see the kingdom of God. Why was Jesus saying to Nicodemus, you have to be born of the spirit.

You have to be born spiritually through faith in Jesus Christ. When you are, you're born again For whatsoever is born of God, what? Overcometh the world. That's that's us who are saved through faith in Christ. Whatsoever or whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our what?

Faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. Can overcome the bondage of sin in this world. You can overcome the enemy, the devil, and his plans to hold you in its bondage and to drag you to hell. You can overcome penalty sin through faith in Jesus Christ and if you have put your faith in Christ God calls you an overcomer He calls you that three times in this verse.

Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. We have overcome the world. Sometimes, we may not feel like. Sometimes, in little battles, we may struggle. But know this, in Christ Jesus, the victory is yours.

It is yours. You can overcome. If you put your faith in him. There is a way of escape from sin and hell. This verse though is written primarily to Christians.

As Christians, we still struggle with temptation, do we not? I would love to say we didn't but we still live in this flesh. Still tempts us, tests us, tries to get us, to ignore God's commands, tries to get us to fulfill its appetites and desires. So, we are tempted often, daily. But there is a way of escape from temptation There is victory over sin in our life We can be sure temptation will come We may be taken off guard but our God is not.

God knows that we will struggle with temptation. God has made, he says, a way of escape. The temptation which we face is not one that is not been both faced and conquered by others before us. In first John four four, it says, you are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Now, who is the he that is in you?

Somebody help me out. God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside of the heart of every child of God. You have a powered, loving, dwelling inside of you that is greater than the power, the enemy that we face. Now, who is the enemy that we face?

Satan, sin, the devil. The Bible says, does not say that sin and the devil are not formidable foes. The Bible does not say that we in the flesh have the power to conquer the devil because we in the flesh do not. But we in the spirit do. Because greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world.

He's great but our God is what? Amen. Our God is greater. Praise the Lord. Claim that.

Believe that. Trust that. When it comes to temptation in your life. Like David walking up to Goliath, we would seem to be no match against our enemy but God is on the side of his children. The Holy Spirit lives inside our hearts.

So, greater is he that's in us. We are weak. Our flesh is weak to perform what is required to get victory. It craves the wrong things. It caves again and again under the pressure of its own sinful appetites.

But Jesus said to Peter, I have prayed for you Luke 22, 31, and 32. The Lord said, Simon, Simon, Behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. That he may destroy you. And Simon, that is Simon Peter was no match for Satan. However, the verse doesn't end there, does it?

Jesus doesn't stop there. He says, but but several passages in scripture where that is such an important word. Yes, there's this uphill battle. Yes, there's this mountain. Yes, our foe is formidable but but Jesus says, I have prayed for you.

I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brother. Is that not what happened to Peter? Yes, he denied the Lord three times the following night. Did Peter lose? Was he conquered?

Did Satan win? The answer is no. Because God forgave him. God strengthened him. God gave him his holy spirit on the day of Pentecost.

That same Peter that just weeks before, denied Christ. That same Peter stood up in the midst of a throng of people in Jerusalem. And he spoke with a loud and a bold voice. And gave testimony. To his God.

You know, Jesus prayed for you too In the book of John, he prays to his father. He says, I pray not that you take them out of the world but that you you protect them in it. That you give them victory Christ has prayed for you too He knows you and you matter to him just like Peter did Greater is he that's in you than he that is in the world Our God is not only powerful but he is indeed faithful towards his children. He will not allow us to be attempted above that we are able to endure. And choose right.

Cigarettes Is it a sin? I think so. I think so because it destroys body which is the what? The temple of the Holy Spirit. You struggle with cigarettes, you know something?

You can quit. By God's grace, you can quit You can get the victory Now, God gives us other people to help us other things to help us too but you can quit Alcohol Some of you have in the past struggle with alcohol You can get the victory You can quit. God is able. I know he is. Drug addiction impure thought life ungodly language lying violent temper laziness those are all sins.

Maybe you thought, well, good. I don't smoke cigarettes and I don't drink alcohol, I escape. We could keep adding to the list. What is it that you struggle with? He is able.

He is able to what? To deliver thee. You can have victory. There is a way of escape. There is a way of escape.

Philippians four thirteen, I can do what? All things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do all things. I can. I can.

Don't say you can't. You in your flesh can't. God can. He can. He can help you just like he's helped others.

The most, the first step in getting the victory is believing you can win. Do not listen to the lies of the devil who says you can't do it. You can't get victory over that bad habit. You can't victory over that addiction. You can't get victory over that thought life.

You can't get victory over whatever you put in the blank. You can. In Jesus Christ. It's Satan who lies and tells you that you cannot Second thing I want us to see this morning is this, number one you can. There is a way of escape Number two, we must understand that sin is primarily result of our own desire Sin is primarily a result of our own desire It is not primarily an outside source that we struggle with.

Unfortunately, it is an inside source. It is one that we carry with us everywhere we go. I know people that have switched to churches, switched residences, switched this, switched that. They're always running, trying to think if I go to a new place, if I go to a new job, if I go to a new this, then, then, I'll get victory. Well, the problem is, the problem is who?

That's the problem's us. Problem's them. So, when we go to a new job, we take us with us. When we go to to a new place, we take us with them. We go to new church.

We take us with us. We take us with us where we go. We can have victory over the Us part. It's not right. In Jesus Christ.

But we must recognize that the problem is not primarily an outside problem. It is an inside problem. Sinner, you cannot blame the devil or Adam or Eve. That's been tried. God came to Adam, the Garden of Eden.

Adam was hiding. He said, I was afraid I was naked. God said, who told you that? Said, well, well, you know, I I this this woman, you gave me, you know, she gave me this this fruit and I ate of it. It's her fault.

He went to Eve. Eve, what happened? Well, the serpent over here, he tempted me and it's his fault. That's been tried before. You know who God holds primarily accountable for starting humanity off on the wrong foot?

He holds Adam and Adam all die and Christ shall all be made alive. God didn't buy into this past the blame thing. And neither does he with us. You can't blame the devil or Adam. As a Christian in particular, you can't say the devil made you do it because the devil cannot make you do it.

You choose. The devil cannot make you do it. You have a power living within you. That is great. Number two, sinner, you cannot blame God.

Now, there's a lot of people out there that want to blame God. Well, this happened to me, that happened to me, it's God's fault. There are even quote unquote Christians who want to blame God. Well, it's God's sovereign which means he's in control of everything. Therefore, it's his fault.

No. Just because God gave Adam and Eve a choice doesn't mean he's not sovereign. Still sovereign but he gave man a choice and man made the what? The wrong one. The wrong choice.

You cannot blame God. The Bible says here in James one thirteen, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of who? I'm tempted of God. Don't say when you're tempted, it's God's fault. Because God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he what?

Any man. But every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust enticed and when lust have conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. No, it isn't God's fault. It's not even Adam's fault. It's whose fault.

It's our fault. It's my fault. When I choose to do wrong, it's my fault. When I choose not to obey, it's my fault. I cannot blame the devil and I cannot blame God.

For God does not tempt us to do evil. God wants us to do right. It is my own flesh. That's the problem. You and I are responsible for our own choices and actions when we choose to give in to the appetites of the flesh.

Turn if you would to first John chapter two. First John chapter two we're going to begin reading in verse 15. First John two fifteen. I'm going to read three verses. Don't have room for them up there on the screen.

So, you can turn with me. First John two fifteen through 17. There it says, love not the world. You know, love is a choice. Love is not just a feeling.

Love is a choice. We choose to love things because of the value that we place upon them. The Bible says, choose not to love the world. Neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.

If we are choosing to succumb to the appetites of the flesh, if we are choosing to love the world over love and serve God, then, we can't claim that we're loving God and loving the world both at the what? The same time. We we choose one or the other. And when we choose to do wrong, we're not choosing to love who? God.

We're choosing to love the flesh. We're choosing to love whatever. The pleasure. We're choosing to love, to believe the lie. Is our choice.

Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of father is not in him for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world and the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Praise the Lord. One day, I'm going to shed this body and I'm going to get a new body and it's going to be without this sin and corruption and this battle will be will be won for all eternity and thanks to Jesus Christ, my savior. Amen.

But for now, I fight this battle and so do you. When we fail, we can't blame God. When we fail, we can't blame the devil. We must recognize that we made the wrong what? We made the wrong choice.

That the fault lies with us and we must choose to do the right thing. We need to learn from our mistakes and choose to do right. Joshua said in Joshua twenty four fifteen, choose you this day whom you will serve. Choose you this day. He said, for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

We must choose. If flesh then sin and nothing of eternal value will result. If we choose God and walking in the spirit, victory and success are ours. As the disciples of Jesus Christ There are a lot of people will say, well, I do this because because of my past. I was abused.

This happened to me. That happened to me. There's some terrible things that happen to people in this world. It's a result of sin. Not necessarily specifically your sin but maybe the sins of others.

But sin results in terrible things we have to deal with. And some people more than others. And there's so many people out there that are tethered to their past and unfortunately, Satan convinces them that they cannot escape. They cannot escape because this happened to you because of your drunken father because of this other thing. You can't have victory.

You can. You can. Don't listen to lies and do. Because of my circumstances, no matter how hard I try, I just can't get ahead. Pastor, you just don't know what I'm going through.

You know something I don't. I don't know what you're going through But I know one who does. And he says here in his word, there is a way of escape. That you may be able to bear. I believe him, do you?

Don't let circumstances. Convince you that you can't win. Don't let other people. Oh, but I I have this friend. I have this spouse.

I have this whatever. They don't make your decisions for you. You do. There is a way of escape. There is victory.

Whatever the excuse that may be. Don't listen to the lies of the devil. We fail because we do not try God's way. We fail because we love our sin too much. We fail because we have bought Satan's lies.

We fail because we are We fail because we just haven't learned to trust God to the extent that we can we cannot pass the blame. We must recognize if we're going to win, that the failure is ours. We must confess it. That's why the Bible says in first John one nine, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In order to confess it, you must claim You must accept.

That it's our fault. So, point number one, there is a way of escape. Point number two, the failure is ours and we cannot pass that failure on to others and number three, we must understand that understand that sin can only be defeated as we submit ourselves to the will of God. Sin in our life can only be defeated as we submit ourselves to our God, to his word, and to his will. Sinner, you can be saved but only if you come to God his way and that's through whom?

Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. If you're here today and you don't know Christ as savior, then you will face a judgment called the great white throne judgment and you will be cast in a lake of fire for all eternity. If you do not take God's way of escape, through faith in Jesus Christ.

That's not my words. That that's simply his word. I I I cannot preach anything else. Because I believe this to be the word of God but God has made a way but you must come to God his way on his terms through faith in his son. It is the only way and Christian, you can beat sin and temptation in your life but only as you submit yourself every day to the will of God.

Why do you fail? Why does the flesh get the upper hand? Because we are not submitted in our heart to the Lord as we should be. When we are submitted in our heart to the Lord, we win. When we're not, we lose.

Against the temptation we face. James four seven. First phrase, what is it? Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Now, resist the devil and he will flee from you. That's true. If you will resist the devil as a Christian, he will flee from you. But you must not forget the first praise. In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul talks about putting off the flesh and putting on the things of the spirit and he talks about putting off the flesh before he talks about putting on the things of the spirit.

If we don't put off the things of the flesh, we don't cast them aside. We cannot put on the things of the spirit and so many times as Christians, we want to grab hold and keep a hold of the things of the flesh. And grab a hold and put on the things of the spirit and then, bad things happen. We don't get the victory over sin. We don't see good blessings happening in our life and then we blame who?

We blame God but it's not God's fault. It's my fault. First, I must submit to who? God. First, I must be willing to call sin sin.

First, I must be willing to recognize his will and submit myself to him. Then, I can see victory but I can't love the world and love him both at the what? Same time. I must be willing to set that aside and submit myself to him. Submit yourselves therefore to God, then resist the devil and he will flee from.

Galatians five sixteen, this I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You know what that means? That means when I sin, I am not walking in the spirit. Not walking in the power of the spirit when I sin. I'm walking in the power of the flesh.

Whose choice? My choice. Can't blame God for that. He's given me his spirit. He has invested in me the power to overcome.

When I fail, that's my choice. I'm choosing to walk in the flesh and not in the spirit. If I walk in the spirit, I will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So, what is the victory in? It's in submitting myself to God.

It's in walking in the power of the spirit which means in obedience to the word of God given to us by the spirit. Walk in the spirit. You shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Matthew sixteen twenty four, then said Jesus under his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke adds the word daily in there.

Let him take up his cross daily and follow. When we are willing to deny, to set aside the lust, the appetites of the flesh, particularly those that are contrary to the will of God and submit ourselves to God's will to walk in his spirit, to take up his our cross, his will for our lives. We'll have what? We will have victory. There is a way of escape.

We need to choose daily. And you may come forward this morning. I wish you would and dedicate yourself to the Lord as a Christian. Rededicate yourself to the Lord. I pray if there's anyone in here that's never trusted Christ, you'll come in a moment when we give them of invitation.

I'd love to show you today how you can be saved. But you are still going to struggle with sin in this life and if you are going to get victory over those temptations, then you must deny yourself and take up your cross. What? Walk in the spirit. Submit to the Lord.

There is victory when we do that. I admittedly am not the most self disciplined person. I wish I could say I was But if you talk to my wife, you will find out my socks still end up in other places in the house than where they're supposed to be. In various other sundry things. I take things out.

I don't always put em back. I have several rusted tools because I left them out and do and Most admittedly, I'm not the most self disciplined person God's help, hopefully, I'm improving. But I do find it interesting that when I was in college, I did things that otherwise I would not have done. I cleaned my room. I dumped my trash.

I got up at 07:00 every morning. I I wore a tie until lunch. I don't do that now. I gave speeches in front of people. I learned Greek.

I wrote many papers. I love preaching. I don't like writing. I stopped listening to the mind numbing rock music that I used to like. I did all of those things Two reasons.

One, the grace of God. Two, I submitted to my authority. Bob Jones University told me when I had to get up. So, guess what? I got up.

They told me that if I didn't clean my room and put out the trash, I was going to get demerits. I even made my bed because if I didn't, I was going to get demerits. I quit listening to the music because it was against the rules. I'm glad I did. I wrote many papers because I had to or else I wouldn't pass my classes.

I learned Greek because it was my minor. I wore a tie until lunch because I had to. Sadly, my son now goes to Bob Jones University and they don't have to wear ties until lunch. They don't have to get up at 07:00 I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm sure David would say that's a good thing.

But I was able to do all those things because I submitted to my wife to my authority Now, you may not go to Bob Jones University and you may not be at a job where there's a lot of rules. But you have an authority your savior and your Lord and he has commands. Things he's commanded us to do. Things he's commanded us not to do. If we will submit to his authority as we should, then, we will not then we will not submit to sin.

If we'll walk in the spirit, we'll not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If we will submit ourselves to God, the devil will have to flee from us because he won't have any other choice because when we're under God's umbrella, Devil's a defeated foe will submit to God's authority. We can't have victory. There was a way of escape but you must submit to him. Joshua one eight, I think I put it up here.

Yeah. Last verse this morning. Joshua was taking Israel into the promised land. God says to Joshua, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. God says, you will keep this.

You'll remember it. You'll think about it day and night. If you'll do that, that thou mayest what? Observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have what?

Good success. God said to Joshua, you will win. You will have success. If you will submit to who? If you will submit to my word.

If you will submit to my word, you will have success. If you don't, well, then something else will happen. David, Joshua for the most part did and with it came great one, came great success. Now, Joshua still sometimes fail. We pointed that out in Sunday school this morning and you sometimes will but when you do, don't blame God, don't blame the devil, own it, confess it, let him cleanse you of it, get back up on your feet, and learn how to submit to him.

There is a way of escape. First step, believe it. Second step, own up. Third step, submit to the authority of God We will see greater victory Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly father, we thank you.

We thank you Lord for your word that's given us your will. The holy spirit that lives inside of our heart who has given us the power. Lord, to give victory in our life. Lord, I pray that you would rebuke Satan and that you would open our eyes to the truth that you are able to deliver us each day. If we will believe it, believe in you.

If we will confess when we fail and if we will submit submit ourselves to you and your word, we will succeed. By God's grace. Lord, you, we sing a song. It's entitled Trust and Obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Lord, help us to learn to trust and to obey your word each day. More and more that we might have the victory in our life and we thank you Thank you for that opportunity that we have been given. For that power that lives in our heart and for your word instructs us in the way Lord, we pray if there's one here this morning in particular that has never put their faith and trust in Jesus to forgive them of their sins and to save them from the eternal penalty of hell. I pray that they would come as we give the hymn of invitation today and I pray Lord Lord for your children that you would help us to recognize why we fail and Lord that we would be willing by your grace and strength to do something about it, to believe your word, to deny the devil, and to see victory. In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen. Take your hymn