Overcoming Temptation: Lessons from the Garden of Eden

1. "The first temptation of our first parents occurs in the picturesque, beautiful, pleasing Garden of Eden. After God performs the first wedding ceremony between Adam and Eve, Satan engages in a conversation with Eve. The Bible says that Satan appears not in a red suit, not as a dragon with pitchfork and horns, but he appears as a serpent. Now the Hebrew word for serpent is nakash. Everybody say nakash. Nakash is transliterated from the word bronze." [00:02:51] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "Lesson number one for us today, temptation never looks bad. It always looks good and is pleasant to be around. That habit looks good. That drink looks good. That cigarette looks good. That weed looks good. That man, that woman looks good and pleasant to be around." [00:04:21] (29 seconds) (Making raw clip | Making vertical clip | )

3. "Lesson number two, Satan attacks you when you least expect it. Whenever you're relaxed, off guard, or secure, watch out, that's when Satan attacks. Eve was in a perfect environment without a care in the world and Satan attacks." [00:05:10] (17 seconds) (Making raw clip | Making vertical clip | )

4. "Satan wants God to appear harsh, rigid. Restrictive. A God that measures in do's and don'ts, which begs the question, do you believe God is holding you back from something? Is God stopping you from getting something you think is rightfully yours? But then why would God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, hold something back from you?" [00:07:20] (25 seconds) (Making raw clip | Making vertical clip | )

5. "But Eve, neither afraid of the reptile, nor astonished at his speaking, nor suspicious of his designs, innocent of his deceptive dealings, inexperienced in his conversations of dishonesty, honesty, and indifferent to the imminent danger that awaits her, is simply just hanging around the tree. Now, instead of, listen to me carefully, instead of rebuking Satan for his deception and calling Adam for help, Eve listens. Eve's first mistake was hanging around the tree." [00:08:09] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "Give Satan a step, Satan will take a mile. Instead of ignoring Satan, Eve has a conversation with Satan. Lesson number three. It's always God. It's dangerous to play with temptation. When temptation comes, stop and think before you take and eat." [00:09:28] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "Hanging around the tree invokes feelings of lust, desire, and passion, ingratiates feelings of need, want, and vulnerability, invites notions of immaturity and inexperience, resulting in temptation that produces selfishness, self-centeredness, and sin. Like Eve, too many of our young people are hanging around the tree dropping out when they ought to be hanging in, catching Z's when they ought to be making A's, compromising principle when they ought to be Christianizing people, clubbing in the night when they ought to be keeping the commandments, lying down when they ought to be lifting Jesus, sleeping around when they ought to be stepping out, drinking 40s when they ought to be developing their minds, acting." [00:19:13] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "You're responding to what you see But as the old saying goes all that glitters Is not gold Sometimes it's difficult to know who's knocking opportunity or temptation temptation We see bright lights big action popularity Notoriety and we think it's opportunity, but in reality, it's temptation. It's trial. It's test It's trouble. Don't be tempted Don't be deceived Temptations are certain to ring your doorbell, but it's your fault if you let them in Let me tell you something when you yield to temptation both young men and young ladies You may lose in a moment what it took in a lifetime to gain Somebody knows a few seconds of pleasure can bring a lifetime of pain. You've got to stop doing permanent things with temporary people" [00:24:47] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "What's in Have you invited somebody to talk to you into doing listen to me good? I got your attention now Disobedience to God's Word almost always affects somebody else and Tragically it affects those whom we love the most Eve's disobedience affected her husband her children her grandchildren her great-grandchildren and every descendant since The problem of sin listen to me the problem of sin doesn't stop with choice Choosing to sin has lasting consequences Temptation is charming vision to the soul The tree looks good the fruit looks ripe the fruits color begins to glow more and more the flute fruit is plucked and eaten next comes The bitter taste sad recollection at the moment of despair Satan will attack you at your weakest point when you are the most beautiful garden among the most beautiful trees now The devil may tempt us to sin But the devil cannot sin for us We are so prone" [00:26:01] (75 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "Adam Eve don't go near it don't touch it stay away from it you know your weaknesses and so does the devil save yourself some time save yourself some trouble stay away from the tree and when you quit hanging around the tree when you stop playing with fire when you stop lurking around as a serpent when you stop talking with Satan when you stop playing with the devil when you recognize that it pays to serve Jesus Jesus puts clothes on you that cover you with his robe of righteousness somebody knows that only the righteousness of Jesus can hide moral nakedness only the protection of Jesus can shield you from temptation only the anointing of Jesus can envelop you with the power of the Holy Ghost only the blood of Jesus can wash away your sins what can wash away my sins nothing but the blood of Jesus what can make me whole again nothing but the blood of Jesus at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away it was there by faith I received my sight and now now now I'm happy all today let me remind somebody let me give you some hope if you've been tempted you've been tempted if you played with fire if you've been hanging around the tree if you have fallen I am a witness that you can get up" [00:33:26] (125 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)