“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It’s easy to be on alert when things are going wrong. But when everything is good, do you find yourself letting your guard down? Believers must be vigilant even in times of peace because Satan is always looking to trip us up. Don’t fall prey to his subtle traps—keep watch and trust the Lord to protect you. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
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you have to be careful everything is
good you have to be careful when
everything is right and what happens is
that when everything is just right
that’s when people drop that guard
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together
next on InTouch dr. Charles Stanley
begins his series guidance from the
garden today’s message be careful when
all as well well it’s natural for us to
strive to do the best we can do whatever
we do and whether that’s for our health
and our occupation whatever that might
be in our relationships every aspect of
our life we we want to do our best and
when you think about the area of your
life that you don’t feel like you do
your best it may be the area that sort
of frustrates you and makes you anxious
and maybe the thing that you pray about
most of all and in that striving to do
our best we discover what our strengths
are and we discover what our weaknesses
are and so sometimes we put a lot more
effort in that area that we probably
feel the weakest and so we work harder
and sometimes we improve and maybe
sometimes we feel like we’re not getting
anywhere and yet if you’re really
working at it you probably making more
progress than you think you are so you
reach your goals and after you reach
some of your goals in life you relax a
little bit you take it easy and then
after a while maybe after taking it a
little bit easy you begin to be less
sensitive to the things that made you
very sensitive to make you a success at
whatever you were doing and sometimes
that being less sensitive means we
relaxed about our attitudes relaxed
about where we are who we are with what
we do what our goals are in life and so
especially is that true in our spiritual
life and so I’m titling this message be
careful when all is well we have to be
careful when all is well
because everything is going good you’re
making enough money and you do well on
your job and
you got an extra money you have a little
extra time and so you know life’s
treated you well and so just relax and
enjoy it and so we have to be careful
when everything is going our way
sometimes that can be the beginning of
disaster so I want you to turn to the
second chapter of Genesis and so you
know that the first chapter primarily is
about the creation of the earth and all
the good things that God did and
starting the second chapter I want to
salute the beginning if you will in
verse 7 then the Lord God formed man of
the dust from the ground and breathed
into him into his nostrils the breath of
life and man became a living being the
Lord God planted a garden toward the
east in Eden we call it the Garden of
Eden there he placed the man whom he had
formed out of the garden the Lord God
caused to grow every tree that is
pleasing to the sight and good for food
listen to that every tree beautiful to
look at good to taste good for food the
Lord he says the Tree of Life also in
the midst of the garden and then the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil
now a river flowed out of Eden to water
the garden and from there it divided and
became four rivers the name of the first
is fish on it flows around the whole
land of havilah and where there is gold
I thought that was interesting that God
identified place where there’s goal the
goal of that land is good the Delian and
onyx are there the name of the second
rivers Gahan flows around the whole land
of cush the name of the third river is
Tigris it flows east out of Assyria and
its fourth River is the Euphrates you
say well why he got put all that in the
Bible because he wants us to know where
it is so then the Lord God took the man
put him into the Garden of Eden to
cultivate and to keep it
the Lord God commanded the man saying
from any tree of the garden you may eat
freely but from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat for in the day that you eat from it
you will surely die so God has created
this awesome beautiful place to live and
so he says having created all those
beautiful things then he put two trees
in the garden that you now might think
well why didn’t you just leave it like
it was you gotta put a pear tree there
apple tree orange trade lemon tree lime
tree but this tree you put there was the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil
why did you have to put that in the
garden so we’ll talk about that in a
moment so I want us to look at the atom
and look at him in this light first of
all his residence where he lived which
we’ve been talking about the Bible says
it’s pleasing in the sight of those who
could look at it
absolutely beautiful trees good for food
that it satisfies their hunger so he’s
living in this awesome beautiful garden
everything about it is absolutely
perfect now there is a tree that’s sort
of strange over there but we don’t know
how long Adam and Eve lived in the
garden together when everything was
beautiful and they were obedient to God
so when you think about that and you
think about how perfect everything was
and then it’s interesting that God gave
Adam a responsibility in this awesome
place in which he lived and the
scripture says that he told Adam that
you to keep the garden that is year to
manage it so it was a garden that grew
and though I don’t know what the
managing that garden would have been in
the Garden of Eden he had a
responsibility and that responsibility
was to keep that garden the way God had
made it and so everything was just right
he said good for food their words
no needs you could think of a single
need or desire that Adam would have had
so when you think about that then you’re
thinking about whoa what’s this all
about
well it’s all about this God had one
restriction he said to all of us all the
food everything he’s perfect
perfect wife perfect husband he said
there’s one restriction and that
restriction has to do with a tree and
that tree is the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil but from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat for in the day that you eat from
it you will surely die now watch that
word surely because you remember what
Satan said to her you will not surely
die
God said you’ll surely die watch this
and Satan said you won’t Cheerilee die
now watch this exactly the way the devil
still works well you won’t really get
caught no one is really gonna find out
about it she won’t know he won’t know
they won’t know and if you take a little
it’s okay because all kind of folks do
all kinds of things in other words the
devil has not changed it worked with
Adam and Eve is still working and the
purpose of this message is to warn you
lest you drop your guard and become less
sensitive that what’s going on around
you because things look so well and
finds yourself losing out on God’s
blessing on your life and so he said one
thing you have to remember the tree in
the midst of the garden is deadly so
let’s ask a question two trees there the
tree of life and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil why would you
why would you put that tree there so he
could tempt man no but think about this
suppose for example there were only one
other woman in the world one other man
in the world and you want to get married
and she’s your only choice he’s your
only choice that’s it
so where is love in other words if Adam
and Eve had not had a choice they had
have been like robots and that is why do
I love her I don’t have a choice
what do I love them I don’t have a
choice in other words if he created them
and placed them in the garden and gave
them no choices then is that love or is
it not and I believe that one of the
reasons he gave them that opportunity to
make a choice watch this is not to
choose evil and be harmed by but that
you listen to love him enough to choose
right he gave us a choice to love him or
not loving and that makes our
relationship with him far more precious
and rewarding and fulfilling we have a
choice to love him or not loving and so
this look at Adams response for a moment
here he is this awesome beautiful
indescribable place and his response
well what was his response well he kept
the garden everything was fantastic and
then God had given him Eve and she
decided that she would try the fruit
because the devil’s offer was then
you’ll be like a God think about this
they were already like God they had all
the knowledge that they could possibly
need everything they could possibly want
in life total satisfaction and Satan
says he’s keeping something from you now
you can be like God all you have to do
is take a bite and it’s interesting that
I don’t know how long that conversation
went on is very brief in the Bible but
finally she decided to take a bite now
watch this according to the scripture
she handed Adam let’s just say it was an
apple she handed Adam the Apple he took
a bite he didn’t say
Eve don’t you remember what God said we
are not to eat of the fruit of the tree
in the midst of the garden both of them
fell and all of a sudden the Bible says
they discovered that they were naked and
so they have to go hide and then you
know the story God comes walking in the
cool of the day and says Adam where are
you and he had to say you know we had to
find us a tree big enough to hide behind
and because we knew you’d show up sooner
or later now what I want you to see and
this is this in your walk with God
everything’s going good
I mean he’s blessing you you’re making
enough money your family is good you
drive a nice automobile living in a nice
house as far as you’re concerned
everything’s just going fine
we have to live in this world on guard
we have to live on guard we can’t come
to the place at any point well we say
well you know what everything is
fantastic just relax because the devil
always has an offer that is absolutely
diametrically opposed to what God has
for you
and I’ve seen this happen to so many
people after they fight a long battle in
life and when they come to the place
that they’re in the right position the
right salary the right relationship
everything is just fine and somebody
comes over
and says well haven’t have you ever
thought about the sand so you know what
we we really have a good time and of
course we drink a little bit and because
one drank never heard anybody listen the
devil probably said it Eve one bite he’s
not gonna hurt you it didn’t take but
one bite to destroy you we have to live
sensitive to the Holy Spirit within us
and I am certain that when Satan made
the offer to Eve it was a very deceitful
lying offer but instead of thinking
about what she had thinking about where
she was thinking about what God had said
and how absolutely perfectly
they lived she decided because he said
now if you want to be like God take a
bite she decided she wanted something
that watched this that was forbidden
when she had everything something that
was forbidden because Satan said well if
you really want to enjoy the garden if
you riff if you really want to enjoy
life you’ll have a life just take one
bite but that was Satan’s lie that was
his trap Satan is still lying he’s still
telling people you need this well if
you’re really gonna live you ought to
have some of this or if you really want
life you need to be married to her
instead of her or him instead of him and
you name it Satan’s full of lies he
hadn’t changed he uses the same tactics
he’s always used lying about the truth
denying what God has said is true he
said in the day that you eat of this you
will surely die and that’s exactly what
they did so think about this all the
pain all the sorrow all the heartache
all the death all the misery that has
happened in this world began
in a perfect garden between two people
who disobeyed God in any family if one
family if one person disobeys God
specifically very clearly what happens
everybody in the family hurts everybody
in God’s awesome family from the
beginning of time until this moment we
have all hurt we have all been injured
we have all felt the weight and the
burden and the guilt of sin you have to
be careful when everything is good you
have to be careful when everything is
right and what happens is that when
everything is just right that’s when
people drop their guard that’s when
people begin to think well you know how
well they’re doing well before you were
doing so well you were praying to God
and you were obedient to God you asked
and God to give you direction and
guidance for your life and you were
asking him to meet your needs and healed
your body or whatever it might be and
now that everything is going so good and
you decide there will I’ll try some of
this and some of that I’m telling you
that’s the devil’s trap that’s Satan’s
trap over and over and over again what
we find going on all around us is
Satan’s trap a little bit of this won’t
hurt you listen a little bit of sin will
hurt you because a little bit of sin
usually multiplies into a whole lot of
sin and a lot of disobedience to God
when everything is going your way
look around you carefully when
everything is looking good be careful
who you listen to be careful who you
look at and the way you look at it and
the way you respond to other people and
the way you choose your friends so the
last thing I would mention this eyes
Adams response is Adams regrets look
what happened
expelled from the garden first of all
the shame they had to hide try to hide
from God they had they had to cover up
their bodies because all of a sudden
they never they never experience shame
all of a sudden they were ashamed to
being naked ashamed to be in the
presence of God afraid that God would
find them and that’s what he did
fear of what was going to happen because
all of a sudden they could hear it like
an echo and the day that you eat of the
fruit of this tree you shall surely die
too late too late this idea of I wish I
had I wish I had not too late
you have to be careful who you listen to
what you look at who you see what you
want what you desire what your future
looks like because remember this the
soul that sinneth that you’ll die that
law of God has not changed you reap what
you sow more than your so later than
yourself has not changed the wages of
sin is death has not changed and so we
have the privilege of living obediently
before God
we have the Holy Spirit living within us
the of us warnings there say watch this
watch that and we we can’t really excuse
ourselves for the things that we do that
are not right because God warns us and
we have a whole Bible for the warnings
Adam and Eve had they had the voice of
God crystal clear in the either in the
day that you eat of it you shall surely
die now we have from Genesis to
Revelation
a Bible full of proofs the day that you
sinned against God something happens to
you you die on the inside listen to me
carefully that many people who are dying
every day on the inside and call it
something else the wages of sin there’s
only one healing for that God hasn’t
changed his laws if you think about Adam
and Eve they had everything watch this
how long did it take them to lose
everything and they lost at all so I
would simply ask you a question are you
careful about who your friends are
are you careful about what your husband
or wife brings home are you careful
about reading the Word of God every day
are you careful about talking to the
Heavenly Father every day are you
sensitive about your relationship to God
every day are you tempted having watched
other people up here to have such a good
time and maybe in your circumstance you
not having a very good time but you’re
paying God are you tempted to want
something that will end up absolutely
destroying you remember this cannot
change the laws of God the soul that
sinneth it shall die the wages of sin is
death you cannot change it therefore as
followers of Jesus we have to be listen
fill with his spirit
obeying the promptings of the Holy
Spirit sensitive to when he shows us
something that does not belong in our
life that if you and I are able to say
no no no no don’t worry about what your
friends think people who are living with
the Lord Jesus Christ are dying a little
bit every day so when everything is
going well we have to be careful to
listen clearly to the voice of God when
he gives us a warning and then not argue
with him I have a discussion with him
but obey well if you’ve never trusted
Jesus as you save you listen to this you
like Adam and Eve hiding behind the tree
you’re lost and the only hope of
salvation is accepting Jesus Christ as
your personal Savior trusting him for
the forgiveness of your sins but the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit to enable
you to be the person God wants you to be
does that mean you’ll never be tempted
no does that mean you’ll never sin no
but it means that you have the Lord
Jesus Christ living on the inside to
warn you the Holy Spirit to empower you
to say no to sin and yes to the Living
God and I trust that you’ll be wise
enough to do that if you’re here this
morning you’ve never trusted Jesus as
your Savior
if you willing to ask him right where
you sit god that sounds just like me
I’ve sinned against you I’ve known
better I knew the truth but have I
violated it I’m asking you this morning
to forgive me of my sins I’m asking you
to forgive me right where I sit I’m
trusting you as my personal Savior
giving my life to you how will God
respond forgive you of your sins Savior
right where you sit if you’ll ask him he
will do it
and that’s my prayer for you and father
we thank you that you placed in the word
this simple account of why we are where
we are today and I prayed that you have
spoken to anybody here who is on the
verge of who has tasted of who has fret
nas with who is being tempted to to be
reminded that your law doesn’t change
and even after we are saved and we
choose to sinned against you something
dies on the inside of us and I pray it’s
seated right here if they’re those Lord
and there surely must be are you and
help me preach this message who are
being tempted for making choices for
listening to the devil say you will not
surely die oh whatever line he sends
them grant them wisdom old God to say no
to the devil and yes to the Holy Spirit
he is my prayer in Jesus name Amen
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