Luke 3:23-4:13: Overcoming Temptation

Introduction

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The Gospel of Luke: You need someone to help you overcome - overcome the temptation to give in to your desires and sin. You need a Savior.

We have a tendency to forget that we are at war with a real enemy.

1 Peter 5:8 - Devil prows like roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 - we wrestle with spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.

1 Cor. 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

At every corner, temptation - the enticement to sin. Not only is temptation at every corner, we give in to it over and over again. How can we resist tempting?

Israel’s problem: couldn’t overcome sin and temptation. Couldn’t win the war. Will we ever win? OT ends with hope - ONE coming who will win for you. Genesis 3:15 - Jesus has come to reverse the curse.

Jesus’ whole life is a battle with the serpent - Luke 4 - opening rounds of the battle - Jesus tempted just like we are yet He overcomes EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Look at how Jesus is tempted. On surface, “These aren’t the temptations I face!” But, these temptations are at the core of every temptation you face. I want you to know the enemy’s playbook, and how to overcome when you are tempted. 3 ways we’re tempted and how to overcome:

We are tempted to get what we want now.

Right before temptation - Baptism of Jesus - Spirit of God descends on Jesus - His ministry will be empowered by the Spirit. Father speaks: “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”

Genealogy - Luke 3:23-38 - Jesus begins ministry at 30 years old - same age that a priest would be able to begin his duties at the temple.

Luke’s genealogy different than Matthew’s genealogy - 77 names - many that we don’t know. But… Luke wants us to know that Jesus is a descendant of David.

Connecting Jesus with all of humanity - Son of Adam - Why? Gen. 3:15 - one from the lineage of Adam and Eve who would crush the head of the serpent.

Note - Son of Adam, son of God - Luke setting up a contrast. Adam not son of God in the sense that Jesus is Son of God. But, Adam the first man - created to walk in obedience and intimacy with God - failed. Jesus, the Son of God - in a sense - the second Adam - Jesus is the Son of God that Adam was not - perfectly obedient - Perfectly obedient for us. Adam brought death into the world - Jesus will bring life into the world (Romans 5:15-17).

After baptism, the Beloved Son, full of the Holy Spirit, driven into the wilderness by the Spirit. For 40 days Jesus fasts and prays.

The wilderness is a place of failure for Israel. In the wilderness Israel was unable to be faithful to God. Would Jesus be able to do what Israel was not able to do?

End of 40 days - hungry - understatement!

Satan - the serpent of Genesis 3 - now in the wilderness not garden - Satan’s strategy does not change. Trying to cause doubt. In the garden, Satan caused Eve to doubt the Word of God. To Eve: “Did God really say?” In the wilderness, Satan trying to get Jesus to doubt His identity… “If you are the Son of God” (Luke 4:3).

Jesus in a wasteland - no vegetation, water is scarce, heat, etc. A place to die - not live. He’s not in Eden! Not surrounded by lush vegetation or a river. No companion. If Adam and Eve couldn’t stand temptation in the lush garden of Eden, how could Jesus withstand the serpent in a wasteland after not eating or drinking for 40 days?

BUT Jesus very different than Adam and Eve - fully human (Hebrews 4:15) but fully God - in fellowship with the Father and Spirit for all eternity. Satan knows it. Satan knows Jesus on a rescue mission. Satan’s clear mission: to stop Jesus’ mission.

“If you are the Son of God - turn the stones into bread. You know what you need, and you have the power to have it.” In other words, “Your Father is holding out on you. He must not really love you. Use your power to get what you need. Take care of yourself because your Father will not.”

The temptation is subtle - but a temptation we all experience - Don’t depend on God - depend on yourself.

The response: the Word: “Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) Jesus’ Father sustained Him, not bread. Jesus knew the Father had Him in the wilderness to prepare Him for greater suffering that would lead to ultimate victory.

For Jesus, living in the will of His Father far more important than getting what he wanted in the moment.

The INLAWS TV - If we don’t get what we want when we want…UNGRATEFUL… COMPLAIN

We believe the lie. “God is holding out on me so I’ll do life my way.” God is not holding out - He may not be giving you what you want to teach you to trust, to teach you patience, or to keep you from something that might ultimately might not be what’s best for you.

We act on the lie. Either complain and ungrateful or do whatever we have to do to get what we want.

I want acceptance and approval so I’ll put myself in bad relationships to gain the acceptance.

I want pleasure now - so I’ll look at pornography or have an inappropriate relationship to gain momentary pleasure.

I want relief from my suffering now. I’m walking away from my bad marriage, bad job, etc. I’m giving up instead of enduring.

We are tempted to pursue our own kingdom.

The enemy took Jesus to a high place and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. “Worship me and you can have it all now.”

Satan - the Lie: I have authority to give you what you want - worship me.

This is what Jesus came for! To rule over the nations! Lie of the enemy: “You know what you came for! Have it by doing it my way!”

How enticing! A shortcut! Jesus to be worshiped by all nations without suffering! Without a cross! Without a gruesome death! BUT, to shortcut God’s will would in essence be to worship the enemy that He came to defeat. Satan - have your kingdom apart from God’s Kingdom.

Jesus responds with Scripture: (Deut. 6:13) - Worship God alone.

Will you build your own kingdom or pursue God’s Kingdom? If your goal in life is to build your own kingdom where you are in charge you are not a worshipper of God. You are a worshipping yourself and you are playing into the enemy’s plan.

Building your own kingdom will cost you intimacy with God.

You’re pursuing a relationship that has cost you God - so consumed with a person that it has taken you away from the Lord.

You’re pursuing accomplishments that have cost you God - trying so hard to leave your mark that it’s left you little time and energy for God.

You’re pursuing wealth - financial independence - it has cost you God.

The whole point of life is loving and obeying God - even if that means that you put aside your pursuit of your own glory for what is better - a loving, fruitful relationship with the God of all creation.

Building your own kingdom will ultimately leave you without a kingdom. Only one King - to reject God’s Kingship will ultimately leave you empty. The cost of building your kingdom and rejecting God’s kingdom is too costly.

We are tempted to let our circumstances shape our faith.

Satan knows Jesus knows the Word - so he manipulates. Put him at pinnacle of temple in Jerusalem. Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12 - Messianic Psalm - but Satan twists it. “If you’re the Messiah, your Father will protect you. He can’t let you die. Prove who you are by throwing yourself off the temple. Prove God’s Word to be true.”

What proof it would be! The Jews were looking for a Messiah who take his stand at the temple. What better way to take your stand than taking a death defying jump from the pinnacle and walking away without a scratch.

The temptation: Prove God to be true - If he loves you, certainly He will act. If He doesn’t He must not love you. The temptation: Put God to the test. Let your circumstances dictate how you think about God and how you respond to God rather than God’s Word.

Jesus -Deuteronomy 6:16 - “You shall not put God to the test.”

You’ve been in situations where you’ve been tempted to let your circumstances shape how you think about God. You’ve said, “God, prove it! If you love me, come through for me. Answer my pray in this way, etc. And, if God doesn’t prove Himself in the way you want, He must not love me.” Yet, you His past faithfulness. You forget that His Word has promised you He will be faithful. There will be times that God may not do for you what you want Him to do, but that doesn’t mean He is not faithful.

When you face temptations, how do you overcome?

See Jesus as your example. You have the same resources He has:

The Love of the Father - (The Father’s voice at Jesus’ baptism.) In Christ, you are God’s beloved. Satan wants you to forget who you are! Don’t believe the lie of the enemy that God is holding out or that He doesn’t care for you. You are assured of His love. If God loves you, He wants the best for you.

The Word of God - You need to change the way you think (Rom. 12:2). Always giving into temptation shows you think like the world. The more you grow in the Word the more you become like Christ. You won’t be sinless but you will sin less. (What are your go to verses for the area in which you struggle? You struggle with lust, what does the Bible say about lust? Anger? Gossip? Have you committed those verses to memory?)

The Spirit - (4:1) God’s Spirit dwells in you. You are not in the battle alone. Cooperate with His work. Pray and trust. You don’t have to give in. You can resist.

You also have the people of God.

Jesus not alone - nor are you.

See Jesus as your substitute:

Why do you have the love of the Father, the power of the Word, and the power of the Spirit? Because Jesus was your substitute. You need the example of Jesus in the wilderness, but you need more than an example.

The Gospel: “Jesus in my place.” He succeeded where we fell!

Adam and Eve fell in the garden, believed lies of Satan. Jesus doesn’t! He succeeds in our place! Paul calls Jesus the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

Israel fell in the wilderness, and you will fail in your place of testing and temptation. But, Jesus succeeds in our place!

Jesus lived the life that Adam was supposed to live - that Israel was supposed to live - that we were supposed to live! He said “yes” where we should have said “yes.” He said “no” where we should have said “no.”

We’ve all asked, “Am I good enough?” No! But, Jesus was good enough for you. He obeyed in your place.

He died in your place. You should have died for your rebellion - but the perfect Son of God took your sin upon Himself and in exchange His good life was placed on you. You are justified through faith! He rose proving that His death was sufficient to cover our sins.

Jesus is your example - and you need an example. You need to know how to overcome temptation. But, more importantly, you need a substitute - because you will never overcome temptation perfectly.

1 Cor. 10:13 - Jesus is our way of escape!

When you see Jesus as your substitute - you’ll change - you’ll be confident in your identity and won’t believe the lies of Satan. You’ll want to know His Word and apply it. You’ll allow the Spirit to grow you so you can stand the attacks of the enemy.

Not a follower: Look to Jesus! Trust Him!

Follower: Stop beating yourself up if you’ve fallen. If you’ve fallen, get up! You’re still loved. Start obeying. Tempted? Run to the Word - put yourself in a place to experience God’s protection in temptation.