The Journey Begins: The Temptation

I am glad that we are here together. Today we are starting the journey together of the Easter Season. This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. It is an important part of our heritage as Christians. Let me begin by saying something very important. Ash Wednesday is not a catholic thing it is a Christian thing.

Though it is a common practice that is often associated with the catholic tradition it is a tradition that we can also recognize. Though this year we did not do it in the traditional fashion I encourage you to reflect on it anyway.

The Season of Lent is a time to take 40 days and reflect and perform some self evaluation. This parallels with this mornings passage in Matthew Chapter 4. Jesus’ time in the wilderness and his temptation. It is important as we approach the season of Easter that we prepare our hearts and our minds to draw on Him and turn to Him in all we do.

Let’s talk though this morning about some temptation.

My Temptation

Let me introduce you to my temptation.

(Pull out a can of Mt. Dew)

This right here is both one of the best and worst things in my life.

Yes, it is one of the best because frankly I love the taste of it. It is refreshing to me and enjoyable.

Now I know some of you will be saying. Oh, Andy its not good for you. Or how can you drink that it is not Good. Or, Don’t you know whats in that. How can you put that in your body.

I got some news for you. I know and have heard all those things. I know the truth. I know how bad this is for me. I know how much sugar is in this can. I see the calorie count everytime and

i think man i shouldn’t do this but i still.

(Open the can)

Can’t resist it. It is just good to me.

The temptation for me is that i know the problems that exist for me and Mt. Dew. It isn’t good for my blood sugar or blood pressure. I have to be very careful with it. In fact i am proud this morning because i have only drank 3 this week.

Oh wow only 3! Is that it. Some might be saying that is still 3 to many. It is better than what it was before.

How is this a temptation you might ask.

Because in many ways Mt. Dew is an authority in my life. We will come back to to that though. Let’s read this mornings passage.

Matthew 4:1–11 NIV

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The First Temptation

Here is Jesus out in the wilderness and he has been led there by the Spirit to seek God. At the the end of his time of fasting for forty days and nights he is faced with the Tempter or Satan or the Devil.

He comes to Jesus when he knows that physically he is weak. He has been without food for forty days. I don’t know about you but the last time i fasted even for just a day, i was struggling by the end.

I’m Hungry. When can I eat? Why did i decide to do this?

Satan tells him just make these stones into bread and Jesus tells him no way. Man doesn’t live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Jesus is tempted and he walks away victorious. Ding ding ring the bell Jesus takes the round.

I always thought that well this isn’t a fair fight though. He is Jesus after all.

Thats the thing. We need to be reminded right now that Jesus is both the divine and man. He is experiencing all the same things we do. Yet, he wins.

Satan came when he was at his weakest he was hungry and probably yearning for food. He could easily look at those stones and thought man those sure would make a couple nice loaves of bread and given in. Most people would understand. He hasn’t eaten for forty days.

Satan likes to do that. He likes to come when we are at our weakest and help us to justify our sin and why we need it. I haven’t had a Mt. Dew in a week. It won’t hurt me to have one, or two, well maybe three cans.

I need that pick me up. I need that Flavor. I need that sugar rush. IT won’t hurt me.

Jesus stood tall. He know that God has higher standards for him and for us and he did not let his temporary weakness or suffering change his trust in God.

The Second Temptation

This is where Satan gets tricky. He isn’t actually testing Jesus here. He is actually Testing God. The Passage he is quoting is Psalm 91:11-12

Psalm 91:11–12 NIV

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

He is using the trusted relationship between the Psalmist and God against Jesus.

Psalm 91:2 NIV

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

The Second Temptation

Surely God is going to take care of us in everything right?

Surely God will keep me safe if i decide to deliberately do something he warns against?

I mean don’t you think that God will save you if you jump off a cliff.

If you don’t survive you just must not have enough faith.

That’s what Satan is asking Jesus to do. Jump off trust him.

The truth is we aren’t supposed to seek deliberately situations that we need God’s deliverance from.

If you have heard this story before just bear with me but it is too perfect to not use here.

There once was a man who knew there was a great storm coming. He had been watching the weather and he decided to get his house ready. When he was done preparing his house for the coming flood he found that the water had already started to rise and it was no longer safe to drive.

He hit his knees and prayed God save me from the storm.

Out of nowhere a man pulls up with a boat and says get in i will get you to safety. He looks at him and says no God will save me. That man in the boat tries to convince him but nothing he says will convince him to get in the boat. He drives off to save someone else.

The flood waters rise and the man has to go to the second floor of his home. He prays again for God to save him. Than a second boat starts knocking on the window and tells him to get in the boat they will save him. He looks at them and says No God will save me.

The Boat heads off and the waters continue to rise. The man has to abandon the second level of his home and is on the roof of his home and crys out to God Save me Lord save me. Suddenly a Helicopter comes in and drops him a ladder to climb. He waves them off yelling. GOD WILL SAVE ME!

Well them an eventually drowns because he was waiting for God to save him. When he walks up to God he says

“God why didn’t you save me”

“God looks at him and says I sent you two boats and a helicopter what more do you want”

It isn’t perfect but it does the job. WE shouldn’t put ourselves in danger to prove God’s faithfulness to force God to do a mighty work. That is foolishness. We are to trust that God will do a mighty work at the right time on his time not ours. He is faithful we don’t need to test that.

The Third Temptation

This is the big one.

Matthew 4:8–10 NIV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Jesus recognized that he was asking him to deny God. He was asking him to do something that should be unthinkable. To turn from worshipping God.

There is only one response when faced with temptation that asks us to leave our faith in God.

Away from me Satan!

There are times in our lives that we are faced with sin that leads us down this road. That we know that if we give in to what we are desiring or what we are being tempted with that the only response is this.

Away form me Satan!

have you ever said that before.

Think about it. have you ever said to yourself these words. Maybe you have said them out loud.

I have to tell you it works.

There have been multiple points in my life where i have simply stood up and said Out. Out satan you have no business here.

Facing down different things that I know would bring me nothing but trouble I simply had to say Get out. You aren’t welcome.

To be honest we need some more of this in our lives these days.

Temptation

It is a horrible thing. It is hard to deal with and to face sometimes. It is also easy to give in to. There is a reason why. Satan knows when to come to us at the right time. He recognizes our frailty and seeks to take advantage of it.

The truth for us this morning is this we are all going to face sin at some point in our lives. In fact I am willing that some of us may be facing those things right now. At the end of the day the question that we have to consistently ask ourselves is...

Who is our source of strength and guidance?

Is it the world around us?

Is it our own desires?

Or is it the Spirit of God?

Are we trusting him and seeking him? Are we leaning on him as our refuge to know that he has us in his hands. This is not to say that hard times won’t come but the truth is that when we are faced with the desire to commit sin if we trust in him and lean on him we can be confident that he will give us the strength to stand firm. That we have no reason to fear but we can call on his name and we can say Away from me Satan because I am a child of God.

Let’s Pray