Untitled Sermon (10)

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

We want to begin this morning by establishing an important truth that comes out from this text: The truth is that it is a fact of life, something completely unavoidable, that every single one of us here in this room is going to encounter temptation. According to Paul, to be tempted is actually something “common to man;” and that ultimately God does not prevent us from encountering temptation, but only regulates the degree to which we are tempted. The reality is, we all have to face this thing called temptation.

By experience, we know that this idea is true:

Temptation “to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong or immoral.”

Now I am going to take a guess this morning and assume that all of us, at one point or another, have done something that can be defined as “unwise, wrong or immoral.” In fact the Bible confirms my theory in where it says that “we have all sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.” If this is true, and we have all sinned, then we have all done something wrong. And if we have all done something wrong, chances are it began with nothing more, nothing less than this thing called temptation.

By logical order, temptation is the precursor of sin.

Before you face the sin, you have to face the temptation.

Because we have all sinned, we have all faced temptation.

I realized that when we accept this truth, if we see temptation as a human reality, there needs to be a shift in focus on how we approach the topic of sin. We know that sin is the great enemy. Sin causes pain, suffering, affliction and death. And so very often, especially from this pulpit, we talk about victory over sin. But before sin, comes temptation. And so perhaps the time has come to talk about not falling into temptation.

Because if you do not fall into temptation, then you do not commit the sin.

But out of our own experiences we know that this is easier said than done. How many times have you been tempted to do something, even knowing that it is wrong, and still do it anyways? How many times have you even been able to identify the temptation, and ultimately end up in the place the temptation was leading you? Not falling into temptation is a difficult thing my brothers and sisters. Some would say even impossible.

But as Ellen White, in the Adventist Home puts it,

“The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin.”

As Christians, we are still called through Christ and the Holy Spirit, to overcome temptation, no matter how strong, and no matter how brutal it can get.

But so how do we do this? How do we live a victorious life when temptation is all around us? How do we not fall when the temptation has been designed so that we can end up in sin?

Part of the answer is to understand the strategies of temptation.

The most important part of the answer is to learn from the One who overcame them all.

Jesus overcame them all:

Hebrews 2:18 NKJV

18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

In , Paul in reference to Jesus, says the following: “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Two chapters later, in , the Bible tells us that “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

According to the book of Hebrews, let us answer a few questions:

Was Jesus tempted, yes or no? Yes he was.

Can Jesus help those who are tempted, yes or no? Yes he can.

In fact, the text tells us that the reason Jesus is so effective as a High priest is because he was tempted just like we are. Jesus represents us so well in heaven because just like you and me, he was tempted “in all points.” This is not to say he encountered every temptation. Temptations in the year 2017 are very different to temptations in the year 17. But the point is that Jesus was tempted with every facet of temptation.

Or Like T.D. Lea puts it, Jesus “faced the full range of temptations we face. It need not mean that he met each specific type of temptation which we face. A sample of the entire range of options for sinning fell on Jesus.”

This is ultimately what makes Jesus such a good representative. He experienced every strategy of temptation. Jesus ultimately, has seen it all.

The gospels confirm this idea as well.

Jesus was tempted by the religious leaders. How many times did they come with questions trying to test Jesus theology? Jesus was tempted by His disciples. How many times did His disciples test his patience? And of course, Jesus was tempted by the people as well. In one occasion, they tried to force him to become King. Jesus did not fall for this temptation, and instead put a stop to it.

But out of all the ways Jesus was tempted, the most well known temptations are found right at the beginning of His ministry, what we know as the three temptations in the desert. We don’t have the time to look at all three temptations, we will look at that in the next sermon in this series, but we do want to look at the most popular one: The very first temptation of Jesus. And what we want to do for the rest of our time this morning is to look at the strategy that was used in tempting Jesus, and learn from how Jesus overcame this temptation.

The First Temptation: Weakness and Doubt

Let us read:

The very first thing that stands out in this temptation is the timing of the temptation:

First, in speaking of strategies of the devil, the temptation most often comes to us when we are at our weakest. Jesus had spent 40 days fasting. Jesus had spent 40 days without food. I know how I feel after 1 day of not eating. How does the human body feel after 40? But you notice that temptation did not come at the beginning of the 40 days, when Jesus was the strongest. The temptation came at the end of the 40 days, when Jesus was the weakest.

The Devil is not going to attack you when you are strong. It is easier to resist temptation when you feel strong. The strategy of the enemy is to attack you when you are weak, Because it is harder to resist temptation when you feel weak.

In other words, he looks for the moment of weakness. He attacks you at your weakest point.

If your weakness is women, the devil is going to use women to tempt you.

If your weakness is music, the devil is going to use music to tempt you.

If your weakness is food, the devil is going to use food to tempt you.

If you have zero issues with handling money, the devil will not attack you with money.

But if you have a love for money, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will use money to tempt you… (No pun intended)

One of the keys to understanding temptation is an honest assessment of where our weakness lies. If you think you have no weakness, look again, because we all have them. And if we understand what we are weak in, then we would know what we need to pray more about.

But aside from attacking Jesus at his weakness, the phrasing of the temptation tells us what Satan was really after. The Devil told Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Would Jesus have any problem turning stones into bread, yes or no? No.

And is turning stones into bread something sinful? Is there a law against turning stones into bread? No.

So the issue was not in the turning stones into bread. The issue is in the first part of the phrase: “If you are the Son of God.”

Now this opening phrase is so problematic, because it is a direct attack to the word of God Himself. Immediately before this event happens, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. And notice what happens at his baptism:

God had declared that Jesus was “His beloved Son.” Jesus was the Son of God. God had proclaimed this. But Satan’s strategy was to make Jesus doubt what God had proclaimed. The idea for Satan was “If you doubt was God has told you, prove it to yourself. Turn the stones into rocks. Don’t depend on God’s promise that you are His Son. Depend on what you can do instead.”

This was the key to the temptation. Make him doubt God. Make Jesus doubt His promises. Make Jesus not trust what God had already proclaimed.

Often times this is what the Devil tries to do with us. He uses temptation to make us doubt the promises and the proclamations of God in our lives. As EGW puts it (DA, p 120):

“We are tempted to distrust God, to question His love. Often the tempter comes to us as he came to Christ, arraying before us our weakness and infirmities. He hopes to discourage the soul, and to break our hold on God. Then he is sure of his prey.”

The number one mistake we can do when being tempted is to stop trusting the word of God.

The Devil will do everything He can to make you think God will not fulfill His promises. We are tempted in numerous ways, but the enemy begins by placing seeds of doubt that if grown, will inevitably make us fall into temptation.

Remember what the Bible says:

Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

We cannot doubt that victory is promised.

We cannot doubt that strength is promised

We cannot doubt that sanctification is promised

We cannot doubt that transformation is promised

We cannot doubt that salvation is promised.

The Bible says in that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations”

We cannot doubt the promises of God. We must trust fully.

Conclusion:

I remind you of what says:

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Temptation is too great. But God is greater. And God is promising that in temptation, He will make a way for escape…

Leslie E. Dunkin tells the story of her pet dog. She says “My father used to put a bit of meat or biscuit on the floor near the dog and say, “No!” and the dog knew he must not touch it. But he never looked at the meat. He seemed to feel that if he did so, the temptation to disobey would be too great, so he looked steadily at my father’s face. There is a lesson for us all. Always look up to the Master’s face.”

So what are you looking at? Are you looking at the temptation, or are you looking at God?

Do you trust that God will give you the escape? Do you trust that God will give you the strength to bear it? Do you believe in the promises of God? Do you believe that when you are weak, you are strong?

Do you trust our heavenly father? Do you live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? Do you trust Jesus, and will you come boldly to throne of grace?

Step #1 in overcoming strategies of temptation: Trust God in your weakest moments.

May the Lord bless each one of you today!