I'm Glad I Got Tempted

// RECAP

Turn in your Bibles to Luke 4

Week 1 - Free to Be Me

It doesn’t matter what others say about you…what does God say about?

First Man (Adam) led us into spiritual chains

Second Man (Jesus) led us into spiritual freedom

we must become of follower of Jesus

we are known as a follower of Jesus by our love for God and others

Week 2 - Living on Prayer

True freedom comes in knowing that you are pleasing God and Him alone

Michaiah stood alone against 400 prophets of Baal when King Ahab wanted a prophecy that would please him.

making the right choice put Michaiah in prison physically, but he was spiritually free

Week 3 - Dirty Grace

1. I’M GLAD I WAS TEMPTED

We met this woman who had committed a sin that deserved death

Jesus response was Grace - He gave her something she didn’t deserve

Jesus instructions to the person that receives is, “Go, and sin no more.”

we aren’t to take advantage of our grace, but instead we repent (turn away from our sin), and live for God alone!

In our final week, we are going to take a look at a significant moment in Jesus history here on Earth.

Luke 4:1–13 ESV

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11 and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Pray

1. “I’M GLAD I GOT TEMPTED”

Background:

Jesus is baptized right before He is sent into the desert

During baptism, Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit

Right after this, the Bible tells us that Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted

Luke 4:1–2 ESV

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

TEMPTED: peirazō; to make proof of, to attempt, test, tempt:

The idea of Jesus being “tempted” is not fully correct. It’s better to look at this as a testing of his faith.

James 1:3 ESV

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Side Note: one of the reasons for jesus going through this time was so that He could identify with us!

How amazing is it that the God of the universe would want to identify, understand, and put Himself in our shoes?

Jesus identified with us in the previous setting as He was baptized

Now, He’s being led into solitude with God to experience this time of testing

the same thing can be seen in the book of Job where God allows Job to be tested, proving to Satan that Job is a righteous man.

Hebrews lays out this concept for us, that Jesus went through this to relate to us...

Hebrews 2:18 ESV

18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Temptation is for Everyone

it is the method by which the spiritual maturity in us is tested.

Why Temptation?

the Bible says that the Holy Spirit led Him into this season or time of testing.

clarification: God doesn’t do the testing Himself (), but He can lead to places to be tested.

40 DAYS - this number usually signifies the amount of time God tests or judges

Noah’s Flood - 40 days, 40 nights

Moses was in the dessert for 40 years tending to sheep

Israelites in the dessert - 40 years

This time of testing was a time of forced dependence on God

During this entire time Jesus was being tested - the three examples are just the highlights, and they correlate perfectly with the original temptation that man failed.

Adam’s Fall - Jesus Redemption

Adam’s Fall

Genesis 3:6 ESV

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

good for food (lust of the flesh)

pleasing to the eyes (lust of the eyes)

desired to be wise (pride)

Jesus Redemption

Luke

Luke 4:3 ESV

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Lust of the flesh

Luke 4:5–6 ESV

5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

Luke 4:5–7 ESV

5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”

Lust of the eyes

Satan will promise to give you the things of the world in exchange for the one thing he has always wanted…worship

Luke 4:9 ESV

9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

Pride

Picture of Temple Mount

Satan uses scripture here to incorporate into this temptation - it is important for every child of God to know their Bible personally. Remember this time of testing was not done in a group, this was just Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the wilderness.

2. THE PLAYBOOKS

Satan’s Plays

Satan appealed to a legitimate desire within Jesus (the desire to eat and survive)

Satan suggested that Jesus fulfill this legitimate desire in an illegitimate way

Satan will promise to get you to the destination faster than God can, but it will never be the full promise of what God offered.

Popularity: you might be elevated in popularity because of how you dress, but your character won’t allow you to stay their long. Your whole motive was for pride and personal elevation.

Jesus’ Plays

Full of the Spirit

Know & Quote God’s Word

Stay Consistent

The Result

Satan is not stupid; he will not continually put his limited resources into an ineffective battle.

If you want Satan to leave you alone for a while, you must continually resist him.

Many are so attacked because they resist so little.

It’s too easy for the enemy!

Theory: if you’re doing things for God, that’s when the enemy attacks

Theory: the easiest way to defeat an enemy is beat them before they are strong

The enemy loves to steal potential

Satan will kick you while you’re down

Jesus resisted these temptations because He walked in the Word and in the Spirit; these two are the resources for Christian living. Too much Word and not enough Spirit and you puff up (in the sense of pride). Too much Spirit and not enough Word and you blow up. With the Word and the Spirit together, you grow up.

3. PASSING THE TEST

When Jesus did all these things, Satan Left

When Jesus did all these things, Satan Left...

Luke 4:13 ESV

13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

This is the real life example of when James tells us

James 4:7 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Jesus showed the only effective counter to deception: GOD’S TRUTH, NOT MAN’S WISDOM

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

GOD’S TRUTH, NOT MAN’S WISDOM

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Picture of Finding Nemo Escape

God will always provide a way for us to endure the test - that doesn’t mean it wont be hard, it just means that we don’t have to fail the test.

Pray

Those in tough situations would find rest in God

Those in tests would rely on God’s Word

Those not in tests would be building up their Word