Understanding Temptation
The Gospel according to Luke • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsTemptation prepares us for the work of God
Notes
Transcript
Lets begin by skimming through some Scriptures: Ch 3:21-22; 23-38; 4:1-2
Chronology (Sequence, the order of things) is an important thing when understanding the Bible
God has placed the books, the chapters, and the events in certain order for a particular reason
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When you interpret a verse, it must be interpreted in the context of the chapter in which it sets
When you interpret a chapter, it must be interpreted in the context of the chapters or book it is in
When you interpret a book it must be interpreted in the context of the entire Bible
Luke 4:1-13
Temptation prepares us for the work of God
Temptation prepares us for the work of God
Notice John the Baptist’s message of repentance
The empowering of the Holy Spirit to Jesus
And then the leading of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness
These things are not in this sequence by happenstance, but by the purpose of God
Repentance comes, the Spirit is given, and then the Spirit leads into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan
Now this temptatio
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Who is the tempter the Spirit or Satan? Satan
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
God does not tempt anyone to sin
But notice it was the Spirit that led Jesus to be tempted
Any temptation in your life comes from the evil one
God allows temptation to come into our life for two reasons:
To refine us
To define us
How does temptation refine us?
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
It matures us as Christians
It produces patience
Patience produces spiritual maturity (let patience have its perfect work)
The first place Jesus was sent after the power of the Holy Spirit came upon Him was to the wilderness
It was necessary to prepare Jesus for the ministry
We like Jesus will also be tested
I want you to think about Job (Satan was allowed by God to attack Job and his family)
I want you to think about Peter (before the rooster crows you will deny me three times)
I want you to think about Judas whom chose to betray Jesus
Testing is part of the work of God
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
It not only refines us, but it also defines us
The testing defines us
I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”
The preacher in this verse is speaking of life under the sun
And what he is saying is we are all like animals until the indwelling of the Spirit of God comes into our life
The only way we can conquer temptation is by the power of God
The only way to defeat sin in our life is through the power of God
You put a man and a woman on a remote island by themselves and do you know what they will do? SIN
You put the Spirit of a Holy God within a man and that man will have the power to overcome the temptation to sin
How is that possible?
This account of Jesus in the wilderness is a victory over Adam in the garden of Eden
This account of Jesus in the wilderness is a victory over Adam in the garden of Eden
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
God does not tempt anyone to sin
Any temptation in your life comes from the evil one
Notice also it says Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
Adam in the garden was a man just like you and I
Adam was tempted by Satan (did God allow Adam to be tempted? YES
Adam failed
Death entered the world
Sin entered the world
All men inherit the sinful nature of Adam and we become sinners at birth
We are all just like Adam
We fail when temptation comes
We fail when Satan arrives
We fall for his tricks and believe the lie
BUT Jesus was born of the flesh through Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit and was tempted in every way juts as we are and never sinned!
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.
When Jesus conquered the cross lived a perfect and sinless life, died, and rose from the grave....we get his nature and the old nature of Adam dies
We can now do what Adam did not do because we have the power of Christ within us!
If the Spirit of God lives in you you have the power to say no to Satan, and yes to God
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.
God will never allow you to be in a situation where He has not made a way of escape
He did not go into the wilderness before the anointing of the Spirit
He was sent into the wilderness after the Spirit was upon Him
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.
Now that was the intro, are you ready for the sermon??
All temptation can be summed up in three areas:
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
These three broad areas cover every area of life
They are still what the enemy uses today to entice us to sin
They are the three areas Jesus was tempted in
Lust of the flesh
This is a temptation to satisfy the desires of the flesh
Food, drugs, lust...
Jesus had not eaten for 40 days
I would be willing to bet He was hungry
Is it a sin to eat? No
Why would Jesus not eat?
Because he will not choose the desire of the flesh over His obedience to God
Notice Satan tempted Jesus with what His body was craving the most
He had been fasting forty days
He waits until you have a bad day before he drops that thing you desire in front of you
He waits until the opportune time to get you to fall
T
Lust of the eyes (verse 5-
Another word for this is covetousness
Every one of the ten commandments can fall under this command…thou shall not covet
Jesus knowing the Kingdom was waiting for Him only after His death
The dreadful cross still lied ahead
And Jesus did not want the cross (The garden of Gethsemane)
K
Lord if there is another way please let this cup pass from Me
Here is Satan saying hey you can have it all right now…juts take it and it Yours!
The Lust of the eyes is money, things, power, popularity, etc
Many people are cursed by this and never see the other side
Nothing wrong with things....its when things become more than God to us
Its when we chose things over God
When we chose to spend our life to gratify our eyes instead of glorify the Savior
Notice what Satan said, “All this authority (domain) I will give you, for this has been delivered to me”
Who delivered the dominion of this world to Satan…Jesus? God? ADAM
The price of this world is not Jesus…it is Satan
The power of the air is not the Lord it is the devil
Now he is not over God but Adam gave him dominion in the garden
BUT THERE IS COMING A DAY
WHEN THE CHRUCH WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THIS WOLRD
WE WILL GO TO METT JESUS IN THE AIR
JESUS WILL CAST THE SERPENT< THE DEVIL INTO THE ABYSS AND WE WILL HAVE PEACE ON EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS
If you are wondering if this temptation has overpowered you just ask yourself is there anything I wouldn’t give up for Jesus?”
Pride of life (Verse 9-12)
He sets Jesus on the temple and tells him to throw himself off
Here Satan is telling Jesus to “show off your power”
You are in control
God wont let you fall…show the people you are the Messiah
Satan was trying to get him to put himself over God
Make God serve you
That is just what pride is…putting ourselves first
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Isa 14:44
This is the very sin that cause the fall of Satan
Isaiah 14:44
Pride is the most dangerous sin because it often goes undetected for so long
It produces an attitude that says I don’t need anyone
I am the best at everything
I am the most powerful
I am the wisest
I DON’T NEED GOD TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS
“He left Him until an opportune time” (Verse 13)
Satan never really goes away from us
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Why does he want us to fall? Because of Calvary
Because of GEn 3:15
He will crush your head and you will strike His heel
Because his days are numbered, but until that day he is at war with the brethren
Some advice: MAKE A COMMITMENT TO NEVER