Peeled: Luke 4:1-13: Be Self-Controlled

Introduction

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shannon-stevens-alaska-bear-outhouse-attack_n_602fedd0c5b673b19b68053b

That seems to be the way sin is… It bites you in the rear in unexpected ways and at unexpected times. You go through seasons where it seems you are doing well in your walk with Jesus, and out of nowhere, you fall into temptation and sin against God.

When it comes to temptation and sin it seems we just can’t control ourselves. We need self-control! If you can’t learn to say no to temptation and sin, you’re going to greatly damage your walk with the Lord. Prov. 25:28: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (ESV)

When you practice self-control, you are able to guard yourself from the attacks of the enemy and prevent the enemy from stealing your joy, your peace, and your intimacy with God.

Definition: Self-control is allowing the strength of the Spirit to give you sound judgment to control your desires, appetites, thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Self-control is ultimately Spirit-control. Without the help of the Spirit it is impossible to withstand the attacks of the enemy.

Jesus was Spirit-controlled. He was tempted in every way and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). He was Spirit-controlled or self-controlled for you.

He wants to grow you in self-control. This morning, let’s look at how Jesus was Spirit-controlled and talk about two ways we can grow in self-control.

Temptation of Jesus Story

Beginning of the ministry of Jesus. After telling us about the birth and childhood of Jesus, Luke fast forwards to the beginning of His ministry.

Jesus baptized by John in the Jordan River. Voice from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22).

Jesus: full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus’ first ministry assignment is to go head-to-head with Satan himself.

Wilderness = a place of testing and temptation. Where the Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the time of Moses. Hebrews failed to honor God in the wilderness. Again and again, they gave into temptation, even turning to idolatry. God rescued them from Egypt, established a covenant relationship with them, and they failed.

In the wilderness - not for 40 years - but 40 days - fasting and praying - preparing for the ministry of the Kingdom of God.

At the end of 40 days, confrontation with the enemy. Physically weak - no food for 40 days - in the wilderness - (picture) - Judean dessert - hot - Jeshimon - “the devastation.” Famished, starving, frail…

Temptation #1 - Satan goes after the flesh, the physical need. “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

The words… subtle… “Are you really the Son of God? The Messiah? Really? Then why should you suffer?”

OR, “If you’re really the Son of God, use your power to your advantage.”

Satan will cause you to question who you are. “Are you really a child of God? If a child of God, then how could you suffer? How could Someone who’s saved wouldn’t have the kinds of thoughts you have or struggle like you do… Look at you. What kind of Christian are you?”

Jesus’ response: Quotes Deut. 8:3. Physical bread is good, but it’s not as important as God. Jesus: “I’ll eat when He wants me to eat. His Word nourishes me. He calls the shots.” Jesus knew who He was.

Temptation #2 - Satan wasn’t giving up. Satan will attempt to wage war against Jesus until the last desperate moment when he is cast into the eternal fire of God’s wrath. Satan took Jesus to a high place and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. “It’s all yours… It belongs to me… (kinda true - the world has made Satan her king.) Just worship me...”

Jesus’ response: Deut. 6:13 “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”

Reality - it belongs to Jesus, not Satan. He rules and reigns, not Satan. But, Jesus is King not because he bowed the knee to Satan, but because he died on the cross and rose again. According to Paul, God has exalted Jesus and given Him the name above every name, and every knee bows to Him because of who He is and what He has done.

Satan offering a short cut - have glory without suffering. Be king without the cross. In other words, take a short cut. Don’t do it God’s way, do it my way.

We’re constantly tempted to take the short cut - to go after our desires instead of doing life God’s way so that we can receive what He desires for us.

Temptation #3 - Satan knew that Jesus always went back to God’s Word, so Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem and put Him on the pinnacle of the tempe. “If you are the Son of God...” (There it is again. Satan attempting to get Jesus to question His identity.) “Take a jump...” Apex of temple to the Kidron valley below - 500 ft. “It is written, He will send His angels to protect (Ps. 91:11-12). God can’t allow His Messiah to die from jumping off a building. Go ahead and jump.”

To jump and land safely - what a demonstration of God’s power. It would definitely prove that Jesus is the Messiah. On top of that, 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.

Jesus refused: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deut. 6:16).

Jesus proved He was the Messiah not by jumping from the temple but by dying on the cross and rising from the dead.

vs. 13 - After the devil finished, he departed. Satan wasn’t done with Jesus, but Satan never defeated or will he ever defeat Jesus. For the Hebrews, the wilderness was a place of defeat - a place where they were overcome with temptation and sinned against God. For Jesus, the wilderness a place of victory - a place where He proves He is far more powerful than Satan and sin. In the place of testing and temptation, Jesus passed. He overcame for us. He passed the test for us.

The KEY to self-control is seeing what Jesus has done for us. It’s knowing that you have a Savior who was self-controlled for you. He didn’t give into the desires of the flesh, but lived perfectly for you. When you begin to see that Jesus went to war with the enemy for you, it grows you in your desire to say “No” to sin and temptation. Why would you constantly say yes to the sin that Jesus died to set you free from?

The temptation of Jesus teaches us two ways to deal with the attacks of the enemy so we might be self-controlled.

Know how the enemy attacks you.

The enemy attacked Jesus going after things that he thought Jesus would fall for: physical food, power, glory, and identity.

Jesus is strong. He wasn’t going to fall to the enemy, but you aren’t strong.

Be honest about your weaknesses.

You have to admit there’s a problem..

Part of having self-control is knowing that you have lots of weak spots, and the enemy knows how to attack you in your weak spots.

Sexual desires?

Time-wasting/laziness?

Your mouth?

Judgmental attitude?

Hard time controlling your emotions?

It’s challenging to have self-control when you’re not honest about where you struggle.

OR… it’s hard to have self-control when you enjoy saying yes to sin more than you delight in doing God’s will. Be honest. That’s the problem for a lot of us. We delight in sin without caring about the damage it is doing to our lives.

Stop ignoring your sin, and stop settling for far less than God has for you.

Be accountable to someone with your weaknesses.

We keep saying yes because we’re unwilling tp admit our need for help to God and to others. Be honest with someone! You need someone you can trust with your spiritual life. Someone you can call when you’re tempted to use that device to look at porn and ask to pray with you.

That secret sin you’re trying to hide from God will wreak havoc on your life, and don’t think you’ll get away with it forever.

Bidding on Larry Bird cards - Just hit the button…

Ill. - Johnny Hunt and Ravi Zacharias - one chose to live his life in the dark constantly saying “yes” to sin with no self-control. The other has chosen to share his life with someone.

Use the weapons God has given you.

The Spirit of God

Jesus was “full of the Spirit.” The same Spirit who lived in Jesus lives in you to empower you to live a life of self-control.

How do I live full of the Spirit?

Abdicate the throne of your life to Jesus - The Spirit grows you as you surrender your life to Him in faith and obedience. When you daily submit, He daily empowers you to live under His control.

Stop saying “I can’t.” You feel defeated, but you’re not. You really can overcome. Instead say, “I struggle with, but God will give me victory.” A powerful mindset - a perspective of life that says, “He’s in control. I’m not going to let the enemy drag me down.”

The Word of God

To do the will of God you have to know God.

Every time the enemy tempted Jesus, Jesus responded with Scripture. When the enemy attacks you where you are weak, do you respond with Scripture?

When you know the Word, you can bring Scripture to the forefront of your mind when the enemy attacks. (e.g., words, porn, etc.)

Preach to yourself more than you listen to the voice of the enemy. The enemy is loud. The Word of God must be even louder in your life. The enemy will call you to question the voice of truth. He’ll bring to mind all your failures. Don’t fall for it Preach to yourself what you know to be true.

Prayer and fasting

You won’t do the will of God unless you know God.

Jesus spent 40 days with God - He was ready.

This is why discipline is so important. Self-control doesn’t come naturally, but God empowers you to live Spirit-controlled as you spend time with Him.

James 4:2 - You have not because you ask not. You don’t ask God to help you to have self-control.

Fasting - “Your will is more important than bread.” Fasting brings focus and clarity.

What if you took one day over the next month and fasted? That time you would spend eating, read the Bible and pray. Every time you have a hunger pain, pray.

Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything that we can’t do. It’s that we won’t do it. Are you telling God “I can’t” when the reality is you just won’t?

The plan of God

Jesus knew the plan. It kept Him focused.

You know the plan too. The plan is for God to use you for His glory and your good. The plan is for you to use everything God has given you to be a blessing to others for the sake of the Gospel.

The plan is for God to make you into who He wants you to be.

The problem: you’ve settled for another plan - the pursuit of your desires.

Remind yourself often of the plan that God has for your life.

Don’t settle for less than what God has for you. Every time you choose to not let your life be controlled by the Spirit, you are settling.

For some, it means this morning knowing that God loves you and has defeated death for you by doing what you cannot do yourself: living perfectly and then going to a cross, dying in your place, and rising again. Give your life to Him this morning.

Some of you have settled for far too long. Admit where you’re weak. Ask God for help, and use the weapons He’s given you.