Jesus on Temptation

In 2012 Martin Tremblay made headlines when he assaulted a 13-year-old child. Tremblay was a hockey coach who had just won a match against an opposing team. During the routine handshake after the game the coach intentionally tripped the 13-year-old who was still in skates. The young man fell to the ground, breaking his wrist.

The video went viral. Tremblay was sentenced to fifteen days in jail & 12 months of probation, lost his job as a coach. Lost contracts for his construction business, & his marriage broke down. At sentencing Judge Patrick Chen said, 'society will not tolerate the assault of children by adults. ‘Any parent who watched that video would be outraged.

The phrase “shall offend” used in verse 6 is the Greek word skandalizo. It means stumbling block. In this section Jesus is talking about people falling into sin. If you were the parent of that 13-year-old who fell because of the actions of that coach I’m certain you would be angry. Here Jesus shows us that when we cause God’s children to fall into sin, He gets angry. Hew has every right to. The fall into sin is more dangerous than a fall on the ice.

This morning we consider what Jesus says about temptation. I want you to see three things:

1. How we respond to God’s children reveals how He will respond to us (5-6).

2. The world will be held accountable for leading God’s people into sin (7).

3. Believers are responsible for removing temptations from their own life (8-9).

1. How we respond to God’s children reveals how He will respond to us (5-6).

A. Jesus is talking about believers.

Some think Jesus is talking about children here.

He’s actually talking about people who have humbled themselves and come to Christ for salvation.

Look at verse 4. “Whosever shall humble himself as this little child”.

Look at verse 6 “One of these little ones who believes in Me.”

Jesus isn’t talking about children in general. He’s talking about His children.

This whole chapter likens believers to children.

Humble ourselves as little children (1-4)

God’s concern for those who cause His children to sin (5-9)

God’s concern when one of His little ones is lost (10-14)

God’s concern when His children are fussing and fighting (15-20).

God’s concern when His children hold grudges against one another (21-35).

Three times in this chapter believers are called “these little ones” (6, 10, 14).

I don’t care how old you are, to mama and daddy you’ll always be their little boy or girl.

When it comes to God, we are certainly little! If you are saved you are one of God’s little children!

B. We are told to receive believers.

The word “receive” in verse 5 means to welcome. It carries the idea of hospitality.

How are they to be welcomed? In the name of Jesus. He is the reason we welcome them. They belong to Jesus and therefore we value them.

That seems so simple. Receive them, accept them, welcome them. But there is a lot more implied here. When Jews welcomed someone into their home what did they do?

They cared for them:

Food, shelter, water, nursing injuries, protection, etc.

If you really want to know whats implied here, just look at what the opposite of receiving them is. In this text the opposite of receiving them is to cause them to sin. So, to receive them must mean to nurture them in the faith.

Here we have a new believer in Christ. How should we respond to them?

We should lead them away from sin.

We should feed them the Word of God.

We should build them up in the Lord.

We should disciple them.

The hospitality of the church includes:

Protection from the attacks of the enemy.

A place to rest from the drama of the world.

Nourishment from the Word of God.

Jesus appreciates it when we welcome His people in this way. It’s as if we are serving Christ Himself.

There is a story in Ge. 19. Lot is living in Sodom. Angelic visitors come to visit him. He welcomes them into his home. Evil men of Sodom believe the angels to be mere men. They go to Lot’s house and attempt to violate the visitors. They beat on the door and demand Lot send the men outside.

Lot refuses and eventually an angel strikes the evil men with blindness. Lot couldn’t imagine allowing the world to violate those who represented the Lord. Where Lot messed up is he offered his own daughters to the men if they would leave.

The church is to be a place of refuge for the Lord’s people. We should receive His people as if we were receiving Him. When the world comes knocking and demanding to have the sons and daughters of God we should refuse! There should be a holy zeal we have for the protection of God’s people from this evil world.

C. We are warned to not lead believers into sin (6).

Jesus gives a strong warning in verse 6. He says it would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and drowned in the sea than to cause one of His to sin.

A millstone was used to grind grain. It was turned by a mule and usually weighed hundreds of pounds. The Romans used this method of execution. They would tie one of these heavy stones to a person’s neck, take them out into the ocean and dump them out. We can only imagine how terrible of a death that would be. Jesus could be saying a couple of things here:

First, He may be saying that it would be better for you to die before you get the opportunity to lead my children into sin.

Second, he may be saying, it would be better for you to fall into the hands of evil pagan executors than it would for you to fall into the hands of the living God. (Roman Government than Righteous God)

The blessing of God is on those who welcome, nourish, build up and protect God’s children.

The judgment of God is on those who lead God’s children into sin.

2. The world will be held accountable for leading God’s people into sin (7).

A. There is a world system that is opposed to God.

Satan called god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4)

This world is blinded by Satan

Unbelievers are called Satan’s children (1 John 3:10)

Ultimately Satan is behind all the sinfulness in this world.

The world normalizes rebellion against God.

It’s greatest tool for this right now is media.

Homosexuality

Drunkenness

Profane speech

This is in our face so often it becomes normal to us.

The world glamorizes rebellion against God.

Those who are idolized by our young people are some of the most ungodly people you could imagine.

The world is busy causing us to fall in love with what the Lord hates.

Jesus says “Woe!” to the world. That’s a pronouncement of judgment.

If there were a sign saying a building was going to be demolished on a particular date, you’d be a fool not to get out of that building. If you stayed in the building, you’d be destroyed with it.

God has given the announcement that He’s going to destroy this world system. If you refuse to leave it, you will be destroyed with it.

B. It is impossible not to be tempted to sin in this world (7).

We have a sin nature.

We are surrounded by sinful people.

This means:

We should never be surprised that we are tempted. We’re not going to outgrow it or outsmart it.

We should be prepared when we are tempted.

Recognize the sin (Even an animal recognizes a trap after the first or second time)

Remember the Word (Mind)

Resist the temptation (will)

C. We are often tempted by people.

Look at the end of verse 7. “Woe to that man…”

Don’t be that person.

Don’t be the tempter. Satan is called the tempter in 1 Thess. 3:5.

He tempted Adam and Eve

He tempted Job

He tempted Peter

He tempted Judas

He tempted Jesus

Anyone who tempts another to sin is doing the work of the devil. God created hell for the first tempter. That should be enough warning for us.

God isn’t the only one who sends people into your life. The devil sends people to.

Illustration Mormons coming to see me just after I was saved.

Could be:

A preacher with a false doctrine

A friend with a bottle of whiskey

A man/woman with a dirty mind

A family member with a filthy mouth

Coworker with a sinful plot

A stranger with a smart mouth

We are often tempted by people.

What do we do? We have to separate ourselves from some people. Joseph had to run from Potiphar’s wife and there are people we must run from too. God will deal with the tempters in a very serious way, and we should as well.

3. We are responsible for removing temptations from our own life (8-9).

A. We should take drastic measures to overcome temptation.

Jesus is using symbolic language here.

He doesn’t really want us to chop off hands & feet or pluck out eyes. How do we know that?

God condemns self-mutilation (Lev. 19:28). Self-mutilation is sometimes the result of demon possession (Mark 4:2-5).

Cutting off a body part doesn’t keep us from being tempted. Jesus made it clear sin starts in the heart (Matt. 5:28).

Jesus is using this language to grab our attention. He wants us to know how serious this is. Perhaps we should look at it this way:

Our hand refers to things we do.

Our feet refer to places we go.

Our eyes refer to things we look at.

There are things we must stop doing!

There are places we must stop going!

There are things we must stop looking at!

If we do not, we will not be able to resist the temptation to sin.

Jesus is saying it’s better to suffer physical pain on this earth than to die in your sins and experience the pain of hell.

By the way, this is another verse that proves that hell is a real place where people experience pain. Why would He use an illustration like this if when an unbeliever died, they ceased to exist? Hell is more painful than cutting off your own hand, foot or plucking out your own eye.

We try to wean people off sin. Jesus says hack your sin to pieces.

Jesus says cut it off and throw it away!

What do you do to a banana peel? Cut it off and throw it away!

What do you do to a pecan shell? Cut it off and throw it away!

What do you do to the shell of a shrimp? Cut it off and throw it away!

This isn’t rocket science!

Whatever sin it may be that’s keeping you from Christ, cut it off and throw it away!

You say, “I can’t!”

That’s what the rich young ruler said. He went away sad and he’s still sad today.

B. The danger of not repenting of sin.

I’ve already touched on this, so I’ll be brief. But look at the end of verse 8. “Cast into everlasting fire.” If we refuse to cast our sin away Jesus will cast us away…. into everlasting fire.

Look at the end of verse 9. “Cast into hell fire.”

Is our sin worth that? Even if you don’t believe in hell, is it worth the gamble?

C. Jesus has a better life for us.

There’s a phrase that’s repeated twice in verses 8-9.

“It is better for you…”

It is certainly better to enter eternal life in heaven. But it is also better for us to enter the abundant life of salvation on this earth.

A righteous life is better than a sinful life.

Get rid of that which is causing you to sin because your life will be better without it.

If you are looking at ungodly things online, get rid of the internet in your house! Drastic, yes! Necessary? Absolutely!

I’ve cut alcohol off! I’ve thrown it out. It isn’t coming in my house. You know why? My life is so much better without it!

If there is a person that is causing you to sin, remove that person from your life. Your life will be better!

Jesus has a better life for us. He has a righteous life for us. We may have to go to drastic measures to enjoy that life. It’s our responsibility through the power of the Holy Spirit to remove the things or the people from our life that are causing us to sin.

God has gone to drastic measures to deliver us from the:

Penalty of our sin- the cross.

The power of our sin- the Holy Spirit.

It’s our responsibility to remove sin and resist temptation.