Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today, we’re going to be continuing on in our study of the Book of Matthew.

Last week, we seen the coronation of King Jesus and confirmation from the Father above and today we are going to see the one and only Son of God put to the test here on earth.

His entire life has led up to this point!

Today in God’s Holy Word, we’re going to see King Jesus tested and tried and one slip would have led to us still being lost and undone in our sins with no hope in and of ourselves of eternal life but praise be to God, He passed the test with flying colors!

And my goal today is for us to also learn how to pass the tests of temptation that the tempter will send our way!

The title of today’s message is…Learning how to Win instead of giving way to Sin.

We will be taking our message today from Matthew 4:1-11.

If you have it would you say, Amen!

The Tempting — (Vs.

1-4)

The first thing I want us to look at this morning is The Tempting that came Jesus way.

Chapter 4 Verse 1 begins here by telling us a little bit about the situation the Lord is in.

It begins by saying that Jesus was “led up” of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Now, as I was studying this week I guess it’s one of those deals where I’ve read it so much it just never sank in but someone tell me who led Jesus to the wilderness?

The Spirit did, correct?

The Spirit of God led the Son of God into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil!

But why would the Spirit do that?

So that Jesus would be able to identify in every way with the ones He came to save!

The Bible says in...

This has to be one of my favorite verses in all the Bible and the reason is because whenever I come face to face with a temptation no matter what temptation it is, I can know that it’s nothing my Lord hasn’t already faced!

Jesus was in “all points” tempted as we are “yet without sin!”

That means when a temptation comes my way, I can know that not only is it one that my Lord has also faced but it’s also one my Lord has overcome and therefore, since He was able to overcome it, if I put my trust in Him and turn to Him instead of the temptation, I too can also overcome it, Amen!

Listen friend, try to overcome the tempter by yourself and you will fail every time because he has been doing this a lot longer than you have and he has many more at bats than you do but turn to the one who is mighty at pulling down strongholds and put your faith in Him when temptations come your way and you’re sure to overcome them through your faith in the one who has already gained the victory, Amen!

Now, some of you are probably thinking to yourselves right now…that verse says God will make a way of escape but He’s the one who allows us to be tempted in the first place!

He’s the one who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil!

And you are correct.

God does allow us to enter into temptable situations but He will never be the one to do the tempting.

The Bible says in...

You see, God allows us to be tested by temptation but ultimately we are tempted by our own lusts and desires.

Well, Bro.

Bobby why does He even allow us to be tempted?

That’s a great question and the answer is even greater!

He allows temptations to come your way as a way to test us in order that He might grow us and in turn that we might grow closer to Him!

You see, God never sends a test our way in order to hinder us but rather to help us!

His goal as a Father is to teach His children, to help His children to learn and to grow from their mistakes.

His goal is for His children to grown in their faith and their walk with Him and therefore when He feels that one of His children have reached the point of graduating to the next level in their walk with Him, He may allow a temptation to come their way to test them.

Now, whether or not we pass the test is up to us.

It’s just like when we were in school.

We all knew there were tests coming at some point right?

But it was up to us to focus on what the teacher was teaching and to retain it for later on when the test actually came.

And on that day when the test was presented, whether or not we passed depended on the effort we put into learning what she had taught, right?

The same goes with the tests God sends our way through temptations.

Did we learn from the last temptation?

Did we put effort into growing from the last time we failed the test?

Or did we just say to ourselves, “ah I’ll do better next time” and go on about our business?

Listen, you’re only going to get out of God what you’re willing to put into Him!

That’s why God says all throughout His word to prove Him! To test Him with our faith!

Now testing and tempting are two different things!

Some people get these crazy ideas that they can sprout wings and fly and so they go jump off a building and say I’m putting my faith to the test…if God wants me to survive He’ll give me wings!

No friend, if God wanted you to fly, He’d of made you a bird, Amen!

Or these folks who handle poisonous snakes in the name of God and call it faith!

That’s ignorant if you ask me!

That’s called tempting God and the Bible says, “ye shall not tempt the Lord your God!”

Proving God and tempting God are two totally different things!

Let me show you something that I found this week about why God sends temptations our way.

And some theologians would probably say that I’m making a play on words or that I’m taking this in a spiritual way when it’s speaking of a physical way but in either right, it doesn’t change the outcome of God’s goal by allowing temptations to come our way!

When the Bible says here, “Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” the phrase “led up” means “to bring out, to depart but it also means to lead up or bring into a higher place.”

Now, I think there is a two-fold meaning here.

I believe the first lesson we need to take from this is that when God wants to grow us He has to remove us from the comforts of the place where we have been!

Jesus was led out into the wilderness by himself in order that He might grow closer to the Father through the process of temptation.

And dear friend, when we find ourselves wondering in the wilderness by ourselves, we better remember two things…be on the lookout for temptations and we’re here so that God can grow us!

So many times, when these wilderness situations come, we look up to God and ask why me, why now, why here, why this…when we ought to be saying, “ok God, I see you.

I know you’ve brought me to this place to grow me, to mature my walk with you, to help me be a stronger Christian.

Now, help me to keep my head on a swivel for enemy must be near and help me to pass this test!”

We need to change our perspective on the wilderness experiences and see them as seasons of opportunity instead of opposition, Amen!”

And the second thing I see here is that God’s goal with every test is to bring us to a higher place in order that He might prepare us for that Heavenly place, Amen!

So, Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and then the Bible tells us that He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and was hungry!

Some of us can’t make it 4 hours without food much less 40 days!

Jesus was undoubtedly famished and exhausted and weak.

And notice that’s when the tempter showed up.

Can I just tell you this morning that many times the devil will wait until you’re at your very lowest point to attack!

Now, don’t get me wrong, he will also attack when you’re at your highest but in either way he waits until your mind is preoccupied with everything else around you to pounce!

Here, Jesus is hungry and His body needs food to sustain Him and look who comes along and the temptation he uses.

He begins with “if”.

“If” you’re the Son of God that you claim to be then change these stones to bread.

The Son of God should have that power shouldn’t He?

“If” you truly are the Son of God He wouldn’t want His one and only Son to whither away out here in this wilderness!

Change these stones into bread and let’s have a meal!

He appeals to the flesh and to Jesus pride as the Son of God.

I want to teach you something about temptation this morning.

Did you know that every temptation in this world falls into 1 of 3 categories?

There’s the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and then there’s the pride of life!

Let me show you something real quick…I mentioned that Satan had been at this scheme for a very long time, right?

Well, look back in your Bible’s with me at Genesis 3:1-6

The first thing the devil does is downplay God’s command.

God said they would die if they ate of the fruit and the devil says no you won’t.

Second, look at what he does.

He appeals to Adam and Eve’s pride.

God knows that when you eat the forbidden fruit that you will be as gods knowing good and evil!

God doesn’t want you eating it because He knows you will be like Him!

Then look what happens...

Eve saw that the tree was good for food…there’s the flesh.

It was pleasant to the eyes…there’s the lust of the eyes.

And lastly, a tree to be desired to make one wise…there’s the pride of life.

All three in one setting!

From the very beginning Satan has been using these same three antics to hinder man’s relationship with almighty God!

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life!

For King Saul it was the pride of life caused his fall.

For King David and his son Solomon it was the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes that caused them pain and anguish.

For King Hezekiah it was the pride of life.