March 6, 2022: Matthew 4:1-11, "From the Ashes: Temptation"

Prayer: “I know that I’m not immune to the temptations of life. God, remind me of how you feel about me. Protect me from the dead-end road of worldly gain and keep my eyes on the eternal reward. Help me to practice patience, delayed gratification, simplicity, and sacrifice that I might experience fully the life you have for me. Amen.”

Introduction

I believe that begin this morning by defining the word temptation. What is it? Well, I’m glad you asked! A temptation is the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.

I would like to invite you this morning to think about the biggest temptation that you’ve ever endured. Now, turn and tell you neighbor! Ha. Stop. Please don’t do that! But remember how you felt, if you were able to resist temptation, and what the consequences were if you gave into the temptation. I bet it felt pretty darn good in the moment… all the way from simple things like indulging in a five pound Hershey’s Chocolate Candy Bar all the way to bigger sins that could harm other people or even land us in jail. Temptation is not sin. It is feeling the desire to do something, and knowing that we have a choice whether or not to proceed down a road that in the moment may feel good but ultimately may not be to our benefit. Remember, even Jesus was tempted. The difference between us and Him is how he responded.

Today we begin a 6-week sermon series called From the Ashes. Our lives can sometimes feel like they are a disappointing pile of ashes. We can be broken, shattered and destroyed.

However, the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is that we can experience new life. Our lives, no matter how bad before, are never irredeemable. Said another way, you are not broken beyond repair.

In and through Christ, you can rise above the ashes and experience abundant life.

But this isn’t just a series for the broken and shattered - this is for anyone who wants to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ. Each week we will look at one aspect of Jesus’ life and ministry during His time here on earth and what we can learn from Him.

We begin this week with a conversation about temptation. Just before Jesus’ earthly ministry, he experienced a 40-day period of temptation. How many of you could resist if tempted for a solid 40 days? Not many of us could!

The being overseeing Jesus’ temptation was none other than the devil himself! I cannot even imagine what this would have felt like, looked like, or been like to endure. And yet, this is the exact scenario that Jesus had to overcome.

We begin today with a look into this season of Jesus’ life and how we can learn from and be encouraged by the fortitude of our savior.

Let’s read and hear the Scripture of Jesus’ temptation this morning. Stand with me and we hear the word of the Lord this morning:

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

And may glory be to God for the reading and the hearing of His Word this morning, THANKS BE TO GOD! You may be seated.

First and foremost today we all need to acknowledge that temptation should be expected in our lives.

We all experience temptation each and every day. No one is immune from the desires to have things or do things that do not align with the way of Christ.

Temptation comes in many forms, and in many ways it can seem innocent enough. Sneaking in some social media time at work, binging that extra show on Netflix, shaving a few dollars off of the income off your tax return… In the eyes of many these don’t seem like huge problems, but it can be the little foxes that spoil the vine as we are told in Song of Songs 2:15. Temptations and desires behind our actions can grow into big problems.

This can lead to things that we all would agree are devastating; Broken marriages, ruined relationships, ended careers, ministries closing down, and the list goes on and on.

It does us no good to pretend like we are immune to temptation.

So, how do we manage temptation?

How do we respond to temptation? How do we model the fortitude and endurance Jesus had?

It begins with our identity

This is Christ’s identity.

He is a beloved Son of God most high.

When Jesus is drawn into the wilderness this is the very first thing that Satan tries to call into question is His identity. The devil tries to tempt Jesus out of His identity and position. Look at what He says,

“The tempter came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God...” Matthew 4:3

For Jesus, the tempter said, If you are the Son of God.

For Eve, in the garden it was, Did God really say…

What does this voice sound like in your life?

If you really were a Christian you wouldn’t…

If you really loved God…

If you were only more like x, y, or z…

If you were really saved you wouldn’t be suffering like you are...

The questions may be different for all of us but the motive is always the same. The motive is to get us doubting our identity and position, AND get us doubting who God is, what He said about us, etc.

In summary, when dealing with temptation, always remember who you are and whose you are;

A beloved child of God most high.

The second thing the Devil tempted Jesus with was Provision

Matthew 4:3-4 says, “3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Have you ever been really really hungry?

Hunger is a big problem, not only in the world, but also a weapon used in war. Putin is currently weaponizing hunger in order to tempt the people of Ukraine to stop resisting and to give into His occupation. The message is simple. You are hungry. Lay down your weapons and we will bring relief trucks in to feed you.

I can’t even imagine how famished Jesus must’ve been after his 40 day journey in the wilderness. It’s just cruel that Satan would come to him, question His identity, and then challenge Him to turn stones into bread.

What did the people say in the desert? They grumbled and complained to Moses because they were hungry!

In Exodus 16, it says,

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you.”

God answered their prayer and provided!

Honestly, if you had the power to turn stones into Cheeseburgers or Chick-fil-a chicken sandwiches how difficult would it be to stay true to a 40 day fast?

But aside from bread and cheeseburgers, what was really going on here? What was the underlying need Satan was trying to manipulate? The need Jesus had, (that we all share) is a need for provision. It was food in Jesus’ case, but it’s also finances, clothes, a home to live in, etc… However, in all these things we look to God most high, the benevolent creator of the cosmos and we trust He will supply all we need.

Here are a few verses to remember;

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” - Matthew 6:26

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” - Psalm 23:1

A good shepherd will always supply for the needs of his flock.

A good Father supplies for the needs of his kids.

We have a good shepherd, a good father, and we can trust our needs will be met.

All this to say, giving up the physical desires of the flesh reminds us that the only provision we really need comes from the hand of God. God can be trusted, and His Word is what gives us life: not food, finances, relationships or things. During this season of Lent, we choose to go without to remind ourselves God is all we need.

The devil also tempted Jesus with Protection.

Matthew 4:5-7, “5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

The devil seems to be focused on inviting Jesus to test God’s protection of His beloved son. Jesus, having confidence in the care and concern for His well being by God, saw no need to do such a foolish thing. In fact, Jesus brings up a very important principle, that we should not test the Lord.

But if we’re honest, we often feel tempted to do foolish things simply because we know God is a God of grace, and He can pick up the pieces of a bad decision.

Yes, we know He will protect.

Yes, He can work all things for the good.

Yes, He is omnipotent and nothing can derail His will.

But sometimes we simply need to say “NO” to the voice of temptation in our lives. And if we’re in a precarious situation, then give some time to prayer, call some trusted counselors and advisors, and exercise caution and wisdom through our decision making.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1

If those were not good enough, Jesus was tempted with a big Position.

Matthew 4:8-11, “8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Let me let you in on a little secret… bigger is not always better and it will not always make your happier!

If Jesus were to give in, He would receive dominion over all the kingdoms of the world. It seems like an easy enough choice. The temptation for position and power can be overwhelming. The problem with bigger is always better is that it is temporary and temporal.

If we aspire to anything that is other than our big God, it can quickly become our idol and blind us from putting God in the top spot. We must choose to worship God alone and trust in the significance that can only come from our relationship to Him.

As a beloved son or daughter of the most high King, we will inherit an eternal kingdom and it cannot be shaken. Oftentimes we forget or look past this reality as believers and get distracted by worldly gain.

But truth be told, the best is yet to come.

And your eternal position is greater than any promotion your boss can give.

When feeling tempted in this area, try to keep things in perspective;

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

Conclusion/Application

One glaring thing was consistent every time the devil tempted Jesus;

Jesus responded with scripture.

The Word of God is powerful. Hebrews 4:12 says;

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

As we journey together over the next 6 weeks, I’d like to encourage you to commit to daily time in the word. Making this a daily habit can literally transform your life. You could read a Proverb everyday, jump into a chronological reading plan, or simply read 2-3 chapters every day starting in Matthew 1 and going through each gospel. (This lasts about 5-6 weeks)

You could give up your evening TV time for the word.

You could set your alarm 30 minutes early for the word.

You could read the word together over breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

What other creative ways could you carve out time to spend with Jesus and His word?

Let’s make no mistake my friends.

The tempter isn’t going to take the next 6 weeks off in preparation for Easter Sunday. And He definitely doesn’t want your faith and knowledge to grow in response to the word of God.

But here’s what we know, if scripture was sufficient for Jesus, then it is for us too.

SALVATION POEM

Let’s pray together.