Tempations We Face: Doubting God's Love

Welcome/Review/Scripture Reading

Good Morning Church! How’s everyone doing this morning?

It has been an interesting weekend with Jess away.

Review/Context

Last Week we talked about Temptations around Identity.

Two main Temptations:

put your identity in lesser things.

Doubt your identity in Christ.

We also discussed temptations around ability

We can be tempted to rely on our own power and not God’s

Failure, questions like maybe we are not doing enough, or doing the wrong thing, or trying to force fruit.

We are vessels for his Kingdom building, we have works that he has prepared for us to do! We just have to join in!

Last Sunday we joined in at the back to school bash!

Transition: Today we are going to be looking at the temptation around Doubting God’s love and putting Him to the Test in order to prove it.

How many of you have ever been faced with this temptation? Does God really love me?

Often I have found that sometimes I associate God’s love with things going my way, When life is good, God is good, but when something bad happens the first question is always, God how could you let this happen.

Transition: Before I read the scripture text for this morning would you join me in prayer as we prepare our hearts for what God has for us this morning?

Read: Matthew 4:1-11.

Temptation for Jesus

Context: He has been in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. Fasting. He has already been harrassed by the devil once already challenging his identity and ability. Now we see the devil once again tempt Jesus to doubt God’s care with a twist.

Doubt God’s Love- form of care

Satan takes Jesus to the top of the temple which was about 450 feet above the kidron valley.

Does God really care for you?

This temptation backdrops with the story of the People in the wilderness at Massah, where they are thirsty and they question if God is with them and cares for them.

Quick way to prove God’s love that lines up with Scripture-

Satan is smart, He begins to use God’s word against Jesus here.

But this is not only a innapropriate test of God’s love, but irresponsible as well. Jesus says later on that he can call down legions of angels to rescue him. Just because there is a a garentee of safety doesnt mean you should be reckless.

A good illustration is a saw stop.

Quick way to be recognized as Messiah

Everyone would see this spectacle and follow and listen to Jesus

Jesus’ Response- I dont need to test God’s love for me, I do not need to cast myself down to prove who I am or God’s love

Note about not testing God: There are ways of confirming if you hear from God, this is what Gideon does with the fleece.

There are also ways to make ourselves more aware of God’s leading through things like fasting and spiritual retreats.

Ironically, Jesus wouldnt be cast down at the temple, but lifted up on a Roman cross for everyone to see in the shadow of the cross.

Our Temptation:

Doubt God’s Love and Care for Us

Question: Have you ever found yourself doubting God’s care for you?

Have you ever been in a situation where you think, God how could you let this happen dont you care for me?

Have you ever asked like the Israelites, is God really with us. Well Just like Jesus uses scriptures to combat satan, we can use scripture to combat our temptation to doubt.

Romans 8 - Nothing can seperate us

As I was studying this passage I was blown away how the Spirit revealed a new way at looking at this verse to me. We often think about, this as none of these things have the power to seperate us from God’s love, but we can also read it as the presence of these things don’t seperate us from God’s love either.

Nor the presence of these things can seperate us.

Paul talks about learning to be content in Phil 4. Can someone read Phil 4:11-13 out loud for us?

Tempting to Put God to the test

Cycle of Sin and Forgiveness- Fishing for Grace

Mindset, where grace is something we receive at certain faith milestones.

Getting saved, confession and communion, feeling like I didnt recieve God’s gace unless I messed up and came back to God.

We are called to walk with God, not necesarily ride the roller coaster of ups and downs with Him.

Seeing the little moments as nuggets of God’s grace and love

Neighbors- Joe fixing the light.

Transition: Maybe you dont struggle with this up and down or what I calling fishing for grace. But does our prayer life look like putting God to the test?

When we pray - Does our prayers to God look like a divine honey do list?

Does our relationship with God depend on how he answers our prayers?

Slot machine Prayer

Alternative: Praying to God like we are getting to know a friend.

Learning to ask what do you want God?

Learning to ask, How can I help?

This brief story teaches us that we will face temptations like this everyday.

Jesus teaches how to make our way in the wilderness, even when temptation comes

Being lead by the Spirit

Resisting the Devil, that may be the devil, but temptations often come from our own hearts.

By relying on the Guidance of the word, - Psalm 119:11- I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you!

I hope that this two part series on temptation has equipped you more and more to face each day! In two weeks we will be starting a new series called, Growing fruit! I am excited for what God is going to do!

Would you pray with me?

Benediction: