02 Temptation

                         The Jesus Way: When I Want To Sin
Pastor Eric Schall
October 29, 2008

Matthew 4

Today we are going to be looking at the subject of temptation.  As we look at how to follow the Jesus Way of life, we of course will face temptation that could draw us away from that life.  All Christians face temptation to deny Jesus every day.  There are a million different things that seek to capture our hearts, our attention, our devotion.  There are a million different battles each day as we seek to follow Christ.  The Jesus way is the way of the warrior. 

We will be looking in Matthew 4 where Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist and then immediately led into the wilderness to be tested/tempted.

Matthew 4:1 (TNIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

By the way, The same Greek word for tempting can also be used of testing. And we do know that God does test people. Testing by God is like boot camp, or like spring training drills. God allows life's circumstances to push us beyond what we thought our limits were to mature our characters, and demonstrate the reality of our Christian claims. So the Bible teaches that God may allow persecution or sickness, or loss, to come into our lives to push us to greater and greater maturity and greater and greater trust in God and his provision. Something happens inside of us when we are tested and we pass the test. When we don't give in to unbelief, when we don't give in to self-pity, when we don't throw in the towel, something happens to the follower of Jesus when they are tested. Here is what we read in Romans 5:2,

Romans 5:2-4 (TNIV) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

See, here is the way it works. You begin the Christian life hoping that you will be saved; hoping that you will one day stand and see the glory of God. But you wonder inside about the reality of your Christian profession. You say to yourself, "You know, I am so weak; I am so unreliable; I am the kind of person who turns tail and runs at the least threat to myself; I'm a compromiser; I lack self-control; how do I know that I really will make it all the way to God?"

When we are tested. And we find ourselves persevering in our tests. We don't give up on God. We keep hanging in there. Oh, we fall, but we get up again. So we find ourselves persevering and in our perseverance, our character is refined. We discover that we can control ourselves. That we do have the ability to resist temptation. And this results in hope, a more solid hope, and a firmer hope that one day we will be with God that we will never fall out of the hands of our loving, strong Savior.

We begin with hope, but it is an uncertain hope. But through testing we end with a sure hope, a confident hope.

Temptation is totally different than testing. Satan's motive in tempting us is not to strengthen us, but to weaken us; not to cause us to be more dependent upon God, but to cause us to be more independent; not to build up our faith, but to tear down our faith in God; not to give us a certain hope, but to make us wonder if we are Christians at all. God tests us to draw us near to himself; to make us more dependent upon him. Satan tempts us, using the very same circumstances, to entice us away from God, to draw us away from fellowship with him, to cause us to violate God's commandments, and to seduce us to sin in a way that grieves and dishonors God.

We also need to remember that there is a difference between temptation and sinning. The book of Hebrews tells us regarding Jesus in

 Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin."

Let me ask you this:  Do you like to sin?  Of course you do.  That’s why you do it!  No one trips into an adulterous affair… “Oops how did that happen???!!!”  It happens because that is where all those little steps you took led you to.  Jesus felt the pull of all those desires.  He felt what it is like to desire a woman outside the bonds of marriage.  He felt what it is like to want to escape the troubles of this life.  He felt the temptation to give in to despair.  What desire have you struggled with?  Scripture tells us that Jesus was tempted in EVERY way, yet was without sin.  Why is this important?  Because if Jesus wasn’t truly tempted, didn’t really feel the pull of sin’s desire, then He did not truly delve into the human experience.  He didn’t feel what you and I feel everyday.

So often a thought comes into a believer's mind, a thought of doubt regarding God's goodness, or his existence, a lustful thought, an anxious thought. And Satan whispers in the believer's ear: "Well, you might as well indulge, since you've already sinned because of this thought." So many Christians are plunged into spiritual discouragement because they do not accurately distinguish between temptation and sin. The enemy can intrude a thought into your mind. He can tempt you to doubt, or to lust, or to be anxious, or self-pitying.  Jesus was tempted in every way as we are. The issue of sin has to do with what we do with the thoughts once Satan whispers it in our ears. Do we indulge it? Do we get on the train and ride for a while? Or do we reject it? Do we shut the door and say, "no! I'm not going there. This will not produce in my life the life of the Kingdom Jesus promised. This line of thinking will not produce in my life a sense of joy. It will not produce closer intimacy with Christ. It will not cause me to be Christ-honoring. It will not make me the kind of person I want to be. I slam the door on it."

If you don’t want to follow Jesus in your life, tune out; go to sleep.  However, if you have ever longed to be used by the Lord in your life; if you have ever wrestled with how to know, how to discern the will of God from your own will, then pay attention.

***Prayer***

Matthew 4:1-11 (TNIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The Way of The Wilderness

First we see Jesus being led into the wilderness BY the Holy Spirit.  In Mark, he says “immediately” after the baptism Jesus was led out. 

Have you ever had great challenge or a really low time right on the heels of a great victory?  It seemed as if as soon as you began to celebrate the breakthrough in your life, you found yourself isolated and alone facing hardship. 

You see here we find Jesus beginning the Jesus Way.  This is the beginning of His ministry.  There were no miracles before this point.  He submits Himself out of obedience to the Father to being baptized though He had no need of it personally.  The Spirit of God comes upon Him, people hear the voice of God affirming Who Jesus is, it is a great moment in all of history for all of humanity.  And then He is led into the desert for a time of trial and testing.  Why?  We know it wasn’t to affirm Who Jesus was, because the Spirit of God had already announced that.  Jesus needed no letters of reference.  This was not to test WHO he was but what His WAYS would be.

When God places His hand and call on your life to what He has created you for, there will be a time of testing as to HOW you will accomplish that thing.  Will you trust God or will you jerk the reigns of control out of the hands of God and get behind the wheel.

Matthew 22:14 (AMP) For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen.

That verse in its context is referring to how many (all) are called to God’s Kingdom, but many reject the invitation.  However, I see it as a parallel to the Jesus Way.  Many (all) are called to a life of ministry in their unique created way, but few choose the way of obedience that leads to a fruitful life.

So Jesus is led into a time of testing.  No where in this passage does the Devile try to get Jesus to renounce His call.  He doesn’t have to if he can get him to pervert His ways.  And that is where the temptations lie…in the way to accomplish the Father’s will for His life.

Temptation One

Matthew 4:3-4 (AMP) And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread. But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Useful.  Stones are not useful, but bread could feed the hungry, could feed Himself, 

Matthew 4:2 (AMP) And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry.

Use your power to meet your needs.  Let your first act in your new ministry be to take care of number one.  Use your strength to take care of yourself after all you need your strength for what’s ahead!  Power to take care of your needs, then you will be able to take care of others better

But the Jesus Way is not to look out for numero uno first.  In this world where you often have to climb on the backs of others to get ahead in the world, this can be very tempting.  Use your power to promote yourself for the end result of self. 

The Jesus Way is to use your power to serve, to use what was given to you to be a blessing to others, and to trust God for your provision. 

This first temptation is the weeding out process for many champions of God.  They are just simply to afraid to actually trust God to feed them.

This is the central message of Mt. 6, summed up by saying

Matthew 6:33 (AMP) But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Does this mean that you need to move to some mountain top and trust that God will send the birds to come and feed you berries?  Of course not.  What it means is that in all of the infinite choices that we face all the time, with all the possible motivations behind them, choose God.  Choose the Jesus way.  Choose to serve.  Choose to bless.  Choose to worship instead of complain.  Choose self second. 

Temptation Two

Matthew 4:5-6 (AMP) Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

Why would the enemy bring him to the city for this and not to a mountaintop?  The temptation here is for Jesus to play to the crowd; to become an entertainer of the people.  Now we are not talking about relevance in ministry here, we are talking to appeal to the baser instincts within our nature. 

The devil is saying “think about the impact this will have on the people.  They will tell their children for generations about this spectacle!” 

The devil wants to reduce Jesus to a means for escapism and thrills.  But Jesus isn’t interested in diverting us from life, but rather how to live a more abundant life. 

So how does this speak to us today?  Are we looking for God to constantly divert us, to change our circumstances?  Is your existence simply too drab to walk in obedience to God?  Christian, when you say “this can’t be all there is…” is it because you are not satisfied with how close you are to Jesus or is it because you feel that you are too valuable for God to place you in the mundane circumstances you are in?  Has Jesus become the means to spice up your life a little?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with desiring more of God in life and desiring God encounters and God experiences in life.  But will you be faithful when He chooses to hide His face from you for a while?  Will you be faithful when He asks you to sit and be still and wait?

Temptation Three

Matthew 4:8-10 (AMP) Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.

In this final temptation of this specific time period (Luke 4:13 (AMP) And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time.)

Satan cuts to the chase.  “Ok Jesus, bottom line, I will give you everything that you want, everything that your mission here will fulfill.  All you have to do is worship me.”

The most tempting thing often is the shortcut.  We don’t want to wait on God.  We don’t want to have to trust Him all the way through. 

We don’t want to have to wait for the Christian man or woman that God has for us…what’s in front of us looks pretty good! 

We don’t want to have to go through the character forming times of having to wait upon God’s timing.  We want it NOW!

I don’t want to have to just follow Jesus today and trust God for my tomorrows…I have big plans!

Altar

The temptation lies in what we see as good, rather than God’s best.

When the enemy comes to tempt us away from the Jesus way he doesn’t do it with outright evil.  He tempts us with a counterfeit of what God offers us. 

Are you living a counterfeit life?   Are you chasing what everyone else is chasing and is miserable when they catch it?

Snap out of it and grab onto the real life!

REMEMBER TO THE POOR…POOR BOX

PRAYER OF BLESSING