Sermon Tone Analysis
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You have probably heard about the scientist who went to God and told him that we don’t need Him anymore.
We have enough knowledge and subsequently, power, to do anything we want to.
We have medicine to cure most diseases, we have airplanes and boats and electric cars.
We can clone people and even have the power to create people.
God says “really?”
Scientist says yup and we can do it the way you did.
God says “I have to see this, show me”
The man reaches down and grabs a handful of dirt
God says “whoa now, go get your own dirt.”
It’s funny, but you know there is something in us that has a longing for power.
It’s crazy how much us humans, as individual, and even as a whole will go to extreme lengths for power and authority.
Just a quick glimpse back at history reveals this.
Well, apparently satan understands this desire of ours as this is how he comes to Jesus for the third temptation.
Before we dive into the temptation, I think we need to examine the authority behind the statement that satan makes
All this I will give you implies that he has the authority to do so
This is an important thing to know that I think we sometimes forget
As believers, we often focus on the power, grace and mercy of God and sometimes forget just how powerful the enemy is.
So, to begin today let’s look at just how powerful satan is
Satan as ruler of the world
In Luke’s version of the temptation he says:
It is apparent that Satan has been given the earth to rule…for now...
Satan is referred to as the “ruler” or “prince” of this world in John 12 and 14
He is referred to as the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” in Ephesians 2
Not only is he the ruler of this world, but he has extreme power...
To understand how to overcome the temptation of the enemy, we have to understand that he holds power.
One of the struggles that many people have is that they aren’t aware of the enemy or ignore him.
Folks, we have a real enemy that is doing everything that he can to distract us from God.
He knows that he has lost.
He knows that God is victorious so the only thing that he he can do is try to take as many of us down as possible.
Satan comes to steal:
Our Joy - and he promises to replace it with happiness
Faith - and replace it with doubt
Hope - and replace it with uncertainty
He comes to kill all things pertaining to life
He comes to destroy all the things of God
Satan doesn’t have the ability to create life so he distorts it and destroys it.
He distorts or replaces what God has created as good.
You want to know why things are not going good?
It’s because we have an enemy who is against God and therefore, against us.
But, you see the lie that he tells is that he is for us!
He says that we don’t have to follow God because he has something better for us!
He says that we don’t have to tell the truth because we just need to say whatever makes us look good.
We don’t have to care for one another, we need to just look out for ourselves.
We don’t have to submit to each other, when we can have power and control.
Which leads me to our first of the two kinds of temptations that I see here
1. Temptation for Power
Who doesn’t want power?
And I mean, what easier way to get it?
Just bow down and worship Satan.....
Satan’s first tactic by appealing to the flesh didn’t work so then he moved to pride....
That didn’t work so now he moves to power.
Satan say “all this I will give you”
Man, what a temptation and a lie.
You can have all authority and power on this earth
Anything that you could possibly want is now at your fingertips
Just think of all that you could do....
All the money that you could want.....all the kings of the world under your domain
I wonder if we are tempted in this way?
No, we will probably not be the king or queen of any countries, but we are tempted to make as much money as we can.
Or gain as much status as we can.
Or we are tempted to use our resources or connections to get our way
If I write the checks, I now have power....I have skin in the game...
Or if I can receive enough status, I can get whatever I want accomplished
If I have enough followers then I can strong arm things to going the way that I want them to
It makes me sad to see people who focus so much on their job, that they neglect other things, like their family.
Sometimes it could be for money, or it could be for other reasons....have to get that next promotion or it makes me feel good to know that I am a hard worker.
I know a pastor who boats in how much he works.
He wants people to look at him and see how “hard of a worker” he is.
How “great he is at his job.”
When, sadly, I visited with this particularly man’s son one time and he told me that he resents his dad.
That his dad spent so much time working that he wasn’t involved in his son’s life.
I like to pick on pastors because I am one, but you see it all the time.
And my question is: what treasurers are you storing up? treasures on earth or in heaven.
Are you replacing the intangible things (family time, community, fellowship, worship, etc.) with tangible things (a promotion, money, etc.)?
If so, maybe we are allowing satan to tempt us in one of the ways that he was tempting Jesus.
The second, and probably more impactful way that satan was tempting Jesus was a....
2. Temptation to take the easy way
Who likes the easy road?
Be honest!
Satan’s appeal is that there is a better way that God’s way.
Jesus knows that in the end, He will have all the earth.
Satan will be destroyed and Jesus will be on the throne for eternity
Jesus is aware of this…and satan is to
So, what’s he trying to get Jesus to do....circumvent the cross
You can have all of this right now…without the pain and suffering of the cross
Satan breathes another of his lies and says that he has a plan better than God’s plan
Wow!
What a lie, and a temptation.....
We know that Jesus struggles going to the cross, at least when the time comes…
He is so grieved that He takes His disciples with Him…and asks them to stay with Him....
He then prays and asks that God would remove what is about to happen to Him.
So, satan knows that the possibility of Jesus “backing out” is there....or at least seemingly there....
And he is going to use it...
He gives Jesus an out...
A way to ruling without the pain of suffering....
So, is this a temptation for us?
To follow God, but without the hardships that may come?
To be a follower of Jesus without actually denying ourselves and taking up our crosses?
To actually have a relationship with the living, breathing God without taking the time to do so?
To pray through the tough times without rejoicing in the good times?
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