February 10, 2008 -- "Temptation"

Scripture: Mat 4:1- 11 NRSV
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "Again it is 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; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.






THE SHORT ROAD HOME

First Service Introduction:
[The top three answers given by elementary age kids to the following question: What did mom need to know before she married dad?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook or something like a bank robber?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say No to drugs and Yes to chores?

Now, I’m not sure that most marriages began with such an interrogation. Perhaps, but there could be some misconception here. Speaking of misconception, there are several misconceptions in regard to temptation:

Temptation itself is sin.

To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed sin.
When I am spiritually mature, I will no longer be harassed by temptation.
(Charles Stanley, tape AU146, In Touch, June 1988, p. 13. )]

Second Service Introduction:
[The top three answers given by elementary age kids to the following question: Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a whole lot.

2. Mom got to old to do anything else.

3. My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Now I think it is fair to say that those are some misunderstandings. Speaking of misunderstandings, there are several misunderstandings in regards to temptation:

Temptation itself is sin.

To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed sin.
When I am spiritually mature, I will no longer be harassed by temptation.
(Charles Stanley, tape AU146, In Touch, June 1988, p. 13. )]

There were three temptations that Satan fired at Jesus:

1) “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” It sounds reasonable. But remember what Jesus was doing. He was fasting. He had fasted for 40 days and was famished. Satan tried to get him to break his fast by getting him to use his own powers on himself. He attacked Jesus with a purely human need – a valid need. Satan also attacked Jesus’ self-worth – “If you are the Son of God.” If you are going to claim to be His son, then prove it. Satan hit the ego.

Jesus responds with the word of God. Deuteronomy 8:3 – “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus was saying, “Satan, I’m not depending on myself. I am depending on God. Even if his way is harder, it is better.”

2) Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

Satan doesn’t let up, he continues to try to place doubt in Jesus’ mind, to make him prove himself “IF…” Then he attacks Jesus with Jesus’ own weapon; he uses scripture – “…it is written…” He took Psalm 91:11-12 and twisted it to support his own evil suggestion.

The top of the temple was over 400 feet off the ground. If he would throw himself from it, say around the time of the morning sacrifice, hundreds of people would witness it. Sure they would follow such a person!

Jesus responds with scripture and untwists Satan’s scheme: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” To see how far one can push God and expect His rescue is not a wise way to live. God does expect us to take risks to be true to Him, but not to take risks to enlarge our own prestige. Besides, faith dependent on sights and wonders is not true faith.

3) Satan leaves his hardest punch for the last attempt. He took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

Satan was attempting to get Jesus to compromise. Jesus came to save all the kingdoms of the world. Satan told him that he would see that he got them if he would just worship Satan. No cross. No agony. You get what you came for. Say it and it will be yours!

The thing that makes people and rivers crooked is following the line of least resistance.

That is what Satan tried to get Jesus to do – the tried to get him to follow the line of least resistance. He tried to get him to take a short cut – to take the short road home instead of the long, hard road of the cross. Just think if Satan had got Jesus to not take up the cross! Beware of shortcuts. Beware of compromise. The line of least resistance is not always best.

Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Jesus did not argue with Satan over whether or not the kingdoms were truly Satan’s to give. Jesus, who walked with God at creation, who participated in creating Lucifer, finally calls Lucifer what he is: Satan. That means adversary. He is adverse to all that God intends to do. Jesus knew that evil like this can not be defeated with compromise. He never compromised his message. He never compromised his faith. He never stooped to the level of the world. He lifted the world to his own level.

What else can we learn from this encounter? A few things.

Satan is real. He is powerful. God is more powerful. And Christ in us makes the difference.

But Satan will try again and again to get us to stumble. He will do it very often by attacking both our weaknesses (Jesus’ hunger) and our strengths (Jesus’ power). He will hit us with what he knows we struggle with. He will hit us at the level of our gifts and try to get us to use them for self instead of for God.

Next, we can not have the victory without being in the word. The Bible doesn’t scare the devil. The living word does.

Last, be careful where you go. On the TV show "Hee Haw," Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, "Well then, stay out of them places!"

He may have something there. We cannot regularly put ourselves in the face of temptation and not be affected. When faced with the problem of temptation, we need to take the good doctor's advice and "stay out of them places." Source Unknown.

The Bible says, “…make no provision for the flesh, to satisfy the lusts thereof.” The best way to avoid temptation is to stay away from places that really tempt you.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon commented: Think about what settings you are in when you fall. Eliminate them. What people are you usually with? Avoid them.

There are two equally damning lies Satan wants us to believe:

1) Just once won’t hurt.

2) Now that you have ruined your life, you are beyond God’s use, and might as well enjoy sinning.

It was Ben Franklin who said: “It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”

Should you fall, Christ will restore your sincere heart. And He can help you overcome temptation. He understands. He has been there. And he lives forevermore to walk with us and help us along this journey. Praise be to God.