HOW TO HANDLE
TEMPTATION
Deuteronomy 6:13-16,
Matthew 4:4-11
The Israelites were about to enter into the promise land
after 40 years of
wondering in the
desert. The old faithless generation that came out of Egypt
died out and a new
generation had been prepared by God to receive the land promised
to Abraham 500 (?)plus years
earlier.
Deuteronomy 6:13-16
V:13. " Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take
your oaths in his name."
A. The promise land
was inhabited by people who worshipped idol gods.
1. They made up
laws to govern themselves.
2. They
fashioned idols gods to worship according to their evil beliefs.
3. They made
laws to condom whatever the mind could imagine.
B. The Holy Father
did not want His people corrupted by the environment they
were about to
enter.
1. The best way
not to be corrupted by your environment is the fear the Lord.
2. Temptations
are all around us.
3. We cannot
fight temptation by ourselves.
4. We need the
guidance and the direction of the Lord to keep from falling prey to
the devils
persuasions.
5. The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
6. Obedience to
the Word of the Lord is the only sure guide away from corruption.
C. We are commanded
to serve the Lord only.
1. We serve the
true and living God.
2. All other gods
are false and are created from the evil imaginations of man.
3. We are God's
chosen people and He commands us to pay attention to Him and
Him alone.
4. An idol mind
is the devils work shop.
D. Take oaths only in
the name of the Lord.
1. Let your yes be
yes and your no be no.
2. It is a virtue
of the believer to always be truthful.
3. We certainly
should never tie our lies and deceptions to the Lord.
4. We must always
remember that the body is the Temple
5. Whatever we do for
ourselves affects the whole body.
6. Nothing we do
affects us only.
7. God want to
partner with us to see the His will is done through us.
a. God is the
full and sufficient security that our work through Him will be
accomplished.
V:14. " Do not follow other gods, the gods of the
peoples around you."
A. The company we keep has a way of affecting
us.
1. A little leaven can leaven the whole
dough.
2. How can two
walk together unless they agree.
3. We are in the
world, but not part of the world.
4. The believers
job is to influence the world around them to be like Christ.
a. We should
not be influenced by the world to be like the world.
b. The
believer should infect the world with the joy and peace he/she has
in the
Lord.
c. We
should not go anywhere with the idea of enjoying the world's pleasures
for our
pleasure.
d. This is
how Satan draws us into idol worship.
V:15. " For the Lord your God, who is among you, is a
jealous God and his anger will
burn against you,
and he will destroy you from the face of the land."
A. The Lord is always
with us. We are never out of His presence.
1. The Lord is
jealous of those who belong to Him.
2. We belong to
the Lord and He chastises those He loves.
3. We grieve the
Lord with our disobedience.
4. Our behavior
can cause the Lord to become angry with us.
a. The Bible
contains the record of God's anger toward
Israel
disobedient
behavior.
b. God
allowed their cities to be destroyed, their families killed and even allowed
the temple
He Jerusalem
c. He is as
jealous for us today as He was yesterday.
V:16. " Do not test the Lord your God as you did at
Massah."
A. We must be careful
not to test God as Israel
1. Do not
think that yesterday is the past and God has changed.
2. God reminds
us daily that He is in charge.
a. When a
plane drops out of the radar and can't be found, that is God
reminding us that He can allow the unthinkable to take place.
reminding us that He can allow the unthinkable to take place.
B. Don't think
that just because you are in church, that God want send some trouble
your way.
1. God has a
way of waking us out of our self confident attitude.
a. Don't
grumble against God because times are tough.
b. Praise
God in tough times.
c. It is
the tough times that should draw us closer to God.
2. We need the
help of God to get through each day.
3. We are not
our own and we can't live on our own power.
The plan of the Lord for our lives includes temptations by
the Satan. Jesus, after being baptized by John The Baptist was led by the
Spirit to be tempted. Temptations are a test to see how much we love the Lord.
Temptations often points to weakness in our faith.
Temptations can also point to some things we need to get rid
of to grow spiritually.
Jesus was led to the wilderness where He fasted and prayed
for 40 days. Fasting and prayer prepares us to resists the temptations of life.
Jesus was starting His ministry on earth and needed constant communication and
strengthening from the Father to complete
His journey on earth. Notice Jesus was led by the Holy
Spirit to a place of prayer and
temptation.
Matthew 4:3-11
TEMPTATIONS OF THE FLESH
V:3. "The tempter came to him and said, "If you
are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
A. Our spirits are
housed in the flesh, a weak part of the body.
1. The Devil
keeps track of us and knows our weaknesses.
2. He will show
up in our hour of weakness.
3. Jesus had
fasted for forty days. The Devil knew He was hungry.
4 .The Devil's
first temptation of Jesus targeted the weakness in the flesh.
B. This temptation
also targeted His Sonship.
1. "If you
are the Son of God".
2. The Devil
would have you believe that if God does not satisfy your every desire,
you are not
His child.
3. The Devil
would have you believe that if God does not answer your prayers, He
does not
care.
C. This first temptation also challenged Jesus
authority over creation.
1. Jesus created
everything out of nothing.
2. By the words
of Jesus everything that was made came into being.
3. We must always
remember that there is no problem to big for Jesus.
D. The Devil's will
cause you to lose sight of what is important in life.
1. After 40 days
in the wilderness, Jesus needed more than
just bread.
2. Jesus needed
water to satisfy His thirst.
3. He needed a
bed to lay His head.
E. This first
temptation of the Devil challenged the will of God for Jesus.
1. It was God's
will that Jesus fasted for forty days.
2. It was the
will of God that Jesus be tested and
strengthen for the ministry
He was
starting.
V:4. " Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does
not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes from
the mouth of God." Due 8:3
A. The only proper
response to the temptations of life is the Word.
1. Faith in the
Word is the key to resisting temptations.
2. The most
important tool a believer has for living in this world is knowledge of
the Word of
God.
a. We are commanded
to seek first the kingdom of God
will be given to us.
will be given to us.
b. In all
your getting, get an understanding of the Word.
B. Jesus is not
denying that we do not need bread.
1. Jesus provides
bread to sustain us.
2. Jesus is
reminding us, that we need the Word more than we need bread.
3. Ignoring the
Word can lead to death.
4. Obedience to
the Word assures the necessities of life.
5. Following the
Word keeps us in fellowship with the Father.
6. Yielding to
temptations breaks our fellowship with Father.
THE TEMPTATION OF PRIDE
A. Notice Jesus
allowed Himself to be tempted by the Devil.
1. Temptations
are part of life.
a. You can't
run from temptations.
b. You will
be confronted by temptations.
B. The Devil took
Jesus to the Highest point of the temple.
1. Jesus said, If
I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.
2. There is
always a flaw in the Devil's temptations.
a. Jesus is
higher than any point on earth.
b. You can
not get any higher than Jesus.
C. The Devil took
Jesus to that which was a weak representative of the holy city.
1. Jesus is the Holy
City
2. The Devil can
not offer you anything of value.
3. All that is
valuable belongs to the Lord.
V: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."
A. The Devil knows
the Word.
1. When the Devil
sees that you rely on the Word, he will misquote the Word and
present it
out of it's context. Psalms 91:11-12
2. In Psalms 91,
God was talking about those who faithfully serve Him, not those
who seek a
frivolously test of His power.
B. God hates the
proud.
1. The Devil will
lift you up to bring you down.
2. The Devil will
have you believe that if you are a child of God, you can ask
anything and
it will be done.
a. The Devil
will leave out "asking in His will".
C. Just because you
claim a relationship with God, does not give you the liberty to
direct His will for your purposes.
direct His will for your purposes.
1. We should
never get so holy that we think we are in charge of God's Holiness.
2. We should
never get so proud that we think we can make our will be God's will.
V:7. " Jesus answered him, "It is also written:
"Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
A. It is our
knowledge of the Word that prevents us from considering ourselves more
highly than we
should.
1. We have no need
to test the Lord's power, because it is all around us.
2. We can't call
up God's angels to prove our relationship to Him.
B. God's angels of
protection are always there in times of need.
1. Trying to prove
His love is not a time of need.
THE TEMPTION OF IDOL WORSHIP
A. The Devil never
gets tired of tempting you.
1. He will never
give up on bring you down.
2. If he can not
get you at one level, he will try another level.
3. If can't get
you one way, he will try another way.
4. If a small
bribe want get you, perhaps a much bigger bribe will get you.
5. The Devil is
persistent and good at his job.
6. You must be
better at following the will of the Father.
B. The mountain tops
are much higher than the top of the temple.
1. Jesus allowed
Himself to be led to a high mountain.
2. There is
always a flaw in the Devil's thinking.
3. Jesus sat on
the right hand of the throne of God which over looks all creation.
a. The Devil
could not show Jesus anything new. Jesus created everything.
b. The Devil
can not reach the height of Jesus.
4. If our eyes
are focused on the things of the world, we can never see the things of
heaven.
1. If our
desires are focused on the things of the world, we will never desire the
the things
of heaven.
2. If you are going
to show me something, show me heaven.
V:9. "All this I will give you," he said, "if
you will bow down and worship me."
A. Satan's ultimate
desire is that you trade your worship of the Lord for the worship
of things.
of things.
1. Satan's
ultimate desire is that you trade heaven for hell.
2. Satan's
ultimate desire is that you trade the eternal for the temporary.
B. Satan will promise
you what He want deliver.
1. Satan has a
habit of promising what he does not own.
C. We must not get in
the habit of believing that we can have anything we can dream.
1. It is a
popular saying among Christians that if you can believe it you can have it.
a. God never
promised you that.
b. This
belief was probably lifted from Matthew 9:23 where Jesus was focused
on healing a man's son.
on healing a man's son.
c. He did
promise that you can have what is in His will for you. John 14:14
2. God never
promised that everybody will be rich in worldly stuff.
a. It is
God's desire for some folk to remain poor.
b. All you
need to do is look at the story of Lazarus and the rich man.
c. God's
design for Lazarus was that he would die poor of the riches of the world
so he
could gain the riches of heaven. Luke 16:23
3. Look at the
widower who offered her last penny to
the Lord. Mark 12:43
a. Jesus did
not change her financial state on earth, but counted her offering
as more
than all the rich folk's offerings combined.
b. His grace
was sufficient for her needs.
V:10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is
written: 'Worship the Lord
your God, and serve him only."
your God, and serve him only."
A. We have to be
careful that our worship does not change from God to worldly stuff.
1. One way
testing of your worship is to consider what you give the highest
priority.
priority.
2. If your
highest priority is your job, that is where your worship is.
3. If your
highest priority is family, that is where your worship is.
B. Every thing in
the world is temporary. God is permanent.
1. One way to test your worship is to answer the
question, who do I serve the
most?
most?
a. Do I
spent more time thinking about me or God?
b. Do I give
God part of a day and the world the rest of my time?
2. Is serving God
a priority or just something I do when it is convenient?
a. Do I see
my job as a way of serving God?
b. Do I
separate God from work?
c. Do I call
on God only when I have a problem or do I call Him all day long?
C. Serving God only
is a command not an option.
1. You can not
serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other.
2. You have to
tell the Devil to get out of your life.
3. Resist the
Devil and he will flee.
V:11. " Then the devil left him, and angels came and
attended him. "
A. The angels of the
Lord are always standing guard when you are under attack by
the Devil.
the Devil.
1. When you are
tempted, the Lord will always provide a way out.
2. The Lord will
never put more on you than you can handle.
B. Serve the Lord
with gladness and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
1. You should serve the Lord because He has
all power.
2. You should
serve the Lord because He is a great provider.
3. You should
serve the Lord because He is a great doctor.
4. You should
serve the Lord because He is great lawyer.
5. You should
serve the Lord because He is a great protector.
6. You should
serve the Lord because He is good all the time.
7. You should
serve the Lord because He said so.
Amen
Rev. Mitchell
No comments:
Post a Comment