A Journey Through The Valley Of Temptation Series

INTRODUCTION

 Bobby desperately wanted a new bicycle. His parents told him he would have to save his money and buy it himself. Not terribly surprised or disappointed, Bobby vowed to save his nickels, dimes and quarters until he finally had enough to buy a bicycle. His plan began well enough, but one hot summer day it hit a snag. At the end of a disastrous day, you could sense his dilemma in his prayer. Kneeling beside his bed, he poured out his heart, "Dear Lord, please help me save my money for a new bike, and please, Lord, don’t let the ice cream man come down the street again tomorrow!"

 How many times do we let the sound of the ice cream truck get to us?

 Today our journey with Jesus takes us down the path of temptation. That seems like an odd road to travel with Jesus, but it is a road that He had to walk down.

 Hebrews 4:15 gives us one of the reasons that Jesus journeyed down this path. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

 HEBREWS 2:17-18 says, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

 This passage tells us that Jesus had to deal with the same type of things in life that we deal with. Another important thing to glean from this verse is that temptation itself is not sin. When we allow the temptation to grow past the being tempted to the action stage or the lust stage. JAMES 1:15 says, “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.“

 A couple of others things were accomplished by Jesus successfully overcoming temptation. He personally defeated Satan and Jesus serves as an example to us as how to overcome temptation.

 As we journey with Jesus today, we will see that the three areas of temptation that Satan tried to entice Jesus with goes to the root of all the sins that we would be tempted. You can put all sin in one of the three categories that Jesus was tempted by.

 Let’s begin today’s journey by turning to Luke 4.

SERMON

I. THE LUST OF THE FLESH (VERSES 1-4)

READ LUKE 4:1-4

A. The background of the temptation Verse 1-2

 This journey in the wilderness happened just after a great moment of spiritual triumph for Jesus, His baptism.

 One of the other things that I want you to take note of is the timing of the visit by Satan. One of the great spiritual highs of the ministry of Jesus had just occurred, His baptism. The next event we come to is the temptation. Many times in life great temptation follows after great spiritual achievements. (Elijah)

 In Matthew he tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit specifically to be tempted whereas Luke says that while He was in the wilderness Satan tempted Him for the whole 40 days.

 Luke tells us that during the 40 days that Jesus had nothing to eat and that is the setting for the first recorded temptation of Jesus.

 In the gospels we do not have every temptation listed that Jesus went through. Both the gospel writers hit the high marks of the temptations. The three listed goes to the root of all other temptation that we face.

 Notice the timing of Satan dropping this temptation on Jesus. He waits until the end of the 40 days. Jesus had been fasting for the whole time and here comes the devil.

 Satan will always try to hit you in your weak spots. If you are going to fight a battle, do you want to hit the enemy where they are strong or where they are weak?

 Satan knows our weaknesses and he will do all he can to get you there. As Luke unfolds the story of Satan’s temptation of Jesus, one truth emerges that touches all of us: Satan watches for an opportune time to tempt us. He wants to take us away from God. Knowing that we will be tested, we must always be ready.

B. The temptation Verse 3

 To tempt someone is “to try”, “to test”, to endeavor to entice or to draw a person away from virtue by suggesting motives to evil”