Forty days, in the wilderness. Forty days, not four, not fourteen but forty. And all he took with him was what he was wearing. He wasn’t part of a tribe, had nobody to build an alliance with, it was just him, a rugged terrain and God. What did he eat? Did he hunt, or fish, he didn’t do either, because he didn’t eat. For forty days he fasted and prayed and at the end of that time he faced his immunity challenge, a challenge that would keep him in the game or send him home. It wasn’t seeing how long he could stay under water, or hold onto a post, it wasn’t even whether or not he would eat widgidee grubs and worms, that was so gross.
What did his immunity challenge involve? Check it out.
So, the question is: was Jesus really tempted? There are some who say that even though the temptation was real in the sense that it actually happened, that because Christ was 100% divine that he wouldn’t have given into the temptation. If that is the case then he wasn’t a 100% man and that’s part of the mystery of the incarnation. My own theory is yes the devil tempted Christ, and yes it was a tempation. It was at this point that Jesus would have to make a decision how he would do his work. God was saying “Take my love to the people of the world, love them, die for them if you have to, but conquer them with your unconquerable love.” Satan on the other hand was saying, “Take the power that you have and demand the submission of mankind, win the world through might and force.” And so Jesus had to decide that day, would he follow the way of God or the way of Satan. Would he win his immunity challenge, or would he give in and lose?
And it’s not just my opinion the Bible says Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.
Well we have the benefit of the book and we know that Jesus won His immunity challenge. And this morning we are going to look at what the story holds for us and how You can win your immunity challenge.
Every person here is tempted in one way or another, that’s part of being human. And every one of us will respond to temptation in only one of two ways. We’ll either give in or we won’t. It’s as simple as that. No in between, no ambiguity here, it’s either yes or no, win or lose. When I first became a believer my dad told me, “Sin is black or white, grey is just a colour of paint.” That might be a little simplistic but it certainly applies to temptation. It’s unfortunate that too many people’s strategy of dealing with temptation is easy, they simply give in and get on with. They are a lot like Oscar Wilde who said “I can resist everything except temptation.”
Let’s start this morning by looking at Three Challenges to Your Immunity. Earlier I said that we are all tempted in one way or another. And we are, and our temptations are all different, what tempts me may not tempt you. But there is a common thread that runs through all of our temptations. When I was in Bible College I took a course called Pastoral Management, and it was taught by Rev. Charles Grant. Charles told us as a class that in our ministry we would find ourselves tempted by one of three things, “The Gold, the glory or the girls.” I thought that was fairly original but it wasn’t really. A few years back a Wesleyan author by the name of Keith Drury wrote a book called Sex, power and money, and that was no more original than the gold, the glory or the girls.
1) Challenge of our Appetites Matthew 4:3 Then the Devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.”
This one goes back a long way, to the very first temptation recorded in bible, right before Eve ate her family out of house and home. You remember the story, God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and they had complete freedom to do anything they wanted, except they could not eat from the tree of Knowledge. They could have cut it down and used it for fire wood and been done with temptation once and for all, but they didn’t. And when she was tempted listen to the direction the temptation went. Genesis 3:6 The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, . . .
Now we aren’t talking about appetite here in the sense of a Big Mac a large order of Fries and a shake. No this is the temptation to satisfy our physical desires, even when we know that it is wrong. Every one of us will be tempted at some time or another through our appetites. It may not be hunger it may be your sexual appetite, it might be an addictive substance, or it might simply be the appetite to have more, whatever the cost.
Why do we do things when we know they are wrong? Why do we watch movies that we know Christ wouldn’t approve of, why do we listen to music that flies in the face of everything the Bible teaches, why do we cultivate relationships that we know are dangerous? If you were to answer honestly it would be because we enjoy those things and those people. We are seeking to fulfill the appetite of pleasure. Even when we know that to do so is to be disobedient to what God wants in our lives.
What Satan was asking of Jesus seemed relatively harmless; just turn the rocks into bread. What could be wrong with that? Nothing in itself, but Jesus knew that wasn’t what he was supposed to do. And ultimately that’s how we need to view things, is this what God would have me to do? And if we are going to do that than we need to believe that God has the very best at heart for us, and he isn’t just a Grinch intent on taking all the pleasure out of life.
Does that mean that God doesn’t want you to
2) Challenge of Fame Matthew 4:5-6 Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He orders his angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.’ ”
Just think Jesus, all you have to do is one little circus trick and everyone will know who you are and they will bow down and worship you. Again, no harm no foul, the angels will protect you. So if you jump off the temple walls, everyone will see that you don’t get hurt.
This is also the temptation of pride, Madonna made this statement “I won’t be happy till I’m as famous as God.” She’ll never be as famous as God, but I would suspect that she has done some things in the quest for that fame that has dishonoured God and Madonna. Don Johnson may have been thinking of Madonna when he said “Once you become famous, there is nothing left to become but infamous.”
And you’re thinking, Denn that isn’t a problem for me, I know that I’ll never be famous so it’s not a temptation. Sure, but have you ever considered fames little brother, popularity.
When I was in school I was both unpopular and popular, and trust me popular is better, but it’s not worth selling your soul for. Don’t give into the temptation of doing things just to fit in with the crowd. Because when the time comes to pay the price for the compromises that you make the crowd will be no where around.
3) Challenge of Power Matthew 4:8-9 Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will only kneel down and worship me.”
Power, the rest of the temptation that Eve faced was power. Genesis 3:5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” To be just like God, people are still trying to be like God. What Eve was after wasn’t knowledge it was power. Satan was offering Jesus the power of world dominion without the sacrifice of the cross.
People are too willing to pay whatever price they need to in order to achieve the power they crave. They will sacrifice their morals, their ethics, their integrity. James Byrne Secretary of State “Power intoxicates men. When a man is intoxicated by alcohol, he can recover, but when intoxicated by power, he seldom recovers.”
Most of the problems in today’s world are caused by a quest for power. Read the papers. What is it that the Israeli’s and Palestinians are fighting over? Land, no they have land they are fighting over power, who will be in charge.
The Gold, the glory and the girls, Sex, money and power or Appetites, fame and power. Call them what you will but time and time again it’s the same three that will challenge your immunity.
3 Strategies of Winning
Use The Book Psalm 119:9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules. God has given us guidelines for living, they are contained in the bible. Time and time again people choice to consciously disobey his word, and then blame God for the mess they are in. Three times Satan tempted Jesus and all three times Jesus responded by saying “The Scriptures Say.” And gave a response to the temptation out of the word.
In Psalm 119 David asked How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules. Two verses later he adds to it by saying Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
The bible will only do any good if you know what is in it. It’s no good to wave it around and say, “Somewhere in here it says something that’s helpful” You need it hide it in your heart. You say, “But Denn I’m no good at memorizing scripture.” Just read it, and read it and read it. Make it a part of your day. If you don’t have a bible reading plan use the one Greg e-mail you every week. Devotional books are wonderful but they are no substitute for reading God’s word. David didn’t say “I have hidden the daily bread in my heart, or I have hid the upper room in my heart, or I have hid the lastest Christian best seller in my heart. Read the book.
Don’t under estimate Temptation. Remember what you pray in the Lord’s prayer, Lead me not into temptation. Too many of us are like Mae West who said “I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.” We say we’re resisting but we’re not putting up too much of a fight cause we’re afraid we’ll scare it off completely. But it’s not a game, and it’s not some little pet that you can take and play with and put back. The Bible says the Devil is like a lion, and it means a full-grown nasty beast. Not a cute little cuddly thing.
Story is told about a man who came in from the dessert to visit his cousin in the city. As he made his way toward town he came across a railroad track. He had never seen a train before so he didn’t know what the track was and decided it was just an easy place to walk, and so he did. He didn’t get very far when a train came charging down the track after him. He heard the wistle and turned just as it hit him. Well luckily it didn’t kill him just banged him up real bad. When he got out of the hospital his cousin took him in and the first night decided his country cousin could use a cup of tea and he put the kettle on to boil. Well you know what happened. Buddy’s sitting and the tea kettle starts to whistle, he jumps up grabs a base ball bat, rushes out to the kitchen and beats the tea kettle to pieces. His cousin follows after him and says “What did you do to my kettle?” To which came the response, “Oh sure they are cute when the are little, but let them grow up and they can kill you.”
That’s the reason why in the sermon on the Mount Jesus warns us not only to avoid committing adultery, avoid even thinking about committing adultery.
Jesus’ brother James hit the nail right on the head when he wrote in James 1:14 Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.
Scottish writer Margaret Oliphant Said the same thing, “Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought.”
Don’t go looking for temptation and don’t under estimate them.
Believe the Promise Here’s the most important thing I’m going to say today, learn this scripture, memorize it and believe it with all your heart. 1 Corinthians 10:13 But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
You can win, the promise is here in the book, and we don’t debate the book. I couldn’t help myself, or the temptation was too strong, or the devil made me do it are cop-outs. The Bible, the word of God promises us that we can win over temptation.
If you are going to master temptation, first you are going to have to let God master you.
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