Temptation Management 101-II—Luke 4:1-13
We must learn to control/manage life’s temptations.
Control our falling into the temptations—Sexual/Drug/Alcohol/Food/ Social-Relationships/ Financial, etc....— so they do not become sin, hindering God’s work in us.
Jesus was able manage temptation so that it never hindered His ministry by becoming sin.
God’s people must know how to manage temptation...
...because the way we handle temptation is crucial to the effectiveness of our witness.
How are we to manage temptation effectively? or How can we be better at temptation management?
But First,
Why should we be concerned about temptation management in the first place?...2 verses:
1Cor. 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; & God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”
Jas. 1:12-15—“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, & He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away & enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; & when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Secrets to temptation management
Last time we found 3 secrets to temptation management were...
1. Keep Full
2. Keep Current/Moving
3. Keep Compliant
A 4th Secret to temptation management is
KEEP OPEN(:1)
Explanation:(:1)
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan & was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness”
Go anywhere God leads...Even in the wilderness!
Argumentation:
2Tim. 3:1—“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.”
Mat. 24:21-22—“for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.”
Jas. 1:2-4—“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing.”
Jos. 24:3—“Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, & led him through all the land of Canaan, & multiplied his descendants & gave him Isaac.”
Rom. 8:35-37—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
Illustration:
Ellen’s car broken into/ ‘Maybe someone in court that needs to hear the Gospel’/
Playing at kid’s request/I do not want to play/But I do/Keep Open
Application:
?You OPEN to the Spirit’s leading when Managing Temptation?
?Are you effectively Managing the Temptation you face?
A 5th Secret to temptation management is
KEEP DILIGENT(:2)
Explanation:(:2)Patient/Steady
“...for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; & when they had ended, He became hungry.”
Barrage
Other noteworthy 40 day periods include....
—Rained for 40 days & forty nights to destroy—
“For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days & forty nights; & I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.”(Gen. 7:4)
—Moses was in the Lord’s presence in the cloud on Mount Sinai for forty days & forty nights with no food or drink—
“And Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; & Moses was on the mountain forty days & forty nights.”...“So he was there with the LORD forty days & forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”(Ex. 24:18; 34:28)
—Israel spied out the land of Canaan for forty days—
“ ‘According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, & you shall know My opposition.”(Num. 14:34)
—Israel wandered in the desert for forty years & ate manna for forty years—
“And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.”
(Ex. 16:35; Num. 14:34).
—Goliath taunted the Israelites for forty days & forty nights—
“Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” When Saul & all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed & greatly afraid.”...“And the Philistine came forward morning & evening for forty days, & took his stand.”(1Sam. 17:10-11, 16)
—Elijah went in the strength of a single meal forty days & forty nights—
“8 So he arose & ate & drank, & went in the strength of that food forty days & forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.”(1Kgs 19:8)
—Forty lashes was the most a person could endure without death.
“...then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down & be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt. “He may beat him forty times but no more, lest he beat him with many more stripes than these, & your brother be degraded in your eyes.”
(Deut. 25:2,3)
*These represent periods of fulfillment...
—Punishment/Cleansing/Testing/Trying/Preparation for service.
—Any trial is a means of getting in touch with reality....
—*To strip away all fleshly confidences, dependancies & natural reliabilities.
Argumentation:
Heb. 6:11—“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,”
2Pet. 3:11-14—“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, & the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens & a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” .Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless & blameless,”
Rom. 5:3-4—“...we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; & perseverance, proven character; & proven character, hope; & hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Illustration:
Sprinkler systems installation crew for the son/Well drilling in Valdosta, GA with the owner/Summer—Shorts—No suntan lotion—2 days/ Pushed us constantly/Sunburned worn out/Keep Diligent
Application:
?You DILIGENT when Managing Temptation?
?Are you Managing the Temptations you face?
A 6th Secret to temptation management is
KEEP ENEMIES(:2)Recognize/Label
Explanation:(:2) Aware/Identity/Company/Villains/Sources/
“And Jesus... was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.”
1Pet. 5:8—“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
2Cor. 11:14—“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Argumentation:
1Pet. 4:7—“The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment & sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
Eph. 4:27—“...& do not give the devil an opportunity.”
1Jn. 3:8-10—“the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; & he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God & the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”
1Cor. 15:33—“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.””
Rom. 11:28-29—“From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts & the calling of God are irrevocable.”
1Jn. 4:1-3—“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; & every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; & this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, & now it is already in the world.”
Illustration:
Good guys & Bad guys on TV/Is there an obvious difference?/
‘Friend’ offers a taste/Encourages just a little won’t hurt/
20/20 TV show/Twin Boys/Circumcision burned one twin’s privates off/A Dr.—Psychologist convinced parents to raise him as a girl/Dresses-Hormones-Treatments-Conditioning-Surgery/He still acted like a boy/Parents felt guilty/Dr. wrote articles on how sex not determined at birth but is determined by environment/Dr’s guidance destoryed a life/A monster/?Why?—Parents didn’t Keep their Enemies
Application:
?You have ENEMIES when Managing Temptation?
?Are you Managing the Temptations you face?
A 7th Secret to temptation management is
KEEP HUMBLE(:2)
Explanation:(:2)Limited/Focused/Empty/Vulnerable/Dependent/
“for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; & when they had ended, He became hungry.”
Fasting is always combined with Prayer.
2Chr. 20:1-3—“Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab & the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came & reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram & behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” And Jehoshaphat was afraid & turned his attention to seek the LORD; & proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”
Argumentation:
1Pet. 5:5-6—“...& all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,”
2Chr. 7:14—“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, & pray & seek My face, & turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, & will forgive their sin & heal their land.”
Mk. 8:34—“And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, & said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, & take up his cross, & follow Me.”
Ps. 119:21—“Thou dost rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Thy commandments.”
Illustration:
My wife/Lunch or Supper/Gives everybody else the best/She eats scraps or eats something different/Keep Humble
Application:
?You DEPENDENT when Managing Temptation?
?Are you Managing the Temptations you face?
Conclusion
Action:
7 secrets to temptation management are...
Keep Open
Keep Diligent
Keep Enemies
Keep Humble
Keep Full
Keep Current/Moving
Keep Compliant
CHILDREN’S— ‘Willing to Go’
Presented 03/25/01am to;
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
