THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT PART II: LET’S TRY THAT AGAIN
LUKE 4: 1-13
SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2003
INTRODUCTION: A woman bought an extravagant dress and the husband asked, “Why did it have to be so extravagant?” She said, “The devil made me buy it.” The husband asked, “Why didn’t you say get behind me Satan?” The woman said, “I did and he said it looked as good in the front as it did in the back,” so I bought it!
Contributed by: Martin Albanese
TRANSITION THOUGHT: This week we are continuing on the Journey of understanding just how the Devil works. Again I say, if you don’t believe he is hard at work, “Where is the crowd on Sunday Morning?” Last week, we looked at where it began, in the Garden of Eden. We looked at how that old snake started a conversation that we are all paying for today. Today I want us to look at the conversation Tony read us. Did you notice, this time no one messes up! The truth is, with a little understanding we can learn we don’t have to play that game, “THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!”
THESIS SENTENCE: THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US SUCCESSFULLY THROUGH THE DEVIL’S ATTACK!!
I. THE DEVIL ATTACKS AT OPPORTUNE TIMES
A. OPPORTUNITY IS A HIGH TIME
1. Our text begins with Jesus’ baptism.
2. This was not just any baptism, either. At this baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him and a voice came from heaven saying “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
3. Could life get any better?
4. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
5. The devil does not take any time off!
MINI TRUTH: YOU CAN BE ATTACKED EVEN AFTER HIGH SPIRITUAL TIMES!
B. OPPORTUNITY IS A DESERT TIME
1. Now this one we expect.
2. The desert is the place of attack. You know the desert. It is the place where there is no water. It is the place of extreme temperature. It is the place without shelter.
3. To add to all this, the devil has been at it for forty days and Jesus has not eaten a thing.
4. This is also a picture of the desert, the devil on your back for forty days and an empty stomach to boot!
MINI TRUTH: YOU WILL BE ATTACKED IN YOUR DESERT TIMES, SO BE READY!
ILLUSTRATION: One night an Arab had settled in for the night and had just fallen asleep when his camel stuck his head in his tent and explained that it was awful cold and asked permission to just stick his legs inside the tent to keep them warm. Granting him permission the Arab went back to sleep. A little while later the camel woke him up a second time and asked permission to stick his head in. Again permission was granted. This continued on throughout the night until finally the Arab woke up to find the entire camel in the tent with him. When he told the camel that there just was not enough room in the tent for the both of them the camel suggested that the Arab might want to leave. That is exactly what Satan does. He slips into our lives a little at a time and one day we wake up and alarmed we tell him that there just is not enough room for both he and Jesus in our lives. To which he suggests that Jesus might then want to leave.
Contributed by: David Swanger
TRUTH: ANY TIME IS AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR THE DEVIL TO ATTACK!
II. THE DEVIL ATTACK WITH REAL LIFE
A. REAL LIFE IS OUR PERSONAL APPETITES
1. Where does the Devil start? He starts with a little conversation.
2. Jesus has not eaten in forty day and is famished! Therefore, the devil starts with Jesus most basic need at the time, HIS hunger.
3. We all have basic personal appetites. These are the basic cravings of the body. You know those basic drives of the body. They are normally the ones that get us first. The real issue is do our basic drives control us, or do we control them?
4. What would have been wrong with Jesus turning a stone into bread? He was hungry after all and what sin could there be in this? Again, the issue is who is in charge and Jesus said His hunger would not control Him; He would control His hunger!
REAL QUESTION: ARE YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR APPETITES OR ARE THEY CONTROLLING YOU?
B. REAL LIFE IS OUR NEED FOR CONTROL/POWER
1. The next conversation the Devil initiates is that of control or power.
2. If Jesus wants all the power in the world, which the devil says he has to offer, all Jesus has to do is to do is worship the devil and it can be His.
3. One commentary spoke of each of these temptations as a positive to the world. If Jesus were to have turned the stones into bread, there would be no more hunger! If Jesus were to take the devil up on this power kick, Jesus could relieve all the oppression in the world.
4. But, the real issue is would HE do the wrong thing for the right reason? And of course the answer is no. He refused to worship the devil.
REAL QUESTION: WOULD YOU DO THE WRONG THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON?
C. REAL LIFE IS OUR NEED TO SEE GOD’S HAND AT WORK
1. This is the interesting one and really the climax in Luke’s text. What is the real issue here? It is one of forcing God to be God.
2. Haven’t you wanted to do that? I have! God if you are God make these people do right! God if you are God, heal my body! God if you are God, change my situation!
3. Did Jesus play this game? NO! He said He Trusted God and would not force God to do anything.
REAL QUESTION: CAN YOU TRUST GOD ENOUGH NOT TO FORCE HIS HAND!
ILLUSTRATION: Lucas Sibanda, a South Africian was walking along a remote path, minding his own business when a python slithered out from behind some shrubs. Sibanda froze. Within a few seconds the snake had wrapped itself around him and began constricting.
Pythons, are large snakes that suffocate its victims before swallowing them whole.
Sibana was trapped. He didn’t know how he would escape. "I decided the only way to save myself from this monster was to bite it just below the head," Sabana told the Star newspaper. He bit, he kicked and he punched the snake until it released him. Sibana killed the reptile with a stick, took it home and skinned it.
We have to fight Satan with the same tenacity!
Contributed by: James Wilson
TRUTH: THE DEVIL WILL ATTACK YOU WHERE YOU LIVE!
III. THE DEVIL’S ATTACKS CAN BE OVERCOME
A. OVERCOMING IS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. Do you remember where our text began? Jesus has just been baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove!
2. When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Guide, the Holy Spirit rests upon us as well.
3. Not only did the Holy Spirit fill Jesus, but it also led Him into the desert. The good news the Holy Spirit guides us through times of temptation, just as a guide navigates us through unfamiliar territory. The Holy Spirit knows how to successfully guide us through the Devil’s attacks.
MAX TRUTH: YOU CANNOT WITHSTAND AN ATTACK BY THE DEVIL IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH!
B. OVERCOMING IS THE WORD OF GOD
1. You probably thought I missed this didn’t you?
2. Every time the devil started a conversation with Jesus, Jesus responded with, “Let’s see what God has to say about this in His Word.”
3. What is interesting here is that all these quotations are found in the book of Deuteronomy chapters 6 and 8 and have to do with the children of Israel wondering through the desert.
4. Isn’t it interesting that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert just as it had led the children of Israel into the desert?
5. The biggest difference is that the children of Israel failed when they were tempted and that’s why they had to stay for forty years in the desert until a new generation was born that would obey God.
6. Jesus stayed forty days and obeyed God, keeping His commands and Laws. 7. One other truth that you might be questioning is that of Jesus being the one tempted. You may say, well that is a no brainer, Jesus cannot be tempted and therefore this does not apply to us.
8. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the Temptation of Jesus. They all believed that Jesus was tempted and could be tempted. The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear for us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin (4:15).”
MAX TRUTH: THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE DEVIL’S ATTACKS!
ILLUSTRATION: D. W. Whittle tells of a man who came to Charles Finney and said: "I don’t believe in the existence of a devil." "Don’t you?" said the old man. "Well, you resist him for a while, and you will believe in it."
Contributed by: Evie Megginson
CONCLUSION: The Devil has one desire and it is to sink us. He just starts with a little conversation that can lead to total destruction. How are you fairing in the battle. Remember, he is always on the attack and he hits us were we live! To overcome the devil, all you need is the Holy Spirit’s filling and the word of God. Do you have what you need?
BENEDICTION: I THESSALONIANS 5: 23-24: “MAY GOD HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL DO IT!
