Temptation

TEMPTATION

LUKE 4:1-13; MATTHEW 4:1-11

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out

Introduction Temptation is something that we all must deal with on a daily basis. Amen

Consider these Thoughts.

#1 It greets us when we awake.

#2 It meets us as we begin our daily routine.

#3 It finds us on our way to work, school, or wherever we may go.

#4 It provokes us when we get to work, school, or wherever else we might be.

#5 It meets us again as we return to our homes.

#6 It tests us even as we retire to sleep.

Somebody once said, “Watch out for temptation–the more you see of it, the better it looks.”

Hebrews 4:15–“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

I want us to take a close look at that matter and see what we can Learn from how Jesus handle Being Tempeted.

A FEW THINGS TO OBSERVE ABOUT TEMPTATION.

#1 . When We Are Tempted Of The Devil It Is Not Without The Knowledge Of God Or Without His Permission. (Luke 4:1; Matthew 4:1)

a. The Holy Spirit Led Jesus In A Particular Direction.

b. The Holy Spirit Led Jesus To A Particular Place.

c. The Holy Spirit Led Jesus For A Particular Purpose.

#1 God may lead us to and through times of testing and temptation, but He never tempts us to do evil.

James 1:13-14–“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

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Consider the testing of Job Job 1:9-12; 2:3-7)

#2 Some Of Our Greatest Spiritual Peaks Are Often Followed By Times Of Greatest Testing And Temptation.

a. Jesus Had Just Been Baptized . (Luke 4:1; Matthew 4:1– “

b. Jesus Was Full Of The Holy Ghost. (Luke 4:1)

c. Jesus Had Just Been Fasting. (Luke 4:2; Matthew 4:2)

d. Jesus Was Just Beginning His Ministry.

#3 The Devil Most Often Will Begin Temptation In The Area Of The Flesh At Which We Are The Most Weak Or Vulnerable. (Luke 4:2-3; Matthew 4:2-3)

After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was hungry!

We need to guard ourselves all the more in those times and in those areas that we know we are most susceptible to temptation.

#4 The Devil Will Tempt Us To Command Things And Demand Things That God Never Intended For Us.

a. He will tempt us to depend on self and its resources instead of on God and His resources. (Matthew 4:3; Luke 4:3)

b. He will also tempt us to exercise self will in an area where there should be dependence on God.

1 Corinthians 10:31–“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”