Lessons Learned In The Temptation Of Jesus

We live in a corrupt world where temptation is a part of everyday life. Dr. Stanley explains that though everyone deals with temptation differently, Jesus’ example offers us the best defense possible.

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Next on in touch. Lessons learned in the temptation of Jesus.
All of us have to face temptations of some sort.
And probably until the last day of our life, we will be dealing with something does mean that you do the same thing all the time.
But temptation is just a part of life.
Look at this awesome corrupt evil, vile society in which we live, but Adam and Eve had to deal with that and there was none of this and every generation has had to deal with it.
So we can’t blame it on somebody else and something else because we have a fallen nature and because we live in a fallen world, temptation is something we have to deal with probably most every day, not every day necessarily.
And it doesn’t mean that you deal with the same temptations all the time or maybe as many as you did before you were at this point in life.
But it’s there. And the issue is this, how do you deal with it?
A lot of people will live their whole life and never decide how to deal with temptation.
It just happens that when it hits them for some reason, this is the way they respond.
And if, if this hits me here, I’ll respond this way. So they don’t have any real method of responding.
Is there a way to deal with temptation? There was, can I build some kind of defense?
Can I look ahead and respond and know that this, that this will always work?
Probably most people would say no, because we are all different.
If that’s true, then that means we are all subject to the satanic power, the power of the devil to hit us from every side, every angle, any time, anywhere and down we go, that is not the will of God, the purpose of God or the plan of God.
So you say, well, can we live without temptation?
No, but we don’t have to yield to it unless we choose to you say, but you know what?
You just don’t know how tempted I am and you don’t know that the, the kind of temptation I deal with.
So let me say two things.
Number one, if you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you’re on your own.
You, you don’t have any real defense because you’re dealing with someone who’s got the answers and knows exactly when to hit you where to hit you and how long to hit you to bring you down?
So, if you’re not a believer, you don’t have a chance, you don’t have a choice.
If you are, you have the opportunity to understand what temptation is.
Like, what it’s about what it really is, what is the goal of it, who’s behind it and that you can live not without temptation, but without continuous falling.
You say, well, would you ever reach a stage in your life where you’re not tempted anymore? I doubt it.
Will. Will you ever live to a place in life where some things don’t bother you anymore?
I think that’s true. But as far as temptation absolutely out of your life, no, it may be something as simple as you just gossip.
You gossiped at 20 you gossiped at 40 60 80 you’re still doing it and you’re still asking God to forgive you.
Or it may be something far more serious than that.
And many people do, they live with sin in their life, they live facing the same temptation over and over again.
And this is the conclusion. Well, I guess that’s just the way it is.
That’s the way it is that everybody is tempted by something. And so this happens to be mine.
And so I guess I’ll just have to live and die with it.
You don’t have to, you may live and die with the temptation but not falling to it, not succumbing to it.
Not being defeated by it. But that’s a matter of your attitude and your understanding and the possibility of building a defense in your life to protect you.
Well, the best place to go that I know to find out how to deal with temptation is with the one who conquered it every single time.
And that’s Jesus, it’s not his will that you and I live falling into the temptation.
It is his will that we live the kind of life that has a defense, a mechanism, a plan that when we are attacked by the devil, we know what to do next.
So that’s what this message is all about.
And I want you to turn if you will to the fourth chapter of Matthew.
And those 1st 11 verses, give us an account of Jesus facing temptation.
And I want us to see what can we learn from this experience he had in order to protect ourselves from falling notice, I didn’t say protect ourselves from being tempted, protect, protect ourselves from falling and the temptation when it hits us.
So beginning in this uh fourth chapter, and I wanna start with the first word because the first word is important when he says then or what’s then when you turn back in your Bible and find out what happened right before this.
What happened right before this is the time in which Jesus was baptized.
And in the 14th verse, but John tried to prevent him saying I have need to be baptized by you.
And do you come to me?
But Jesus answering, said to him, speaking of John permitted at this time for in this way, it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
Then he permitted him by baptizing.
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold, the heavens were open and he saw the spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on him and behold a voice out of the heavens said, this is my beloved son and whom I am well pleased.
So he said, what’s that got to do with temptation?
Well, look at that word, then that means that what we are about to read happened right after this.
Well, is that important? It is extremely important and I’ll show you why in a moment.
So then beginning in chapter four, verse one, Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And notice it says he was led up. He, he didn’t just wander up there. He was led up.
And if you notice he says, led up by the spirit, the spirit of God right after He had this awesome experience of being baptized, the spirit of God coming upon Him and, and God just blessing Him, blessing Him and blessing Him in this experience.
Then what does God do? He sends him into the wilderness? He said, that doesn’t look very fair.
In other words, uh why didn’t you let him just enjoy the experience? Well, he did enjoy it.
But his watch this listen carefully. God doesn’t do anything without a purpose. God doesn’t react and respond.
He has a purpose. So he gave him this awesome experience to introduce him at the beginning of his ministry.
And so when he comes upon the scene, John baptizes him the beginning of his awesome ministry.
And so the scripture says that um then he was led up by the spirit into the wilderness.
He didn’t just drift up there, he didn’t find himself up there. He was led.
The scripture says by the spirit of God into the wilderness.
And he says, for the very specific purpose came off of this big high into the wilderness.
The scripture says to be tempted by the devil, why in the world would God allow the devil to attempt his son?
Probably more than one reason. But remember this, one of the primary reasons God allows testing and trial in our life is to prepare us, but parents often times for greater testing and greater trial.
And so what Jesus is suffering here or experiencing is the fact that the father is now getting him ready to face the reality of his awesome ministry.
And so 40 days of listening to God, that’s what he was doing, listening and talking to the Father Lord.
Do you know what you can? Can you imagine the kind of conversation that went on between Him and God.
It was an awesome, awesome time of listening to the father.
And so now at the end of those 40 days, Satan shows up and listen to what he says.
And the tempter came and said to him, watch this.
Not since you are not, not now that you are.
But if you are the Son of God command that these stones become bread if you are not sincere.
But if you’re the Son of God, in other words, if, if you, who you say you are, then uh you have the power to turn these stones into bread.
And what he was saying is why don’t you just use your power, your divine supernatural power.
The truth is why don’t you misuse it by turning stones into bread? That’d be very impressive.
And besides, that would be a way of satisfying your hunger in a miraculous way.
And so Jesus said to him, he didn’t get an argument with him.
He said it is written, watch this carefully.
It is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Now, what I want you to see is this, Jesus didn’t have to come up with an idea of how to deal with Satan.
When he was tempted, 40 days, he’d been listening to God preparing for the ministry that God had called him to do.
And so when Satan attacks Him. If you’re the son of God, you’re hungry.
In fact, you feel like you’re just starving. Well, these stones, you have the power to turn them into bread.
Delicious scrumptious bread. You know, the kind of bread your mother used to make you. It’d be just like that.
And Jesus said to him, it is written in the word of God.
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, watch this carefully.
Jesus had a plan. He had a plan for dealing with temptation and the plan was you go to the Father, you go to the word of God.
What does the word of God say? Now, Jesus already knew this.
Paul came along right into the Corinthians and he put it this way.
No temptation comes at you is taking you. But such as his come of the man, we all have it.
But God is faithful who will not permit you to be tempted above what you’re able to bear but will make a way of escape.
That’s the promise of God. If you don’t know that promise and you get hit with something really hard.
You say, well, listen, God, you knew I couldn’t handle that.
And uh that was too much for me and you let me be tempted and it’s your fault.
No, he says go to the word of God.
It is written what’s written, it’s written is this God will not allow one of his Children to be tempted or tried more than you are able to bear, depending and trusting in him.
He says, uh, he’s put a limit on it.
Now you say, well, suppose, I don’t know where to go. Why watch this.
Now, if you have a plan, the plan has some parts to it, right?
And the first part is go to the word of God and find those verses that are verses of protection like a shield when you attempt it.
And he said, this is just one of them. He says, he, he, he set a limitation.
So if I’m tempted, first thing I need to do say, well, listen, thank you father, that you’ve set a limitation on this and I do not have to yield.
So I need some ammunition. I need a defense and my defense is the word of God.
Now, I may say, well, I have a defense. Well, that defense has parts to it.
And that’s verse after verse after verse in the word of God that makes me realize I do not have to yield.
I do not have to surrender to that.
And you need to find those verses in the scripture that apply in a way that appeals to you or, or what you have to face in life.
You say, well, why don’t you give me some verse of scripture that I could use?
Well, if I did what you do, you’d just use that one.
You’ve got to find one that best that, that suits you.
For example, it may be that you have a problem of being angry towards somebody.
Well, find the word of getting the word of God, see what it says about anger and, and maybe it’s moral.
See what he says. That’s something, it’s immoral. Or maybe, uh, you have a problem with, with greed.
Find out what he says about In other words, go to the word of God. That’s what Jesus did. Listen.
It’s evident Jesus just had one plan and watch this.
Jesus didn’t get in any arguments with the devil. If you do that, you’re gonna lose every time.
He knows exactly when we’re the weakest, when we’re the strongest, where they hit us, who to hit us by whatever it might be.
So, what we have to ask is Lord Ho, how do I defend myself against temptation?
I build a foundation of strong truth and my defense is the word of God.
And so Jesus said to him, he said very simple. He said, uh we can’t just eat bread alone.
In other words, I’m not gonna misuse my power to satisfy my hunger.
So then say, the Bible says, then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple.
As we said, at the top about 450 ft down to the valley floor. And he said to Him again.
If you’re the son of God, now watch this, listen carefully.
If you think Satan is gonna hit you one time and forget it.
This is the Son of God and he, he defeated Satan one time. Satan comes right back again.
He says in the same way, if you’re the Son of God, throw yourself down and then he quotes the scripture.
Think, think about how subtle Satan is.
Not only did he tempt him to do something wrong, but he quoted the scripture to defend it.
He says for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you and on their hands, they will bear you up so that you will not strike your foot against the stone.
So he said, look, here’s what, here’s the word of God.
Have you ever had anybody come to you and give you a verse of scripture to a verse of scripture to defend their sin?
Absolutely. And so he comes back at Jesus again.
So when God gives you watch this carefully, you listen and say amen when God gives you a victory, here’s what you can expect.
Watch out. So he says, Jesus said to him on the other hand, he says there was Satan, you, you quoted this one, let me give you one and that is you shall not put the Lord, your God to the test.
And so what happens, Satan is buffed again. Here’s what God says.
Both times watch this carefully. Jesus did not get in an argument with the devil.
Whenever you get the argument with the devil, you have lost.
First of all, you have acknowledged that he has some bit of a, of a foothold.
Somehow you’ve acknowledged that. Well, maybe he’s right or maybe this or maybe that you can’t argue with the devil when you attempted the right response is immediate.
Going to the word of God. What does God say Every time Jesus faced it? Here’s what he did.
He said it is written. So here he’s testing him again to misuse his power.
And besides that, to say, listen, the best way to get a big crowd.
The quickest way for you to have a bunch of follow great followers is just if you throw yourself down, just get up on the temple and put it in the paper, get in the news, you’re gonna jump at a certain time.
All these people will be out there listening and watching and they’ll be so excited and they’ll be clapping and watching this happen.
You jump down, you land on your feet and they’ll just go wild.
And then when you say I’m the son of God, I’m the savior. They’ll believe it. No problem.
You can avoid the cross, you can avoid the cross.
If you just do what I said, jump off the top of the temple, you’ll have a crowd, it’ll be all over the world before you know it.
Anything Satan tempts you with it may look real profitable, promising, real satisfying if you first look, but if you’ll get under it and look again, you’ll find there’s a trap, there’s a snare, it’s full of lies.
It’s not of God, it’ll ultimately destroy you. And the world is full of lies.
The world is full of lies.
And so that’s why whatever we face in life, we have to ask ourselves the question. What’s the truth?
Because the truth is, there are penalties to sin.
Here is a divine truth that even the most educated ungodly or a Godly person cannot prove different.
We reap what we sow more than we sow later than we sow period.
That’s, that is, that is a scientific principle. It is a natural principle.
It is a spiritual principle and people who boast that they don’t need God, they don’t need this.
That and the other, if they could just get a glimpse of the end of their life, and they’ll realize that there’s a day coming when there are consequences to their unbelief and their disobedience.
So he said, if you’re the Son of God just jump and you’ll have what you need without the cross.
And so he quotes the scripture of what that God says. He’ll do. And then he, he quotes him back.
one, don’t put the Lord thy God to the test.
Then again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to him, all these things I will give you. If you fall down and worship me.
Now, if you take your route, you’ll never get them all.
If you take your route, you, you can’t live that long.
But if you’ll just fall down and worship me, I will give you the kingdoms of the world.
Well, of course, that’s another one of Satan’s lies.
And of course, what did Jesus, what did Jesus say?
He says, get out of here, Satan for it is written, you shall worship the Lord, your God and serve him only every single time Jesus used the same method of dealing with temptation.
Now, I don’t think any of us can improve on that method and think about this.
Here’s, here’s what you have the privilege of doing.
You can build, you can build this wall of strength, you can build this resource, you can build this armor before you against temptation.
Does that mean it’ll never break through? No, but it means that you build into your life.
The word of God. If the word of God is a vital part of your thinking, a vital part of your decision, making a vital part of your lifestyle.
You, that is the word of God is a vital part of your life.
It’s, it’s, it’s something that you read daily. It’s something that you believe from cover to cover it.
It is a pattern for your life, the promises of God are here, the power of God is here.
If you will build the truth of God into your life, you will build a barrier.
I’m not saying that you’ll never get tempted naturally. You’re gonna get tempted.
I’m not saying that you’ll never falter because this is, we still live in these bodies and we live in a corrupt world.
But you will have a resource and you will have a defense against the devil that listen, you will falter fewer and fewer and fewer times.
You say, well, you know, I live alone and I’m having a hard time and it’s just so bad being, oh, you’re not alone.
If you trusted Jesus Christ as your savior by his own confession, he’s living on the inside of you.
Listen, if Jesus is within me, according to his word, I have everything I need to be able to walk obediently before him.
So I can’t blame it on any of that. The truth is this.
I can’t blame my healing, the temptation on anything or anybody.
Somebody says, well, you know, I just didn’t grow up believing that. Well, get ready to start believing it.
In other words, if, if the truth is you believe it, Jesus said, every time, go to the word, go to the word, go to the word.
Here’s what, here’s, here’s what my father said. You don’t have to live in sin.
You don’t have to yield a temptation you said, but it’s so strong. Sure, it’s strong.
The devil doesn’t come along and say, well, I wanna get you. Now what he says, I want you.
So temptation doesn’t come as simple, plain and easy. It comes as the strength of the devil to defeat.
You. Drag you down in unbelief and weakness until you yield to the devil.
You may not believe in Him. Remember this? That does not remove him.
You don’t even have to believe in God. If you don’t believe in God, do you think that affects God?
No, it doesn’t affect Him. It affects you. So unbelief doesn’t affect God.
Unbelief affects the person who is not a believer.
And when I think of all the wonderful promises that God has given to us in His word, how to live a Godly life, walk in obedience to Him and all of us who try to walk an obedient life to Him.
For us. It’s so foolish. They try to live without God.
There is a pain and suffering and heartache and rejection and all the rest multiplied many times for people who do not know the Lord.
Somebody says, well, I’m gonna make it somehow. What’s that? What somehow now you’ve been deceived.
The truth is if you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your savior, you’re in trouble.
You see, there’s only one way to live and live it, right?
And that is having trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior until you surrender your life to Jesus and he comes into your life through the Holy Spirit and he builds the defense and he begins to work in your life.
And you see it’s not us.
It’s the spirit of God within us that responds to temptation as we obey the Lord.
So if you’re waiting until one day, you feel like you can handle temptation, you’ll never be saved.
But if you’re willing to say to Him, Lord, I’ve sinned against you.
I keep on sinning against you. I don’t want this in my life.
Um I wanna ask you to forgive me of my sin.
I receive Jesus Christ as my personal savior by faith.
I believe when he went to the cross, he paid my sin debt in full.
And today I just surrender my life to him. Thank you for this message, Lord.
And I pray that you will teach me how to live this life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Will he do it? Yes, he will.
And if you are a believer this morning, you now are inexcusable.
We’re dealing with temptation. Very simple, very simple message. Here’s what Jesus did.
Here’s what we’ll do. But did Jesus succeed? Will we succeed?
Yes, because the spirit of God within us will enable us to walk through all kinds of temptation, heartache, burns in life.
Does it mean we’ll never falter? No, it doesn’t mean that because we are human.
We live in these human bodies of ours.
We live in a corrupt evil, vile world, but we will be victorious when he is in control of our life.
Amen. And father, how grateful we are for this awesome passage of scripture.
That’s so simple, so plain, but so perfectly built for your Children to show us how to walk in victory every day of our life.
We love you and we praise you and we bless you and pray that whatever is going on in all of our lives, that we will resort to you, that their own nobility and talents and skills resort to you.
Trust you going to your word and drawing from this awesome spring, this well of truth.
Exactly what we need to meet every issue in life in Jesus. Name.
Amen.