Creekside Church, Sunday, January 15, 2023
Jesus Was Tempted Too
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
THE DEFINITION OF TEMPTATION:
Temptation is the enticement to sin.
Succumbing to temptation to sin will always hurt you and God and often others and creation.
“Temptation will please you to abuse you, seduce you to undo you, distract you to destroy you.”
Marshall Segal
THE ANATOMY OF TEMPTATION:
Desire + Deception + Opportunity + Decision = Temptation Wins . . . Sin
DESIRE . . . .
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong,* and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
James 1:13-15 NLT
DECEPTION . . .
All temptation is at its core a lie. Temptation never tells you the truth for if it did it would then lose its power. Temptation always twists the truth.
When he (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44b
OPPORTUNITY . . .
If there is no opportunity for the temptation to be experienced then temptation cannot be fulfilled.
Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!
Proverbs 5:8 NLT
DECISION . . .
Once you decide to yield to the temptation, to sin, in many cases you have sinned in your heart before actually engaging physically in that sin.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:28
THE THREE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
Matthew 4:1-2
TEMPTATION #1 – The Temptation of Provision
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4
DESIRE – for food / provision
DECEPTION – you cannot trust God to provide for all your needs.
OPPORTUNITY – You have the right and power to provide for yourself. No one is looking.
DECISION – obey God or disobey God
TEMPTATION #2 – The Temptation of Protection
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’"7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”
Matthew 4:5-7
DESIRE – for personal protection and recognition
DECEPTION – by jumping you are trusting God and will be recognized by the people
OPPORTUNITY – the Father will protect you, it’s easy, “Just jump!”
DECISION – test God or trust God
TEMPTATION #3 – The Temptation of Position
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”
Matthew 4:8-10
DESIRE – to fulfill his life purpose
DECEPTION – take the easy and fast route to the same destination, you won’t have to suffer
OPPORTUNITY – just kneel and worship
DECISION – worship God or worship another / idolatry
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Matthew 4:11
HOW TO WIN THE TEMPATION BATTLE:
1. PAY ATTENTION
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
2. PRAY
“pray that you may not enter into temptation”
Luke 22:40
3. PARTNER
“exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”
Hebrews 3:13
4. PLAN
“make no provision for the flesh”
Romans 13:14
Jesus exhorted us to cut off whatever might lead us to sin against God in Matthew 5:28-30
Temptation is the enticement to sin.
Succumbing to temptation to sin will always hurt you and God and often others and creation.
“Temptation will please you to abuse you, seduce you to undo you, distract you to destroy you.”
Marshall Segal
THE ANATOMY OF TEMPTATION:
Desire + Deception + Opportunity + Decision = Temptation Wins . . . Sin
DESIRE . . . .
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong,* and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
James 1:13-15 NLT
DECEPTION . . .
All temptation is at its core a lie. Temptation never tells you the truth for if it did it would then lose its power. Temptation always twists the truth.
When he (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44b
OPPORTUNITY . . .
If there is no opportunity for the temptation to be experienced then temptation cannot be fulfilled.
Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house!
Proverbs 5:8 NLT
DECISION . . .
Once you decide to yield to the temptation, to sin, in many cases you have sinned in your heart before actually engaging physically in that sin.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:28
THE THREE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
Matthew 4:1-2
TEMPTATION #1 – The Temptation of Provision
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:3-4
DESIRE – for food / provision
DECEPTION – you cannot trust God to provide for all your needs.
OPPORTUNITY – You have the right and power to provide for yourself. No one is looking.
DECISION – obey God or disobey God
TEMPTATION #2 – The Temptation of Protection
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’"7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”
Matthew 4:5-7
DESIRE – for personal protection and recognition
DECEPTION – by jumping you are trusting God and will be recognized by the people
OPPORTUNITY – the Father will protect you, it’s easy, “Just jump!”
DECISION – test God or trust God
TEMPTATION #3 – The Temptation of Position
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”
Matthew 4:8-10
DESIRE – to fulfill his life purpose
DECEPTION – take the easy and fast route to the same destination, you won’t have to suffer
OPPORTUNITY – just kneel and worship
DECISION – worship God or worship another / idolatry
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Matthew 4:11
HOW TO WIN THE TEMPATION BATTLE:
1. PAY ATTENTION
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
2. PRAY
“pray that you may not enter into temptation”
Luke 22:40
3. PARTNER
“exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”
Hebrews 3:13
4. PLAN
“make no provision for the flesh”
Romans 13:14
Jesus exhorted us to cut off whatever might lead us to sin against God in Matthew 5:28-30