What Would Jesus Do? Part 9: Concerning Temptation - 1 of 2

Matthew chapter four, we'll begin reading there in just a moment in verse one. Before I read that, I I want to also read a verse from first Corinthians. It's chapter 10 and verse 13. It says this, there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. And then in Matthew chapter four, if you'd follow along with me beginning in verse one.

Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward and hungered. When the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then, the devil taketh him up into unto the holy city and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple and say it unto him, if thou be the son of God, cast thyself down for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands, they shall bear thee up lust at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world. And the glory of them. And he say it unto him, all these things will I give thee. If thou will fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan.

For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. Then, the devil leaveth him and behold, the angels came and ministered unto him. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for this day. Lord, I pray that you would calm our hearts today.

Help us Lord to be able to put away the distractions. And worship you and focus on your word. And the message that you have for us today. Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit would take the sword of the spirit today and use it in our lives. To reveal the things.

That must change for our Lord and savior. And to encourage and to challenge us today. That there is a way of escape. And Lord, you have showed us in your word. How that we might find it in every temptation and trial.

In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. Back to first Corinthians ten thirteen and again, we'll we'll be primarily in Matthew four in a moment but there are few other verses I want to read as we go along. In verse 13 of first Corinthians 10, it says, there hath no temptation taken, temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make what? A way to escape.

That you may be able to bear it. There is, the Bible says, God says, in his word, there is always a way to escape temptation. When I was a kid, when I was in high school, there was a a TV show that started and went, I think, I missed the last couple seasons in college. We didn't have TVs at Bob Jones. Those were an anathema at BJ at the time.

And so but I enjoyed this TV show and it was called MacGyver. Has anybody seen remember MacGyver? Okay. Now, MacGyver would get into these situations. He was usually trying to help somebody with something and he would get into this situation.

He would end up locked up somewhere. He would end up underwater. He would end up in a balloon. He would end up in a in a room with people with guns all standing outside the door shooting at him. He would end up at all these terrible situations from which there seemed to be no escape but MacGyver always found some way to escape.

He always found some chemicals here and and something there and and he put those things together and he'd blow that door open with toothpaste and bubble gum and whatever and he would escape. Always found a way of escape. And though it seemed at times as you're watching the show, boy, the keys and I can't escape from this one. There was always a way of escape. Just had to know what things to put together or what course to take to get out of there.

Well, the same is true. With temptation. Not in a TV show but in reality. God says, there is a way to escape. Sometimes, we don't very easily quickly see it but it is there.

God challenges us, encourages us to find it and to escape the temptation. He even gives us several passages in scripture with instructions on how and he even gives us the example of his own son, Jesus Christ. To show us the way of temptation. The problem with dealing with temptation in our lives is not that there is no way of escape. It's just that we so often just can't seem to see it even when it's right in front of our nose.

Sometimes, honestly, the problem is, we don't want to find it. You know, it's easier to say, well, I tried but I just can't seem to beat Easier. But not beneficial. Easier but not glorifying to God. Easier but not right.

There is a way of escape. God doesn't promise it will be easy. God doesn't promise that it will be painless. But it it it is most certainly possible. With Christ.

You know Philippians four thirteen, most of you. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Now, just by repeating the words of that verse doesn't make it happen. We actually have to believe the words of that verse. Apply it to our life and follow through.

By God's grace and Christ's strength. We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. Back in Matthew chapter four, let's remind us here of the setting. Christ was just baptized. He just was introduced to the world as the Messiah, as the son of God.

By his father, who said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. He just began. It was the his introduction to Israel as the Messiah and the beginning of his earthly ministry at the age of 30. Right afterwards, you'd have thought, well, here we go. Starting his earthly ministry.

Let's get to it But right afterwards, it says here, in verse one of chapter four, it says, then was Jesus led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hunger. First of all, came the test. Jesus was tested. Jesus was taken led into the wilderness.

Now, the wilderness of Judea, if you've ever seen a picture of it or if per chance you've been there, is the epitome of a desert. There there's nothing there but sand and hills. A few little scrubby trees here and there but mostly just sand. It's desert. Very little water.

When I was there in Israel near the Dead Sea which is part of the Judean wilderness. They said it rains about three times a year. Three times a year, it rains. They get a rainstorm. Not very often.

Not a whole lot of rain. That's why the Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea. It doesn't get a lot of rain. The only water for the most part that comes comes down to the Jordan River and gets stuck there and evaporates and thus we have the Dead Sea. Jesus was in the desert.

There was little to no water. There was no food and he was taken there to be tested, to be tested under the harshest of conditions. The Bible says that Jesus passed the test. Jesus proved. Jesus showed, demonstrated that he is the sinless son of God when he did not succumb to the temptations of the devil.

Even under the harshest of condition. Adam and Eve, they succumbed to the temptation of the devil under the best of conditions in the Garden Of Eden. Jesus, the second Adam. The Messiah, the son of God. He didn't succumb in the wilderness Here we have three of the last temptations of Christ but I don't believe these are the only three temptations of Christ.

It would indicate here that he was tempted of the devil those forty days and forty nights while he was in the desert. And he conquered and he overcame. Verse three, it says, and when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the son of God, command these stones be made bread. He came to Christ after forty days of having no food and he said to him, if you are who you say you are, if you're really the son of God, why are you starving? If you're God, you can make bread from anything.

So, turn the stone to bread and eat. Show me that you are who you say you are. Now, the devil knew who Jesus was just like other demons and spirits knew who Jesus was but he tempted him to prove it, to demonstrate, to show it to Satan. That wasn't God's will. And Jesus knew better.

The first thing I want us to see in reference to Christ dealing with temptation and to us also is this, when tempted, Jesus ran under the authority of the father. He ran under the authority of the father. He submitted himself to his father's authority. Verse four, but he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus quoted the scripture.

We'll come to that again in a moment but in quoting the scripture, he was running under, he was submitting himself to the authority of its author, to his father. And to the will of his father as expressed in the verse that he used. He submitted himself. To his father in heaven. In James four seven and eight, it says this, submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh which means draw near to God and he will draw nigh or near to you. The Bible says, if you want to be temptation, follow Jesus example. Run under the authority of God, submit to your father's authority in heaven. If we submit ourselves therefore to God, we will be able to resist who?

Notice The in that verse, it says, submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, which comes first? Submit yourselves therefore to God. If we refuse to submit ourselves to the authority of our father in heaven, then, we are going to find it very difficult to resist the devil and the temptations of the flesh in our lives. God has given us laws and instructions and commands and do's and don'ts because God doesn't want us to have any fun. No.

That's not it, is it? That's not it. That's not it. That's the lie of the devil to Adam and Eve in the garden. God knows that in the day thou eatest thou of, thou shalt become as gods knowing good and evil.

That was the lie of the devil. God just doesn't want you to have any fun. No. God has given us instructions, laws, commands, do's, and don'ts for our own benefit as well as for his glory. For our own benefit.

Why? Why do you put a fence up in your backyard to keep your dog in? Is it because you hate your dog? Of course, you hate your dog and then even sometimes you put him on a leash because you hate your dog. No, that's not true.

You care about your dog. You want to protect them. Therefore, you put a fence in the backyard and you put em on a leash because you don't want them to run out in the road and get hurt. You care. God cares for us.

He gives us laws and instructions, commands, do's, and don'ts because he loves us. They are there for our benefit. So, when temptation comes knocking at our door, we can run under his authority. Like we would run under a shield. To protect us.

And give us a way of escape. Protection from the temptations of the enemy. In Ephesians six sixteen, it says this, It says, above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. When we submit ourselves to God's authority, we are demonstrating and expressing our faith in him. And we place ourselves under his shield of protection.

It's there for us like an umbrella to protect us from something far more dangerous than drops of rain. You do not have to always understand why something is right and wrong. We can choose to do right because God says, it's right. We can choose not to do wrong because God says, it's wrong and you may not understand now or you may not understand yet or you may never understand fully while God says, don't do this but if God says, don't do it. Brings my second sub point.

Trust him. Trust him. To run under God's authority means to submit to him. It also means to trust him. To place your trust in the goodness and wisdom of your father in heaven.

That's what Jesus did. He placed his trust in the goodness and in the wisdom of his father which was in heaven. And even though he was hungry and even though God had led him, the spirit had led him in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights not to eat and to be tempted, go through a horrendous trial. He trusted his father in heaven. And therefore, he submitted himself to his father Proverbs three, five, and six, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways, acknowledge him. And he shall direct thy paths. God says, I will direct you. I will lead you in paths of righteousness for my name's sake. You just have to trust me.

Now, you don't have to trust me. And sometimes, I'm wrong. And sometimes, I'll fail but not my God He will never fail and he is never wrong and his motives are never false. He does care about us. We can trust him.

We can run under his authority. Run under his protection As a shield, as a means to escape, when temptation comes knocking. Proverbs 2,925 says, the fear of man bringeth a snare but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be saved. Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. What?

The problem is, when we get in trouble, is when we step outside of God's shield. When we choose to put our trust in us, in our heart, in the in the lust and desires of the flesh, and not under our God. That we get ourselves ourselves in all kinds of trouble. When we are tempted to do those things which we think will make us happy or fulfilled which are not God's will. It certainly would seem that it would have been so easy for Jesus to say, well, yeah, bread.

I'll eat it. Be full but it wasn't God's what? It wasn't the father's will. And so he said, he said, no. Sometimes, we get in our head that we got to have this.

Whatever this is or we just won't be fulfilled or happy in life. I gotta have this. I gotta go here. I gotta have that friend. I've gotta do this.

Then, we're tempted to work extra on Sunday to pat our bank account, to participate in activities which are dishonoring to God or dwell on thoughts that are impure. Keep friendships. Which are dragging us down. To continue habits and addictions. Which we know are contrary to God's will.

Because we just think we have to have them. We need to remember the words of Christ in Matthew four and verse four. Man shall not live by bread alone. Not alone the satisfying of the desires of the flesh but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And Jesus defeated temptation.

Because he put his trust in the goodness and the will of his father. What we need is what Paul always wanted. More of Christ and less of self. For me to die is for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. More of Christ, less of self.

Jesus submitted himself to the father's authority, placed his trust and goodness in the wisdom of the trust and the goodness and wisdom of the father and he declared his intent to do the father's will. He didn't he didn't mess around. He didn't dabble. He didn't argue with the devil. He didn't debate.

He just simply said, this is what I am going to do. He declared his intent to do the father's will. We we read this verse on the screen earlier. Joshua said and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood, that's in Egypt or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, that is for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua said, as for my house, we're going to serve the Lord. We are committed to our God and to our God alone. You need to decide Israel who Joshua was speaking to. You're going to serve. Reminded me of something that Joshua said in Genesis 39.

Turn there if you would. Genesis chapter 39. Genesis chapter 39 and look, if we're going look at verses seven through nine. Here's Joseph. The children are studying Joseph in Vacation Bible School this week.

The lessons are all about the life of Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, found himself in the house of Potiphar, was a very good servant rather than being just full of bitterness and anger and allowing it to distract him and deter him from being a testimony and a servant in the house of Potiphar, he did the opposite. He he got rid of his anger. He didn't seem to express anger and bitterness toward his brothers. It's kind of hard to imagine after what they did to him but he chose to do that which honored the Lord and he rose in rank in the house of Potiphar to where he was quickly one of the highest or the highest servant in the house.

And at that point, it says in verse seven, it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and she said, lie with me but he refused and said unto his master's wife, behold my master, what if not, what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. He doesn't worry about the things that are in the house because he's committed them unto me and he trust me. He goes on. There is none greater in this house than I. Neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee because thou art his wife.

How can't then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Joseph declared, he said, he didn't mess around. He didn't dabble. He didn't debate. He simply said, it is wrong.

I will not sin against my God. I won't do it. I will not do it. Turn if you would to Daniel chapter three. Daniel chapter three.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Commanded by Nebuchadnezzar. To bow down and worship the idol that he had constructed. All they had to do, all they had to do was simply just bow for just a moment to this idol and it was done. That's all Nebuchadnezzar wanted.

That's all Nebuchadnezzar asked for. He even gave them a second chance. How many Christians today would have thought of it that way? Oh, it's just it just all you gotta do is just you know, wow. Just just for a moment.

Just look, you don't have to mean it. You know, just but not not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They didn't justify it They didn't debate about it. They didn't discuss it with Nebuchadnezzar. Well, we think, you know, I didn't, you know, no.

They just simply stood before the king and this is what they said. Verse 16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, oh Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand, oh king. But if not, be it known unto thee, oh king, that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

They simply said to Nebuchadnezzar, it's wrong. We won't do it. We will not bow to your image. Whether God saves us from the furnace or whether he chooses not to, he is God and that idol isn't and we're not bowing down to it and that's the way to defeat temptation. Run under the authority of almighty God.

Submit to him. Trust in him and declare it that you will do what is right. Don't play around. Don't dabble. Don't argue with the flesh.

If you argue with the flesh, you will lose the argument. Declare your allegiance and fight. I like the song we sang to open the service today after the chorus and that is who is on the Lord's side? A question, whose side are you on in this war? This is a war.

There's an enemy. There are enemies. The devil, the flesh, the world, there are enemies, not our friend. Whose side are you on? Declare it.

Go to battle. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Run under the authority of God. Number two, Jesus ran to the word of God. The word of God expressed the authority of God and as he declared God's word, he was declaring God's commands.

He was declaring God's promises. He was declaring his trust in the Lord. He ran to the word of God. He quoted it three times in this passage back to Matthew if you turn there. He quoted it In verse four that we already read, that is a quote from Deuteronomy eight three.

He quoted it in verse seven. It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. That is a quote from Deuteronomy six sixteen. He quoted it again in verse 10. He said, get thee behind me Satan for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.

That is a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 20. He quoted the scriptures back to the devil. In order to quote the scriptures, first, he had to what? Thank you. He had to know them.

You can't quote them back to the enemy if you don't know them. That's why God said to Joshua, let not this book of the law, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then, thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good success. Before Joshua went into the land, Joshua chapter one, the eighth verse, very early in the book. God said to Joshua, you learn this book.

You meditate on this book and then you apply it to your life. We can't quote it. We can't declare it. We can't follow it. If we do not know it.

David said, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. David said, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God. Learn it. Read it. Memorize it.

So that you have something wherewith of the authority of God to throw in the face of the devil and to throw in the face of temptation and to encourage and strengthen you against it when it comes. First, you must know it. Take time to read it during the week. Don't don't don't think, well, if I just come on Sunday to Sunday school and church that that that I'll I'll learn it all. Doesn't work that way.

God begs with us. He pleads us with us over and over again to meditate on it day and night to study it. We must know it. Second of all, he not only knew the word of God but Jesus applied the word of God to the situation. We have to not only know it but then we have to apply it to the situation.

Turn if you would to second Timothy chapter three. Second Timothy chapter three. Second Timothy chapter three. And look at if you would at verses 14 through 17. First Timothy three fourteen through 17.

Did I say second Timothy, right? Second. Second. Okay. I don't know if I said sometimes I get my tongue tied and say the wrong thing and usually, I don't even know it till I get home and David tells me, do you know what you said in church this morning?

Why did I say this time, David? Alright. He catches everything. Not much gets past him. Second Timothy three fourteen, Paul says to Timothy, but continue thou and the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise and the salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, useful, beneficial for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. Paul says to Timothy, Timothy, you're going to run into difficulties in the ministry. We run into difficulties just in life as Christians. There is a war going on around us. We do have an enemy.

There is temptation. We're still in this flesh. We're still tempted. Paul says to Timothy, not only do you have to deal with all that but there are also other things, difficulties that come up in the ministry. Paul says, you need to run to the word of God.

When those things come, run to the word of God. Use it. Apply it to your life and teach others to apply it to their life. The word of God is the answer. Well, it doesn't tell you how to change the radiator in your car.

It doesn't tell you how to sew a shirt. But it tells you how to live life. It tells you how to please God. It tells you how to glorify him. It tells you how to be saved.

It tells you right from wrong. I always encourage people when they get saved. To read the gospel of John or some other passage in the New Testament but also to start reading the Proverb chapter in Proverbs of the day. Because Proverbs is full of advice on how to deal with almost every area of life. It's in the word of God.

Temptation being a big one. God tells us in his word how to deal with these things. We need to know it and we need them to apply it to the situation. There is an application to your situation in God's word. You just have to look for it.

Now, doctors are important and even psychologists and psychiatrists probably have their place. But the ultimate answers to life problems is not found in a psychology book. It's found where? In the word of God. And so often, we'll go to everybody in every place than right here.

We think, oh well, this doesn't deal with this situation. There are principles in here that will help you. You just need to find them. And apply them to your life. Daniel applied them to his life In Daniel chapter one verse eight, Daniel had been commanded to eat the king's meat that were be give being given to the captives that had been taken from their homes in Israel to Babylon.

These young men were being tested. These young men were being formed and conformed to the ways of Babylon but it says in verse eight of Daniel one but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat nor the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. What did Daniel do? He took the word of God and he applied it to his situation and he said, I will not do that and he requested of his earthly authority that he not have to do that and you know something?

God made a way. God made a way. There was a way of escape. I'm sure others in Daniel's position knew what was right but they thought, they just thought to themselves, well, there's just no no choice. I have to do it.

I have to work these hours. I have to be with this friend. I can't beat this addiction. I just can't do it but that wasn't Daniel's attitude. Against all odds in a foreign land, he said, no.

To the king. He requested. He he did it in an honorable, respectful way but he said, please, I don't want to do this. You know something? God honored him and he made a way.

There was a way of escape. You need to apply the word of God and trust in the Lord and he will make a way of escape. He knew the word of God. He applied the word of God and he claimed the word of God. Jesus did.

He claimed it against temptation. He claimed it. He declared it because he believed in it. Not in the words but in the God who spoke those words. There's a there's a a portion of Christianity out there today so so called that puts faith in our words and declaring words and saying words but it's it's not our words.

It's not in a formula. It's not us. It's it's him. People say all the time, prayer is powerful. Is prayer powerful I'd like to understand it better this way.

The God to whom I pray, he is powerful. Prayer is powerful not because I say a certain formula but because the God to whom I pray is powerful. His words are powerful because he is powerful. And when I put my trust in them and I claim by faith and believe what he says. He provides a way of escape.

Now, I've got another point to this message I'm going change my schedule a little bit and we're going to do the last point tonight. We'll close with this this morning. Do you need a way of escape? Do you know? Do you know there's something in your life?

Temptation that just keeps coming around. And the devil has convinced you at times in your life that this is just the way it's going to be. That you can't beat it. That's a lie of the devil. If you are a child of God, the fact is you want to.

Down deep in your heart. You really do want to. But there's just times when you think I just can't do it. I can't do what God has asked me to do. I can't let that thing or that person or that activity go.

The temptation is just too strong. There is no way of escape. That's the lie of the devil. There he is. And if you will confess that to the Lord today and if you will trust in him and his word and run under run under his authority.

And apply the word of God to your life. You will find the way of escape. God may use the help of another Christian. God may use a service. God may use other routes and ways and means but God will make a way of escape and it begins with running under his authority and claiming by faith the promises found in his word.

Will you confess it? And will you trust the Lord to be it? And if you're here today and you've never trusted Christ as savior. The Bible says that you are without hope apart from him. If you reject the only way to the father, which is through faith in Jesus Christ, the son.

Then you reject the only way of escape From an eternity in hell and the lake of fire. But praise God, he made a way for you to escape. Not through the waters of baptism, not through coming to church, not through rights and rituals, not through being good to your neighbor. But through faith alone. In Jesus Christ.

To save you from your sin and sins penalty of death and hell. God wants to save your soul. He sent his son to die for you. As we give this hymn of invitation in just a moment, would you come? I would love to show you how you can be saved today and know it and if you're here today as your Christian and there's some temptation and you know what it is, That you're struggling with.

Would you just as we sing bow your head? And pray and ask the Lord to forgive you for succumbing and giving in, for for for buying the lie of the devil that you can't beat it and would you claim God's word and run under God's authority and begin to get victory today. Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord for your word. We thank you Lord for your love for us.

We thank you Lord that you have and will always make a way of escape that we'll be able to find it. Lord, if there's someone here today that's unsafe and Lord, if there's Christians here today that are battling with temptation, I know there have been many times in my life where I was. Lord, you've given me victory many times. Lord, I know that you can make always a way of escape. Lord, if we will just put our trust in you and I pray if there are Christians here today, Lord, I that that are struggling with temptation, that you would give them victory as they take a moment to bow their head and pray to you.

And confess their sin. And trust in you. Believe in you. That there's a way of escape and that by God's grace, they're going to find it. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen.