The Temptations of Jesus

1. The Temptations of Jesus How will you react when it is your turn?

2. In this Lesson • Why Jesus Was Tempted • How Jesus Was Tempted • A Common Reaction to The Temptations of Satan

3. Matthew 4 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

4. 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

5. Not a Contradiction of Scripture James 1 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

6. Matthew 4 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

7. How will you react when you are tempted?

8. God Does Test His Children Exodus 16 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. Exodus 20 20 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.“ Judges 2 21 "I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 "so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.“

9. Testing us makes us stronger. Isaiah 48 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 1Peter 1 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

10. When you sin, turn it into “a success” • How will you react when you are tempted? • Repent, ask forgiveness • Recognize what your weakness is • Pray about it • Vow to never commit it again • Learn from the experience and vow avoid the things that would tempt you to commit it again in the future. • Tests make us stronger!

11. It is good for man to be alone? Ecclesiastes 4 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

12. How Jesus Was Tempted #1 Matthew 4 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.“ • Lust of the flesh (an appeal to the senses of our physical bodies): • Greed: the appetite for some things can become insatiable…the more that we have, the more that we feel that we need (want). • Gluttony: (Loose morality); Can be riotous eating, but not necessarily so • Lust: coveting something of which you have no right to

13. The Reaction of Christ: Matthew 4 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

14. How Jesus Was Tempted #2 • The pride of life (an appeal to the ego) Matthew 4 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

15. His Reaction: Matthew 4 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'“ Exodus 17 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?"

16. How Jesus Was Tempted #3 • Lust of the eyes: (all that we can see…and covet) Matthew 4 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

17. The Reaction of Christ: Matthew 4 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

18. Satan Still Makes Such Offers Today: • Lust of the flesh: • Adultery/fornication • Drug abuse/Alcohol Consumption • Gluttony of food

19. Satan Still Makes Such Offers Today: • Pride of life: • The desire to be looked up to and admired among men • Might motivate us to take a job that would hinder us from serving or worshiping God as we ought to • Might entice us to “show off” in front of friends

20. Satan Still Makes Such Offers Today: • Lust of the eyes: • The things we want that would detract from the amount of time spent upon spiritual things • Video games • Television/movies/entertainment • Pornography • Internet surfing • Text messaging/talking on the phone Do you spend more time focusing on these types of things than God?

21. Four Things That Motivate People to Act: • Money • Ego • Conscience • Ideology

24. “It won’t happen to me…” 1 Corinthians 10 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Matthew 24 24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Colossians 3 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

25. “It won’t happen to me…” Galatians 6 1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

26. Be Watchful! Matthew 7 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 2 Peter 2 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction

27. Conclusion: • Let’s not forget to use the tests that God may send our way to make us spiritually stronger. • Let us remember how Jesus responded to satan while tempted by him. • Let’s remember the lessons we learn from the temptations of Jesus: • Satan will appeal to your senses: • Your ego • Your Ideology • Your desire for money, or the things of this world • He may even use your very conscious against you • (He pits you against yourself from within) and Jesus said in Mark 3:25 "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” • God requires you to be obedient to Him.