R890 The Seriousness of Temptation

When God places an idea in her head becomes inspiration for the devil – it's temptation. Let's talk about the seriousness of temptation. This is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based reaching of Dr. Don Wilton and today's message on the seriousness of temptation to straighten that chapter 4 so that we gain insight not only how serious it is, but how we can resist. Study the word together know that we're here for you to pray with you on the phone right now it 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or we can connect keyboard keyboard online as well. GE W online.org that's GE W online.org.

Now let's open God's word together. Matthew chapter 4 with Dr. Don Wilton on today's message.

The seriousness of temptation invite you to open your Bibles to Matthew's gospel chapter. Matthew's gospel, and the fourth chapter of friends while you have your Bibles open there. I'm going to tell you that we going to be studying this morning. The seriousness of temptation and there is a sense in which it would be a redundant issue.

If I were to offer you to raise your hand if you've ever been tempted because we all would raise our hands. Most of us understand the meaning of temptation and we have all been tempted and many people today have been tempted with great serious consequences. I have no doubt that there are many people today who worship with us, he would say pasta my life is never been the same since I succumbed to temptation. The temptation of the eyes. You began that affair with that woman wasn't your wife you wanted something that wasn't yours.

You made a business transaction under the table that she would tempted to say something You attempted to enter into an activity that you know would not be pleasing to the Lord, and you succumb to that temptation. I want to give you a good word right at the outset. Today I just want you to talk this way in your heart and then I want you to listen real. The Bible tells us this resist the devil, who can repeat the rest of that and he will flee from you that say that together resist the devil and he will flee from you back here in Matthew chapter 4 we find recorded for us the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's an amazing thing to me that this followed hot on the heels of the baptism of our Lord Jesus, while immediately offering his baptism. This is what we read and I want you to read along with me. In Matthew chapter 4. Now remember that Jesus has just heard the words, this is my son in whom I am well pleased. We've just heard the crowning moment from the voice of God concerning the correlation of the king. Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil off fostering 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry in the tempter.

That is, the devil came to him and said if you are the son of God, by the way the original text that would if they is not a condition. It literally means since you all by the way, did you know that the devil believes in God but he's not a Christian.

He's not unlike many of us Americans today. You can travel around America lost most Americans do you believe in God outside of course on G. Campbell Morgan wrote a book entitled, believing man and and on believing God that was Nicodemus's problem. Nicodemus could quote Scripture was well-versed.

He believed in God, but he was not saved. Jesus said you must be born again we come to discover that the attempt to do is dabble my mother then Satan himself, not any believe in God but the very Scriptures them so, but he was not a Christian so the Bible says that the tempter came to him and said to him, since you are the son of God until the stones to become bread. Jesus Johnson it is written, man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God and the devil took him to the holy city, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the son of God, he said, throw yourself down because I know what the Bible say quoting Psalm 91. Listen to what he said he will come on these angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. So go ahead, you want to close himself. Jesus go ahead and jump Jesus onto them in verse seven, it is also written. Do not put the Lord your God to the taste. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and they explained this, I will give you the devil said, if you will just bow down and worship me. Jesus safety and get the behind me Satan get away from me, for it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

I love verse 11 then the devil lifted resist the devil, all right, let's "this resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Lemme read this verse then the devil left it, and angels came and attended him that frames.

This is a marvelous passenger and I'm asking questions today about why clause that it was so necessary for Jesus to be tempted like this. I'm going to submit to you this is a willing revelation by God to man because Jesus was by himself. Evidently Jesus must've shared this with the disciples. It was that important. And besides, that God by his spirit is put it in the holy Scripture. That's how important it is because every word is inspired. This is God's infallible word and we need to know about this and it followed Jesus baptism.

Now why would Jesus gonna do a whole lot of things and they picked tempted well. I'm just going to submit to you today that while his baptism was he's proclamation as King's temptation was the taste of his king willingness to see frames you understand what was going on here. While the baptism of Jesus was the declaration of his royalty is temptation was the demonstration of his royalty. The Bible is very clear is temptation shows us why Jesus Christ is my beloved son anything temptation, yet we find Jesus facing, as it were, the website is the section and get Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the one who abides in us and who works through us remain contaminated and practiced by the deceptiveness of the adversary is the devil, the Bible say is resist the devil and he will flee from you. Both the baptism and the team Tyson of the Lord Jesus Christ accredited him as King. We know that we can see that buddies temptation demonstrated Satan's strategy on one hand, and God's way to victory. On the other hand, so we find two ways presented here in the temptation of Jesus Christ the way of Satan and the way of God.

Now isn't that just what Jesus taught us what Jesus say he said you're either for God or you're against God. Listen to this, my beloved friends. There are two ways there's a narrow way and is a board by the narrow way leads to lap the Broadway leads to destruction. What happens here at the team. Tyson is a presentation that conjures up the deep theological significance of what it means to be Christ by the spirit of the living God and have the power residing you and me to be able to come even the hottest temptations that are presented to us. Resist the devil and he will flee from that.

I want you to watch this carefully folks because they is something of all the dramatic unfolding here as we watch what Jesus went through to submit to you that there are four reasons for the presentation of these two ways that we find recorded the website in the way of God 04 reasons for the temptation of Jesus Christ number one to demonstrate Jesus divine kingship. This was a demonstration of gratitude demonstrated with or against is the power of the Prince of this will. It was a demonstration of Jesus divine kingship, but it was not only a demonstration of these divine kingship. It was a display of Jesus royal power to resist unity, resist the only great ruler of this universe.

But in the third place. This was a declaration of Jesus glorious right to rule as supreme ruler over all creation. We going to come to a drumroll crescendo in just a moment in Matthew's account because Satan is going to take Jesus up to a high point and he's going to say to him, let's just say blissful once and for all. Are you the Alfred Omega or am I the Alpha and Omega and there is a sense in which Jesus looks at Satan and says to him you kidding me why two ways presented here. The website and in the way of God to demonstrate Jesus divine kingship announced at the coronation of the sun following his baptism to display Jesus royal power to resist the great adversary to declared Jesus glorious and ripe as supreme, monitoring ruler over all creation and number four to defeat Satan's attempt to claim any royal prerogative as he's own.

Satan was strutting his stock quote that's what he does in our company does me.

What is Satan do Satan moves amongst us to and fro, trying to attempt to claim royal prerogative as he's own and Jesus Christ the son of the living God in establishing his divine right as the son of God made it abundantly clear. Satan you have neither any prerogative nor royal prerogative more. Do you own anything because I alone am God, and thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Somebody say amen today.

Let's give God a handbooks so yet we find Jesus being tempted well. I want to just do something I want you to come on a little journey with me quickly gonna look at the three temptations that actually took place and I'm going to give to you two main ideas behind each one of Satan's reasons for attempting Jesus.

What was he trying to get Jesus to so let's take a look. Jesus was tempted in three ways. Number one, according to the last of the flesh in verse two and three, Jesus was tempted by Satan. According to the last of the flesh.

Well, Jesus was hungry you ever been hungry people that you flesh speaking it's real listening folk do you know how every extramarital affair sexual affair begins, the lust of the flesh. It's those things that your human body and the frailty of your human body drive you to do. It is the craving of no fleshly nature and here it is.

Jesus is being confronted by Satan himself and Satan sales team listen since you are the son of God, as you claim to be and I observe what happened to royal coronation. I am going to invite you to do something. I know that you hungry and so I'm going to try and get you at the moment of your greatest weakness.

I know that your Achilles' heel in the flesh right now must be the need to eat food.

You need to satisfy the lust of the flesh. There is a craving day you want it you need it. It sounds logical. It's even rational.

So guess what I'm gonna do, why don't you just turn around and turn these stones into bread and high-priced. Go ahead, make my day do this just for me. Come on now, I don't care what anybody else has to cite this I mean is this not reasonable. I mean, sounds like Satan in the Garden of Eden.

I mean come on man.

This fruit all over this orchard. You can't imagine God would say you can't eat from that one treated with eating that fruit may be I mean God is not unreasonable. I mean come on man fruit in the garden of Eden. It's too magnificent on what was the issue issue was whether it was reasonable whether she needed to whether she wanted the issue was.

God said don't do it, forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of today's message on the seriousness of temptation in just a moment.

Dr. Don wants us to remind you that is your studying the word with us and we hear that concept of don't do it. I pray that you know that you don't have to face those temptations alone would love to pray with you and for you being a part of the body of Christ is as a part of community and would love to talk anytime day or night on the phone at 866-899-WORD that numbers 866899673 or email us at online@tewonline.org. Just know that were here for you now back to today's message. The seriousness of temptation with Dr. Don Wilton's human sexuality is neither evil nor unreasonable.

In fact, it is completely and entirely pleasurable. That's the way God made us. There's nothing wrong with sexuality as human beings, but God gave it to us in a specific context for a specific purpose within the confines of marriage.

That's what God said. It's not a matter of anything else. When temptation comes temptation says no man, God will forgive you get over man get a life. Everybody else is doing it and you got to be you reach this well because you don't do what the world is doing you go to become like the will and so just Satan according to the lust of the flesh.

His deception had two ideas in mind. Watch this number one to tempt Jesus to violate God's gracious plan and number two, to tempt Jesus to abuse dogs drawn to privilege frames that was a twofold frontal attack that was being launched on Jesus Christ and being demonstrated to a sinful world.

That would be confronted by the adversary, the slightest Satan is the devil is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he made about tempt us to violate God's plan for our lives and tempt us to abuse God's drawn to privilege to us you say what you mean he try to tame Jesus to abuse God's gone chronic privilege. Well if you go back again understand this is the doctrine of self emptying.

It had to do with the self renunciation of the Lord Jesus Christ in his incarnation when Jesus emptied himself, according to Philippians and became of no reputation that did not mean that he was emptying himself of his deity. Neither was he X changing his deity for humanity.

Folks listen to me when he made himself of no reputation. Jesus didn't give away his deity, nor did he exchange his deity for humanity raw that he sent aside his rightful privilege. You might say to me pasta. What were these rightful privileges of the Lord Jesus Christ, who became flesh for us and who dwelt among men, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten, full of grace and full of truth.

These rightful privileges included the privilege of his heavenly glory. It included the privilege of these independent authority as God Jesus Christ turn those into bread, but he made himself of no reputation inside his heavenly glory beside these independent he laid aside his prerogative. He laid aside his eternal riches the lighter side's favor with God because God my friends is gracious plan to which he was obediently submitting himself even to the death upon the cross and he laid aside, he's drawn to privilege.

What did Jesus say to him, Jesus looked at him, quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 8 said tame site and let me remind you about what God did to the children of Israel. God allowed them to become hungry with a twofold purpose in mind. First of all, to demonstrate God's provision and second of all to cultivate God's people. Jesus pointed Satan way back then to the God of the fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of the beginnings who has no in and he said to him I want you to know as it is written, man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. I want you to know that God has a divine plan and God belongs to us. He's gracious privilege and it is because he is God alone, and it is not up to me and it's not up to you to lay aside and temptation. My friend is Satan's effort to get us the light and abuse the very things that God has determined his children, Jesus looked at him and said, look at those children of Israel that was starving out there in the wilderness, God demonstrated his power by sending manna from heaven and the children of Israel looked up and said boy.

God is so good and as they understood that God was provide goal so they kind of fresh understanding of what it means to be cultivated in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ because they followed God's plan. They never abused God's privilege because Jesus being tempted. According to the last of the flesh, but second of all, he was tempted. According to the pride of life, the pride of life. Now when we moving to five and six verses five and six. Something happens you and I want you to take a picture with me.

You've all seen pictures of of Israel. Many of us of being there and one of the most prominent pictures of the nation of Israel, that big golden glow seen it in pictures. That's called the dome of the rock that's the place where the temples have been boot first Tampa second Temple and other to the right of it if you facing up to the right of it.

You go through the Kidron Valley and then up through the garden of Gethsemane and up one of the Mount of olives amount of ascension and we believe according to Scriptures when Jesus Christ comes again in a land where he took off where you seem to be seated and exalted the right hand of the father is going to come down through the Kidron Valley's going to go through the Golden gate which is still sealed. He's gonna reclaim the temple as his own.

All of us are going to be with him, then he's got a marching triumph to the Valley of Armageddon where the kings of the earth. The data gathered under the leadership of Satan himself to try and bring destruction to God in Jesus Christ for ever and by the spoken word of his mouth. Jesus Christ is going to speak to feet and is gonna run as high as the horses mouth and then he's going to go back he's going to put Satan into prison for a little while is going to set up his thousand year reign. We got a real and reign with him upon the so and they will follow the great white throne judgment. The time at which all people said no to Jesus Christ will be judged for a final time, and if the names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. They will be costing out of doctors where they will be wailing and gnashing of teeth and then we will commence the new heaven and the new, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Well let's take a few steps back is Jesus beginning his ministry. When you think Satan took him to the pinnacle of the temple you can look at it today. Josephus tells us from ground floor to the top was about 450 feet high. The Jewish people today are building an excavation all the way along the wall the Western Wall. It's cool the Wailing Wall you not see it on television often and we being there. You see the Orthodox Jews praying at the Wailing Wall in a very disputed part of the country and Satan takes Jesus up onto the pinnacle of the temple and what is he say to him. He says to Melissa.

If you are the son of God, which I believe you are let me quote Scripture to you.

I don't care what God your heavenly father is and I'm not interested in whether you tested yourself being God himself whether you become God incarnate, and taken on massive human man that I want to see you put your faith in the practice want you to just talk. I want you to walk ahead Jesus just jump out quoting out of the book of Psalms that even the angels will come and if you believe that do good to satisfy me and wanted Jesus do Jesus looked into his face and he said to him, do not put the Lord your God, to taste what was Satan trying to do folks he had two ideas in mind number one to tempt Jesus to justify God's tasting all beam and number two he had in mind to tempt Jesus to rationalize God's will concerning him. Now listen to me, folks, temptation will always will always seek to get you to justify God's tasting of you and it will always try to get you to rationalize God's will for you and God doesn't need any justification rationalization because he is alone is God is sovereign and he works according to his plan from before the foundation of the world and what it Jesus cited him. He quoted to him again from the book of Deuteronomy.

He took him back into the book of Exodus chapter 17 verse one through seven, and he showed them how the Lord Jehovah from the very beginning has worked in mysterious ways, and you neither need to just before class, nor rationalize God often role the different Israel to rationalize is to tell a rational lie. Now watch this watch this, the bottom line. Jesus looked into the face of Satan, and he said watch out don't taste me. What a powerful message from Dr. Wilton as we think about the truth of how Jesus pushed back against the enemy through Scripture you can do the same thing we can do the same thing and we be thrilled to do it together. You are not facing these temptations alone is a part of the community of the body of Christ.

Would love to pray with you and for you we can do that online@twonline.org. This phone number 866899 Word 866-899-9673. It's also the place to talk about your walk with Christ. It starts with the first most important decision. As a matter fact before we get away. These passionate thoughts from our pastor Dr. Don Wilton are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me on the day I repainted myself my frame welcome you today into the family of God. This is citing you to Jesus Christ it's a wonderful resource. Questions have now been drawn to minded you like to have someone pray with you about those questions. Let's do that at 866899 Word 866-899-9673 or meet us online@online.org that's tewonline.org G a great place to find resource like this as well. We are living in a rapidly changing this new normal for believers out my resting in the dark of our history and God save in your heart and spirit boldly and unflinchingly travel LTM support The Encouraging Word this month you will receive Dr. Wilton main building guides our message with you to stand firm on the foundation Jesus Christ normal day, 866899. The Encouraging Word is a new era in your supporting ministry listening today. I typed on for now were always available on the phone at 866899673 or tewonline.org G