CHRIST'S TEMPTATION

 

SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 4:1-11  Luke 4:1-13

 

INTRODUCTION:

Retirement gives opportunity for meditation and communion with God; even they who are called to the most active life must yet have their contemplative hours, and must find time to be alone with God.

 

But, Woe to him that is alone.  Those who under pretense of sanctity and devotion, retire into dens and deserts, find that they are not out of the reach of their spiritual enemies, and that there they are without the benefit of the communion of saints.

 

I.  HE WAS LEAD OF THE SPIRIT

A.     If we presume upon our own strength, and tempt the Devil to tempt us, we provoke God to                        

leave us to ourselves.  Eph.  4:27      Eph 6:11     James 4:7

B.     The great thing Satan aims at, in tempting good people, is to overthrow their relation to God as                          Father, and so to cut off their dependence on Him, their duty to Him, and their                          

communion with Him.

C.     Outward afflictions, wants and burdens, are the great arguments Satan uses to make the people                  

of God questions their sonship.

D.     How comfortable it is, that Christ, who let loose this power of Satan against Himself, does not                    

in like manner let it loose against us, but restrains it, for He knows our frame.

 

II. TO BE TEMPTED

            A.  Is there a Contradiction?

                        1.  Genesis  22:1  "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham."

2.      James 1:13  "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:  for God                           

cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:"

B.Nissah (Hebrew)  --> rendered "tempt", literally means " to try, prove," or "put to the test"  as                       

the Greek peirazo sometimes means.

                       

                        God tempts only in the sense of proving somebody to create confidence in the Lord and in                                             himself and give him experience.  God never tricks us or deceives us to lead to a person's                     

fall, but rather tests to prove our progress.

 

                        Satan tempts in the sense of exciting to sin.  Satan's purpose is to cause a person to fall.                                                 Satan's devices are for evil.

 

III.  TEMPTATIONS

            A.  Unexpected quarters.

                        Our temptations often come from unexpected quarters.  The wily bird-catcher, to ensnare         

certain birds, usually employ fowls of the same feather.  The unguarded bird does not dread its   fellow, and is tempted into captivity.  Beware of the cajolery of the old tempting devil.  He may delude you through those who most resemble yourself.  The captive lark in the hands of the tempter is more dangerous to the lark than the dreaded hawk.  The worldly Christian may be more dangerous than the avowed enemy.  HOP II 299

           

            B.  Systematic Attack

This temptation is a scientific and systematic attack upon a Man.  Organized and systematic attack upon a Man in every department of his life.

 

                        1.  An appeal to the physical nature --> bread.  Satan uses natural desires. 

                                    Tempted to self-satisfaction.

                        2.  An appeal to the spiritual nature --> trust in God.

                                    Tempted to prove spiritual trust.

                                    Tempted to self-destruction.

                        3.  An appeal to vocation--> purpose.

                              Here are the kingdoms of the world for which Thou hast come, take them from me.

                                    Tempted to self-glorification.

 

            C.  Temptations may be evidence.

                        Temptations may be evidences of spiritual life and wealth.  Why is it that the Dead Sea has        

never the "deep-sounding roar" of the ocean?  Because it is dead.  Why is it that it is never visited         

by the flight of gulls, or pelicans, or seamews?  Why is it that all "migratory birds sweep over it  

without even a pause to seek for prey?"  Because it is dead.  Why is it that the unconverted [ and          

luke-warm or worldly Christians] are not visited with the temptations of the Christian?  Because of        

the same reason.  HOP VI 292

 

            D.  Don't Tempt God

                        The moment a man begins to tempt God, to prove trust; he proves that he does not trust.          

the moment a man begins to do something heroic to demonstrate trust, he gives evidence that trust         

is lacking.  Perfect trust is quiet, and waits.  Trust trembling, wants to do something heroic to make        

it steady.

 

IV.  WHY CHRIST WOULD NOT TURN THE STONES TO BREAD

            Satan uses a natural desire and distorts it to do that which is against nature.

 

A.     Because He would not do what Satan bade him do, for that would have looked as if there had                    

been indeed a compact between Him and the prince of devils.

            B.  Miracles were wrought for the confirming of faith, and the devil had no faith to be confirmed,                       

and therefore He would not do it for him.

            C.  He would not do miracles for Himself.

            D.  He would not do anything that made it look like He distrusted the Father.

 

                        Satan tempted Christ to satisfy a natural desire by using His spiritual nature without                   

reference to the will of God.      G. C. M.

 

IV.  CHRIST WAS

            A.  Owned by the Father

            B.  Anointed by the Spirit.

            C.  Tempted  by the devil.

 

            Some know little of the tempting because they know little of the anointing.

 

            The place most frequented by Satan is where holiness dwells.

 

V.  CAUTIONS

            A.  High places are slippery and dangerous.

                        High places in the church are, in a special manner, dangerous.  They who excel in gifts,              

who are in eminent stations, and have gained great reputation, have need to keep humble;                     

for Satan will be sure to aim at them, to puff them up with pride, that they may fall into the                      condemnation of the Devil.  Those that stand high are concerned to standfast.  (How are                       

the might fallen!!!!)

 

            B.  Cast thyself down.

                        The Devil could not cast Him down, though a little thing would have done it, from the top                      

of a spire.  The power of Satan is a limited power; "hitherto he shall come, and no                                  further."

 

                        Whatever real mischief is done us, it is of our own doing; the Devil can but persuade us, he                   

cannot compel;  he can say, "Cast thyself down" he cannot cast us down.  Every man is                         tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and not forced, but enticed.  Therefore                       

let us not hurt ourselves, and then, blessed be God, no one else can hurt us (I Peter 3:13). 

                        James 1:13-15  

 

VI.  IT IS WRITTEN

A.     It is possible that those who are the Devil's children may yet know very well what is written in                     

God's book.

 

            B.  It is possible for a man to have his head full of scripture-notions, and his mouth full of                                                            scripture-expressions, while his heart is full of reigning enmity to God and all goodness. 

           

                        Well done is better than well said.  Ben Franklin

 

            C.  There is maybe only one thing greater than the written Word of God:  the Living Word Made Flesh.