From the Desert to the Cross

“We want anything but a suffering Messiah.” So writes Philip Yancey in his book The Jesus I Never Knew. I think he’s on to something. In fact, Yancey goes so far to suggest that perhaps this temptation above all others was the one to “hit a nerve” with Jesus. Jesus would have to face this temptation to dodge suffering and to take the easy way out at different junctures of his ministry.

Jesus made a regular sacrifice of not taking the easy way out. He understood that there are times you keep your nose to the grindstone and don’t turn to the left or the right. We know that he was tempted in all points as we are but sinned not. WHAT ABOUT YOU?

How do you handle temptation? How do you deal with the continual struggle between doing what is right and what is wrong? What do you do when that well of bitterness begins to rise again in your heart when you encounter the wrong person or get the wrong telephone call? What do you do when you are tempted to lust, swear, get greedy, want first place or any other temptation that comes your way?

Jesus shows us how he dealt with temptation and how you can be a victor over sin.

There are five times that Jesus faces the temptation to avoid suffering and go ahead and become Lord of the world. Five different times that Jesus was given the opportunity to stop, drop and short-cut the plan. Five times that Jesus could put on the ring of power and become king of the world but each time Jesus does not give in. Each time Jesus finds a way to overcome the temptation and carry on with the Father’s plan.

1. Jesus in the desert. (Luke 4:9-13)

In this passage Jesus is being tempted by the devil to leap from the Temple Pinnacle. Surely if someone jumped from it and survived there would be astonished believers.

The Pinnacle was the by far the highest point of the temple. It was the role of one of the priests to go to the highest point of the temple and watch for the sunrise. As soon as the sun began to show itself over the horizon a ram’s horn would be sounded and the worship activities of the day would begin in the temple.

Solomon’s temple pinnacle was 207 feet. I spoke with Josh’s professor at IWU about the height of the Temple Pinnacle. Dr. Berenice (sp?) suggested that Herod’s Temple, of which Jesus would now be taken to, was much bigger and higher. He said the height depended on which side of the temple pinnacle you jumped from. There are estimates of nearly 700 feet which would be a dazzling feat for anyone. (Scripture Backdrops www.bible-history.com) Most conservative estimate would be 200 feet.

Can you imagine how quickly the people would be turned to Christ? If you jumped 200 feet and an angel rescued you wouldn’t that require a hard look? Wow! They would surely be convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. There wouldn’t be all the mess of gathering a small group of guys and trying to convince them to live by faith. Instead, Jesus would have a captive audience.

But honestly, the idea sounds good but it would really be too good to be true. We all know that you can’t buy loyalty and honest followers. Jesus wisely and rightly did not give in to temptation. But it would come back.

Jesus overcomes temptation by using scripture.

2. Jesus rebukes Peter. (Matthew 16:21-23)

One day Jesus is curious about his disciples and tests them about who they think he is. He gets various answers but then asks them point blank: Who do you think I am?

Peter answers, “You are the Christ.” He nails it and goes to the head of the class. Peter certainly must have felt great.

Then Jesus shares about his rejection, his suffering and eventual death. This is God’s plan. But suddenly Peter leaps to his feet and shouts, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”

A nerve is touched once again. The old temptation is back. Jesus immediately rebukes Peter, “Get behind me Satan.” For centuries we Christians have wondered if Jesus was calling Peter Satan- which we generally he wasn’t- or was Jesus seeing Satan’s work through Peter coming out- which we generally think was happening. I want to also suggest that Jesus saw the old temptation, as well meaning as Peter may have been, coming to the fore-front and once again trying to gain a foothold in Jesus’ life. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus was making sure that not Satan and his disciples knew that he was following through with the plan but that he himself was certain of his intentions.

Once again Jesus overcome temptation but this time by rebuking it.

3. Jesus withdraws from the Crowds. (John 6:14-15)

Jesus must have known that when he made bread for the 5000 that something would happen. He must have sensed the dangerous ground he already was on. But the people could not be ignored. Yes, he was being faithful in meeting their physical needs of healing and spiritual needs with sound biblical teaching but he now needed to attend to their physical nourishment. And so with two small fish and five barley loaves, he multiplies the food and there are twelve basketfuls of bread crumbs leftover.

But a problem is beginning to take shape. He knows that by meeting their needs at every point- spirit, soul and body- they want more. They have suddenly caught a glimpse of a whole new world with Jesus as king. They saw a world where would be no limit to what they could do, they would never hunger again and never be sick again.

Jesus sees from afar their scheme: make him king whether he wants to be king or not. And so what does Jesus do? He withdraws to a mountain to be by himself. He avoids any confrontation, avoids any sense of explaining himself once again and gets with his Father for some alone time.

Jesus withdraws from temptation’s snare and goes to be alone on a mountain. Temptation is defeated once again.

4. Jesus in the Garden. (Matthew 26:39-44)

The whole plan is coming down to the nitty-gritty. By now the Pharisees are livid, Judas agrees to betray him and the Romans soldiers notified. Jesus takes his entourage into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Interestingly, his closest followers are asked to be in prayer. Instead, they sleep. Jesus prays that this cup might pass from him. And then he prays, “Not my will but yours be done.”

I noticed something that I hadn’t really seen before. He calls on his disciples to pray that they would not be tempted. I could not help but wonder if somehow Jesus wondered about his own temptation? He is strengthened by an angel and he prays more earnestly until his sweat became blood drops.

Was Jesus facing temptation even then? Mel Gibson seemed to think so in his portrayal of Jesus in the Garden. And I have to agree.

However, temptation is defeated a fourth time and this time by prayer.

5. Jesus on the Cross. (Luke 23:39; Matthew 27:42-43)

Perhaps the most vicious of the temptation came when Jesus was on his deathbed.

First, people passing by were saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God.”

Second, the Jewish leaders were saying, “He saved others but he can’t save himself. He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.”

Third, the criminal taunts Jesus by saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save us and save yourself!”

Jesus overcomes temptation on this occasion by staying focused on the prize. He gives of himself as a sacrifice for sin and to him he has gone too far to turn back now. Earlier Jesus had told Peter as Peter tried to defend him by cutting off a Romans soldier’s ear by saying: “Do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:53

Conclusion: VICTORY OVER SIN.

And maybe its here that I pause to challenge everyone here about temptation. Jesus faced the same kind of temptation to short-cut his way to God’s will. But folks, there is no short-cut to God’s future for you, his will for your life or for you to be holy as he is holy.

The British journalist, Malcolm Muggeridge, says it well: “Jesus had to but give a nod of agreement and he could have constructed [Christianity], not on four shaky Gospels and a defeated man nailed on a Cross, but on a basis of sound socio-economic planning and principles… Every utopia could have been brought to pass, every hope realized and every dream made to come true… Instead he turned the offer down on the ground that only God could be worshipped.”

As we partake of the Lord’s supper I must ask: What about you? Are you striving to do life as you see fit or as God sees fit? Are you looking to your own will and way or to God’s will and way? Are you facing the facts of sin in your life for which you need forgiveness and cleansing?

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” “There is none righteous, no not one.” These verses truly describe the condition of the human heart before coming to Christ. But perhaps there is a brother or sister who has been struggling with temptation and have been hammered by evil in their life.

Now is the time to seek God for cleansing. Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

You see, Jesus knew that the only way for sinful humanity to be set free from sin would be by his perfect sacrifice on the cross. We could not be saved otherwise. Jesus’ faithfulness in the face of dazzling temptation proved him faithful to you. And now you can claim 1 John 1:9 as yours: “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus gives us an EXAMPLE of how we must live as his disciples. What is IT that the Holy Spirit wants you to have total victory over?

Through Jesus Christ -and him only- do we have the answer to the temptations that come our way. Through Him we have the POWER and the TESTIMONY to be victors.

Revelation 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

· Confess your sins. There is no other first step. Whatever it is you are dealing with surrender that issue to our Lord. In confession you are determined that this is a turning away from sin. “If we confess our sins, 1 John 1:9a

· Believe that He will forgive you of your sins. Jesus paid the price for your sins. His death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice. “…he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins…” 1 John 1:9b

· Accept His cleansing of your heart. “and cleanse us from all sin.” 1 John 1:9c

· Walk in His steps. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) There is a restoration within the family of God as well as with our heavenly Father. Something miraculous happens to us. We long to be into God’s word as well as be around God’s people and participate in the worship of God.

“But there was no rescue, no miracle, no easy, painless path. For Jesus to save others, quite simple, he could not save himself. That fact, he must have known as he faced Satan in the desert.” Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew

FREEDOM OVER TEMPTATION

Sunday January 24, 2010

Introduction: There will be battles in life.

How do you resist the temptation to sin? How do you do in the face of such issues as anger, lust, jealousy, pride, drug and alcohol abuse, and greed?

A couple of weeks ago we learned about the sin that was crouching at Cain's door and that God had told him he was to master it. Instead, Cain allowed sin access to deeper regions of his heart and he failed to master the sin of envy and anger. The result was earth's first murder and Abel's blood crying out for justice.

Last week we took a look at the parents of Cain and saw that Eve was enticed and deceived into taking the illicit fruit from the forbidden tree and then handed the fruit to Adam. The result was that their eyes were open but not quite the way they expected. Sin and shame was the first curse and then they had to face their loving Creator. As a result they were banished out of the Garden- the perfect world created for them- and given coats of skins taken from innocent animals slain on their behalf.

Where Adam and Eve failed; where Cain failed; where countless others failed at mastering the sin crouching at their door, Jesus does not fail. In fact, Jesus takes on sin in the most severe weakness of the flesh in order to prove what it truly means to be a human person.

God did not create you and I for the purposes of sin and doing evil. His plan is that sin and evil desires be stamped out of your life so that He can use you to the fullest of the potential you were created for.

I am fascinated by Jesus' temptations because they don't seem to quite match up with the temptations we deal with. Jesus wasn't tempted in the desert by lust but a lot of us are. Jesus wasn't tempted by greed but a lot of us are. Jesus wasn't tempted by things that we seem to be prone to as human beings.

However, what I discover is that Jesus was tempted on a deeper level that really does mirror our own temptations.

Dostoevsky suggests in his book The Brothers Karamazov that by turning down the three temptations that we just read about, Jesus forfeited the three greatest powers as his disposal: miracle, mystery and authority.

And for us this might seem out of our league. But it really isn't when you think about it.

MIRACLE- We all want short-cuts in life. We would rather have the bread, the money, the material things without the sweat, hard-work and even worry to get it. We would prefer the easy way rather than the hard way. So many struggle with issues of lust because they have habits that buy into the instant gratification that sin begs them towards. Satan offers Jesus the easy way to satisfy his own personal hunger. But Jesus resists the devil and shows us restraint.

MYSTERY- We all want to be somebody in life. We want people to see us as wonderful beyond belief and to respect us- maybe even adore us. Satan offers Jesus the easy way to winning over the people and even winning over his enemies. By simply leaping from the temple pinnacle- at least 200 feet- and being protected by the angels, Jesus would enjoy instant fame. And who wouldn't want that? However, again Jesus resists the devil and shows us restraint in the face of temptation.

AUTHORITY- We all want to be in control. Climb the corporate ladder, beat out the guy beside you and in front of you. In a dog-eat-dog world, we can get caught up in the whole "I want to be in charge" mentality. It creeps subtly into your life in ways you don't realize: where to eat supper, how your shirts are folded, the kind of car you want; it creeps subtly into church life where in recent years there are complaints of congregations disrespecting the pastor and the pastor disrespecting the congregation, people disrespecting each other and every disrespecting God because we want the authority, to be the final answer. Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. In essence, you will be in charge of everything. For Jesus, this would be the easy way to do God's will. But with one small detail: bow down and worship evil. Jesus refuses, resists the devil and once again shows restraint.

At the end of the temptations, after Jesus has overcome the devil, the angels show up to minister to him.

So what does this all mean to us- each one of us- old Christians, new Christians, struggling Christians and even victorious Christians? I'm glad you asked!

For you today, for you facing personal unseen battles of faith, for you struggling to do the right things and for you who may be on the mountain-top today but might face a valley tomorrow there are some principles and facts for us to consider as we find Freedom over Temptation.

So let's put on our thinking caps and let's take a deeper look into how you can have freedom over temptation

1. Temptation as a Result of NATURAL YEARNINGS.
   

We all have natural yearnings. The most basic human needs according to my seventh grade Geography class with Mr. Rop are food, clothing and shelter. Wrapped in among these basic survival needs are other natural yearnings.

… to be satisfied.

Most people want to go to bed with a full stomach and a peaceful mind.

…to be loved.

There isn't a person alive who doesn't long to be truly loved. And so people fall into temptations to fulfill that longing to be truly loved. However, no matter how much illicit sex a person may get, they will never realize true love both from God and their spouse unless they live life God's way.

…to be somebody.

Hurt and abused people struggle with self-esteem issues. In fact, I would guess just about everyone does at one time or another. But only in Christ can any of us truly experience what it means to be "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God.

…to be secure.

When we awake in the mornings and when we go to bed at night and as we live and work during the day we want to know that we are safe. We depend on our nation's leaders to protect us from the outside evils of terrorism; we depend on our nation's policing forces such as the FBI to catch criminals and bring them to justice; we depend on the State of Michigan, Oceana County, and for some of us, the Village of Shelby to protect us from others infringing on our rights by taking things from our homes, hurting us or our families and causing harm to our communities.

But true security comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Governments will fail- and have; police forces aren't perfect; criminals do crimes and harm others; but Jesus never fails.

Satan wants us to short-cut our natural yearnings and give in to temptations that violate the Word of God. We have to take seriously what God's desires are for our lives and resist the devil.

A second principle about temptation is:

2. Temptation as a Result of HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.

Who are you and what do you do when nobody is looking? That's a monumental question about the true character of a person.

Who are you and what do you do when someone is looking? That's just as important of a question about your true character.

I spoke with a couple of nurses yesterday after having an MRI. One of them used to work at one of our local supermarkets but now works in the lab at the hospital. I asked her what it was like and she made the comment that she actually sees a lot of the same customers. And then she said this: they seem nicer here to me here than they were towards me in the store.

I found that strange. And so I got to thinking while laying there in that cylinder with my eyes closed: should Christians be any different in a different place? Of course not.

As Christians, our environment should not be the cause of us sinning. But understand, temptation follows you wherever you go. Life Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Mask of the Red Death" evil cannot be boxed out, boarded out or avoided. Monks who attempted to defeat evils such as lust would remove themselves from outside world contact but still struggled with the same lust problems.

Understand, there are certain things we have little control over but then there are certain things we have lots of control over.

Here is a short list of human environments that we all have to deal with:

a) The Place you Live.

Beware of how you live in your home- you control what you watch on television and look at on your computer.

b)The Place you Work.

Beware of co-workers who would love nothing better than to tempt you, make your life miserable because of your faith and say all manner of evil against you. Resist lashing back at such people.

c) The Places you go.

Guard the places you are at. Some of you can go to the Brown Bear for a bear-burger and not have a problem. An alcoholic must truly consider not going to places that serve alcohol.

d) The People you encounter.

Watch whom you build relationships with. I have witnessed co-workers in the shop who finally gave in to the temptation of an affair due in part because they worked in close quarters together and developed emotional bonds. Two marriages, two families were destroyed by what seemed to be a natural thing. Maybe you quit a certain restaurant or going to a certain place or asking for a transfer or even quitting your job to save not simply your marriage or your reputation but to save your soul.

Be careful who your friends are. Paul properly quotes a Greek philosopher: Bad company corrupts good character. Watch out for friends who want to steer you towards evil. Make new friends if you have to. And at the same time you be the friend who stands for what's right.

I could go on and on but let's take a look at a third principle about temptation:

3. Temptation as a Result of SUBTLE APPEALS.

Satan very rarely runs a full frontal attack against your spirituality. Check out these crafty and tempting pleas toward sin:

"You deserve it."

"You can't help yourself."

"It's not your fault."

"You were born this way."

"Others are doing it."

"You have a right."

"You've got to do…

• …what feels good.

• …what feels right.

• …what's best for you.
  

In none of these subtle appeals do you find the leading of the Holy Spirit. In facing temptation you have to do as Jesus did and resist the enemy and he will flee. It's important for us to understand that Jesus understands what you go through.

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin."
Hebrews 4:15

4. Overcoming Temptation as a Result of THE HOLY SPIRIT.

In truly overcoming temptation we have to understand that it is not about me but about God. The Bible says this about you and me who claim Christ as our Lord and Savior: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Jesus paid the price so that you could be born again and saved from your sins. Because you belong to the Holy Spirit you now live your life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here are some important guidelines to enjoying freedom over temptation.

• Understanding & Using the Scriptures.

Get into God's Word regularly. I promote that every Christian should do at least 5 days a week for devotions. We have devotionals available to you. Make a practice of reading your Bible- even small portions. If you struggle with reading we have the Bible on tape- some have utilize this method.

• Listening & Learning from Others.

Read Christian authors, learn from other Christians even right here, listen to their experiences and then apply the truths you learn. I'm not going to nail everything you need for your faith. You won't find me jealous because you happen to watch Charles Stanley or listen to Chuck Swindol or read Max Lucado. I like all of those guys and have their books on my shelves.

• Developing & Doing Spiritual Disciplines.

Come up with a plan on living a solid Christian life. Next month we will be starting Christianity 101 Class. The objective is learn the basics about how to live a Christian life, what the Bible is all about and Christian doctrines we believe. In that we will lay out a way to make a plan of spiritual growth and then to work that plan into routines.

• Praying & Praising as Life Habits.

I have found that my life could not have dealt with some of the issues I have had to deal with- and even temptations. Good praying and praising habits are essential to every Christian here. Find the kind of Christian music style you enjoy and crank it up when you drive somewhere or do housework or work on your car.

Learn the old hymns as well as the newer stuff. Not because we need to be old-fashioned but because the hymn book has some fantastic songs that address the very issues we deal with every day.

Conclusion: There will be battles for you to win.

God has not called us a life of defeat-ism but to a life of freedom and victory through Christ.

Here are some nitty-gritty guidelines for you to be victorious over the battles that you will face in every phase of life:

• You are called to live a holy life. "For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." (Ephesians 1:4)
  
• You will always face diverse temptations.
  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kind." (James 1:2) James seems to make a realistic assumption about the Christian life: there will be trials of many kind.
  
• You won't be tempted beyond your ability to resist. "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB)
  
• The Holy Spirit will help you as you allow Him to. "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16)
  
• Seek forgiveness when necessary. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
  
• Get an accountability partner. Everyone should have an accountability partner who can help you win in your walk with Christ.
  As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)
• Claim the holy life that is yours. Too often we forget that holiness is not a goal to achieve but is a life to live. Way too often we strive to live appropriate lives for Christ, for our marriage and family and even for ourselves and yet forget in all of our strivings that to be holy is not the ultimate goal. To live out the holiness of Christ that has truly gripped our life is what this dark and lonely world desperately needs. "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11 {This last thought was added during publishing. As I thought further on this message I felt that future readers might benefit from a fuller understanding of where I'm coming from.}
  

How do you resist the temptation to sin? How do you deal with such issues as anger, lust, jealousy, pride, drug and alcohol abuse, and greed?

Remember there is victory in Jesus. There is forgiveness of sins, there is cleansing and there is standing true.

Praise the Lord- There is freedom over temptation.