This week’s scriptures are: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalms 91:1-2, 9-16, Romans 10:8-13, Luke 4:1-13
Please pray with me:
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that the words of this sermon are YOUR words, and not mine. I pray that the message here touches those that need to be touched. I pray that those receiving this sermon remember that all Honor and Glory are yours, Lord, both now and forever. Amen and Amen.
Grace and Peace to you, from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have you ever been tempted? I mean REALLY tempted? I’m not talking about seeing a piece of chocolate that looked good to you at the time you’re on a diet. I’m talking about maybe being deep in debt and someone offers you a large sum of money to do something you wouldn’t normally do because you know it’s wrong, type of temptation.
In today’s reading Jesus was being tempted by Satan. We’ve all read this scripture before. We know the “Man shall not eat bread alone” and “Don’t tempt the Lord your God”. But do we REALLY know what it’s like to be tempted?
Can we put ourselves in Jesus’ shoes and say that we would have done the right thing? Would we have turned that stone into some type of food? Or maybe we’d have jumped off of the temple, just to shut that Devil up.
I remember being an assistant manager at a video store. I had hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in cash that I would have to count. To me, it was just paper. It didn’t matter. But to another person, it was something that they wanted to have for themselves.
You hear all the time about people accepting bribes. Why, because they were tempted and gave in to that temptation.
There are little temptations everywhere. In our everyday lives we are often tempted. The question becomes how do we handle those temptations.
When you’re driving down that long, lonely road and the speed limit is posted at 55, do you do 60? 65? You don’t see any cars for miles and miles and you just want to “get there”. What do you do?
When you walk out of the store behind someone and you see them drop a quarter or some other amount of money, what do you do? I’m not talking about just finding money on the ground with no one around. I’m talking about you SAW IT FALL. What do you do? Do you stop them and give them their money? Do you just quietly put that in your pocket? That’s temptation.
I think a lot of our responses to temptation has to do with our relationship with God. I think the closer we are to God, the better we handle that temptation.
Think about the person who robs the bank. Do you think that person is down on their knees praying about their financial issues or anything else for that matter? What would have happened had they prayed about their lot in life? Would things have improved? Maybe. Would things have seemed so bleak? Maybe not.
What about the stripper? Do you think he or she is doing that because they like to be naked in front of people? Or are they doing it because they see that as their only means to make some quick money? Was that their childhood dream? To grow up and get naked in front of strangers? Or did they find themselves in a situation and someone came along and took advantage of that. Satan used someone to TEMPT that person with “easy money”. A way out of whatever situation they’re in.
The problem is once you give in to temptation that first time, then it becomes easier and easier to give in the next time. A few miles over the speed limit this time can lead to a few more miles over the speed limit next time. The next thing you know, you’re driving as if you were trying to win the Daytona 500.
We see no harm in giving in, as long as “no one gets hurt” or “I didn’t get caught”. But did you REALLY get away with it? God is everywhere. He sees everything and knows everything. God has a way of reminding us about what we’ve done wrong.
The person who agrees to smuggle money or drugs across an international border and no one stops them, did someone get hurt? Not directly. All they did was take a walk. But those drugs or that drug money could lead to the death of someone.
Christ had an opportunity to create food from a rock! This after going 40 days without food. Sorry, I think I would have made an entire meal out of that rock. But not Christ.
Jesus was perfect. He was close to God, because He WAS God. The closer our relationship with God, the easier it is to avoid temptation. Take that temptation away from me. I am but a human. All I can do about temptations is to pray and walk away. So don’t tempt me, I may be weak.
Spending more and more time with God will not remove all temptation from our lives. However, it MIGHT just make it easier to turn and run the other direction when temptation shows it’s ugly head.
Pray every day. Spend a little time alone with God. Spend time in His word. Get to KNOW God. He all ready knows you, He’s just waiting for you to know Him.
Try this the next time you are tempted to do something (that is not legally or morally right), stop everything. Without hesitation, pray about it. Say, “God, I’m in a situation where I want to do something that I know I should not do. Please take this temptation away from me and use this situation to bring me closer to you, Lord. Amen.”
Amen. Amen.
May the reading of this sermon bless you. May God be with you and you with Him, until we meet again.
Amen.
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