The Temptations -

Temptation seems to easily come my way. Pride, lust, control, even superiority -appear at my door, at my step, and in my life.  Sometimes I will commit myself to a new plan of overcoming them, other times I will confess to a friend and seek his help.  But more often than not, they continue to try and trap me.

Maybe you can identify, may be not.  It seems like each of us is tempted -but in different ways. One friend can't have a glass of wine, while another brews his own beer.

Is there a pattern that we can follow to help us overcome the temptations that we face?

We read in Matthew 4 that Jesus was tempted. But when we read the story it seems bizarre and with little relevance to us today...

We find the Spirit leading Jesus out to the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, to jump from the Temple and finally to bow to Satan in exchange for authority over the world.

Two extremes should be avoided when studying this passage...

• We must be careful to blame God for causing temptation.  James 1.13 makes it clear that God is never directly responsible for temptation.

• We want to avoid ascribing to Satan the power to act independently of God.  Satan can only act within God's sovereign will.

The First Temptation is for Jesus to turn the stones into bread.  This temptation is all about Jesus using his power for his personal gain versus using his power to advance God's mission.

The Second Temptation is for Jesus to throw himself off the temple and have God catch him.  Satan is wanting Jesus to test God, pushing Jesus to see if God will serve his personal needs.

The Third Temptation is for Jesus to bow to Satan in exchange for the kingdoms of this world.  This final temptation involves immediate success- instant gratification.  Satan tempts Jesus to skip his suffering and to become popular right now.

The temptation story reminds us that Jesus was unlike previous Kings, that he was unlike Israel. They succumbed to temptation, while he placed his obedience to God before his personal desires.

Now we can see the link to us today...
The triple-threat of Relevance, Popularity and Power are some of the greatest temptations we face. Jesus shows us the antidote, which is obedience to God.

Sunday Morning Left-Overs -November 3rd, 2013

Our study of the life of King David, brought us to the topic of Temptation. In First Samuel chapters 23 and 24, we find both Saul and David facing significant temptations.

Saul hears that David is trapped in a nearby town. Upon hearing this news he exclaims that God must be behind all of this as it is a perfect circumstance for him to kill David.  David inquires of the Lord who tells him to flee the area.

A short while later King Saul is relieving himself in a cave.  Farther back in the cave David's men see that Saul is vulnerable and claim that God must be behind all of this as it is a perfect circumstance for them to kill the King.

Two unique situations in which both sides claim that God must be behind the perfectly-aligned circumstances.  Found within these chapters is a powerful truth for us: Just because it is good, does not mean that it is from God.  Wise Christians must learn to look beyond just the external circumstances in determining God's Will for their lives.

So how do we know if God is in front of us or not?  Here's some guidelines that we can use in our lives.

Prayer -Are we seeking to listen to what God is saying to us?
Scriptures - Does the Bible shed any light on my situation or circumstances?
Wise Counsel - Have you asked others to assist you in your decision making process?

The challenge for us is to be discerning follower of Christ.  Temptation strikes us when we are vulnerable, when we least expect and is always tailored to hit our weaknesses.  David rejects the temptation to kill King Saul and in doing so choses greatness over destruction.

Temptation Cave

In preparing a talk about temptation this Sunday at Southbrook Church, I realized a few things....

- Temptation hits everyone in different ways
- Temptation always leads to destruction
- Temptation is easy to rationalize

Have you found these to be true for you as well?

Good thing we have the story of David in the books of First and Second Samuel.  David's life is a powerful exploration of both the victory that comes from rejecting temptation as well as the desolation that follows sucumbing to it.

3000 years ago the soon-to-be king, David was hiding deep within the bowels of a nearby cave.  King Saul roamed the land, looking to kill David.  One night, after eating some Hot-Pockets he found the need to relieve himself.

David's men urge him to go and Kill Saul; and David refuses.

David comes face to face with temptation and stands firm.  To kill the King would be an offense to God, he reasoned; since God put Saul on the throne it stands that God would remove Saul from the throne.

David was tempted by power, convenience and safety.  These aren't bad things, in fact had David killed Saul it could have made things a lot easier for David.  By refusing to give in to temptation, David stands as a role model for the rest of us.

Talking about temptation is difficult, for everyone of us is tempted in some way by someone or something.

There is good news, which is that God's power is stronger than our weakness.  Religion offers rules, whereas God offers true, internal life-change.

I have found great comfort in this verse from First Corinthians 10.13
  'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to all.  And God is faithful; he will not let
  you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out   so you can endure it.'