Chuck Salvo | 12.4.22 | Sunday PM | On Fire Christian Church
Tempted
1) “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James
2) Matt 4:3 command stones to bread/Jesus turned water into wine
a. Just because you have the power to do something doesn’t mean you should Devil tempted Jesus with physical needs
b. Ex 16:2-7. Problem is when we stop looking to god to supply and trust in our ability and not God’s.
c. Often we are ready to go to any length just to get on the good side of life, where it’s all a bed of roses with the glitter of prosperity and the pamper of comfort.
d. John 6:26. Many make decisions on their belly
e. Tempted by the devil in mind then in natural. No where in Bible does it say it is wrong to turn stone to bread
i. We must not get love the wrong way. A youth boiling with hormones will wonder why he should not give full freedom to his sexual desires; and if he is unchecked by custom, morals, or laws, he may ruin his life before he matures sufficiently to understand that sex is a river of fire that must be banked and cooled by a hundred restraints if it is not to consume in chaos
ii. . This highest of all physical gratifications you were designed and created to enjoy. It is as natural as it is appealing. It is given of God to make us like God. And Satan has certainly capitalized on a divinely ordained appeal. But it is not yours without price. Not instantly. Not conveniently. Not with cozy corruption of eternal powers. It is to be earned, over time and with discipline. It, like every good thing, is God’s right to bestow, not Satan’s. When faced with that inherent appetite, a disciple of Christ must be willing to say, “Yes, but not this way.” In time, with love, after marriage.
f. Satan is still employing the same tactics today, urging believers to turn the stones upon which God intends to make, promote and bless them into breads of momentary comfort, superficial pleasure and good feelings.
g. At every juncture when God brings us face to face with let’s say, a little lack of money, almost instinctively we feel a compulsion to borrow some money, or get it by any mischievous means (like sending exaggerated and cooked-up newsletters) just to get out of that moment of lack.
h. If we are lonely, the first response is to find company, no matter who it is and the thought of turning the loneliness into an opportunity for solitude just doesn’t resonate.
i. Every time stones surface in our life, we are so eager to make bread out of them and this keeps us small, ineffective and unable to impact the world around us.
j. This is a tendency that makes us want to quickly find an escape route out of a difficult experience that brings us discomfort.
k. We fail to exercise patience and lean more into God letting him accomplish the purposes for which He allows us go through such moments.
l. The scriptures do not tell us to actively take on pain, adversity, exclusion, lack and hardship but to keep an open heart and spirit to them when the Lord releases them into our lives.
m. We must resist the temptation to turn every stone we encounter on our journey through life into bread.
n. When we’ve come to a difficult place in life, it pays to hold on, to take a step back and to ask, “What’s in this for me Lord?” And then to say, “Be it done to me according to your will.”
3) Matt 4:6 throw yourself down
a. Matt 27:42. If he is the king let him come down from the cross
b. Devil appealed to Jesus pride
4) Matt 4:9 all these kingdoms I will give you if you will fall down and worship me
a. John 6:15 make Jesus king by force
b. Selfish ambitions
c. Devil was offering Jesus a shortcut to glory
d. The lottery. Get rich quick. A lawsuit. Sue happy
e. Brown nosing to a promotion
5) Jesus overcame all temptations by obedience to God
Pastor Chuck Salvo of On Fire Christian Church in Louisville, Ky. has been the shepherd of On Fire since 2001. We are a church who believes in worshiping the King of Kings fully and whole-heartedly. Our purpose is to exemplify Jesus in everything we do. We care about building Godly relationships & leading people closer to the Lord in every aspect of life. Join us Sunday Mornings at 10:30, Sunday Nights at 7 & Wednesday Nights at 7.
Check out Pastor Chuck Salvo on Instagram | @pastorchucksalvo
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/chucksalvo.net
On Fire Christian Church Instagram | @onfire.cc
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/onfire.cc
Online | onfirecc.org
FIREWRSHP Instagram | @firewrshp
Abba Missions Instagram | @abbamissions
