The Overcoming Life: Gospel of Luke #12
This is an exposition of Luke 4:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, May 8, 2016.
Intro:
It is a common syndrome. The “Monday Morning” quarterback. The guy, who the day after the game, has all the answer about how they could have won the game. 9 times out of 10 they are experts in stating the obvious. “You know if they had scored more points that the other team – they would have won the game.” They seldom offer any real insight into the game or offer anything constructive for the future. Of course such thinking is not limited to sports. You have the same thing in politics. An endless number of analysts from the right, the left, the center, the far right, far left and every oddball group has to put in their two cents worth (Most deserving some change!). Now we have “legal” analysts seconded guessing every court decision and jury verdict. Everyone is an expert and yet according to the experts, no one ever gets it right!
The same can be said in the spiritual realm. A growing number of “experts” and analyst sharing insights into victorious living. Offering play by play analysis on how to have victory, claim dominion and live as a child of the king. You’ll have to excuse me if I do not show the proper enthusiasm for these experts showing us the way to the promise land. But I’m convinced there is only One who has ever lived or ever will live the victorious Christian life. Only one who has been “sold out for Jesus” and lived the “surrendered life” and that is the Lord Jesus himself. He is our model. Scripture is our guide. We have our expert and He provides insight worth listening to.
This morning I want us to consider what He taught us concerning the proper response to temptation. Our text is found in Dr. Luke’s gospel Luke 4 Luke 4:1-13
Text: Luke 4:1-13
Temptation is a universal problem.
If you say you do not struggle with temptation – you probably lie about other things too!
We are all tempted in many ways – from various sources.
By what we see.
By what we hear.
By our thoughts.
From without and from within.
Like Flip Wilson we are quick to claim “The devil made me do it” but few if any of us have ever actually dealt with the devil.
The Lord Jesus on the other hand dealt with him – head to head – straight on.
It was a showdown in the wilderness.
According to our text it was in the desert that this battle took place.
Between the inhabited part of Judea and the Dead Sea was a stretch of wilderness 35 miles by 15 miles. It was called Jeshimmon which means “The Devastation.” The hills were like dust heaps; the limestone looked blistered and peeling; the rocks were bare and jagged; it glowed with heat like a vast furnace. It was in this region that our Lord met the enemy.
Let’s take care of a few preliminary issues before moving on.
Luke, more than any other gospel writer presents the Lord Jesus as our sympathetic
High priest. The writer of Hebrews says we have a high priest who understands our weakness and our struggles because he has been tempted in all points as we are – yet he is without sin. This story is central to Luke’s presentation. Remember a gospel is a selective history with a purpose.
The scripture is clear on this matter. Our Lord experienced temptation. On that there is no debate. From that truth we can debate many interesting things. Is it that he could have sinned but did not or that he could not sin? Was sin a legitimate option for Him? Some, stressing the humanity of the Lord Jesus, argue that it was possible for him to sin. Others, stressing the deity of the Lord Jesus, argue that as God he could not sin. Which is it? I don’t know. The end result is the same – He did not sin. Yet somehow, on some level He most certainly did experience real, legitimate, genuine temptation. Similar to ours? Yes. Exactly like ours? No.
Jesus was the GodMan. Fully God and fully man. You cannot consider His humanity apart from His deity or His deity apart from His humanity. He was unique. But it was in the same manner – tempted at the same points – through the same means – experiencing the same struggles – yet different. That doesn’t make it any less real. You and I cannot experience the “same” temptation. For it to be the same would require the exact same circumstances as well as our having the same personality, likes, dislikes, desires etc.
The issue as far as I’m concerned is that our Lord faced temptation and rose above it. The kingdom of darkness sent it’s best man, took its best shot and failed!
In responding to temptation, our Lord establishes a pattern we can follow.
As we explore the text of Luke 4 we find three characteristics of an over-comer and how he faces temptation.
- An over-comer relies solely on God’s gracious provision. (4:1-4)
- An over-comer yields unwaveringly to God’s Sovereign rule. (4:5-8)
- An over-comer refuses to presume upon God’s goodness. (4:9-13)
3 common areas of temptation
- The temptation to take matters into your own hands.
- The temptation to compromise to get what you want.
- The temptation to presume upon God’s grace.
How do you over-come such temptations?
Trust God’s gracious provision no matter what.
Refuse to bow to any other god.
Do not presume upon God’s goodness but trust in His grace.