Handling Temptation

Life is filled with all kinds of temptations and there is no question that the devil is alive and well. How do we handle our temptations? In this week’s sermon we will look at how this sly enemy worked unsuccessfully in the life of our Lord and how we can use the same approach against the devil in our lives.

Sermon
Handling Temptation

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“’He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
They will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Hymns
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”

Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon “Temptation“ delivered on Christian Crusaders March 14, 2004.
It is well for us to note that Jesus resisted each of Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture. Satan is defeated in the presence of God’s Word. We should be so well acquainted with the Bible that, when the hour of temptation comes, we, too, can use God’s Word to defeat the enemy. Unlike our Savior, we know that, because of our sinful nature, we will sometimes fall when tempted by Satan. Then our Lord will forgive us, pick us up, strengthen us, and send us away by saying, “Go, and sin no more.”

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On the Light Side
A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn’t find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: “I have circled the block 10 times. If I don’t park here, I’ll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses.”

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note “I’ve circled this block for 10 years. If I don’t give you a ticket I’ll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.”