The Crown Without the Cross- Part #2

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I'm entitled to my message the crown without the cross, Jesus was to condemn the promises he did not come to condemn the world, but to what save the world and in the Bible says he delights in showing mercy.

So as a believer.

If you send what should you do run to the throne of grace is rather like the thought of the product with open arms and come to me only will Marion Burton. I'll give you rest.

If that's what you find grace and mercy up into the front of grace, and it sounds ridiculous, I'm attempting to go before you wanted opportunities you don't run out infinite. So now to look at his temptations, how was Jesus tempted ugly. He was tempted in three ways physically, psychologically and spiritually. In other words, the entire humanity of Jesus was tempted his mind his body in a so guess what guys, that's what site what to do with your night because after a whole brilliant mind and body and are so in what he does. He wants to destroy us and he begins on the inside and work his way out, literally killing as he goes about his work. So let's take these temptations separately.

First, Satan appealed to Jesus in physical desire for food know why he was hungry.

It was hungry like you are hungry soon after Jesus was baptized wheat we learned about that last week the city was full of is the Holy Spirit and it was the third person of the Godhead. He was full of the Holy Spirit and in the spirit led him into the desert to be tested so for 40 days and 40 nights.

Jesus ate nothing. Can you imagine the hunger pangs was amended and with I remember years ago at a set also fast 24 hours because I'm not bragging that I've only done it about.

I can count one happy town attempts… It is so I got up to 24. As I made it through breakfast only through lunch with no problem and I came home and I was determined also walked to the kitchen and bath. As the study and I won't unit after a long day at work with an empty time when I would came to the door. This incredible aroma hit me in my nostrils. My wife Tracy was cooking a feast for two sons will probably 12 and 13 of the time she had a port on roast in the oven. She had stewed corn on the stove with mashed potatoes and snap things and I won't run by Lord, please help me. After being home for little while present Russ I need a run out for a minute. I'm afraid the corn is going to burn D- turn it while I'm gone.

Well, okay, I'll do that you need understand the corn was my favorite vegetable growing up a group in Bethel and we had some farmland and we grew corn ever tasted good early corn is good and it nailed my mother used to put up she was in for four days putting up jars of corn and we would have it all throughout the water, but I so much at one time I threw up. That's another story.

And so increase your calling my mother someone over that took the lid off to get spoon and I started stirring and then this'll thought in my mind, you know, it really will be breaking the fast.

I just take one bite set, took one bite she was sucking tasty right now. I took another bite and then I turned around and I grabbed a plate from the cabinet in the kitchen for me. The boys worked out plan increase ago and I took the port rushed out of the oven, I could lead to big basin late and up out of my plate corn and snap beans and mashed potatoes and I devoured it and it was good sin.

The Bible says taste good for a while but then you wake up in is a disaster.

Listen what I just described to you is a picture of the way temptation works when you awake.

The devil will appear and ask you to start going and he's okay tae kwon do store that a big deal. As Jesus dealt with his hunger pangs. The devil appeared to him. Out of nowhere, and because I listen it and say this but can't hear you say there's nothing to write how you think the devil appeared as a women with a little former Angel note splendor glorious powerful. Remember his name used to be Lucifer and he was the most beautiful angel in all of heaven and the most powerful next to God, but he want to be like God and he had seen the sun in his former glory. Sure, the throne with his heavenly father. And now here is the son in a frail human body is dying.

Thanks in this powerful beam stands before the sun. Jesus is as if you are the son of God, tell the stone to turning to Brett and this is what Satan said was, since you are the son of God, the same view it. He believed it until your father take care of you.

That's what he did for the Israelites for four years. When I wander through the desert and he took care of them he gave them manna and coil.

Certainly, if you really are the son of God to do the same for you.

If you're just going without food for 40 long days and he felt he was dying as the hunger pains, convulsed his body since he had the power to turn stones into bread. His body was screaming. Do it. You know what a temptation not from evil but to do something good this temptation ugly was both physical and spiritual nature.

If he gave in and he would usurp his father's will lead him to actually fast and who would promise to take care of him. He was starving. His body craved nourishment. In spite of the hunger pangs. Jesus was faithful according to Matthew chapter 4 verse four cheese responded is written, man does not live on bread alone, but on every war that comes from the mouth of God was the lesson there are life does not consist of what we have what we eat, but on nourishment from the word of God. You see, Jesus believed God's word and he trusted in his heavenly father to take care of him and therefore he was faithful. What should we say that Jesus right now. Thank you Jesus because he was faithful. We are sitting here tonight. That was the first temptation, Jesus passed with flying colors. Satan pushed a little harder and a little deeper with the second one he appealed his psychological desire to get the crown without the cross to bypass the pain-and-suffering just go straight to the kingdom's of the Bible says the devil took him up to the top of a high mountain, and he somehow showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and the rule of this world first John 519 says the whole world is on the control of her that you want.

Don't know that Emily has limited control is like a lion on a chain, but he has control of the world and he said to Jesus, all of these kingdoms, which have been given to me. I'll give you if you just do one thing thou your knee and worship me it will all be yours. You think I want to temptation Jesus came into this world to do what to establish his kingdom on earth.

His greatest desire was for the people of the world to worship his father and to follow him so that he could give you and me eternal life. However his greatest dread was the cross. Remember the boys arrest in the garden. He was asking his father what if it's possible father take this cup from me, but not my will but thy will be done and he was so full of anxiety of what is your face. I don't think it was the plaintiff suffered all that windows part of it the first time when the father looked away as he took the soft filthy sins upon his body so he dreaded the cross and his anxiety was so severe that he perspired blood. So here he was presented with a way to establish his kingdom on earth and able to cross. We cannot think we can imagine how tempting this was to Jesus in his humanity. Just a quick bow just a fleeting moment of recognition before this beautiful, powerful being he would pass in an instant it in his kingdom will come to this earth and all of its glory. Just a quick little nod. Imagine Jesus in this we can condition existing in a frail human body and standing before this imposing been masquerading as an angel of light. I believe in the unseen realm all of the heavenly angels watch to see how the sun would respond because I do not they want omniscient Jesus disappoint them. He replied to the devil.

It is written, worship the Lord your God and serve Jesus remain faithful. What should we say thank you Jesus. When I when I prepare this.

A lot of us today. I really was so thankful as I thought about what Jesus did for us. This is just the beginning of the battle got three more years of battling this file all the way to the cross weasel crap rewards. One of those three words, it is finished.

I guess he did it for you and me, but he still got a long battle ahead of him.

Three more years, so the devil of the anti-this time saying appeal to spiritual desire to know and feel the love of his heavenly father allow that he'd never without the devil took him to the highest place on the Temple Mount, which I believe is the corner of the southeast corner of the of the wall. I look at it with some amount some people to travel to Israel with us three years ago from the other side of the Kidron Valley NSA 450 dropped to the bottom so somehow Satan and Jesus standing there on the edge of that wall. Looking back and once again, the devil in the splendor and beauty said if you are the son of God. Three. Step down from here porch written so now listen, Jesus recorded in Scripture. Now Satan is quoting it. Things like the note about this he said Jesus he will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully. They will lift you up in their hands that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

I believe this was the most powerful temptation that Jesus faced see the sun.

As I stated in George fellowship with his father from eternity past. Not only had a father not yet, but another devil was questioning the love of the father for his one and only son, Satan reminded Jesus by quoting Psalm 91 that God promised to take care of him you want to trust in him. You what he was saying to Jesus. Just prove it prove to the world. If you are the son of God. Prove it in the whole world will know who you really are doing now and you can avoid the cross, just a shortcut to the kingdom bypass the suffering once again.

Jesus was faithful to his father. He replied it says do not put the Lord your God to the test segment. Jesus was faithful all to all the way to the end. So what should we say thank you Jesus. This is when the devil had finished testing him. Satan left to wait for another opportunity administrators for you and the you pass one test is another one coming in the beginning I say will order to answer two questions.

First, what is temptation. We establish a temptation is allurement or an enticement to sin against God's word for pleasure or gain Jesus was off the world but to take it.

He would have to go against his father's word and will. And he refused. So the second question and wonder why want to camp out on his way and tonight is this how do we overcome temptation or to answer this question, don't you take your Bibles and turn with me back to the book of James right after Hebrews James chapter 1 with a look at verses 13, 14 and 15 thing as part of your homework assignment this week. James 113, 14 and 15 is what James writes when tempted no one should say God is tempting me for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire is dragged away and enticed enough desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown. His birth to death.

And if you ever experience that deadly cycle to give you some truths about temptation. First temptation and of itself is not sin. You can look at verse love you but don't let them build a nest yet that's what become sin is temptation become sin. When you get into it giving into temptation man begins in the mind and later it is manifested outwardly through our actions. Temptation comes from Satan and his demonic forces. Satan is known in the Bible is the chief tempter season one is coming after us an overview when I was having lunch one time with the job I will call water is now doctored in a topper he's in front of us that he's like 36 years old now and Paul had not yet accepted Christ as a lucid double digits downtown and I was explaining to him on this site is like in any other submarines with addenda looking at the radar and the data, looking for the little blips that come up on the screen and thus the enemy targets central circle. I suppose you're right. I hear outside the radar.

The moment that you accept Jesus, Satan to listen to some rain as you'll see a new blip is not managed to you in Christ that you wrote that you become saints enemy, Jeanette Jesse, were not in Christ is our God. She when you become part of God's kingdom. Then you have an adversary and his name is Satan. Matthew 412 says. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil after 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry, and this is the tempter came to him just when you week you can expect the tempter show up and usually shows up when you least expect them is the another truth about temptation.

Satan knows that we have evil desires to know how he knows that because he had evil desires in heaven say comes along beside us, and he lures us into his trap offering pleasure again and once he is unit in his grip man.

He will work to destroy your life and ultimately kill you. That's why so many say this for so many young men today are have been lured into drinking and some of the more overdosing affect either funeral of a gaffe using a committed suicide at age 23 that should never happen.

The other four stages of temptation I got is what I think more wispy desire deception disobedience, death, and here's how it works when we entertain the allure of pleasure in our minds desire is born not seen yet but you got this desire in their deficits, how to do evil. That's what sites come in after him.

So Satan attempts are evil desires would some kind of a deceptive opportunity that offers pleasure, excitement, happiness, St. Ambrose said the devil's snare does not catch you unless you are first called by the bait. So as we give into the deceptive bait we become entangled in disobedience. It just is like a vine that we just get all tangled up in, and finally as we continue in our pursuit of simple pleasures are intervene slowly – guess I can even happen to a believer that you lose your salvation but you feel like you lost it you be living in sin you. You face death of the guilt and anxiety, depression was happening as you destroying your soul as you give into the temptation to sin is just as destructive to your interbeing – that's why God has given us his commandments and laws told you if you think of the football field of the boundary of a basketball court. Just put the 10 Commandments around it and what God is saying is that if you will. If you stay on the court, you're free to do whatever you want is freedom enjoy the moment you step off of the court, you begin to pay the consequences if you're set on the court. I have Satan knows where we can suggest is efficient to use allure to track fish. Satan is galore in his tackle box with your name on it what you want to get you.

He goes into his tackle box and pulls out just the perfect lure for you and then he uses the bait to lure you into his grip when he can destroy a life. That's what he wants to do any makes the bait so attractive as it comes with her in a beautiful package open this up and you find peace and joy do this and you find satisfaction but you know what will work with deal with temptation and what you'll do it.

When I think about the consequences will warmers be says that when David looked at his neighbor's wife.

He would never have committed adultery. Had he seen the tragic consequences. The death of a baby more of a brave soldier, the violation of a dollar. The murder of one of his sons by another son, and the betrayal of another son, you see the bait that Satan uses keeps us from seeing the consequences of sin and death part of his plan.

So what is the solution. How we overcome temptation want to know the answer for that. You go up with us. The solution is found in James as you work your way backwards death came from disobedience. Disobedience was born out of deception and deception began desire to see the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. So we got to do with the heart man proffers 423 says, above all, it guard your heart but is the wellspring of life how we got a heart willing to state what you taking on we we gonna heart the same way Jesus did. When Jesus was led into the wilderness is city was full of two things. The Holy Spirit and what else the word of God. If you're full of the Holy Spirit in you for the word of God and you are armed for battle and Jesus was armed for battle, so you have to be men firstly got into what about Holy Spirit and you gotta be reading and digesting God's word and then you live by the Spirit in the power of the spirit.

That's what Jesus did. That's why we do this Bible study guys first thing we want to do here is to make sure that you your you and what about Holy Spirit and they want to talk about Holy Spirit. We want you to spend time in God's word. This was a Bible study, study God's word meditate on it it becomes a nurse before your soul. God really does. It gives you wisdom so that when you when you turn to the right or to the left you will hear a voice behind you send this is the way walk unit. So in closing as ocean value hits, and I'm just gonna read over us and in closing prayer what Paul describes as the armor of God, and this is unfortunately we we should take an hour and go through this.

These verses here in Ephesians 6 persistent directing is what Paul writes finally, be strong in the Lord man and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God says you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, man in the form of God. So when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you've done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness implies that means you been saved and when your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. So they were actually prepared to go out and share the gospel with others in additional does take up the shield of faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see take the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of temptation to come from the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation that is we want or the help of salvation to protect our mind from all the filth does come across the Internet and television from magazines from books and things that we should not even be looking at all even thinking about take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all counts of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the sites to have a father, thank you for your work is so rich is so deep, so true is so full of nourishment for our starving spirits. Lord help us to hunger after righteousness.

Help us to hunger for truth help us to hunger to know you more.

Help us to hunger Lord for your word and you got wicking from the sub you got to help us because we are but dust and we need you so much. So I pray that you work a miracle in our hearts and our minds and transform us into the man that you want us to be so that we can live a life full of joy and peace and stay within the boundaries of your word. We can have freedom from guilt and shame, depression, and one day Lord when you return.

If we live our lives according to you will you will hear the word from you.

Well done good and faithful servant. Now enter paradise which I prepared for you since the foundation of the world. We long for that day, Lord, as the world gets darker, we know that your life gets brighter help us to be agents of light to go out there and shot among those who are lost, that they might know what we know is in Jesus and that I pray find out more.

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