Acing the Devil's Tests, Part 3

Temptation is something different for everyone.

Some it's an obsession with tolerance of accommodating false doctrines like pluralism for others it's much more personal includes things like envy lost three today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll re-creates the face-off when the devil and Jesus as recorded in Matthew chapter 4. Through this dramatic encounter taught invaluable lessons on how to say no were tempted to say yes this is message number eight in a brand-new series through the book of Matthew titled his message acing the devils test.

I made an interesting discovery. Over the years that when God gives you a test.

It's impossible for you to cheat on it. First off, he doesn't write his tests down. He never once gave the disciples are written exam. They never had reason to ask. Will this be on the test. It certainly would be, but it would be written. It would be experienced. That's why you can't cheat on the tests the Lord sends your way. Second, there are really only two results when we take the Lord's tests. We either pass the test or we feel it heard in every tests. God's desire is always the same. He wants us to pass. He wants us to do well. He wants us to grow when he gives us a test. He doesn't want us to falter and fail, the devil is altogether different. Nothing delights him like our failure is tests are always designed to lead us into failure is great hope is to see us yield to his subtle temptation and sin as we cover this fourth chapter in Matthew's gospel we will read about tests that were designed by the devil, for Jesus, specifically with the hope in mind that he would fail all the way through is like the main thread in the fabric. He appears and reappeared. He's engaged in one simple plan and that's to bring Jesus down.

Practically speaking, Jesus is all alone in the wilderness all alone in the wilderness area on top of that he has fasted 40 days followed by 40 nights, he has maximum privacy, silence and solitude in many ways it's a perfect setting for him to grow deeper in his relationship with the father but the danger signals were there by just being alone and how alone is Jesus notice the devil came and said that J was going on. Look at you, how much weight have you all sleeping much either.

Are you look emaciated. We got talk about this. I mean I just I just heard in your baptism. Heard your father your father right. I heard them call you son is a silly way to treat son, would you treat your son like, hey, here's a stone turned into a warm hello think I'm nursing that would be.

But Jesus is been 40 days. 40 stumbling across locusts and scorpions and snakes in the barrenness howling winds of the wilderness. I thought you were his son.

I love Jesus response doesn't play with the enemy.

So Jesus told him know the Scripture say people to not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Deuteronomy 83. Check it out yet and plan for the test but he knew the word of God.

It had been streaming into his mind for 30 years growing up in the home cooking of his mother Mary in the village of Nazareth, day after day, year after year.

He knew Deuteronomy backwards and fall quoted at the moment and Satan has no answer for the Scriptures, but it doesn't stop up. By the way, remember Peter's words, the devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may what do how are we would say to swallow all Å line seeking anyone this will not playing games with Jesus is not only about bread. It's about doing what he tells them to do this about meeting his own needs, not trusting in the father to nourishing in his own providential way. It's a test designed to get him to miss trust the provident provisions of God, you will face them regularly married or single, you will constantly be tempted to do it your way, your way and the devil will be there applauding it saying there's lots of stones we can turn into bread together.

No verse five is the second test takes him in Jerusalem take him up to what is called in the Greek text, the wing of the temple.

It's apparently at that time a precipice that hung high over the street 450 feet below over 40 stories.

There standing there together and he said son of God. Job just about everything you think people will follow you for signs for all this time and I think when Messiah comes, he's going to be this miracle working your this miracle working job vaudeville falling over the thousands. You will have to begin with a small deal bill get in line to watch you chill. If that isn't enough.

Satan quotes from Psalm 91 that you think you don't want to know the Scriptures.

Your enemy knows better than you ever will know that he will order his angels to protect you.

Jesus don't hold you up with her hands so you would even hurt your foot so check it out yourself.

Psalm 91 problem is he twisted out of context he misquotes a part of it and he lays out a section that ought to be mentioned. This has nothing to do with sensationalism, which is the temptation to something sensational long enough of this wilderness nonsense why your angel zoom you could name one after another. You created all of us become your parachute so Jesus responds. The Scriptures also say you must not test the Lord your God, what what what's what's wrong with this test is presumption is the center presumption happens all the time people do in the name of faith. They play with snakes and they call it faith. They play with illness; faith they promise miracles of this the miracles of that is it. Miracles were every day and they call it faith.

And if you don't have it happen you don't have the faith sensationalism. One man puts it this way. He who seeks to attract others to him by providing them with sensations has adopted a way in which there is literally no future latkes always want more, you jump from there by jumping from here. If you jump from here when I go up there and if you job on not in the starting remember this as you lead ministries and measure involved in ministries. Many of you are. Remember that it is always a tendency on the part of the flesh to rely on the flesh to do the spirits work don't go there.

Don't go there. Scripture says you must not test the Lord your God presumption is a sin we will go there on not jumping next week doesn't quit his most creative creature that ever lived aside from Christ himself is brilliant beyond words.

So next, he took it to the peak of a very high mountain probably Herman North's year-round up there and Herman showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory.

Look look look Jesus is Rome and Athens Areopagus the Parthenon magnificent structures. Current emphasis Jerusalem is a whole universe what you gotta do managers bow down and worship me. Nobody else here will even see just to agreement on give it all to you if you kneel down and worship it out of here. Satan, Michael Eugene Peterson renders it in the message. The last time you said that to the enemy.

You must call resisting him don't don't go play with him. Don't play the little Ouija board thing is gonna be fun to see where this whole thing winds up don't get all these electronic games that lead you into dragons in the world of the ethereal that you can explain, don't go there, you stupid if you go there, you're playing into his hands.

He loves it when you play his games. You may have forgotten Satan. I made all these places they don't turn my head get out Scripture say you must worship the Lord your God and serve only him, Deuteronomy 613, he had Deuteronomy down 15 expositor rights. Satan is a counterfeiter. He offers what seems to be the same as God offers in his price is much cheaper. God wants you to prosper as any. Well, I'll give you prosperity a lot sooner and for a lot less. Just turn your little of questionable practices give into what's advantageous. Don't be a prudent follow the crowd. That's the way to success. The basic argument is always a form of of the deity, the end justifies the means. And then he says what Satan gives is always immeasurably less than he promises for Jesus to have given into this third temptation. What brought the same ultimate result as is having succumbed to either the other two he would have disqualified himself not only as king but a Savior instead of redeeming the world.

It would adjoin the world instead of inheriting the world. It would've lost the world. The Christ would play the Christ and the Lamb would become the beast. This is serious stuff, but he doesn't want you to realize how serious sister marriage you get another one of those just private business dealings. Who's to know.

Take Jesus forget that cross stuff get out Satan and to serve only the Lord my God, the next time you are tempted toward pluralism. Would you remember there was only one Lord and God. There is only one we do not share him with any other.

There is one God, one Savior between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, one way, one truth, one life. Don't fall into the trap of multiple gods because all people are sincere and they sincerely worship in their religion they are wrong they are on biblical, it is not what God teaches. Don't be afraid of being that narrow Satan just the message on to worship only the Lord God get out the way I love it. Now the Angels sweep down and cover them with her wings. That beautiful city. They take care several reminders and warnings and I'll say them quickly and not complicated, then there's something I want you to learn want you to memorize because were then repeated to you got it down, you'll thank me for the rest of your life you'll need it. They say a word about Satan, that a word about the Scriptures that a word about the Savior and find the word about sin first, Satan. He is a defeated enemy don't live afraid of him.

Don't be intimidated by him. Quit running scared of the devil.

Greater is he who is in you Christian.

Then he was in the world. He's a defeated foe every move on that chessboard of time moves in closer to the lake of fire which was prepared for the devil and his deep he knows that he is somewhat you to think about that you're dealing with a defeated enemy. He will not win. Second, as it relates to Scripture alive and powerful alive and powerful. Don't hesitate to stand on the word of God study it, read it committed to memory, use it rely on it, put it in verse form under the glass in your desk put in the mirror where you prepare your face in the morning put in your kitchen sink will you do the dishes put on your car dashboards. You can read every time you're in there, put in front of you. The Scriptures are alive and active. Don't save you from defeat discouragement.

Don't hesitate stand Scriptures when it comes to the Savior. He is your shield and your sustainer. He will never leave you in the lurch.

He starts with the feeling of your infirmities having been tested and always as we are here is proof of any past the test, he will liberate you again and again, just call in and just telling Lord Jesus right now. Without you I can't make it I'm in a jam. I need your help. Please step into the scene. Show me what I'm to do and I'll do it. No argument now as it relates to sin as a relates to sin, you have a choice every moment of every day of your life.

You have a choice. You can yield or you can resist everyday your choices, no different from the most powerful person in the country, whoever that may be. It is the same as is anyone else sitting near you. You have a choice. If you choose to yield to sin and you do that enough it will capture you. You will be held according to the words of Proverbs by the cords of your own sin. Every victim of an addiction could tell you his or her own story, a number of them are in this room today. The more you imbibe the more you participate in it, the deeper will be the sin until you will be caught. Now the piece I want you to remember. I'll say it again and again to get it. Sin will take you further than you want to go.

It will keep you longer than you want to stay.

It will cost you more than you want to pay sin. The goal of the enemies to get you in the realm of sin and hold you there. He'll teach you to be a liar you live your life full of lies. He'll teach you to be a phony, and you will be able to do that with with incredible ability.

That's all part of sinful lifestyle. Sin will take you farther than you want to go.

Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you more than you want to pay say with me first take you sin will take you farther than you want to go again. Sin will take you farther than you want to go.

The next is keep you sin will keep you longer than you want to say again sin will keep you longer than you want to stay third cost you sin will cost you more than you want to pay again. Sin will cost you more than you want Google over that next time we were together once again out together. Sin will take you farther than you want to go.

Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.

Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.

Please bow your head with me, just sit quietly right there is not move about, realize the encounter that Jesus had with Satan is not your encounter. Remember I said.

Each test is unique. You will not have a visit like this one, but you will certainly encounter the enemy and his ways and perhaps you have perhaps you made a habit of yielding quite likely some of you have become addicted and some realm that has now captured you and your held in the cords that sin I can promise you, through the power of the word of God and the authority of the Scriptures.

The Lord is able to deliver you and give you a victory never known before, through his son Jesus Christ as you turn your life over to him turn it over to him your center and because of that it is created a gap between you and your holy God with that wonderful cross of Christ where he paid the complete payment for your sin has bridge the gap because of what he has done on your behalf.

You can know God personally through putting your faith in Christ. Yes, you can you're surrounded by those who have done that. The one speaking to you right now has done that my family has done that many around you in this room have done that. It's your turn, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be delivered.

It starts with believing. Let us help you get there. Sweetly, Lord, have we heard you calling come, follow me.

Suddenly I pray that the sweet call of Christ will melt the heart of all who have heard this message deliver us from cynical excuses from the habit of turning all of this off once we've left this place of worship made these words follow us and if necessary haunt us through the day and night through the labyrinthine journey of our dream's, may we be drawn to Christ, who alone can give us life in his matchless name we pray this every once in learning how to resist temptations.

Chuck Swindoll titled this three-day message acing the devils tests you're listening to Insight for living and to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org. Today's program features the eighth sermon in a brand-new study of Matthew. This comprehensive series will capture our imaginations over the next several months, if not the better part of this year as Chuck guides us through a verse by verse study of Matthew's New Testament book. We started with the birth of our king now were tracing his footsteps through all 28 chapters moving toward his great commission to go and make disciples. Now, in conjunction with this brand-new broadcast series. Chuck has recently completed a commentary on Matthew as well because of the enormity of this study Chuck's commentary comes into hardbound volumes. The set is called Swindoll's living incites commentary on Matthew. Whether you're new to the Bible or your teaching the Bible is a pastor, you'll find Chuck's approach to Matthew, both scholarly and accessible and is written in the engaging style that's become a hallmark of Chuck's teaching to purchase Swindoll's living incites commentary on Matthew go to insight.org/offer or if you prefer. Call us if you're listening in the United States., 1-800-772-8888 insight for living ministries is supported not by the purchase of books and resources but through the contributions of people like you and we invite you to join our mission to introduce King Jesus to all 195 countries of the world to give a donation today because listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888, and many are choosing to automate their giving. By becoming a monthly companion growing family of supporters is allowing insight for living to advance its mission with boldness to become a monthly companion today.

Call us listening in the United States, 1-800-772-8888 or you can easily sign up online@insight.org/monthly companion. Swindoll continues his series called the king's arrival right here on insight for living. The preceding message acing the devils tests was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles Parson dogging all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited