Sermon from Fuge 2022 – North Greenville University
Luke 4:1-13 – Satan tempted Jesus when He was isolated and weakened. When temptation comes to us at opportune times for failure, we must stay connected to Jesus.
Summary
- Appetite (4:3-4) – Satan knows where, when, and how to attack us in vulnerable areas of weakness.
- Authority (4:5-8) – Sin is the audacious claim that I have the right to determine what is right.
- Acknowledgment (4:9-12) – In an effort to obtain validation from others, we can tend to take sinful shortcuts.
Matchless One
- Luke 3:38 – Adam, son of God – Are you sure God said?
- Adam; Jesus – Second Adam
- Adam – plenty of food; Jesus – no food
- Adam – not alone; Jesus – alone
- Adam – surrounded by peaceful animals; Jesus – surrounded by wild animals
- Israel – wandering 40 years – manna, struggle over commandments, struggle with alliances
Significance
- Your standard will be inside you (feelings), beside you (culture), behind you (tradition), or above you (Scripture).
- God has not left us without clear standards in His Word for belief and behavior.
- Don’t expect to win temptation’s battle if you are not armed with God’s Word memorized.
- Don’t go to the devil for the things your Father has promised to provide.
- You have an enemy with a personalized plan to tempt you into sin (Luke 4:13) and then accuse you into irrelevance (Rev. 12:10-11).
- Jesus withstood temptation so He could take the place of those who could not (cf. Hebrews 4:15).
- Jesus’ victory over sin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep up the fight (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13).
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
