Sermon on the temptations of Jesus, and us

Date: 27 May 2007
Speaker: Ps David Lim

Scripture Reference: Luke 4:1-13

The Temptation of Jesus
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' "
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6And 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.
7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' "
9The 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.
10For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Most people go through 3 types of temptations:
- Name / Fame / Status
- Wealth
- Personal Glory

A) Name / Fame / Status (v4-5):
- This is the lust of the flesh.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

- We should be lifting up the name of Christ instead of ourselves.


B) Wealth (v6-8):
- This is the lust of the eyes.

"The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want." Psalm 23:1


C) Personal Glory (v9-13):
- This is the lust of our self / pride
- All power/position on earth is temporary
- What is our life, whether the good things or bad things, compared to eternity?