March 12, 2006-Second Sunday of Lent
Title: Satan Gives the Test
Text: Luke 4:1-13
Focus: Testing

Message Text:
Opening Illustration:

The New York Times reported a study about the diminishing belief in the devil among Americans. Two-thirds of Americans do not believe in the devil as a living entity. In a randomly selected survey of over 1,000 Americans, pollsters asked whether they agreed that Satan is "not a living being, but a symbol of evil." Sixty-two percent agreed with the statement. That means nearly 149 million Americans believe that Satan has no influence but that Satan is just a symbol of evil. We should know and understand that Satan is real and evil is real and that this is our number 1 enemy as believers in Jesus Christ.

Most people believe that it is God that gives us testing to make ones faith complete…He does not have to…for Satan does a pretty good job in that department…

Some wonder why does God allow Satan to test?... The answer is simply "Free-will"…our free will…to choose…to learn from and gain in faith…as James chapter one describes…

[Quote James 1]

SO with Satan giving the test…how can we prepare…be equipped to pass the test…or maybe to fail the test in Satan's eyes…the temptations of Christ prior to His public ministry gives us three insights into the areas Satan will put trails in our lives…and Christ gives us what WE need to know…and to do in order to persevere through those trials and pass the test in favor of our Lord.

One of the areas and probably the first area that Satan will get is to fail in our salvation…is in the area of physical needs and wants…

In verses 3 & 4 of our text today…Satan goes after the physical weakness of Jesus…particularly in His hunger…for Jesus has not eaten for 40 days…and He has been wandering in the desert. Satan knows the capability of Jesus…just like he knows our capabilities to do things…outside of the power of God…Christ and the Holy Spirit…Satan tells Jesus specifically to turn a stone into bread…notice the devil does ask Jesus if he is hungry…or asks Jesus if He had the power to do it…Satan knew both already…Satan gives it as a command…he was playing on the fact that Jesus was weak by hunger and that if he just told Christ what to do…Jesus would just act out of impulse…without thinking…

In other words…sin…but Jesus was prepared…and we can also be…by knowing the Word of God…Jesus responded to Satan but quoting Deuteronomy 8:3…that "man does not live by bread alone"

For us…today…if we do not have the knowledge of God's promises for us…if we do not understand how God can fulfill those promises in a way that not only takes cars of us…but that will give him the glory…these are the answers to this test…and in these tests…there is no A…B…C…D…grade…it is either you pass or failed…

To prepare…take advantage of the resources that has been provided to have the answers before the test comes…learn the elements of how to study the Bible…reason out your experiences and experiences of others…be alert…

Quote:
"Failure to understand elementary insights
about how to engage the enemy will leave gaping holes in our defenses, thus allowing Satan to encroach upon our lives."

Dr. Kenneth Squires, Jr.

Next…especially if Satan fails in the area of our physical needs and wants…he tests in the area of our pride…our ego…our greed…in other words the area of dominion and glory… who's…ours or God's

This is one of areas that the devil is constantly testing us…for it is subtle and forthright at the same time…before we even realize it…we have pass it in the eyes of Satan…For Jesus this test was who was going to be in control…it was an appeal for control of all the kingdoms of the world…the test was that Jesus was to "bend His knee" in worship to Satan…What's the difference…does not Jesus already have control…the difference is this…the authority for rule will come from Satan…not His Father…He would not need to got the cross to fulfill the authority of the Father…by bending to Satan…there would not be a need for Him…for humankind would be still lost…God would not be glorified

Many of a time…we bend our knee to Satan…for our own glory…because of our selfish desires…our pride to be better in out own eyes…for greed…in material things and in our place in the world…this then becomes a test of attitude… Jesus again refers to the Moses in this temptation…from Duet. 6:13…Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him"

Taking from the Nation of Israel mistake when in taking dominion over the land for their glory not God's and forgetting to worship God who gave them the land…Jesus will give credit to God not take it Himself…He would not fail as Israel did…or as we do…