temptations of jesus in the wilderness

CThe Temptations of

Jesus in the Wilderness

“I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak to her heart”

(Hosea 2:14)

The 1st Temptation

"If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." (Luke 4:3)

What’s the Temptation?

The Devil doesn’t appear like this

“Man shalt not live by bread alone…”

The Temptation was to ‘live by bread alone’

• An unfulfilled and imbalanced life of existentialism and pleasureA ‘quick-fix’ life which by passes serious trialsA shallow life not lived on ‘every word that comes from the mouth of Go’

No ‘Cutting ‘Cutting Short’Short’ of a

kingdom process!

The 2nd Temptation

"If you are the Son of God…throw yourself down. For it is written:

'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone”

(Luke 4:3)

What’s the Temptation?

'He will command his angels concerning you…”

The Temptation was to force God’s hand

• To obtain the Divine presence ‘on demand’To take meaningless risks to “get God’s attention”To be presumptuous about how God gives us His assurance

No ‘Circus ‘Circus Stunts’Stunts’ to gain kingdom peace /

protection!

Thou shalt not BLACK-MAIL the Lord your God!

Temptation is often a distortion of true vocation

The 3rd Temptation

"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

(Luke 4:9)

“All this I will give you…”

The Temptation was to use idolatry to do

God’s Work• To fight the enemy with the

enemy’s weaponsTo win without suffering, without love, without sacrificeTo realise another kingdom other than God’s

No Short Short CutsCuts towards

a kingdom goal!

Idolatrous ‘victories’ are the worst defeats

Summary

• No CUTTING SHORT a kingdom process

• No CIRCUS STUNTS to obtain kingdom peace and protection

• No SHORT CUTS to achieve kingdom ends