TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS #2

Luke 4:5-8

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. Satan takes Jesus into an exceedingly high mountain and shows
      Him all the kingdoms and the glory of them.
      1. No doubt Jesus could see Jerusalem, the center of Jewish
         power, and many Roman cities with their legions of soldiers.
   B. Satan said, "All these kingdoms have been delivered to me."
      1. Satan does have domain.
         a. He is the ruler of this world. John 12:31
         b. He is the god of this age. 2 Cor. 4:4
         c. He is the prince of the power of the air. Eph. 2:2
      2. Satan has subjects.
         a. All who sin become his subjects. 1 John 3:8-10
   C. When Satan showed all the kingdoms to Jesus, he said, "All     
      these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship 
      me." Matt. 4:9
      1. There has been much speculation over whether or not Satan
         could have given Jesus anything.
      2. Satan makes many false promises; he's a liar who can't be
         trusted.
   D. In this second temptation, we want to examine how modern man
      tries to justify sin and apply it to Jesus' situation.

I. MODERN MAN THINKS THAT SOMETHING CANNOT BE SIN WHEN IT DOESN'T    
   HURT ANYONE.
   A. Some college professors are teaching that as long as no one    
      gets hurt there's nothing wrong with sex (outside of marriage).
      1. Someone said that he heard one of those teachers say that
         sexual relations between two consenting adults was nothing
         more than a handshake.
      2. In a psychology class, one young lady said to the teacher,
         "Don't you agree that we are part of the generation that has
         finally been relieved of the consequences of pre-marital sex
         relations: we can avoid disease, and if a person doesn't    
         want to have a baby, that too can be avoided."
         a. In other words, they think that if there are no ill-
            consequences (no one gets hurt), it is perfectly
            acceptable.
   B. Brethren sometimes try to defend social drinking in this       
      manner: "If one goes into his back room and drinks, what harm  
      does it do? He takes care of his family. He doesn't take away  
      from what they need. He doesn't get out on the highway. He     
      doesn't jeopardize the lives of his neighbors."
      1. The problem is, they are trying to defend something on the
         basis, "It doesn't hurt anyone."
   C. For Jesus to bow down to Satan would not hurt anyone;
      nevertheless, it was wrong. 

II. MANY OTHERS ARE DOING IT.
   A. People today judge what is moral or immoral on the basis of    
      what society accepts as a whole.
      1. Many rationalize that their sin is no worse than what others
         are doing.
      2. Young people want to do the things other young people are
         doing.
      3. The Israelites wanted to have a king like the nations around
         them.
      4. Divorce is readily accepted today because it is common
         everywhere.
      5. There is a strong drive in our time to make homosexuality
         socially acceptable.
      6. Some brethren argue that mixed bathing is not wrong
         because it is the accepted thing.
      7. In all of these things man forgets God.
   B. If the "many others are doing it" is a legitimate excuse, Jesus
      could have bowed down to Satan.
      1. Many others are bowing down to Satan. They are doing his
         will, not God's.
      2. Jesus would not bow down to Satan because it was against
         the will of God.

III. NO ONE WILL KNOW.
   A. Satan uses the "no one will know" tactic repeatedly.
      1. Most evil deeds are done under the cover of darkness so that
         no one will know. 1 Thess. 5:4-8
   B. Once sin is committed, people will try to cover up or hide     
      their sin.
      1. This usually leads to more sins; e.g., lying.
      2. There was probably not a more godly man than king David,
         but he succumbed to this. His cover-up only led to more     
         sins, even murder.
      3. Cover-up never works; it only makes matters worse.
         Nevertheless, men keep on trying it.
      4. Prov. 28:13
   C. Jesus could have yielded to, "No one will know."
      1. He was there alone in the mountain. Who would have
         known?
   D. Again, in these things man forgets God.
      1. We need to remember that God knows everything. Prov.
         15:3; Heb. 4:13
         a. We cannot escape the presence of God. Psalm 139
      2. Also, the one doing the deed will know. You can't run away
         or hide from yourself.
         a. "To thine own self be true." 1 John 3:20-21; 2 Cor. 1:12
         b. We need to be thankful when we have a good, strong
            conscience.

IV. IT WILL BE JUST ONE TIME.
   A. No doubt, Satan has often used the tactic, "Just this once."
      1. For example, when a young couple is in love, they think that
         they are about to get married anyway, and what could a one-
         time sex adventure hurt?
         a. What would one time hurt?
      2. Think of how often people have thought, "Just one drink," or
         "Just one drug!"
   B. After people sin, they like to leave the impression, "I did it 
      just one time," and "my sin was such a little thing," "I'm not 
      like others who live in sin."
      1. They minimize it: "It is all just a big misunderstanding,"  
         or reverse the situation, "the righteous are at fault; they 
         didn't use good judgment in handling the situation."
   C. Again, Jesus could have easily succumbed to this excuse. Satan
      was not asking Him to bow to him over and over.
      1. "Just one time" was all he was asking.

V. IT WILL DO SOME GOOD.
   A. This is "Situation ethics" or "the end justifies the means."
      1. Joseph Fletcher, in the book "Situation Ethics the New
         Morality," tells of a woman in a Nazi labor camp. The
         German soldiers made a rule that if a woman got pregnant,
         she could go home. Thus, the woman seduced a German
         guard, got pregnant, was sent home, and everyone in the
         family was happy.
         a. He mentions many similar hypothetical situations, all of
            which are designed to excuse sin.
         b. The Herald of Truth sponsoring church arrangement in
            their brochures always wanted to depict that they were
            making numerous converts.
            (1) An older preacher once said that in all of his
                travels in preaching meetings, visiting and talking
                with brethren, he had never met a single Christian
                who said he was converted by the Herald of Truth.
      2. Someone once said, "It's always right to do right, and      
         always wrong to do wrong."
         a. This is true. Two wrongs don't make a right, nor does a
            hundred wrongs make a right.
         b. When one must choose the lessor of two evils, the lessor
            one is still evil.
   B. Jesus could have reasoned, "If I rule over these kingdoms, it  
      will be easier to make disciples."
      1. No, He knew that no matter what good might come out of it,
         it was still wrong to give in to Satan.

Concl.
   A. Jesus would not worship Satan because it was wrong to do so.
   B. He did not reason like many people:
      1. It won't hurt anyone.
      2. Others are doing it.
      3. No one will know.
      4. It will be just once.
      5. It will accomplish good.
   C. Instead, He said, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written,    
      'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall   
      serve."

Chart:
Jesus did not reason like many people:

1. It won't hurt anyone.

2. Others are doing it.

3. No one will know.

4. It will be just once.

5. It will accomplish good.