As we go through the Gospels, I challenge you to see the Holy Spirit. Don’t miss it. One of the things that shocked me, after living 40 years on earth, was that I did not realize just how much Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is really all over the place. We read something like verse 1 and we see "Jesus," "desert," and "devil," but we miss the "Spirit." It says clearly, "led by the Spirit into the desert." If you have a Bible you can write in, begin to highlight everywhere you see the Spirit. You’ll be amazed at how Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit. Wherever power or miracles occurred, there was the Holy Spirit. We’ll be talking much more about the Holy Spirit when we get to John. We’ll spend 2-3 weeks on just the Holy Spirit.

This mentions that Jesus was tempted. What does it mean to be tempted? Persuaded. Tested. Flesh. I was thinking this week about how to illustrate this. I’ll use my traditional example. Suppose I go to someone’s house and they approach me with a plate full of Reese’s Sticks—they’re unwrapped and chilled. They’re sitting there on this plate and they ask, "Would you like a Reese’s Stick?" Is that temptation? What if I haven’t eaten for two days? I say, "Man, these look good. I need some energy." Is it temptation then? No. There’s food. I’ll eat it. But what if, before I walked into that house, I said, "You know, I’ve really got to lose some weight. I need to watch what I eat." And then this plate of Reese’s Sticks is presented to me. What is it now? Temptation.

What’s the difference between the two incidents? It was my weakness. It was my condition. So start thinking about yourself, individually, being tempted or tested. We’re all tempted and tested, and this is the key, in our weakness. If we’re strong in some area, do you think Satan is going to bother tempting us in that area? As a matter of fact, is it even temptation in that situation? If you’re strong and determined about something, Satan is going to look for other areas where you’re weak, where you really aren’t strong, convinced, and sure. This is where he wants to hit you. This is individual—you can’t look at each other. It’s different for all of us because all of us have different weaknesses. Our weaknesses are all over the map.

What was Jesus’ weakness in these verses? Hunger. He’d been 40 days without food. What did Satan tempt Him with? "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." In other words, Jesus was at His weakest at this moment, for food. So Satan tempted Him in this area. What was really happening was for our benefit…to "test" (prove) that Jesus is the Son of God.

There’s another side to it and I think this is what I think is the Christian tempting. This is what really happens in a Christian’s life and this is the truth that we really need to get to. There is a traditional argument, discussion, or debate: Could Jesus sin? If you read this, it says, "He was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil." As soon as we read that, you have to start thinking in your mind, "Well, if He was tempted, could He have sinned?" Do you see what I’m saying? Isn’t that a natural thing? I mean if you were tempted, you could either accept or decline. I could give in to the flesh or deny the flesh. Could Jesus have accepted Satan’s temptation? Could He have sinned? No, He couldn’t. That’s the truth I want to tell you this morning about you. These temptations offered by Satan were to prove that Jesus is the unblemished lamb being prepared to be sacrificed for all mankind. Jesus was tempted beyond anything you and I could be tempted and, yet, he did not sin…therefore, He is the Son of God.

There’s another side to temptation. If you go to the Greek word for "tempted," you will find that it means "tested." It is a testing of the strength of something. There is temptation but the Greek word also means tested. The easiest way to illustrate testing is by thinking about a piece of rope. You say, "I wonder if this is strong enough to hold, so I’d better test it." There’s no temptation in this example. This is just to test the strength of something.

Let’s go back to the "Reese’s Sticks" story. This is hypothetical: Suppose the day before I went to this house to be offered these Reese’s Sticks, I went to the doctor and said, "Doctor, I have a terrible problem. I eat too many Reese’s Sticks. Do you have an anti-Reese’s Sticks pill or immunization?" He says, "Yes, we’ve just discovered one. Here’s a shot. You will no longer desire Reese’s Sticks." The next day, when I go to that house and the Reese’s Sticks are presented to me, am I being tempted? Or am I being tested? Or is the shot being tested? The shot is being tested. Something inside of me is saying, "You do not want the Reese’s Sticks." If those Reese’s Sticks are presented and I say, "No. I could care less for Reese’s Sticks," the shot worked. It was tested.

I know that’s trivial and hypothetical but look at you, as a Christian. As a Christian, what do you have inside you after you become a Christian? The Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit (and God’s Word) say in 1^st Corinthians 10? This is what God’s Word says to you, a Christian, about your temptation.

Can anyone in here resist all temptations all the time? You’re going to give in, aren’t you? No. Hold on. You have the Holy Spirit within you. For a moment, you are strong in the Lord. You are pure. You are as righteous as Christ. For a moment. Has anybody been there? Raise your hand if you’ve been there. You are a Christian. You have, at moments, been as pure as Jesus Christ. Trust me. We’ll get to that in the Scriptures. I know it’s hard for you to say it but you have been as pure as Jesus Christ, for a moment.

You are as pure as Christ and then something comes along, the brain starts to think about something, and the temptation occurs. As soon as the temptation comes in, have you sinned? No. You have not. Some people believe that as soon as you’re tempted, you’ve sinned. That’s not the case—it’s what you do with the temptation.

Look at it this way: instead of looking at temptation or testing as a "negative," saying, "Uh Oh. I’m about to fail. The Reese’s Sticks are there, this TV show is on, that magazine is lying over there, a thought to yell and scream is on my mind, etc." They are not a temptation that you’re about to sin. It’s really a testing of your belief in God’s Word. Can you see that? In other words, it’s a belief in 1^st Corinthians 10:13. What is the promise to you from God? Not only a way out, but that you won’t be tempted or tested beyond what you’re able to bear. Based on that scripture, could you go through life and never fail? Absolutely! That’s what God’s Word says.

If you don’t believe me (or God’s Word), you’re approaching Christianity from a negative point of view. You’re saying, "I’m a sinner. I fail. I’m a sinner. I fail. I fail. I’m a sinner." As opposed to approaching life with strength in the Lord, strength in what God has promised you. Let’s start with God’s promises and then we’ll talk about the negative times. Start thinking about God’s promise first.

1^st Corinthians 10:13 says that He, God, will not allow you to be tested beyond that which you’re able and He’ll make a way of escape—no matter what the temptation is and no matter what your brain is thinking. What do we have to do during this testing? Believe God’s Word is true—that He’s not going to test you beyond what you’re able and that He will make a way of escape.

Let’s look at another example (and this gets a little personal). Some of you will identify with it. I used to travel a lot on business. When I went through the airports, there were many newsstands selling pornographic magazines. Men will stand there, look around, and ask, "Do I see anybody I know?" "Well, it won’t hurt. I’ll just go over here and take a peek at the latest copy of Playboy. It won’t hurt. I’m not going to buy it—I just want to glance at it." If I look at that as tempting, I say to myself, "I’m giving in. I’m giving in." If I look at it as testing, "Do I believe God’s Word that I don’t need that? He has made a way of escape." What’s the way of escape in that airport? Go to the gate. Walk away. Don’t stop at the newstand.

Don’t miss the difference between tempting and testing. What Christians are going through is not temptation to see how you fail. It’s testing to show you God’s promises in your life. Do you see the difference? That’s freedom. That means that you are now free in this world. You do not have to worry about the next temptation. You don’t have to worry about it because if you’re walking in the Spirit and know that God has given you His promises, you’re a walking testimony. What happens after you’ve been proven tested? What happens when you walk away from that magazine rack? Or walk away from the argument? Or the Reese’s Sticks? What’s happening? You are stronger in the Lord. You say, "It works! God’s promises are true."

This is opposed to giving into temptation. What comes after temptation? Sin. Guilt. "Oh, look at me. What a sorry Christian I am!" This is why a lot of Christians don’t witness today and walk around with frowns on their faces. They’ve given into all the temptation. They walk around defeated and say to themselves, "I can’t tell anybody about Christ. I’m a sorry Christian." And Satan is having a field day.

It’s not, "how strong is this temptation," but it’s "do I believe God’s Word?" The next time you are tempted, don’t say, "Look how strong that temptation is! That’s such an overwhelming desire." What are you doing? That’s the negative side. You should be saying, "God’s Word says… Do I believe it?" Then act on it. Do you understand the difference between temptation and testing now? Let’s see what Scripture says. It doesn’t mean a thing unless Scripture says it.

How did Jesus answer? He answered with Scripture. He didn’t say, "Well, I’ve lasted 40 days. I can last one more day." What’s that called? Flesh. Doing it out of "self." What did Jesus say? He relied on the Word of God just like I’m suggesting you do with every temptation you face. Rely on the Word of God. You have to know the Word of God to rely on it. Let’s keep going because this gets good. This is exactly what Satan does to us.

Who is saying this? Who is quoting Scripture? Satan. Do you see that? In other words, he heard Jesus first quote Scripture and said, "Well, I’ll quote Scripture back."

What about that? Satan says, "Well, Jesus, here’s what the Word of God says." In other words, don’t use your own power—let the angels take care of you. How does that sound? Satan wants to cause doubt. He also misquoted Scripture. This is why you should study God’s Word. Think about this logically just for a moment, "Satan is the tempter. I can’t believe anything he says and yet he’s quoting Scripture." Does that sound right? No. Something’s wrong here. If you go back and read it, the original passage says:

Satan is going to deceive you while tempting and testing you.

Satan has misused or misquoted Scripture in some cases so that people get to do what they want to do. My wife and I have known people who have gone through a divorce or separation. We approached the divorcees and they said, "God wants me happy and this makes me happy." Do you hear me? You tell me—what does that sound like? It sounds biblical, doesn’t it? That’s what they said and they stuck by it. Every time we went to see them, that’s how they’d respond. They were saying, "This is what I want and because of that, this is God’s Word." I think the source of this thinking was not from them but from Satan. Satan had convinced them that this was God’s Will in their lives. That’s why we need to know God’s Word, inside and out. We need to know what it says, to understand it, and to apply it to our lives, not what we think God wants in our lives.

You are all Christians. You are all children of God. Satan is going to come at you the same way he came at Christ. You can either concentrate on his temptation or what he’s doing to you (misquoting Scripture, telling you that you deserve it) or you can rely on God’s Word. As a Christian, you have a choice when you’re tested. Again, this is not a temptation for you to fail. It is a testing of your faith in God’s Word. Do you stand on God’s Word or do you try to get through all the temptations of your own flesh and strength? You will wear out and you will fail. Rely on God’s Word.

Ask God to show you your weaknesses. It could be pornography, gossip, anger, or anything that causes you not to be Christ-like. That’s what you want the Holy Spirit to show you. I believe the Holy Spirit will show you that. You will not like it. The flesh in you will say, "No! It can’t be! I’m not that way. It’s impossible for me to be that way. I’m not that kind of person." How can you verify it? Go to people you trust and ask them. Confirm it. When that happens, you have now identified your weakness. You know exactly where Satan is going to attack you. If you know where He’s going to attack you, get in God’s Word and find it. What does God’s Word say about anger? What does it say about gossip? What does it say about lying, cheating, stealing, etc.? Know His Word so that the next time it happens, you are not defenseless. You’re not sitting there, waiting, and saying, "Oh well. Here comes another temptation. I’m going to fail again. That’s my story. That’s my life." No. Stand on God’s Word just like Jesus did. Jesus knew God’s Word and quoted it back to Satan.

Memorize Scripture. Memorize Romans 6. Memorize Romans 6, 7, and 8.

Look at verses 8 and 9. The Bible says that God has told Satan, "Right now, you are free to roam this Earth." Satan is called the "prince of this air," or the "prince of this world." This world is Satan’s right now. There is a time coming (in Revelation) when God will say, "That’s it. Satan, you’re finished." We, as Christians, live in enemy territory, Satan’s world. Some people say, "This is a Christian world." My opinion is, "No, it’s not." Some people say, "America is a Christian nation." I’ll say, "No, it’s not." Even if we had some kind of great revival or awakening, I can’t say that this is Christ’s world or Christ’s nation. The Bible says that it’s Satan’s right now.

Satan is doing everything he can to discredit us before others and before God. You are God’s work on this earth. People who seek God can read, pray, look at nature, etc., but they see a lot of Christ in you. When you really get down to why people accept Christ and develop relationships with God, 80% of the time, it’s because they’re talking to other Christians (not because of Nature or some book they’ve read). They saw Christ in someone else. Satan is all about taking that away from you so that you will not be an influence. People will not have a Godly, Christ-like perspective of you. As a result, they will not come to God. That’s what Satan is all about.

That’s why I say that he attacks your weakness. He discovers your weakness, he tempts you, and he makes you fail. You become defeated. People see you and say, "If that’s the kind of life a Christian lives, I don’t want it." But God says, "No. I’ve already given you all this. It is a test. You’re being tested on the strength of your knowledge of God’s Word and of His power. That’s what’s happening when you’re being tempted—not to fail, but to test that knowledge.

If you fail, what do you do? Don’t get down on yourself. God has already said, "I have forgiven you." That’s an amazing thing: God’s forgiveness and grace! God says, "You don’t have to do anything. I have forgiven you and forgotten it." When God says, "forgiven," He’s saying, "I’ve turned loose of it. It’s gone. I don’t even remember it." But we like to dwell on it—and that’s Satan, "Dwell on that sin you’ve committed. You’re such a sorry Christian." God wants you to get over it. The time between sinning and recognizing that sin before God should shrink as you grow in Christ. Instead of taking years or days to "get over it," it becomes almost instantaneous. You say, "God, I realize that was a sin and you’ve forgiven me." And the next moment, you’re free and you’re as pure and holy as Jesus Christ. Do you hear me? You still sin but you’re very aware of God’s forgiveness and grace. He forgave you 2,000 years ago on the cross. It was paid for. That’s the kind of thinking we’ll be discussing in this class. A lot of you will be thinking, "Well, I don’t know…that’s pretty heavy."

Matthew, chapters 5-7 cover the Sermon on the Mount. Remember that. You’ll find pieces of it in the other Gospels. This is the only place where it’s all in one, from start to end. A lot of people believe that Jesus said these things over many sermons and Matthew compiled them here. Mark, Luke, and John have snippets of them here and there. This is one of Jesus’ discourses we find in Matthew.

We’re going to be talking about "the kingdom of heaven." You need to start thinking about what the kingdom of heaven is all about. I’ll tease you with this: Do we currently live in the kingdom of heaven?

The kingdom of heaven is where God (or Jesus) is King, we are part of that kingdom, and there are some conditions going on in that kingdom—we would expect purity, holiness, righteousness, etc. Does everybody agree with me? If you have a kingdom, you have to have a king, subjects, and a nature, culture, or purpose. In the kingdom of heaven, we expect it to be pure, holy, bright, and righteous.