Broken Vessels Week 2 – David Nasser
Overview
Broken Vessels -Temptation: Moses-Jesus
God uses our brokenness to create a beautiful picture of who He is and most importantly, His love. God takes the broken pieces of our lives to create a beautiful masterpiece. Pastor David explained that temptation is when a rightful desire is baited to find its satisfaction in the wrong fulfillment. Do we truly use God to satisfy the hunger pains in our life? Instead of suppressing these desires, go to God to fulfill them. Temptation is both a test and an opportunity. Temptation is not a sin, acting in the enticed temptation is a sin. Temptation can cause us to stretch, learn and advance. Jesus uses “It is written over 63 times.” Jesus knew to override the temptation in the moment by the Word of God to fight temptation.
Verses:
Deuteronomy 6:13 (ESV)
13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.
Deuteronomy 6:16
16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Deuteronomy 8:3
3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word[a] that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart, so that I will not sin against you.
Mathew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “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.
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Quotes:
Defining & Describing Temptation:
Temptation is when a rightful desire is baited to find its satisfaction in the wrong fulfillment.
Temptation is not a sin but a test and opportunity.
“It is written”- 63 times in the Bible
Temptation points: cracks/ chinks in armor/ fault lines/ vulnerabilities
Spurgeon: Provision, Protection, Pride, Power and Pleasure
Cs Lewis: materialism, hedonism, and fantism
Mike Breen: appetite, ambition and approval
Ravi Zacharias: intellect, will and imagination
“When you’re hungry for God, you’re not a food critic for what He puts in front of you”- Pastor David
“Priority to acquire the Word of God so you can see the warning signs”- Pastor David
**Before getting into tonight’s questions, please take the time to pray for those in Sebring, Florida. Today a gunman shot and killed at least 5 people in a SunTrust Bank. Please pray for the victims and families affected by this tragedy.
Questions:
1) God created us as creatures with an “appetite.” Are you hungering for things that cause separation from Him or draw you closer to Him?
2) Temptation is something we battle every single day. Are there areas in your life where you are making it easy to fall into it? How can you fight falling into temptation?
3) God has given us the strategy of fighting temptation by declaring truth from His Word. What does the Word of God say about the areas you struggle in? How can you apply these truths to your life? (And not just tonight- but every day?)