Pause

this lesson has been adapted from Andy Stanley

Temptation is something we face every single day of our lives. Tempted by chocolate cookies, tempted by drivers who cut us off on the highway, tempted to cheat on our taxes, tempted by TV commercials, tempted to say things we shouldn't to our spouse or children and tempted to leave work early and still get paid. In some way, shape or form we are all tempted to live life opposite of how God designed us to.

Learning to pause and think about these two principles, will empower us to be more successfull in resisting temptation. If we start asking these two questions on a consistent basis we will find ourselves having more victories than defeats.

#1--There is always more at stake than we think

HAT WE THINK….

Matthew 4:3-11—the tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." ⁴Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'^[a]"

⁵Then 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.

⁷Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." ⁸Again, 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." ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

With every decision we make it effects our future, somebody elses future and our faith. Look at the life of Christ. What was at stake for Jesus? Do you know what hung in the balance? You & I hung in the balance? Our eternal destiny hung in the balance on that day. Jesus’ ability to pause and see the bigger picture allowed Him to be the perfect sacrifice and die on the cross for our sins. IF HE WOULD HAVE SINNED…HE couldn’t have died for ours.

#2--Our ability to resist temptation is connected to our confidence in God

Look back at Jesus’ three temptations. He always referred to what His Father God had said. He didn’t respond by his feelings, which he was starving. He responded with confidence in God...IT IS WRITTEN

Because we see a behind the scenes look into the 3 major causes of temptation. All temptations no matter how big or small you may think trace back to these 3 things that Jesus faced. All 3 of these temptations deals with Jesus’ confidence in God.

1. Tempted to meet a legitimate need in an illegitimate way

2. Tempted to leverage and use God for His own gain

3. Tempted to take a short cut—to do the right thing the wrong way

How many times have we tried to meet a legitimate need…intimacy, love, peace, provision in an illegitimate way? How many times have we tried to use God for our own gain? How many times have we tried to do the right thing the wrong way?

Our ability to resist temptation reveals the level of our confidence in God.

PAUSE....may we add it to the remote control of our lives and learn to focus on these two principles. Ask God today to help you pause and think about these two principles!