Finding Jesus, part 1
“Finding Jesus In Our Temptations”
From Isaiah to The Revelation, we can find 50 names for Jesus Christ.
Over the next few weeks we will preach a series of messages that center on one of those titles:
Matthew 13:37
TONIGHT WE SET OUT ON A QUEST TO FIND JESUS:
THE SON OF MAN.
1 Corinthians 15:45
HERE IS ANOTHER TITLE FOR JESUS: THE LAST ADAM.
IN OUR SEARCH FOR THE SON OF MAN: JESUS
WE NEED TO GO TO THE FIRST ADAM
THE INCUBATION OF SIN
Genesis 3:1-13
THIS IS THE INCUBATION OF SIN.
Ÿ THE TEMPTER: THE SERPENT
Ÿ THE BAIT: “DID GOD REALLY SAY?”
Ÿ THE LIE: “IT IS NOT TRUE THAT YOU WILL DIE”
Ÿ THE TEMPTATION: WISDOM
Ÿ THE DEFEAT: THEY FOUND THEMSELVES NAKED
VERSE 13: “. . .the serpent tricked me so I ate . . .”
THE INCUBATION,
OR THE HATCHING OF SIN,
COMES AT THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION.
THE FIRST ADAM
MET SATAN
WAS BAITED BY SATAN
WAS LIED TO BY SATAN
WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN
IF THE FIRST ADAM HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THE TEMPTATION, THE SEED OF SIN WOULD NEVER HAVE BEGUN TO INCUBATE. . . WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO HATCH.
BUT THE FIRST ADAM LET THAT SEED OF TEMPTATION GROW INTO AN IDEA!
WE ALL WALK IN ADAM’S SHOES EVERY DAY!
THE TEMPTER IS ALWAYS WHISPERING TO US!
“DID GOD REALLY SAY? . . .”
“SURELY HE DIDN’T MEAN THAT . . .”
“IF HE SAID IT, IT WASN’T FOR YOU . . .”
“EVEN IF HE DID SAY IT, YOU CAN STILL DO IT . . .”
JUST LIKE THE FIRST ADAM, WE ARE ALL TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL.
BUT WHEN WE LET THAT TEMPTATION INCUBATE, FROM MORE THAN JUST A FLEETING THOUGHT, IT HATCHES INTO SIN!
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IF WE FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST ADAM WE WILL SURELY ALL BE LOST.
WE NEED TO SEARCH AND FIND THE LAST ADAM!
A MAN WHO CALLED HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN!
WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW HE HANDLED TEMPTATION!
IN FINDING HIM, WE WILL FIND OUR EXAMPLE!
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WHY DID JESUS CALL HIMSELF THE SON OF MAN?
Luke 13:34
JESUS DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON W/ THEM. BUT HE WANTED TO HAVE RELATIONSHIP!
~SON OF MAN~
THE BIBLE CALLS JESUS:
ALPHA & OMEGA - ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST -
MIGHTY SAVIOR - RULER OF ISREAL -
RIGHTEOUS ONE - SON OF THE MOST HIGH
BUT WHEN WE FIND JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN WE FIND HIM IN A WAY THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH!
SO AS THE SON OF MAN - WE CAN LEARN HOW TO ADDRESS TEMPTATION AND KEEP IT FROM INCUBATING INTO SIN.
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Matthew 4:1-10
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS WAS REAL!
Mark 8:31-33
JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY THE LOVE OF HIS DISCIPLES!
WHAT DID HE SEE WHEN HE TURNED & LOOKED AT THEM?
JESUS WAS TEMPTED PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY!
WHEN YOU GET . . . . . . . HE ALSO GOT
depressed . . . . . . . . . depressed
angry . . . . . . . . . . . angry
longing for justice . . . . longing for justice
tired . . . . . . . . . . . tired
lost . . . . . . . . . . . lost
EVERYTHING THAT WE GO THROUGH JESUS WENT THROUGH ALSO.
THE SON OF MAN IDENTIFIES WITH THE SONS OF MEN!
Matthew 8:19,20
THE SON OF GOD HAD THE HALLS OF HEAVEN!
BUT
THE SON OF MAN HAD NO HOME!
JESUS WAS TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY!!!
Matthew 27:27-30
WHAT WAS JESUS THINKING?
WHAT THOUGHTS WERE TEMPTING HIM?
JESUS BECAME THE SON OF MAN SO THAT HE COULD IDENTIFY WITH THE SONS OF MEN.
BECAUSE OF THIS, WE CAN ALSO IDENTIFY WITH HIM!
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE SON OF MAN: JESUS?
1 Corinthians 15:45
JUST LIKE JESUS, WE HAVE A BODY THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT!
WE CAN BE SCORNED . . . NOT BECOME SCORNFUL!
WE CAN BE TRIED . . . YET COME OUT TRUE!
WE CAN BE HURT . . . YET NOT HURT OTHERS!
WE CAN BE LIED TO . . . YET LIVE IN TRUTH!
WE CAN SEE THE LOW ROAD . . . YET TAKE THE HIGH
WE CAN BE TEMPTED . . . YET NOT SIN!
WE CAN! WE CAN! WE CAN! WE CAN!
BECAUSE JESUS SHOWED US WE CAN!
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LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY JESUS!
He always was, He always is, and He always will be...
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
HE MAY HAVE BEEN TEMPTED
BUT HE WAS NEVER DEFEATED!
JESUS STOOD FACE TO FACE WITH SATAN!
BUT . . .
Instead of feeding Himself with physcial bread, He fed people with the bread of life!
Instead of jumping of the temple, He created a new temple in all of us and cleansed it on the cross!
Instead of kneeling before Satan to receive all the kingdoms of the world, He followed His Father’s plan and became the Savior of the World!
IN HIS TEMPTATION - HE BECAME A CONQUEROR!
John 16:33
THROUGH TEMPTATION HE BECAME A CONQUEROR!
BEING UNITED WITH HIM . . .
HAVING THINGS IN COMMON WITH HIM . . .
BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH HIM . . .
GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SHOUT THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF PAUL IN ROMANS 8:37:
WE CAN BE TEMPTED IN THE FIRE (3 HEBREW CHILD)
WE CAN HEAR SATAN’S ROAR (DANIEL IN DEN)
WE CAN EVEN HEAR THE CROW OF OUR FAILURE (PETER’S DENIAL)
BUT WE CAN ULTIMATELY CONQUER THE TEMPTATION AND COME OUT VICTORIOUS!
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UNDERSTAND THIS:
TEMPTATION IS NOT SIN.
JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN IN THE WILDERNESS. BUT IT DIDN’T END THERE!
Luke 4:13
UNTIL THE NEXT TIME!
SATAN TEMPTED JESUS THROUGHOUT HIS MINISTRY!
YET HE DID NOT SIN!
TEMPTATION IS NOT SIN!
THE CRITICAL TIME IS AT THE TEMPTATION.
THIS IS THE INCUBATION OF SIN.
IF TEMPTATION IS ALLOWED TO INCUBATE, IT WILL EVENTUALLY BRING FORTH SIN.
James 1:14,15
TEMPTATION IS NOT JUST LUST - FAR FROM IT!
WHAT IS THE BAIT OF YOUR DESIRE?
Ÿ LISTEN AND SPREAD A JUICY RUMOR?
Ÿ CONDEMN SOMEONE SO YOU FEEL BETTER?
Ÿ ENVY WHAT OTHERS HAVE?
Ÿ POINTING OUT ALL OF THE NEGATIVES?
Ÿ LYING TO TAKE THE HEAT OFF OF YOURSELF?
JAMES TELLS US THAT WE ARE ENTICED BY THE BAIT OF OUR OWN DESIRE.
BUT THE ENTICEMENT IS NOT THE SIN!
THE SIN COMES WHEN THE THOUGHT INCUBATES AND GIVES BIRTH TO ACTION.
THOUGHT . . . GOSSIP
ANGER . . . MALICIOUS ACTIONS
DESIRE . . . JEALOUSY
WE CAN BE TEMPTED 1000 TIMES A DAY
BUT LET THE TEMPTATION BE LIKE A WISP OF SMOKE!
Hebrews 4:15
THE BIBLE CALLS JESUS:
ALPHA & OMEGA - ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST -
MIGHTY SAVIOR - RULER OF ISREAL -
RIGHTEOUS ONE - SON OF THE MOST HIGH
BUT WHEN WE FIND JESUS AS THE SON OF MAN WE FIND HIM IN A WAY THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH!
WHEN WE FIND JESUS IN OUR WEAKNESS
IN OUR STRUGGLE
IN OUR ADVERSITY
IN OUR HUMANITY
WHEN WE FIND JESUS IN OUR TEMPTATION
WE FIND A WAY TO STOP THE INCUBATION OF SIN!
WE MAY FALTER DAILY . . . BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO FALL!
IF WE FIND JESUS IN OUR TEMPTATIONS, WE CAN BECOME SUPER-CONQUERORS THROUGH HIS LOVE.
1 Peter 2:21-25
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SHEPHERD THAT WATCHES OVER US!
HE BECAME THE SON OF MAN SO THAT WE COULD SERVE HIM AS THE SON OF GOD!
KNOWING THIS: WE CAN SHOUT TO THE LORD:
His mind is on me.
He is my Redeemer,
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and
He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and
He rules my life!
BECAUSE HE RULES MY LIFE, BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, IF I FIND HIM IN MY TEMPTATION, I CAN BE A SUPER-CONQUEROR !
OVER SIN AND THE ADVERSARY.
ONE FINAL SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 4:12,13
THERE IS POWER IN JESUS & THROUGH HIM WE CAN CONQUER TEMPTATION.
