Not Just a Motown Group

So what tempts you.  We all have buttons that can be pushed with the right stimulus.  Everyone has that thing that they know that they shouldn't but they REALLY, REALLY want to.

Temptations are more than just Motown singers.  We all face them.  Some are just clearly wrong, but there are gray areas where we can find ourselves meeting Temptations enabling cousin, Justification. And why is that?  Why can't we look at something and say, "This is clearly bad for me, so I will avoid it and do this in stead."?

I don't say that I have the answer to why we are tempted.  Temptations are a little like gravity.  Always here.  Always tugging on us.  Not sure exactly why.  

Even Jesus was tempted.  When the Devil came to tempt Jesus he used the same ploys that we fall for today,

Jesus was tempted to eat during a fast.  This is the "What could it Hurt?" temptation.  The one where we think:  It's not a big deal.  It isn't that bad.  Many people do worse,  And while we may not be tempted to eat during a fast, we are confronted every day by little temptations.  So we get under charged at the store.  We are given credit for something that we didn't earn.  It was our fault, and nobody knows.  We know what the right thing is, and we are tempted to do the wrong.  The problem is that every time we choose wrong, we inch ourselves a little further from God.

The second temptation was that Jesus was tempted to show off.  This is the "Look at Me" temptation.  It feels good when we are recognized for our accomplishments.  But there is a difference between receiving recognition and showing off.  When we show off, the recognition is the purpose.  Jesus was tempted to jump off a great height just to sow that God would send the angels to save him.  Similarly, if we are using our gifts from God for nothing but our own glory, then we too are throwing ourselves off the roof.

In the third temptation, Jesus was tempted to take power over all the Earth.  Now, I can't say that that particular opportunity has come up, but we could call this "Do it my way." We are tempted to leave God behind and strike out on our own.  After all, God had a plan for Jesus.  Jesus was tempted to do it another way.  And THAT is a temptation that we all face.  Quite often.

Watch this clip from Pastor Chris.

We all face temptations.  They are the things of this world that will draw us away from God.  If we let them.  It is during the times of the temptation that we need to draw closer to God in stead of drifting away,