Effectiveness over Fame
The temptation of Jesus is found in all four Gospels, but each Gospel writer sees Jesus a bit differently. Matthew writes about him as “King,” Mark saw Him as the Perfect Man, the Perfect Servant, Luke wrote of Him as Savior, and John dived right into the Power of Jesus.
Jesus was all these things and was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations because the Holy Spirit was in FULL CONTROL in Jesus’ life.
Temptation is the only avenue of access for Satan to your life. In Luke 22:31-32, we hear Jesus saying, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:13,” No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
There is a Hedge of protection around each of us; we're the ones who break the hedge. We get to playing "patty cake" with the devil, and we step outside of that hedge. You pray, you worship, you study . . . when you start compromising, you start playing with the devil. You start using scriptures to justify sin; you're playing with the devil.
Everyone has something they're tempted with. Confession is for every day. "The very thought of foolishness is sin." Proverbs 24:8
In John 14:30, Jesus said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” Remember, the Holy Spirit had FULL CONTROL of Jesus. There are many people in our world who are famous but not effective. They are lured by the temptations of fame, so they dismiss being effective for God. Do you want to be famous or effective? If Jesus was tempted, don't you understand that we'll all be tempted? We’ll be tempted by the promise of fame or of money or of popularity or, or, or. What tempts you? Let the Holy Spirit be in FULL CONTROL of you. Then you will be effective for Jesus.
Resources
Matthew 4:3,4 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Luke 4:13, 14 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
I John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them
There was a time in Jesus’ ministry where when he would travel people would follow him around everywhere, everyone wanted to know who he is.