TEMPTATION READINESS ... Audio file of my sermon Luke 4:1-13

Dr. Ron Unruh, "Temptation Readiness - How to Say No" from Luke 4:1-13, a sermon that I preached on February 10, 2019.   <------- a="" audio="" is="" link="" this="">

I delivered this message at White Rock Community Church. Pastor Steve Doerksen was preaching through Luke’s gospel, and on Feb 10^thneeded someone to step in for him, giving me liberty to choose my own section of scripture and subject or to continue in Luke. I chose to continue his run through Luke. Luke 4 was my text and that is the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil at the outset of Christ’s earthly ministry. In his successful rejection of this enticement, Jesus has taught us how to be ready for temptation so that we also can effectively recognize it and refuse it. Our objective is to say “No.”   

The Temptation of Jesus

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 

4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" 

5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 

7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 

8 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" 

9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,  "'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' 11 and  "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

12 And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 

13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

If you take time to listen, I thank you. I trust that God’s Word that spoke to me, has also spoken to you.