Suffering

Let's look to the Word of God together this morning, shall we? Open our Bibles to Hebrews. The second chapter final verse. This morning, what I'd like to do is to begin by reading verse 18 of chapter two. And then, as you know, since we are thorough, we teach expositorily and work verse by verse, line by line, phrases and clauses together. It's essential sometimes to get the fuller context again for the full impact of the message, and I think that's appropriate for today. So I'll begin in verse 18. And then we'll go to verse one and read through this chapter. Verse 18, Chapter Two Hebrews:

"18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." Chapter two verse one.

"1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:

“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

13 And again:

“I will put My trust in Him.”

And again:

“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." (Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

Shall we go before the Lord in prayer? Our Father, we pray to thee, our Master and King. Lord, hear our prayers. Be attentive to the needs that we have. Not the needs that we may think we have Lord, but the needs that we have that You know, our spiritual needs. Pray, help with our physical needs so that our flesh would be laid aside. So that right now we may walk by the Spirit. And then walking by the Spirit may we be hearers of your word , that it may go deep into us. Deep, Lord in the sense of understanding. And then enable us, Lord, to act on what we believe. And what we know that is true from Your Word this morning. Help us in this new year 2022. To be pleasing in Your sight. For our High Priest is there, our Jesus, to give us all aid. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Suffering runs throughout this chapter. It is truly the great salvation. The great salvation that God sent, God the Son, to come in human form, and live precisely and completely as a human. As a human lives, with all the weaknesses therein and all the suffering that goes with it, even suffering the wrath of God in place of all humans who would believe so that all believing humans would not suffer the wrath of God. That is a wonderful truth. That Jesus suffered humanly like His brethren, brethren meaning those of the seed of Adam, those who are human. He suffered unto death. But today, another aspect of suffering, suffering humanly like His brethren, Jesus was tested. He was tempted.

This is New Year's. Yesterday, of course, was New Year's Day, the day of resolutions. So I here by resolved that all resolutions I make will be broken by January 22. But we never say that do we? No, we enter into it with great fervor. This time the New Leaf truly turns over, and no wind will blow it back the other direction. The resolves that we'd like to make to be better. And even the fact that the entire world makes such resolutions is an acknowledgement of the weakness of humanity. If we made the resolution last year, we should not need to make it again this year if we were something other than we humans, amen. But yet, here we are. And sometimes the list has not changed for some 20 years. Okay, there's some younger one in here who says, "Well, I haven't lived that long." Well, here you go, you have a chance. If you listen to this message, if you take it to heart, first believe in Jesus Christ who died in your place, and secondly, to acknowledge that Jesus is like you and he was tested. Jesus was tempted.

Let's look at our text, one verse for today. I promise to touch on others. Verse 18, "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." So if we read our context, part of what it means to suffer as a human is to be tempted. He Himself, the emphasis is not just that He has suffered, He Himself, as God, the Son, came in human form, as a human and suffered, being tempted. That's what it means, partly to be human. Second, the word tempted in the New King James tested, elsewhere peirazō, in the Greek Peirazo, meaning tested, but not just tested, but to be tested objectively, to be tested outside of Himself. Jesus did not test Himself in this context. He was tested by force, person, circumstances, those things around Him, by others. So what does that mean? It means to scrutinize. Of all humans that have ever lived, Jesus was scrutinized the most.

Another way in which this word can be translated is discipline. To be disciplined. If you put discipline upon someone, i.e. you must clean your room every Friday of every week as a discipline, you are indeed opening yourself up to scrutiny as to how well you are doing and you will be tempted not to do it. It also means to assay like an assayer, who looks at minerals and metals and assays, assesses what is the grade or quality of the metals found there. Gold is most familiar to us, how much gold is present in the ore is one way of assessing the quantity of the precious metal, but also the quality must be tested, how much impurity is in the gold itself. When you examine it, it has to be examined.

So we need to equate temptation and testing with examination assaying and scrutinization. So what this means is that Jesus Christ Himself as a human, suffered under the scrutiny, the assessment, the discipline, the examinations of temptings, or testings, these temptings or testings produced sanctification in the life of Jesus. Well, how can Jesus need to be sanctified, he never did anything wrong. He needed to be, because God told us He was, as a human, tested. Go back again to verse 10, that we just recently read, for it was fitting for Him. It was appropriate, it was right, it was necessary. It was God's plan. It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, he even though everything was made for Him, and by Whom are all things, even though He created everything. In bringing many sons to glory here's his purpose, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. To make Him complete, or even we could put the word in there in the place of perfect, making mature. Jesus Christ, living as a man had to be matured. Physically, we understand this, he did not walk around as a baby for 33 years. The Bible explicitly tells us that He came as a baby, and he grew physically, spiritually and in favor with God and men he grew and even submitted to those who are over him like his parents, and grew thereby to respect God by submitting to his parents. And we're going to visit this again in this book. We will find that Jesus even learned obedience, but not today.

Today, Jesus, and His testings produce sanctification, and proved his maturation and his completeness. Verse 11, chapter two, "For both he who sanctifies", that means to be set apart for God, Jesus was the ultimate man set apart for the work of God, and he did the work of God. By the way, what did Jesus say he'd come to do? Bingo, He came to do the will of His Father, the will of Him who sent Me, that's what I came to do. Now, that produced in Him sanctification, for He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified, listen, are all of one, one what? One human nature, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them then brethren, those who are being set apart for God, those who are His, those whom God gave Me, here I am and the children God gave me are being set apart for God. Through the examination of trials and testing, and temptation, Jesus said, He came to do the will of Him who sent Me.

What does the devil want to do? When he brings temptations to Jesus, He wants Jesus to do anything but the will of God the Father. Jesus was tempted, just like you are tempted. Jesus was tested, just like you are tested. Jesus was scrutinized, disciplined, assayed, examined. For example, the temptation of Jesus Christ, recorded in the book of Matthew, chapter four, we are told then and by the way, before Jesus enters into his speaking ministry, what I mean by that, before Jesus goes out, to start proclaiming himself as the coming King, and that the kingdom was near unto them, and to preach a gospel of repentance. Before he ever said a public word like that, Jesus was examined, and did what was fitting by first going to John the Baptist, and submitting himself to a baptism of repentance, which is what all men should do. He did. John the Baptist didn't want to do it. "Jesus said, 'Permit it to be so. For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." I have examined him here." I have tested him here, he has submitted to my will, and I am pleased in him. What is it that every believer wants to hear at the end of their life? Well done, My good and faithful servant, Christ, and us. So to live like Christ is the crux of this message today is to get to the point of pleasing God after the examination.

Christ then enters into the temptation in chapter four of Matthew. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Who led him there? The Holy Spirit. Why did the Spirit lead him there? For the purpose of tempting. By whom? Specifically, the devil. The best tempter that ever tempted a man is the devil. The most successful tempter of man is the devil. Why are we in this condition? Satan tempted Eve. And she passed on the temptation to Adam, and Adam fell. Notice I said, Adam fell. Yes, but he led her there. Enough on Genesis. Back to Matthew. "And when he had a fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, afterwards," understatement of all understatements," He was hungry." So when he's hungry, when he's tired. Now when the tempter came to him, verse three, he said, "If you are the Son of God command that these stones become bread." I don't know how hungry you've ever been. But I've never gone very long without food, as is evidenced. well, that's enough of that. Hence, the New Year's resolution.

Though he was more hungry than you will ever be, having fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Satan tests him with a test of provision. Now when the tempter came to him, he said if you are the Son of God command these stones to become bread. Now, if only you knew you could do that! Why is the refrigerator such a temptation? Because all you've got to do is open the door. And there it is. But if you're the one in whom the power of God can work, which Satan knew, he said, "You, as a man can use the power of God right now." I know you set it aside, but you're hungry, baby. Look at all these rocks. Turn them into bread. Who doesn't like fresh baked bread? Yeah, baby. Have some, who's gonna know. But Jesus answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone." Notice he didn't say man doesn't need bread to live. He said man should not live by bread alone. So if all you do is eat, you don't have enough. But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, the food of God is both the bread he provides and the word he provides to resist the temptation of bread outside of God's proper provision. If he had taken that and gotten his bread, he would not have gotten his bread the way you and I get our bread. He would have got it in a God way. We might have refrigerators, but I know how they get filled up. I didn't seem to understand that as a child growing up. Hence, I raided the refrigerator indiscriminately with no worry about the cost. It was to my parents that the garbage mouth was there again. Eating everything. Now I do, and if you're going to eat, you're going to have to work and you're going to have to earn. You had to fill the refrigerator. So kids, you're getting a free lunch. But it's costing your parents to fill that refrigerator. Benjamin, I remember being Benjamin's age. I never remember being full then. Right Benjamin? Amen. 

But Jesus said, No, I'll wait for God's provision. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights. Then we read on and the devil took him into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "He shall give His angels charge concerning you. And in their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone." He quoted the Scripture Psalm 91:11 and 12. A temptation of pride, a temptation of pride. You know what this also is a test of? This is a test of Bible knowledge. You know the Scriptures. This is a test of hermeneutics. Do you know how to interpret the scriptures appropriately? And then apply them accurately. That's why we must learn how to interpret the scriptures. First, know the Scriptures, how to interpret the scriptures, and then how to apply the scriptures to our life as a living theology. Many people in our days can cave in to this type of temptation, as long as somebody quotes some kind of verse out of context that fits what they already want to do. Well, of course! Of course, I should be the one that everyone bows down to, I should be the one that's, you know, here it is. I'll be the one that God protects. Doesn't it say that? He didn't give into pride. He said, It is written again. Listen to the play on tempt and tempter and test. You shall not tempt the Lord your God. "You shall not put your Lord God to the test." To the examination, to the assessment as to whether or not he holds true to His promises by putting them to the test. God said He will do it. If he's going to do it fine, but you don't drive 800 miles an hour and see if he's gonna kill you or not. You live wisely. You do not test the Lord. Of course, I'm valuable to God. I'm his only begotten Son. Christians sometimes act like that, like a child, can you do anything? No, you can't? No, you can't. You shall not tempt the Lord your God.

The third temptation. Verse eight, then again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And then he said to him, "All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me" and people get stuck here and say, "Well, how can he offer that?" He can offer that because our Bible tells us that God had made Satan the devil, the prince of his world. He is the high Archangel that has the control of this present world. He's the prince of the power of the air. He has a realm and it is this Earth. Even when he went up to see God at the time of Job, God says, "Where have you been?" And the devil says, "I've been going to and fro across the face of the earth." And by the way, tempting people. When the tempter had come to him and he tempts him with what he has, that God has promised to give to his son. The prodigal son asked for his inheritance, when? before his father had died, which means the prodigal son asked for what was his in the future. Wanting it now. Now none of us are like that because none of us have credit cards, nor do we buy anything on credit because we just gotta have it now. Cuz you deserve it baby.

God had actually promised to give Jesus Christ the world. But not until he'd finished being tested. Jesus Christ promised to give you a place in heaven. "Behold, I go to prepare a place for you. If it were not, so I would have told you. In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you." But I want it now!! That's the problem with humanity. A test of patience. This was a tough week for me temptation wise. Why? Guess what I got to preach on. God never lets me preach on this stuff for free. Pardon me, the flesh says, I don't like that. The other part of me, the spiritual part of me says, you need that. You need today from this week to recognize that you are human and weak. So am I alone? But all the weak people in this room say "Man, oh, thank you. I was afraid of asking that question. Jesus answered this test of patience. All these things he said I'll give you if you fall down and worship me. It's also a test of allegiance. Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you Satan. For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve." May I add to that? patiently? Later Jesus will say, "Restore unto me the glory which I had before from the beginning of the world, but not till it was time".

Jesus was tested his whole Life on Earth, not just this, this is a vignette. This is a picture of an ultimate testing by the devil, so that we can see the appropriateness of Jesus Christ to be examined and approved by God to take on the ministry of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. But every day of his life, from birth to death, was a suffering temptation. As Warren Wiersbe a great pastor and commentator said, and I quote, "He knew what it was to be despised, and rejected, to be lied about, and falsely accused. He experienced physical suffering and death." And Wiersbe says, "and this we need to pay attention to" and Wiersbe says "all of this was a part of his training, was a part of his training for his heavenly ministry, as high priest, as a high priest in our context." Here, we read in the previous verse 17, and chapter two of Hebrews, "Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest and those things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people." As a high priests, and also as a high priest, for him that he himself has suffered, being tempted, being tempted and may I suggest, and this is kind of a hard concept for us at time anyway, just suggest this. And you think on this, that when Jesus was tempted, His temptation was a greater temptation, in both severity and in content, quality and quantity of temptations, than we suffer.

He suffered more temptations and greater temptations, unlike us in this way. Now, listen, Jesus never gave into temptation. Do you know how to get the the pressure of temptation off of you? Here's how you do it. Give in. Quit trying to resist. When you give up and give in which everyone in this room has done in temptation, can I have a testimony? Amen. The pressure came off. I'm not saying that the guilt didn't follow, that did. That's a whole nother kind of load to bear. But Jesus didn't have to bear that. He bore the constant ceaseless testing and temptation as a human and never ever gave in. See, when you give in the devil's done, he clocks out. But for Him there's no end until He died on the cross, which was of course, the ultimate test. "Father. May this cup pass from me? Yet not My will. But thine. Since he was tested just as a man, just as you as a high priest, he is...listen to me, point two, he is able to aid those who are tested, those who are tempted, those who are examined, those who are assayed, those are put to scrutiny those who are in the suffering of testing Christian you're in suffering, because you are being tested. It is a form of suffering.

But listen, there are two superb aspects of this text, they counteract the suffering. There are two words The first word is give. And the second word is able. In verse 16, we read this, "For he does not give aid to angels," Listen!!, "but he does give. He does give aid to the seed of Abraham." And if the seed of Abraham needs this kind of help, then the seed of the Gentiles needs the same help. We all need this help. And then in verse 18, For in that He Himself or in that he suffered, he himself has suffered being tempted.

Listen!! He is...there's our second word... able to aid those who are tempted. This is a pronouncement of God's Holy Writ. Christian, do you believe it? I suggest you don't. I suggest you don't by practice. I suggest you don't by habit. I suggest we don't, by our very way of thinking. Because we don't know Jesus this way. There's a sense in which we don't want to know Jesus this way. It is much easier if He stays God who can do God's stuff and doesn't suffer like us. Then when he is like a man and suffers like us, telling us we got to go through that too, bar one. And as a believer, you don't have to suffer the wrath of God. All the rest of the tests, you are not exempt from. They are due at the end of the semester. And you will write your doctoral thesis on life if you should mature to that point on the glories of the aspects of suffering through temptation, trial, pain, and examination. He is able.

At Christmas we celebrate God's greatest gift to man, his son Jesus. We have to remember then, in this new year, we must understand that wrapped in that package from God is Christ's Ministry of suffering. That brings us aid in our suffering in temptation. Aid is given, not because the person can afford to buy it, because they can't. Churches used to have things called the ladies Aid Society. And they all got the vote and went to work and they're that way out. I got a whole sermon in there if you noticed. The ladies Aid Society who were they there for? Those who couldn't take care of themselves. Those who are needy, who needed aid. We need aid. Christ, having suffered as a man He is able to give aid to men as they are tested. He is the aid society all by himself to those who need.

Why do men need aid from the High Priest? Let me give you a few examples from scripture of the testing and trials and temptations that come our way. I'm going to start with the one that is integral to much caving in. With regard to human temptation, the sanctity of marriage and the marriage bed. First Corinthians chapter seven, we read this from the Apostle Paul, "Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer" Oh my goodness. If that was just the only reason that ever happened, one, we would have very spiritual people. And two, we would have this and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you. Who, Satan. Yes, who does it? Satan. Who is it going to come from? Satan. So that Satan does not tempt you... listen! because of your lack of self control. Who's weak? We all admitted it is us, you who don't have self control. Let's say we don't. Why did God give you a mate? So your self control has a place to go for fulfillment, for enjoyment, for glory. Don't miss it. Unless for fasting and prayer. So if you're missing it, one, you better be a lot skinnier than you are now and two, you better be a lot more prayerful than you are now. And I would hazard a guess that's rarely the reason people aren't and are depriving themselves. That's a temptation. That's why you need aid.

First Corinthians chapter 10. Now an example of those who gave into temptation, which is a test of trust, and exposure of the human heart to despair. Chapter 10. Let me just read verse nine, I don't have much time left. So I'm going to try and encapsulate all this good stuff. Nor let us tempt Christ. Listen, as some of them also were tempted, and were destroyed by serpents. He's speaking about the children of Israel. And the children of Israel, rather than accepting the testing and the examination of God, as they traverse to the promised land, they got to certain places and said, Moses, what in the world did you do? We're thirsty. Did you bring us out here in the middle of the wilderness to die? Or are you trying to kill us? Despair Depression. It's a test of God's provision. Just like Jesus, you want the bread? No. They wanted it right now. And God in His mercy, understanding their weakness, had Moses tap the rock and water came forth. A lack of faith in the promises of God they tested God saying, God is not going to keep his promise to deliver us to the Promised Land.

Christian, have you ever been there? God's not going to take me to Heaven? I'm out. Yeah you have. Stop it. That's testing God. All you need say, I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior. Therefore, the promises of God I trust in, I got nothing else. But as soon as you list how good you've been in temptations, then worry. As First Corinthians 10:12 says later on "therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." Christians are humble in their humanity. Why? Because humans are weak. How do we know this? Jesus was weak and said so. The Bible says so, so that means you are too.

Aren't these new year's messages fun? Well, it was just the next verse. And I didn't get done last week, and I saw it was a perfect New Year's resolution week. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Listen to this No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. No, no, no, you don't understand pastor. My stuffs heavier. My stuffs worser than worse. Worser than worse? You don't get it? I gotta take my help elsewhere, because God isn't able to help me. Wait a minute. Are you testing God? Maybe so. It's common to man. But God is what? Faithful. Who will not allow you to be tempted? Oh, no, this one on this Sunday. Here it is. But God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. But with the temptation He will also make a way, the way of escape. That you might be able to bear it.

I hope we believe that we are able because he is enabling us. He is able to give aid to those who are tempted. We need to learn the pleasure of patience. That's a way of escape. We think we need it now. We need to await the glory that God has said is coming. We want instant pleasure, instant satisfaction because we've been taught so in our homes, in our minds, we need to be taught patience. Some of the best gifts I've ever gotten were the ones I had to wait for the longest. Number one, my wife. I waited far longer for her than I wanted to. When God gave me what the Bible says he will, find a wife, find a good thing. He's right. Patience. Not any wife. Not any relationship. A wife. Remember that God is not out to make your life a misery. Well, yeah, as you just told us, it's going to be temptation and testing. This stinks. I don't want to be a Christian, forget about it. I'm giving in. I know we would never admit to thinking thoughts like that, but you do it. We have to realize that God gives aid through temptation to mature us so that we can take great pleasure in those things he has promised and already given to us, and will give to us. What does it say about being with God, at His right hand are pleasures forevermore? Well, that can't be that's not the God I know. No, no, no, it's hard. It's law. It's really Oh, you got it. That's it, man. suffer, suffer, suffer. No. Aid in suffering, aid in suffering by one who suffered more than you for this brief life that he said in the Scripture is a vapor. As far as I can see, Pastor, then you're not looking biblically. patiently.

Let me move on. Second Corinthians 13. "Even we are called upon to test ourselves." What?? Isn't it enough that the devil is going to do it, isn't enough that God said to do it. Now we're supposed to do it ourselves? Yes. Second Corinthians 13. Examine yourselves. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed, you're disqualified, but I trust that you will know that you are not disqualified. Well, how can I test myself? Whether I be in or out? This is an interesting passage, examining yourself to see whether you're of the faith or not of the faith. Of course, this would mean where are you putting your faith? When you're being tested? When you're going through trials, we're to learn to trust God's way. And you can see a pattern developing. What are my patterns of life? When I test myself I don't just test Oh, no, I did this wrong today. Oh, aaaaaahhhhhh, that was free sound effects. What is my pattern of life? Am I seeing greater discipline when I'm under examination? And how do you get ready for examinations? Oh, segue into reading your Bible again. Study. Even to show yourself approved. Part of the pattern is am I employing those things which Jesus did to overcome temptation? i.e. the Word of God. Is there a pattern of that in my life?

Know yourself, know your temptations, and go after them with a word of God. So, so easy when you say it, Pastor. Yes, I know. But maturity is never easy, is it? Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham when he was tested, that when he was tempted, offered up Isaac. What was the temptation? To save the life of his child himself. His only begotten son. Isaac, happy Gift of God. Promissory note, your seed will be like the sand of the seas. You're killing him?. Hello. Not coming through, your not clear God, I think we got a bad connection. Take your son and sacrifice him to me. By faith he patiently trusted the promise of God to make him a great nation, that he would give him the son and the son would be his heir. He offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises, listen to this. And he who had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son on the promises, standing on the promises of God, standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ, my Savior, that can't be empty, that has to be full of this revelations to verse 10. Do not fear any of those things which they are what you're about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, and that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation 10 days be faithful.

Jesus says to this church, be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Victory over temptation and testing is trusting in Jesus Christ. Let me tell you this secret. Faith is belief that you need aid from Jesus, your high priest. Faith, is belief that you need the aid of Christ, your high priest every single moment of every single day. That's faith. Faith isn't Oh, I believe so much I don't need any help. No, faith is belief that you need help. And that the only effective aid comes from the hand of our blood brother in flesh and blood, the high priest Christ Jesus. Let me ask you this question. Though Jesus offers aid, should we the tested, the tempted prepare for the tests or just say it's going to give me aid? Don't sweat it When it comes He's going to give you aid. Is that the way we should think about this? I'm glad I heard some noise out there. Second Corinthians 10. Again, verse 13, we read "But with the temptation He will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Well, what is the way of escape? God has written a book about humanity. Genesis, Adam and Eve, all the way to the end of the book of Revelation, where the weaknesses of man and the only ones that stand stands up by faith in Jesus Christ, based on the Word of God and prayer, knowing your scriptures, living your scriptures, praying the scriptures, believing the scriptures, loving the scriptures, the promises of scriptures embrace.

If you don't know a single promise of Jesus Christ, you got nothing to keep you against the pleasures that Satan will throw your way to to pull you off track. You'll have nothing. What is the good stuff that's coming? What's your favorite gift? What are you waiting for? A new president? Wrong. A new job? I know, money. Money solves everything. Yes, the rich people. Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom come. If you don't know what that is, you are waiting for nothing. You only find out about the Kingdom in the book written by the King. Let me tell you how to prepare for tests. You know I learned something. I learned something late in life. How to succeed in school. A mystery to me, I didn't seem to have any aid. I flunked more tests than you can imagine. I don't know how I made it through. If it wouldn't have been for football and having to have a 2.0 grade average. For two quarters, I wouldn't have graduated. I thought it was something other people could do. And I couldn't. Of course, there's one thing I never did do. Study. Study in a disciplined way. And it's amazing to me that what is being taught in so many churches across United States of America is some sort of a preparation for Christian testing that has nothing to do with study. And the disciplines thereof. How will you know, unless you're saturated with the Word of God, and it doesn't come by one visit. You know you're really prepared for a test, you go through the material once. And then you go through the material again. And then you categorize the material into categories that you can remember, because you know, you're going to be tested. The tests coming sometimes even give you help tests.

You know what? The Bible is full help tests. That's what chapter 11 of Hebrews is all about. By faith, by faith, by faith, Abraham by faith, Isaac, by Hey, faith, all the fathers by faith, Christians before went through the test, how did they do it? So we have to prepare for tests, you have to be confident of this. Tests will come. Everybody say that with me. Tests will come to me, and to you. To be spiritual is to be tested. Was there ever, ever anybody more spiritual than Jesus Christ? And if He was the one that was tested more than anyone else, then we can be sure. Not being spiritual, we're going to be tested as well. It's not a measure of you're in God's will or out of God's will and you'll be tested. It's a matter of course, that God will use to sanctify both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified. All are human. But he's able to give help. Aid to those who are tempted. You will be tested. And be aware of how tests come. New, not so new, enough in my life. Pop Ups, pop ups, not popcorn, pop ups associated with your computer, your phone's media. What are pop ups for? Why do they pop up? To attempt to get your attention. To get your attention off what you're doing here. We're going to say "Well, I've got to look this up." You open up your phone for a second like, why am I here? What was it that I was doing before this grabbed my attention?

That's how temptation comes. It's like a pop-up. All of a sudden its there. Well, wasn't expecting that. Now you should be. There's going to be pop ups. Are you going to click or not click? Isn't that the question? As a question, isn't it? Click on it. Or don't click on it. That's always there. There's just two. There's just two answers. Temptation, okay, I'll do it. Temptation. I won't do it. And everybody gets temptation. You can't stop temptation. You've heard this from me before. It is one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther. It's this temptation is likened to this. Luther said, he said, "You can't stop a bird from flying over your head. Hmm, makes sense. Like temptation. You can't stop temptations from coming by. You can't stop a bird from flying over your head." But Luther, in a very good analogous way said "But you can stop the bird from making a nest on your head."

You're going to have temptation, to be tempted is not sin. Jesus was tempted yet without sin, to go through a temptation is human What you do in the temptation is either weak humanity or faith and the life of the Spirit in resisting it with the aid Christ Jesus gives you. You don't let them make a nest in your head. Don't look the second time, the third time, the fourth time, stop it. Not going to do that and know how they will and when they will come to you and say to yourself, temptations will come to me when I am tired. Jesus went out into the wilderness, and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, I'm guessing the last 20 it was hard to sleep. Just try sleeping without food tonight and come back and tell me when I am tired temptations will come. Here's one. When I want to reward myself for being responsible, I know that might not have any of you but I know somebody's like this. I've done all I'm supposed to do I got all my jobs done. Now, I can do whatever I want. That's why it's good for me not to have ice cream in the house. Say to yourself when are temptations going to come. When I am angry? What, I'm angry when I desire to pay back. Temptations will come when I am jealous or envious. There they come. By the way, jealousy and envy and anger are all temptations. But real life, real life. Real life. Be honest about your own weaknesses. You need to be honest about your own weaknesses. It may sound something like this. In your head. Well, I'm justified to be angry. If they hadn't, I wouldn't. It's not my fault. It may sound like this. I'm allowed to fall into depression. If you only knew how hard my life was. I'm different than other people. So I can wallow here. It's okay. Somebody might say to you "This will pass" or "You never seem to be depressed." Haha. Huh. We're all tempted. Your head may sound something like this. It's reasonable for me to be overwhelmed by fear. Doesn't fear protect us? Not to be overwhelmed. Maybe whelmed but not overwhelmed.

Finally, you need to admit you need aid. Faith is a belief that you need aid and admit to God you need aid. Help me, Jesus. Open your Bible. Kneel down and pray. Say it out loud. I'm being tempted. That's what this is. Lord help me not give into this. Aid me and believe he provides a way of escape. Where do I find the door? Keep coming to church. That's like 376 sermons. Plus, but it's all in here. Get ahead of the class. Study.

Happy New Year. You have aid from on high against temptation. Let's pray.

Lord God as we turn our attention to an ordinance you've given us to follow by obedience, your table communion let us do so with pure hearts not as sinless men, but as men whose hearts are pure before you, for we confess we are sinners. We ask your forgiveness for we know you're faithful and just, forgive us of all unrighteousness. For your promises are real that you have saved us that you will prepare a place for us. We have an inheritance in heaven awaiting us. And you Lord Jesus, wait there for us. Let us live on those facts by faith through temptations. And let us solemnly celebrate your humanity. For you, our High Priest, suffer the wrath of God in our place, so that we never will we thank you for this in Jesus name. Amen. 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai