APOSTOLIC ACTING OUT
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
Scripture text – John 11:35 – “35Jesus wept.” James 1:13-15 – “13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
What would Jesus do if He were tempted? Well, if you look in Matthew 4:1-11, it seemed that he handled the ultimate temptations quite well. Since He had not eaten in forty days or forty nights, He was probably very weak physically and wanted something to eat. But He was not weak spiritually, as fasting makes you stronger spiritually and closer to God. Satan was just like a pitcher to Barry Bonds; anything the devil threw at Jesus, the devil did not stand a chance because Jesus is so powerful. All three temptations were handled by using the Word of God by saying “it is written.” So, in this situation, we need to remember WWJD when we are being tempted. Jesus had the word hid in His heart so He did not sin. We need to remember Psalm 119:11 – “11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If you have the Word of God hid in your heart, and you remember WWJD, then you can resist temptation. If you thing there is a temptation that is too hard to handle, or you think that you are going though too hard of a time to handle it, just remember WWJD, and remember how He suffered like it says in Matthew 27:26-35. I went to Basic Combat Training for nine weeks and to Afghanistan for a year and I might have suffered a little bit, but that is barely a drop in the bucket compared to what Jesus went through to purge us from our sins. If we ever get mad, if we remember WWJD, then we can do like Ephesians 4:26 – “26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Psalm 37:8 – “8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
So instead of handling things on our own, we should remember what it says in Proverbs 16:25 – “25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
So, young people, if you are at school or somewhere with somebody and someone offers you a cigarette or some drugs or alcohol or sex, remember; WWJD in this situation? Of course you say no, but why do you say no? That’s where you remember WWJD, and you remember to go to the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – “16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
What if someone wants you to watch a movie that is not all good or is questionable to watch? Remember WWJD. Would Jesus watch this? Could you ask Jesus to watch this, and he would grab a bag of popcorn and sit down beside you and watch it with you? If you are not sure, again go to the scriptures in Psalm 101:3 – “3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
What if someone asks you why you don’t ever go to the parties because they are always a blast? Again WWJD. He would go to the scriptures in 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” I think that basically covers every reason why Christians don’t attend parties.
So basically any temptation a Christian faces, they can overcome because Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Christian means Christ-like. So if you have the Holy Ghost, you have Christ in you like it says in Galatians 2:20 – “20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
All you have to do if you don’t have the Holy Ghost is follow Acts 2:38. Because what would Jesus do if you did not get the Holy Ghost?
What would Jesus do if He were tempted? Well, if you look in Matthew 4:1-11, it seemed that he handled the ultimate temptations quite well. Since He had not eaten in forty days or forty nights, He was probably very weak physically and wanted something to eat. But He was not weak spiritually, as fasting makes you stronger spiritually and closer to God. Satan was just like a pitcher to Barry Bonds; anything the devil threw at Jesus, the devil did not stand a chance because Jesus is so powerful. All three temptations were handled by using the Word of God by saying “it is written.” So, in this situation, we need to remember WWJD when we are being tempted. Jesus had the word hid in His heart so He did not sin. We need to remember Psalm 119:11 – “11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If you have the Word of God hid in your heart, and you remember WWJD, then you can resist temptation. If you thing there is a temptation that is too hard to handle, or you think that you are going though too hard of a time to handle it, just remember WWJD, and remember how He suffered like it says in Matthew 27:26-35. I went to Basic Combat Training for nine weeks and to Afghanistan for a year and I might have suffered a little bit, but that is barely a drop in the bucket compared to what Jesus went through to purge us from our sins. If we ever get mad, if we remember WWJD, then we can do like Ephesians 4:26 – “26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Psalm 37:8 – “8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
So instead of handling things on our own, we should remember what it says in Proverbs 16:25 – “25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
So, young people, if you are at school or somewhere with somebody and someone offers you a cigarette or some drugs or alcohol or sex, remember; WWJD in this situation? Of course you say no, but why do you say no? That’s where you remember WWJD, and you remember to go to the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – “16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
What if someone wants you to watch a movie that is not all good or is questionable to watch? Remember WWJD. Would Jesus watch this? Could you ask Jesus to watch this, and he would grab a bag of popcorn and sit down beside you and watch it with you? If you are not sure, again go to the scriptures in Psalm 101:3 – “3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
What if someone asks you why you don’t ever go to the parties because they are always a blast? Again WWJD. He would go to the scriptures in 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” I think that basically covers every reason why Christians don’t attend parties.
So basically any temptation a Christian faces, they can overcome because Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Christian means Christ-like. So if you have the Holy Ghost, you have Christ in you like it says in Galatians 2:20 – “20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
All you have to do if you don’t have the Holy Ghost is follow Acts 2:38. Because what would Jesus do if you did not get the Holy Ghost?
