Please join us as we discover how God Uses Everyday Things, Even a Pool Table, To Teach Us Abut Him.
Supporting Scriptures for "The Temptation:" Genesis 3:1-6
So far in our Billiards Bible Studies we have learned that the cue ball can remind us of God, the completeness of His creation and the goodness of the world that we live in. The number "1" and number "2" balls can remind us that we are God's creation and that our life and worth come from Him. The black "8" ball represents the darkness of Satan and we are about to witness a literal "life changing" event that took place in the Garden of Eden (represented by the pool triangle) all over a piece of fruit (represented by the chalk).
One day, the serpent approached the woman in the garden and began talking with her. He asked, "Did God really tell you not to eat any of the fruit here in the garden?"
The woman replied, "No, God didn't tell us that. He said that we could eat from any of the trees in the garden except for the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" at the center of the garden. That is the only tree that we are not to eat from or even touch or we will die."
The serpent chuckled and said, "You won't die. God knows that if you eat from that tree you will gain understanding of all things, both good and evil, and when that happens, you will become just like Him."
Now this sounded reasonable to the woman. The fruit did look so sweet and delicious and, after all, God Himself said that it was the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" so why wouldn't He want us to understand the difference? Why wouldn't He want us to be like Him?
So she picked a fruit off of the tree and ate it, and gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it too.
"THE TEMPTATION"
STUDY QUESTIONS:
Question 1
The serpent/Devil found the woman in the garden in order to tempt her. Is the Devil able to also find you in order to tempt you?
Job 1:7 - "Where have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan. And Satan answered the Lord, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on."
Question 2
When the Devil tempts us, how are we to respond?
James 4:7 - "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you."
Mark 14:38 - "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak."
Question 3
Jesus resisted the Devil in Matthew 4:1-10 by doing what?
Matthew 4:1-10 - "Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread." But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say,
'People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.'
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
'He orders his angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.'
Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say,
'Do not test the Lord your God.'
Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. "I will give it all to you," he said, "if you will only kneel down and worship me." "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say,
'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.'
Question 4
What was the Devil's response to Jesus' resistance in Matthew 4:11?
Matthew 4:11 - "Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus."
Question 5
Name characteristics of the Devil from John 8:44.
John 8:44 - "For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Question 6
Name characteristics of God from the following verses:
Psalm 116:5 - "How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!
Titus 1:2 - "This truth gives them the confident of eternal life, which God promised them before the world began - and He cannot lie."
Deuteronomy 7:9 - "Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love Him and obey His commands."
Question 7
Using the verses below, determine whether or not temptation must always lead to sin.
Matthew 6:13 - "And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Luke 17:1 - "One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting."
Hebrews 4:15 - "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin."
Question 8
Temptation itself is not a sin. How does our response to temptation relate to our choice of consequences?
Romans 6:16 - "Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive His approval."
Question 9
Where does our tendency to give in to temptation come from?
James 1:14 - "Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires."
Question 10
What will God do to help us overcome temptation?
1 Corinthians 10:13 - "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
