Talking To The Devil, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ out of understanding. He knows how vulnerable we are. He understands what tempts us. By the way, the kind of things attempt you are not necessary things kind of things attend me but I know one thing were all tempted and he's good at it and the only way that you can possibly do with it is with the word joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world the second temptation is the temptation of what I call the sensational solution Satan or the devil changes a strategy is then the devil took him into the holy city, and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple whether something spiritual going there because are moving from the wilderness to Jerusalem to a mountain and now I don't think they're walking slowly, I think they just move there any puts them at probably the eastern side of the temple portico of Herod's Temple and probably on the highest point of that portico on the eastern side of the temple. It actually overlooks the Green Valley Josephus says that from that portico to the bottom of the valley is 450 feet so that substantial that's really substantial. That's 45 stories. Notice 20 does, then he's very good at this, by the way he uses scripture, the devil says to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, he will command his angels concerning you, and on their hands. He says they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone ice with the Bible says faculty place and go to Psalm 91 with me. Psalm 91 and you see these words in the Old Testament, you gotta give Lucifer little credit here. He kinda knows it. That tells me knows the word of God. Verses 11 and 12 of Psalm 91. Read this way is the psalmist wrote it for he will give a strict angels charge concerning you to guard you in all your ways, and they will bear you up in their hands that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

While pretty good by way already told you something just because someone's quote Scripture after doesn't necessarily mean you're telling you the truth so the devil is using Scripture.

What is he doing here wise I change this is the temptation of a sensational solution. What I mean by that is that the in the first temptation he asked Jesus to do something for himself but you got the part of the son of God. Just turn the stones in the bread. Now he says hey let God do some for you, you see that see what God can do for you son of God right what the prophecy say that the LLM harm come to you soon just throw yourself off of here and it was a cat. You know, why would that even be a temptation I mean in a true sense like why was some like that even be a temptation will think about it there on the pinnacle of the temple right there. The pinnacle now there are people all over Jerusalem and especially the temple. What Jesus Christ through self 150 feet done.

He's falling in everyone's watching and end the end of a sentence mean jellybeans catch him and stand him.

You think there might be a little right going on there. You think they might want to make him king and Messiah right then. Right now, of course, and by the way, that was the kind of thing, the false Messiah is trying to do all the time. William Barclay and his candidate in his commentary on Matthew talks about some of these users. There was a man named Judas, who led a group of people from the temple to the Jordan River and he told the people that I will split now the river in half. He didn't do it. He failed and then everyone walked away. Did listen to many more but is not done.

There was an Egyptian Messiah, a pretender who claimed that he could flatten the walls of Jerusalem simply by saying the B-flat he walked to the walls. He gave her a shot and nothing happened, and no one followed him anymore tradition holds. Barclay writes that Simon the magician out of the book of acts chapter 8 verse nine.

In the book of acts.

Simon the magician tried the very feet which Satan tempted Jesus with. He jumped off the top of the temple from the pinnacle into the kid Green Valley and died by the wave when a sense of irony, though.

Another thing about tradition.

James, the Lord's brother who was the elder of the Jerusalem church. That's all he was martyred.

They took him up to the pinnacle of the Temple and threw him into the kid Green Valley to kill him. So he says look to slow yourself off.

If you are the sins of the son of God. The Scriptures he might back me up and how do you call that the temptation of the sensational solution. If you think about that, just for a moment. Jesus Christ says to him, on the other hand, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Deuteronomy 6. By the way same book.

He quotes Deuteronomy 6.

You see, if you're going to test God. That means something that means you doubt God and if you doubt God. That means you don't trust God and if you don't trust God, you have no faith in your incision to Jesus as I'm not going to do that. That's the idea. I'm looking to put them to the test. I think sometimes Christians kinda think that they say it differently, but I get this kind of thing you have some medical need or financial need or relationship need in a given incurable disease.

You have no money in a bank or you never find anyone, but the gotta be someone out there for you. This is the way that usually stated what they say to me pastor.

Isn't it true that God can do anything we mean he can do anything right right what and why won't he do this, you see, if God can do anything. Why won't he give me the sensational solution.

I mean if you do anything I want to do this by the way, sad part is we would have pastors around the country that encourage people think that way when I was over for a couple weeks ago I just turn the channel and I was one of the religious channels over there and the words came right out of the guys mouth and the whole place erupted into applause.

Was he just ignores people and said today claim your miracle today and everyone's clapping like that's claim or miracle today. Every day that's all claim are miracle today.

One of the reasons it's called a miracle is it's rare. It's rare, even in Scripture is extremely rare, but the whole idea is that there's a sensible on sensational solution to everything you see that's isn't just God to just throw yourself out there.

you and everyone's a look at you. You're just wonderful. You must be the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is no. That's nothing more than testing the Lord. I've actually had people say to me if God knows the exact moment in which you are going to die in all your days were written already. Before there were any of them out of the book of Psalms, then that would mean a memorial that moment in the thinking goes along. That would mean I could walk in front of the bus jump off a bridge is what my thinking on that is if you do that it'll be your day that's going to be your day because it's not. I got by the way could God miraculously deliver you from such a thing. Yes has a yes but it wasn't. As a result of someone testing God. It was a matter of God's will for that situation is a very different thing.

And so the first temptation is a temptation of self-satisfaction. The second is the temptation of the sensational solution and 1/3 one is a temptation on self-glorification. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

Discounting is called the prince of this world. This world is called in Scripture cause loss diabolic us. In other words, it's called the organized system of the devil cause must diabolic us.

It's his world is the prince of this world and so he says to Jesus, look, I don't know what's good to be ahead for you, but I got a pretty good idea. There's a lot of stuff but I we can make this all kind of short. Instead of you waiting to go through all this and ending and then inheriting the earth. How about this, but I give it to you right now.

You see, I can shortcut this whole thing and I can have to worry about all the abuse and all the suffering do anything I give it to you right now. So in the kingdoms when the commentator said. Just imagine that he probably showed in Greece and Egypt and Rome shown the kingdoms that are all mine. You see there all mine so all you have to do is worship me seems a ludicrous thing to say and then interesting. The first minute the first temptation was what you can do for yourself, Jesus, the second one is what God the father will do for you and now this one.

What I can do for you. This is making a deal with the devil in the sense this is what I can do for you. Notice what Jesus said. First he says go Satan just go for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only again.

Deuteronomy chapter 6 the great chapter on the covenant relationship between Israel and God hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one assist the great chapter is is you only worship God by the way understand something else or the point of view this discussion.

If you don't worship God you worship Lucifer doesn't matter what else you worship. If you don't worship God you worship him, so most people the world worship him anyway. But the point of it is here. He says the Jesus you can do that don't want to think about the whole process. He's giving him in a sense, the idea that you can get something in a quicker way with me if you just simply compromise with me into what I asked know what you think about that as, say, a Christian businessperson. Think of this great counterfeit in this temptation that would befall them start out with this premise.

Look, God loves you and God wants you to prosper and he want you to do well. He really does and what I can do is I can make sure you can do well and I can make sure you can do on the short run. All I'm asking you to do is, look the other way when it comes to some of the questionable business practices. It'll take you see there's just a few that are really questionable. You just look the other way and you get your prosperity sooner rather than later. You see it sort of comes in our world more like pragmatism than a great no direct temptation from the devil, the ideas you can get it soon.

You see, I'm gonna want to have an anyway Arjuna joint heir with Christ.

And since you are joining with Christ what you an inherent everything right.

Okay, why don't we speed this up a little bit so you get more stuff now. By the way, if you don't think that's a temptation to you, then you really haven't done your own income taxes. Temptation right. I mean it's going to be that there's her mind over me will never catch that know they won't probably won't pretty sure he will see is this kind of temptation happens all the time. To us he's this good he's given is often quite something is going to be Christ Jesus can speed up the process. Jesus Christ is go. It is written, the devil then left them, and behold, angels came and began to minister to the whole time the father tested Mrs. washing what did he do well. I'm sure they fed him and I'm pretty sure they worship him.

They begin to minister to him immediately when you look at these three temptations.

One commentator said this, Jesus essentially says I will trust the father. I will not presume on his word and I will not circumvent his will and I will take the father's good gifts in the father's own hand to the in the father's own way and in the father's own time, he says. Thus, the Messiah was accredited by the severest test that was really what was going on there. The temptation of self-satisfaction. The temptation of the sensational solution of the temptation is self-glorification. He tempts us that way. He tries to get us to distrust God's providential care to try to solve our own problem is a temptation to do that over the years.

I can remember sitting in meetings and trying to hit. Think of the solutions that church leaders are trying to come up with for problem. I can member saying sometimes and always thinking what that would be great if Jesus were dead, but I think Jesus is alive. I don't think we should solve this from our own on our own wit. I think there's more like a biblical principle at stake here. If you don't think that's a temptation to solve it on your own.

Think of the story of Abraham and Ishmael. How that worked out.

You see all solve it all solve the problem. He didn't solve the problem he created even more men in the second temptation. The whole idea is that he will tempt us to expect that God will supernaturally intervene and give us some sensational solution, how he'll do it. Gotto always do it you can do anything you can do this for me answers always maybe really depends on God's will.

The last one is the appeal to our selfish ambition to try to get us to achieve God's will in another way.

This comes under the heading, the end justifies the means for you have to be really careful with those kind of temptations or something else that happened here each and every time he said three words that he never has to say ever. But he says it is written, he doesn't have to say that he is the word of God.

He never has to say that he has authority to speak anyway wants, but I think as an example to us each and every time he says it is written, what does that mean to us. Let the word of God dictate your choices when you're tempted by the way, that presupposes that you know the word of God. If you don't know the word of God. How you react to something like that is written in illustrate that last year at the fall festival across the street in the parking lot they brought in to find a parking lot amaze you know. So like corn maze, but this is done with canvas and all that and so you know, watching kids going out stuff and I thought to do that going to go in the morning there. So I went in and through a whole series of poor decisions and bad choices. I was in there for quite some time and admire and admit I was really getting irritated and up then something else happened. No we had it at MNR church volunteered and he was on a ladder on the far side of the maze, standing up looking down the maze.

Now he was there to help small children, but he did say you want some help first temptation for a moment know for a moment.

It was sort of like I'll get out of here. If I have to crawl underneath this thing know I said yes yes I want some help. Is it okay back up at the left is the no go forward, go right seat hosted no go left go straight now go right out the I can write out the parking.

How did that work so well get a different perspective than I did. You see, when you're in the maze. You don't really see from that perspective. When you're above the maze you see a completely different perspective.

That's what the word of God is the word of God is God's perspective of your life.

The word of God is God's perspective of the choices and decisions you make. You see, that's what the word of God brings when you're in the maze. You don't really think about it most point of view. That's why we succumb to temptations all the time. When you think about this when you think of your enemies, and I don't mean in the sense of foreign terrorist. I mean, my personal enemies which are thought mean your honest thought your temptation thought this God said love your enemies and pray for. While that's a different perspective visit that's on your perspective, your perspective is how do we quote you hear bad news about see that's temptation God's perspective is different. What if your context of really bad relationship and a sin against you in any sin against you again in a sin against you again when you reconcile and they sin against you again. You see, is there a temptation to fight back, to be angry is her temptation here in the context of marriage is a temptation and this puts God say she wants the word say it is written, what I forgive how often 70×7. You see 70×7. What 70×7, by the way, vengeance is mine. He says I'll do the repaying all by the way hate divorce is word of God.

You see, that's a different perspective. He's above the maze in almost any kind of difficult relationship when it often comes to my mind is this, let no one kind word come from your mouth. Even though your ears are hearing a lot of unkind words coming your way. What's the temptation.

You see, what's the temptation and that the here they come. Look out what's the word say that no one kind word come from. You see how different this is for us and why so easy for us to succumb to temptation, trouble, stress, loss of job money wow is her temptation to worry is her temptation for anxiety.

Your future, your future relationships are your future finances is her temptation in any of that was the word say don't worry. You see, don't worry, be anxious for nothing, you see why I was at work.

Seek first the kingdom of God, I'll add this cast all your anxiety upon me, because I care for you. That's what the word says Nonno I want to be anxious. You want to worry about this.

See, this is a lot easier to see that it is to do same is made a career out of understanding us.

He knows how vulnerable we are. He understands what tempts us. By the way, the kind of things attempt you are not necessary. Things are kind of things attend me but I know one thing were all tempted and he's good at it and the only way that you can possibly deal with it is with the word of God. The word of God is above the maze.

There's one other thing, your time in the wilderness went that's one of the great things about you resist the temptation and you get out of the wilderness of God comes to ministers. So the next time from the cartoon point of view.

There's a little guy standing on your shoulder and he's whispering in your ear. It might be good to think and say and then do the phrase, it is written. If you do, you can resist the temptation just like our Lord, the father we have one thing in common were all tempted. We probably been tempted this morning were certainly be tempted this afternoon.

Father, I think so.

Often what we do is through simply react to the temptation. We don't think about it.

Father what we need to do is stop and pause to say, does your word addresses and if it does we can do all things through him who strengthens us.

We can resist. James said to submit ourselves to you and then resist the devil and he will flee from us as he did from Christ.

Father I pray for each person here in the battles of their life with temptation that they follow our Lord's name past you broke your heart on the radio ministry of Fellowship in the Word if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time.

Remember the good a great website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program is at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. Yes, all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly report just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website FVC Nola.org for pastor Bill Gebhardt and Jason Denhardt. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order