Tempted

Problems with your doctor if you would Gospel of Mark were in chapter 1 were looking at verses 12 through 13 this morning the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness he was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan, and he was with wild animals.

The Angels were ministering to him that with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, I just want to reiterate some of the prayer of Eugene this morning. Lord we have many in our congregation right now your suffering is sick. Father we pray for my sister Johnny Presley if she's in the hospital and see suffering with COBIT that has affected her in such a way that have her on a breathing machine right now.

I pray heavenly father that she might continue to do well. She's making progress. We pray father that you would just reach down with your healing hand. The hand of our great physician and touch her Lord that she might heal very quickly and soon be able to be back with Randy as Eugene prayed. Also, Lord, we pray for Randy that you would comfort him and let him know that his wife is in your sovereign hand that Lord you are well able to take care of her. We pray for Jenny Bryce Leal and Nancy Starcher and asked Lord that you help them as they too are suffering with coveted pray Lord that you be with them in power. Pray heavenly father for Nicole los as she is coming off of her medicine this week and father we pray that the ablation will have done its intended work and that the dizziness. In the Colby made whale fathers we read today about the temptations that Jesus had to face. We realize that Christianity is not a game. It's a war we don't live on a playground. We live on a battleground Lord, when we look at the way that you dealt with temptation. We feel inapt and embarrassed. You refuse to play with temptation. You refuse to consider it. You filed it with the word and not once did you ever lose, we confess we lose often too often teachers through your example. Help us to be more proficient in your word, help us to see the enemy's employees and to not take him lightly help us to realize the danger in toying with temptation.

Help me to preach today is a dying man to dying people keep my lips from era and they all that I say bring glory and honor to our precious Jesus board is in Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

You may be seated. Verse one of the gospel of Mark says the beginning of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God.

Mark first tells us about the four runner who is John the Baptist in and we see that John the Baptist was out by the river Jordan is preaching there thousands of people that are.

They are John's preaching is so powerful. The word of God is going out with such strength that people are deeply under conviction and they come before John.

They confess their sins and they repent and John has baptize them. It's a baptism of repentance. It is a baptism that symbolizes the fact that they have repented and our following the Lord, and then John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, we saw that Jesus's baptism is not a baptism of repentance. It was a part of the ceremonial ordination into the priesthood and then Jesus is ready to begin his public ministry.

What is his public ministry to sink in the say that which was lost.

Now at this exact time what what you've expected Jesus to do. Jesus is just been baptize a step it up out of the water of the river Jordan and as he does, that the voice of his heavenly father speaks from a Hyatt from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove, and there is a visible presence of the Shekinah glory of God resting on the Lord Jesus Christ. I would've expected at this point in time that Jesus would've looked over at John thousands of people out before a and said move over John if my time to preach and that he would just let loose with a sermon that would've knocked everybody socks off.

Or maybe that Jesus would've said my healing ministry starts now.

So you that are blind and deaf or lame or or sick and dying come to me and you will be miraculously healed today.

Jesus didn't do that he doesn't start preaching.

He doesn't start Haley what does he do, he immediately goes to war.

He said now is the time that I will attack attack, the adversary of our God and focus.

It was not a sneak attack and it was not a secret thing that Jesus did. Jesus went straight to the gates of hail and fault Satan face-to-face look again at verses 12 through 13, the Spirit immediately drove him out his will to the wilderness and he was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild animals and the Angels were ministering to him.

Several things I need to point out most Christians read this passage too casually and they forget that the truth of the matter is that this event is a strategic calculated plan. It was not like Jesus, just Pat went to his baptism and said well think I'll mosey on down to the wilderness, and if things there that I will give him a fight know that was not was going on.

He was filled with the holy spirit and the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness.

Interesting.

When you read this in the Greek that the Scripture says an inverse 12 that the Holy Spirit and Iqbal owed him in the ward at Barlow literally means pitch the ESV says it Holy Spirit drove him but it was said it was so much the will of God that Jesus be in that wilderness being tempted by Satan. The Holy Spirit of God pitched him into the wilderness. With that in mind, let's consider all the way back in time and consider the temptation of Adam and Eve, Satan came in tempted them very powerfully that she might partake of the forbidden fruit only read Genesis chapter 3 verses one through six.

Again now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord had made. He said to the woman, did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden and the woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden. But God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that's in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die, but the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate the first Adam was in a perfect environment.

He did not have a sin nature, his wheel was not fettered by sin. Satan entered the garden and what did he do, he attacked the word of God and any said to Eve, did God actually say that you shall not eat of any tree of the garden, but that's for every temptation comes from Satan attacks the word of God so that we will doubt it, and that we will put our feelings in our thoughts, over and above God's word, but that is die out and it is diametrically opposed to faith now in first John chapter 2 verse 16 of the apostle John said this for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father is of the world. Every temptation that you will ever face will fall into one of those three categories. John get that from you got it right from one verse in Genesis chapter 3 verse six starts with the lust of the flesh. What did he say in verse six he said this tree was good for food. John said then the lust of the eyes verse six of Genesis 3 and he said it was a delight to the to the eyes and then John said in the pride of life.

Verse six. The tree was desired to make one wise. Every temptation that you will ever face will fall into one of those three categories.

The first Adam, do will he failed miserably and he took of the fruit she ate of that fruit and then she gave to Adam and Adam purposely intentionally sin and ate of the fruit himself.

What did that costing it through Adam and all humanity into sin and into death, Romans chapter 5 verse 12 Paul said this.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so that death spread to all me in because all have sinned. The first Adam failed miserably. Now in Mark one, the second Adam steps forward in his tempted to sin. He is not in a paradise. Like the first Adam was.

He is in the wilderness and he was not tempted once. Like the first Adam was he was tempted in all points and Satan attacked the word of God. Jesus does not doubt it. He proclaims it to the enemy and he defeats him on the spot. Romans chapter 5 verse 19 explains that for as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

This battle between Satan and Jesus was not just a little skirmish if Jesus had given me, and even in one point then the cross would've meant nothing. If Jesus Christ had failed just once in one point, then he could not have been our Savior. If Jesus had sin in one point, then the cross would've done no good at all for 4000 years Satan had believed that he was totally victorious Adam and failed all of his descendents have failed. And then all of a sudden Jesus shows up on the same Satan throws everything he has. Adding he does everything he can to try beginning to fall for the temptation and Jesus will not judge here in Mark's gospel we are told that Jesus was among the wild basin angels came and ministered to him. How were they ministering to and I think possibly by protecting him from the wild beast. I don't know if they were visible to Jesus at this point in time or not. I tend to think at this point in time, probably not. But Jesus could feel their protection. He could feel there he could feel that their love. He knew that they were right there with them and we get over into the into Matthew's gospel and we find out that when the temptations came to an end. The Scripture says that Satan left defeated and then the angels came and they minister to Jesus. I believe that that point in time that that was just Jesus and it was just the angels and I believe that they were very visible and I believe that they were very vocal and I believe that they said to Jesus, Jesus, you one they were praising him I was say look at everybody else's failed. Adam failed Abraham failed Moses failed Joshua failed. Jeremiah failed Daniel failed. David failed all of them failed but not you, Jesus, Jesus, you one you always win Jesus. Jesus you one will picture this scene if you cannot him comes to my mind. All hail the power Jesus name. Let angels prostrate fall bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. So the first thing that Jesus accomplishes through the temptations in the wilderness. Is this he succeeded were Adam and all of his descendents had failed. This is the first day up in Paradise regained so here Jesus is the second Adam, but I want you to also say that not only was he the second Adam. It was also the second Moses.

Moses led physically ill. Israel into the wilderness. When I wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

Why they were disobedient.

They were murmuring. They were griping they were complaining and Moses himself got mad, struck the rock that was a picture of Christ and was not allowed himself to even go in to the promised land. How long did Jesus spend in the wilderness 40 days, how long did the children of Israel wander in the wilderness 40 years, the number 40 in Scripture is extremely important. The number 40 represents or symbolizes the birth of something you how long is a woman's gestation. The time between conception and birth, not nine months, it's 40 weeks how how long did it rain in the flood of Noah. 40 days and 40 nights, when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments and he fasted, how long did he fast 40 days when Elijah was in the cave. How long was he.

They are praying to God 40 days was award quarantine main board quarantine means a 40 day period of isolation. I put a person quarantine for 40 days to be sure that he is well before they letting go back out so it means 40 days. Most Bible scholars believe that the wilderness that Jesus was actually in was a wilderness call quarantine but it's all these things have to do with the number 40 that symbolizes the birth of something new you in Noah's day after the 40 days the rain stopped in a new era of time a new era of history began after 40 days of fasting, Moses came back down the mountain. He had within the, the 10 Commandments that God had given him the law and a new era of time began after 40 years of wilderness wandering the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River and a new era of time began. As they went into the promised land. Here Jesus fast for 40 days he wins his battle against against Satan. He's filled with the Holy Spirit and he burst on the scene in order that he might start his public ministry folks that make sense but why the wilderness, why did he have to go into the wilderness, will the word for wilderness in the Hebrew is mid bar comes from the root word.bar and it means to speak. The wilderness is the place where God speaks, that's important for a couple weeks ago we were talking about John the Baptist and I was sharing with you that he was reared in the area near in Guinea. It's an area where the the Jordan River begins to flow into the end of the Dead Sea. I shared with you about a a mountain. They are called Masada. Masada is a very, very tall mountain and it's it's just flat as a pancake on the top but it's very very steep also shared with you that in 70 A.D. Titus of Rome came into Jerusalem and he destroyed the city, not down the walls and not down the temple and he killed 1.2 million Jews on at that time there were 967 Jewish men, women, Boys and Girls Club flat out of the city of Jerusalem and they went immediately to Masada.

They climbed up on the top of Masada.

They said this is where we live. Roman soldiers found out about it. They tried to get up to them to capture them and they just threw rocks down on him and killed him.

Face it would have to find another way to do this I said will build a sand ramp and that will use Jewish labor so they won't throw rocks them only on their own people built a sand ramp took several years to build it and finally got all the light of the top they climbed up to the top when they got up to the top all 967 Jews men women Boys and Girls Club committed suicide.

They decided they would rather die than be captives to run shared with you that in 1977 I went to Israel had the privilege of going up on the top of Masada are God shared the story with us and then told us that when they are inducting soldiers into the Israelite or Israel rightly Army bring them up. They retell the story. Masada in an almost new soldier say in unison. There will never be another Masada. This is what I didn't tell you why we were up on Mount Masada of the God sent one of his assistants down the mountain. So what you get in the in the van take off about 3 miles and get out and so he did. We set there we were watching, he went out about 3 miles now, there's nothing out there but just sand just desert sand.

He gets out there about 3 miles. He gets out of the van and he waves at us and he starts talking in a normal voice. We could hear him clears a bail how well will in the wilderness. There are no obstacles to break the sound waves. There's no trees there's no bushes there's no buildings in the sound waves just float right up to the top and we could hear them clearly. Several years ago Cindy and I took a romantic trip on a on a bull on the balloon and we went on up into the air and we were flying across Charlotte and we look then we can see little children playing below and we could hear them talking and it was it was so clear. It was like they were right there with us.

We could hear dogs barking. It was like the dog is right there in the basket with us. Same principle folks and that principle is this. There were no soundwaves to break to break this to break the sound so we could hear clearly now that is true in the physical realm. I want to know is even more true in the spiritual ram in the spiritual ram as well as in the physical realm. The wilderness is the place where God speaks 2007 I went to the spiritual wilderness Place was in a wreck. I was in the hospital for about four months. I was just in bed I couldn't go to work. I couldn't preach I couldn't work on sermons I mean I was just desire and there were no obstacles and there was nothing I could do and when mutated during that time I got spoken to by God. The Lord spoke to my heart about things in my life that needed changing that in the aware unneeded repentance and the Lord broke me while I was on my back in those hospital beds and dealt with my heart and there was genuine repentance books. The wilderness is a place where God speaks some of you are in a wilderness right now.

It might be a marriage wilderness. It might be a financial wilderness might be a children wilderness might be an addiction wilderness, but the wilderness is a place where God speaks now we have a tendency to run from wilderness knowingly because wilderness situations might mean pain. It might mean suffering might be persecution. We think God is a God of love. He wants to alleviate my my pain. He wants me to be tribulation and persecution through what we get that from not Scripture.

We share some Scripture with you. Philippians 1 2940 is given to you on the behalf of Christ not only to believe upon him, but also to suffer for his site. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12. All we live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Acts chapter 14 and verse 22, 23, much tribulation will enter into the kingdom of God, hundred 19 verse 67 before I was afflicted I went astray.

But now I have kept your word. Some hundred 19 verse 71 says it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn your statutes and first Peter chapter 4 verses 12 and 13, Peter said beloved.

Think it not strange. When these fiery trials come upon you.

Is it some strange thing is happened to you, but rejoice in that you been counted worthy to be a partaker of Christ suffering.

Suffering for Christ sake doesn't weaken the believer. It strengthens the believer in our Lord suffering of the wilderness is an example and it's a testimony to us. He is telling us believer you are at war, persecution, suffering and tribulation are not true are proof of God's abandonment of you.

They are proof that what you're going to Israel and what you're experiencing with the Lord is real and he is with you. Never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus is in the wilderness and is Satan attacks him. God is speaking to him.

He's getting him prepared for three years of public ministry than a crucifixion, resurrection and ascension in the wilderness, God speaks to Jesus so he can birth a new ministry and a new covenant, but not only was Jesus a second Adam, like I said before, is also the second Moses a lead spiritual Israel. What is spiritual Israel spiritual Israel is the church.

He leaves the church into the kingdom of God.

Anytime the passage concerning the temptations of Jesus is proclaimed. Somebody will always ask could could Jesus have sinned. Could Jesus have sent anything could not.

Does that mean that the temptations were real Wayne Brigham's got a great systematic theology book in a systematic theology book you gave the best answer that I've seen for this. I want to take a minute read it to you. If Jesus is a person at sin involving both his human and divine natures in sin, then God himself would have sinned, and he would've ceased to be God. Yet that is clearly impossible because the infinite holiness of God's nature. Therefore, if we are asking if it was actually possible for Jesus, have sent it seems that we must conclude that it was not possible, the union of the human and divine natures in one person prevented but even though Jesus could not sin. That does not mean the temptations he faced were not genuine. Their reality did not depend on his ability to respond.

Actually, since he never yielded to them. He endured their full force temptation was therefore more real for him than for those who yield to it. It could be so intense that it made his sweat become like drops of blood falling down upon the ground and Mark doesn't tell us what the temptations were we get over to Matthew and Luke and we are given three of those temptations. There are many, many more other than those but those three temptations I think were representation temptations, so, so we see that all temptations are gonna be like one of those three.

Jesus is been on a 40 day fast and will only go look at the first one here is been on this 40 day fast and I can even imagine what that must've felt like or what it must've been like if somebody were to tell me you get ready to go through the most difficult spiritual warfare that you've ever been in your life. I try to build myself up. I would eat a lot of protein not eat a lot of vitamin enriched foods trying to get myself a strong as I could be for this Jesus did the opposite. He fasted for 40 days. Why so that his dependents would be totally on the father 40 days with no food. The temptation from Satan was in the area of the lust of the flesh. Jesus was literally starving and Satan said if you are the son of God, then turn these stones into bread.

Temptation was a diabolical strategy to get Jesus to die out his own son ship Satan said if you are the son of God. If you are really the son of God. Why are you on the verge of starvation. Surely this is not God's will for your life with Satan. They are the baptism of Jesus.

When God the father spoke from heaven to this is my beloved son in whom I will please feel sure that he was there essentially is saying to Jesus. Did God really say that you're his beloved son. So part of the temptation was to make Jesus feel that he had to. He had to prove his own son ship Satan was suggesting that he could do that he could do that if they would turn stones into bread. Remember talking to a wise old preacher right when I first got into the ministry. He said Doug is God told you preacher said yes or yes he said then then preach the word he says this is what God's called you to do then proclaim the word he said don't don't defend it so much as proclaiming it.

He said yeah they'll be times when you need to do apologetics will be times when you need to defend the word by the word, but most the time. This is what you need to do just proclaim the word if you proclaim the word, then the holies is that word will come forth and you will see power in it like you can't believe folks I have come to realize that that's exactly what I need to do and what I'm sharing the gospel with somebody. Sometimes I'll try to break the ice with that person by sharing my personal testimony first.

But I want to get away from that. Just as soon as I can so I can get to the word because the Scripture says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God's if you're trying to witness to a Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. But what you can adduce. You can start sharing with them about comparative religions don't do that. Go to the word because that's where the power is John chapter 14 verse six Jesus said I'm the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father but by me. Acts chapter 4 verse 12 says there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved with the name Jesus Christ.

That's where the power areas proclaim the word don't defend it, proclaim it. Truth. The Bible is the word of God like what 10 Puritan said.

He said the Bible is a handful that has worn out many hammers and did not truly Jesus knew that he did not have to defend his son ship, why not because God said it, and that settles it. Temptation was deep.

Satan was tempting Jesus to be impatient.

He was say and if you don't eat your gonna die. And if you die, what good are you going to be to mankind. So Jesus responded back to Satan.

He didn't argue with him it in reason withing what did he do. He said it is written, it went right to Deuteronomy 83 it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. You and ask you something. When you're dealing with temptation. What you do you reason with the flesh do you argue with the devil you try to the overcome the world with your thinking wrong way. What should we do, we should say it is written so young scantily clad girl comes walking out in front of me. What what am I supposed to do if I get them to think that temptation and not lust to go right to the word is written.

Job 31 verse one. I've made a covenant with my eyes. Why should I look up and made maybe you're a married lady and your husband is asking you to do something or wanted you to share something with you to get you to go in a certain direction. It's a good thing and it's not sin that he's telling you to do. She really just don't want to do that at the temptation to sin by not doing that. So what you do. Maybe you say it is written that wives submit yourself and your own husbands is under the Lord. Maybe you're in a situation where somebody is hurt your feelings and your mad you're angry you want to get better. You want to fight back. Maybe you say it is written, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you, folks, we need to fight temptation in the same way our master thought temptation. It is written later on in the public ministry of Jesus, is it began. He preached what we call the sermon on the Mount and into a portion of the sermon on the Mount. He says some things that make me wonder if he wasn't thinking back to what Satan the way Satan tempted him to turn the stones into into bread when you read this to you from Matthew six is it therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wire is not life more important than food and the body more important and close look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns behavior heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they said the Robin to the sparrow. I should really like to know why these anxious human beings rush about worry so said the spirit of the Robin friend. I think that it must be that they have no heavenly father such as, cares for you and me.

This temptation is one we all face will God really take care of me. Will God take care of me.

Cannot trusting even with my life. Some people in our church suffering with a coded virus right now and we know what it can do. We know how deadly it is. Can we say I know beyond a shadow of the doubt that my Lord loves me that I'm in his sovereign hand. He's going to do what's best for me and what is best for his glory. Can we truly say that from the depths of our heart. It is written, I will never leave you nor forsake you spray heavenly father. Today's passage of Scripture is not one that leaves us with the warm fuzzies is a call to take up our sword. The sword of the Spirit to put on our gear the full armor of God, and to go after the enemy with a vengeance. This is a call to war is ultimately more serious than any war between nations that is being fought today. This is a war for the health of our souls. We have recorded for us in Scripture. Have you defeated the enemy, not just often but always help us to have that, heart, and that, courage as we lead today. Help us to remember first Corinthians 1013, for they had no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful will not permit you to be tempted above that which are able. What will with the temptation provide the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. We love you Lord it's in Jesus name we pray