Shortcut to Disaster

Good morning Ms. Summit church. Our vision the church is not only to add to people here at your church of the triangle, but also to send out people, some of our very best to plant churches in places where the church is not as vibrant and thriving is as it may be here if you are excited about the vision of multiplication want to show that by putting hands together all of our campuses to affirm that amazing time to be a part of God's was a bit and we give God thanks for that. Matthew four if you have your Bible this weekend and hope that you do, you bring it with you every weekend met you for Matthew.

The first book in the Bible for the New Testament. If you believe we read this passage Monday.

Matthew four. If you're reading the Bible through with us you would've come to it on Monday. Just out of curiosity, how many of you think that you were going to finish out the year with us reading the New Testament.

By the way I'm not asking if you been flawless up to this point, but as of today you are back on the wagon back in the saddle and you plan on not finish up your strong to raise your hand all our campuses put up there very good that is encouraging.

Matthew, for we pick up on the event in the life of Jesus that happens directly after his baptism, which is of course we looked at last week. If you were here and that event is the temptation of Jesus. And while what we are going to learn today from this passage is going to apply to everybody. I do agree with Andy Stanley who says that the lessons from this passage are especially pertinent to a certain kind of person, namely those who are driven by that I don't mean you're right around in the popular taxi service. I mean that you are really really driven. I'm talking about the 13-year-old who when you ask her what she wants to do with her life.

She pulled out a flowchart and she talks her for the next 15 minutes. You know, some I like that I have a man who always finds himself looking back at the end of every day to evaluate what he accomplished that day and how much he accomplished and he accomplished enough, he is addicted to progress to forward motion.

Yes, trouble disconnecting, sometimes a dinner the family will be talking about something in his mind is drifted off to what he's gotta do next and then the next company I housing to get them himself or his company to the next level or it's the woman who gave up on corporate America to be a mom but now tries to dump corporate America into her kids on these kinds of people are usually addicted to efficiency everything's gotta run on schedule because I got there they organize and take advantage of all the opportunities for progress and I don't want you messing that up. You know some of these people don't you there. The kind of people.

Revenues schedule their downtime and they get stressed out when things don't go according to plan on their downtime because are not to be able to accomplish all the things in their downtime and plan on accomplishing some of you this weekend are those people. Some of you were seated next to theirs before that point to the person.

If you know who exactly what I'm talking about, I know exactly who you are extinguished in this room because you're the ones who know where my timeclock is and you're the ones were always checking it saying I don't like it was worth four minutes that point that he just made these people are usually supporting others of you like there's a timeclock what you talking about. These people are usually supreme multitaskers since I began the sermon you have already sent for emails and pay three bills because you're like you I do want to hear the sermon, but the introduction is usually fluffy and so I just felt like I can get some of the stuff done and I'll check back in when you get the word brother. Here's what I know about these people. A lot of times these kinds of people don't really care that much about money. It sort of misunderstanding people have about them what they love is creating and conquering what the next benchmark I can achieve.

What's next company I can turn around what's the next level that I can get to. They feel driven almost called almost called to get to the top. It got you this weekend are two things that I want you to know right off the bat first.

God created you that way. I would say it's part of the image of God in you, because in many ways, God himself was like that one day God was like you know what I'm tired enough that I want to create everything and he did and when danger threatened it.

He could not rest until he had turned around, but second thing I want you to know the second thing I want to know is being that way comes with some unique challenges and Jesus, who I believe in many ways was that way himself shows us in this passage how to address those particular challenges and how to overcome I'm gonna walk you through this passage and then I want to show you the three specific temptations that Satan through Jesus and water especially pertinent to certain ones of us in here. I will tell you on a personal level. This is one of the most illuminating and helpful passages of Scripture because if you did not pick up on it. I am definitely included in that group that I described above in chapter 4 verse one then Jesus and then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil member Sue which I consider to be maybe the most obvious verse in the entire Bible and after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. I get when I was like I thought that self-evident. III only for 40 minutes and I'm hungry, of course, he was hungry after 40 days and 40 nights, born then going on stuff in your Bible. I would underline that because it is probably the one key to understanding the whole thing because it is not just meaning that this happened next. Like, then this happened showing you that what happens in chapter 4 is directly connected to what happens in chapter 3, and that what happens in chapter 4 flows out of what happens in chapter 3 that almost an unfortunate place for a chapter break there and what was that that just happened. Well, Jesus had just been baptized and at the end of his baptism. Chapter 3 verse 17 the voice of God from heaven had declared this is my beloved son in whom I am well please now talk about a spiritual high God himself from heaven in front of everybody says you're my boy and I am proud of you and I love you and I'm really pleased with you. That's a spiritual high. If there ever was one.

Then the devil because he doesn't how Satan works spiritual highs followed by spiritual loans, you hear a voice from heaven that is almost always followed by a voice from hell.

New levels bring new devils think of the baptism is a place of celebration and friendship and joy. There is water there a river lush vegetation it's followed by a time of isolation. In a dry, cracked and parched desert area. Jesus is wondering.

It is called just Simon, which literally meant in Hebrew, the devastation that hurt a guy one time compare Jesus's time in the wilderness to a camping trip that he and his buddies at taken to Yellowstone National Park. That is not at all what is going on here. This would be a horrible place is been 40 days, six weeks alone without food with the devil and not even some JV demon either like El Diablo himself, honestly, I cannot imagine a worse situation. I hate being alone for long periods of time. I hate not eating.

I hate being in the desert. I hate camping out and I hate being alone. Satan is like five things in a row whenever God does something great in your life. Listen to this, you can count on it. Satan will be right behind him to pull up the seeds that God has planted some of you are going through that right now some of you are about to go through it and I want you to recognize it for what it is, so that you don't panic when it happens, McMillan will will will wrong God. You seem so closely. Her voice was so clear what is it all an illusion.

No, no, it's that times of Revelation are always followed by times of testing the voice from heaven is followed by Vin, the devil, the fact that you go through a time of temptation and struggle that mean you're a bad Christian doesn't mean that what you experience in the baptism wasn't real after all Jesus was tempted severely right after this spiritual high and so will you be back.

I would say if it's been a while since you had a head on collision with Satan that's more likely that you're going the same direction he is and he does not feel like messing with you. When God starts to do something in your life can count on it. Then the devil. So if I were you I would take out a pen, you have a gun already and I would*that word circlet five.

You have a payment to lipstick in spirit prick your finger debit and blood whatever it takes.

You need to understand that these kind of spiritual highs are immediately followed up with times of spiritual drought and attack and him coming after you with everything within him. Second, notice the reality of Satan. Many people in our culture think it is naïve or unsophisticated to believe in Satan like serious demand with the horns of a pitchfork in the red spandex you really believe and I got no not the horns and the end of the red spandex, but a supernatural being that works in the world for evil and destruction. Think about it, if we believe there's a God, the idea that there is a supernatural being that also works for evil.

It's not that much of a stretch. Jesus certainly did not think it was naïve to believe in a devil. Neither did Peter or Paul or John Satan is mentioned. In fact, 250 times in the New Testament which works out to almost once for chapter. I would say that it's actually naïve not to believe in Satan. If you think that all that was behind the Holocaust was simply Hitler or all that was behind slavery was just economics and racism. I think your naïve if you think that the primary factor in your problem with pornography is that you just got some issues with self-control.

I think your naïve if you think all that's the distractions at work in your family and that that make it hard for you guys to keep God at the center and for you to stay involved in a local church that all result from a demanding schedule in a very fast-moving culture. I think your naïve if you think all that's at work and the discord in your small group, or the trouble in your marriage is simply conflict between difficult personalities. I think your naïve if you think the bitterness creeping up in your soul. You just come from the frustration of being misunderstood. I would say your naïve because there is an enemy. Jesus said to Saul, go is to kill still and to destroy that he literally prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour both of you wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and if you don't know who your fight against not really going to modify Satan care if you believe in him or not. I am the Lord to Kevin Spacey. The greatest trick that that site never played on the human race was a commitment convince us that he didn't exist.

Your most vulnerable to an enemy when you won't even acknowledge the existence of that enemy. Jesus understood it, which affected how he approached the situation watch with the enemy does first verse three the tempter came and said to him, if you are the son of God.

Now if if what had just happened at the baptism. You remember the baptism and chapter 3 verse 17 this is my beloved son in whom I am well please and all things like if that's true right this down. Satan put question marks in your life where God is put. Satan's goal is go to tactic is to break the hold of the word of God over you. You can see that from the very beginning right very first situation in regard to being how to Satan open up the situation to God really say that I sure got bad. Your best interest at heart. I think I might behold not on you Jesus told a story about a farmer who went out to scatter some see the sea representing the word of God and he said that some of the seed falls on soil before can take root. This bird comes along. The bird represents Satan and picks up the decedent and gets rid of it before can actually take root in your heart and what he is saying is that is that is that Satan is as much in the distractions that he gives you the word of God as he is making you doubt it you seek and sometimes not make it outage makes you forget about it. CS Lewis had a great illustration of this amount is what Screwtape letters Screwtape letters is the fictional letters of a junior demon to his senior demon about how his temp in the sky and he says you not had a code red because I am the guy who hears the word of God. He starts thinking I need to. I believe in God and I think I need to get them you know to get right with him and he said I panicked and so the senior demon says what is your duty to give them some arguments as to why you know God's irrelevancies and I decide I put some pressing business matters on his desk. He goes in and after he had spent little time and that is that you know what, I got a live in the real world.

I don't have time for all this fantastic stuff out there about about stuff and in the single-game is at exactly you can kill more of them to distraction than you can through doubts what that means is that it's not always good that the door of the big difficult question sometimes is just like to get you to think about something else to make it worse, not a sinner party a lot I think about that onychomycosis.

I think about sometimes you want her on preaching. If person that she has on the phone right now they're on Twitter you read that thing can you swing across the room and you yell David out. Don't go to.

I can promise you is your plan Pokémon go. You are being possessed by the devil.

At this very moment. Okay no it's it's it's it's what he wants to do is you want to distract you. Now of course not to be rude. Some of you don't know enough of the word of God, even be distracted by his whole goal is just to keep you separated from the word of God and he'll do that in whatever way possible doubt distraction or ignorance that a matter to him. Verse three for the son of God command these stones to become loaves of bread.

Now at last we get to the specific temptations ergo number one but he answered his written answer not live by bread alone bye-bye everywhere they come from out of God temptation number one is to prioritize the gifts of God over God himself to prioritize the gifts of God over God himself was nothing wrong with Brett God created Brad Red's good thing but it was simply not God's will for Jesus at this time because God had led Jesus the spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to fast. I cannot tell you how significant it is that the first temptation of Satan is not to do something blatantly immoral is simply to get Jesus to go after something good that is not in God's plan yet Satan is not out there in the words of Tim Keller, temp, and Jesus was with boozer breast is choosing bread Satan's primary strategy is to take a good thing a good thing like red or job or marriage or companionship, or children, or respect and to make it so important that it drives all your decisions because you think I've got to have this more than anything so you think. What can be single. I can be happy being single and God is just not working fast and also I might have to take matters into my own hands. We just can't have more money in our family cannot really be happy with this level of income. I gotta get ahead in God you're moving too slowly. I gotta have the approval of my friends. I've got to be the best I got to be recognized and that desire is almost always a good desire. He begins to dominate your emotions and it begins to control your behavior. What is Jesus's response after 40 days of no bread. He quotes a bird verse from the book of Deuteronomy man shall not live by bread alone bye-bye the word of God.

In other words something more important to me than even bread and that is fellowship with God.

Physical bread is good, but my soul finds its completeness and God or something more sustaining to me that even physical food and that is God's declaration over me that I am his beloved son. Yes I love bread and at some point I will go back to bread. But right now in this time-I had to choose between bread and God that I'll take God because God's word is more sustaining to my soul. Even than physical bread temptation. Number one is to prioritize the gifts of God a good thing over God himself to turn a good thing into an ultimate thing to do a God thing and replace God with it know to be really personal. I told you before that I knew Satan wants me to be driven once we be driven by being a good preacher successful pastor nothing wrong with me wanted to be good at what I do, but I knew that that means a sometimes he's the first one when I come down off the stage to tell me how good of a sermon that I just breached now if you give me encouragement afterwards among to call you Satan. So understand that there's nothing wrong with encouragement. Gotta give it to them back and forth to each other but see he wants me to base my happiness and my identity on how successful I am as a pastor. He wants you to base your identity on how good of a mother you are or how other people look at you or how good you are. Your job and it's a trap because he knows that the next time I preach if I don't do as well or just not enough people tell me how good it was. Then I will feel unsettled and unhappy, which will make me vulnerable to all the other temptations. See if you live by success. That means you also died by success because success cannot sustain you.

Success is not read for the everlasting soul but if you have you live by fellowship with the father. That means when you're in a wilderness when you're in a time of plenty. Your joy will not change because you have a source of joy in life that is never-ending and is so much better than physical bread to the first temptation is to replace the giver with the gift verse five we go to the second one than the devil to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple verse six and said to him, if you're the son of God, there it is again, there's the doubt, throw yourself down as it's written he will command his angels concerning you as a verse from the Psalms whole and it was one more and on their hands they will bear you up lets you strike your foot against a stone. That's a verse from another song. Satan quoting Scripture listing all the noses verses and he knows exactly how to use him so could I do stop here and say this before I get to the second temptation just because you find a verse for something, doesn't mean you're using the Bible right people have given me over years.

The motion jacked up interpretations of Scripture.

You could ever imagine.

Well, you know the Bible says it was merely having somewhere in Doug's marriage is not making me happy. So clearly it's God's will for me to leave his marriage and go after somebody else and don't argue with me about it because I have peace about it. Sorry I can't I just quit my job and liquidated my retirement and put it all into this magic being business because Philippians 413 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me poor. Philippians 413 20 that verse could come alive when you get to heaven. It's an adjustment like be taken rear ends and taken that verse has been more abuse you see two wrestlers about the wrestle each other. Both of them have Philippians 413 tattooed to their back might now this is interesting, the power Jesus was the power Jesus as I can go down. That's not what that person eats is that you can make all your foul shots or you can score a touchdown every time one of the reasons we encourage you to be in small groups here is that you're much less likely to interpret Scripture wrongly when you read in community when other people can say pretty sure that's not whatever's means the last thing that you wanted to end up being Satan to somebody else because you read the Bible in a lazy way right so you gotta know what it means things and not just but you can call very verse seven Jesus said to him how senior to Scriptures and I'll raise you one, but I'll interpret it correctly.

You shall not put the Lord your God to the test by what's going on here. I think the key word here is the word tests.

Satan is tempting Jesus to test God for God to prove that God will take care of it. The logic goes like this you know Jesus, if you really are the son of God. If that's true then then if you did this over here that he would take care of your so why don't you do this over here to see if he takes care of you because if he does then you'll actually know that you're his beloved son, and what is Jesus respond with.

Why would I need God to prove what he has already declared why what I need to test God to give him some other thing he's gotta do to prove he's actually telling the truth.

Temptation number two is to interpret God to your circumstances rather than his word is so easy to succumb to this one. When life goes good. We think we must have the pleasure of God. But when life goes bad. We think will God must be angry at me if if he existed all you find yourself looking to heaven. Thank God you said you love me in this horror resort think I would've done wrong and why are you punishing me sometimes on them, not even sure if you exist is if you're paying them back to your disbelief go look at Jesus. He's the beloved son. He is completely pleasing to God. He is completely in step with the Spirit.

He is exactly where he is supposed to be yet he is not shielded from pain. He is in a desert. Jesus said that for those who follow him. The cross would be the center of their lives and the cross does not mean you where little gold organ around your neck or you have a tattooed your ankle what the cross means is a means misunderstanding means betrayal by your friends. It means suffering, often unjust suffering and sacrifice.

Jesus said the servants are better than the master of the master about whether the cross and you can expect to also we Jesus said, follow me.

He wasn't Becky Matus, beckoning us to a barefoot walk through a meadow filled with snuggles and rainbows he was calling us to pick up the cross where he had gone. When that happens when that happens, and it surely will happen when the spirit of God takes you into the desert of financial hardship. The desert of the betrayal by a friend.

The desert of an uncooperative spouse, the desert of disrespect or of unappreciative children for of loneliness. What are you going to believe about God in that desert are you going to interpret God to your circumstances or you going to see your circumstances, the promise of God's word because you listen we got something even better than Jesus and all the Old Testament prophets that they had the promises of God's word and the prophets. We have the demonstration of God's love at the cross John Doe within the Puritan writer used to say the greatest insult you could ever give to God. After the cross is to doubt his love for you what else we have to do to show his steadfast love for you and then you turn around and think I need something else beyond that reminds me of him.

We something I was a kid and I don't think using it anymore is going is good returns to it but I need no other argument I'd need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me enough for me that Jesus saves, that ends my fear and doubt a simple soul. I came to him he did not cast me out. I need no other argument I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me is when we sing now that's more current. When Satan tempt me to despair and tells me of the guilt within upward. I look and see in their maiden and all my sin. In other words, I am such a short of the steadfast love of God, not only because he declared it, which should be enough but also he demonstrated through the cross so that I know that whatever Valley I'm walking through if he didn't leave me there when it was my sin that was crucified the life out of him.

He's not gonna leave me now and if God raised Jesus from the dead. He is certainly working in my circumstance in front of me and also to the third temptation. Again, the devil took into a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, all these will I give to you if you will fall down and worship me. And Jesus said to him, be gone. Satan, for its written, you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.

Temptation number three is to pursue a good thing in the wrong way. Let me tell you why this temptation was so powerful.

The kingdoms of the world are exactly what Jesus had come for they are what God had promised to Jesus and they are what Jesus believed that he was entitled to. Satan is offering him a chance to have it through a shortcut to avoid the pain of the cross and the plan of God, to walk on a path parallel to the plan of God, but not in the plan of God. This is the temptation to compromise you really, really, really want to get here and here is a is a good place and you think it's what God wants. God doesn't seem to be getting you here fast enough so I think I got a get there. My own where I heard a comedian one time say Señor for years and I was a get operate. Every night, God give me a bicycle and I figured out the God and all his infinite wisdom wasn't going to work that way. And so I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness. That's the temptation to compromise the temptation to take a shortcut the things that you believe you are entitled to the good things that the temptation for example to sacrifice your integrity or your family responsibilities so that you can get to that next level, your wife or your husband tells you you are working too much in your family suffering. The kids need their dad or their mom and you're like a understand but I really need us to get there. There is such a good place once with Pharaoh there will be so much easier. And it's not like when I get there to be an atheist. I can re-adopt all my values, I can realign my life and I can get my priorities back in line. That will be in such a much better financial position in life will be stable and I'll be able to give more money so I'm have to shortcut right now my morality or my responsibilities to my family or my involvement in the local church just a little bit, but it's in a get me there faster and there is a good place when you say that you are in the grip of Satan himself.

Let me tell you where the slide starts this lie starts in that moment when you're frustrated with life. You find yourself looking up at the ceiling as you're trying to go to sleep and you think the problem is you circumstance promise to you Mary to the problem is the job that you have the amount of money that you're making you think what I just get this other thing is the level then I'll be happy Jesus that is not the issue. Issue now that I have the kingdoms of the world issues.

Now that I will have bread is if you really want to have joy you need to be able to look up at a dark ceiling in bed at night and know that your exactly what I want you to be doing exactly what God wants you to do and that you are in fellowship with the father. That is the only way to have true peace. Jesus wanted fellowship with the father more than he wanted anything he wanted fellowship with the father more than he wanted to achieve his goals in his dreams. He wanted it even more than he wanted bread and because of that he could resist Satan he can keep his integrity because fellowship with the father with his highest ambition. It was his choice portion. It was his living bread and because of that he had all the things in his life in the right order. He wanted his goals in his dreams anyone. It is bread to be had to choose between those in the will of God detect the will of God. Every single time and that was the test. What you choose. Did you gotta choose between the two. CS Lewis had a way of expressiveness and I shared with you before, but he was a mere Christianity said you know in life you can find first things and second things first things God and his will on seeking God second things is everything else. Second, things not bad things good things good things like family and things like career and job and and all the friends closer here.

Second things he said here's a way works if you put first things first put God first, then God will also add to your life. An abundance of second things, but if you put second things first.

Not only will you lose first things your relationship with God eventually says you lose all the second things and if for no other reason than that you lose your ability to enjoy them sitting exactly little confusing in life there for thing to say things people first things first, her second things in free but he was coming for zombie was a first things you also lose a second things that more since Matthew 633 if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. All these things will be added to you is is you got to prioritize the giver over the gifts, then the devil left him bold angels came and were ministering and I could be immature of angels come in and like their X wing fighters and Darth Vader like signet spinning off into the universe like a Star Wars one, but Satan is coming back just like they did it come to Jesus and in these three temptations of the court's strategy to prioritize something good. More than you do. God to evaluate how God feels about you by your circumstances and go around God to get something good to let me spend our last few moments explaining how the way that Jesus over overcame these temptations will give you the ability to overcome yours and contrary to popular belief is not simply that you learn Scripture." It back to Satan as important as that is. That's what people always think about this passage know the Bible and that's important. But there's something more here you see Jesus in this chapter is becoming more than just our model. He is our model but usually come in more than just our model. He is going to do something that is going to enable us to overcome temptation when we go through my mates were without it.

I told you last week that the baptism Jesus began his ministry of substitution because it was a baptism of repentance. And Jesus did not need to repent of the sayings he didn't have any so he was being baptized in repentance for our sin and at that moment Jesus begin to live the life that we were supposed to live so that he could die the death that we were condemned to die.

So the first thing he does after the baptism as he is now living a life of substitution is he goes into the wilderness where he is going to reenact the temptation of mankind so that he can reverse the fall. You see, think about it man. The first temptation Adam and Eve had been in a perfect environment. The Garden of Eden and Satan come to him and said, essentially, the three things that you prioritize the gift over the giver, you need three of knowledge for the knee got and you know what God's not really that good to you should doubt God because I don't think you got your best interest at heart and there's something else is more important even fellowship with God. This is a better way and the first man and woman in a perfect environment. They believe Satan's lies prioritize the gift over the giver. They doubted the goodness of God and a compromise God's laws in pursuit of a good thing. Now you got Jesus who is the second Adam, by contrast, rejects Satan's lies.

But he's not in the garden of Eden were always need to be met.

He's in the wilderness these in the office of the Garden of Eden where he is hungry yet still he prioritizes fellowship with the father, above all, and refuses to believe the lies of Satan.

All that man did wrong. Jesus was going to do right is going to reverse it so that when it comes time to die.

He can bear our condemnation because a perfect life that ends under the condemnation of death can free those under the condemnation of death and restore us to everlasting life, so that those of us who are in Christ can say there is no condemnation that belongs to me, because he lived that life and was put on his head and none of it is applies to me anymore as he was perfect and he substituted what that does listen what that does is it assures to me.

My place with the father and he gives me.

Therefore the strength to overcome the temptations of Satan because I know that that all things are assured of his love and am assured of my position before him, and even more than that. He unites himself to me by his spirit, which means that the same one who overcame these temptations for me to now overcome them through me so is not merely my model. He's actually walking through the temptations and being victorious over them so that his perfect record can be credited to me and said that his resurrection power can live through me to see many people interpret the big point in this passage has just meaning that the way we overcome Satan is by knowing more Scripture than Satan does.

That's how I think I understood it growing up. It was like I'm trying to be like it was almost like Jesus is within this thing like a Harry Potter like duel Satan and things like Lord Baltimore. He throws Scripture curse at you all for fear 38 got the user at this moment where your powers are against each other for something throws out a second went to get all but under the genealogy between LU and enjoy what you can think beneath. I can't resist that someone often in the atmosphere email think that was it just me list.

Satan always knows more verses than you. He's had several thousand years and memorize all of Dino's Bible backwards and forwards. He knows that a whole lot better than you do. And so you reciting the one verse, you know, flipping 413 I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me back to him is not to make him slink away and cower in fear there something specific about the word of God that Jesus recalls each time something that undergirds every verse he quotes something so powerful that not even Satan can refute it, and that is his identity in the father's eyes. You see, Satan begins every temptation. If you are the son of God.

Everything Jesus quotes ultimately goes back to the security that he possesses, and who he is in God's eyes. People think of Satan's work is like all this weird stuff makes people levitating foam at the mouth and you know kill chickens and crazy that that's not Satan's main work and impact as I point out things not Jesus in the wilderness showing pictures of porn Satan's primary work is to try to get Jesus to doubt the goodness of God, and to lose touch with the father's identity of the father has declared over him because once he does that he knows that Jesus would be vulnerable to every other temptation. He would throw out that your main temptation is the root of all temptations is to establish your identity on something other than God's declaration over you in Christ to take your eyes off of the gospel kinda think that God's evaluation of you is based on how you live based on your performance so that it's up one day when you're good and it's down one day when you're bad for to base your understanding of God's love on the circumstances. Your rent rather than what he demonstrated for you at the cross but see the gospel is that Jesus who was God's own son came to earth to substitute himself for you which secures your place before the father have often told you that I am as sure of my son ship with God that he would never leave or forsake me. I am as sure of going to heaven when I die, as if Jesus himself as if I were Jesus himself and that's not because I'm awesome. It's because no longer is my position before the father, or my inheritance in heaven based on how I live. It's based on how he lived in the fact that he substituted himself for me and see because of that, I got a position before the father because he went to this dictation victoriously came and died for me, who didn't go through it victoriously. My position is secure. That also assures me of God's steadfast love for me because unlike if he would go through all this for me. Can't I trust will be the constant present father in my life that belief is what shatters the power Satan Martin Luther who I talked about last week you had some interesting ways to, you can write El Diablo, Martin Luther talked about this as a event be in a song we still sing today, the Prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him one little word will fail him not, you know, just an avalanche of Scripture one word word was Luther talking about some of the word of the gospel. He was then what shatters Satan's power is the declaration is the declaration of what God has made me in Christ. It means that yes I am a sinner and yes I have messed up. But this is what God has declared about me. This is as far as God is remove my sent for me and this is what God is determined to make me and that shatters pet Satan's power in a way that Satan won't even touch did you not out of this war. Did you know the book, the Satan of Satan and the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin and you will distinguish between the two of them as they got very different agendas, but both of them will point out your sin.

Here's how you know the difference. Satan will start with what you did and he will tear down who you are. He will say you do this. Therefore, you're bad person and God doesn't really care about you and you and your future so uses your actions to tear down your identity. The Holy Spirit, when he conviction of sin always does a different way.

He starts with what God is declared over you in Christ and then begins to rebuild what you did. He begins to say yes you are a sinner and yes, you've done some bad things, but if any man is in Christ is a new creation. The whole all thing. Old things are passed away behold all things becoming new and that includes the things you did.

So I'm going to from your identity in Christ, declare my love and my steadfast acceptance of you and I want to help rebuild what you did, you can tell the difference between the voice of Satan, the voice of the Holy Spirit based solely on where they start the start with God's word. What is declared of yours and start with your actions entered on your identity having a coach I am told is painfully reenacted. One common life of my kids. I was several years ago my oldest daughter was six. My second order was for answer were driving somewhere just me and threw them in the backseat and I am looking review mirror and we were talking about something. I think it was the failure was coming to town or something and my oldest daughter is always been little timid to try new things and you know I couldn't.

Roller coasters parachuting is to get a dry anything and so but she she she has like this, she always waited to see her younger sister. So I am talking to her and I'm told about the fair and I see I ask her talk about some of the rise of the fair and I see it in rhizosphere like and she kinda drops her head and on what is there and I said I said listen, sweetheart, you're gonna half to try new things. If you go anywhere in life. I know some you are judging me as a parent you know what my identities in Christ on care what you think you're going to have to try some new thinks if you can do anything in life and she says the daddy. It scares me and I said I said yes I it's get lots of things here.

Lots of us. But until you learn to face your fears. You does that you can't do this and she drops her head and she got to see her in the reviews looking review and she says under daddy. Sometimes I feel like I'm just such a big scaredy-cat and I said that's exactly right. And if you are going to be a scaredy-cat and you don't stop me.

The scaredy-cat go anywhere in life wasn't my finest parenting I was frustrated many of us, and so my four-year-old at the same time as I say that I catch her in the review mirror looking at her older sister and as soon as I said that she is no she says. You are not a scaredy-cat. You're my big sister and your brain and I was my daughter.

My four-year-old is the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I am the voice of Satan because Satan starts with what you did any tears down who you are. Holy Spirit start with what God has declared over you and he begins to rebuild what you have done. Luther would say Satan when he speaks to you doesn't always speak lies in fact is better weapon is truth because he points out, true things, the accuser of the brethren, he said, is not that he's telling lies. It's just that he is not telling you the gospel because Satan speaks truth but Jesus speaks a louder word. And Jesus says yes, though your sins are as scarlet, I'll make them as white as snow. Though your life is filled with corruption. I will make all things new, and so the word that shatters the power of Satan in life is the declaration of what God has given you in Christ, to believe it. It's why when Paul talks about doing doing battle with the enemy. He says put on the helmet of salvation, the helmet is on your head right in the zone to think the gospel because the way that you withstand the fiery darts of the enemy is by the shield of faith in the gospel and by thinking in the ways of the gospel teaches you to think. Several years ago I share with you on a prayer that I wrote initially ready for myself admin to end up sharing it with you, but I did call the gospel prayer eventually return the single book that became gospel, but it was all prayer that I prayed almost every day to put the helmet of salvation on my head and it had four phrases in it and don't try to write them down there.

I'll put them on the ground ball like that as of right this moment my my blog if you want to use them because I do some because I'm in Christ because I'm in Christ.

There's nothing I've done that could make you love me more. Nothing I have done to make you love me less every morning. I tell myself that that that God's approval of me was not based anymore on how well I live or the things I done wrong that is acceptance to me was a gift that he gave me a price of my position before was secure in that release this weight off of me of this performance mentality.

The second thing I would tell myself is because I'm in Christ are all I need for everlasting joy not only physical Brad I don't need the approval of people I don't need success. Those things are nice but what I really for everlasting joy is the declaration of the father that this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. The third thing I tell myself is a because I'm in Christ.

As you been to me. This is common to be the others. In other words, the way that you treated me. This is home and think about my family want to think about my community as I want to serve them. The way that you serve me so realign my behavior so that it's in line with the gospel before thing was about faith, because I'm in Christ because in Christ. As I pray when I want to do so.

According to the compassion you sure the cross and the power you demonstrated at the resurrection not taught me to begin to see the world through Jesus's eyes with Jesus really was compassionate for people to cross showed that he was one of those so much power available that you measured about the resurrection. As I begin to to to dream dreams through that lens. The gospel wins rather than the lands of what I thought I could accomplish that also help me by the way, when God didn't answer my prayer the way that I thought he should which happened a lot. I would say well that it made me doubt your compassion, your power possessor settled at the cross. I don't care for use that prayer you are to use something that puts the helmet of salvation on your head because the way that you shatter the power of Satan is by bold declaration of the gospel, the Prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him one little will fail the word of the gospel is limited number four there's four phrases back of their dislike for you and in this particular Lord's table together the bread and the copper symbolizes the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. So just a moment at all for campuses or teams you become their current certain distributors elements.

What I want you to do is look at these four phrases I want you to saturate yourself in the gospel as you hold the LLB that the elements are represented in your hands, and I just met one of our campus pastors in your campus, the Legion and the taking of those elements has their coming me remind you before put these four things on the screen when I remind you that if you're not a believer.

This is not for you and Jesus in very clear terms, said that this was something that he wanted only his children to participate in.

In fact he said it could be harmful for you if you you're not a believer in you and you partook of a bid here that is exclusive because in fact what these represent Jesus is offering the he's offering you himself, his body, his blood, he says the symbols not for you. The reality for you so other people around you were taken the bread and the comp you can use this moment to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior can be the greatest moment not be elements that you need. It's is by faith to receive him as your Lord and Savior so as people around you. Take these things. Maybe that's what you should do help of the four things on the screen and you saturate yourself in the gospel and then one of our pastors lead you in the taking of the bread and the cup