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September 3, 2021 12:00 am
Jesus knows Saul chapter 2, where he will rule over the nations. He knows his destiny as as the sovereign Lord of the nations. Satan knows that Jesus knows that. But here's the day father's will for you. Jesus is untold suffering.
Its rejection takes a shortcut don't go through Gethsemane just to write on the glory right now you can have all these nations here.
Ross C.
It's an enticement to sin with the promise that you'll be happier or better off if you do it today on wisdom for the heart you're going to see temptation played out in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was out in the wilderness, and while he was there he had to deal with the devil today.
Stephen Davey launches a series called the ministry begins with this message entitled, dealing with the devil. Stay with us, as Stephen teaches three important truths regarding temptation several years ago I read the true account of the early church leader who decided the problem of sin and his inability to deal with the daily troubled like a troubles you and me. He came to the conclusion that the problem was his surrounding culture, society, people the audible individual temptation.
So we decided to move away from his village.
He found a cave where he began to live a very simple life all away from all the stimuli that bombarded him daily's needs were simple.
He drew his own garden. He hunted his own game, but eventually he came to the realization that it wasn't working infected moved back into his village and he wrote in his journal, which survived the centuries.
Here's what he wrote, quote, even there all alone. I was tempted with thoughts of great pride worldly temptations daily knocked at my door there in that cave temptation found me. So, what hope do we have if we can out run it if we can't hide from it. How do we handle it well. What were about to be given an amazing model in the life of Jesus Christ is to rely on only those resources that we have today to rely upon obedience, submission, humility, patience, and a mind that is saturated with the word of God, so be sure you wear go back in our study of Luke's gospel were now in chapter 4 and let's watch as Satan drops the line of temptation into the pond.
Jesus Christ's life heart and mind. Notice verse one and Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. That's where he was baptized and was led by the spirit in the wilderness of the wilderness here was several hundred miles of desert is actually nicknamed the devastation. This is the perfect place for this kind of meeting. It was described by authors that I read rocks bear and jagged, glowing with heats like a furnace. As it swooped down word and elevation some 1200 feet to the dead sea can imagine really a more classic setting for this battle between the princes, the Prince of darkness, and the Prince of peace never told here. Don't miss this that Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit.
What that means is he is under the dominating influence of the spirit of God, by the way, were told to do the same.
Daily Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers in chapter 5 in verse 18 be filled with the Holy Spirit. That means be dominated by be under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
So here's Jesus in perfect fellowship under the dominating control of the Holy Spirit and can you not help but notice these two contrasting environments using the spirit in the wilderness. We don't normally put those two together doing.
We assume that it it if were led by the Spirit if exactly where the spirit of God wants us it will look like it will look anything like the wilderness. It's got to be green pastor and Stillwater's Psalm chapter 23 verse two well, it might be, but it also might be a season where he prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies.
Psalm 23 verse five. As hard as it might be for us to imagine it's possible to be full of the spirit and face-to-face with the serpent at the same time were also told here in verse two. Notice the Lord was led by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness. Now notice for 40 days, being tempted by the devil when they were ended. He was hungry. Now keep this in mind if 40 days is linked to the participle being tempted, which Mark's gospel account by the way, makes it clear it links it together will. What this means is that Jesus isn't being tempted at the end of 40 days he was tempted throughout these 40 days for 40 days.
It's been non-stop temptation for 40 days.
Satan has been probing for weaknesses. He's been changing the bait every day, probably several times throughout the day and into into the nighttime were just told what's happening at the end of 40 days were not given any of those temptations, just these so these are following his 40 days he's exhausted. He's hungry now Satan you can think of it this way, you pull out all the stops. So we find here is the three final the three climactic these are three incredibly strategic temptations. Here's the first verse three, the devil said to him, if you are the son of God command this stone to become bread. These little limestone rocks about the size of a loaf dotted this desert region just turned for Namenda bread when we give each temptation a title for the sake of our study and I don't want to give each temptation a subtitle to further describe what's going on. The title of the first temptation would be. This simply put, put yourself first, and in the subtitle is God the father is withholding something good from you now want to point this out here when the devil says in verse three. If you are the son of God. This is not a denial. This is not to raise doubt that English is difficult, has difficulty at times translating the original language. This is actually an affirmation. He's essentially saying this in view of the fact that you are the son of God.
Why are you bringing in view of the fact that you are God and so we just heard that any madman's real ripped open and we heard God, your father say this is my beloved son, while for goodness sake. If you are God the son, why in the world are you hungry do something about it.
Give Dino legitimate need. As humanity and you have the power of deity. Why not user deity to solve the problem of your humanity. All clever.
He's asking Jesus to step outside his representative role as a man, Jesus never used his divine attributes. By the way, to make his life comfortable. He never use them to serve himself. He never said you know it's just a little too much rain around here snap my fingers and it's going to be sunshine on audit done that this morning driving over the fog got thicker as I got never once, never once Peter would preach and I chapter 2 he did these signs and wonders to attest to the fact that he was indeed the son of God is never for himself, so he wants Jesus here to use his divine attributes to serve himself.
Jesus put yourself first serve yourself and if Jesus does this is going to create this split-second of time. This act of self-serving and any split-second of self-serving is sin, there is this subtle implication going on though this is the subtitle in this temptation, your father is withholding something you need, why, and he giving it to you than they want the best for you than the know you're hungry, then you know it's been 40 days. What's he waiting for. I mean Shirley.
After 40 days, it's time you started looking out for number one. How many of us have fallen for this bait you're in the wilderness. It's been a long season. Your suffering without any light at the end of the tunnel. You have legitimate needs that are unmet. There are good things that God is not giving you what's God waiting for maybe it's time for me to just look out for number one catch instead of taking the bait.
Jesus responds with the Bible verse four it is written, man shall not live by bread alone would you notice, Jesus does not say man shall not live by bread.
No man shall not live by bread alone. Jesus doesn't want bread at the expense of fellowship with God the father. She, for Jesus it was better to be hungry in the will of God, then fall outside the will and pleasure. God so keep in mind now that Jesus is going to counter each temptation by quoting Scripture his mind and heart are saturated and this is modeling for us were to do. In fact, is modeling Psalm one 1911 thy word have I hidden in my heart that I what may not sin against the thy word advice storage literally stored in my heart that I might not sin. Why is that health to store up the word well the word of God gives you the mind of God. It gives you the wisdom of God gives you the perspective of God gives you the moral boundaries of God gives you the warnings of God gives you the commandments of God gives you the counsel of God. We can't stand. We can deal with with the devil without the mind and the wisdom and the boundaries of the commands in the warnings and the Council of God temptation number one. Put yourself first, let me entitle a second temptation. This way, take the easy way out and the subtitle would be this God is asking too much of you go to verse five and the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said to them to you. I will give all this authority and their glory, for it is been delivered to me and I will give it to whom I will Satan obviously has delegated power thank you note a series able to sleep Jesus up in a moment. Matthew mentions a high mountain with her.
Suddenly, edits at its peak. Luke doesn't mention that it seems that Jesus was hi there some kind of elevated position abruptly showing him the glories of the Roman Empire or the Grecian Empire before this Satan the know the future so is not shown in America or Europe or whatever you show what has happened. It was glorious enough and by the way he's not lying here to Jesus three times in the Gospels, Jesus will refer to Satan as the prince of this world.
Prince of this world, but you know Satan slips up.
Did you notice he mentions the fact there at the end of this verse these nations.
They have been delivered to me. They have been handed over to me. Oh who handed them to you all, you shouldn't said that it's delegated it's only temporary. Ultimately, they don't belong to you just for season is legitimately the promising Jesus that he can have all of it now you get out all right now that's the bait that you might wonder as I did. Why would this be tempting to Jesus why there is this this hidden hook. Satan's is subtly suggesting the will of the father is just too much suffering let's take a shortcut kingdom authority. But Jesus knows Psalm chapter 2, where he will rule over the nations.
He knows his destiny as as the sovereign Lord of the nations. Satan knows that Jesus knows that Satan knows that Jesus knows that Satan knows that Jesus knows that I back-and-forth here they they know this, but here's the bait.
Take the shortcut avoid cross seize the crown don't go through Gethsemane, but just go right on the glory right now you can have all these nations here. The father's will for you.
Jesus is untold suffering and agony its blood pain. Its rejection. There's no need for that your God the son, you can have the kingdoms of the world without suffering.
That's the bait will. But here's here's the hook verse seven. If you then will worship me it will all be yours word for worship here means to genuflect to bowel. He wants us to take this bait in one of his strategic methods is to drop this bait in our mind that God's will is too hard. God is asking too much from us living for him is is is too difficult. I thought God was good to make things easier. Apogee met individuals who said yeah okay I'll pray that prayer doesn't solve everything we sell Jesus that way to people is solve all your problems then you come to faith in you realize well I just got a lot more what happened. Bait leave that narrow hard pill pack my hat is brought my way is easy pay and it's ever so slightly downhill, but I master those that will give their lives to that temptation. Number one. Put yourself first temptation number two take the easy way out with entitle temptation number 3 Do Things Your Own Way and the subtitle would be this. This is where it gets very deceptive. God's word needs to fit your agenda so work a little bit and make it fit whatever you want to do as you do it your way. Incredibly subtle. Verse nine and he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple that work pinnacle means to lead little wing more than likely it was the lead on the southeast corner of the rooftop of the temple described by Josephus, the first century Jewish historian as that that to that corner, which could look down into the Kidron Valley some 450 feet below Josephus that if you were that high.
That would make you dizzy to look down.
Will Satan again takes Jesus and sweeps him up knows verse nine and said to him, if you are the son of God.
Again, make sure you understand.
In view of the fact that you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you to guard you and on their hands they will bear you up lets you strike your foot against a stone biblical way of saying unless it's your splat is going to take care you. Satan is quoting here from Psalm 91. It's a song that celebrates the protection of God over his beloved people, but Satan now rips this verse out of its context, and says let's make this verse apply to you. Let's make it justify you taking this rather spectacular leap from the roof of the temple.said in Psalm 91, he will protect the faithful your faithful aren't you well I mean come on this is going to then apply to you. You want to put it to the test right now. Take this verse it'll justify your agenda think your way before we go any further. Don't miss the fact that the devil can quote Scripture "Scripture to he's heard Jesus respond now two times with Scripture. And he's a brilliant fisherman all will tell you what I'll do. You know there's a favorite song of mine there a couple of verses that like to quote to you.
That's the Lord he's obviously a student of Scripture. The problem is he twisted to serve as an defiance. You probably know as well as I do to this day. Most cults and unbelievers that I've come in contact with over the years I have found this similar thread date. They do not necessarily reject the Bible they reinterpreted they they add to it. They take away from it.
They run my doorbell.
As I'm sure they have yours in the opening line.
I already know it's going to be at. We like to interest you and reading the Bible.
I usually say I'm a fan into that. So let's talk just one thing to talk about those colts out there and those unbelievers and ignore the passages that we might not like or that we might reinterpret in order to justify our own agenda that we use phrases like what God told the spirit of God led me underneath is our own agenda. Satan wants Jesus here to reinterpret Psalm 91 to do something spectacular in there something more here there.
There's this passage we won't term but it's in Malachi chapter 3 and verse one where he makes the promise that when the Lord arrives. That is his messianic faith went when the Messiah arrives he will come to the temple suddenly Jesus is aware that Texas owes Satan though. It's not mentioned here, but Satan's challenging but Jesus want to get the jump ahead of the divine timetable twist the meaning of Scripture and with one spectacular sentence to the temple courtyard below announce here and everyone will follow him. This is a way around the denial. This is a way around rejection, do something spectacular right in their midst.
Do your way. Jesus test the father who reward your leap of faith. It'll be amazing.
Jesus responds with verse 12. It is said, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. In other words, don't tell God what to do. Don't use his word to disobey his will. Verse 13 notice when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him forever in a great verse away. I'm sorry, he departed from him until an opportune time. Satan is in the stay on the Lord's trail and track him every single moment of every single day but but listen now I want you to.
I want you to rejoice with me in the glory and the hope in the security and the confidence that we have today. How Jesus never said he was in every respect, tempted as we are yet without sin. Hebrews 415. He committed no sin.
First Peter 222, which means he is word saying he is capable. He is qualified to become for us the unblemished lamb able to bear are said said, and we take the bait.
Every day, don't we are sin only mounts up, he took it all. Daily we go to him though because we want to follow him and and so often we go to him what we do snag. Would you relieve me of the I took the bait. Here is our model used only the resources we have in showing us how to deal with the devil. Here are our resources in this combat be submissive to the leading of the Spirit of God, even if he leads you into the wilderness patient timing of God, even if it doesn't fit timetable. Be willing to suffer according to the will of God desaturated with the word of God. Jesus is fully God that were watching him fully human. Choose to use here only those resources we have at our disposal appears the glory of it all. As a man, the second Adam, the first Adam failed.
He couldn't handle the war took it. Second Adam, he took on devil and thanks for being with us today here on wisdom from the heart. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey, the message you just heard dealing with the devil is the first in a series from Matthew called the ministry begins be with us in the days ahead as we work through this section of God's word. You can learn more about Steven and the ministry of wisdom international if you visit our website which is wisdom online.org in addition to some information that site is filled with resources for you will be able to access the complete archive of Stephen's Bible teaching ministry. We also post each day's broadcast. So if you ever miss one of these lessons, you can go to our website to keep caught up with our daily Bible teaching ministry. The archive of Stephen's teaching is available on that site free of charge and you can access it anytime@wisdomonline.org will. Thanks again for being with us were so glad you joined us and I hope you'll be with us for our next Bible lesson right here on wisdom for the heart