Tonight, the title. Of the message is tested.
And triumphant. The.
King proved in the wilderness and then by way of application
for you and I dealing with temptation.
Matthew's Gospel. As we've been going through, it
has been more than just a collection of stories about
Jesus. And they're not just nice little
tales to tell our children at bedtime, but Matthew's purpose.
From the very beginning as the. Author of this.
Book is a carefully crafted argument that presents this
Jesus of Nazareth. To be the Messiah, the Christ,
the Promised. One, there's a primarily Jewish
audience in mind in Matthew's writing, and so it was that in
Chapter 1, he began his book with a genealogy.
We looked at that. We considered that by modern
standards of storytelling, is not.
The best way to engage an audience.
But we're a different audience. To the Jewish audience and so.
Matthew starts with Jesus the Son.
Of David there were. Promises that God had given to.
King David, that Jesus. Is the fulfilment of Matthew
starts with Jesus, the son of Abraham, And there were.
Promises a covenant, an agreement that God had made
with. Abraham that a descendant of
his. Would be the Messiah and.
Matthew's claim is Jesus is the one, and then later we're told
of the story. Regarding Jesus birth of how it
was that the Angel. Came to Mary and said, And to
Mary and Joseph, you will call his name Jesus.
He will save his people from their sins.
So. This is what you're to name him
and. Immediately the identification
is. Of Jesus of Nazareth being the
one. Who is to come and he'll?
Also be known as Emmanuel. Going back to the prophet
Isaiah, meaning God. Is with us and then in chapter 2
we had these. Wise men coming from the.
East, who were guided. By a star and they.
Came on the scene in Jerusalem and they inquired, and they
found themselves in Herod's court and they asked this
question, where is he to be born?
What king of the. Jews.
It was about Jesus. Of Nazareth.
It's the Messiah, the promised. One and then when these wise men
arrive at the house where Jesus. Now as a.
Child is it tells us that they fall down and worship him.
Good filthy adoration under Jesus.
Then last week, we looked. As Matthew continues to write,
he introduces. Us to a voice in the.
Wilderness, John the Baptist, he of the camel hair and the
leather belt and eating locusts dipped in honey, and the message
that he declared repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.
And of the the crowds. Gathering around him, and it was
of Jesus that John the Baptist declared there is one mightier
than. I who is to come?
He is the one promising. I'm not even worthy to bend down
and. Loose his sandals and.
Then at the end of Chapter 3, we saw the wonderful picture of the
Trinity, the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, Jesus
being. Baptised and a voice from
heaven, being God the Father. Declaring this is my beloved son
in. Whom I am well pleased and.
So all along. Chapter 1.
Chapter 2. Chapter 3 has been Matthew
presenting Jesus of Nazareth. Is the Christ the Anointed, 1
the Messiah and. Now here in chapter 4.
In these 11 verses that we're going to consider.
It it's a driving of the point home.
Regarding Jesus identity. And we might know it.
Yes, of the time when Jesus was in the wilderness and at the end
of those 40 days being. Tempted by the devil?
Satan. But in the most dramatic.
Way. Possible right after this high.
Point of the baptism and the Father's public.
Affirmation, the Spirit. Leads Jesus into the wilderness
to be tested, and the instrument of that testing is the devil
himself. For this reason.
If Jesus truly is the King, Jesus truly is the.
Messiah the Christ the Anointed 1.
Then he must stand. Where the first Adam.
Fell where? At the very beginning of
humanity that the best of all of us, Adam, created from the very
beginning fell if he is truly the Son of God.
Then Jesus must prove it, not by avoiding the fight, but by
winning it. That is exactly.
What we see, it's akin. To if there were a musical.
Score here in Chapter 4. It's it's Rocky's.
Eye of the Tiger is. Starting up as Jesus is being
LED. Out.
Into the. Wilderness here by the Holy.
Spirit and while this passage is primarily about Jesus being.
Proved through testing in the wilderness to be the Messiah.
This passage also confronts every one of us tonight.
The same reality that. Jesus faced.
Temptation is real. We don't need a show of hands.
If I were to ask a question, have you ever been tempted we
all go up with? That and that the enemy is real,
Satan is. Referenced here as.
The devil is referenced here as. The tempter is referenced here
as. And that the wilderness Baroness
is often where the battle rages and it's most intense.
Of heat in our lives and yet in these 11 verses we discover a
Saviour. Who tested in every?
Way as we are yet without sin emerge.
Victorious, and now, with his help and power, we.
Too can also overcome temptation.
We're going to navigate through three points.
They're up on the screen for you.
For the note taking type, the wilderness preparation versus 1
to 2. And then the wilderness
pressure. Verses 3 to 10 of.
What Jesus actually went. Through in this testing and.
Then the result. In verse 11, the wilderness.
Power. So let's open our Bibles, if
you. Haven't already in Matthew
chapter 4 I'm reading out of the new King James version.
And let's watch the King. Jesus prove who He is in the
place of greatest pressure. Verse one to two.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit capital S Speaking of the
Holy Spirit, and into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil, and when he had. Fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
Afterward, he was hungry many times.
The Bible understates. Things.
When Jesus is hungry here, imagine.
This after 40 days of fasting. He is ravenous.
So it's in that. Physical exhaustion, that Jesus.
Being yes, 100% fully God, but also 100% fully man is now when
Satan the tempt of the devil. Comes to Jesus.
We're. Going to look at out of these
two verses, when, who, where and why.
So let's notice first the when. The battle comes immediately.
After the. Glory of the Baptism of chapter
3. That we looked at last week.
Remember, the heavens had opened, Spirit had descended.
Like a dove. God the Father's voice boomed
through the heavens and and. Spoke of delight over his son.
That's a pretty amazing moment, right?
Spiritual High. We could say a mountaintop.
Experience for Jesus. You know it's true though.
High moments like this with the Lord, haven't you found that
they're often followed by? Hard, difficult moments, tense
times of. Trial testing in our lives.
Jesus knew here in this. Moment what it's like to.
Come down from the mountain top and to step into the valley,
into the wilderness, literally into the desert and encounter
the testing. So don't.
Miss this in your life tonight, and if you don't know it to be
true already, you. Will at some.
Point in time that. You'll have these.
These moments we might. Describe them as highs where
where God is speaking to you and it's almost like you've got a
Direct Line to heaven and and there's been such wonderful
instruction to come typically out of a a Sunday when we've
gathered we've. Worshipped the Lord and God's
word is. Taught and you're just hearing
and receiving from God, and you're ready to.
Go with the week. Ahead and Monday rolls around.
It's like you've come from this spiritual mountain top and down
into the valley and Monday just smacks you with the old one.
Two punch in the face. Expected it was Jesus reality
here and it's a pretty common pattern throughout the
scriptures. I think of Noah having
experienced what he did with. He.
And his family being saved through the flood.
And. And then what do we read?
Of Noah almost immediately afterward.
Him. Falling and testing to
drunkenness. Think of the likes of Elijah
and. Having this great.
Victory on the mountaintop, literally of Mount Carmel
against the the prophets of Baal and then him fleeing for his
life when Jezebel says Elijah, I'm going to kill you and
running for a full day exhausted, spent he he sits
under a broom tree it describes. For us in One Kings chapter 19.
I think it is. And Elijah cries out God.
Kill me the very. Thing that he's running from
Jezebel. Think of King David at a time of
relative success in his rule and reign as king at a time when
other kings were going to battle.
Whereas. David, he's up on the.
The rooftop. And he sees Bathsheba, and we
know the result of that story. So don't miss this in your.
Life that there are. Often these wonderful moments,
these these glorious spiritual highs.
In our life and you can guarantee and and almost expect
there'll be a a wilderness, a desert afterward some kind of
testing, some. Kind of.
Moment like what we're. Reading of Jesus.
Experiencing and going through. But notice in that.
Who is actually behind this scene?
The beginning, it says that the Holy Spirit.
Deliberately led him into the wilderness, so this is no
accident. What Jesus is going through this
is something that is divinely orchestrated and directed for.
Jesus life the same spirit. Who anointed Jesus at the Jordan
now drives him into the wilderness for this divine
combat, this testing that is to come.
Upon him and and. Jesus note is.
Going therefore. Smack bang into the middle of
God's will. For his life at this point in
time. And there are many times where
difficulties where trials where testing comes upon us and we go,
God, how can this? Be your will for my life could
very well be the Holy Spirit. Leading you in.
To such a a testing there will be difficulties, we've
discovered that, but these can often be right in the will.
Of God. For you these we could.
Call them holy. Spirit orchestrated moments, and
we don't like those. We say, oh God, Get Me Out of
this. But for some.
Reason God alone knows why the Holy Spirit leads us through and
into this it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the
wilderness in this moment. Now where is this wilderness?
It's the Judean wilderness. Some of us have been there on
our. Trips to Israel, 56 kilometres
long, 24 kilometres wide. A Baron Rocky wasteland dropping
down. Into the Dead Sea temperatures.
Can soar in intense ranges of heat past. 45°C.
And here, in this lowest place on earth, is this very picture
of. Isolation and discomfort.
For Jesus, the intensity of heat physically during the day and
then the dropping of temperatures at night to
freezing points. And here it is that Jesus fast.
Stains from food for 40 days and 40 nights.
Just as we read in the Old Testament.
Of of Moses and Elijah before him doing so.
And by the end, if any of you have ever conducted any.
Fasting physically in your life. You know how?
Physically depleted. You are, especially for this
length of time, genuinely hungry, genuinely weak.
At this point in time. Physically, and so Matthew adds
this detail to the story for us so that we never forget the Son
of God is fully. Human.
He felt everything that we feel and.
Matthew tells us. He was hungry, and here's
probably. The main question that you have
with regard to what we're reading here, why?
Why this set up for Jesus? Why the the?
Holy Spirit leading. And and into the wilderness and
into the desert and then of Satan coming that we're going to
read in a moment with the testing and the tempting.
Let me. Outline 2 I think profound.
Reasons that stand. Out for why this first to
reveal. Again, Matthew's intention all
the way. Along to reveal who this Jesus
of Nazareth is to prove through. Testing.
That's what the word. Temptation means a better.
Understanding of it is testing is to reveal that he is.
The Messiah. That he.
Is the promised one. Paul will pick up this.
Idea in First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 3045.
And he will call Jesus this he will call him.
The last Adam. And there's an interesting
parallel. In connection with the first.
Adam and Jesus, who Paul calls the second Adam here in the.
Wilderness you see the 1st. Adam faced Satan, the enemy, the
Devil, the tempter. In a perfect garden.
With every need supplied, with his belly well nourished, with
him certainly unable to say I'm hungry or I'm physically weak.
And he failed, did Adam, when the tempter, when the tester,
the enemy, Satan came, and he plunged all of humanity
thereafter into ruin. As a consequence of this
failure. And so Adam stands as the best
of humanity and and thereafter, all through the Old Testament,
we see the patriarchs and. The kings and the prophets.
And the priest and the best of humanity on their best day would
be unable to stand up against the testing that Jesus endured
for a day, 2, maybe 3, maybe a week.
Some of the best of us. But not 40 days, not 40 nights.
And Jesus. Proves here.
Through his capacity to endure. The testing that he is who he
says he is, that he is who Matthew is writing about him as
the Messiah, the promised one proven to be the.
King of all Kings. And the Lord of all.
Lords. Now the last Adam as opposed to
the first Adam. Perfect garden, well nourished.
Where is Jesus? Second Adam.
The last Adam, as the scripture also says of him.
In a barren desert, hungry and alone.
And what did? Jesus, do fold.
Fall into a heap? No, he.
Stood firm. He stood firm.
Again, on the outside, Jesus 100%.
Flesh and blood, just like us. But on the inside, remember who
he is. He is God.
There's something different. About this man.
He is the God man and through this test the Spirit is saying
here is effectively a a ship, the ship of salvation that you
can board with absolute confidence that where others may
have failed this. One Jesus will never fail you.
And again the. Best of humanity on their best
of days would fail in this testing, but not Jesus.
He held. Up under the testing and he is
therefore the promised 1 the Messiah. 2nd in this testing it
is to. Relate to us to not only
sympathise with what we experience and go through, but
to empathise, to know fully. Well.
Hebrews tells us this the book of Hebrews in the New Testament,
that because Jesus suffered in a moment.
Like this was tempted he is able to help you and I in our.
Testing in our tempting Hebrews, chapter 2, verse 18 tells us
that. In Hebrews chapter 4, we're told
that we don't have a high priest, Jesus, who is not
sympathetic to us. Who has no.
Clue no idea what it's like to be human in this fallen world
and to experience testing and tempting and.
Trials and tribulations, but Jesus.
We're. Able to now go to.
Him and Hebrews four chapter. 15 says we can go.
Boldly to the very throne room of God, and obtain.
Grace and help in time of need. Because he went through this.
Because the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness.
And after 40 days and nights of fasting.
He was tempted and tested. By the enemy, By Satan.
So his wilderness here is. Preparation, not punishment.
It's the place where the king would prove.
Himself able to be trusted and depended upon without battles
because he has already fought and won this victory.
Here's the ultimate one. So that's the first point.
Again, the wilderness preparation.
Let's consider the second the wilderness pressure.
Let's read through. All these verses verse.
Three through to 10. As we consider now what it.
Was that the tempter? The devil?
Satan came to Jesus and queries and tests Jesus about now when
the tempter. Verse 3 came to him, he said if
you are in a. Better understanding of that.
Word if in English. Is is this since?
All right, so. At the end of chapter 3, Voice
from Heaven. God the Father said this.
Is my beloved son, in whom I'm well.
Pleased and the devil. Satan knows this.
And so now he's going OK, since you're the Son of God.
And now he says command that the.
Stones. Become bread and having gone
through that area, there are. These these stones that.
And if you are hungry and exhausted, you could look at.
Through and wow, they do look a bit like bread.
Maybe I'll turn them. Into loaves of bread the.
Answer this is. Jesus verse 4 and said.
It is written now. In each of these it is written.
Jesus will quote. Out of the Book of.
Deuteronomy It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word. That proceeds in the mouth of
God and. Then the devil took him up into
the holy city Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the
temple. And many estimate that this
distance has dropped from the height of the pinnacle down
through the foundation into the valley below.
Is. Some 6065 metres, it's quite a
drop. Said to him, if you are.
The Son of God. Since you are the Son of God
verse. 6. Throw yourself down before it is
written. So in.
Other words, Satan's going. OK Jesus, you want to quote
Bible? I know some Bible too.
And now he comes. Out with a quote.
From the Psalm, but as Satan typically does.
He leaves a bit out, and Satan will often add or subtract from
the scriptures enough to just. Did God?
Really say he did that all the. Way back in the garden with Adam
and Eve, for it is written he. Said He shall give his angels
charge over you. And in their hands.
They shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Jesus said to him. Verse 7 it is.
Written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.
Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain.
Many. Suggest that in this testing.
And it's probably more visionary rather than literal.
It's probably difficult to identify a high mountain.
Where all the kingdoms of the world could be.
Visualised, but nonetheless showed.
Him, all the kingdoms of the world.
And their glory he said to him, verse 9.
All these things I will give you if you will.
Fall. Down and worship me, Jesus said
to him, verse 10. Away with you, Satan.
For it is written. You shall worship the.
Lord your God, and him only you shall serve.
So again, three times the tempter comes, three times the
devil comes, three times Satan comes, and the assault strikes
at the same areas, the same vital points that you and I get
tempted with. Am I going to trust in God the
Father's provision for my life? Am I going to trust in God the
Father's protection for my life? Am I going to believe and trust
the promises of God? It's revealed in His Word for my
life. Consider the first temptation.
Again to doubt God's provision. If you are, since you are the
Son of God, Satan says command that these.
Stones become bred again, you could imagine.
That after 40 days, 40 nights of fasting, being ravenous,
starving, these limestone rocks so scattered through the desert
could have looked like fresh loaves, and all Jesus had to do
was speak, say the word. And Satan's suggestion here is
simple. You're hungry.
You are the Son of God after. All use your power.
Jesus, take care of yourself since you are the Son of God.
And the father, I don't know where.
He is. He's obviously not providing for
you. Now where's he?
Been these last 40 days, these 40 nights.
Jesus, don't you look after yourself?
Look out for #1 here. Take matters into your own hands
a little bit, God said. You're his son, You've got the
power after all. So where is He right?
Now. If he's a loving.
God if he's your. Father, how could he let?
You go through this? Oh man, never heard those.
Words before, and it was a lure to act.
Independently of the father to. To seize control when God the
Father seemed slow back in the garden with the. 1st.
Adam, that's a very similar tactic, very similar strategy
that Satan uses against Adam and Eve.
Has God really said? Did he kind of mean what he?
Said Or you know, is that? Truly the case.
And what does Jesus do? He answers Deuteronomy.
Chapter 8, verse three it. Is written man shall not.
Live by bread alone, but by every word that.
Proceeds from the mouth. Of God.
And the physical need is real here for Jesus.
But you know what matters. Most, even though exhausted. 40
days, 40 nights spent. No doubt having great difficulty
in sleeping, what was of more value for Jesus was spiritual
obedience to His heavenly Father.
Jesus refused to turn these stones into bread because he
lived by his Father's word, not by his own appetite.
What God says is true. It is written, Jesus says, and
because it's true. Then that's.
What I'm going to trust, and that's what I'm going to.
Rest in God said No, man does not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds. In the mouth of God, and I
believe it, Jesus declares when Satan attempt that came so
saying that proves. Jesus unable to be.
Stumbled second the temptation to.
Test God's protection. OK, let's let's talk Bible.
Let's. Take you up to the.
Pinnacle of the Temple and quoting Scripture.
Squoting Scripture. That's an interesting word.
Quoting Scripture. Psalm 91.
Twisted as I say, of course. If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down before it is written.
He shall give his angels. Charge over.
You know what? Satan omitted.
There's a phrase in the original in all your.
Ways. Gone.
So here's the thing. That the Bible tells us.
Again and again and again. About the enemy.
About Satan. Satan knows the Bible.
He can quote the Bible. For you if you want.
I've got some Bible for you, Jesus.
All right, you've said it's written.
But he always distorts. You always minor alteration
here, minor addition there enough.
Truth, but laced with. Poison.
And so he wanted. Jesus here to force the.
Father's hand to demand this spectacular rescue in this
moment that would prove. His identity on his own terms.
What does Jesus do again? He replies out of Deuteronomy.
Chapter 6 Verse. 16 It is written again, You shall not put
the Lord your God to the test. He would not put his.
Father to this foolish test. That the enemy brings again
protection is promised, but presumption.
Here is sin 3rd, the temptation to grasp the promise of God.
In the easy way. One of the many things that's a
part. Of God's.
Redemptive plan for the world is Jesus had come to redeem the.
Dominion of the Earth and. The Kingdoms.
Of the world forfeited by. Adam in the garden.
So. On an exceedingly high mountain.
Satan shows him. All of the kingdoms of the world
and all of their glory and all these things I will give to you
Jesus. Remember the Bible?
Describes Satan as the God Little G of this world.
I'll give. Them to you.
It's within my capacity to be able.
To do so, but. Here's what you've got to do.
It's just something small. Only something little.
You'll just just fall down. Worship me.
The kingdoms are rightfully
Jesus. Bible tells us that, but you
know that the. The path, the means of obtaining
these kingdoms. Was to be the cross.
That is the way through which Jesus was to.
Redeem the kingdoms of the world and the.
Glory and Satan here offers a shortcut about once.
Jesus, skip the suffering. Take the easy route.
No suffering necessary, you know, No real cost involved.
Take the path of least resistance.
Jesus just bow, worship me. It's all it will take.
And. All this can be yours, Jesus.
And again, going back to the garden, Adam and Eve, it's the
same strategy, the same tactic. God just does not want.
You to be like him, he knows. That when you eat of the fruit
of the. Tree of the Knowledge.
Of good and evil that you'll be gods like.
Him. He just doesn't want you to to
share in his glory and to have all that He has.
He's holding back from you. Satan comes in this way, Jesus
answered. Deuteronomy 6, verse 13.
Away with you. Satan.
For it is written. You shall worship.
This is all about worship here. Who is to be worship the Lord
your God and Him only. Shall you serve Jesus?
Was saying I'll receive the kingdoms of the world, don't you
worry. Satan, but I'm going to do it
God's way. Honouring him and worshipping
him and not the devil. 'S and in each case of.
Testing of tempting here Satan. What does he do?
He. Attacks the.
Character of God the Father. And again, you're seeing the
connection to what we experience and what we.
Go through in testing and in tempting.
Have you not found that this is? The most common?
Strategy that the enemy. Employs in our lives to.
Cause us to doubt, to question God's character.
Is he really who he says he is? Is it really the case?
Of what the Bible tells us about.
God as as what is revealed about himself.
Is that true? To doubt that to.
Question that not much has changed from the Enemy Satan's
strategic book of trying to come and attack against us.
Paul the Apostle tells us this. About the.
Devil and his tactics. To not be ignorant.
Of them. The same lies used today.
It's the same temptation. We might not necessarily have
the devil. Himself know that he is not like
God that he is. Not omnipresent.
He can't be everywhere at all times.
But certainly his. Minions, the Dominions and the.
Powers that are at work with him and the fallen angels.
They'll use the same strategy. To cause us to doubt the
question, the. Character the attributes of God.
When we're hungry, When we're tired, When we're alone, When
we're discouraged. When we're weak physically.
The same whispers, the same lies come doubting God's character,
don't they? And God's promises.
As revealed in His Word. Oh, he's forgotten you?
Well, that promise that doesn't apply to you?
God won't protect you. God, Oh, it's it's way.
Too hard for him. That's way too hard.
What? You're going through if he
really loved you, he. Wouldn't let you go through this
and experience this. And Jesus, as we read this and
as we see our connection relating to that same kind of
testing and tempting, the wonderful good news about Jesus
is that. He he faced far greater.
Pressure than any of us. Go through.
Than anything that Adam endured in the perfect Garden of Eden,
under the conditions that he had again Jesus alone, again Jesus
starving Jesus in enemy territory, and he.
Never wavered. He never faulted.
He never. Fell, he stood up under it all,
and he proved that he is who he says he is.
And here is the Third Point, final one.
For us, the wilderness power, verse 11 and it's power that's
available to you and I because of Jesus Christ and what He has
promised to us. Then the devil left him, and
behold angels. Came and ministered to him.
The victory was complete, the testing, the tempting done.
Jesus, He didn't negotiate. He did not compromise.
He answered every lie, every attack that the enemy employed
with the living Word of God. It is written, he said.
And it says. That the enemy left him.
The enemy fled, then the devil. Left him.
Angels came to now strengthen him.
Feed the one. Who had refused to feed.
Himself. Consider these created beings,
the very one who. Had created.
Them that they're now able to come and to serve and minister
to him and now the king who conquered in the wilderness
stands ready. The Bible tells us to help you
and I in. Our time of need.
Again, Hebrews 415 we can come. Boldly to the very throne room
of God and obtain grace and help in time of need.
And so this is our comfort, isn't it?
And our challenge. Also.
And temptation testing is is not strange.
It's common to every believer, in fact.
The Bible tells us to expect that, but you know we are never
left to fight alone. The same Jesus who was tested
and tempted. In every way, as the Bible says,
yet without sin. Is a sympathetic high.
Priest who understands and helps.
And so when the whisper, when the lies, when the enemy
attacks, doubt God's provision, doubt God's protection, doubt
God's promises. Just take the shortcut, take the
easy way out. Remember the?
Weapon that Jesus used, it is written, he said.
So you and I, it's a reminder for the need for us to store.
The Word of God in our heart to be so.
Familiar with the scripture that even in the darkest valleys that
we can tread those paths because we're so familiar with them
through God's word to point to This is the scripture that I
need. Right now to.
Strengthen me in this. Moment of testing.
To speak it out loud, even. In the moment of pressure.
To refuse the easy way. To choose God's way.
Now hear this also. If you've already trusted
Christ, and many of you have, here tonight the wilderness.
Is often the place of preparation, and we might not
like that, but it's often the reality for God's people.
Moses 40 years in the wilderness where God had to get Egypt out
of him before he was to be used as the deliverer of the people
of Israel. Think of Israel when he was
called Jacob of his time. With his uncle Laban, Elijah
David. Paul, you can run.
Through a whole list. Of Bible.
Characters and individuals who. Experienced the wilderness, the
desert, the Baroness, and they all met God there.
And tonight, if you are in a dry, difficult season, may I
encourage you Don't despise it, don't waste it.
It. May be that God is using it to
strip away distractions to prove through testing, like gold in
the fire burning off the dross. And the sludge.
To be refined so that you can hear his voice more clearly.
So you can. Know his character.
To be more real, to cling to this promise out of 1
Corinthians. 10 verse 13 No temptation, no testing has
overtaken you, except such as is common to man.
But God is faithful. Many of you have this memorised.
Who will not allow? You to be tempted tested.
Beyond what you are able, but with the temptation testing,
we'll also make the way of escape.
You know the way of escape. Is it's It's the same.
Path that Jesus walked, Obedience to the Father's Word.
Because this battle is real and relentless, here's the the
promise that we have been given in the scriptures.
Point you to what Paul urges in Ephesians 6 verses. 10 through
to 18. And you can you can move ahead
there in God's Word if you want. It's just the early parts of
that verse up on the screen. Finally, he writes be.
Strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mind.
Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand
against what the schemes of the devil.
Then as you read ahead and you see in those verses that we are
to stand firm with the the belt. Of truth.
Buckled. Around our waist.
It's described with this armour of the breastplate of
righteousness in place, our feet fitted with the the readiness.
That comes from the gospel. Of peace, the shield of faith to
extinguish the flaming arrows of the Evil 1 The helmet of
salvation, protecting our mind that causes us to doubt and to
question, and then the sword of the Spirit.
Which is the word of. God which is sharper than any 2
edged. Sword the Bible describes.
And we are to pray in the Spirit.
On all occasions again. Jesus defeated the enemy Satan
through the Word it is written. And you and I, we must.
We need to do the same. We need the the full armour of
God and the tempting and the. Testing that comes to us.
The helmet of. Salvation again protects our
mind when we doubt that. God can and would save.
Us. The belt of truth counters every
light. No, this is what God's Word
says. The breastplate guards our
heart. With Christ's righteousness, the
shield of faith lifts up when doubt flies at us.
The sword, the very scripture that Jesus.
Quoted is both defensive and offensive, and prayer keeps us.
Dependent on the one. Who has already won?
You see, when Paul wrote in Ephesians, therefore you and I
had to put on the whole armour of God.
It's how we stand in the strength of the Lord, rather.
Than our own strength and mind, because we can't in our own
strength resist the devil. But with God's help and with the
armour of God, here's this language that Paul uses in
Ephesians. It's a language of once it's on.
It stays on. It's.
Always on, never take it off is the language there in Ephesians
put on as a once for all the the armour of God that's available.
To you believer as a Christian so that when temptation.
Hits tonight, tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
You know. The reality of that, we don't
need to fight. It anymore in our own power we
fight clothed. In what God in his victory has.
Given us through Jesus Christ. And then on the flip side, if
you're yet to trust in Jesus, today is the day.
The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation.
The. King, who stood firm here in the
wilderness in Matthew chapter 4, where the 1st.
Adam fell under the most. Perfect.
Of Conditions offers you this victory as a free gift.
It cost him his life on the cross.
And so tonight will you come to the One who knows your weakness
and has already overcome it. As we finished tonight, Matthew
4 verses 1 to 11 does not leave us with a defeated Saviour,
leaves us with a triumphant. King he is.
Who he says he is. He took the best that the enemy
could dish up in the worst of conditions, in the worst of
human frailty, is LED into the wilderness, tested under the
fiercest pressure, and he emerged victorious.
So that you. And I, who are weak, can find
strength in him. And the same king who conquered
temptation now calls us to follow him.
Through whatever wilderness lies ahead.
Armed with his. Word clothed in his armour.
I want to close Israel. This is the third time you said
you've closing. This is.
This is the actual genuine closing.
Reminded of a powerful picture from a James Montgomery Boyce
sermon. If you can ever get any of.
His commentaries, I recommend them.
Out of Ephesians on this armour of God, and over the years he
had. Travelled and seen many
impressive swords, he writes and says.
Swords of kings, warriors, ornate ceremonial blades,
weapons that have been carried into great.
Battles and and won famous victories, many displayed in
museums. Across the British Isles
particularly, you know, beautifully preserved behind
glass. Magnificent to look.
At, he writes and says. Every one of these was.
Useless to me why they were not he's.
He said I could admire them. I could study their history.
I could even. Appreciate their.
Craftsmanship, but I could never take them.
Up and use them and the only sword he writes would be that
would ever do him any. Good would be the one that
actually. Belonged.
To him, that's exactly how it is with.
The Word of God for you and I. You can admire the Bible.
You can appreciate its history, it's literature, even see it of
having power in people's lives. And the lives of others.
And you can even. Study in the classroom.
You can hear sermons and preaching about it, but until.
It becomes your sword. Until you know it.
Until you. Hide it in your heart.
Memorise it. Meditate upon it.
Learn. To use it, the word will be like
a sword hidden behind museum glass.
And. The temptation, the testing.
Know this, it will come and. When it does without.
It you'll be left to fend for yourself.
But again, Jesus defeated Satan, the enemy, the tempter, the
tester, the devil, by saying it is written.
He didn't just know the scripture, he wrote it after
all. But he lived it, and the same
must be. True for you and I in our.
Lives so again. I'll close with this.
Make it your daily. Priority to read the Bible to
study, memorise key verses. Let the Holy Spirit write them
on your heart. And then when the tempter comes
again, he will come. You'll be ready to draw the
sword of the Spirit and stand firm in the victory that Jesus
Christ has already won for you. Let's pray.
We thank you, Lord God, for your word, and I give you thanks for
your people gathered here tonight, desirous to hear from
you and to learn from you and of you.
And I pray that Holy Spirit, as you do, you would honour that in
their lives, that it would be the power that they need through
this week to. Trust and depend and rely.
Upon you that you are who you say you are, that what you have
promised is true, is real help. Us in the victory that you have
won to put on the whole armour oh Lord God, for it's a reality
that this. Life is a battleground.
There is testing, there is tempting that.
Comes there is trials, there's tribulations and we need your
strength, we need your hand, we need your power, we need your
blessing, we need your protection.
I pray and ask this over your people gathered here tonight.
In Jesus mighty name. Because people said.
I'm in May he truly. Bless you into this week and go
before you, guide you and lead you.
If the. Holy Spirit takes you into a
wilderness. You know what to do, right?
God bless just. To know you, my sweet friend, my
friend.