The Gospel of Luke #14

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:04.919 For God's illumination on his word this morning. And now, our God and 2 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:10.080 father, we come to another important part of the service, or your word 3 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:16.640 is read and your word is expounded. Lord, it is an awesome responsibility 4 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:23.679 to stand behind this pulpit and seek to deliver your word to your people and 5 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:27.519 Lord, I asked that you would help me, guide me and all that 6 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:31.519 I say. I pray, Lord, that you would use the words I 7 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:39.439 have prepared during this week to speak to your people comfort edification, strength, 8 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:43.880 exhortation, and I pray, God, that above all, you would illuminate 9 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:48.840 your word to us. This morning, Lord, we are reading a passage 10 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.200 that is common, that we know. But Lord, in every time you 11 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.840 read your word, you're able to reveal new treasures out of it, and 12 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:02.320 Lord makes us like the wise scribe, who who takes both old and new, 13 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.159 and Lord uses it to our own benefit. So, Lord, I 14 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.159 pray you'd bless your word to your people, give us understanding and light, 15 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.120 and may we see you glorified in it. We asked this in Christ name, 16 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:23.640 Amen, if you would turn in your bibles to the gospel of Luke 17 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:30.239 to follow along with me as I read, beginning with verse one through verse 18 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:34.319 thirteen. Here again, I remind you what I'm reading is God's word. 19 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:41.519 and Jesus followed the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan's and was led by 20 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:46.159 the spirit in the Wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil, 21 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:49.760 and he ate nothing during those days, and when they were ended he was 22 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:55.120 hungry. The Devil said to him, if you're the son of God, 23 00:01:55.200 --> 00:02:00.280 command this stone to become bread, and Jesus answered him, it is written, 24 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:04.079 man shall not live by bread alone. And the devil took him up 25 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.000 and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and 26 00:02:07.039 --> 00:02:10.319 said to him, to you, I will give all this authority and their 27 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:14.319 glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to 28 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:16.960 whom I will. If you, then will worship me, it will all 29 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:22.479 be yours. and Jesus answered him, it is written, you shall worship 30 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:27.159 the Lord, your God, and him only shall you serve. And he 31 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:30.319 took him to Jerusalem and Said Him on the pinnacle of the Tempo and said 32 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:34.719 to him, if you're the son of God, throw yourself down from here, 33 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:38.879 for it is written he will command his angels concerning you to guard you 34 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:43.840 and on their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against 35 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:47.439 the stone. and Jesus answered him. It is said you shall not put 36 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.520 the Lord your God to the test. And when the devil had ended every 37 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:57.800 temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Thus, all in 38 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:05.280 the reading of God's word. Please be seated, because I was preparing the 39 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:09.840 message for this week I found myself in a opposite conditions last week's message. 40 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.319 Last week, you remember, I preached out of the genealogy and I was 41 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:16.560 trying to figure out if I could find enough material to preach out of that 42 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:21.840 genealogy. Well, this morning I'm confronted with a different problem. I have 43 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:27.520 way too much material and I decided that, whether than try to preach for 44 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.000 an hour and a half or something like that, I would split the message 45 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:34.360 into two, and so I'm actually only going to deal with the very first 46 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:38.240 part of the account that we have this morning and then next week, Lord 47 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:43.319 Willing, I will probably try to go on to the latter part of the 48 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:47.759 temptation narrative. Now, all scripture is profitable for us. We know that, 49 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:53.680 but I find some parts of scripture are more profitable than others. And 50 00:03:53.759 --> 00:04:00.639 I find this text particularly profitable in several ways and having several scriptural truths that 51 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:02.879 are important for us to understand. So I'm hoping it will be that way 52 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:08.400 to you as well. And last week we noted in the genealogy. It 53 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:13.360 brought your attention to the fact that it says at the end of that genealogy 54 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.319 that Jesus, as as we've traced it back, is the son of Adam, 55 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.360 the son of God, which means that the son of Adam, he 56 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:24.639 is man and is the son of God, he is God. And I 57 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.160 told you it is important for us to understand the two natures and I gave 58 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:31.319 you several examples of stories in the Bible where the two natures of Christ are 59 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.319 clearly seen, but I didn't give you this one, and this one is 60 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:39.759 one of the best, and so we're going to look at that this morning. 61 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:44.879 So we again by looking at the first two verses and the baptism of 62 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:49.439 Jesus. We saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus and now in this chapter 63 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:54.600 we see some of the effects of that spirit coming upon our Lord at the 64 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:59.839 baptism. So in verse one Luke gives us two references to the Holy Spirit. 65 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:04.279 He tells us Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is 66 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:10.920 being led of the Holy Spirit into the Wilderness. The word full indicates a 67 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:15.680 person is being filled completely. In the New Testament, for example, of 68 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.680 Jesus, it has said that that he is full of the spirit or that 69 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:23.240 he is full of grace and truth, and on the other hand we read 70 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:28.120 of others who might be full of leprosy or full of deceit or full of 71 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:32.519 all villainy. Here the fullness of the spirit upon our Lord will help him 72 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:38.720 to face the temptations of the enemy in his human nature. And the temptation 73 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:43.120 is one of those accounts. Like we mentioned in the fellowship groups this week, 74 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:46.240 the parable the parable of the sore that is found in all three of 75 00:05:46.279 --> 00:05:51.160 the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and all three of the 76 00:05:51.279 --> 00:06:00.959 Gospel Writers Position The temptation account after the baptism of Jesus and right before his 77 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:06.839 public ministry. So here we're given two important events that perceive the Public Ministry 78 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:13.839 of the Lord. One positive is baptism and one negative is temptation. Both 79 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:19.439 are important. In his baptism he sees heavens opened and he hears the Voice 80 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:26.160 of his father reassuring him. In the temptation, hell is opened and he 81 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:32.160 hears the voice of the enemy trying to tempt him. Frederick Gorday says the 82 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:38.360 temptation was the last act of his moral education. It gave him an insight 83 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:45.199 into all the ways in which his messianic work could be easily marred. The 84 00:06:45.240 --> 00:06:48.920 account of the temptation of Jesus is meant to mirror two things. Number one, 85 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:54.079 of course, the temptation of Adam in the garden and number two as 86 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:58.920 well, the temptation of Israel in the wilderness during the exodus. And if 87 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:03.720 we compare the two temptation accounts of Israel, as well as our lords and 88 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:08.360 later, and I think in the next message I'll talk more about the comparison 89 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:13.680 between Christ and Adam, but we notice that both temptations, that of Israel 90 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:17.560 and Christ, share the number forty and that they are both tempted in regards 91 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:25.199 to hunger and also thirst. And it's interesting to know that in the three 92 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:30.680 replies to the devil that Jesus gives, he gives all three replies are from 93 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:35.319 the Wilderness Account in particular, all three are found in the book of Deuteronomy. 94 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:40.879 Now what we don't know is what wilderness exactly Jesus went into. Now 95 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:44.399 some of the commentators claim to know, and maybe they know more than I 96 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:46.720 do, but we're not exactly sure where it is. Some refer to it 97 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:50.519 to as a wilderness by the dead seed. That's called the gentleman, which 98 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:57.199 means the desolation. And here when Luke says our Lord was lad, he's 99 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:01.079 using a very common Greek word. I'll go. It's just a very simple 100 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:03.040 word and it just means to be led. That's what it is. But 101 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.879 what's interesting in comparing the account of Mark, which is a very brief account 102 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:13.199 of the temptation, mark uses a much stronger word. He says the spirit 103 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:18.040 drove Jesus into the Wilderness. In Greek Acabolo, and it comes from two 104 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:24.120 words meaning out and to throw the cast it is a violent word. It 105 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:28.519 is the word that is used of Jesus casting out demons. It is the 106 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:33.799 used word that is used when Jesus talks about those who are cast out into 107 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.000 outer darkness. That is the word, a very vivid word. It's not 108 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:41.080 like, Oh yeah, I think maybe I'll go this way. It's no, 109 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:46.000 you will go this way. It's a driving force. And in verse 110 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:52.320 two, Luke gives us the reason why he's led or driven into the Wilderness, 111 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:58.039 and that is to be tempted by the devil. Now this gives us 112 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:05.200 a couple of interesting questions. Number One, if Jesus is God, how 113 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:09.360 could he be tempted? For James says, let no one say when he 114 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:13.879 is tempted and tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil and 115 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:16.960 he himself tempts no one. So, pastor, how can you say that 116 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:22.120 Jesus has tempted if he's God, because God cannot be tempted by evil? 117 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:28.080 And secondly, why would the spirit lead or even drive him? Why? 118 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:33.840 Why that necessity, doesn't the prayer that we will pray together this morning say 119 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.399 lead us not into temptation? Well, let me deal with the first question 120 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:43.240 first. I think that probably makes some kind of sense. How is it 121 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:48.200 possible that Jesus, being God, to be tempted, as they said? 122 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:52.159 We talked about Jesus being son of Adam, son of God, and I 123 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:56.799 gave you several instances. But this is important for us to understand why we 124 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:03.919 confess that Jesus is man and God. Let me say in regards to the 125 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.879 question, how could Jesus, being God, be tempted? We don't often 126 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:13.159 ask the opposite question would be, how would it be possible that Jesus, 127 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:18.759 being man, wouldn't be tempted? I mean that's the other side of it, 128 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:20.759 right. If he's if he is man, how would it be possible 129 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.600 that he couldn't or wouldn't be tempted? He must be. So both can 130 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:31.759 lead to confusion unless we can understand that it all makes sense by the fact 131 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:37.080 that Jesus is God and he is man. I think somebody, I think 132 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:41.639 sometimes we kind of grasp the fact that Jesus humanity in his body, I 133 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:45.399 think. I think it's easy for us to grasp, but I think the 134 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:46.840 harder part, and maybe this isn't true of you, just me, but 135 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:52.960 I think the herder part is to grasp that Jesus is that way in his 136 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:56.919 mind as well, and I think that's the hard part that people have in 137 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.519 grappling with it. And we have some verses in Luke already that kind of 138 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.840 lead to that. Luke to forty and the child speaking of Jesus grew and 139 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:11.720 became strong, filled with wisdom. Luke to fifty two, and Jesus increased 140 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:15.679 in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Like I 141 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:20.759 said, we understand stature, but it seems confusing to US perhaps to think 142 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:28.200 of Jesus increasing in wisdom. But it reminds us of the fact that Jesus 143 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:35.039 took on humanity in both his body and his mind. And so we read 144 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:39.639 in Matthew. But concerning that day and that hour, no one knows, 145 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.840 not even the angels of Heaven, nor the son, but the father only. 146 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:48.600 That's the verse that's confused many people through the years. But Hebrew says 147 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.320 he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might 148 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:58.200 become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation 149 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.759 for the sins of the people. Later, the writer of the Hebrews in 150 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:05.559 four fifteen reminds us we do not have a high priest who is unable to 151 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:09.360 sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who, in every respect, has been 152 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:15.960 tempted as we are, yet without sin. Well then, why does the 153 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:24.120 spirit drive Jesus into the Wilderness again? James makes that statement. That tells 154 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:26.840 us that no one should say when they are tempted they are tempted by God. 155 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:33.759 But yet doesn't the Bible speak in different places of God tempting people? 156 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.399 So when we look at that question people are confused by that. Now some 157 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:41.440 of the later versions have made this a lot clearer than it used to be. 158 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:46.039 But the problem is in both the Hebrew and the Greek the word that 159 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.759 has translated temptation can just as easily be translated as test. So if you 160 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:54.120 have a King James version of the Bible this morning and you look at Genesis 161 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:58.720 twenty two one, you'll see that it says it came to pass after those 162 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:07.080 stayings that God did tempt Abraham. And then in almost every other version it 163 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:13.600 says God tested or proved. The S V said God tested, the s 164 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:18.679 V says God proved Abraham not tempted. So although God does not tempt us 165 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:24.399 and will not tempt us, he may indeed lead us into a situation where 166 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:30.759 temptation will present itself, and that can happen. In Second Samuel we read 167 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.840 this again. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he incited 168 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:41.679 David against them saying go number Israel and Judah. But in the same exact 169 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:48.600 account, in First Chronicle, we read then Satan stood against Israel and incited 170 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:52.960 David to number Israel. And in these scriptures, as well as the book 171 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.720 of Job, we have this situation where we understand that well, although it 172 00:13:56.840 --> 00:14:01.240 is Satan who is indeed doing the inside and the temptation, it is God 173 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:07.279 who leads people into these situations where where they have to go through this, 174 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:11.120 and the purpose of God doing this is so we might be proven, so 175 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:16.600 that we might come out, as job says in I shall come out as 176 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.360 gold. First, Peter one seven says, the trial of your faith being 177 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.480 much more precious than that of gold that perishes. They'll be tried with fire. 178 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.480 Might be found on the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of 179 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.279 Jesus Christ. So we don't have to pray God, please don't tempt me 180 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:37.240 to evil, because he won't. That would be contrary. But we do 181 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:43.480 indeed pray Lord, lead me not into temptation. Let me come back to 182 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:48.320 that. The temptation of Christ is going to come at the hands of the 183 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.720 devil. The Word Devil, you may know, is a translation of a 184 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:56.320 Greek word, Diablos, and it is the word that Luke uses throughout the 185 00:14:56.360 --> 00:15:00.919 temptation account, with one exception, which is where Jesus a dresses the devil 186 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:05.919 and says get thee behind me, Satan, and there he uses the word 187 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:11.159 Satan and what that word particularly means an adversary. The word Diabolos, however, 188 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:16.639 is not universally used for the devil in scripture, but it's also used 189 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:22.000 of others who are called false accusers, and that is the same word that 190 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:26.960 we have there as well. And of course the enemy is a false accuser 191 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:31.840 and he is a tempter. And it marks very short account of the temptation. 192 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:37.000 The only word he refers to is Satan as the advertary adversary. Let's 193 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.240 note the number of days. Forty days he's in the world. There's another 194 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.559 one of those important numbers. I told the people at the fellowship groups, 195 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.440 if you're ever going to guess the number and ask a question, guests seven 196 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:50.639 and you'll be right se at the time. That's not an accurate number, 197 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:56.480 perhaps, but not nonetheless it's close. But here's another important number, forty. 198 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:00.240 Forty is one of those numbers of tests in the Bible. Forty Years 199 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.080 in the wilderness, Forty Days in the Wilderness uh, forty days and forty 200 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:10.360 nights of reigning uh during the time of Noah. We think of Moses fasting 201 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:14.360 for forty days. We think of Elijah. I'm out in forty days, 202 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:18.960 and we think of those days as well. And again, when Moses was 203 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:22.120 in the mountain. We read this an exodus. So he was there with 204 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.440 the Lord, Forty Days and Forty Knights. He neither ate bread nor drake 205 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.159 water and he wrote on the tablets the words of the Covenant, the Ten 206 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:33.320 Commandments. And if Elijah says, he arose and ate and dragon went in 207 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:37.840 the strength of that food, Forty Days and forty knights to horror the amount 208 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:45.799 of God. So here we have identical situations with Moses, Elijah and Jesus. 209 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:52.360 Moses the giver of the Law, Elijah the restore of the law, 210 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:57.440 and Jesus, of course, the fulfillment of the law. And with Moses, 211 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:02.799 although we don't know for sure, Jesus Mountain. Both Moses and Elijah 212 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:08.839 were in the same mountain. Now the King James says here, being forty 213 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:14.400 days tempted of the devil, the S V says for forty days being tempted 214 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:17.039 by the devil. I know, I don't know about you, but sometimes 215 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:18.039 I read this account and I think, Oh, you know, he's forty 216 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:21.799 days, he's fast end, he's having a good time and then the end 217 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:26.000 of forty days here comes Satan and that ends everything. But actually the wording 218 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:30.440 of the Gospel writers lead us to believe it was a temptation the entire forty 219 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.440 days that he was undergoing, that they were there. Of course we're only 220 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.759 given the ones at the end, but it appears he was tempted for that 221 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:41.599 entire time and I will go further than that and say indeed he was tempted 222 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:47.960 for his entire life, from beginning to the cross. The temptation was there, 223 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:52.079 and I'll talk about that more next week. There's something else I want 224 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:56.880 to see an introduction concerning the temptations. None of these things, none of 225 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:03.279 the temptations that Jesus went through that are mentioned for us here. Well, 226 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:07.000 you and I ever go through, or could we ever go through, if 227 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:11.559 Satan came to us and said I want to tempt you to turn these stones 228 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.440 into bread, I'd say well, Nice Try, Satan, but I can't 229 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:19.400 even do that. So there's really no temptation here at all. If you 230 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:22.279 showed me all the kingdoms of the world and said I'm going to give me 231 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:26.279 a said, well, you know you won't, because I can't receive those. 232 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:29.680 They're not available to me. So it doesn't work, you know. 233 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.359 And and all of those temptations. CAST yourself down from the tempo and no, 234 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:37.480 that that's not a scripture I can take. It's not. It's not 235 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:41.480 my own. And so all of these are not my kind of temptations, 236 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:48.079 but they are all actual temptations to Christ. So let's look at the first 237 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.480 one. In versus. Three through four we have what both Matthew and Luke 238 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:53.640 give as the first temptation. Now there's a difference in the second third. 239 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:59.000 Deal with that next week. And although none of us could face the exact 240 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:03.119 temptation as just mentioned, that Jesus met, we can face the underlying temptation. 241 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:11.200 We can all understand if we were forty days without food afterwards we would 242 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.400 be hungry. Right. That makes sense to us that that that would be 243 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:18.759 the case. So we can understand that and can understand that we could be 244 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:22.039 tempted. We may not be tempted to turn stones into bread, as Jesus 245 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.799 is. But we could be tempted, as Jean Valjean was tempted, to 246 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:30.680 steal bread, couldn't we? That could be something that we might want to 247 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.519 do. But because Christ has the power to do what the devil suggests, 248 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:38.000 because he can do that. He can turn stones into bread, he can 249 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:44.279 turn stones into children of Abraham, so of course he can turn stones into 250 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:49.400 bread. So therefore this is a real temptation to him. But then we 251 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:52.400 have to ask the question, well, really, would that be so bad? 252 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.720 I mean, come on, he hasn't eaten for forty days. Would 253 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:00.400 that really be a bad thing to make bread so he can eat? And 254 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:04.279 we might wonder, you know, why is that such a terrible thing? 255 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:10.400 I mean, after all, Jesus spends most of his ministry meeting the physical 256 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:12.240 needs of people. I mean he's always doing that. If they're hungry, 257 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:17.039 he's making bread, if they're thirsty, is making wine. He's taking care 258 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:19.519 of them, whatever their needs are. He's always doing that. So why 259 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:23.599 couldn't he do that right now? is is satisfying hunger at the end of 260 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:29.279 a forty day fast any worse than making water into wine at a wedding. 261 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:34.079 But the problem here doesn't concern so much what the actual temptation is. It 262 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:40.000 is a temptation, of course, because Christ is hungry, but the importance 263 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:45.559 here is of Jesus only doing what his father commands him to do in obedience. 264 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.039 This is the point Jesus would say in John Twenty nine. And he 265 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:52.160 who sent me is with me, he has not left me alone, for 266 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:57.880 I always do the things that are pleasing to him. and John Jesus said. 267 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:00.960 Truly, I say to you, the son can do nothing of his 268 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:06.359 own accord, but only what he sees the father doing, for whatever the 269 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:11.000 father does, the son does likewise. So for Christ to step out of 270 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:15.400 that and make bread for himself, what his father is not dealing with him 271 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:19.839 to do that, that would be wrong and a sin, and therefore he 272 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:25.119 cannot do it. And in verse four we have the answer of Jesus to 273 00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:27.880 the temptation which I said, is found to Deuteronomy, it says in Luke 274 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:33.000 it is written man shall not live by bread alone. Deuteronomy Atri says be 275 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:37.319 humbled you and let your hunger and UH. And he humbled you and let 276 00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:41.640 you hunger and fed you with Manna, which you did not know, nor 277 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:44.680 did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not 278 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:48.920 live by bread alone. And Matthew gives us the entire quotation, which ends 279 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:55.720 with but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. And that 280 00:21:55.799 --> 00:22:00.119 temptation is foiled by Christ. Has All of them will be. I'll tell 281 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:03.839 you that. Just you know, left taking for next week. So let's 282 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:10.559 make some applications. The first temptation that Jesus Faces in the Wilderness is a 283 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:15.880 temptation of provision. will his father provide for his needs or not? And 284 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.640 although, as I said, we cannot face the exact same temptation in the 285 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:25.759 same way that Jesus faced it, nevertheless we do understand the temptation to doubt 286 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:30.839 God's provision, don't we? We all have that issue. That's a problem 287 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:34.759 we often wonder the Psalm has said in some five I have been young and 288 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:40.119 now I'm old. Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or as children 289 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:45.160 begging for bread. But we still tend to worry about that, don't we? 290 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.799 We tend to wonder whether something is going to be provided for us or 291 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:52.319 not. It might be food, it might be rent money, it might 292 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:56.039 be car payment. It might be a hospital visit, it might be a 293 00:22:56.079 --> 00:23:00.319 disease, it could be several things, but we won there we question it. 294 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.079 Jesus gave us this instruction in a sermon on the Mount in Matthew six. 295 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:08.240 Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, 296 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:11.160 what you eat or what you drink, nor about your body. What you 297 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:15.079 put on. Is Not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 298 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:19.200 Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap gather 299 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:23.279 into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of 300 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:26.920 more value than they? and which of you, by being anxious, can 301 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.599 add a single hour to a span of life? And why are you anxious 302 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:34.000 about clothing? Consider the litters of the field, how they grow? They 303 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:37.200 neither toil or spin, but they tell you even Solomon and all his glory, 304 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:41.200 was not a raid like one of these. But if God so clothed 305 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:45.559 the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into 306 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:48.240 the oven, will we not much more clothed? You or you of little 307 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:52.240 faith? Therefore, do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what 308 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.720 shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For the gentile seek after 309 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.279 all these things, and your heavenly father knows you need them all, but 310 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:03.519 seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will 311 00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:07.519 be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for 312 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:11.759 tomorrow will be anxious for itself sufficient, for the day is his own trouble. 313 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:18.240 Wonderful words, but then when the rubber meets the road, and we 314 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:23.920 faced these questions about God's provision, sometimes an ox for comforting and we struggle 315 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:30.079 and we wonder, will God really provide? Let me give you an illustration 316 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:33.720 for my own life. During nine eighty one, I was living in Sacramento, 317 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:38.759 California, Doing Street Ministry and to support myself I worked at an insurance 318 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:44.720 company there and at the time we only had two of our eventual five children, 319 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.519 but even so our budget was being stretched to the limit. We mostly 320 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:52.079 lived on hot dogs, which is my my my oldest daughter won't eat hot 321 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:56.559 dogs anymore because kind of ruined that for her, but that's what we lived 322 00:24:56.599 --> 00:25:00.680 on. There was a tie one night when I was there. I was 323 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:03.759 in the Church Service for the Sunday evening service and I was sitting in the 324 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:07.720 Pew and I wasn't the pastor of that church, I was just a member 325 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:11.960 of that church and I was having one of those fights with God. You 326 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:15.279 know, I don't if you know what I mean when you have those fights 327 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:19.200 with God, because I had money to put in the offering basket for my 328 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:26.240 ties, but I also needed that same money from my rent money that was 329 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:30.599 due that week. And I'm fighting with God and I'm making good arguments. 330 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:32.480 You know, O Lord, you don't want me to. You know I 331 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:34.000 have to pay our landlord. I mean, come on, you know you 332 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:37.000 tell us that we gotta pay. What to do? We gotta. We 333 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:40.000 gotta be faithful in that. We gotta. And I'm making all the arguments 334 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.319 and fighting with God and saying, you know, I'm not gonna do this, 335 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.279 I'm not gonna give you the tide. I know what yours. I 336 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:45.920 know the first to belong to you. I know this should be yours. 337 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:49.160 I understand that, but I don't think you'd want me to. So on 338 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:56.279 goes the argument. But guess who wins? So I put my money in 339 00:25:56.359 --> 00:26:00.039 the offering plate and say, all right, Lord, I don't know what 340 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:07.240 I'm gonna do, but I'm obeying you've told me to do. So I 341 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.119 wondered what am gonna do? Excuse for the landlord? What am I gonna 342 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:14.359 say? What I'M gonna do? And the next day, of course, 343 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:17.559 in the mail. That's how God always asked, and this is used to 344 00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:22.839 before computers. Um, so the mail. But we got a letter totally 345 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:25.839 unexpected from our home church. They hadn't supported us at all the ministry and 346 00:26:25.880 --> 00:26:29.440 they want us a letter and said we were meeting together as a board and 347 00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:32.480 praying and thought we ought to help support you in your ministry. And they 348 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:37.440 sent us a check that covered our real money. And I've learned from that 349 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:41.400 time that I just needed to give to God what's his. And that's been 350 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.319 a temptation, to be honest, I haven't really faced again. I faced 351 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:49.200 a lot of other ones, but that's when God brought me through and taught 352 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:53.880 me a lesson that Lord Willie and I still will never forget. But we 353 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:59.000 faced that temptation. Will God provide for us? We'll food be there for 354 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:03.400 my children? Will I be able to afford gas if it gets much higher? 355 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:07.839 and I wonder, you know what, what would I do? What 356 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:11.519 about this medical issue? What about you know the other problem that we're facing 357 00:27:11.799 --> 00:27:18.559 within our family. Will Will God provide? And in the temptation of Jesus 358 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:22.599 and the Wilderness, we learned God indeed will provide. There's a poem I 359 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:26.279 came across many years ago. I've used it many times in sermons. You've 360 00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:30.759 probably heard it as well. It's by Elizabeth Cheney and it goes like this, 361 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:34.240 said the Robin to the sparrow. I should really like to know why 362 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:40.480 these anxious human beings rush about and worry. So said the sparrow to the 363 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.640 Robin. Friend, I think that it must be that they have no heavenly 364 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:52.000 father such as cares for you and me. We need to trust God will 365 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:56.160 indeed care as our heavenly father. He loves US, he'll take care of 366 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:00.519 us, he'll provide. But as we look at our low or and his 367 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:04.640 temptation, it's good for us to also look at our own temptation. It's 368 00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:10.640 clear we're never tempted by God, but we can be led into situations where 369 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:14.599 temptation is there, and I think all of us know exactly what that is 370 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:18.440 like. And I said as part of our prayers that God would not lead 371 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:22.759 us into temptation. And one of the problems we have in temptation is we're 372 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:26.480 fighting against an enemy who is much more stronger than we are. He is 373 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:33.400 he is much better armed for the fight that we're going to have. Our 374 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:37.680 Savior Triumph into wilderness. He overcame, but if we trust in our strength 375 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:41.640 alone, we will not overcome. We have to flee to God. It 376 00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:45.559 is our only hope. God's word gives us many promises. James, four 377 00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:49.000 seven. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil and he 378 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.720 will flee from you first, Peter, five, eight and nine. Be 379 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:56.400 Sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like 380 00:28:56.440 --> 00:29:00.559 a roory line, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your 381 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:03.519 faith, knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your Brotherhood throughout 382 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.839 the world. He was four or fifteen and sixteen, we do not have 383 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:11.799 a high priest who was unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who, 384 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:14.960 in every respect, has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 385 00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:18.799 Let us, then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace 386 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:23.160 that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need and 387 00:29:23.160 --> 00:29:27.759 the promise we read in our assurance this morning that no temptation has taken us, 388 00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:33.319 but God will provide a way of escape. Now, brothers and sisters, 389 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:40.759 we understand God's providence and we understand that sometimes in providence we are led 390 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:47.599 into a situation with very great temptation and we allow us and we understand that 391 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:52.839 God has, in his Providence, allowed us to be there. Now listen, 392 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:56.519 I would guess some of you are thinking to this time. Yeah, 393 00:29:57.000 --> 00:30:02.599 you don't know how I mess up. When happens, you don't understand. 394 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:04.839 I cry out to God, I pray to God, I say God, 395 00:30:04.839 --> 00:30:11.000 please, please, don't let this overcome me, but it seems like I'm 396 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:18.640 always falling, always failing. Let me give you a closing example. This 397 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:26.680 morning, in Luke, chapter versus, thirty one and thirty two, our 398 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.640 Lord says this to Peter, and I want you to listen carefully to these 399 00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:37.720 words. Simon, Simon, behold Satan demanded to have you D D might 400 00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:41.200 sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may 401 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:48.839 not fail and, when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. I 402 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:53.119 wanted you to listen carefully because I misunderstood the scripture for years. I thought 403 00:30:53.240 --> 00:31:00.119 Jesus said, Satan or Peter, Satan has desired to have you, but 404 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:04.640 don't worry, I said no, and so you're gonna be okay. But 405 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:11.000 that's not what he says. And and I also thought that was strange, 406 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:15.039 because he prayed that Peter would not fail. And then I thought, but 407 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:21.559 Peter did fail. He failed three times, the first time to a servant 408 00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:26.119 girl, the least threatening person in the face of the earth. He failed 409 00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:33.640 three times. But I want you to notice that Jesus doesn't say, I 410 00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:37.200 prayed for you and Satan is not going to have you. He is telling 411 00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:41.799 Peter Indeed, Satan's going to sift him, he's gonna go into a time 412 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:48.799 of temptation and indeed he's going to struggle. And indeed he doesn't say I 413 00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:53.039 prayed for you and you won't fail, but he said instead I prayed for 414 00:31:53.119 --> 00:32:01.400 you that your faith doesn't fail. Because you know what, Peter did fail. 415 00:32:04.359 --> 00:32:09.400 He did fail and it caused him great shame as he thought about it. 416 00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:14.480 And even after the resurrection, it appears that he is struggling in that 417 00:32:14.599 --> 00:32:20.759 great confrontation between Jesus and Peter. And John One that I won't go into 418 00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:24.599 this morning, but you know it. But I want you to take heart 419 00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:30.079 from this, because sometimes the Lord says you're gonna go through a sifting, 420 00:32:31.559 --> 00:32:36.559 the enemy is gonna have you and you're not gonna like it very much. 421 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:45.160 But you know what, I prayed for you and you might even fail in 422 00:32:45.319 --> 00:32:51.440 sin him, but you know you'll never fail in falling from me, because 423 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:57.720 I hold you and I have you. So do not fear for what you're 424 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:01.000 going through. I'm with you and will strengthen you and even if you fall, 425 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:06.079 you will come out of it better, as Peter did, as he 426 00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:10.599 learned his self. Confidence was a terrible thing, and God can help us. 427 00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:16.279 Our faith can never fail. John says. This is the victory that 428 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:22.880 overcomes the world, even our faith. The psalmist says those who trust in 429 00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:29.160 the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abides forever. 430 00:33:29.319 --> 00:33:32.240 Can We pray? Lord, we thank you for your word this morning. 431 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:40.599 We thank you indeed, God, that you have given US power and 432 00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:45.400 strength and although all of us can look back at times of failure in our 433 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:50.960 life, we know that yet you have kept us and we are here this 434 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:55.119 morning because you have kept us. And Lord, we are yours. Our 435 00:33:55.240 --> 00:34:00.599 strength is not sufficient to meet the strength of the enemy, but your strength 436 00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:07.200 is. And Lord, help us to learn reliance upon you, because often, 437 00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:10.280 when we become convinced of our own reliance, you teach us, as 438 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:15.880 you did Peter, that that does nothing and only fail us. But help 439 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.519 us. And Lord, if there are those who have never trusted to you 440 00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:25.760 in the Cross and never don't have a recourse, they don't have a refuge 441 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:30.159 to go to, I pray this morning they will know that Jesus Christ is 442 00:34:30.199 --> 00:34:34.400 their help. If they will turn to him, turn to the cross, 443 00:34:35.639 --> 00:34:39.280 if they will indeed believed that that cross paid the price for all of their 444 00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:45.519 sins and confess Christ to be their savior and their Lord, that they will 445 00:34:45.559 --> 00:34:51.320 have an anchor and a hold in their times of temptation. But, Lord, 446 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:54.159 may all of us trust only in you, and if there are those 447 00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:58.719 who are not, may they do so today and trust in you, I 448 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:00.000 ask, in Christ name. Amen.