The Gospel of Luke #15 (Lk 4:1-13)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.440 The Gospel of Luke again this morning, the exact same text that I read 2 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:09.199 from last week. Luke Chapter Four. Will be reading the first thirteen verses 3 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:14.119 here. God's Word and Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from 4 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:18.519 the Jordan's and was led by the spirit in the Wilderness for forty days, 5 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:23.320 being tempted by the devil, and he ate nothing during those days, and 6 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:27.039 when they were ended he was hungry. The Devil said to him, if 7 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:31.480 you are the son of God, command a stone to become bread, and 8 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:36.079 Jesus answered him it has written man shall not live by bread alone. And 9 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:38.960 the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdom, to the world 10 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:42.000 in a moment of time, and said to him, to you, I 11 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:45.679 will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to 12 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:49.079 me and I will give it to whom I will. If you then will 13 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:53.200 worship me, it will be yours. and Jesus answered him. It is 14 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:57.240 written. You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only you 15 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.159 shall serve. And he took him to Jerus slum and set him on a 16 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.519 pinnacle of the Temple and said to him, if you are the son of 17 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:07.159 God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written he will command 18 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.439 as angels concerning you to guard you, and on their hands they will bear 19 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:18.000 you up lest you strike your foot against a stone. and Jesus answered him. 20 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:19.879 It is said you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. 21 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:26.200 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until 22 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:29.640 an opportune time. Thus ends the reading of God's word. You may be 23 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:38.760 seated. We looked at the beginning of the temptation of Jesus last week and 24 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:42.879 we looked at some inductor introductory materials and then we looked at the first temptation 25 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:48.879 and that was to make bread out of a stone. And I told you 26 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:52.280 there was too much material there to do it in one message. I need 27 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:55.959 to do it and too. But as I was preparing the message this morning 28 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.480 I found that there still was too much material. But I wasn't going to 29 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:01.920 go and in this another another week. So I just had to pare down 30 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:07.040 a few pages out of the message and I got it down to which I 31 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.240 think is a manageable size. Uh this morning, but you'll be the better 32 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:15.479 judge of that. One of the things we noticed last week is that in 33 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:20.159 looking at the two natures of Christ, Christ has man, had to be 34 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:23.360 tempted because he was a man and he was a human, but Christ, 35 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:28.719 as God, could not sin. And so we have one of those mysteries 36 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:31.479 that is solved by the two natures, even though we do not fully comprehend 37 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:37.840 that mystery. But nonetheless we understand that he had to undergo temptation but also 38 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:43.080 that it would be impossible for him to fail in that temptation. So I 39 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:46.599 want to begin with versus five through eight this morning. Now, you may 40 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:51.840 know this or maybe not, but Matthew and Luke transpose these two temptations. 41 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:55.000 So what is the second temptation in Matthew becomes the third in Luke. And 42 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.800 what become what is the second in Luke becomes the third in Matthew. And 43 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:06.800 so in Luke the second temptation is where Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of 44 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:10.080 the world and says they would be his if he would worship him. But 45 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:15.000 in Matthew the second temptation is that Christ would cast himself down off the pinnacle 46 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:19.840 of the Temple, which of course, is the third temptation in Luke. 47 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:23.120 Now we don't take from that that there's contradictions in the Bible at all. 48 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:28.360 That doesn't mean that, no matter what, the gospel writers are telling US 49 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:31.520 The story of Christ in a way that suits them and that really is rarely 50 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.599 chronological. There is some kind of chronology to the Gospels, that's certain, 51 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:40.080 but they are none of the writers are concerned to give us the order of 52 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:46.879 everything in exact sequence. That isn't what they're doing. And when we look 53 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:51.560 at Matthew and Luke, it seems clear from Reading Matthew that Matthew's giving us 54 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:55.479 the chronological order where Luke is not. And the reason we know that is 55 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:02.879 because Matthew uses time marker were words, words like then afterwards. And so 56 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:10.080 we see that matthew is giving us a sequence where Luke simply says and and 57 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:13.319 and and, and that's all he's doing here. And so he can note 58 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:16.199 in these verses, in nine of the eleven verses from three through thirteen, 59 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.639 the verse begins with the Word and might not in your Bible, but, 60 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:26.160 but, but it should. But Anyway, Matthew again uses those other words. 61 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:30.199 So Lucas saying, Um, I want to I want to emphasize something 62 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:32.680 here. I'm gonna tell it in this way, John MacArthur says, has 63 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:39.240 he often did with the material in his Gospel. Luke arranged the temptations thematically 64 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:44.959 rather than chronologically. So in verse five we're told what happens in the temptation, 65 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.800 but it isn't exactly clear to us how it happens. We're not sure. 66 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:54.959 Says the devil takes Jesus up to a high place and shows him all 67 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:59.160 the kingdoms of the world. Now, how does that happen? The Satan 68 00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:04.319 U UH somehow take on a human form and end up there in the wilderness 69 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:09.279 with Jesus and walks with him up a high mountain? Is that whether it 70 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:14.000 takes place or or is this a vision of some kind that Satan is showing 71 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:17.639 to our Lord? Well, we don't have to answer that question definitely today, 72 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.839 but the fact that it says in a moment of time he showed Jesus 73 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:27.759 all the kingdoms of the world it seems to indicate that it was in a 74 00:05:27.879 --> 00:05:31.639 vision. I found it interesting here what Calvin says. He says it is 75 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:35.959 asked was he actually carried to the elevated spot or was it done in a 76 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:42.040 vision? There is no absurdity in supposing that this took place by the permission 77 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:46.680 of God and the voluntary subjection of Christ, provided we hold it within that 78 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.319 is, in his mind and souls, he suffered no delusion. What is 79 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:55.839 next? Added that all the kingdoms of the world were placed in the view 80 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.079 of Christ, as well as what Luke relates, that he was carried to 81 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:02.759 a great distance in one moment. Agrees better with the idea of a vision 82 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:09.199 than with any other supposition. In a matter that is doubtful and where ignorance 83 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:14.879 brings no risk, I choose rather to suspend my judgment than to furnish contentious 84 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:19.040 people with an occasion of debate. Sometimes Kelvin is just so humorous the way 85 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:23.720 he does it, and here he shows a rare moment of diplomacy. Is 86 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.279 is his writings are not always the most diplomatic, is some of you might 87 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.879 know if you read Kelvin. But I found that kind of a humorous quote. 88 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:32.839 So anyway. But both these, e q and John, also were 89 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.240 carried away to a high mountain, apparently in a vision that seems infected. 90 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:40.199 In at least one case it has said it happens in a vision. So 91 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:43.800 it seems like perhaps that is the right way to go. But the greater 92 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.120 question that has asked here on this temptation is does Satan have the power to 93 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:53.120 deliver what he's tempting Jesus to in other words, Ken't Satan, if Jesus 94 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:57.439 were to worship him, would he really be able to give Christ all of 95 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:03.160 the Kingdoms of the world? Of that's a debating question and the various commentaries 96 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:09.720 that I read in preparation for this sermon I found authors on both sides of 97 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:14.720 this question. There are scriptures that seem to indicate he does indeed have that 98 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.800 power. Ephesians two TWOS, that calls the Prince of the power of the 99 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:23.319 air. Later in six twelve and Ephesians Paul says we do not wrestle against 100 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.879 flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over the present 101 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:32.279 darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil and heavenly places. And Second Corinthians 102 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:38.319 for four, Paul Calls Satan the God of this world. Jesus even refers 103 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:42.160 to him that way in John Twelve thirty one, where he says now is 104 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:46.160 the judgment of this world. Now with the ruler of this world be cast 105 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.920 out. And so we also have John at first, John Nineteen. The 106 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:55.319 whole world lies in the power of the evil one. But aren't all the 107 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:59.639 kingdoms of the world ultimately in God's hands? Aren't they really up to God 108 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:03.480 to the suppose of as he would see fit? Some would say the devil 109 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:07.920 had the power during the time of the temptation to do this, but after 110 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:13.720 the Christ's death and resurrection they were delivered to him, and they would quote 111 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:18.920 Collossians to fifteen. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open 112 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:24.959 shame by triumphing over them in him. Others would ask the question, well, 113 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:30.720 if if Satan couldn't deliver and Jesus knew that, what kind of a 114 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:33.000 temptation is that? It's like well, well, I'm not gonna do that 115 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:37.000 because you don't have any power to do that anyway. Um, so those 116 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.840 are the questions. I I kind of personally, and this is not inspired, 117 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.000 but I hold the decide that I think Satan did have this power, 118 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:46.080 at least at this time. But if you want to hold the other side, 119 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:50.679 you certainly welcome to do that. But let's move on to the answer. 120 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:54.000 First Aid. It says it is written, you shall worship the Lord 121 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:58.840 your God, and him only shall you serve. Now those words aren't precise 122 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:03.600 be found anywhere in the Old Testament where Jesus is quoting. It has been 123 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:09.200 noted, however, that the closest scripture is probably Deuteronomy six thirteen. It 124 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.799 is the Lord Your God, you shall fear Him, you shall serve and 125 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:18.480 by his name you shall swear. And so, although it's not an identical 126 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:24.720 word for word quotation from the Scriptures, it is certainly the intent of that 127 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.120 scripture as Jesus is giving it, especially when we add the next verse. 128 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:33.399 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the People's who are 129 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:37.919 around you. And really it's also a perfect summation of the entire Old Testament. 130 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:43.519 That happens again and again. You should worship me and not these other 131 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:48.879 gods, although Israel continued to do that, and Jesus is proclaiming he will 132 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:54.039 only worship God. Well, we move on to the third temptation and verses 133 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.879 again. This would be the second one in Matthew and the devil begins with 134 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:03.799 the same words that started in the first temptation. If you are the son 135 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:07.679 of God, and we find the same questions here that we find in the 136 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:13.600 last temptation is all of this in a vision that Satan is is doing this 137 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.200 as well. Are they going? Are they actually physically going up to the 138 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:22.399 pinnacle of the Temple and the Satan put Jesus there? And we're not even 139 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.679 sure where this particular place is. Some have suggested that it might have been 140 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:31.759 on the edge of what was called Herod's Portico that overhung the Kedron Valley, 141 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:37.799 where you could look down four hundred and fifty feet. Joseph has called it 142 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:43.039 a dizzy height to be that high. There's a tradition Um that is given 143 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.960 in Eusebius and in other places, that James, the brother of Jesus, 144 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:52.960 was actually thrown down from that particular spot or spot like that, to his 145 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.399 death. But again, we don't have to know. We don't have to 146 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:58.440 know exactly where it takes place. But there's a couple of interesting things we 147 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:05.240 do want to note. Up until this time we've noticed Jesus has met the 148 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:11.840 temptation of Jesus by quoting scripture. So now it seems that Satan says, 149 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:16.879 well, you've been quoting scripture, so why don't I quote a scripture Um 150 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:22.440 origin said the devil, like heretics, is quick to quote scripture, and 151 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.080 if you've ever dealt with people in cults, you know they're very quick to 152 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:31.240 to quote scripture, but they only know a few they don't know, and 153 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:35.000 if you bring any other scriptures into the equation, they're very confused. But 154 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:39.679 they still love to quote scripture. And the devil quotes out of Psalm Ninety, 155 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.879 one very familiar song, one of the most familiar psalms, I would 156 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:48.799 guess, of people. And he quotes versus eleven and twelve, for he 157 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.120 will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On 158 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:56.440 their hands, they will bear you up unless you strike your foot against a 159 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:00.559 stone. Now I am quoting the words out of the SAS, and you 160 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.399 might notice, but wait a minute, that's not exactly what he quoted, 161 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.080 and it isn't now. I told you that Jesus didn't quote exactly the words 162 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:15.200 out of Deuteronomy, and that's also gonna happen later Um and we might say 163 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:18.240 so. Is that a big point? And there are those who think this 164 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:20.519 is a big point and those that do not think it's a big point. 165 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.320 Again, I lie on the side. I think it is a big point. 166 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:31.120 I think it's important that the PSALMIS says he will guard you in all 167 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.879 your ways. That's what Satan leaves out, because in the psalms from the 168 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.879 very beginning we are taught that the godly walk in a particular way. Remember 169 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:46.480 that in Psalm one we're told you know that he does not stand in the 170 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:48.799 way of sinners, because if you stand in the way of sinners, I'll 171 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:52.440 tell you, you'll get run over. So you don't want to do that. 172 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:54.879 But again, it begins with the ways, which is often called the 173 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:58.759 two ways, that go throughout the psalms and proverbs and other places in this 174 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:03.519 scripture and and deal with that. So by saying this, by leaving that 175 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:07.200 out, it's like saying I don't want you to think about you know that, 176 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:11.559 that he wouldn't guard you if you're not walking in the way that God 177 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.960 has commanded. So I'M gonna leave that part out and I think that is 178 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:20.440 uh specifically left out. I mentioned in the one. I think it was 179 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:26.399 the UH. I just get confused in my directions. Northwest Fellowship group Um 180 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.759 that years ago there was a little Christian humorous magazine that was out there. 181 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.159 Pre dates most of you. Nobody probably heard of it's called the Wittenberg door. 182 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:37.200 But they ran a contest for a while about what they thought were the 183 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.399 worst lines in any him and I don't remember if this one one or not, 184 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:43.759 but but it was up towards the top and it was my sin. 185 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:50.600 Oh the bliss of this glorious thought. Now, if you take that line 186 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:54.080 by itself, it's it's a pretty bad line, but if you go to 187 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:58.240 the next line it all makes sense and it comes together. So again it 188 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:03.679 is important for us to come through the entire passes of scripture. But there 189 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:09.039 is a great temptation, you know, when when people um come against us 190 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:13.080 and say, Oh, that's not true. Immediately, what do we want 191 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:15.480 to do? Oh, I'm going to prove to you it's true. I'm 192 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:18.960 gonna tell you it's true. You you can't doubt my word. You can't. 193 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.840 You can't doubt what I'm saying here. And so of course there is 194 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:26.240 a great Satan says, if you are the son of God, and and 195 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:28.080 and Jesus be could have said, if I'm the son of God, I'll 196 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:31.480 show you what the son of God I am, and I'll but but he 197 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:37.399 doesn't do that. William Hendrickson says he realizes that for him to do what 198 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:43.120 Satan is urging upon him would amount to substituting presumption for faith, effrontery for 199 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:48.519 submission to God's guidance. G Campbell Morgan says the moment we do something to 200 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:54.279 prove God, we are proving we are not sure of God. That that 201 00:14:54.360 --> 00:15:01.480 was very interesting. Calvin again says we cannot rely on his promises without obeying 202 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:07.240 his commandments. And so once again our Lord quotes from Deuteronomy and he says 203 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:11.399 from Verse Twelve it has written you shall not put the Lord your God to 204 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.159 the test, which is quoted from Deuteronomy six sixteen. Not to be fair, 205 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.279 he leaves out the end of that verse two, but it wasn't really 206 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:24.519 part of the message. It simply says the end of it in Deuteronomy says 207 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:31.200 as you tested him at Massa. So it's not it doesn't really change anything 208 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:35.000 what he's saying. In that case. Those words are just telling about a 209 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:41.840 particular instance. And in verse thirteen we read when the devil had ended every 210 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:48.159 temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. However much Jesus had 211 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:52.080 been tempted in those forty days. And again the Gospel Writers need to indicate 212 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:56.840 he had been tempted throughout the forty days, not just at the end, 213 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:03.360 but however much the tempt patient at this point ends. Calvin says. His 214 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:07.759 phrase of Luke means that no truce or relaxation was granted to Christ until he 215 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:14.679 had been fully tried by every species of content. And the devil, probably 216 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:22.080 angry and upset that he had not been able to tempt Christ to any sin, 217 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:29.200 leaves him and depart until an opportune time. So let me make some 218 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:37.200 applications this morning and again we remember the Christ was truly tempted. Yes, 219 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:42.120 has God, he could not sin, but again he still felt the force 220 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:48.679 of these temptations. Was He tempted constantly? In his human nature, he 221 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:55.440 endured temptations greater than any of us have ever endured, and I'm going to 222 00:16:55.519 --> 00:17:00.200 talk about one in particular in a moment. All of those temptations, it's 223 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:04.480 as great as they were. Did he ever fail? No, not once. 224 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:11.519 Never. Leonard Coppiss puts it this way. From one perspective. As 225 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.880 a man, Jesus, like Adam before the fall, was capable of sinning 226 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:19.880 and subject to temptation, but as God he was unable to sin. The 227 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:26.279 fact that Jesus possessed in one person these two natures resulted in a real temptation 228 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:30.839 to sin, but an inability to succumb to that temptation and the ability to 229 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:40.119 overcome the temptation totally. I want to look particularly at the third temptation and 230 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:45.680 application. This morning we weren't across something that actually and I don't know if 231 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:48.200 you've had this, I've had it happened several times in my life and and 232 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:53.000 maybe some view of will where people are you talking to someone about your particular 233 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:57.920 view and your reformed view of Scriptures and your reformed view of salvation and and 234 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:02.960 the reformed view of God's ordaining all things and all all those kinds of things, 235 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:07.960 and, uh, you have people say something like this. I've I've 236 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:10.759 had this. He said, well, if you believe God ordains all things, 237 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:12.559 why don't you just go out in a freeway and lay down and then 238 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:17.880 if God wants you to live, you'll live. Well, our answer to 239 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:22.200 that Christ has given to us right. But it is written you shall not 240 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:27.799 tempt the Lord your God, and that kind of temptation can come to us 241 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:33.920 in various ways. When I was a teenager in my assembly of God's Church, 242 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:38.160 we were taught, we were exposed to a teaching in our youth group 243 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:42.160 that said that if you want an answer from God, you ask God the 244 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:48.079 question. You have your closes Bible and you open your Bible and you don't 245 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:52.119 look and you point and then you look to see God's answer, uh, 246 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:57.240 to whatever your word is and uh, you know, that's great. Until 247 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:00.599 you do that and you point, you look and it says thou shalt surely 248 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.880 die. Uh and that, and you know, you Oh, two out 249 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:08.359 of three Lord, two or three. But you know, if the old 250 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:12.160 story is you know, the Guy Opens it up and says Judas went out 251 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:15.279 and hung himself, and he says, oh no, and so he opens 252 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:19.000 it up again and says go thou and do likewise. He opens it again 253 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:23.279 it says what they'll do us new quickly. So yeah, it can be 254 00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:26.240 a little dangerous to do it. But again, that is that is tempting 255 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:30.799 God. That is not the way God teaches us to get guidance from him. 256 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:34.839 It is a temptation of God. It is a false confidence, which 257 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.880 is the other thing. Jesus could have said, I'll go ahead and cast 258 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:42.559 myself from this tempo because God will protect me. But that would be a 259 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:48.480 false confidence and and a lot of times people do that, and Christians will 260 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:52.079 do that, and they'll even use the concept of faith as a way of 261 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:55.720 getting out of doing something. Well, if God wants me to have a 262 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:59.519 new job, he'll open one up. Well, maybe you should send out 263 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:03.359 some res Amazed. How about that? That might be an idea. I 264 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.839 had a friend years ago that said that he believed that he didn't need to 265 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:10.200 get a job, but God was going to provide all of his needs. 266 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:15.119 False confidence, because the scripture says if a man doesn't work, it should 267 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:21.480 need we can even use it as a concept, as a way of avoiding 268 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:26.680 obedience to God. I'm going to marry this person even though I know they're 269 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:32.960 not a believer, because I believe God can convert them. or You could 270 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:37.480 just obey God's word that says do not be unequally yoked, and so we 271 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:42.440 can use this in many ways. A little over ten years ago I was 272 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.640 sitting up in my deck and I got a call from my man. I 273 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:49.799 hadn't hearn from for for a few years and he called me up and he 274 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:53.039 said I wanted to talk to you. He said I gotta tell you something 275 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.440 and I said okay, what is that? And he said, uh, 276 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:02.519 I want you to know I've been diagnosed with prostate cancer. And UH, 277 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:06.039 so we're talking and he said here's what I'm struggling with. He says, 278 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:11.359 I don't know should I go to a doctor or should I trust God in 279 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:15.480 this? And he said I'm struggling in that. It always amazes me that 280 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:22.079 Christians react to health issues differently than they do two car issues. Christians don't 281 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:26.160 go AH, you know, my car's broken down. I don't know if 282 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:29.680 I should just pray and trust God or go to a mechanic. You know 283 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.240 we always go to mechanics. And so I said to him, I said, 284 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:36.440 should you go to a doctor? You should not only go to a 285 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:41.119 doctor, you should go to the absolute best doctor that you can find the 286 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:45.039 deals with these things. I'm not saying don't pray, I'm not saying don't 287 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:48.799 trust God, but a lot of times we want to sound so spiritual and 288 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:53.440 all as we're doing is sounding foolish and we need to be careful again trying 289 00:21:53.480 --> 00:22:00.200 to put a false confidence or falling into Satan's temptations. About that? Or 290 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.359 how about this one? I've heard this many times. I bet you have 291 00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:08.680 to. I know I shouldn't gamble, but nonetheless, people say, I'm 292 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:11.440 a Christian, but I don't think I need to attend church. You ever 293 00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:18.359 heard that? Um, yes, you do, because if not, you're 294 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:23.519 neglecting the very means of grace that God is elected to confirm you and strengthen 295 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:29.880 you in the faith. Oh then you hear this, but there's so many 296 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:33.839 hypocrites there. Yeah, and there's room for one more. So it's okay, 297 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:38.359 you can come and you know what, you never say I'm not going 298 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:42.799 to work because there's a lot of hypocrites there. But God has ordained it. 299 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:48.839 And so again we need to be careful, because this temptation comes upon 300 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:52.400 us and meant these ways and many others. But let's look about as we 301 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:56.440 look at what Christ did, let's look at for also our own edification and 302 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:00.759 our temptations. The first thing we can fast and agree upon is we are 303 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:04.240 never ever tempted by God. God never tempts us. As I quoted in 304 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:07.759 James one thirteen. Let no one say when he's tempted. I am tempted 305 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:12.880 by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no 306 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:19.319 one. He tempts no one. But the second thing we have to understand 307 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:25.839 is in temptation we are facing an enemy who is greater than us. Our 308 00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:30.400 Savior triumphed in the wilderness. He overcame the evil one. But if you 309 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:37.920 and I trust in our strength alone, we will be overcome. But if 310 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:44.119 we trust in Christ we can endure. So the scripture gives us things we 311 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:48.319 must do. Number one, we must pray, as we will pray this 312 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:53.640 morning. Lead US not into temptation. That's not just a prayer for Sunday 313 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:59.400 folks, that's a prayer for every day of the week. That's why it 314 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:04.519 says give us this day our daily bread. Lead US not into temptation. 315 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:11.519 But when we are brought into temptation, we need to flee Satan and flee 316 00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:15.960 to God, as James Four seven says. Submit yourself therefore to God. 317 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:21.720 Resists the devil and he will flee from you. G CAAMPBELL Morgan says. 318 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:29.640 God never intended man to face temptation in his own strength, and that is 319 00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:33.960 our first step. Fleeing to God, resist him in the faith, as 320 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:38.200 we read earlier today, we must ask the Lord. Lord, you have 321 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:42.200 promised in First Corinthians ten thirteen, that you will, with the temptation, 322 00:24:42.359 --> 00:24:45.720 also make a way of escape, that we may be able to bear it. 323 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:52.519 Lord, show me what that way is. Hebrew's forces. We do 324 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.720 not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but 325 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:00.000 one who, in every respect, has been tempted as we are. Yet 326 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.839 without saying let us then, with confidence, drawn near to the throne of 327 00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:08.319 grace that we may find mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 328 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:14.880 I found a quotation in Kent Hughes that I don't know. I mean, 329 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:18.519 I can't prove this quotation. Sometimes stories get told over and over again, 330 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:23.440 but but he quotes Martin Luther saying says, when Martin Luther was asked 331 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:27.599 how he over overcame the devil, he replied well, when he comes knocking 332 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:33.000 upon the door of my heart and asked who lives here, the dear Lord 333 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:36.519 Jesus goes to the door and says Martin Luther used to live here, but 334 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:40.599 he's moved out. Now I live here and when Christ feels our lives, 335 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:42.799 Satan has no entrance. Well, it's an interesting story. Again, I 336 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:47.359 can't I can't prove that luther actually said that. I tried to find proof 337 00:25:47.400 --> 00:25:51.119 but I wasn't able to do that. But again, as long as there 338 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:56.200 is life, there'll be temptation. Temptations will come, temptations will go. 339 00:25:56.960 --> 00:26:02.240 Your temptations will change as you get older, as John Seems to indicate. 340 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:07.680 It is classifying the people in the church in the three groups, and so 341 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:11.519 some of the things that are temptations of youth are not temptations of old age 342 00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:17.400 and temptations of old age are not the same temptations as youth. And Satan 343 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:22.559 will seek to destroy you, but he will not because Christ has overcome. 344 00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:30.319 When Jesus, or when the scriptures give us the story of the temptation of 345 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:33.119 Jesus, I said, there are correlations we are meant to see. One 346 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:37.279 is the forty days of wilderness corresponding to the forty years in the wilderness of 347 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:41.319 Israel. But the second way we need to see this is that Jesus, 348 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:49.039 Christ is the last Adam and where Adam failed in temptation, Jesus overcomes and 349 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:56.160 look at the difference in the temptations. Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden, 350 00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:02.440 a paradise of Paradise. Jesus US was tempted in one of the most 351 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:07.400 barren wilderness possible. Adam was in a state where he was able to eat 352 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:12.039 any fruit that you deserved and and probably not suffer from any hunger whatsoever. 353 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:19.480 Jesus was tempted because he hadn't eaten for forty days and forty nights. Adam 354 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:23.640 was tempted in a world where sin did not even exist per se, but 355 00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:29.640 Jesus was tempted in a world where sin reigned in all of its inhabitants. 356 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:37.279 Adam fell at the very first opportunity, but Christ endured everything. For we 357 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:40.759 do not have a high priest who was unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 358 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:44.720 but one who, in every respect, has been tempted as we are. 359 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:52.240 Yet without sin, Jesus triumphed. We need to turn to him, flee 360 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:56.440 to him in your temptation, pray to him, ask him not to lead 361 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:00.160 you into temptation and, when you're in temptation, asked him to show you 362 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:04.640 the way of escape. But I want to finish this morning with an application 363 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:12.440 concerning that second temptation where Jesus was shown the kingdoms of the world and whether 364 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:17.920 or not he actually had that power. Satan had that power to do that, 365 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:23.279 and I want to deal with that. But I want you to notice 366 00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:30.880 in all the temptations that Christ endures, there is one temptation that I would 367 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:36.839 say is above all others, and it's found here, I think, in 368 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:41.079 the second temptation. Luke is mentioned it. For that reason, let me 369 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.759 take you to another story and another one after that to help you to understand 370 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:51.440 it. I'm sure you all know this. In Matthew six, from that 371 00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:53.839 time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, 372 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:57.839 suffer many things from the elders in chief, priests, inscribes and be killed 373 00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:04.920 and the third day, be raised. Jesus knows what's going to happen and 374 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:10.799 he clearly tells his disciples what's going to happen. But I want you to 375 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:15.279 notice what happens next, because I think it's very important. In Verse Twenty 376 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:18.920 Two, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, far 377 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:22.960 be it from you, Lord, this shall never happen to you now. 378 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:27.680 Remember this is the Peter who just said you are the Christ, the son 379 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:33.720 of the Living God, and Jesus said flesh and blood is not revealed that. 380 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.160 My father has revealed that to you. Peter has uttered words that the 381 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.519 father has revealed to him. So now he thinks Whoa I'm a spokesman, 382 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:45.359 you know. So I'm going to give another one. But in this case 383 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:53.640 Jesus identifies the author of this to be Satan. He says he turned and 384 00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:56.799 said to Peter in Verse Twenty Three, get Thee behind me. Satan, 385 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:02.440 you are a hindrance to me, for you're setting your mind on things of 386 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:04.640 God, not on the things of God, but on the things of man. 387 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:12.039 What is so horrendous about what Peter says there that Jesus even seems to 388 00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:18.640 violently attribute it to Satan? I'm going to make it clear, I hope. 389 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:22.680 Luke twelve fifty, Jesus said, I have a baptism to be baptized 390 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:30.200 with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished? Here that 391 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:37.319 how great is my distress. Matthew Nine and taking with him Peter and the 392 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:40.799 two sons of Ebite, he began to be sorrowful and troubled, and he 393 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:44.559 said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain 394 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:48.359 here and watch with me going a little further. He fell on his face 395 00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:53.920 and prayed, saying, my father, if it be possible, let this 396 00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:00.240 Cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you 397 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:06.920 will. Let me link them together in the garden. What is the cup 398 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:12.759 that Jesus desires to pass from him? It's the cross. What is it 399 00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:17.680 that Peter Implies in Matthew Sixteen that the Lord does not have to undergo? 400 00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:23.799 It's the cross. What is the baptism that Jesus has straightened with? It's 401 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:30.240 the cross. And what Satan's saying to Jesus? You can have all this, 402 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:37.960 but without the cross. The temptation of avoiding the cross is so strong 403 00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:45.200 that Jesus must rebuke Peter and the strongest words possible. The temptation is so 404 00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:48.960 strong in the garden that Jesus fights against it by sweating, as it were, 405 00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:53.720 drops a blood. The temptation is so strong that in John Twelve, 406 00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:57.200 Jesus says now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father 407 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:01.400 saved me from this hour but this purpose I have come forth. Father, 408 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:07.079 glorify your name. The temptation is so strong. You say, well, 409 00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:13.160 but it went. He went to the cross, he conquered. Yes, 410 00:32:14.039 --> 00:32:19.880 but you know that temptation wasn't done as he's on the cross. Matthew, 411 00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:27.599 if you are the son of God, come down from the cross. I 412 00:32:27.640 --> 00:32:32.559 wish if I were there, I would have said in this condition I am 413 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:37.599 now Jesus, if you are the son of God, please, please, 414 00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:45.720 don't come down from the cross. I can't afford that. You have to 415 00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:51.839 stay. That was the temptation. We're going to come to the Lord's table 416 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:57.480 in a few moments and we're gonna remember the cross and what he did there. 417 00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:02.720 But that was a temptation, above all else, that the Lord constantly 418 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:06.920 had to face. He knew it was coming from the very beginning. He 419 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:10.759 knew it was coming, but he faced it for us that if we will 420 00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:16.119 trust in that cross that he stayed to die on, we also can have 421 00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:17.920 eternal life. Let's pray