Preached on the morning of January 29, 2017 at Riverview, 798 Santa Fe Pike Columbia TN

Matthew 4:1-3 (KJV) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, IF ..

I was wondering how to start this sermon then I got a picture. Someone sent me a picture of a group of young women who had just finished marching in Washington DC. That didn’t bother me. It bothered me somewhat that in the pictures these young women were holding signs that read:

God Loves Diversity

Keep Your Laws Off Of My Body

Love Is Greater Than Hate

Feminist As F***

Of course I expect those who are without Christ to endorse strange things in the name of love. The Bible says that when we were in the world that we ALL …

Ephesians 2:2 (NASB) …. formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

A “lost” person is “lost” because they “wander in darkness” (Job 12:25). The lost are

Ephesians 4:18 … darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

But what bothered me a lot was that I knew one of those young women in that picture. She came forward in a Church service about 13 years ago. I baptized her. She sat under the preaching of God’s Word. This precious child went off to college, fell away from the faith, and is now no different than the darkness around her. How did she drift away? The same way everyone drifts from God.

She stopped reading and living God’s Word.

When we look at our text today we immediately see several things. First, we see Jesus.

Matthew 4:1 (KJV) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

We see Jesus.

Hebrews 2:9-10 (KJV) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. [10] For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

“THEN was Jesus” the “Word of God made flesh to dwell among us” (John 1:14).

“THEN was Jesus”

the One Who is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17)

“THEN was Jesus”

Colossians 1:16 (KJV) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by him, and for him:

“THEN was Jesus”

Baptized of John in the wilderness
Declared Beloved by the Father in the wilderness
“THIS is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased”

We see Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.

Why would God not only ALLOW but LEAD
Jesus to a wilderness to be tempted of the Devil?

I believe it is so that we can see something. Jesus is not immune to the Devil’s attacks. No one is. The Devil – old Lucifer – attacks all who are on this earth. The Devil slithered into the perfect Garden of Eden to draw Adam into the darkness. The Devil spread throughout civilization until God saw only evil, and told Noah:

Genesis 6:17 (KJV) …. behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

The Devil wants to draw the Light into the darkness. The only way the Light can compromise with the darkness is to become less Light, to dim itself, to blend with evil. God the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. Jesus was, the Bible says,

Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) … was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus would be tempted by the Tempter, just as we are all tempted by the Tempter, but Jesus would not follow the evil one. The Devil tempts us at our weakest point. Notice how he slithered up to Jesus. We are told that:

Matthew 4:2-3 (KJV) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [3] And when the tempter came to him …

Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights. Why “forty days and forty nights”? I looked it up in the Bible and found that Moses went into Mount Sinai forty days and forty nights to receive the Law:

Exodus 34:28 (KJV) {Moses} was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

The Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Moses spent forty days and forty nights receiving the Law, but Jesus spent forty days receiving the Gospel of Grace and Truth. When Moses came off the Mountain andf ended his fast he found the people had turned from the Light of God and Moses shattered the Tablets of the Law. But when Jesus came out of His fast he found not a darkened people, but the Devil who darkens every soul.

The Devil attacked Jesus at His weakest moment. The Bible says that Jesus was “an hungered”. Strong’s Lexicon tells us that “hungered” is πεινάω peináō, (pronounced pi-nah’-o) which means “to famish, to crave, to be hungry”. Jesus was hungry. Not hungry like some of you are when the the preacher is five minutes overtime during the service. Jesus was famished. His body demanded bread. He needed to eat badly.

And this is when the devil comes. He comes to tempt us at our weakest moment. And the devil is quite reasonable. I’ll say that again. In his tempting:

The Devil Is Quite Reasonable

Matthew 4:3 (KJV) And when the tempter came to him, he said, IF thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Now that is quite reasonable. The devil looks for our weaknesses, then offers a reasonable solution. Jesus, IF You are the Son of God, COMMAND that these stones BE MADE BREAD. You’re hungry, Jesus, so satisfy that hunger. How reasonable the devil is. What a gentleman!

I remember several years ago having a discussion with one of our Tennessee representatives. He told me that he was against abortion except in cases where a woman was raped and with child because of the rape. That sounds noble. That sounds reasonable. But in independent studies by the Alan Guttmacher Institute only about 1% of those who seek abortions are doing so because of incest or rape. Some people choose abortion because they believe the child is defective, or to save the life of the mother. All these seem to be quite reasonable whispers as to why abortion is justified.

But God says ALL LIFE is sacred. ALL are created in the image of God. The child in the womb is precious and has potential.

Psalm 127:3 (NLT) Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

The devil is always reasonable. “Well, as long as they love one another” often is used to justify things which God has forbidden as darkness. After all, “God is love”. God IS love, but God is also just, and holy, and righteous. We are told in Peter:

2 Peter 2:5-6 (KJV) {God} spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; [6] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

and

2 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: [10] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Oh, it is so reasonable, the devil says, to revolt against God. “If You’re hungry, Jesus, just take some stones and make You some bread!” How did Jesus counter the devil?

It Is Written

Matthew 4:4 (KJV) But {Jesus} answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The Jesus Who is hungry, hot, tired, wore out from being in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights does NOT say “Well, I think.” He could have said that. He is the Word of God made flesh Who dwells among us. But no.

Jesus does not rely on FEELINGS.
Jesus does not listen to “REASONABLE”.
Jesus doesn’t call a BUSINESS MEETING TO GET A CENSUS.
Jesus doesn’t POLL JERUSALEM to find out what the “man on the street” thinks.
Jesus doesn’t TURN ON THE TV to Fox or CNN or ABC.
Jesus DOESN’T CARE WHAT BILL O’REILLY THINKS (and I like Bill).
Jesus doesn’t care what the DENOMINAL LEADERS think or advise.
Jesus has His focus on but one thing.

IT IS WRITTEN.

Jesus doesn’t say “It HAS BEEN written”.
He says “IT IS WRITTEN”.
It is written in the Bible and it stands.

Jesus said “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus quoted out of the OLD TESTAMENT, from

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV) {God} humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Israel in the wilderness learned that man does not live by bread alone, but by every WORD that comes out of the MOUTH of God. Jesus in the wilderness now quotes this Scripture to deflect the tempter.

If Jesus were liberal He would say “Well, God wrote that THEN but this is NOW, so OK, let’s get to baking bread!” Jesus is not liberal. Jesus does not throw away the Old Testament. Though salvation is by Grace, the Cross of Christ does not destroy the Law but fulfills it. The Old Testament is still God’s Word, and still has truths that stand even today thousands of years after they were written. IT IS WRITTEN. Not IT WAS but IT IS. God’s Word stands.

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV) The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Psalm 119:89 (KJV) … For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

That Prophet of God A.W. Tozer wrote:

“What would the liberals and modernists say if you backed them in a corner with the question, ‘Do you think God has been forced to change His mind?’ I do not think anybody would quite have the courage to say yes. Nevertheless, they do say it little by little until they have brainwashed their people. In effect, they say that the Bible must be interpreted in the light of new developments. A book that was written in the day when people rode donkeys must be reinterpreted to mesh with contemporary society. They say that the prophets and apostles mistook what God intended to do. The Bible is outmoded and largely irrelevant. … the Bible is out-of-date–a back-issue magazine. We must, therefore, reassess its teachings and rethink our beliefs and hopes. I am not overstating this at all. This is what is being taught today. It gets into the newspapers, and people are saying that the Bible must be interpreted in the light of all these changes. The apostles and prophets were mistaken. They had ideas that were good and advanced for their day, but not advanced for our day. We know more about ourselves, human motivation and the nature of things than they did back then. ”

Jesus said “It IS written”. Devil, I will not become your Baker. Jesus knew that the first compromise with darkness would bring more darkness, and after a while the Light would be no light but darkness.

The Devil Is Not Only Practical, He Is Persistent

The devil’s first attempt is thwarted because Jesus says “IT IS WRITTEN” and focuses on God’s Word. But the devil is not stopped. He is both practical as well as PERSISTENT. He comes back with a Show And Tell Event.

Matthew 4:5 (KJV) Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

The highest point in Jerusalem is the Southwest corner of the Temple, the highest point in Jerusalem. It was from this pinnacle that the trumpet was blown to announce the Sabbath and the other Holy Days. You can get pretty high in this life with the devil. He has the souls of many, both rich and poor, anarchist and citizen, law abiding and lawless.

Matthew 4:6 (KJV) And saith unto him, IF thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Please note that the devil this time QUOTES SCRIPTURE. He quotes from

Psalm 91:11-12 (NASB) For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

The devil LOVES TO QUOTE SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT. He didn’t quote verses 9 &10, which read:

Psalm 91:9-10 For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. 10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.

The devil “cherry picks” scripture, finding just part of the truth but not the whole truth.
God is LOVE, period. Love is greater. Nothing but LOVE.
God forgives sinners, Nothing is said of REPENTANCE.
God saves the lost, but nothing is said of how the SAVED ARE TO LIVE FOR GOD.
God has a Kingdom of Light, the devil has a kingdom of darkness.

Which side are you on?

The devil is the master of deception, the part story, the gutted truth. But Jesus will not take the bait. The devil tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread, and now the devil tried to get Jesus to fall down on stones because He is the Bread of Life. Jesus responds to the tempter:

Matthew 4:7 (KJV) …. It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Jesus once more quotes from the Old Testament, in

Deuteronomy 6:16 (ESV) You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

Israel tested God, and ended up dying in the wilderness. Jesus pointed out to the devil – and to us – that to test or tempt God by sinning or by presumption is to risk DEATH. It IS written, YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD! The wages of sin is always death – ALWAYS!

Let the devils test God. If you belong to God,
Ignore the devil and live to please and glorify the Father!

But the devil has one last temptation. This is what he has wanted from the very beginning. This is what the devil always wants.

The Devil Wants To Dominate

The devil was not there to help Jesus. He was not there to offer sage advise, to help Jesus feed Himself, to glorify God. The tempter is there for one thing only. He wants your worship. He wants to be your god. We read:

Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV) Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Jesus, I own the world. My darkness is everywhere. If you’ll fall down and worship me “all these things I’ll give to You”. If you’ll fall down and worship the devil you may gain the whole world. But as Jesus once said:

Mark 8:36 (KJV) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Jesus didn’t argue with the devil. He fought him just as we all must fight him, saying:

Matthew 4:10 (KJV) …. Get thee hence, Satan: for IT IS WRITTEN, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus once more quoted Deuteronomy, the Book of the Law, from:

Deuteronomy 6:13 (ESV) It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

God alone is to be worshiped. God alone should be feared as God. God saves a people to serve Him and only Him. The blessings of God are found only by clinging to and living by His Word. God says to His people:

Psalm 78:1 (ESV) Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

Read His Word. Live His Word. It is His Word that saves, it is His Word that empowers. May God lead you to a deeper desire for His Word!