Read Part 2

(3/28) Welcome to all of you. We are continuing today with part three of our series Following Jesus. In this season of Lent, these 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday, many Christians around the world commit themselves to prayer and fasting. It’s meant to be a time of deep soul-searching and repentance, preparing for and identifying with Jesus’ suffering and glory.

Of course, we can’t fully do that without facing death itself, but we can clear our minds of distractions and focus on Jesus. We can recognize our brokenness as humans and our need for a Savior giving way to a deeper relationship with God. And so, it’s a great opportunity, an annual time of preparation, as we remember the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus.

Symbolically, in this season we are following Jesus’ example of 40 days and nights in the desert wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. But unlike many of us, Jesus didn’t give in to temptation, he remained faithful as the Scripture says,

"We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

And so, we’ve been talking about Following Jesus and what I’d like for you to do today is prayerfully listen to this message through the lens of your greatest temptations. In other words, I want you to experience the word of God through the lens of your greatest struggle, because we’re going to talk about God giving you the strength to find your way through that temptation.

My hope is that you will listen to this message not for what so-and-so would get out of it, not for the person sitting next to you, but through the lens of your own greatest temptation. Because the Holy Spirit tells us that we must take this personally. He said,

"If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

In this passage, the Holy Spirit is warning us not to think that we are above temptation because we are all vulnerable somewhere.

At times I find myself becoming prideful in certain areas of my self-discipline. I really treasure and protect my prayer time, devotional time, regular exercise and even my diet. It’s not really even a struggle for me because it’s become my lifestyle, but we’re all vulnerable somewhere. And so, suddenly the moment I think that I’m standing firm, that’s when I am most vulnerable to temptation.

Now, I know eating jelly filled doughnuts may not be sin, but the Bible says, when you’re tempted, God will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. In other words, the good news is that we don’t have to fight temptation alone. God will always give us a way out, and so my prayer is that the Spirit of God ministers to us faith and hope to resist temptation every single time.

If you’d like to follow along with me, turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 4, because we’re going to be Following Jesus in his wilderness temptation. We’re going to read verse one through verse thirteen, and the context is that Jesus has just been baptized. It’s an amazing moment, because in this single scene, we find the Son of God immersed underwater and as soon as he comes up out of the water the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. Almost in the same breath, the Father speaks from heaven, saying,

"You are my son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).

And so, it’s from this height of spiritual supremacy, this pinnacle of spiritual awareness and identity, that Luke tells us that Jesus,

"Full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert" (Luke 4:1).

In other words, Jesus who from the age of 12 to 30 lived in complete obscurity in the gospel text is now brought to the forefront by John the Baptist. After 18 years of silence, he is now anointed and celebrated by the Father in the most dynamic way. Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit before being led by the Spirit into the desert.

This was important, because the anointing of the Holy Spirit is literally the enablement of God. This was the empowering and equipping for ministry. And so, Jesus full of the Holy Spirit was led from the crowd to a place of solitude, led from a wet place to a dry place, led into the desert

"Where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry" (Luke 4:2).

In other words, when you are anointed all of hell is going to get nervous and demons are going to start trembling. Jesus went without food for 40 days which made him weak in his body but he wasn’t weak in the Spirit. His emotions may have been working against him, but he was prepared because he’d been anointed for this fight.

Jesus was going through a tough time, he’s fasting in prayer in the wilderness, and there’s a big difference between being weak in the body and being weak in the Spirit. The devil is upset because he knows this is the Anointed One, this is the Messiah, and so for 40 days he tempts Jesus. He thinks he has him trapped, but no matter what he tries it doesn’t work.

At the end of the 40 days Jesus was hungry, but he couldn’t go down to Jubilee to get some chicken, or down to Subway to get a sandwich. And so, the devil seeing his opportunity and said to him,

"If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread" (Luke 4:3).

Now, to be hungry and want some bread is not a sin, but the temptation was not the need, the temptation was how he would go about satisfying his need. And that is what the devil will always do in our lives, he will try to get you to take a shortcut to satisfy a legitimate need.

However, Jesus wasn’t deceived, he knew that he was the bread of life, and he wasn’t about to be swayed. He answered,

"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone" (Luke 4:4).

But Satan wasn’t about to let him off that easy, he is strategic, he is organized, and his legions of fallen angels are synchronized in brigades. They are purposeful, relentless, moving in unison, and so with wave after wave he comes back with another attack. Verse five says,

"The devil led him up to a high place" (Luke 4:5).

Like Moses climbed Mount Nebo, going to the top, the peak, or the summit meaning Pisgah. It was from there that the Lord showed him the whole land because you can see for miles and miles. You can see the Jordan, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and down to the Valley of Jericho and Zoar, but you can’t see all the kingdoms. In an instant, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, Europe, Asia, and Australia. From Russia, to Africa, and North and South America in a flash. He said, "All you’ve got to do is worship me and…

"I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours" (Luke 4:6-7).

The temptation here was not the kingdoms of the world, because that had already been promised to Jesus. The temptation was that he was offering Jesus a shortcut to achieve what the Bible says in Revelation chapter 11,

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" (Revelation 11:15).

And so, the temptation was to bypass the suffering, bypassing the cross, and receive the promised kingdoms of the world now. It’s the temptation of immediate gratification, and we’ve all been there, "All you’ve got to do is worship me and it will be yours," said the devil. Once again, Jesus answered,

"It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only" (Luke 4:8).

And so, first the devil comes to Jesus in his weakness, when he was hungry, and said, "If you are the Son of God turn this stone into bread." Then he shows him all the kingdoms of the world and said, "All of this I will give to you if you bow down and worship me."

And then third, how many of you know that Satan’s only got three tricks? He’s only got three schemes, three areas of attack, and so third he took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:" (Luke 4:9-10).

"He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Luke 4:10-11).

In other words, he says show me how tough you are, how brave you are. If you are the Son of God, you’re too important to get hurt, but just because God is a healer doesn’t mean that we should tempt him. And Jesus wouldn’t put him in that predicament either. He answered,

"It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (Luke 4:12).

Jesus didn’t fall for the temptation, because he knew that he was the suffering servant of Isaiah, and so he wasn’t about to bypass the cross. In other words, he knew that this was a twisted scheme of Satan to put himself in a position where the Jewish people would see his miraculous deliverance from such a jump and immediately receive him as their Messiah.

Jesus knew the implications of the acceptance of the nation of Israel at the beginning of his ministry would leave countless prophecies unfulfilled. And if the Lamb of God was never slain, we would still be lost in our sin and be left wondering whether God actually had a plan and a perfect time for our salvation. And so, Jesus didn’t need the devil to help, because he knew that he was the captain of hosts, he knew that his Father could immediately send more than 12 legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). And so, he didn’t fall for this third temptation either and Luke tells us,

"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time" (Luke 4:13).

In other words, Jesus came out of the desert a victor, because the devil only has three tricks, he was finished, he had exhausted his resources. That’s why we can declare with confidence, we are not unaware of the devil’s schemes, because that’s all he’s got. If you pass these three tests, resisting,

"The cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does (1 John 2:16).

If you stand firm, resisting these three, you will be good but only until next time, because there will be a next time. The devil left Jesus until an opportune time, but if you stand firm, resisting the cravings of your flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting or the pride of life the Bible says,

"The man (or the woman) who does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:17).

Today, you and I have an enemy to fight, we’ve got a devil to fight, and he is relentless. The devil is only one, he is not omniscient, but like I said earlier he is organized, with legions of fallen angels and so he is many. He was cast down to the earth realm with one third of the angels who had rebelled against God and so he has a kingdom with principalities and powers, regions and territories. And the enemy will come back for another attack, just like he left Jesus until an opportune time, he is looking for the next opportunity.

Today, we are Following Jesus, but you need to know that our spiritual enemy is watching. You see, the moment we named the name of Jesus Christ we became a target and effectively had a bull’s-eye placed on our backs. And so, fallen angels are watching for that moment of weakness, that dry time, that lonely wilderness experience, because Satan has been studying mankind for thousands of years. But we’re not unaware of his schemes, because we’ve seen his track record. And so, he may have defeated a lot of people, but the Lord said,

"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you" (Psalms 91:7).

In other words, as a follower of Christ, you’ve been anointed to fight off everything that the enemy sends to steal, kill, or destroy you.

You see, in the same way that the Spirit of God didn’t lead Jesus into the desert until after he had anointed him in the Jordan River; God won’t send you into the battle until you are prepared. And the Bible says,

"You have an anointing from the Holy One and all of you know the truth" (1 John 2:20).

In other words, when you believed, when you opened your mouth professing your faith in your baptism, you received the anointing, because the Spirit of God lives in you. The Bible says,

"If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9).

And so, it’s the anointing that you have received that has prepared you for what you’ve got to deal with. And in the same way, it’s the anointing you’re getting right now, the anointing you receive on Sunday, that is preparing you for the battle. Because when you’re anointed, when you open your mouth and receive the anointing, you are prepared for the fight.

You see, there is not one of you that got here by yourself, you can’t stay here by yourself, you can’t survive by yourself, and if it weren’t for the anointing, you would have given up long ago. But Jesus promised that you will receive power. I wish someone would start praising God for the power. He said,

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8).

In other words, you would’ve lost your mind, you would’ve given up, you would’ve been in jail, but you received power over your life. The Lord said you have power over your situation, power over your circumstances, power over your enemy. The prophet Isaiah declared,

"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn" (Isaiah 54:17, NASU).

And so, you are anointed, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And the Lord said,

"The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former" (Haggai 2:9, NASB).

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and so you need to step out with power, stepping out with victory, stepping out in the anointing. Open your mouth and rise up under the anointing like the psalmist who declared the victory saying,

"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord" (Psalms 118:17, NKJV).

In other words, this is our battle cry, and this is spiritual warfare. Open your mouth and,

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalms 150:6).

Praise him like you’re a child of the King, praise him like you’ve been in the Jordan because…

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8).

Give God some praise because you are anointed for this battle. But that doesn’t mean that its always going to feel good. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be hungry. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be exhausted. It doesn’t mean that you’re not going to feel any pain. But when it’s all said and done, you’re going to win this fight you, you’re going to rise victorious, because the devil is a liar. Jesus said,

"There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).

And so, as Jesus experience in the desert continued, even though he was weak from fasting, he never fell from glory. And Mark adds a detail in his gospel that Luke doesn’t tell us, he said that Jesus was in the desert 40 days, being tempted by Satan.

"He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him" (Mark 1:13).

In other words, the wild animals were watching, waiting for him to die, but angels attended him.

I thought this was interesting, because we didn’t see any angels when he was tempted, but when the wild animals saw him as an opportunity. When they saw him as dinner, when he was at his weakest, when he was most vulnerable. Then was fulfilled what the Lord said,

"He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalms 91:11).

There are some of you here today, some of you listening who are tired, it’s been harder than it should’ve been, but you know what it’s like when the enemy comes in like a flood and how…

"The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19, NKJV).

Maybe you’ve had God show up in your midnight hour, in the moment of your vulnerability, you were weak and hungry, but you know…

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them" (Psalms 34:7).

You see, the Lord may not bring you out of the desert, but your angels are on the way. When the Lord gets ready to minister to you, he will send an angel.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 1, that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). And so, whether you’re in the Jordan, on the mountain, or in the desert, the one consistent thing is that angels are always there. Because the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and so when the enemy is staring at you, when the wild animals are drawing near, you can count on the fact that there are angels attending to you.

The apostle Paul said, every time the devil thinks he’s got me. Even when I am hard pressed on every side, God sends angels in my desert. No matter whether I’m perplexed, persecuted, struck down, even given over to death for Jesus sake. He said,

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13).

God will send angels in your desert. Angels watching over your house. Angels in the presence of wild animal. Angels in the presence of your enemies. All hell is breaking loose, but the Lord said, "You will receive power."

"His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him" (Psalms 98:1-2).

And so, when you learn how to be content in any and every situation, you will be able to walk in victory, walk in power, walk in the presence of angels, because you learn to be who God created you to be.

As we close, some of you may be struggling right now, it’s not working out for you, but you need to know that you are not going through the desert in a way that we all don’t go through the desert. In other words, we all go through the same desert experiences, because it’s not like when you come to Jesus your desert is over. In fact, the Bible says,

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18).

And so, if it wasn’t over for Jesus, it’s not going to be over for you. The gospel doesn’t deny desert experiences, those dry times come to everybody, but not angels, angels only come to those that fear God. Angels only come to those who honor the Lord, who have a reverence for God. Desert experiences come to everybody, but angels only come to those whom the Father sends them.

Read Part 4

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott