Matthew 4:1-11 The pattern of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism teaches a powerful truth: mastering God’s Word protects me when the devil distorts it to trick me. Jesus’ temptation by the devil is anticipated and intentional. The Holy Spirit led Jesus toward the temptations He faced, likely for our benefit. The choice of a lonely place is also intentional. Jesus was isolated, much like we will be when the devil tempts us. Temptation is the use of a trick to lure a person a way from following God. The devil tempts both Christians and non-Christians. Temptation is more useful for him than a direct approach. Most would see the futility of following the devil if he came right out and said, “Dump the Father and follow me, instead.” So, he cleverly tempts through our vulnerabilities. He targets vulnerable Christians who lack mastery of God’s word, but highly value Scripture. He manipulates this combination into tricky temptations. Mastery describes immersing ourselves in Scripture until we know its contents and understand the heart of God. It means storing God’s word in our hearts so God may constantly use it to speak to and guide us. Finally, mastery includes adjusting our lives to our knowledge of God. Knowing His ways and following Him is the best protection we have against the devil’s schemes. KGP131124 (A131124.1) Comments are closed.
|
I love to preach and teach, and it's exciting to share God's Word with you here. I pray that you'll not only listen but do something different with life after encountering God.
I'd love to preach for your church family or speak at a special event, retreat, conference, or workshop. The buttons below explain what I can do and how to take the next steps. It's a privilege to encourage and challenge God's people. Archives
March 2015
Categories
All
Audio Problem
We have discovered a flaw in the recording process used to produce the message recordings on the site. The messages will play properly when listened to through earphones (stereo), but not when played through a phone or tablet speaker (monophonic). We are working to correct all recordings 11/17/2013 and earlier. Later recordings do not have this problem. This note will disappear when the problem is corrected. Thanks for your understanding. |