No Shortcuts

No Shortcuts Luke 4:1-13

Matthew 4:1-11 (Three categories 1 John 2:16):

• Stones to Bread (Lust of the flesh)

• Kingdoms of the Earth (Lust of the eye)

• Pinnacle of the Temple (Pride of life)

I. Turning Stones to Bread

A. Memorial Stones – Joshua 4:4-8 (ESV)

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

B. Jesus Turned the Lasting Memorial from Stone to Bread – Luke 22:19-20

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

1. Passover and deliverance from Egyptian slavery

2. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of our deliverance from the enslavement of sin

II. All Kingdoms are His – Matthew 28:18-20

A. Satan is the “god of this world” and craves worship and authority. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

B. God Sets Up Kingdoms and Countries – Daniel 4:17

‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’

C. Christ has ALL authority and honors His Father.

1. Christ’s words and deeds reveal a unique command over nature (walking on water, water to wine, etc.), illness (Bartimaeus, the Deaf), spiritual forces (Legion), and even death (Lazarus, His DBR).

2. His teachings carried weight, inspiring awe and obedience among followers and confounding detractors. Matthew 7:28-29 8 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

3. Unlike worldly leaders and demonic principalities, Christ’s authority is not imposed by force, but demonstrated through compassion, truth, and sacrificial love. Romans 5:8

III. The Story’s Pinnacle

A. Satan in the Temple

B. The Temple’s Pinnacle – Shofar for Sacrifices/9 am and 3 pm

C. Christ’s Pinnacle is not Avoiding Death (like Houdini)

D. Christ’s Pinnacle is Embracing and Overcoming Death (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

John 10:17-18 17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Conclusion

We may want shortcuts in our walk with Christ.

• Churches want shortcuts – hire the right preacher; worship style, programs, gimmicks, catchy (or covert) name (First Family), the proper church structure (Pastor vs. Congregational, Representative leadership),

• Christians want shortcuts to a deeper relationship with Christ – “Verse of the Day,” “One Minute Prayer,” Sacramental worship (communion),

It takes – Personal and corporate devotion.

Jesus didn’t take a shortcut; devotedly, He went all the way to the cross, through the grave, and back to the Father. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.