A Time For Personal Spiritual Renewal
Matthew 4:1-4
The natural drift in our Christian life is toward spiritual dryness, apathy and indifference. When we get into a spiritual rut – a grace with the ends knocked out - we are ready for a time of renewal.
Out natural tendency is to drift from fervent prayer, devoted Bible study and telling others about the Lord. We are Christ followers but we don’t really feel blessed of the Lord. We are like a ship sailing the ocean without a rudder. We drift aimlessly and are at the mercy of the winds, waves and storms.
There was only one boat that didn’t need a rudder. That boat was Noah’s Ark, planned by God, provided animals by God, sea provided by God and guided by the Lord. No rudder was needed because God was the Captain of the boat and guided the Ark.
God has provided a rudder for every person He created – the Word of God. Clear guidance was given before Christ in the Books of Law/Torah, Books of History, Major and Minor Prophets. With the coming of Christ we have the Gospels and other New Testament writers.
The rudder for your life is God’s Word. Psalm 119:105, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
A Time to recommit to making God’s Word our Guidebook.
My prayer this morning is that each one of us will have a personal time of spiritual renewal – a recommitment to make God’s Word the guidebook for our lives and totally surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.
Matthew 4 gives us guidance on how to experience renewal and become equipped for spiritual warfare.
Satan’s mission is to mess up your life and keep you from yielding to Jesus. We know that battles will come. The question is: are you prepared to overcome Satan and his temptation to keep you from making Jesus Lord of your life?
Jesus prepared for spiritual battle by spending 40 days and 40 nights in the desert fasting and praying. At the end of the 40 days Satan tempted Jesus. Here’s something to remember: Strong Christians are developed through desert experiences.
Matthew 4:1-4 - Jesus was hungry following his 40 day fast. Satan appealed to the natural appetite and desires of Jesus. Jesus was tempted like any other human person. Jesus humbled himself and became a human with all the human weakness, frailties and desires.
Satan tempted Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” “If”, Satan questions Christ’s calling and mission.
Satan uses the same question to people today. “If Jesus is the Son of God.” “If God exists then why _____________?” You can fill in the blank.
The answer Jesus gave Satan is the key to personal spiritual renewal. Jesus answered Satan: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Our tendency is to live on bread alone.
Mt. 4:4 It’s helpful sometime to look at verses in the original Greek. The original of this verse is in the Perfect Tense – “It is written and still stands written.” Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3
During their wilderness wanderings God provided “Manna” Angel Food from heaven, their daily bread. Exodus 16:4-5, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they area to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
A Time to Daily Look to the Lord in Prayer
God didn’t provide everlasting bread during the 40 years of wandering. God gave clear instructions on gathering the Manna every morning to last one day. God wanted to remind the Israelites they were daily to depend on the Lord.
Jesus told Satan, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes form the mouth of the God.” In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Give us today our daily bread.” Mt. 6:11, Let’s pray the Lord’s prayer together as recorded in Matthew 6:9-13.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come, your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Jesus is teaching in both Matthew 4 and 6 that we are daily dependent upon the Lord. Daily bread is not enough. It does not satisfy all the needs in a person’s life. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Scottie Pippen of the LA Lakers is an example of many who believe life consists in the abundance of possessions. Over the years his yearly income from basketball averaged 14.7 million plus additional income from endorsements. He already owns a 74-foot yacht and a $100,00 Mercedes. A Sports Illustrated article had this to say about Pippen: “Before every game in Portland’s Rose Garden, Pippen lets his gaze drift over to the courtside seat occupied by Paul Allen, cofounder of Microsoft and owner of both the Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks, a man with a personal net worth of 40 billion. ‘What does he have?” Pippen asks. “Forty billion? How can I make just one billion? I just want one of them! What do I need to do?”
Life is more than getting daily bread. Jesus told us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus said, “I am the bread that comes down form heaven.” Daily we need to seek the Lord and daily feed on His Word. To prepare for victory over the temptations of the Devil we need daily to seek the Lord.
Our weapons for both offense and defense are Prayer and God’s Word. Ephesians 6:17, “…The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” Verse 18, “…Keep on praying.” God’s Word is your sword. Pity the person under attacks from Satan and has no weapon.
A Time to Be Prepared for Spiritual Battle
Our primary battle is a spiritual battle that is only fought and won with weapons from the Lord. We need to be prepared for battle. 2 Corinthians 10:4 “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world…”
We learn from the temptation of Jesus what to expect from the tricks of the Devil. Satan will try to convince you that you don’t need God in your life. If Satan can get you to doubt God, doubt His love, His forgiveness, and His commandments, Satan is well on his way to getting you to yield to his temptations.
Satan is pleased when people believe he is a fantasy and a fairytale. The truth is – Jesus believed in the reality of the Devil. Jesus taught his disciples and all of us to pray: “Deliver us from the evil one.” Satan, Lucifer a fallen angel is a fact of Biblical history. Scripture is not a book of speculation.
Satan tempted Jesus, “Turn these stones into bread.” He was saying to Jesus, “You can trust yourself, you don’t need God. Act independently. Jesus replied quoting Deut. 8:3 “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus here is saying: “I will trust the Lord. I will wait upon the Lord. The Lord will take care of me.”
Years ago I read a book by a well know pastor. Charles Allen wrote God’s Psychiatry. He relays the story that happened following World War II. The allied armies gathered up many hungry, homeless children and placed them in large camps. There the children were fed and cared for. The problem was that the children were restless and afraid to go to sleep. Finally, a psychologist hit on a solution. After the children were put to bed, they each received a slice of bread to hold. If they wanted more to eat, more was provided, but this particular slice was not to be eaten – it was just to hold. The slice of brad produced marvelous results. The child would go to sleep, subconsciously feeling he would have something to eat tomorrow. That assurance gave the child a clam and peaceful rest.
As believers in God’s Word we trust Jesus. We know Jesus will take care of us. In Jesus we have the victory. If you try to accomplish in your human effort only what God can do, you will fail.
Satan will do all he can to make sin glamorous, but Satan is a liar and deceiver. Satan has one primary mission in this world. His mission is to stop people from going to heaven and draw people away from God. He will destroy you in anyway he can. I Peter 5:8-9, Peter has this to say, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
Satan is like a “roaring lion.” A lion walks through the jungle and gives a mighty roar to scare and intimate his prey. Satan like a lion is on the constant move. He never gives up. His mission is to destroy and devour. You cannot defeat the devil in your own strength.
Samson tried to defeat evil in his own strength and failed. He failed to call upon the Lord. Delilah tempted Samson and he gave her clues to his strength. First he said he would lose his strength if she tied seven bowstrings in his hair. Then he said his strength would be lost if he were tied up with new rope. Third he said if his hair were woven into seven braids with fabric he would lose his strength. Little by little he compromised and finally told her the truth, if his hair were cut he would lose his strength. He was dedicated to God from birth and he was not to drink wine or have his hair cut off. When his hair was cut the strength of the Lord left him.
Samson describes any person who flirts with sin and disobedience. That person ends up spiritually blind to the Truth.
People make up all kinds of excuses for yielding to temptation.
1) It’s not my fault – you tempted me. Samson would say it was Delilah’s fault. Adam said, his disobedience was Eve’s fault. “She gave it to me to eat.”
2) God opened the door for this so it must be okay. God never opens doors contrary to his Word. #Manufactures rep in Michigan.
3) The reason I yielded to sin is because God knows I weak in that area and allows me to sin every now and then. The fact, God temps no one. James 1:13-15, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Two great leaders in the Old Testament are examples of one resisting temptation and the other yielding to temptation.
Joseph was serving servant and manager of Potiphar’s house in Egypt. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but Joseph ran out of the house. He resisted temptation.
On the other hand King David failed to resist temptation. 2 Samuel 11:1-12 describes the time in David’s life when Kings went with their army to war, but David stayed behind in Jerusalem. (Beware of having too much idle time on your hands. Boredom can lead to your downfall.) One afternoon Kind David looked out from the roof of his palace and saw a woman taking a bath in her back yard. He sent for her and committed adultery with her.
If the sin of adultery was not enough he had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle.
King David had no excuse. When confronted by Nathan the prophet for his sin, he confessed and repented, but he and his family suffered the consequences of his sin. God does forgive sin, but the scares often remain.
A Time to Have Victory over Temptation
God does make a way for victory over temptation. You have the promise in I Corinthians 10:13, “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.”
The Apostle Peter gives us our strategy in dealing with the Devil. I Peter 5:8-10: “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, be strong in your faith. Remember that Christians all over the world are going through the same king of suffering you are.”
1) NIV – “Be self controlled and alert.” Don’t panic, be totally committed to the Word of God.
2) Be prepared, take a firm stand and be vigilant and don’t be surprised. When you know God’s Word you build a strong armor of defense around your heart and life. When Satan tempts you, you turn to God’s Word to help you resist the attacks of Satan.
3) Maintain your faith by being strong in your faith so you can resist. James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
4) Speak to the temptation – When Jesus was tempted he said to Satan – “Away from me, Satan.” Matt. 4:10
5) Remember that Jesus who is in you is greater than he, Satan who is in the world.
6) Jesus paid the price for your victory when He died on the cross. I John 3:8, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the Devil.”
Going through temptation is like going to Boot Camp for Christ followers. By resisting every temptation you become stronger and stronger.
When Jesus was tempted he was prepared for the attacks of Satan. Jesus had given time to fasting and prayer. Satan knew the physical weakness of Jesus, “Turn these stones into bread.” Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from t he mouth of God.” Matt. 4:4
Jesus is saying that we all need more than bread, more than having our physical needs met, we need the spiritual vitality and life that only comes from the hand of God.
Personal spiritual renewal comes by daily practicing spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study.
“Study to show yourselves approved unto God, workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” ( II Timothy 2:15.)
To live a life of victory or defeat is entirely up to every person. The enemy will strike. Will you be ready?
Bob Vernon, Deputy Chef of the Los Angeles Police Department tells this true story.
A motorcycle officer was on his way to work. As he neared an intersection, a red pickup truck sped past without slowing for the stop sign. The officer turned on his flashing lights and radioed the station that he was in pursuit of the red vehicle.
As he pulled behind the truck the officer was thinking, “this fellow is probably late for work.” Unknown to the officer, the driver of the pickup had just robbed an all night grocery store. On the seat beside the driver was the paper bag of money and his gun.
The truck pulled to the side of the road and stopped. The officer parked his motorcycle and approached the driver’s divers side of the pickup. The officer said, “Good morning sir, may I see your…” The driver stuck his arm out the truck and fired his weapon. The bullet hit the officer in the center of his chest. He was knocked to the ground seven feet away.
For a few moments, all was quiet. Then, to the horror and shock of the gunman, the officer slowly stood to his feet. The driver couldn’t believe it, “This guy must be Clark Kent.” In a daze, the policeman slowly began to brush the dirt form his uniform. After two or three seconds, the officer regained his wits, pulled his revolver and fired two rounds into the side of the truck. The first round went through the open window and destroyed the windshield. The second shot went through the side of the door and ripped into the driver’s leg. The driver threw his gun and bag of money out of the window. He yelled, “Don’t shoot.”
The officer’s life was spared because he was wearing a bullet- proof vest.
A few weeks later another officer, Ray Hicks, and his partner went to serve a search warrant on a well know drug dealer in the city of Inglewood. As his partner knocked, Hicks yelled out “Police!” and started to kick down the door. From inside the shabby apartment, four slugs were fired through the door. One found its mark. It hit Hicks in the center of his chest the same place where the motorcycle officer had been hit a few weeks before.
The partner of Hicks recalled that Hicks said quietly, “I’m hit,” and slowly sank to the floor. He lived less than a minute. He was only 27 years old. He had a bulletproof vest in the truck of his cark parked 30 feet from where he fell.
Bob Vernon, Deputy Chief writes that every police officer in Los Angeles believes in bulletproof vests. They work! He goes on to write: “But that is not enough. An officer must do more than believe in vests. He must take his belief to the point of personal commitment. He must be willing to wear the vest, and wear it at all times.”
We need to have the armor of God on all the time: the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:10-18 summarized.
Satan has blinded the spiritual eyes of your friends, relatives, work associates and neighbors. You can help bring spiritual light to people through the power of prayer. There is power when two or more gather for prayer. We want to make a prayer list of people to have our prayer groups pray for. 3X5 Card – put first names of people and place in the offering plate.
Let’s pray – Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone. Have you been living only for the physical and material? Do you need to surrender anew to the Lordship of Jesus? You can make that commitment this morning as we close in prayer.
Let us pray.
