The Spirit Led Life Is The Only Life Series

The Spirit Led Life is the Only Life.

Matthew 4:1 – 11

May 24, 2009

Pray: Father, We come to you as children needing guidance, encouragement, and help.

You have provided the Bible, Your living Word, Your Holy Spirit, Pray, and Each other to go to for meeting our needs.

The devil, Satan does not want us to hear what you have to say to us. The devil wants us to turn to the World outside for help. May it never be so!

Speak! Oh Lord Speak! Holy Spirit of God, you are welcome in the place. If we do not have our Spiritual ears open this morning, open them. If our minds are asleep wake us up. Your children need to hear from you this morning. Through the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Read the Scriptures: 4:1-11

The Holy Spirit of God is that Holy Ghost that we cannot see with our eyes, but we can feel with our senses and hear with our spiritual ears.

The lost person, the person who does not know God, does not have the Holy Spirit living in them. Therefore, they do not have the ears to hear the calling of the spirit. They are spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb. Except hearing the Word of God the Spirit calls them.

The Christian, the person who has a personal relationship with the Father, through Jesus, is sealed by the Spirit of God against spiritual death. This person has the Spirit of God in them and has the ability to be fully led by the Spirit of God. Without the Spirit’s leading our life will not impact others for Christ. The Christian life without the help and leading of the Spirit is just a wasted life. But one submitted to the Spirit is full of adventure, challenge, and yes, sometimes even death. But the Spirit led life comes at a cost.

In Chapter 4 of Matthew we find Jesus living out the example of the cost to be paid for a Spirit led life. Jesus allowed himself to be fully led by the Spirit of God, even when the Spirit took him down a road most of us would not want to go.

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what advantage has a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:23-25

Jesus took up a cross, dying for us. He wants us to do that also for him: Look closer at Matthew 4. Let’s see if we can find the keys to unlock the door to the Spirit led life.

4:1 Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the Devil.

I. The first lesson in being led by the Spirit of God: Walking with God does not exempt one from temptation, but walking in the Spirit prevents one from falling into temptation. (repeat)

• God may allow us to be tempted to expose what is really in our heart.

Jesus is exposed when he is lead out to be tempted here.

Job is exposed when God sees Satan at a meeting that is held in Heaven and God says to Satan: “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him in the earth. A perfect and upright man, one that fears God, and avoids evil?”

You will be exposed from time to time to see what is in your heart.

• God does not tempt, but the Devil.

James, chapter 1:

“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. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

• Temptation takes place between your ears. This is why you must be submitted to Jesus and Filled with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. We have not the power to overcome sin on our own.

The Spirit of God can conquer our areas of temptation, other wise we sin.

James 4:7&8 states:

“Submit yourselves to therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.