Matthew chapter three. And before
we read what I have there in the third chapter of Matthew,
I wanna bring a couple of points before you. In Romans chapter
10, we read these words, so then faith, cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. The word faith in this verse
means this, it means conviction, assurance, trusting. These attributes, these three
attributes, conviction, assurance, and trusting, come to God's chosen
people through the preaching of his word. We grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our savior. Through the preaching of God's
word, I am convicted of what I am before thrice holy God. God's word tells me that I am
but a worm. I know that now. I used to think I was somebody.
And then the Lord showed me the truth of who I truly am, a sinner. A sinner who was condemned unclean. Unclean, unclean. I was that
man over in the side, unworthy of anything that God has to offer. Nothing of my own to offer God,
nothing that he would accept of this flesh. By the preaching
of God's word, I'm convicted of what I am before a thrice holy God. Through
the preaching of God's word, I am assured that Christ Jesus
is the deliverer of his people. God was manifest in the flesh.
We looked at this last week, the purpose of God. Purpose. Jesus Christ was purposed to
come to this world to be made of flesh, to be born of a woman,
of a virgin, without sin, without the nature of sin. It was purposed
by God for him to come to this world and sacrifice himself for
his people. That was not an accident. It
was by the determined counsel of God. He came willingly. He came with
a joy in his heart of what was to be at the end, what the result
of his coming was. I'm assured of this through the
preaching of my Lord's Word. Through the preaching of God's
Word, I trust he can and will do what he says he will do. As God, who can turn his hand? Is there anything that is outside
the realm of our Lord? Is it possible that one of his
chosen people, one for whom he shed his blood, could ever go
to hell? That's not the God of Scripture.
The God of Scripture says, Jesus came to save sinners. Paul says,
of whom I am chief. Here's a chief who stands right
before you. Chief of sinners right here. God's people are
full of chiefs. We're all chiefs. Chief of sinners. In Romans chapter 10, verse 13,
we read these words, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved. I'm assured of that because God
has said it. They shall be saved. But it also
says in that same chapter, verse 14, how then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed. How are you gonna call
on somebody you've never believed in? How are you gonna call on
somebody if you're believing in another Jesus? There's another
Jesus out there and you and I both know it. It's not the Jesus of
scripture, it's the Jesus of man's own imagination. It's a
Jesus that men have developed in their own imagination to fit
whatever they see as right. That's why we have thousands
of different religions. We have hundreds, if not thousands,
of different Christian religions. You can go back there to Kentucky
or Tennessee and you'll see a different Christian religion on each corner.
Why do we need four different Christian religions? Because
there's four different types of people there that think of
Christ in a different way. They look at a Christ of their
own imagination rather than the Christ of scriptures. How are you gonna believe on
one you have not heard? And how shall you believe in
him in whom you have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? How shall they preach except they be sent as it is
written? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But it also says this in verse
16 of that same chapter, but they have not all obeyed the
gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has
believed our report? Who has believed the report that
God has given of his word? I pray this morning that our
Lord may be pleased to open our hearts to his word this day,
that he might strengthen our conviction, that he might strengthen
our assurance, that he might strengthen our trust through
the preaching of his word. Did you know that it says in
Romans chapter five, verse 19, this, he says, for as by one
man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Now listen to these
next words. So by the obedience of one. Does that not boggle your mind?
You know, we try the best of our human ability to explain
things. There are certain things about God that we just cannot
explain. How can you explain God, almighty,
majestic God, becoming flesh, to be a servant of those He was
made flesh for. How can you explain that in words
that our minds can comprehend? Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness.
He who knew no sin was made sin, that we who are sin would be
made righteous in Him. Eric Floyd preached a message
on this just recently. If you wanna look that up somewhere,
I think it's under Eric Floyd in Sermon Audio. Wonderful, wonderful
message on that verse. As good as any preacher that
I've ever heard preach on it. It's called, titled, The Gospel
in One Verse. I hope you enjoy it. So by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Christ had to
obey. The Lord Jesus Christ obeyed
his father's will. He was obedient to his father's
demands. The holiness of God demands holiness. He is so holy, he cannot even
be in the presence of sin. Yet God The sign was, wasn't
he? I don't know how to explain that,
but he was. I'm assured of it. It says so in his word. The holiness of God demands holiness,
he demands perfection, he demands justice for those who have broken
his holiness, and he demands righteousness. And the people
of God have none of these of their own. We have all gone astray. We have all sought our own way.
We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet God
sent his son to be our substitute, to stand in our stead, to fulfill
what we could not. And his son did what he was sent
to do, exactly that. Listen to these words of Hebrews
chapter five, verse eight. Though he was a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things he suffered. Isn't that amazing? He who knows all things learned. See why we can't explain some
of the mysteries of God? How can you explain that? He
who knows everything learned obedience by the things which
he suffered. In 1 Peter 1 verse 2, we read
this, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, those of
you who were chosen in God the Son before the world ever was
made, through a foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification,
that means through being made holy of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus
Christ shed upon that cross was the obedience to God the Father. That's what God the Father sent
him to do. He not only paid the full price of our sins with his
own holy blood, he established a perfect righteousness for his
elect, for his chosen people. 2 Corinthians 5.21, it says this,
we just mentioned it a moment ago, for he hath made him, for
God hath made the Son him to be sin for us who knew no sin.
Christ was made sin, folks, but believe this, he was never a
sinner. He never sinned. Everything he
did was perfect. Everything he did pleased the
Father to the full. We're gonna read that in just
a moment here. And to do that, he must be exposed to be made
sin that we might be the made, the righteousness of God in him.
To do that, he must be exposed to what we're exposed to in this
world of temptation and death. Are you with me in Matthew chapter
three? Look at verses 13 through 15 if you would with me in Matthew
chapter 3. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordan unto John to be baptized. He came to John the Baptist to
be baptized. But John forbade him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee. Over in Mark, John says,
I'm not even worthy to tie, to latch the shoe, the sandal of
my Lord. I'm not even worthy to that.
How is it you're coming to me and asking me to baptize you?
But go on. I need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou unto
me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, suffer it to be so
now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill All righteousness. Our Lord came to John the Baptist
to be baptized because that was the fulfillment of righteousness. Not all the fulfillment, but
that was part of it. That was something he had to do. He came
to be baptized in obedience to his father. He came to fulfill
it. Then it goes on, it says, then
he suffered him. We see here plainly that Christ
came to fulfill all righteousness. Now look at verses 16 and 17.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightaway out of the
water, and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him. And he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him.
And, lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased. God accepted the perfect obedience
of his son. He accepted the obedience of
his son in the picture that baptism was. What is baptism? It's a
picture of death, burial, and resurrection. What did the Lord
say to his disciples? We must go up to Jerusalem. The
elders and the chief priests, they must scourge me. They must
beat me. They must humiliate me. They
must do this. They must do that. I must go to the cross. He mentions
it three times in the book of Mark, in three different ways,
but it's all the same thing. He must do this. This is what
Christ was purposed to do. And he was purposed to do it
for love for you and I, that God might be gracious to a sinful
people who are undeserving, unworthy. That's the grace of God, sending
his son for our sakes. death, burial, and resurrection. And to express that to the fullest,
Christ must also be tempted as we are. Turning your Bibles now
over to the book of Luke, Luke chapter four. And while you're turning there,
allow me to read from Hebrews 4.15. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Our God made himself to be our
high priest. A high priest after the order
of Melchizedek. Perfect. One who had no beginning
and no ending. We have not a high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Our Lord
knows what you and I go through. He knows when we hunger. He knows
what that feels like. He knows what it feels like to
thirst. He thirsted. He tired. He needed to rest. He slept in
the bottom of a ship while the sea tossed about, throwing the
ship back and forth. We have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in
all points. All points. Can you understand
the depth of that? Another wondrous mystery of God
in the flesh. 100% God. Absolutely perfect in everything
he did. Not one thing could ever be laid
to the charge of our Savior if God the Father had not made him
to be sent for us. Perfect, the deity of God. Yet the deity of God could not
die in the spirit. Flesh had to be established that
Christ may die for his people. but in all points was tempted
as we are yet without sin. Are you with me in Luke chapter
four? I'm gonna read 13 verses and then we're gonna come back
and look at these verses in three points. Luke chapter four, this is right
after. Now, Luke gives us the chronology, the genealogy of
Christ Jesus. But after that, Luke goes right
into this. This is in Matthew, this comes
right after what we read. And Jesus, being full of the
Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led, was led by the Spirit
into the wilderness. God Almighty led His Son out
into the wilderness. That means that God purposed
it, doesn't it? If God the Spirit led His Son
out into the wilderness, does that not mean He purposed it
to be that way? He purposed his son to go through
what we are about to read, verse two, being 40 days tempted. Not only did he purpose him to
go out there and be tempted of it, being 40 days tempted of
the devil, and in those days, he did eat nothing. Can you imagine? I can't go a
day without eating something. I don't understand fasting. I
know it's supposed to be good for you, and I'm not putting
it down. 40 days without eating or drinking
anything. 40 days eating nothing. And when they were ended, he
afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him,
if thou be the son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus, in verse four, answered
him saying, it is written that man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word of God. That's my title this morning.
It is written. Verse five, I'll come back to
that more in a moment. And the devil, taking him up
into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of
the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him,
all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them. For that
is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will give it. If
thou therefore will worship me, All shall be thine. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan, for it
is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve. Verse nine, And he brought him
to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and
said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down
from hence, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge
over thee to keep thee. And in their hands they shall
bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a
stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, it is said, thou shalt
not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended
the temptation, he departed from him for a season. Now in order
to save us from our sins, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, not only became a man so that he could die for us as our
substitute, but he humbled himself as a man. He was manifest in
the likeness of men in flesh. Who can truly understand the
depth of his humiliation? Let us simply bow, let us simply
bow before the revelation of God in the holy scriptures and
worship the one who thought, who though he was rich, yet for
our sakes he became poor. that we through his poverty might
be made rich. In order to redeem and save his
people, the Lord Jesus Christ had to live in perfect obedience.
He had to live in perfect obedience to God the Father while enduring
the consequences of our sin. He must triumph over Satan, yet
suffer the wrath of God to the full satisfaction of God's justice. He must bring in everlasting
righteousness as a man One great part of our Master's obedience
was his temptation in all points. As a man, he is, in his overcoming
temptation, he triumphed over Satan, that he might be for us
a merciful and faithful priest that I spoke of a moment ago
in things pertaining to God, that he might make intercession
for you and I. This is what we have before us
here in Luke chapter four, our Lord's temptation as you and
I. He had to establish a perfect righteousness. Well, if God would
have said, well, we're not going to give you any temptation, then
he wouldn't have known what you and I have to go through. I mean,
I know God knows everything. He would have known. But he had
to defeat temptation in our state. And it was real. That temptation
was just as real as what tempts you and I. Immediately after
our Lord's baptism, that's what we read in Matthew, the Lord
began to be harassed by Satan. He suffered being tempted, and
he was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin.
He was tried and tested in all sorts of temptations just as
you and I are, yet he had victory over his temptation. And he did,
no sin. Satan tempted him by not stirring
up some corruption or provoking some kind of a lust in him like
you and I have. That's what he does, he tempts
us through the corruption that is in us, through the sin that
is in us, through the lust that is in us. David's an example
of that. He was tempted when Satan stirred
up David's pride. When David was sick, when David
decided, I'm gonna count Israel, and the Lord told him not to,
he said, I'm gonna number Israel. That's what that means, counting.
How many people do we have in our congregation? The Lord tells
us not to do that. He's responsible for how many
people are here, not me. David's pride as king of Israel
was flared up by the devil. When the devil stirred up his
pride in his vanity that was in him to number the people,
he was tempted at the lust of the eye. When he looked down
from the rooftop and saw Bathsheba, he was tested with the lust that
was in his heart for Bathsheba, for that pretty woman that was
on the roof below it. He was tempted with the lust
of the flesh. of the flesh when he took Bathsheba to be his own.
But folks, I tell you today, there was no sign of corruption
in our Lord. Though the devil tried to tempt
our Lord as he could, our Lord defeated it perfectly. But you
notice the way he defeated it. All three times, he says, as
it is written. How did I open this service this
morning? How did I open the services? Looking into the Word of God.
Preaching of His Word. Coming out of the world. Coming
here to this wonderful place our Lord has provided and hearing
the message of God preached from His Word. Satan has no advantage over our
Lord. by any of his temptations. Yet
our Lord was obedient, yet tempted. Our Lord's temptations came in
the wilderness over Matthew and Mark. And Luke, they tell us
that the temptations took place out in the wilderness, away from
everyone, away from God's people, where there was no one around
him. There was nothing to support him of this world. Mark tells
us that he was there exposed to the wild beasts, the very
animals that he created. Matthew and Luke tell us that
his temptations came after he had been miraculously sustained
from hunger. God's the one, God the Father
is the one who kept him from dying of hunger out there. God
the Father is the one who sustained his needs in fasting for 40 days. It's important for us to see
this. Our master's temptations came at a time when he was physically
weak and hungry. Satan came to him at a very cunning
time. Aha, maybe I can get the master
already. Look how weak he is. The master
of deceit deceived himself. Folks, you and I are not We are not, oh, I know the words on the tip
of my tongue. We are just as acceptable today
to the master of deceits, deception, as we have always been. Just
because we are saved does not keep us from the temptations
of the devil. I hear several amens. Amen. What a battle to fight it. You
know what your temptations are that you fall into. Don't need
to talk about it. We know, don't we? We are still subjected to all
of the temptations that the devil can throw our way. There's often
only one step between great privileges of blessings and great trials
and troubles. As your pastor, I get to see
that often in many of you. Dear brother, who was on top
of the world just a few days ago, called this morning in total tears. On his knees in private, praying,
Lord, help me with this. Help me with the temptation that
I have fallen into. And it was only four or five
days ago when he told me how great things were that the Lord
was working in his life. I want to talk about three great
evils that we can watch and pray for. We must never forget this. Even
our most solemn friends at any time of our greatest usefulness,
we must always watch and pray that we do not fall into these
three great evils. 1 John 2.15, we read these words.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, there's
one. The lust of the eyes, there's
two. And the pride of life. There's
three. I'm gonna have to go quickly
to get through all three of them. Those three things is not of
the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever. So let's consider first, if you
would, the lust of the eyes. Read with me again, verses one
through four. Luke chapter four. beginning at verse one. And Jesus,
being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and fled
as a spirit into the wilderness, being 40 days tempted of the
devil. And in those days he did eat nothing, and when they were
ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him,
if thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Now here
Satan tried to get our Lord Jesus to distrust his father's care.
God the Father had just sustained his son for 40 days of fasting,
and here the devil is now. You're hungry? Come on, you have
the power. Turn this rock into bread and
you can eat. He's tempting our Lord with the
easiness of his own power. He's tempting the Lord to distrust
his father's care. the care for him which had just
sustained him for the last 40 days and nights without food.
Our Savior was hungry and he was weak, but he just received
a public declaration before that by which his Father owned him
as the Son of God. This is my Son, he declared,
and who I am well pleased. And here Satan offers him kind
of a simple suggestion. Come on, it's not that big a
deal. The sense of this is this, the devil pointed to the rock
and said this, since you're the son of God and you're hungry,
why don't you just turn the rock into a loaf of bread and take
a bite of it? If you're truly, if you're truly,
isn't that what the scribes and the Pharisees said to our Lord?
If you be God, if you be who you say you are, show, tell us
plainly. I did tell you, says the Lord,
and you believe not, because you're not my sheep. My sheep
hear my voice. Our Lord refused. He refused
to turn that stone into bread because he refused to live by
carnal reasons. I would have fallen for it if
I had the power and I was that hungry. Don't have to wait 40
days. I'll do it tomorrow if I could. Christ refused to live by carnal
reason. He refused to walk by sight He
was determined to live by faith, trusting the word of God. He would not turn the stone into
bread because it was not his father's will. If it was his
father's will, his father would have done it. Next we see the lust of the flesh.
Look with me at verse Satan tried to entice the Holy One into sin
by the lust of the flesh. By worldliness, he tried to get
the Lord Jesus to take worldly power by compromise. Look at
verses five through eight. And the devil taking him up into
a high mountain showed him to him all the kingdoms of the world
in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him,
all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that
is the delivered unto me, to whomsoever I will give it. If
thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, get thee behind me, Satan, for it
is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou serve. The devil took the Lord Jesus
by his permission upon the top of a mountain surrounding Jerusalem. He looked down upon all the kingdoms
of the world and he said, if you'll just fall down and worship
me, I'll give it all to you. What nonsense. What a picture of man. Lord,
if you'll just do this for me, I'll give you me. Lord, if you'll
just save me, I'll make a decision for you. For Satan to promise these things
to Christ is about as foolish as you and I saying salvation
is according to my will, according to my decision. God's word says
salvation is of the Lord, period. Our Lord made it all. Where does
the devil think he can give God anything? Everything was made
for him, by him, and through him. Isn't that what scripture
says? What foolishness for the devil to say, I will give you
this. Let me ask you this. Whose permission
was needed in the book of Job? I can't do anything to this man
you call your servant, Lord. I can't do anything to him. You've
made a headache around him. You know what? I give you my permission
is what God says. Go ahead and do what you will
with him, just don't kill him. Who had to have permission to
move against Job? And here he tells the Lord Jesus
Christ, I'll give you this. The devil appeals to our master
to bypass the misery and the agony of the cross. That's what
that was all about. If you'll give this, I'll give
you this and you won't have to go to the cross. The devil had
no idea of the truth of why Christ had to go to that cross. His
name is Jesus, for he shall save his people. Not maybe, not might,
but shall. I love the shalls of God's word.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Oh, great words. The concession might have seemed
small to some, but the promise is great. The way was easy. Why should he not take the easy
way out? Why should he not grab such an enormous prize? Why shouldn't
we? Well, the answer is found in
our master's quotation of Deuteronomy 6.13. Thou shalt fear the Lord
thy God and serve him and shalt swear by his name. Folks, we
are to worship God and God alone and serve him alone. The glory
of God must be a dominant concern for each and every one of his
people. For that, for the glory of God, we ought to be gladly
sacrificing anything to be able to serve Him. Now, that doesn't
mean that we give up everything we have to go down and feed the
poor. That means that we come away
from the world to worship Him when we're called to worship. It means that we go into our
closet when we have our problems and we pray to Him, who is worthy
to be prayed to. It means that we accredit to
Him all things. When that light turns red, and
the next one turns red, and the next one turns red, thank you,
Lord. I don't know what you saved me from, but I know it's for
my good. When that little cuts in front of your semi and
makes you slam on your brakes to keep from killing people,
whew, thank you, Lord. Don't know why, but something
happened there to save me from myself. James understands. I know the
rest of you. I lost all the rest of you in that truck driving
situation, but you gotta trust me. As a truck driver, we know
that's what I was meaning. Next week, I'll talk about golf. Lastly, I wanna bring this out,
and we'll bring this to a close. Lastly is the pride of life.
Satan tempted our Lord, the Son of God, with the pride of life,
urging him to act with daring presumption. Look at verses 8
through 13. No, 9 through 13. And he brought
him to Jerusalem, speaking of the devil, bringing our Lord
to Jerusalem, to where all the people were. Now picture this.
All the people in Jerusalem were still walking around on the streets.
Everybody was coming in and out of the temple, going about their
day. He brought him to Jerusalem and
set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said unto him,
if thou be the son of God, cast thyself down from hence, for
it is written, he shall give his angels charge over thee to
keep thee. Ooh, isn't that strange? The
devil used God's word to try and tempt our Savior. For it is written, he shall give
his angels to charge over thee to keep thee, and in their hands
they shall bear thee up, lest any time thou shalt dash the
foot against the stone. And Jesus answering said unto
him, it is said, it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God. This quote that we saw, for he
shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all
ways, that's from Psalms 91-11. In fact, one of Satan's favorite
weapons is to use the Bible, isn't it? Isn't that what he
did with Adam and Eve? He said, oh, thou shalt not surely
die. There was the lie. And then he
told the truth. Your eyes shall be opened, and
you shall be as gods, and you shall know good and evil. That
was true. He used the word of God against
his own, against Adam and Eve. Actually, against Eve, he deceived
Eve. And in this, the Lord referred to the devil in Deuteronomy chapter
6, 16, where it says, he shall not tempt the Lord your God as
you tempted him in Messiah. For the Lord of glory to have
heeded Satan's temptation would have been an act of self-exaltation. It would have been raising himself
up in front of all the people. Everybody would have seen it.
Everybody would say, oh, it has to be this son of God, isn't
it? Look there, the angels came down and saved him. What did our Lord come to this
world to do? To be a servant, to humble himself and be a servant
to his people, sinners who needed saving. If he'd have heeded to
Satan's temptation, he'd have exalted himself in pride. He'd
have been tempting God his father. He would have not been trusting
God his father. He would have not yielded to the glory of his
father. And that glory is more important
to Him than the approval or the applause of men. I pray that that may be with
you and I also. Our Lord Jesus Christ is just.
He is just the Savior and the great high priest that you and
I need. In Hebrews 2.18, we read these words, for in that He Himself
had suffered being tempted, He is able to secure them that are
tempted. Listen to these words of Hebrews
chapter four. So then, seeing then that we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heaven, Jesus,
the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not
a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of
our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin. So let us therefore come boldly
Come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in a time of need. As our Savior foiled
Satan in the wilderness and crushed his head at Calvary, so he knows
how to deliver you and I out of our temptations. And blessed be his name, he will. And the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you. Amen.