Now my subject this evening is the temptation of Christ. And our text will be Matthew chapter four, verses one through 11. Let's read that passage. Matthew chapter four, verses one through 11. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Now notice carefully the order of things. As soon as our Lord Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, The heavens were opened, and the Father spoke from heaven and said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And the Holy Spirit descended out of heaven in the form of a dove and lighted upon him, and he was anointed as the Son of God.

And then as soon as he was publicly declared to be the Son of God, As soon as he set himself toward this business of preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and making himself known as the son of God, he was tempted of the devil. As long as he was in the carpenter's shop chipping away at wood, Satan left him alone. But as soon as he began to lay the axe to the root of the tree of Satan's kingdom, the devil tempted him and sought to destroy him.

Now, the temptation of Christ is a subject so deep and mysterious that no sensible man would attempt to declare that he understands all that's involved in it, much less that he's capable of declaring it to others. I recognize then at the very outset that when we start to think about or to discuss the temptation of Christ, we must begin with an acknowledgement of our inability to comprehend the things that are here set before us in the word of God. No man on this earth can understand what occurred in the heart of the son of God when he was tempted. But that which is revealed in the scriptures here in the book of God, we recognize to be a mystery, a mystery that's just incomprehensible to us. But that shouldn't surprise us because there's a great deal revealed in this book that's shrouded in mystery, a great deal here that men simply cannot understand upon this earth.

We do not know how it is that sin could have originated in the sinless heart of our father Adam. I've studied that for 27 years and I haven't found an answer yet. I'm no closer to understanding it now than I was in the beginning. I simply don't know how sin could be found in the heart of a sinless man, but it was.

I don't understand how it is that our guilt could be transferred and imputed to the Son of God so that our guilt became His guilt and He became responsible to God for our sins. I cannot understand that. I have marveled at it, I rejoiced at it so, but I simply cannot understand it.

All I recognize is that God declares it and my sole salvation hangs upon it. I cannot understand how it is that Jesus Christ's righteousness can be imputed to me, a sinful man, and me be accounted before God as one who is perfectly righteous without sin while I live in this world full of sin. I can't understand that, but bless God it's so. God Almighty does not charge me with sin, will not charge me with sin, and cannot charge me with sin because He has charged my sin to His Son and imputed His Son's righteousness to me. I don't understand how our Savior could at the very same time be both the omniscient God and a man from whom certain things are hidden.

I can't fathom that. Our Lord Jesus, in his human flesh, is as fully God as though he were not man. That's what scripture declares, isn't it? In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All the fullness of God dwells in his human body. And yet at the very same time, while he is the omniscient God, knowing all things, knowing the beginning from the end, knowing what's in the thoughts and hearts of men, who could hear and read the hearts of men. Our Lord Jesus said concerning the hour of his second coming, I don't know that.

That's been hidden from me. That's my father's purpose, not mine. Now, I can't understand that, but I know it's so, for the book declares it. Now, I've said that because I want you to understand. The basis of our faith is not our understanding of the Word of God, but the bare Word of God itself. Can you get that? The basis of our faith is not our ability to understand the Word of God, but rather the bare, naked Word of God. God says it, that means it's so. Whether I understand it or whether I don't.

And we believe what God reveals. We submit gladly our puny finite pygmy brains to the infinite revelation of the infinite God in his holy immaculate Word. This is the Word of God and the basis of our faith is that which is here revealed. Now this much we understand.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in all points like as we are so that he might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but he never succumbed to temptation. He never sinned. What are we taught then in these first 11 verses of Matthew chapter four? There is much here for our learning and admonition. Let me give you four or five lessons. First, learn this. God help you to learn it. Help us to remember it.

Satan. is a real adversary to our souls. Satan is a real adversary to our souls. Matthew understood that the devil is a real personal, mighty foe, one with whom we must do battle continually. He recognized that the fiend of hell is one who is a great adversary to the souls of men, not just an influence, not just some imaginary boogeyman, but he is a real personal adversary.

This fiend of hell is not afraid to assault the very throne of God or the son of God himself. In these 11 verses, We are told three times that Satan tempted the Lord Jesus. Three times he was tempted of the devil. Three times the Lord of glory was tempted to do evil by this adversary, the devil.

So understand the devil is real. It was the devil who brought sin into the world in the beginning. It was the devil who vexed Job's holy soul. It was the devil who by temptation from his wife and family brought Lot down into Sodom. It was the devil who deceived David and caused Peter to fall so miserably that he cursed his Lord and denied knowing him.

The word of God declares that the devil is a murderer, a liar, a deceiver, and a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Now those things are not written just to fill in space. The devil's out to murder. He's out to deceive. He's out to destroy, to devour our souls. That's his purpose. The world is ruled by the wicked influence of Satan.

Now understand what Paul means. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 2 for just a moment. Ephesians the second chapter and understand this. Paul says in verse 2, wherein time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Now what does that mean?

That means that all men and women in this world by nature, are ruled by their lust as they are directed by the prince of the power of the air, Satan, who works in the children of disobedience. Now that ought to warn you about the philosophy of the world, that ought to warn you about the educational system of the world, that ought to warn you about the politics of the world, that ought to warn you about everything that arises out yonder in this world. The wicked world in which we live is under the influence of the prince of darkness and we ought to be aware of it. Satan, this adversary of ours, is one who takes unbelieving men and women captive at his will.

Look at 2 Timothy 2, 2 Timothy chapter 2. Now I know what I'm saying is out of step with the times. I know that folks think, well, these things are old puritanic points of theology that have long since been discarded by all thinking, rational and sensible men. After all these, these stories of Satan and and darkness and the powers of darkness, they sound like something from the dark ages.

I'm talking about dark ages, these dark ages in which we presently live. And I warn you, I warn you, you who believe not, young or old, I warn you that you are taken captive by Satan at his will. The ungodly, the unbelieving have no power against the devil. The ungodly, the unbelieving, have no ability to resist his temptations. The ungodly, the unbelieving, have absolutely no ability against the prince of darkness in this world, for they live without the God of glory. Look what Paul says in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 24.

The servant of the Lord must not strive, that is, he's not a fighter, he's not a contentious, brawling man, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach patience. in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will.

Now I could spend a good while talking about that. But most of us have had enough experience of it. If we could set our sons and daughters down and say, now, son, just listen, just listen to me. You can't handle that. You can't control that circumstance. You can't play with this and get by. Satan will take you captive like that. I know, go up in there. Take you captive at his will. You have no power to resist it.

Satan's goal is the everlasting destruction of your soul. He seeks whom he may devour. As a roaring lion, he's not just playing, he's not just sparring. He's seeking to devour. His malice is unrelenting. His hatred against us never abates. For nearly 6,000 years, he's been trying to do one thing. He's been trying to destroy and draw into hell those men and women he was created to serve. That's what he'd been doing for 6,000 years. Satan was created by God as an angel of light. An angel of light whose purpose in creation was to serve those who should be the heirs of salvation.

That's what Hebrews 1.14 declares. And Satan said, I'll not serve them, I'll destroy them. And he set about to destroy the souls of many women. Now we must constantly watch and pray that we be not taken by his devices. His cunning subtlety is greater than we can possibly imagine.

He sets the baits so attractively, so attractively. Some of you fellows are fishermen. I'm not much of one, but I got enough sense to know not much point in going fishing with a bare hook. Fish aren't attracted to it. They just swim right back. I've never known a fish to bite a bare hook. Anybody has? I've never known one to bite a bare hook. You might snag one as it goes by, but I've never known a fish to bite a bare hook. You've got to put something on the hook that looks so tempting to the fish that it doesn't pay any attention, that's strange. So tempting that it doesn't pay any attention to it being out of its element and out of its environment.

And that's exactly what Satan does with his devices. He sets before men the bait that well covers the hook by which he snares their souls. The prince of darkness often transforms himself into an angel of light And he makes his ministers to be preachers of righteousness. Satan's preachers are not just those fellows who claim to be sorcerers. They're not just those fellows who come with the new age philosophy and would lead men astray with every manner of vice and immorality in the name of spiritism. Satan's ministers come as messengers of light and preachers of righteousness. They transform themselves into preachers of righteousness, not Christ's righteousness, not God's righteousness, but promoters of your righteousness by which to destroy your soul, making you confident of salvation by something you do. Satan is with us wherever we live. He goes wherever we go. He never gets tired. He never sleeps. He never quits.

If he can, he will destroy your soul and mind. If we would be saved, we must crucify the flesh and we must overcome the world and we must resist the devil. Must be done. Secondly, we see in this passage here in Matthew chapter four that the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, rules all things absolutely. Now I'm just going to touch on this, but I can't pass it by. Look at verse one and notice the language that is used. Then was Jesus led up, get it now, of the Spirit. Every reputable commentary I read on that text says the word spirit ought to be capitalized.

We're talking about the Holy Spirit, the very same spirit with which he was anointed, the very same spirit that came upon him at his baptism, led him up into the wilderness, look at it, to be tempted of the devil. And when our Lord was done with him, in verse 10, then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence Satan. And Satan obeyed his command.

Now we know that God cannot be tempted to do evil. And we know that God will never tempt a man to sin. Listen to what James says in verse 13 of James one. Let no man say when he is tempted, I'm tempted of God. No point talking like that, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. So God does not tempt men to do evil. Yet it is clear in the scriptures that the Lord our God rules everything, absolutely, even down to the temptations of his people. The scripture declares, surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath wilt thou restrain.

Hold your hand here in Matthew chapter four and look at Mark's account of this. Mark chapter one and verse 12. In Matthew four one it says, Jesus was led up of the spirit. Look how Mark declares this. Mark 1, verse 12. And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

So the scripture is telling us that the Lord Jesus Christ by the direction and by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, was driven into this place for this purpose to be tempted of the devil. What I'm saying is this, neither the fall of Satan nor the temptation and sin of our father Adam nor the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ, nor the temptation of any of his children on this earth takes God by surprise. He rules everything. Absolutely everything.

He was driven of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for two obvious reasons. First, because we must have a tempted savior. We've got to have a tempted savior. One, Bob, feel what it is to be tempted. Who knows what it is to experience Satan's power. Satan led assault against God's throne.

He said, I'll be like the most high God. But God wasn't affected. He didn't touch it. He didn't shake God's throne. God was totally unaffected by his attack against his throne. It didn't bother God any. But our Savior comes into the world, a man to save fallen, sinful men.

And the only way on this earth that he can succor them that are tempted, the only way he can help those who are tempted is if he himself is tempted. And so he was driven into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And he was tempted of the devil because he, as a man, needed to be tempted. It was part of his own personal experience as a man in this world. For if he had not been tempted as a man, he would not have been able to fulfill his covenant engagements as the second act. He came here to restore what Adam lost. He came here to do reparation for that which Adam had ruined. And Adam was overcome by temptation. He must overcome temptation in order to be our savior.

And so we see again that all things truly do work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Our Lord Jesus was about to embark upon a ministry of preaching such as no man ever embarked upon before or since. And I think Martin Luther was exactly right when he said three things make a preacher. Three things make a preacher. Meditation, prayer and temptation. Those three things. Now, the point I'm making is this.

The Lord our God is in control of our temptations. Whether they are temptations by way of trial or whether they are temptations from Satan to do evil, the Lord God is in control of our temptations just as fully as he is in control of everything else on this earth.

Hold your hands here and let me give you two texts of scripture that for me as a young believer, just God has a way of giving you what you need when you need it. You know, I recall shortly after my own baptism, I was just a kid in high school. I'd gone back to high school after the Lord saved me and I was reading the scriptures one day during a time of great difficulty. And these two texts of scripture came to me. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13.

There hath no temptation taken you. I reckon that includes me, doesn't it? No temptation taken you. What kind of temptation does it mean? He said no temptation. Whatever kind of temptation there is out there, there's none taken you. But such as is common to man, but God is faithful. who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it.

Now then look at first Thessalonians chapter five. This is the other text. First Thessalonians five. I was moping around and feeling sorry for myself, as we often do. We're all good at that, you know, self-pity is something we're all good at. We love to feel sorry for ourselves and feel like nobody in this earth has ever had the kind of troubles we got. And this is what God said to me.

First Thessalonians 5, 16. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. Prayer is not something you do in the morning or do in the afternoon or do at night. Prayer is a way of life. It's called faith. Live continually before God, calling on Him, trusting Him, bowing to Him. Pray without ceasing in everything. Give thanks. Oh, what a kicker. Everything? Everything? Paul, you didn't mean that. Everything? In everything, give thanks.

For whatever your thing is, whatever it is, this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Right now, I'm looking at Latter-day Saints right now. Whatever it is that you're going through, my friend, whatever it is that you feel, whatever it is that you're experiencing, if you're God's, this is the will of God in Christ concerning you. Right now.

So give thanks. Give thanks for what? Give thanks for Him. Give thanks for His rule. Give thanks for His goodness. Give thanks for His power. Give thanks for His presence. Give thanks for His doing. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

So quench not the spirit. How? By murmuring, complaining, not believing. Despise not prophesies. Don't despise the word of God. Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from the very appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. I pray God, your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Well, can I say without presumption and without cocky pride and arrogance, Satan, demons of hell, the world, my own heart, bring whatever temptation you must.

My God will sustain. and he will rule it and he will do me good. Thirdly, our Lord's example in this passage teaches us that the best defense we have in time of temptation is the word of God. Three times the devil tempted our Lord and three times our Lord appealed to the scriptures Three times Satan appealed to the human nature of our Lord Jesus and urged him to take things which he needed and would desire to have. And three times the Son of God said, thus it is written, thus saith the Lord. And so he foiled the tempter.

Now, this is just one of many reasons why we ought to make ourselves intimately and constantly familiar with Holy Scripture. It is not enough to have a Bible, we ought to read it. It is not enough to carry a Bible under your arm and go to church and listen to somebody talk to you from the book.

You've got to understand its contents. Make yourself familiar with what the word of God says. Seek to understand its doctrine. J.C. Ryle said, knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It only can be got by hard, regular, daily, attentive, wakeful reading. And he's exactly right. I have folks sometimes talk to me like they talk as though they really think they just kind of have an intuitive knowledge of the Bible. I've been thinking about this. Oh, forget your intuitive knowledge and read, see what God says. Search the scriptures.

Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. This book, the word of God, is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for instruction, for reproof, for correction, that the man of God might be perfect, throughly furnished, prepared unto all good works. You cannot fight the good fight of faith.

If you don't know how to handle the sword of the spirit, you can't walk the pathway of the king unless you walk by the light of the word of God, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway. So if you would know the way of salvation, seek to know God's book. If you would live in this world for the glory of God, no matter what it is you experience, no matter what it is you face, seek to be familiar with God's book. If you would escape temptation, bury yourself in the word of God.

So often I talk to friends, you folks here, when you go through difficulty and you're faced with trials and temptations, preachers around the country, friends around the country, going through different troubles. And I said, I don't know anything to tell you to do. I don't know any defense for you except bury yourself in the word of God. Just dive head over heels into the scriptures and seek to absorb into your heart and mind the blessed knowledge of Jesus Christ revealed in this book. And that's the strongest defense I know. against temptation.

Now, fourthly, above all else, these 11 verses were written to teach and assure us that we have a great high priest in heaven who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Turn back to Hebrews 2 for a minute, will you? Hebrews chapter 2, verse 17.

Wherefore, in all things it behooved him. That's a strong word. It means it was necessary for him. It was necessary for him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor, he's able to help, with feeling them that are tempted.

Look at verse 14 of chapter three or chapter four. Seeing then we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our profession for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly. to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The sympathy of the Lord Jesus Christ to us is a truth that ought to be peculiarly precious to every believer. Here is a treasury of consolation to tempted souls. We have a great Almighty High Priest, a friend, an advocate in heaven, who feels for us in all our temptations, is touched with all our infirmities and enters into all our spiritual troubles and fears. Let me ask you, are you ever tempted to distrust God's providence. So was our Savior right here. Are you ever tempted to presume upon God's promises? Presume upon his goodness? Presume upon his mercy so that you behave in a manner that is altogether without consideration of responsibility?

So was the son of God right here. Are you ever tempted? To commit some private sin. For personal gain. So was the son of God right here. Are you ever tempted to twist the scriptures? as an excuse for doing wrong. And so take the scriptures and bend them to suit yourself, to justify your conduct. So was the son of God right here. We've read it in these 11 verses.

The Lord Jesus Christ is just the savior that tempted people need. Let us then flee to him for help and spread our troubles before him. And we will always find that his ear is ready to hear, his heart is ready to feel, and his arm is ready to help. Because he, and only he, understands our troubles, our sorrows, and our temptations. Nobody else does. Nobody else does. But he always does. Now, when we think about the temptation of Christ, certain questions always arise.

And I guess I'll answer them briefly anyway. I am often asked this question by speculative imaginary theologians. And I chose those words with derisive sarcasm in my voice deliberately just in case one is listening to the tape later on. Some fellow who thinks his brain is bigger than God asked the question and says, well, was it possible for our Savior to have sinned? Oh, let's think about that a while. No, don't.

The answer is no. Absolutely no. He was without sin. He was without the ability to sin. He's holy. He's holy. The scripture declares in him is no sin. No sin. He knew no sin. He knew, he alone knew how God views sin for he is God but he's the only man on this earth who never knew sin. He knew no sin. He said Satan comes and he finds nothing in me. He got nothing in me. He's wholly harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin.

What does that mean? That means there was no possibility of him sinning. And then somebody asked, well, if it was not possible for the Lord to sin, was the temptation real? The answer is yes, absolutely yes. Our Lord Jesus heard Satan's voice. And the things Satan tempted him with were things that he desired. He was hungry. Bobby had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. Hadn't had anything to eat day or night for 40 days. He was hungry. And Satan said, why don't you make these stones and eat bread?

Well, that didn't look like much of a temptation. A temptation not to trust God's providence is what that was. He desired divine protection and desired it to be demonstrated that he was under divine protection. And so Satan twists the scriptures and he says, why don't you just cast yourself down over this here temple pinnacle and I'll go get his angels' charge over you, lest you dash your foot against the stone, for he'll keep you in all your ways. And he was tempted for Satan said to him, fall down and worship me. And I'll give you all the nations of the earth. But there was no inward urge, no desire, no inclination, no bent, no proneness. in the Son of God toward disobedience and sin.

That's the difference. I read an illustration today from Spurgeon. I got this from his commentary. He said a trained musician listens to music that you and I would think is passable. But to his trained ear, he hears every off key. He hears every every slight unacceptable variation in the notes and tunes. And it's offensive to him because he's a trained master musician. We're not trained for it. Our ears don't listen for it. So we don't pay any attention to it.

So it was with our Lord Jesus, the holy son of God. Who knew no sin. when he was tempted to sin, was more sensitive to the temptation than you and I can ever imagine being tempted, than you and I can ever imagine being sensitive to Satan's urgings. He was tempted. Now notice for just a moment, the three things Satan tempted our Lord to do as a man. Look in verse three. And the tempter came to him and said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Now that was a temptation to an act of unbelief.

Our Lord Jesus answered him and he said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God or proceedeth out of the mouth of God. You see, the Lord Jesus was hungry. And Satan said to him, why don't you just perform a great miracle here? And do something for yourself to get bread for yourself. And the Lord said, I'm the son of God. The son of man, I'll wait on my father. I won't provide for myself. I'll wait on him. I'll wait on him.

Besides that, he said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word. He's talking now not just about the written word of God, but by the word of God's decree and his providence, by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And what he's saying is this, it's the word of God that gives bread strength to nourish my body. And without his word, bread would do me no good. He sustained me these 40 days and nights without any bread. He can sustain me another day or two, I reckon. But God's word in providence will feed me and sustain me. And so I will not disbelieve him. I'll trust him.

Then in verses five through eight, our Lord was tempted to an act of presumption. I can almost hear someone respond, well, Since the Son of God wouldn't do anything to provide bread for himself, I'll just fold my arms and sit back and wait for God to feed me like that. But that's presumption. And the Lord Jesus would not succumb to presumption either.

Listen to verse 5. Then the devil taketh him into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down for it is written he shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hand shall they bear thee a list at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone and Jesus said unto him it is written again thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God the devil sought to justify a presumptuous act from the scriptures. There, look at that, back in the Psalms. It says God's gonna give his angels charge over you.

But it's never right for us to act by our understanding of God's promises, nor by our understanding of God's providence, but always by the clear revelation of God's word. Don't ever tempt him. Don't ever presume upon anything. We believe his promise while we walk in obedience and we lean upon his providence while we walk in obedience. But we will not presume anything of God's goodness while we attempt to justify disobedience.

And then the devil tempted him to an act of idolatry. Look in verse eight. Again. The devil taketh him up into a exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. Oh, just a couple of hundred men would get their glory. Our eyes will dance with joy and glitter and sparkle. He shows him all the kingdoms of the world and all the glory of them. And he says unto him, These things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down. and worship me. Imagine that. Christ at the devil's foot.

That's like the church of God and the gospel of God being supported and promoted by theatrical performances and bingo games rather than the naked truth of God's preached word in the power of the Holy Spirit. I had a friend out in Missouri called me recently. Some preacher had sent him a VCR tape of a skit they had about Judgment Day. I haven't seen the tape, but I read the script. And it's impressive. Folks love to see anything. Oh, let's have a theatrical performance. Boy, that'll reach folks, won't it? That'll get the folks' attention. That'll excite people.

God's Son. would not bow God's truth to the feet of Satan. And we must not and will not. Should we even hunger and be in poverty as the Lord Jesus was, we must never yield to the temptation to do wrong that we may gain wealth, honor, or even a pressing need. Though we may have to endure seasons of barrenness and apparent indifference, the Church of God must never seek to advance the kingdom of Christ or the gospel of his grace by any means other than the simple preaching of the gospel of Christ, according to the pattern of the New Testament.

Does that make sense to you, Bob? All the other churches in the world can have their bingo games and their theatrical performances and their recitals and their horse manure. They can have it all. All their games and toys and baubles and glitter and sparkle.

For the glory of God, we will not compromise God's truth. Well, boy, this doesn't seem to be getting the job done. Nothing else will if this don't. Nothing else will. Oh, but look at the success folks are having with this. I don't care if all hell appears to be having success. I ain't joining up. I ain't joining up. I intend to stand right by the truth of God, right by the method of God. We will not dishonor him.

As our Lord Jesus was tempted, so we shall be. Satan won't treat us any different or any better than he treated our master. Believers often find their thoughts turning to evil. Corruptions rising in their minds, which they truly hate. Doubts and sinful imaginations against which we honestly revolt. And there is within us, unlike our Lord. An ungodly nature. That yearns for the very things we hate. and against which we'd revolt. Now that's just being honest. I wouldn't attempt to ask Buddy Darty, nor would I say to Buddy Darty, all that goes on here. Wouldn't do it. I hate what goes on here. But there's a nature in me, Buddy, that loves it. That's just fact.

Our greatest temptations usually come after times of great privilege, communion, and usefulness. Well, you sit here and sometimes God speaks to you and your heart's just full of praise and adoration and worship. Before you get out those doors, your mind's in hell again. So ever beware of your weakness in the flesh and our tendency to evil. and ever keep in mind that our peace, our comfort, our security is in Christ our substitute, not in any imaginary inward personal goodness. Our Lord was tempted, so shall we be. But this one last thing, I'll just state it and I'll quit. He who was tempted, and triumphant for us, will soon cause us to be triumphant over the tempter and all his temptations.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil believeth him. And behold, the angels of God came and ministered unto him. The Lord Jesus prayed like this to his father when he was on this earth. And I suspect he's making similar requests now. Father, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil. quite literally, keep them from the evil one. And he will. He will.

And in his time, after we have suffered a while by the temptations of Satan, he will make us perfect in his everlasting glory and establish us in his kingdom. in heaven itself. And that's, I hope, profitable as you meditate and study the temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Understand that there's no temptation taken here, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will, with the temptation, make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. And whenever you're tempted, He's touched with the feeling of your infirmities and he's able to help them that are tempted.