WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:45.460 --> 00:00:49.060 Well, good morning, glad that y'all are here with us today. 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:54.660 If you've got your Bibles, open them up to Matthew chapter 4 as we wrap up our 10-week 00:00:54.660 --> 00:00:57.260 series that we've been in on the fruit of the Spirit. 00:00:57.400 --> 00:01:00.660 Now, next week we're going to begin a new series on discipleship. 00:01:00.980 --> 00:01:05.540 We've kind of gotten into a custom of doing this in the fall as we look back and get into 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:11.480 our fall semester, is taking a certain time and looking at discipleship and God's expectation 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:12.100 for us. 00:01:12.460 --> 00:01:14.100 And this year, I'm excited about it. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.120 We've got some different aspects that we're going to look at as we're going to talk about 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:20.700 family discipleship, community and discipleship. 00:01:20.740 --> 00:01:25.380 We're going to look at personal discipleship, just a bunch of different areas of discipleship 00:01:25.380 --> 00:01:25.820 in the Bible. 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:30.020 We oftentimes think there's like one format for discipleship, and that's just what we 00:01:30.020 --> 00:01:30.300 do. 00:01:30.520 --> 00:01:32.760 And yet, we see there's multiple aspects of this. 00:01:32.820 --> 00:01:36.060 And so, we're going to look at this over the month of August. 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:38.380 And so, we'd love to have you here for that. 00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:42.840 Now, hopefully, in some chairs around you, or you got one last week and you stuck it in 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:43.660 your Bible and you'll see these. 00:01:43.800 --> 00:01:45.820 We've got these cards that are positioned around. 00:01:45.820 --> 00:01:51.300 This is something we're trying new for us to kind of get all the important dates of the 00:01:51.300 --> 00:01:55.820 upcoming year or upcoming semester of what we're aware of in front of you guys. 00:01:55.940 --> 00:02:00.320 And so, if you don't have one, if there's not one on the chairs around you, there are 00:02:00.320 --> 00:02:03.760 a bunch of them on the table at the very back of the auditorium. 00:02:04.020 --> 00:02:07.040 And so, as you leave today, you can go back and you can grab one of those. 00:02:07.360 --> 00:02:10.560 Now, I do want to point out a couple of different things that are on here. 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:16.960 The first is where you'll see our Willow Family Mission Trip on September the 2nd to the 5th 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:18.360 to Black Mountain Children's Home. 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:23.440 Now, I hope you're aware over the last two weeks, we've had two different groups of our 00:02:23.440 --> 00:02:27.960 students that have gone and mobilized to go out and to do mission trips and to serve. 00:02:28.220 --> 00:02:32.400 We had our high schoolers who went to Utah, our middle schoolers who went to Black Mountain 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:34.200 Children's Home this past week. 00:02:34.200 --> 00:02:39.420 So, we ended up with 21 in Utah, 47, I believe, in Black Mountain. 00:02:39.540 --> 00:02:40.880 So, it was exciting to kind of see. 00:02:41.260 --> 00:02:45.360 And in the momentum of keeping that going forward, we thought about, hey, let's take something 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:50.460 and provide this for the whole church family, or at least as much as we can for us to go 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:50.660 out. 00:02:50.740 --> 00:02:55.300 Take that holiday weekend and go and serve together. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.540 And so, that is going to be September 2nd through the 5th. 00:02:58.540 --> 00:03:03.280 Now, a couple of things that this trip is a little different than mission trips we've 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:04.560 done before in the past. 00:03:04.640 --> 00:03:08.160 So, there's a lot of different things that we want to talk about, but a couple of different 00:03:08.160 --> 00:03:08.340 ones. 00:03:08.420 --> 00:03:09.640 Number one, parents. 00:03:09.940 --> 00:03:14.320 Now, Aaron and I have kind of reached that stage of life and of ministry where I'm just 00:03:14.320 --> 00:03:15.520 going to be honest with you, right? 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:18.800 It's that great relief when they both go off to camp, right? 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:21.500 And we know, like home vacation, right? 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:22.140 We got this. 00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:22.540 All right. 00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:24.240 So, I've had some parents ask. 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:25.880 I want to go ahead and just tackle this one. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:26.240 All right. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:30.460 This mission trip, parents, this is not the mission trip that you send your kids off to 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:32.040 and you don't participate in, all right? 00:03:32.140 --> 00:03:34.440 That's why it's called family mission trip. 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:37.620 So, we want you all to go and all to be a part. 00:03:37.920 --> 00:03:39.240 So, you don't send them off. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.680 You get to go with them and serve at Black Mountain Children's Home. 00:03:42.880 --> 00:03:49.180 But then also, if you're in the stage of life where you don't have kids at home, or maybe 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:53.520 you're at the stage of life where you don't have kids, but you want to go and be a part 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.640 of this, then we want you to come and be a part of us as well. 00:03:56.720 --> 00:03:58.380 That is your family, right? 00:03:58.380 --> 00:04:01.100 A family doesn't just become a family if you have kids. 00:04:01.380 --> 00:04:02.520 A family is a family. 00:04:02.600 --> 00:04:03.960 So, whatever your family looks like. 00:04:04.160 --> 00:04:07.620 But I do want to remind you, there will be kids on the trip. 00:04:07.860 --> 00:04:10.540 So, when you show up and you're like, I didn't know middle schoolers would be here. 00:04:10.700 --> 00:04:11.300 I'm sorry. 00:04:11.480 --> 00:04:12.780 This is a family mission trip. 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:14.020 And so, we're excited about it. 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:18.020 There's a lot of fun things that we're going to do that weekend as we have the opportunity 00:04:18.020 --> 00:04:20.420 to go up to Black Mountain Children's Home and serve together. 00:04:20.760 --> 00:04:22.780 So, we do have some registration forms. 00:04:23.200 --> 00:04:25.380 There are some back here at this table. 00:04:25.460 --> 00:04:26.760 As you leave, you can grab those. 00:04:26.760 --> 00:04:30.900 But then, as always, Aaron and I are going to be back at this table to greet our first-time 00:04:30.900 --> 00:04:31.260 guests. 00:04:31.660 --> 00:04:35.740 And so, if you would like, if you've got questions about us, we do have some registration forms 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:36.760 over there. 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:40.320 And we would love for you to join us and to be a part of this trip. 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:45.400 And then, also, you'll notice in the upcoming weeks, starting on August 14th, we've got our 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:50.120 Willow Picnic, Willow Bowling, Willow Bingo, where we're just going to gather together as a 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:56.240 church family on Sunday evenings and just spend some time in fellowship and community together as we look 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:59.520 forward and anticipate our fall season and would love to have you. 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:04.140 So, please make sure you grab one of these, throw it on your refrigerator, do what you need to do, 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.940 place it in your Bible of all the things that we've got going on. 00:05:07.060 --> 00:05:10.900 So, we're going to wrap up this series on Fruit of the Spirit. 00:05:11.020 --> 00:05:13.140 And let's do like we've done every single week. 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:16.400 Let's begin by looking at Galatians 5, 22 through 23. 00:05:18.280 --> 00:05:24.000 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:28.360 gentleness, and here it is, everybody, self-control. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:31.600 Against such things, there is no law. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.340 So, this week, we're going to wrap up and we're going to talk about self-control. 00:05:34.880 --> 00:05:37.340 A funny story that happened in my family yesterday. 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:45.000 We had been gone, and we come after going and visiting Aaron's parents and my parents yesterday, 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:50.280 and we come back into our house that evening, and someone, I don't remember who, asked, 00:05:50.640 --> 00:05:51.840 hey, what are you preaching about tomorrow? 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:53.120 And I said, well, I'm talking about self-control. 00:05:53.200 --> 00:05:53.900 It's our last week. 00:05:54.900 --> 00:05:57.700 And Grayson looked at me and goes, oh, great. 00:05:57.760 --> 00:05:59.500 Which one of us are you going to talk about, right? 00:06:01.640 --> 00:06:03.700 I said, none of y'all. 00:06:03.780 --> 00:06:04.640 I'll talk about me. 00:06:04.740 --> 00:06:09.460 And then I just broke what I said as I lacked self-control when I told the story from yesterday. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.060 But we are going to talk about self-control. 00:06:11.900 --> 00:06:15.440 And I don't know about you, but maybe you've gone through this series with me, 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:18.640 and as we look at the different ones, you're like, I struggle with that. 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:19.460 I don't struggle with that. 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:20.120 I struggle with that. 00:06:20.140 --> 00:06:21.020 I don't struggle with that. 00:06:21.880 --> 00:06:25.380 But I think if we're being honest with ourselves, if we're listening to the Holy Spirit, 00:06:26.080 --> 00:06:31.260 I think there could be a lot of yes and amens to who struggles with self-control. 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:36.960 I've been reading a book that was recommended to me as we've gone through this that deals 00:06:36.960 --> 00:06:43.380 with pastors primarily implementing the fruit of the Spirit in their life and seeing that 00:06:43.380 --> 00:06:44.020 in themselves. 00:06:44.220 --> 00:06:48.680 Just kind of a little side note, and for those of you who teach Scripture, it's why it's important 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:54.120 for us to study Scripture and to prepare our hearts and our minds and walk through the 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:56.860 process of what the Holy Spirit wants to do with us, right? 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:01.300 Like, if you're teaching, whether it's on the stage or in a classroom or in a small group, 00:07:01.400 --> 00:07:03.940 I want to warn against, I'm just going to wing it. 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:05.120 I'm just going to open a book. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:11.460 Because what begins to happen is the Spirit of God works in you and through you so that 00:07:11.460 --> 00:07:18.320 as you preach or as you teach, you're doing so out of a basis of this is what the Lord is doing 00:07:18.320 --> 00:07:23.800 in my life in this, which has been a wonderfully difficult journey for me over the last 10 weeks. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:28.680 If every single week, me going, I think I'm pretty good with love. 00:07:28.740 --> 00:07:29.340 No, I'm not. 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:31.320 I think I'm pretty good with joy. 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:32.080 No, I'm not. 00:07:32.580 --> 00:07:36.140 Well, this week I went in going, I know I'm not good at this, all right? 00:07:36.140 --> 00:07:41.400 So it made it a little bit easier to walk through getting my feelings hurt this week. 00:07:41.780 --> 00:07:47.040 But I was reading the book and there was a quote that I wanted to kind of, I want to read 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.260 this to you and it's going to be on the screen behind me that came out of the book. 00:07:50.340 --> 00:07:55.940 And I just love the quote as it kind of summed up our battle with self-control. 00:07:56.080 --> 00:07:56.500 And so here it is. 00:07:56.760 --> 00:08:01.960 Self-control, simply put, is the ability to look at a piece of chocolate cake and not eat 00:08:01.960 --> 00:08:09.220 it, to accidentally click on an explicit link and immediately close the window, to hear 00:08:09.220 --> 00:08:12.560 a tidbit of salacious gossip and end the conversation. 00:08:13.780 --> 00:08:17.320 Self-control is speaking with kindness and love when you want to scream. 00:08:18.540 --> 00:08:25.880 Self-control is the resistance of temptation and the refusal to give indwelling sin the upper 00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:26.140 hand. 00:08:27.340 --> 00:08:33.360 And what I love about this quote is I think everybody just kind of felt it in their gut. 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:40.020 From chocolate cake, right, to the internet. 00:08:42.280 --> 00:08:48.800 From gossip to speaking in kindness and love when you want to scream. 00:08:50.300 --> 00:08:55.860 Self-control is the resistance of temptation and what we're going to find, not the removal 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:57.140 of temptation. 00:08:58.300 --> 00:09:02.600 And the refusal to give indwelling sin the upper hand. 00:09:03.880 --> 00:09:11.860 Self-control, for me, is the tangible piece of what God gives us that I'm reminded every single 00:09:11.860 --> 00:09:19.040 day when God, through the spirit that lives inside of me, when I exhibit and exude self-control, 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:21.740 reminds me of the victory that I have in Jesus Christ. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:23.920 And that's self-control. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.040 And that's the goodness and gracious of God. 00:09:28.040 --> 00:09:31.560 A few points on self-control before we look at this. 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:35.600 And these are points that could be whole messages if we had time. 00:09:35.640 --> 00:09:37.820 But I want to just kind of draw some of these, right? 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:43.540 Is first, like the rest of the fruit of the spirit, self-control is a gift and a command. 00:09:44.400 --> 00:09:44.840 Right? 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:49.640 As we've read through these, and I hope this has been something that penetrates our mind 00:09:49.640 --> 00:09:54.960 and our heart and our spirit, that every single aspect of what we see in the fruit of the spirit 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:57.700 is both a gift of God to us. 00:09:57.920 --> 00:10:04.400 So if you're like, I'm good at joy, like I grasp that, then understand that that's a gift of God 00:10:04.400 --> 00:10:06.240 and it's also a command of God. 00:10:06.460 --> 00:10:10.640 So if you're like, well, I'm not necessarily great at that, it's a command of God. 00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:19.760 And so self-control, when we're able to walk in this and to exude this and this is who we are, 00:10:19.920 --> 00:10:22.460 we need to praise the Lord because it's a gift he's given us. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:26.440 And when we struggle with it, right? 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:32.080 When it's not where we see where we are, we can't just chalk it up and say, oh, well, 00:10:32.140 --> 00:10:34.240 because it's a command from the Lord as well. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:42.280 Number two, another point is this, and I think this is the difficulty in which we find ourselves often. 00:10:42.880 --> 00:10:48.940 We are called as God's people to be a people of self-control, yet we live in a world of self-indulgence. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:50.380 All right? 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:55.600 The world continually says, take what's yours, get what's yours, right? 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:00.080 Like buffets, you know? 00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:05.440 And if you're like good and you're like, well, I'm not going to partake in the buffet, 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:09.820 but I like the food that they have, then they have pay by the pound, you know? 00:11:11.400 --> 00:11:12.580 Reinforce that bad boy. 00:11:12.660 --> 00:11:13.840 We got another one for you, right? 00:11:14.060 --> 00:11:20.760 But we're called to be people of self-control, but yet we live in the world of self-indulgence. 00:11:22.040 --> 00:11:23.580 What makes you happy? 00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:24.760 Then do it. 00:11:25.160 --> 00:11:25.520 No. 00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:27.620 No. 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:29.240 Right? 00:11:30.560 --> 00:11:35.040 We're called to be self-controlled, but we live in a world of self-indulgence. 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:43.040 So we don't have to wait for Thursday night to watch our sitcom that lasts 30 minutes because 00:11:43.040 --> 00:11:49.560 we can watch all 42 episodes over the course of a weekend and say we were productive, right? 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:51.200 Right? 00:11:51.860 --> 00:11:54.760 We're called to be self-controlled, but we live in a world of self-indulgence. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:59.980 And then the quote deals with this, but I just want to mention it as well. 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:04.700 Well, the object of temptation will vary from person to person. 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:09.320 What tempts me may not be what tempts you. 00:12:10.420 --> 00:12:12.580 What tempts you may not be what tempts me. 00:12:12.660 --> 00:12:19.420 Now, there will obviously be things that we share in common with that, but the lure of temptation 00:12:19.420 --> 00:12:21.120 is common to us all. 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:23.760 The beauty of the quote. 00:12:24.920 --> 00:12:25.640 Chocolate cake. 00:12:26.560 --> 00:12:26.740 Right? 00:12:28.640 --> 00:12:29.160 Sexuality. 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:31.420 Right? 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:32.880 Gossip. 00:12:34.260 --> 00:12:35.140 Losing your temper. 00:12:36.780 --> 00:12:37.000 Right? 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.700 It's the same lure. 00:12:41.400 --> 00:12:43.360 It's the desires of the flesh. 00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:50.780 So what we've done is we've taken these and we've looked at and seen like, how does God 00:12:50.780 --> 00:12:55.240 in and of himself exude this quality that he calls us to? 00:12:55.240 --> 00:13:02.020 And then in doing so, when we do this, when we show self-control, how does that show godliness 00:13:02.020 --> 00:13:02.760 in our lives? 00:13:03.820 --> 00:13:08.820 And so for us this morning, I don't think that there's been an easier correlation for me to 00:13:08.820 --> 00:13:12.320 be able to make, because we've talked through these week in, week out, than what we're going 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:13.880 to look at this morning, right? 00:13:14.020 --> 00:13:18.720 In Matthew chapter four, very simply put, in the top of our Bible, what the editors added 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.540 to that at the top of the chapter, I'm sorry, the temptation of Jesus. 00:13:23.780 --> 00:13:29.780 And so what we're going to see is how Jesus faced three different temptations, right, and 00:13:29.780 --> 00:13:34.680 overcame those temptations without sinning, because he never sinned. 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:41.720 And what I would argue with you this morning is that the three temptations that he faces, 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:49.340 while our objects may look differently, right, they're the three common when we break down 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:51.620 all temptations that you and I face. 00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:57.300 We're called to show self-control, that in all of them, we can all break them down to 00:13:57.300 --> 00:14:00.280 their roots of one of these three temptations. 00:14:01.060 --> 00:14:04.000 So let's look, number one, start in Matthew four, one through four. 00:14:05.400 --> 00:14:09.940 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 00:14:11.060 --> 00:14:14.700 And after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. 00:14:14.700 --> 00:14:20.300 And the tempter came and said to him, if you are the Son of God, command these stones to 00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:21.360 become loaves of bread. 00:14:22.160 --> 00:14:27.480 But he answered, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:28.780 comes from the mouth of God. 00:14:29.660 --> 00:14:34.640 And what we're going to see here is the temptation of desire, the temptation of desire. 00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:40.180 Now, Jesus is in a state of vulnerability, fully God, fully man. 00:14:41.280 --> 00:14:42.320 Jesus hurt. 00:14:43.040 --> 00:14:44.120 Jesus got sick. 00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:45.960 Jesus got tired. 00:14:46.880 --> 00:14:49.180 And Jesus here is in a state of vulnerability. 00:14:49.340 --> 00:14:54.120 Now, he had been fasting, what the Bible tells us, for 40 days and 40 nights. 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:59.660 Now, this number is important, and we could go a long amount of time, but you can hear and 00:14:59.660 --> 00:15:02.520 feel the biblical implications of this, okay? 00:15:02.760 --> 00:15:07.440 Now, a lot of times in Jewish practice, what they would look at for the course of fasting 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.520 was sun up to sun down. 00:15:09.760 --> 00:15:11.700 Now, that's not what Jesus does. 00:15:11.900 --> 00:15:17.900 So for 40 days and for 40 nights consecutively, Jesus fasts. 00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:25.000 Now, a thing that's important for us to draw from is this, in the immediate, as we look at 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:26.140 these temptations, okay? 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:35.500 Our desire for holiness, which is good, our desire to live out the righteousness of God, 00:15:35.660 --> 00:15:43.660 which is good, our commitment to spiritual practices and spiritual disciplines in our life, 00:15:43.660 --> 00:15:47.540 which is good, does not free us from temptation. 00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:50.060 They didn't free Jesus. 00:15:52.520 --> 00:15:59.700 And so, Satan comes to Jesus, and he gives him this temptation. 00:16:01.060 --> 00:16:03.620 40 days, 40 nights fasting. 00:16:04.680 --> 00:16:07.360 Scripture says he was hungry. 00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:11.780 And he gives him a two-part. 00:16:12.780 --> 00:16:18.020 The first part is eat, but he's in the desert. 00:16:18.260 --> 00:16:21.500 I was just in the desert, all right, in Utah. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:23.280 We drove past it. 00:16:23.300 --> 00:16:24.280 I didn't go get in it. 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:25.120 Who are we kidding, right? 00:16:26.660 --> 00:16:33.340 The second part, right, is through your miraculous abilities, provide for yourself something to eat. 00:16:34.620 --> 00:16:37.180 Satan comes to him, 40 days, 40 nights. 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:38.740 I don't know about you. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:40.400 I ate breakfast this morning. 00:16:40.640 --> 00:16:42.380 I'm already a little hungry, right? 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:44.700 Play that out. 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:45.020 Play that out. 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:48.920 He says, hey, command these stones. 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:50.580 Become bread. 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:51.760 Eat. 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:53.380 Why is this wrong? 00:16:54.540 --> 00:16:55.380 Why is this wrong? 00:16:56.360 --> 00:17:00.720 It appears Jesus had fulfilled this fasting requirement. 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:06.000 The 40 days in the Bible, what he'd looked at and what he'd done, that seems to be fulfilled. 00:17:06.860 --> 00:17:13.220 To eat, right, is satisfying a basic need, not a lustful desire, right? 00:17:13.360 --> 00:17:19.420 Like, he's not transporting himself from the desert to Rios, you know? 00:17:19.820 --> 00:17:22.620 Like, it's this basic need of what he has. 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:29.340 Later in Jesus' ministry, Jesus would perform miracles so that others could eat. 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:33.640 So this isn't going to be something that Jesus doesn't do. 00:17:35.020 --> 00:17:43.360 Jesus will perform a miracle so that men and women and children can have their basic needs to eat to be met. 00:17:43.540 --> 00:17:45.560 So why is this wrong? 00:17:45.560 --> 00:17:54.000 Why is this a temptation that Jesus not only resists but fights against and gains victory over? 00:17:55.180 --> 00:17:58.880 Because Jesus' temptation was not just to eat. 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:04.040 Jesus' temptation was not just to perform a miracle. 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:11.160 Jesus' temptation was to use his sonship, his relationship with the Father, 00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:15.840 that was inconsistent with his God-ordained mission. 00:18:17.060 --> 00:18:22.580 Jesus had come to use his powers for others and to die for others. 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:28.660 To fall into this temptation would be to use his powers for his personal needs 00:18:28.660 --> 00:18:30.380 and to deny all of this. 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:39.620 Satan wanted Jesus to use his relationship with God the Father in a way that God the Father did not intend him to use it. 00:18:40.620 --> 00:18:42.360 To fulfill his desire. 00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:47.660 And you and I, we try to do this all the time. 00:18:49.320 --> 00:18:50.600 We try to do this all the time. 00:18:52.080 --> 00:19:03.220 You and I often find ourselves in position where we sinfully leverage our relationship with God in order to justify our sin. 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:05.520 Two different ways. 00:19:05.600 --> 00:19:06.860 Number one, I call it grace abuse. 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:08.940 Grace abuse. 00:19:10.420 --> 00:19:14.100 God will forgive me even if I do this. 00:19:15.360 --> 00:19:19.160 We have a relationship with the Lord that is based in, found in, rooted in forgiveness. 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:21.100 We celebrate that. 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:21.640 We live in that. 00:19:21.800 --> 00:19:22.680 It's what we declare. 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:23.820 We did not earn it. 00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:24.880 He gives it to us. 00:19:25.180 --> 00:19:28.140 And God keeps forgiven and forgiven and forgiven. 00:19:28.360 --> 00:19:29.720 It's who he is. 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:36.620 But you and I confine ourselves in our heart in patterns of grace abuse. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:41.600 If I do this, God knows I'm not strong enough. 00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:43.940 God knows I have this weakness. 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:45.860 God knows this is where I am. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.680 I'm not doing those other things. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:50.760 But if I just partake in this, does it really matter? 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.380 Because God forgives me. 00:19:54.080 --> 00:19:55.720 Speaking the half-truths of Satan. 00:19:57.940 --> 00:19:59.600 Paul writes Romans 6, 1 through 2. 00:20:00.560 --> 00:20:01.680 What shall we say then? 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.260 Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:07.180 By no means. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:10.780 How can he who died to sin still live in it? 00:20:11.580 --> 00:20:12.240 Grace abuse. 00:20:13.760 --> 00:20:19.540 In order to fulfill the desire of my flesh, right? 00:20:19.840 --> 00:20:22.180 I'm going to abuse the grace that God gives me. 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.480 The second is this. 00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:28.700 Pursuing what God has for us in sinful ways. 00:20:29.560 --> 00:20:31.840 I'm going to talk about this at the end of the message as well. 00:20:32.040 --> 00:20:34.260 So it will be a little bit of repeat in this. 00:20:34.340 --> 00:20:35.340 But I just want to say this. 00:20:36.620 --> 00:20:39.280 There are things that God has for us. 00:20:40.820 --> 00:20:43.660 And that God creates for us. 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:46.620 And that God designs for us. 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:49.020 But maybe not right now. 00:20:50.100 --> 00:20:51.840 The easiest example. 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:53.360 Sex. 00:20:54.820 --> 00:20:56.580 God created sex. 00:20:56.920 --> 00:20:57.940 Designed sex. 00:20:58.200 --> 00:20:59.580 And says enjoy sex. 00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:00.900 In the context of what? 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:01.660 Marriage. 00:21:03.300 --> 00:21:06.540 But we pursuing the things. 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:10.740 That God has for us in sinful ways. 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:12.960 Psalm 37.4. 00:21:13.080 --> 00:21:13.180 What? 00:21:13.580 --> 00:21:15.120 Delight yourself in the Lord. 00:21:15.340 --> 00:21:18.340 And he will give you the desires of your heart. 00:21:18.540 --> 00:21:20.840 You see, we just want those last few words. 00:21:21.080 --> 00:21:22.720 God, give me the desires of my heart. 00:21:22.840 --> 00:21:25.120 And God, if you won't give them to me, then I'm going to take them. 00:21:26.260 --> 00:21:27.600 And I'll take them in sinful ways. 00:21:28.660 --> 00:21:28.940 All right? 00:21:29.760 --> 00:21:31.360 I want to feel satisfied. 00:21:32.020 --> 00:21:38.980 So I'm not going to delight myself in the Lord and allow the Lord to work in a way that's going to satisfy my very being and my very soul. 00:21:39.300 --> 00:21:46.940 So instead, I'm going to seek for those other things that are temporary and that will burn up and that become idols in my life in order to bring satisfaction in my life. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:48.440 Right? 00:21:48.820 --> 00:21:50.140 Does God want you to be satisfied? 00:21:50.620 --> 00:21:50.960 Yes. 00:21:51.180 --> 00:21:52.160 Who does want you to be satisfied? 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:54.520 In him, not in your latest Amazon purchase. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:56.760 Right? 00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:57.980 Be satisfied. 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:02.780 Does God want to bring joy into our life and for you and I to live in happiness? 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.840 Absolutely. 00:22:04.760 --> 00:22:06.420 But where does he want that source to be? 00:22:06.560 --> 00:22:07.200 From him. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:10.000 Not in a feeling. 00:22:11.080 --> 00:22:12.260 Not in a substance. 00:22:13.360 --> 00:22:14.460 Not in a person. 00:22:15.300 --> 00:22:16.300 That's the source. 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:18.400 From him. 00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:21.820 And so Jesus responds. 00:22:22.580 --> 00:22:25.020 And Jesus responds by quoting scripture. 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:28.500 And it's a quote from Deuteronomy 8.3. 00:22:29.280 --> 00:22:34.360 And he says that he's going to deny the desires of his earthly body. 00:22:34.360 --> 00:22:39.640 Not sinful, because Jesus had no sin, but instead of all the human feeling that he had. 00:22:40.060 --> 00:22:45.440 And he said, and instead what I'm going to do is I'm going to lean in and I'm going to trust in God's word. 00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:49.400 That this isn't the things of this world are not what sustains me. 00:22:49.560 --> 00:22:53.880 It's not the desires of this world that in their satisfaction are going to do this. 00:22:53.880 --> 00:23:03.520 But it is God and God alone and God's standard that we trust where we are with him and what he is going to do in us. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.820 And so Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8.3. 00:23:08.300 --> 00:23:18.700 It's a season of life where Israel was hungry and needed, God needed and wanted them to be hungry and not eat out of their convenience. 00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:23.280 But when God had planned them to eat and we entrusted in them to eat. 00:23:23.520 --> 00:23:30.480 And so to teach them to depend on God and the things that were more important than the things of this earth. 00:23:30.580 --> 00:23:33.140 But to lean in and trust on him. 00:23:34.500 --> 00:23:35.800 And that's what Jesus says. 00:23:37.280 --> 00:23:38.580 It's not our desires. 00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:41.020 It's him. 00:23:41.580 --> 00:23:43.080 Temptation number two, look at verse five. 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:51.220 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. 00:23:52.280 --> 00:23:55.000 And said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down. 00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:58.520 For it is written, he will command his angels concerning you. 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:03.260 And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 00:24:04.300 --> 00:24:09.120 And Jesus said to him, again it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to test. 00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:09.980 So a couple things. 00:24:10.100 --> 00:24:12.440 Jesus uses scripture on Satan. 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:16.020 So Satan says, well then I'm going to use scripture back at you. 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:16.300 Right? 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:25.240 As you face temptation, do not, this is a side point, but don't miss the reality that Satan could try to use the things of the Lord, even scripture, against you. 00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:26.980 It did in the garden. 00:24:27.940 --> 00:24:28.700 And he does it here. 00:24:29.560 --> 00:24:37.300 And what we see here, as Jesus responds to him with scripture as well, is the temptation of manipulation. 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:42.880 So we see the temptation of desire and we're going to see the temptation of manipulation. 00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:49.380 Now, the setting, we've left the desert and it's now in Jerusalem on top of the temple. 00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:55.920 And the devil tells Jesus to throw himself down and then quotes scripture to him. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.300 Now, partial scripture, Psalm 91, verses 11 and 12, parts of those. 00:25:00.780 --> 00:25:03.420 And here's what Satan is implying. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:09.020 Satan is implying that Jesus can do this and can do this safely. 00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:11.480 Take yourself to the top. 00:25:13.280 --> 00:25:14.240 Throw yourself off. 00:25:15.540 --> 00:25:16.500 Jump off. 00:25:17.280 --> 00:25:21.940 And that Jesus should do this because the angels are here to help him. 00:25:22.560 --> 00:25:23.740 They love Jesus. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.300 They care about Jesus. 00:25:25.300 --> 00:25:27.900 They don't want anything bad to happen to Jesus. 00:25:29.340 --> 00:25:30.940 So, of course, they'll do this, right? 00:25:32.260 --> 00:25:42.120 And Satan, even in his usage of the scripture, he says that not only will you not be hurt, but you won't even bruise your toe. 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:46.760 You'll be, Jesus, completely safe. 00:25:47.760 --> 00:25:51.320 Because God would never let that happen to you. 00:25:52.320 --> 00:25:59.440 And so, Satan's temptation of Christ is to test the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. 00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:07.900 Satan wants Jesus to use the love of the Father that he has for the Son and manipulate him. 00:26:09.280 --> 00:26:09.760 Test him. 00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:13.400 See how much he really loves you. 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:21.280 Because Jesus, if he loved you, then this wouldn't happen. 00:26:22.420 --> 00:26:23.400 This wouldn't happen. 00:26:23.800 --> 00:26:26.260 Now, Jesus' response is again from Deuteronomy, and he says, 00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:31.560 You shall not put the Lord your God to test as you tested him at Massa. 00:26:31.620 --> 00:26:33.640 And so, that's Deuteronomy 6.16. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:41.020 Now, we'll talk about this, Jesus' use of scripture and looking at this word test in the Old Testament. 00:26:41.180 --> 00:26:44.260 Now, Jesus is not refuting scripture here. 00:26:45.260 --> 00:26:48.800 Jesus is not saying Psalm 91 is incorrect. 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:49.980 That's not what he's doing. 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:55.680 What Jesus is doing here is correcting Satan's misuse of scripture. 00:26:56.060 --> 00:26:59.460 And he says, now, you don't test God. 00:27:00.560 --> 00:27:01.840 It's not what we're here to do. 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:03.200 We do not test God. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:15.820 Now, it's interesting when you look through scripture, there is an instance in scripture in Malachi 3.10 where God gives permission to test him. 00:27:16.540 --> 00:27:17.360 Let me read that in Malachi 3.10. 00:27:17.360 --> 00:27:27.620 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts. 00:27:28.660 --> 00:27:35.320 If I will not open the windows of heaven for you to pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 00:27:35.380 --> 00:27:41.880 Now, the use of this word test here, the word that is used is the word bachan, B-A-C-H-A-N. 00:27:42.300 --> 00:27:45.780 And this word means to examine or to prove. 00:27:45.780 --> 00:27:50.300 And the illustration where this word is also used is in reference to gold. 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:52.100 Is the gold pure? 00:27:52.520 --> 00:27:55.480 Is the gold what the gold is supposed to be? 00:27:55.760 --> 00:28:05.140 And so what God is saying here is bring your tithe and then examine what you will find is my faithfulness. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:08.060 You will find my provision. 00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:11.060 You will see that this is who I am. 00:28:11.060 --> 00:28:17.680 But Jesus uses a different word, and it's a different word that's found in Deuteronomy 6. 00:28:17.860 --> 00:28:24.160 And it's the word naka, N-A-C-A-H, which means to test or to tempt. 00:28:26.860 --> 00:28:29.200 Don't tempt God. 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:38.620 And the setting that Jesus used in Deuteronomy 6 mentions, as you tested him at Massa. 00:28:39.740 --> 00:28:44.760 And this comes from a story that's found in Exodus chapter 17. 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:52.500 God's people were camping, and they were, as they moved through the desert, where God had told them to. 00:28:53.540 --> 00:28:59.920 And they had gone where God told them to, and then when they find where they are, there's no water. 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:08.940 And in being that there's no water, they began to complain to Moses against the Lord. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:15.020 And you can read all of the account of this in Exodus 17, but I want to read to you verse 7. 00:29:16.020 --> 00:29:18.380 And God ends up giving them water. 00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:26.380 It says, and he called the name of the place, Massa and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel. 00:29:26.600 --> 00:29:32.720 And because they tested the Lord by saying, is the Lord among us or not? 00:29:34.180 --> 00:29:37.260 Is the Lord for us or not? 00:29:37.520 --> 00:29:42.300 And so here is their sin of what God addresses and what God corrects. 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:48.200 If God loved us, then he would do this. 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:53.540 If God loved us, then he would not allow this. 00:29:54.020 --> 00:29:59.900 What they're trying to do is leverage their relationship with the Lord against him. 00:30:00.800 --> 00:30:10.100 If you've ever been in an unhealthy relationship, let me tell you a line that one partner will use against the other. 00:30:10.860 --> 00:30:15.560 If you loved me, then you would do this. 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:28.900 And as a parent, I hope I never have to, but I would say to my kids, if they loved you, then they would never ask you to do this. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:30.100 Right? 00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:40.660 But God's people are coming and saying, if you loved us, then you wouldn't do this. 00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:46.900 If Satan comes to Jesus, put yourself on the temple and throw yourself down. 00:30:48.140 --> 00:30:49.180 And test him. 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:55.920 Because if he loved you, then he would never allow this to happen. 00:30:57.740 --> 00:30:59.520 Maybe you're thinking, I don't face that, Bo. 00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:01.940 I don't go through that. 00:31:03.300 --> 00:31:04.620 Let me ask you this question. 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:08.340 Have you ever gone through a season of life? 00:31:09.540 --> 00:31:11.300 Or maybe you're going through one now. 00:31:12.700 --> 00:31:15.080 And the thought continually comes to your mind. 00:31:16.380 --> 00:31:21.400 If God loves me like he says he does, then I wouldn't have to go through this. 00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:24.200 Maybe it's miscarriage. 00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:31.500 Maybe it's a place in financial struggle, of sickness, of going through a rebellious child. 00:31:34.300 --> 00:31:45.160 And you position yourself with, if I am who I am in God, and he loves me like he says he would, 00:31:46.520 --> 00:31:48.220 then why would he do this? 00:31:49.360 --> 00:31:54.040 Because he's not fulfilling his end of the deal. 00:31:55.800 --> 00:32:02.340 And what I would plead with you, that the Spirit has worked in my life this week, 00:32:04.020 --> 00:32:05.900 is that's the temptation of manipulation. 00:32:07.340 --> 00:32:14.560 God, if you loved me, then accept my definition of love. 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:17.960 Accept my definition of grace. 00:32:19.260 --> 00:32:21.680 Accept my definition of goodness. 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:26.680 And it's what Satan brings Jesus to. 00:32:28.340 --> 00:32:29.680 Temptation number three. 00:32:32.120 --> 00:32:34.360 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain. 00:32:35.560 --> 00:32:38.860 And showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 00:32:40.360 --> 00:32:41.120 And he said to him, 00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:47.320 All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. 00:32:48.800 --> 00:32:50.380 And then Jesus said to him, 00:32:50.800 --> 00:32:51.800 Be gone, Satan. 00:32:52.580 --> 00:32:53.420 For it is written, 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:59.540 You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. 00:33:00.380 --> 00:33:06.400 And what we see lastly here in the temptation of Christ is the temptation of worship. 00:33:07.660 --> 00:33:11.800 And Satan takes Jesus and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. 00:33:13.020 --> 00:33:17.700 And he offers Jesus the people without the cross. 00:33:19.060 --> 00:33:22.880 He offers them the people without the mission. 00:33:23.280 --> 00:33:24.540 Now here's what's interesting. 00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:28.860 Could Jesus turn stones into bread? 00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:29.560 Yes. 00:33:30.380 --> 00:33:36.260 Could God send angels to scoop him down and save him? 00:33:36.580 --> 00:33:37.000 Yes. 00:33:38.300 --> 00:33:42.640 Could Satan give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world? 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:43.400 No. 00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:45.440 No. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:47.600 No. 00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:55.160 Satan doesn't have the authority to give what he promises. 00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:58.400 But yet he offers it anyways. 00:34:01.180 --> 00:34:07.780 And when Satan tempts you and I with the idols of this world. 00:34:09.100 --> 00:34:12.280 Church, I want to tell you and plead with you and plead with your hearts this morning. 00:34:12.740 --> 00:34:15.380 He cannot fulfill the promises he's given. 00:34:16.540 --> 00:34:17.140 But he's going to tempt him. 00:34:17.140 --> 00:34:18.280 But he's going to tempt him with you anyways. 00:34:19.540 --> 00:34:22.480 He doesn't have the authority to give. 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:32.280 You see, when we face temptation, what we want is to be satisfied eternally at our core. 00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:45.640 The drink that we seek satisfaction from is fading and will leave. 00:34:45.640 --> 00:34:46.900 It can't satisfy. 00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:53.540 The relationship that we think will solve all the problems that we have cannot at its core satisfy. 00:34:53.900 --> 00:35:00.540 The gossip that we want to know that we think can please and satisfy our ear won't because it can't satisfy. 00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:06.600 The money that we think if we had in our bank account, then that could satisfy me with where I'm at in my life. 00:35:06.680 --> 00:35:08.640 It won't because it can't satisfy. 00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:14.100 You see, all of these things for a moment can tweak and turn the situation. 00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:16.040 But it can't change it for all of eternity. 00:35:16.040 --> 00:35:22.900 And it can't satisfy in our being of what we want and what we long for. 00:35:24.120 --> 00:35:25.300 Only God can. 00:35:26.580 --> 00:35:28.420 And that's why only he is worthy. 00:35:30.100 --> 00:35:36.000 Paul writes in Colossians 3, 5, and he gives a partial list of idols. 00:35:37.520 --> 00:35:53.400 And he says, put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you, sexual morality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 00:35:54.200 --> 00:35:56.280 We aren't to worship them. 00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:58.380 We're to kill them. 00:36:00.100 --> 00:36:00.720 We're to kill them. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:09.240 I told Berger this morning, I said, I'm going to use the illustration that I've probably used more than any other illustration. 00:36:09.240 --> 00:36:14.480 But to me, it just paints the picture of what we do when we don't kill our sin. 00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:18.260 Years and years and years ago, I was on the internet. 00:36:18.420 --> 00:36:18.860 I was on Google. 00:36:20.260 --> 00:36:23.740 And there was a video that popped up, or maybe it was social media, but a video that popped up. 00:36:24.940 --> 00:36:31.760 And it said, snake charmer bitten by snake and dies. 00:36:33.080 --> 00:36:36.900 And I thought, yep, yep, that's right. 00:36:37.080 --> 00:36:38.440 Like, that's what happens, right? 00:36:38.620 --> 00:36:41.740 No one should go, didn't see that coming, right? 00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:43.880 Like, surprised that that's what happened. 00:36:44.160 --> 00:36:45.220 Are you kidding me? 00:36:46.100 --> 00:36:46.240 Right? 00:36:46.420 --> 00:36:46.660 Why? 00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:50.180 Because a snake isn't meant to be tamed, right? 00:36:50.840 --> 00:36:53.340 No one gets a pet rattlesnake and says, who wants to cuddle with this? 00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:54.060 Nobody, right? 00:36:55.380 --> 00:36:56.000 No one. 00:36:57.380 --> 00:36:58.620 But that's what we do with sin. 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:01.200 I just want to cuddle it. 00:37:02.460 --> 00:37:03.620 I just want to control it. 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:07.440 Because I'm strong enough. 00:37:09.160 --> 00:37:10.860 I'm capable. 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:14.220 I'm good enough. 00:37:15.660 --> 00:37:19.700 But the Bible says, we don't cuddle it. 00:37:20.540 --> 00:37:21.980 We kill it. 00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:26.980 Matthew 4, 11. 00:37:30.020 --> 00:37:31.740 Then the devil left him. 00:37:35.460 --> 00:37:39.520 And behold, angels came and were ministering to him. 00:37:41.520 --> 00:37:43.200 Is there victory in temptation? 00:37:44.500 --> 00:37:45.140 Absolutely. 00:37:46.580 --> 00:37:47.240 Absolutely. 00:37:48.640 --> 00:37:49.100 Absolutely. 00:37:51.320 --> 00:38:01.760 What we see here in the faithfulness of Christ to the Father is a battle, a difficult journey. 00:38:02.600 --> 00:38:06.020 And what we see is the victory of God. 00:38:07.160 --> 00:38:08.960 I'm going to close up just really quickly. 00:38:10.160 --> 00:38:13.760 For you and I, we've seen temptation, but this message is about self-control. 00:38:15.160 --> 00:38:18.500 How do we embrace self-control? 00:38:19.580 --> 00:38:20.940 How do we embrace self-control? 00:38:21.980 --> 00:38:25.520 I got this from the author of the book that I'm reading right now. 00:38:26.660 --> 00:38:30.540 And just was able to use these so many points in time this week. 00:38:30.600 --> 00:38:31.620 And I wanted to share them with you. 00:38:32.040 --> 00:38:33.820 Number one, he says, remember the cross. 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:35.880 Remember the cross. 00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:46.360 Remember, number one, how offensive your sin is. 00:38:47.660 --> 00:38:50.520 There is not a light sin. 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:53.560 There is not an okay sin. 00:38:54.260 --> 00:38:57.200 There is not a sin that doesn't hurt the heart of God. 00:38:57.720 --> 00:39:00.480 And there isn't a sin that Jesus didn't die for. 00:39:02.360 --> 00:39:05.860 Remember how offensive your sin is to God. 00:39:07.140 --> 00:39:10.620 And number two, remember the price that God paid for your offense. 00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:12.840 And that. 00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:20.100 When you're tempted to click on that next website, 00:39:22.640 --> 00:39:25.380 remember the price that God paid for that click. 00:39:27.720 --> 00:39:35.120 When you're tempted to share that piece of destructive gossip to the next person, 00:39:36.520 --> 00:39:41.040 remember the price that God paid for that word. 00:39:42.700 --> 00:39:44.460 Remember the cross. 00:39:45.100 --> 00:39:47.800 Number two, embrace the fight. 00:39:48.900 --> 00:39:49.620 Embrace the fight. 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:51.920 1 Corinthians 9, 24, and 25. 00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:57.060 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? 00:39:57.720 --> 00:39:59.340 It's a run that you may obtain it. 00:40:00.660 --> 00:40:05.540 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. 00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:12.100 And they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable. 00:40:13.420 --> 00:40:17.340 It's going to be a battle. 00:40:18.600 --> 00:40:19.700 Know that going in. 00:40:20.700 --> 00:40:21.760 It's not easy. 00:40:22.860 --> 00:40:27.600 It's not a stroll through the park on a 70-degree Saturday morning with zero humidity. 00:40:28.860 --> 00:40:29.760 That's not it. 00:40:31.020 --> 00:40:32.040 It's a marathon. 00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:32.900 It's a battle. 00:40:33.020 --> 00:40:33.660 It's a journey. 00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:34.720 You're going to cry. 00:40:34.980 --> 00:40:35.800 You're going to sweat. 00:40:36.060 --> 00:40:37.600 You're not going to want to be there. 00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:38.900 And that's what it is. 00:40:39.100 --> 00:40:43.760 And if we stop kidding ourselves that we deserve some easy, free life 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:47.840 and embrace the fight that God has for us, then we'll be ready for these. 00:40:49.420 --> 00:40:52.360 And so we embrace the fight and we fight back. 00:40:54.580 --> 00:40:59.080 But we remember, the battle's been won. 00:41:00.660 --> 00:41:03.560 Not by us, but by Jesus. 00:41:04.900 --> 00:41:13.400 And through it all, what God is doing is something in you and through you in this battle. 00:41:14.220 --> 00:41:19.240 Number three, bring the fiercest battle into the light. 00:41:21.240 --> 00:41:21.540 Right? 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:25.660 Bring the fiercest battle into the light. 00:41:26.360 --> 00:41:27.880 Brothers, Galatians 6.2, 00:41:27.880 --> 00:41:30.980 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, 00:41:32.120 --> 00:41:34.700 you who are spiritual should restore him. 00:41:34.900 --> 00:41:38.880 In a spirit of gentleness, watch over self, lest you too be tempted. 00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:42.640 Verse 2, bear one another's burdens. 00:41:43.720 --> 00:41:46.300 And so fulfill the law of Christ. 00:41:47.100 --> 00:41:49.660 You weren't meant to fight this alone. 00:41:51.120 --> 00:41:54.220 Bring someone else into the battle. 00:41:55.440 --> 00:41:59.100 And stop sharing the care bear struggles that you face. 00:42:00.720 --> 00:42:02.280 And start getting real. 00:42:03.960 --> 00:42:04.880 Okay, so here's the story. 00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:06.260 From my family. 00:42:08.180 --> 00:42:09.320 It's on me, okay? 00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:16.880 Erin and I very early on in our dating relationship had a conversation 00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:22.460 about struggle and temptation and lust in my life. 00:42:23.820 --> 00:42:29.680 And I said to her, this has been something that I've battled through in my life. 00:42:30.160 --> 00:42:32.060 I've experienced defeat. 00:42:32.380 --> 00:42:33.860 I've experienced victory. 00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:35.540 And I need you. 00:42:35.600 --> 00:42:39.360 I think this is like date number two to bring you into this journey with me. 00:42:40.660 --> 00:42:42.540 To let you know where I struggle. 00:42:42.540 --> 00:42:47.120 A couple years later, we're married. 00:42:48.220 --> 00:42:50.180 I'm serving in ministry at a church. 00:42:51.560 --> 00:42:53.780 And I come home for dinner one night. 00:42:55.220 --> 00:42:56.020 Erin's there. 00:42:56.140 --> 00:42:57.020 Dinner's on the table. 00:42:58.080 --> 00:42:58.980 Sit down. 00:42:59.940 --> 00:43:05.460 And she says to me, I need to bring something to your attention. 00:43:07.140 --> 00:43:07.860 And I said, okay. 00:43:09.060 --> 00:43:11.360 And she said, do you know? 00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:14.360 And then she said a female's name. 00:43:15.480 --> 00:43:16.420 And I said, yeah. 00:43:17.480 --> 00:43:19.240 Yeah, she's one of our volunteers. 00:43:19.740 --> 00:43:21.280 She loves to be around. 00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:23.500 She's up there all day long. 00:43:23.620 --> 00:43:25.820 She'll do anything that I ask her to do. 00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:27.320 She's such a joy. 00:43:27.440 --> 00:43:29.500 She's constantly complimenting me. 00:43:29.620 --> 00:43:30.440 She's doing all this. 00:43:30.720 --> 00:43:32.940 I absolutely, I know who she is. 00:43:33.120 --> 00:43:37.320 And she looked at me and she says, she's not good for your ministry and she's not good for us. 00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:42.800 Yes, ma'am. 00:43:44.120 --> 00:43:44.840 Yes, ma'am. 00:43:45.660 --> 00:43:46.540 What did she do? 00:43:47.620 --> 00:43:49.240 She brought the temptation into light. 00:43:50.500 --> 00:43:50.740 Right? 00:43:51.320 --> 00:43:53.480 Now, did I go up to that lady the next day and say, I'm sorry. 00:43:54.100 --> 00:43:58.900 You're a thorn sent to me by Satan and you cannot be a part of my ministry anymore. 00:44:00.340 --> 00:44:01.460 No, I didn't. 00:44:02.960 --> 00:44:04.140 But do you know what I did do? 00:44:05.780 --> 00:44:11.560 I brought an older man who served in my ministry into my office and said, I need you to help guard me. 00:44:12.560 --> 00:44:19.320 I brought another staff member into my office and said, I need you to guard me in this. 00:44:19.740 --> 00:44:19.900 Right? 00:44:20.720 --> 00:44:22.900 Because the temptation was brought into light. 00:44:24.260 --> 00:44:33.440 And a sister in Christ, more so than she is my wife, stepped in and spoke truth that I needed to hear. 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:43.400 And she's brought something that honestly, at 25, not intelligent me, didn't see. 00:44:44.600 --> 00:44:45.180 Didn't see. 00:44:46.700 --> 00:44:47.560 Number four. 00:44:49.160 --> 00:44:49.940 Plead with the Spirit. 00:44:50.860 --> 00:44:51.640 Plead with the Spirit. 00:44:53.100 --> 00:44:54.160 I'll do these quickly. 00:44:54.320 --> 00:44:55.300 How do we plead with the Spirit? 00:44:55.400 --> 00:44:56.720 Number one, we pray forcefully. 00:44:57.960 --> 00:44:59.020 James 5, 16. 00:44:59.180 --> 00:45:03.540 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. 00:45:03.680 --> 00:45:06.980 The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working. 00:45:07.680 --> 00:45:09.560 When you pray, pray with determination. 00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:12.460 Not in who God is, but who you are. 00:45:12.560 --> 00:45:14.920 He will be faithful and he will get you through. 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:19.460 Can I say, when you pray to the Lord, pray specifically. 00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:21.980 Name the temptation. 00:45:22.460 --> 00:45:23.400 Name the sin. 00:45:23.820 --> 00:45:27.100 God already knows it, but you need to be confident in it. 00:45:27.820 --> 00:45:28.040 Pray forcefully. 00:45:28.840 --> 00:45:29.040 Number two. 00:45:30.040 --> 00:45:32.120 How we plead with the Spirit is we pray confidently. 00:45:33.000 --> 00:45:33.920 Romans 8, 32. 00:45:33.920 --> 00:45:38.740 He did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. 00:45:39.100 --> 00:45:44.480 How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 00:45:45.500 --> 00:45:49.360 God wants to say yes to you. 00:45:53.120 --> 00:45:54.480 He wants to. 00:45:55.540 --> 00:45:57.920 Remember Psalm 37, 4? 00:45:59.160 --> 00:46:06.340 But delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 00:46:07.540 --> 00:46:07.680 Right? 00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:09.820 It comes with a command verse. 00:46:10.860 --> 00:46:17.760 Delight yourself in the Lord, so that what happens, so that the desires of your heart are the desires of God. 00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:23.800 This is not a prosperity, health, wealth, prosperity, gospel message. 00:46:25.020 --> 00:46:26.820 This is a line from the Lord. 00:46:27.860 --> 00:46:29.280 Delight yourself in him. 00:46:30.680 --> 00:46:36.440 Maybe the battle for you this morning is to stop praying that God will remove the battle. 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:48.040 And start praying that God and his grace through the Holy Spirit will give you the strength to overcome the battle in his name and for his glory. 00:46:49.720 --> 00:46:50.580 And lastly, pray daily. 00:46:50.580 --> 00:46:52.820 And lastly, pray daily. 00:46:54.200 --> 00:46:57.880 Very simply, we started off with seeing what Jesus did. 00:46:58.180 --> 00:46:59.380 We're going to conclude with it. 00:46:59.680 --> 00:47:00.680 Luke 5, 16. 00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:05.280 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. 00:47:06.980 --> 00:47:07.500 Often. 00:47:09.320 --> 00:47:11.040 Jesus needed to do that. 00:47:12.620 --> 00:47:13.620 How much more do we? 00:47:13.620 --> 00:47:13.800 How much more do we? 00:47:15.080 --> 00:47:20.800 The Bible tells us that Satan is like a lion seeking to attack. 00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:35.580 And I don't know if you've ever watched those National Geographic shows or the Discovery shows where it goes out into like the African safari and it shows the lion getting ready to attack. 00:47:36.380 --> 00:47:37.180 I love watching it. 00:47:37.180 --> 00:47:37.700 I love watching it. 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:39.460 I'm a softie right when the lion goes. 00:47:39.560 --> 00:47:40.300 I cut off the channel. 00:47:40.520 --> 00:47:41.460 Just, that's who I am. 00:47:41.800 --> 00:47:42.560 I can't take it. 00:47:43.840 --> 00:47:47.440 But, you know, a lion doesn't walk by and say, oh, gazelle, let's go, right? 00:47:48.560 --> 00:47:48.920 Mm-mm. 00:47:49.720 --> 00:47:50.500 What do they do? 00:47:51.360 --> 00:47:52.220 They just walk. 00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:54.520 They look. 00:47:55.780 --> 00:47:56.420 They look back. 00:47:57.760 --> 00:47:58.720 And they look again. 00:47:59.620 --> 00:48:00.380 They look back. 00:48:01.520 --> 00:48:07.140 And they're waiting for that moment where that gazelle is the most vulnerable. 00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:14.040 And when the gazelle is the most vulnerable, then the lion attacks. 00:48:16.080 --> 00:48:20.920 Satan wants you to be vulnerable. 00:48:22.440 --> 00:48:35.580 But if we fight daily on our knees before the Lord, right, we have the battle that we need to overcome what lies ahead of us. 00:48:36.140 --> 00:48:36.920 Would you pray with me? 00:48:41.040 --> 00:48:48.720 Lord, we come to you this morning, Jesus, thanking you for what you endured. 00:48:50.340 --> 00:48:57.260 Not only for what you endured in the cross, but what you endured in this daily life that you lived. 00:48:59.580 --> 00:49:06.600 Jesus, you faced the temptations that we face, but yet you overcame them. 00:49:07.980 --> 00:49:09.660 And, Lord, you didn't give in to them. 00:49:11.540 --> 00:49:19.800 And instead, you depended on the very spirit of God, Lord, and your divinity of who you are to rise above. 00:49:23.220 --> 00:49:25.660 And you fight that battle for us. 00:49:27.480 --> 00:49:31.620 And, Lord, you've gone through and come out on the other side in perfection. 00:49:33.320 --> 00:49:38.200 And so that, Lord, we too can face the temptations of this life. 00:49:40.920 --> 00:49:43.540 Knowing who we are in you. 00:49:45.380 --> 00:49:48.200 Knowing what you have for us. 00:49:50.120 --> 00:49:55.960 Lord, may we stop cursing you when we face the temptation as if it's a punishment. 00:49:57.780 --> 00:50:03.000 But, Lord, may we cling to you when the temptation comes at us. 00:50:03.400 --> 00:50:14.120 Lord, that we know in your power and your ability that is in us, Lord, that through you, we have the ability to overcome and to glorify you. 00:50:14.120 --> 00:50:30.960 And to praise you through it, Lord, and that through that battle, what builds in us is a particular type of righteousness that is building us and molding us and shaping us more and more into being more and more like you. 00:50:33.960 --> 00:50:43.240 So our life can be a testimony of hope in Christ that our life can be a testimony of victory in Christ. 00:50:43.240 --> 00:50:58.880 So, Lord, from chocolate cake to infidelity, we lay them down. 00:51:00.960 --> 00:51:07.700 And we say, Lord, give us the power to show self-control. 00:51:09.080 --> 00:51:15.940 Give us the power for you to be displayed. 00:51:17.700 --> 00:51:22.820 Give us the power to live in the victory. 00:51:24.360 --> 00:51:25.620 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:51:26.280 --> 00:51:26.700 Amen. 00:51:30.960 --> 00:51:42.040 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:51:42.040 --> 00:51:44.660 We hope that you enjoyed listening to this week's message. 00:51:45.280 --> 00:51:53.720 If you'd like to learn more about who we are or explore additional resources, visit us online at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:51:53.720 --> 00:51:57.280 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook and Instagram. 00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:08.120 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church.