Alone In The Desert

What is our purpose?

Our answer to this question will determine our steps, especially if we are integrated people, for how we will live.

The Westminster Catechism asks this question:

What is the chief & highest end of man?

This is a question which helps us to think “biblically” about how we live. The first question is really the same thing but we can talk about purpose all we want and still miss the “biblical” answer.

Answer: To glorify God and fully enjoy him forever.

This is played out in Scripture on almost every page that our purpose is to live for God alone. I have said it before and others have taught me. We live for an audience of One.

We must begin with the end in mind.

This may have been “popularized” by Steven Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, but we will see in our text this morning that if we can let this go to our core we will be able to withstand temptations, testing and distractions.

We must all go into the desert.

As we open our text we see after Jesus’ baptism he heads to the desert under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is not all baptisms and mountaintops.

Temptation & testing have different goals

We see that the Tempter came to Jesus to try and cause some trouble. Testing is to reveal what is in us, what we already know.

Temptation becomes a test when we allow God to redeem the situation.

If we see this before and keep the end in mind we can look for what God is doing.

Test 1: misuse our identity and power.

Satan knows who Christ is and wants him to “prove” his identity. The same may be true for us if we truly understand our identity. Notice the issue is not about the bread and being hungry. The issue is whether Christ will trust the God who called him into the wilderness/desert.

Response: I will trust God. I do not need to prove my relationship with Him.

Trust is a tricky thing. This is what the nation of Israel failed in the wilderness.

Test 2: Show others who you are!

Satan uses Scripture, though he leaves it out of context, to try and get Christ to prove to others and start the revelation of who Jesus is. Yet, let us ask: what faith would people have in Jesus if it was only because of a great miracle. Jesus does not want people to follow just because of what he has done but instead because of who he is.

Response: Don’t try God! He does not need to prove who I am.

Sometimes we may have the idea of fatalism—cannot get out of something, especially death. We may try to say things which are true, “it must have been their time to go” as words of comfort. Yet, this is a very tricky statement.

Test 3: Take the “easy” way, the short cut.

Satan now offers Jesus what will become his anyways, just without the cross.

Response: God only has authority over me.

If we forget what our end/goal is we will be tempted to take a short cut. To get the glory without the pain. To cut corners when possible.

Result of testing: Needs met in mighty ways.

Truly God did fulfill the words Satan tried to share from Psalms.

God is calling us & He will provide.

Where is God calling you? I do believe someone here is called into ministry in many ways. But I also know God is calling Christians into other areas to show our world what living is like.