Delivered

Good morning, children of God! I have to tell you something. I have thought a lot about Pastor Paul’s message from last Sunday. I guess it just hit me kind of different. We give of our time, our talents, our finances, and service. God did not just give us HIS First Fruit in Jesus Christ! He gave us EVERYTHING! He came to serve us and deliver us.

I got to thinking “What does it mean that He delivered us?” What does that really mean? It is easy enough to say he came to deliver us from sin. That is true, but I also think it over simplifies what Jesus has done for those who are true believers.

Jesus came to deliver us from the evil one into the hands of the Father. Jesus came to deliver us from the error and lies of this life into the Truth of God. It is right there in the Lord’s prayer. Matt 6:13

Matthew 6:13 NIV

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Some people will take this verse out of context and say “Look, God DOES tempt people!” Stop it! No, He does not. The idea is that we pray in the Spirit for relief from temptation.

Temptation itself does NOT MAKE US sin. Holy Spirit is alive within us to help keep us from going astray. Just because we are tempted does not mean that we have to cave to sin. “Well, here comes temptation again.” “I guess I have to sin.” No. That is exactly what Jesus was showing us in Luke 4 when he was tempted in the wilderness.

We need to remember that Jesus was fully God, but he was born fully human. That means that he experienced the same temptations that we do. There was no other way he could become our High Priest. He had to live as a human and experience how it feels to be human. HE DID THAT FOR US!

Luke 4:1 NLT

1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

This happens just after Jesus was water baptised by John the Baptist, and Holy Spirit baptized by God. Jesus was “full of the Spirit” and “led by the Spirit” into the wilderness to spend some time alone with God.

We must be FULL of the Spirit if we want to be LED by the Spirit. The same Holy Spirit who descended upon Jesus at the Jordan is the same Holy Spirit who fills the believer today. The same Spirit who led Jesus into victory leads us into victory today.

Luke 4:2 NIV

2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to spend time alone with God, and what do you know, here comes the enemy.

For over a month, Jesus was fasting, he was hungry, without his family, no friends around, and no physical resources. What Jesus DID HAVE was His faith, Holy Spirit, and the Word of God.

We all need alone time with God. The enemy wants to get you alone, away from God, and away from Godly people. Most of the time, it takes just the whisper of a lie, and we take over from there. We isolate ourselves, we stop reading our Bible, we stop praying, and we stop going to church. If you have been there, or you are there now, I can promise you that you are not the only one.

Jesus had to have been exhausted. When we come to a place where we are emotionally exhausted, physically drained, and simply cannot take another step, the Spirit quickens us and we come into a place of full reliance on God.

Luke 4:3 NIV

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

We need to picture how the devil would have said this to Jesus. It would have been in a sneering way; “Pfff! If you ARE the Son of God.”

The enemy is trying to use the same tactics on Jesus that he used on Adam. He is questioning his relationship with God. Except where Adam failed, Jesus would succeed.

The enemy will use the same tactics on you and me that he used on Adam and then Jesus. Do not let the enemy, or this world, or your own deceptive thoughts rob you of the truth.

If Christ is in you, if you have Holy Spirit living in you, you are a son of God, you are a daughter of God. That comes with power under the authority of Christ! Look at how Jesus responds.

Luke 4:4 (NIV)

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (See Deuteronomy 8:3)

Jesus just used what the Apostle Paul would later call “The Sword of Truth, the Word of God” to shut the enemy down, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.

Jesus is physically hungry, he has not eaten. Jesus could have turned a stone into bread to feed himself, but he did not. Why not? It would have shown a lack of trust in God’s care for him.

He would have had to shake off the human conditions that He had taken on for our sakes. He would have ceased to be the Son of man in acting as the Son of God. Jesus may have been physically hungry, but he was not spiritually hungry.

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus said “And give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus is the “Bread of Life.” If we are not feeding our spirit with the Word, prayer, and fellowship, we will become hungry and sick in our spirit.

We must pray, stay in the Word, and allow Holy Spirit to lead us to OVERCOME and have VICTORY when we find ourselves in the wilderness.

Luke 4:5–6 NLT

5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please.

The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in an instant (snap fingers). Do you know how magnificent that must have looked? How often we see something, and like that (snap fingers) we have to have it? It begins to consume our thoughts.

The enemy promised everything to Jesus. He could do that. The world was and is under the influence and control of Satan.

There are things in this life that may look really good. Things we just gotta have! Those things are temporary, and often come with a price.

God’s method demands death to self. Satan’s method may look great, but there is a catch.

Luke 4:7 NIV

7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus came into this world to save and deliver us for eternity. That is what Jesus wanted. The only way to do that was for Jesus to go to the cross. Satan was tempting Jesus to seek what he wanted through compromise. Jesus would have to compromise:

His Standards and behaviors

His loyalty and faithfulness to God

His ministry and mission

Jesus had to choose between a temporary, worldly kind of power with all kinds of earthly glory OR an eternal kind of power with God’s glory.

We make our own choices in this world. The enemy cannot “make you” do anything. What you or I choose to chase after, and what we are willing to give up to get it, is ultimately our decision.

This world and everything in it is temporary. Kingdoms, nations, people, stuff, and earthly glory will one day all fade away. What will be left is the eternal Kingdom and glory of God.

The Adversary has temporary custody of this world. Jesus did not come for temporary custody of God’s children, He came for eternal custody. We must choose wisely, moment by moment, if we are going to live as Children of the Kingdom or if we are going to live as children of this world. One belongs to God, the other to Satan.

Luke 4:8 (NIV)

8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (See Deuteronomy 6:13)

Again, Jesus uses Scripture to battle the enemy! He is quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 here.

Sometimes we SO EASILY FORGET that we have the FULL Word of God to go to battle with? We know how it all began, we know how it ends, and we know WHAT TO DO in between!

Jesus was full of the Spirit and used the Word against the enemy, we need to do the same thing! Pray in the Spirit and speak the Word of Truth over our lives, over our friends lives, and over our families!

Like Jesus, you were not meant to go in the wilderness empty handed, cowering before the Adversary. No! You go with the full strength and courage of the LORD and confront the enemy. Full of the Spirit, Led by the Spirit, with the Word of God! Because He has the victory, you also have victory.

God is the ultimate authority, brothers and sisters. God alone deserves our worship. As difficult as it can be at times, and believe me, I know it can be difficult, we need to choose His Word over our feelings, our opinions, and others opinions. That is how we serve and worship God.

Luke 4:9–11 (NIV)

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.

10 For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;

11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” (See Psalm 91:11-12)

Let’s put Luke 4:9 back up

Satan hits Jesus in three different ways in these verses! First, questioning His relationship to the Father again!

And then in Luke 4:10-11, the enemy is pretty much saying to Jesus “prove how much power you have to these people.” “Go ahead, throw yourself down from here...” “You will be fine.” “Just this one time, let God serve you.”

Had Jesus caved, he would have been making it all about himself.

Then we see Satan try to use scripture on Jesus! Yes, the devil knows scripture better than anybody besides Jesus. Satan is quoting Psalm 91:11-12 to Jesus! Except, he is twisting it for his own purpose. I am sure you know where this is going.

The secular world, non-believers, agnostics, and atheists, will twist scripture just like the enemy. To get you and me to dictate to God how things should be done. Be very careful of the sources of information you use when it comes to studying the Bible.

There are lots of people who will twist or misinterpret scripture to match what they call right even though God calls it wrong. They are really good at it and will try to convince you, with scripture, that they are right.

Here is what is worse. There are Pastors, priests, and believers who will twist scripture for their own purpose. They have so much pride and ego that they believe they have the right to change the Word of the Living God. They do not want self-denial or sacrifice in their lives. They are chasing their desires, not the Will or the heart of God.

I fear for them because one day, they will answer to the LORD. They are testing God. They will have to stand before the Throne of God and answer to Him. Look at what Jesus says to the devil.

Luke 4:12 (NKJV)

12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” (See Deuteronomy 6:16)

Look at that! Jesus smacks him down with scripture, AGAIN! This is like watching a three round Heavyweight Boxing Bout, and the devil doesn’t even get a shot in! I love it!

Jesus can see right through the lies, and the twisted use of scripture. Like Jesus told so many others and he continues to speak to us today, we must read His Word in context.

There is no other way than God’s way. The way of the cross is hard and difficult, but it is the only way to God. Any other way is a lie, and does not lead to the Father.

One of the lies we buy into is that things are a trade-off with God. God, give me this, and I will give you that. Worshiping God is total devotion to Him. He has already given us everything.

Luke 4:13 (NIV)

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

You all just read the same verse I did, right? Satan left Jesus until an opportune time. Satan left Jesus alone for awhile. At this point, the victory was won; the temptation was conquered. Yet, the devil remained active all during Jesus ministry. There are eight different occasions that Jesus speaks of him, just in the book of Luke

Victory over temptation, victory over the lies, does not mean that a person is freed from temptation forever. Temptation seems to always return. Am I wrong? Satan comes and goes. He strikes when we are most vulnerable. Here is what happens though:

When you have victory over temptation, no matter how big or small it may seem, it gives you more power and a greater testimony. It builds Christian character. Like Jesus bested the adversary here, when you or I have victory over temptation, he leaves, for a time.

On top of that, continued temptation against a person who has been strengthened through the Spirit and the Word becomes a fruitless venture for the enemy.

First Communion of the Year

We are going to take our first communion of the New Year. I ask that the worship team and prayer team take communion first.

Every bit of scripture, every victory over temptation against the enemy, Jesus accomplished to go to the cross for you. To deliver us from the evil one, to deliver us from the lies and errors of this world. So that He could deliver you into the Father’s hands.

His body broken for you. His blood poured out for you that you would be counted as His child, a brother or sister of Christ.

Before you take communion this morning, I want you to take a moment. Recall when He has given you victory over a temptation, over the enemy. Thank Him specifically for His power to overcome. For delivering you.

If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please speak with Pastor Paul or myself after service. If you would like someone to pray with you or for you, our prayer team will be ready.

Prayer

Father, God. Thank you for the victories you give us through Jesus Christ, our King, our Savior. We thank you for this time in your Word as a family of believers adopted into the Kingdom of Glory. We ask you to guide our hearts and minds as we commit to remembering and honoring Jesus Christ this day and everyday. In the mighty and unmatched name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

When you are ready to receive communion, please come in remembrance of Him.