God's Messenger

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

We have spent the entire last year in the Gospel of Matthew.

We have covered just about everything that Matthew tells us about the renewed life and living like Jesus.

It’s a new year and we should have a new theme

But we also had a snow day in December which set us back a week.

So today we cover Matthew Chapter 4 and kick off a new theme at the same time.

Our Theme for 2026 is “Embrace Transformation”

As we have been going back through the first chapters of Matthew a pattern has emerged.

Remember the elements of surprise, redemption and transformation in each story?

When we look at the story of the coming of Jesus the Messiah, we see the same elements of surprise, redemption and transformation that we see all through Matthew’s gospel.

This week is a another new story, but with the same elements.

Lat week Jesus began His ministry by joining John the Baptist who was preaching and baptizing in the wilderness.

He was calling people to repent, confess their sins and renew their covenant with God.

Jesus was baptized too and so when we are baptized - one of the meanings of baptism is that we are following Jesus by doing what Jesus did.

Jesus didn’t have any sins to confess - but by submitting to baptism, a symbol of repentance, Jesus transformed baptism into a symbol of transformation!

And now it is up to us to embrace the transformation that Jesus began.

You would think that after that glorious beginning, Jesus would have tried to capture the momentum by launching a big campaign.

Nope - He spent the next forty days alone.

That was the first surprise.

Jesus was God’s messenger, but a messenger is only as good as the message you carry.

Jesus frequently spent time alone with God.

That’s why He could speak for God, because He spent time with God.

Consider the friendship between two people who are inseparable. They finish each other’s sentences and know what the other is thinking. This is the kind of relationship Jesus had with God. The more time you spend with someone, the better you understand their thoughts and feelings. Jesus spent His days in prayer and solitude with God, and that closeness allowed Him to speak on God’s behalf. It’s like having insider information from the ultimate source!

Later in the chapter, Jesus is going to call some disciples who are going to spend time with Him.

He spends time with God; the disciples spend time with Him.

That is how the message is conveyed.

It’s not just the words that are spoken, it is what is modeled, what is demonstrated and what is convey by simply being with someone.

Jesus’ time in the wilderness is not a mere exercise - it is part of the message that makes the messenger who He is.

Surprise: Jesus was tested

Matthew 4:1 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

So just a few verses ago, John pointed to Jesus and said, “He is the One who is to come!”

You would think that endorsement would be enough to go on for a while.

But Jesus isn’t basing His ministry on endorsements or on what other people say.

His ministry and His message is only a good as His connection with the Father.

John 5:19 NLT

19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

So Jesus goes out into the wilderness to spend time with God, but guess who shows up?!

The Bible says that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Wait. What?

The Spirit of God did that?

Jesus’ pattern throughout His ministry was to go off into the wilderness to spend time with God.

But on this occasion, someone else was waiting for him.

And the Spirit knows all things and still drove Him to it.

Don’t be surprised when God calls you to do something that there may be a test first.

The test is part of the plan.

You have to go through the test to get to the rest.

If Jesus was tested, and you are following Jesus, you can expect to be tested too.

The wilderness journey is not a distraction - it’s part of the program.

The path ahead goes through the wilderness.

Matthew 4:2–7 ESV

2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Have you ever set aside time to spend with God and it seems like “all hell breaks loose?”

You sitting down to read your Bible and you get a phone call or a text message.

You are starting to pray and you suddenly remember something important that you forgot to do.

You set aside time for prayer and fasting and someone invites you to dinner!

You can say it’s coincidence, but it happens too often for it to be coincidence every time!

Beginning next Sunday, we are going to set aside some time for corporate prayer and fasting.

Each one should decide what kind of fast they want to do.

I wouldn’t recommend starting off with a full fast unless you are healthy and know you can do it.

You need to take into consideration the energy that you will need for work or whatever obligations you have.

But you should also cut out of your routine diet something meaningful that you will be sure to miss - even if that is fasting something other than food - like social media or television.

The point is to take something out of your routine so that you can put more of God into your routine.

Don’t be surprised if it’s difficult especially at first - that’s called discipline.

Like the weight lifters say, “no pain, no gain.”

The difficulty is what makes the exercise worth while.

That’s the test.

But what if you are the Son of God and can do miracles?

Why didn’t Jesus say, “Hey, I’m God, I don’t have to put up with this?!”

That’s what the devil what trying to get Him to think.

That stone looks like a loaf of bread, why not turn it to bread, you know, just because you can...

Or if you are immortal God, why not do a little trust fall?

You know, see if it really works.

After all, God’s not going to let you die… or will He?

Do you see why the test is really important?

Sometimes the devil says things that seem to make sense - so why not listen?

Because God has the big picture in mind.

And part of that picture is learning to hear His voice above all others.

It is critically important that we hear and obey only God.

When I was in Bible School in my early twenties, I was a straight A student. Except for one A- on my transcript. And that A- was all because of one test that I failed from one professor who decided to use one of our weekly tests as an object lesson.

Every Friday we would get a take home test. The first page contained detailed instructions for how to take the test - using notes or not using notes, time limit, etc. At the bottom of the page was a signature line where you would sing saying that you had taken the test honestly according to the instructions that were given.

This particular test had the same instructions that I was used to seeing on every other test. My eyes skimmed down over the page. I read it all except for the last paragraph was different. It said, “if you have read these instructions carefully, DO NOT TAKE THE TEST. Sign this form indicating that you understand these instructions and have taken the test honestly.

What do you think I did? I missed that last part so I took the test and failed. Why? Because on that particular test, reading the instructions carefully WAS the test. Half the class missed it, not just me. The professor went on to explain that in ministry it is critically important to listen to the Lord’s voice and follow exactly what He says. Moses failed to follow instructions when he struck the rock and as a result, He did not enter the promised land.

The test in the wilderness was all about hearing God’s voice and only God’s voice.

So how do we know what God would say when there are so many other voices?

God’s voice is the same as what was written.

Matthew 4:8–11 ESV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

One of the old trick that con-men still use today is to speak confidently and authoritatively, even when it is a blatant lie - especially when you are telling a blatant lie!

Do you know that most people never stop to question the content of a statement if it is stated with confidence.

Do you think the devil tried to do the same thing with Jesus?

After forty days of fasting Jesus is feeling pretty weak.

And when you are weak, things that you would never have listened to otherwise can seem pretty convincing.

The other trick that con-artists use is that they tell you something that they think you want to hear to get you to like them - or to trust them.

They prey on your deepest fears and your secret desires that every one has.

You want people to like you, don’t you?

You want to be significant, powerful and important?

Do you want life to be easy - or at least easier - more money, less stress?

Then the devil offers you a short cut to your goal - oh, but it involves compromising your integrity or selling your soul!

Jesus saw through his scheme - even though he was weak from going without food.

Jesus was feed ing on the Word of God.

He was meditating on and memorizing the scripture.

Why is that important?

Because when you are not sure what God is saying - you can be sure that what He is saying is in line with what He has already said.

God does not contradict Himself.

Hebrews 13:8 AMP

8 Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

People often quote this verse when they don’t want to change.

Like when you want to discontinue an old tradition that most people are getting tired of.

“Jesus Christ is the same - we have to do it the way we have always done it!”

That’s not the meaning of this verse - what this verse says is that God reveals Himself in ways that are consistent with what He has already revealed.

Change for the sake of change is not good - but changing the way that we do things to better align with God’s eternal purpose is exactly what is needed at any given time in history.

Bowing down to an agenda that promises instant power or prestige doesn’t accomplish God’s eternal purpose - it’s not a short-cut, it’s a trap!

People may say, “if God wants to grow the church then anything that grows the church must be God.”

We could set up a three-ring circus and entertain people and it would surely grow the church - so what’s wrong with that?

Because Jesus said to go and make disciples - Jesus followers - If what we are producing doesn’t look like Jesus then it’s not good growth.

Whatever we produce will reproduce after its kind - if it doesn’t look like Jesus it’s not going to reproduce Jesus-like qualities in others.

Anything that is not built on the foundation of the Word of God will eventually be seen for what it is - is will fail for lack of substance.

The church has seen some real setbacks in the last few decades form leaders who prioritized quick growth over substance - and much of what once looked good is being seen for what it is - bowing to con-artists instead of whole hearted worship.

But a new generation is rising that doesn’t buy in to all that.

Young people today are insisting on authenticity and transparency.

They don’t care what is looks like as much as whether or not it is real.

I don’t want to be a “rizz” church, but a real church! (BTW, rizz means cool to today’s youth.

The whole point of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is to show us that He’s the real deal!

Redemption: Jesus lives in Capernaum

Matthew 4:12 ESV

12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

John was ministering in the Jordan Valley in the central part of Israel.

Jesus was from Nazareth in the Norther part, in the hills a few miles west of Galilee.

John was arrested by Herod Antipas whose residence was in Tiberias, on the west shore of Galilee, not far from Nazareth.

So it makes sense that Jesus would go back to his home region, but not to his home town.

He settled in Capernaum, a fishing town on the North Shore of Galilee with proximity to the east-west trade routes.

This became the headquarters for Jesus’ ministry.

You could say it was because of what happened to John or you could say it was the ideal spot to reach the entire region with the message of the gospel.

Remember that God redeems our circumstances - He turns bad things into good things.

God has you here for a reason.

Matthew 4:13–16 ESV

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Once again, Matthew turns to the Old Testament Prophets for confirmation that Messiah was exactly where they said he would be.

This time the prophesy is about Galilee, specifically the north shore where there is a mix of Jews and Gentiles.

These were the border lands of Israel - the fringes of Jewish society.

This is the direction that invasions normally came from.

No one expected Messiah to come from there - but it was all part of God’s plan.

This was a different kind of invasion - an invasion of light!

God placed Jesus in Capernaum, not by accident, but for a specific reason.

First, because no one would look for him there.

But also because it would be a reversal of Israel’s history.

Invading armies typically came from the north.

Coming across the east-west road and making their way down through the hills.

They would appear as dark hordes filling up the valleys.

But Jesus is not like that - He turns the darkness to light.

Those hills and valleys that used to be filled with invading armies are now filled with crowds of people listening to Jesus’ teaching.

They are filled with multitudes that Jesus healed, delivered and restored.

Light is invading the darkness.

It’s a complete reversal of the doom and gloom associated with the region north of Galilee.

It’s God’s messenger bringing God’s message of redemption.

You bring the kingdom with you.

Matthew 4:17 ESV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Every good Jew knew that some day, God would make everything right.

Zephaniah prophesied that it would be a day or retribution.

Zephaniah 1:14–15 CSB

14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and rapidly approaching. Listen, the day of the Lord— then the warrior’s cry is bitter. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness,

Israel had alway imagined that it would be a day when they would get revenge on their enemies.

After all, they saw themselves as the victims of invading enemies.

But prophets like Zephaniah pointed out that the day of the Lord was a day of judgement for all those who had forsaken God.

The creator would call to account those who had rebelled again their creator.

Who would be spared? Those who made God their refuge.

Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

So when Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand - He is saying that judgement is not some day far off in the future - it is here and now.

God is not relegated to the distant past or the distant future.

Faith is not about securing a better afterlife - it is about living the present life in the light of God’s presence.

After all, God-made-flesh is walking among them.

And Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers.

John 14:16–17 CEV

16 Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. 17 The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.

So even now - 2000 years later, we can still proclaim “ the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Why? Because God is here.

He is with us when we are gathered.

He walked in with you when you came and He goes with you when you leave.

Do you know that wherever you go you bring the Kingdom?

You bring God’s presence because you have allowed God’s presence to be in you.

You are filled with His Holy Spirit - like the tabernacle of God, taking His presence wherever you go.

That is the amazing thing about God’s messenger - He is still delivering His message through those He left behind.

And He didn’t really leave us, but He is still with us by His Spirit.

If you are Christ's follower then you are also God’s messenger - He commissioned us with His message.

And the message is not just words, but its the transformed lives that we live because of Jesus.

Transformation: Jesus calls his disciples

So Jesus is God’s messenger, not just the words that He preached but the life that He lived and what He demonstrated.

What Jesus demonstrated was transformation.

He goes into the desert, doesn’t eat and is tormented by the devil but comes out even stronger.

He moves to a place that is known for being ravaged by invaders and turns it into the place from which He launches a movement.

And not just any movement, but the greatest movement the world has ever know - one that is still going strong today.

Matthew doesn’t tell the story of all the disciples - just two sets of two brothers who were fishermen - pretty typical in Capernaum.

He turns them into disciples who were among the first Apostles and the founders of the church - leaders of the new movement.

God will use what you already know.

Matthew 4:18–22 ESV

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Peter, Andrew, James and John - three out of the four were said to be Jesus’ inner circle - but what do they know.

They are fishermen.

They know how to manage a boat on the water.

That’s pretty brave for that day and age. Ancient people were very superstitious about water.

This is a high risk profession - you have to have some guts to be a fisherman in first century Israel.

They know how to catch fish.

They are observant - they pay attention to the weather, the currents where and how they see waves breaking and where fish are breaking through the surface of the water, even far away.

They didn’t have the benefit of modern sonar - you have to be pretty clever to get inside the mind of a fish.

And you have to be patient, optimistic maybe even a bit foolish to keep going out, putting your life at risk for the hope of catching a few fish.

Jesus probably spent many days walking by the harbor and watching these guys work.

At some point He realized that the qualities that these men exhibited in their profession were the qualities that He needed to spread His message.

Remember the parable of the net:

Matthew 13:47 NLT

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.

Jesus proposes to them a different kind of fishing - one that catches people.

The nets they use are not clever traps but recognizing truth by connecting the dots.

These early disciples must have felt like fish out of water, learning to exist in a new environment but finding that much of what they needed to know, they had already learned.

The truth is that God is not like what most people think He is.

He doesn’t get off on the power trips that people do when they think they are God.

He came as a baby.

He submitted to baptism.

He then goes into the desert to face the ultimate test.

He passes the test and moves to an obscure fishing town to begin his ministry.

Then He selects some fishermen to be among his first disciples.

God sure doesn’t do things the way we would imagine that He would.

That’s because He is God and we are not.

He is teaching us to become like Him.

Embrace transformation.

Matthew 4:23–25 ESV

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Transformation is recognizing that who we are now is not who God created us to be.

We are sinful - we want the wrong things.

And we are far more inclined to do what we wan than what God wants.

That’s our human nature.

We spent the last year thinking about what it means to live like Jesus.

We found that most of what that means is surprising even shocking - just the opposite of what we would expect.

And that just shows how far we have to go and how much we have to grow.

So this year i say lets embrace it - lets embrace the transformation.

Don’t resist the change when you know its right.

This is not change for the sake of change - it is change that realigns us with God’s eternal purpose.

There are going to be tests along the way - Jesus faces them, why shouldn’t we?

But we counter, not with what we think or feel, but with what God says.

After all it is His massage and we are God’s messengers.

Isaiah 43:19 NLT

19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Questions for reflection:

Have you faced ar time of wilderness testing? Have you ever wrestled with thoughts that are not yours and you know they are not from God? Do you know enough of God’s Word to counter those thoughts when they come? What would happen if you did?

Do you know that God had put you here for a reason? Where you come from, where you live and what you do - God can use all of that for His purpose. What if you were to let God use all of that to transform you into the person He created you to be?

Will you embrace transformation? There is no going back, the path of life only takes us forward. Sometimes the path goes through the wilderness. Sometimes it takes us to obscure places. Can you trust God to use all of that to turn you into a messenger of His good news?