Under Pressure

Introduction

Welcome: I’m so glad you’re here tonight

(Notes Reminder) Remember we have the notes available in Spanish and English available. If you missed it you can go to our website: freedomchurchnyc.com and you’ll see it right on the home page.

Transition: I’ve been praying and thinking about you all a lot this week. I’m really hoping this message resonates well with you and encourages you and takes some of the stress off your life.

(Sermon series) The series we chose to start with for Freedom Church is called “The Words of Jesus.” The words of Jesus are some of the most important words to exist. If you open up most Bibles these words are in red because they are unique. So today we’re going to follow along some of the words of Jesus today in a story you may or may not be familiar with.

We’re focusing on a moment Jesus is under immense pressure in Matthew 4:1-10 and we’re going to look at his response to being under pressure. Because we all at some point or another are under pressure.

Personal vulnerability [Liquid Nail]

Can I just be vulnerable with you? I haven’t always handled pressure well, quite the opposite at times. I’ve typically invited pressure in. I remember a point in time a few years ago when I was working in Pittsburgh.

Project I chose to pick up because I figured if I could handle immense pressure I would be seen as someone with immense purpose. Let me tell you how that went.

Tension:

Basic Statements

Pressure to succeed in your job?

Pressure to be somebody that other people want to look at and be?

Pressure to not fall behind?

Pressure to make our life mean something.

Cultural Messages on the topic:

Unfortunately it’s not like the environment we are in is an anti-pressure environment. It often invites pressure in. Because what we’re conditioned to believe is that: looking like I’m doing good will make me feel like I’m actually good. So if you’re not doing good at your job, not hitting the follower account you want, not making the amount of money to go on the trips you want to go on- you are a failure.

Incorrect Church Culture Messages

And unfortunately in the church we haven’t always done the best in confronting how this logic infiltrates us. We just move the pressure.

Our response to pressure is often “just pray more.” Which tends to increase pressure.

Or we convince ourselves into thinking, if I just go do something big to impress God, the pressure will dissolve. If I share the Gospel with someone, worship harder, pray louder, post something publicly on my story- then I’ll feel like the pressure will be released.

Emotional Tensions of Resistance

Here’s the tension- we hate pressure. But we live by it.

We understand it’s a sickness to our soul, but we don’t know any other way to live, and our response is to cope with it by:

Whether through binge eating, doom scrolling, over working, addictive substances, porn, drinking to the point where we get to disengage, take your pick.

Gospel of Topic:

Creation: Did you know that pressure was never God’s intention for life? When he created the world there was ease. No one had to strive and be pressured. Human beings were actually created with ambition beyond the scope of what we encounter today. God’s initial purpose on human beings: name every animal he created (which we still haven’t finished) and populate the earth. Sounds simple but it’s incredibly ambitious.

Fall- And how did we end up in this mess, human beings were pressured. Or as we say in church, human beings were tempted, tested, and they chose to allow the pressure to dictate where they go. Because they allowed the pressure to go a different direction from God they invited pressure and a slew of problems from then on.

Jesus- but then we see Jesus. The person who experienced the most external pressure imaginable but possessed internal composure that never broke. Even when his body was destroyed as it was put on a cross, who he was was never crushed.

Today- So now today when we enter into a relationship with Jesus he steps into our lives, into our hearts, minds, souls and provides security that nothing else can. He provides support that pressure is unable to crush.

Eternity- and one day we will remove all pressure so we can live in complete freedom with him.

Main Idea:

Main Point: I can live life fighting under pressure or under the provision, peace and purpose of Jesus

[Every temptation is in this story] Because what we see from the words of Jesus are how we respond to every type of pressure that seeks to draw us out, hurt us, and steal joy and peace from us.

[Your responsibility] Realistic: Look I know you can’t control everything going on around you. The Bible never tells you that’s within your realm of responsibility. However, it describes the fruit and results of following Jesus as self-control. Something internal based, fully within our control, within a place where we get to choose what to do with pressure.

Bible Text:

Matthew 4:1–2 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.”

Point #1- Pressure to provide

Matthew 4:3–4 “During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””

Context: Remember, Jesus is hungry. He’s been fasting for 40 days. He’s hungry. And he’s challenged and put under pressure to see a good and nourishing provision sustain his life.

[Public affirmation at baptism] He experiences validation from his father and now Satan begins with, “ if you are the son of God.”

Food is not a bad thing. Provision is not a bad thing. Money is not a bad thing. Relationships and connections are not bad things. But the satan knew what was wanted, appealing, and that’s what he uses. Provisions are things that are needed for a full life. They are not bad. The pressure and temptation is not about what it’s about how.

Examples:

What do you often find yourself pressured to provide?

External

Finances

Living situation

A partner, relationships

Internal:

Affirmation

Confidence

Psych: On a psychological level what this pressure often shows up is called “Scarcity Mindset.” It’s a mindset we would typically think of as, wisdom. It’s similar to when we had that snow storm and everyone ran to the store to grab everything in case the power went out for ages- here’s the issue, a lot of us don’t just live that way in the middle of a storm, we live there everyday.

When we live in this mindset we have increased tunnel vision, higher anxiety, transactional relationships and survival based thinking.

Apologetics: Somehow Jesus pulls out this scripture written hundreds of years before in Deuteronomy 8:3. Let me pause on this for a second, when you read the Bible looking for an answer you will find it doesn’t just give an answer it transforms you.

Prophetic Freedom:

Can I remind you of something for a second, Jesus was never in a place in which God was going to miss providing for him.

When you give your life to live under Jesus you are never in a place in which you are lacking.

He provides you what you need not what you want. Why is God so irresponsible like this? It’s because he’s trying to break that scarcity mindset we all have.

When you find yourself in a place where it doesn’t feel like you have everything you need God often does that to show you something in your heart he’s been trying to fix.

Personal example- God was working against me in my dating life or job

(To those for years) You might look at this story and think, man I wish it was only 40 days, it feels like it’s been 40 years and you’re wondering if God even sees that you’re needs aren’t met yet. If I can just speak to you- he sees you. He’s not ignoring you. He sees you.

What do I do to respond when I’m under this pressure: I recognize my provider and learn the difference between what I want right now and what he’s building in my life.

Recognize your provider! Your true provider. Worship music, Bible reading, reflection

Here’s the most practical thing I can tell you when it comes to this pressure, learn to tell the difference between what you want right now and what God is doing in you longterm. I think Jesus knew internally that God was doing more and that allowed him to resist the pressure to provide. And in turn, he got food. God cared for him. We actually ready stories about him feeding other people. It’s as if the pressure I don’t give into becomes a gift of provision I can give to someone else.

Recap: When we try to provide usually the only thing we do is make a mess. All I needed to do was say “I don’t know” because there was someone right near me who knew what to do! My attempt to provide takes me further away from the target.

Point #2- Pressure to prove

Matthew 4:5–7 “Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’””

Context: This is pressure towards the identity of Jesus. Are you really the son of God? God will protect you right? Are you really enough? Prove it. If he actualy cares about you? Prove it. The temptation and pressure here is to force and display something that is believed to be true.

And the response is not to win an argument. There were most likely moments throughout Jesus’ life that he was in a near death situation and God sent his angels to protect him. Jesus didn’t fight the truth on this statement, he acknowledged a deeper relationship between himself and God and knew how to honor that relationship.

[Reality Check] I recently saw a meme that expresses the same logic here. Stay with me. It’s a cartoon of Spiderman and Maryjane. He proposes to her but she’s not sure if she can trust him. So what does she do? She jumps off a building to see if Spiderman will catch her. When he does, he says, “Why did you do that?” And she says, “Because now I know that you’ll never drop me or forget about me.”

Before you judge, you know that some of you have been in that toxic relationship.

But we all hear that and go…oh you clearly have some major issues. Do you ever find yourself acting that toxic towards Jesus?

Psych: Ok let me go beyond my own opinions on the matter. The psychological pressure here is called “External validation pressure.” When we live life from this place we have an unstable identity, we invite in anxiety.

Examples: let’s talk about when most like feel this pressure, and let me throw myself into this as well.

[Criticism] How about when people criticize you? When you worked hard on something you really cared about and all you hear from your boss, “Eh, I don’t think you needed to spend your time on that.” Or how about when you got that degree and your family doesn’t congratulate you they just make fun of you. Does this make you feel like you need to prove something? If other people can’t validate you externally are you still able to move forward?

[Crisis] How about when crisis occurs. When someone unexpecedtley passes how do you act? When the project falls through, you get a bad diagnosis, and your pay gets cut dramatically? Do you find yourself pushing on God that in order for you to believe he’s even real he needs to… make it so nothing bad happens externally?

[Failure] How about when you screw up again? For me the biggest thing I got trapped in for a while was a pattern in which I’d relapse and then ask God to prove he was still there for me.

Practical: What do I see about God and how I can respond? I honor the relationship I have with Jesus and rest in confidence

Acknowledge reality and pressure: rest in confidence

Acknowledge your relationship with God and honor it.

Recap: When I had that liquid nail all over me, it made me want to prove even more that I could do it! Pressure compounds and makes a mess.

Point #3- Pressure to produce purpose

Matthew 4:8–10 “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’””

Context: This temptation is so devious. One of the primary reasons Jesus came to this earth was to re-establish authority. When humanity chose to eat of the fruit they essentially gave away their authority to someone else, satan. So Satan is fully within his right and power to give this over, but we know he won’t. So this temptation and pressure is to produce the purpose on our lives and all of its’ results.

Pastoring: Let me speak to some of you real quick and connect some of the dots.

Dreams: Jesus came to this earth with an ambitious dream to restore humanity. Do you have a dream you’re wanting to see fulfilled in your life?

The dream of a job you’re trying to get or the dream of how you want to function in your current job?

Do you have the dream of a certain type of relationship? Whether you want to be in or how you want your current one to look?

Do you have the dream of where you’d live? What kind of stuff you wear?

Jesus’ dream is being challenged, and he’s being pressured and lied to receiving it.

Long Desires & Temptations: Because this is the most notable story in Jesus’ life about temptations we can read this and think, “this was the only time he was ever tempted.” No. He was fully a human being which means he was tempted and put under pressure just like us.

I know there’s pressure that’s been on you for years. It’s not just a pretty little temptation, it’s a weight that’s been on you for so long. And it’s not wrapped up in some black and white situation. You might feel delirious like Jesus did, believing this situation in front of you might just ease the pain and release the pressure.

Sexual Pressure: you’ve had emotional, sexual, and personal dreams and desires that you’ve never seen met that you can’t seem to shake.

Financial Pressure: you’ve had visions of what your life could look like if you just made more money.

Career Pressure: You’ve dreamt of finally have a position that was important at work where people would look at you and respect you.

Family: You’ve dreamt of a family. When you walk past the park and see families together, it’s not jealousy, it’s a dream that’s be replayed.

[Validate desires] I don’t want you to feel any shame for your desires, your dreams, those things that just feel magnetic in your life. If anything, these things have to be honored, and explored with curiosity.

Jesus literally came and was on the earth for 30 years with this one thing in mind, and then he’s given the opportunity right then and there to get it.

[Beg the question] Was he wrong for not taking it? I mean this could have gotten the same result and prevented Jesus from dying on a cross wouldn’t this be the more wise response?

The “easy” route is always the most costly. He gets the result he always wanted but loses his integrity, his character, his relationship to his father, and in turn loses his purpose.

Ironic how the vary thing we’re pressured into getting is actually the thing being taken away.

What does this force us to believe about God? And how do I respond to temptations? I invite Jesus to be more present and protect the purpose he gives to my life.

God is aware of the dreams of my heart, he often places them there. And his desire is to protect what he puts there, to cultivate what he puts there. The God I read about in the Bible is actually more concerned about seeing dreams fulfilled more than we are. So that even when we mess up the plan, God finds away to still make it happen.

Response: How do we manage this pressure?

We don’t fight the dream or desire we fight to bring in more peace, and peace is found not in the absense of difficulty, it’s found in the presence of Jesus.

Recap: Can I tell you what happened to that caulking gun? It needed cleaned and it delayed our progress.

What causes temptation:

Recap: The pressure Jesus is under here is to provide, prove he is who he says he is, and accomplish his life purpose back to back.

So much pressure? Why is there so much pressure? The reason why pressure exists is because:

Temptation 1- God is building you up, healing you up to meet every need in your life

Temptation 2- God is present in your life and wants to have a real intimate relationship with you and wants you to have a secure relationship with yourself.

Temptation 3- God placed a purpose on your life so much more important and significant than you can fathom that would impact more people than just your own life.

In short, pressure and temptation exist because of purpose. Purpose exists in you. There’s simply something about your decisions, your actions, your life that is not accident but is incredibly intentional. And there is a very real enemy, satan, who is strategically looking to pressure you to get something and in turn take the very thing away.

Prophetic Freedom [He knows]: I don’t want to tell you to tough it out and say, pressure make diamonds. Pressure can break people. I don’t want to be dishonest, pressure exists no matter what you believe or live. But what we see in Jesus is another pathway. He shows us, he knows how to navigate the pressure. He knows how to discern in moments to see what we need, what you really need. He knows how to show up. You might not have even recognized just how much he’s showing up. There will be a point in heaven when we realize just all the ways he’s been showing up. He knows how to navigate our purpose. Because he’s the one that put purpose in us.

[Prophetic freedom on purpose and relationship] Right before Jesus heads into the wilderness he is baptized and has this moment in which God speaks and say, “this is my son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus didn’t do anything yet! He didn’t do any ministry, any preaching, nothing! God affirms his identity and then what does satan attempt to do? He attempts to hit at his identity. He called you, he chose you. Don’t let the pressure tell you a different story. Don’t let the pressure make you believe anything different about how God sees you!

He knows what’s happening and he still calls you his. When we follow Jesus and allow him to be the one control of our lives we live under his provision, his peace, and his purpose.

Practical:

Share the pressure- how do we even know about this story? Jesus must have told it! In a moment, we’re going to have our

Stop giving into the pressure

Recap: caulking gun

Closing/ Recap

Moment to rest

Stand for prayer

Donuts and fellowship