Sermon Tone Analysis

This is a 2-part message of about 30 mins each

BEGIN 1st Part

INTRO: All of us will pass through times of adversity.

What is God doing in it all?

We can learn a lot from the life of Jesus.

Let’s read about his time of trial in the wilderness ...

Have congregation turn to

FRAME: As you are turning to , it might help to know that Jesus has not really begun his public ministry yet.

We know about his unusual birth, but we know almost nothing else.

In fact, we know more about John the Baptist’s ministry than Jesus’.

John is out in the country baptizing people who repent of their sins and calling them to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah.

Then Jesus shows up to be baptized.

As He is coming up out of the water, we pick up with Matthew’s account ...

Read aloud

TRANS: I am not going to analyze this passage in detail.

Though there’s a lot to learn from the specific temptations Satan brings at Jesus, I want to take a wider angle look at adversity in the wilderness.

I also want you to know that you do not have to take detailed notes as I am talking.

There is a logic and flow to what I am saying, of course, but your work is not to try to capture my outline on paper.

There is not a test at the end of this lecture … except life.

Try to listen for the larger point of what I’m saying in several different ways.

I usually try to emphasize only one important truth in each message, though sometimes I slip up and teach two.

What I want for you is to hear from the Lord as you reflect on His Word today.

If anything stands out to you, write it down — in my words or yours.

That’s what I want you to meditate on.

Perhaps, that’s what the Lord is bringing to your attention.

Let’s start by looking directly back at the passage and ask a couple of questions.

Does God the Father love His Son? “Yes.”

How do you know?

You see it expressly stated in .

Does God the Father lead His Son into a time of adversity?

“Hmmm,” you say.

What does say?

KEY: Just because you are a beloved son or daughter of God does not mean you will live free from adversity or trial.

In fact, you should expect adversity for several reasons ...

because you share in the life of Jesus, your life will probably look a lot like His

because Jesus said you will experience tribulation in the world (see )

because God disciplines those He loves through hardship (see ) — that is God will lead you into adversity as a part of His training

because you live in a fallen world where things like death, weeds, labor pains, and serpents are guaranteed

God loves you and will lead you into difficulty.

These are not mutually exclusive thoughts.

Yet, this is the very point of attack for us when we enter into trial, is it not?

We begin to wonder how we have offended God or whether He really loves us.

This is a principle tactic of Satan.

Let’s see it in Matthew.

What’s the last thing God the Father says about his Son?

It’s in .

What’s the first thing Satan says to Jesus?

It’s in .

Let’s combine those verses.

,

Satan came in and called into question the very thing God has just affirmed — this is the what he did in the garden.

“Has God indeed said …? Are you really the beloved Son? Prove it.”

Satan came in and called into question the very thing God has just affirmed — this is the what he did in the garden.

“Has God indeed said …? Are you really the beloved Son? Prove it.”

We should expect the same from Satan.

When we pass through suffering, Satan will tempt us to doubt what God has said: “Maybe God hates us.

Maybe he has forgotten about us.

Maybe I’m not the beloved son but the kid on probation.”

Satan calls Jesus’ identity into question.

“Are you really the beloved Son? Prove it.”

It may

Notice, also, that it’s when Jesus is at his lowest — after 40 days of hunger, thirst, loneliness, no shelter, wild beasts — that Satan comes to him.

(We know from and probably that Jesus was tempted throughout the 40 days.)

KEY: Temptation will come our way when we are suffering (enticing us to take the easy way out when we are vulnerable)Satan appeals to Jesus’ legitimate desire for food — “There’s a faster, easier way to deal with this burden, one that lies within your control.

Satan calls Jesus’ identity into question.

“Are you really the beloved Son? Prove it.”

Satan appeals to Jesus’ need for food — “There’s a faster, easier way to deal with this burden, one that lies within your control.

That’s the thing we see in the Bible.

Temptation is not primarily an appeal to “have fun” — rather, Temptation whispers its powerful appeal to us when we’re vulnerable: “There’s an easy way out that lies within your control.”

ILLUS: The man who knows his job is insecure finds out at the end of the day that he lost a huge contract.

His kids don’t even see him when he walks in the door because they’re in their rooms with their phones.

His wife says “Hello”, he remembers that she had asked him to stop by the store on his way home to pick up a gift card for a party that their youngest daughter to.

This isn’t the first time he’s forgotten something like this in the past month, and it didn’t go so well with his wife.

She’s been growing less and less patient with his imperfections lately.

He goes back into his bedroom to get out of his work clothes.

When he takes his phone out of his pocket, he knows what he could do.

He could step into the bathroom and access a familiar porn channel.

No one would have to know.

No one would really be hurt by it, and he could get away from it all for a time.

TRANS: That’s the way temptation works.

Satan comes to us in our suffering, when we are vulnerable.

He says, “You’re feeling terrible right now.

Here’s a way out of the trouble that’ll make you feel better.

You may not be able to solve all the problems, but you can escape for a bit.”

For some, we might respond to the stress of adversity with anger and aggression.

We cannot control the larger circumstances but we can control the people in our immediate sphere through harsh words or badgering.

Others might respond in withdrawal (more natural than anger for me) … that might mean isolation from people or it might mean hours in front of the TV.

For some, it might be the stupifying effects of alcohol or drugs.

ILLUS: For me, it has often been WORK (!), which is a sin that conveniently makes me look really good.

I cannot control the stress of being a single dad — not knowing how to make meals or counsel my girls or envision a future without Katie.

So I just work/piddle at projects around the house.

I oil the doors, and fix the old computer, and bake bread.

I’ve gotten really good at baking bread.

None of these is wrong — some are necessary or constructive — but I string together one project after another in order to avoid stopping and laying down.

I’m trying to escape my pain by never stopping but doing things I can control/fix one after another.

I can’t tell you how many times my girls have said to me late at night, “Dad, go to bed.”

So here’s the dilemma:

God will lead us into times of adversity, and

Satan will exploit our vulnerabilities with his temptations.

So what’s the solution to this dilemma?

How did Jesus stand up to this kind of challenge?