The Importance of Winning

The Victorious King

The Importance of Winning

Matthew 4:1-11

1.      Today, we celebrate the greatest day in history.  All other days pale in comparison.

2.      This one day altered the course of history more than any other day. 

3.      Before we get too far into today’s message, find the top ten sheet in your bulletin.  What are some things that are important to you about your life right now?  What is meaningful to you in your life?  Take a minute right now to make a top ten list of what’s most important or meaningful to you about life as you experience it.

4.      From a historic perspective it’s hard to underestimate all that was at stake when powerful kings went to war.  Why did citizens rally to their flags when danger ensued?  It’s because they knew that to the victor belonged the spoils.

5.      If your side was defeated, it wasn’t just your ruler or military who suffered.  Everyone did.  Your city would be burned or damaged in some other way, usually razed to the ground.  Your property was confiscated, your treasures looted, your men killed or sent off to work in mines, or as a foot soldier for the new ruler.  Your attractive women were raped.  Your children were shipped off, and surviving relatives weren’t provided information as to what was done with them or why.  Fathers never saw their sons or daughters again, or wives their husbands.  If you escaped with your life you probably should have been grateful.  Simply put, civility in warfare is a modern invention.  For most of history, there were no rules to govern warfare or the disposition of noncombatants.

6.      Before we go to our passage, we have to look into the Old Testament for some background to how critically urgent it was that Jesus wins this ultimate battle.

7.      Jeremiah paints us a picture of what it was like to live in a city that had fallen to an invading army.  Here are some of his sad words after Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, who lived in what we now call Iraq.

8.      The book of Lamentations gives us some very clear illustrations of what happens when a city falls to an enemy.  This passage is graphic and accurately depicts the situation in Jerusalem during Jeremiah’s day.

9.      Lamentations 1:1 (KJV) 1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

10.  Lamentations 1:4 (KJV) 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

11.  Lamentations 1:5 (KJV) 5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

12.  Lamentations 1:7 (KJV) 7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.

13.  Lamentations 1:10 (KJV) 10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

14.  Lamentations 1:16 (KJV) 16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

15.  Lamentations 1:20 (KJV) 20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

16.  Lamentations 2:9 (KJV) 9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

17.  Lamentations 4:4-5 (KJV) 4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. 5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

18.  Lamentations 4:9-10 (KJV) 9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

19.  Lamentations 5:11-15 (KJV) 11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. 12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured. 13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood. 14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick. 15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

20.  Losing a war was not fun and games.  As Americans, we don’t identify with the idea losing a war at home.  Yes, there were many battles fought on our turf in the early days of our country.  The Civil War claimed over half a million lives.  But that conflict ended in 1865—142 years ago.  Before the attacks on 9/11, the last generation to experience an attack at home was the WWII generation.  Remember Pearl Harbor?

21.  The Armed Forces have fought in places, like Cuba in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, numerous foreign countries during the First and Second World Wars, and then in Korea, Viet Nam, and now the Middle East.  But as a nation we have not experienced what being the ultimate loser is like.

22.  The premise today is that this world would be vastly different, if in the battle of the Super Powers Jesus had lost!  By the Battle of the Super Powers, I’m referring to Good versus Evil, Light versus Darkness, Life versus Death, and our great King versus the Prince of the Power of the Air.

23.  This war is of greater significance than any other warfare in history.  This is the battle for the souls of mankind.  This battle raises the bar beyond simple borders or mineral rights.  This battle is truly for the eternal world.

24.  Today, we are celebrating the victory of Christ over death and the grave as He rose from the dead.  This was the final blow in the war.  This battle had to be won.  However, as we think about that battle, we are going to shift our focus on the very first battle in this war between good and evil.  We’re going back to the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Let’s go back to the wilderness, to a time when two supernatural beings did battle.  We’ll be in Matthew 4 today.

25.  Today, as we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ, we have to recognize the benefits of His victory.

I.                   Victory Over Appetites.

1.      Look at verses 1-4.

2.      Before we get too far into this, we have to look at how Jesus prepared for this battle.

3.      ILL: Army training before an event…

4.      Jesus did not spend hours learning tactics and techniques.  He did not check and re-check His gear.  He did not build His endurance with increasingly difficult exercise.  He fasted.

5.      As the battle is joined, what does Satan do?  He goes after the weakest part of Jesus’ defenses.  He attacks Him with the one thing that Jesus hasn’t had in 40 days.  He presents Him with food.

6.      Jesus easily deflects this attack by placing the Word of God in its correct, perfect place, which is above everything else in the world.

7.      This victory allows us to have victory over our own appetites.  Can we say it this way?  We have victory over our sinful desires.  Under other circumstances, Jesus eats bread.  He liked bread.  He ate it with religious people and He ate it with sinners.  He ate with His friends and He ate with enemies.

8.      It is clear that Jesus was not able to break His fast under those circumstances and so to eat would have been a fleshly, sinful desire.

9.      His refusal to bend to Satan here means that we can have victory over our own sinful desires.

10.  Jesus declared that the Word of God gives us authority over our sinful desires.

11.  The Psalmist gives us some help here.

12.  Psalm 119:9-16 (KJV) 9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

13.  Let’s tie together Jesus’ victory and the Word.  Jesus winning this battle with Satan and the battle at Calvary makes this Word reliable.  It stacks evidence upon evidence that this Word is completely reliable for me in my life and for you in yours.  It is so reliable that we can hang our minutes upon it, we can hang our years upon it, and we can hang our eternity on it.

14.  Jesus’ victory has given us a reliable Word that gives us victory over our appetites.

II.                Victory Over Pride.

1.      Look at verses 5-7.

2.      Satan learned a quick lesson from Jesus.  He immediately used Jesus’ own weapon against Him.  He went back into the Word of God and tried to misuse it for his own uses.

3.      By the way, be especially careful when someone takes a single verse out of the Bible to explain something in his life.  When a single verse becomes the basis for a doctrinal stand, we have to stop and look at the whole Bible.  When a single verse becomes a person’s crutch or excuse to sin, we have to stop and look at the whole Bible.

4.      That’s why we continually ask you to listen, take notes, and check up on what we are saying.  Don’t just buy it at face value.  Expect the preacher to speak truly, but don’t expect it to the point where you don’t check what he has to say.

5.      Back to the point, we see that Satan takes Jesus to the top of the temple and tells Him to jump.  I envision a team of angels with one of those fireman trampolines that we see in old movies.

6.      Jesus tells Satan that He is not going to tempt God.  Can I say it this way, “I’m not going to put God to the test.”

7.      Jesus tells Satan that He knows that God will take care of Him, but He doesn’t have to put God to the test just so that God can save Him.

8.      In our lives, that means that we should check our pride at the door and not get ourselves into something that only God can get us out of just so that He can help us.

9.      God has promised to meet my needs so I’ll just quit my job and let God take care of me.

10.  God has promised to forgive my sin so I’ll just stop into this porn shop and sin a little and let God forgive me.

11.  God has promised to save my family so I don’t have to witness to them.

12.  Romans 6:1 (KJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

13.  Exodus 17:2 (KJV) 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

14.  Just because a person belongs to God does not give them the right to assume that God will simply take care of them.

15.  This is not to say that we cannot do audacious things for the Lord, but we do have to know that we are within the boundaries of the will of God.  We have to be sure that we are surrendered to Him rather than living in our own pride.

16.  Go and be audacious for God as He calls you to be, but don’t ever assume that you can stand on the roof top and jump because He might just let you hit the ground.  Wouldn’t that be an embarrassing conversation with the Lord when you get to Heaven?

17.  Because He beat Satan in the battle of pride, we have victory over our own pride.

III.             Victory Over Shortcuts.

1.      Look at verses 8-11.

2.      I know what you’re thinking.  Shortcuts?  I love a shortcut.  A shortcut keeps me from having to take the long way.  It helps me finish a job faster.  Shortcuts are great!

3.      Let’s look at the shortcut that Satan offered Jesus.

4.      First, we have to understand that what Satan offered did not belong to him.  It already belonged to Jesus.

5.      Jeremiah 10:6-7 (KJV) 6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

6.      Jeremiah 10:10 (KJV) 10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

7.      Revelation 19:16 (KJV) 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

8.      Satan cannot give you something that you already own.  He will try to convince you that he has something that you need but don’t already own.  In fact, whatever he offers you already belongs to you.

9.      What he really offered Jesus was a chance to avoid the next three years of ministry.  He was offering Jesus the chance to skip the hatred of the religious elite.  He was offering Jesus the chance to avoid the cross.  It was the chance to avoid the entire war.

10.  Sometimes, Satan doesn’t offer you something bad.  He just offers you a chance to jump at something too soon.

11.  Maybe he offers you a marriage that isn’t the right one.  Maybe he offers you a promotion at your job.  Maybe he offers you a cruise or a new car.

12.  Everything that Satan offers comes with a price.  He told Jesus that he would give the kingdoms of the world if He would only worship Satan.  Worship me, a false God, a created being, an inferior idol, and I will give you what you already own.

13.  Satan offers us a job.  We only have to sacrifice our church commitments.

14.  Maybe it’s a job and we only have to bend our ethical standards to get it.

15.  Maybe it’s a relationship that only takes us a little off the narrow way.

16.  You know the deal.  You know just what Satan uses as a shortcut in your life.

17.  This is not to say that everything must be hard or that when you feel the leading to do something that it is a Satanic trick.  What I am saying is that by the Sprit of God, you can tell when Satan is offering you a shortcut that you don’t need to take.  Does the Spirit stop you?  Does it seem like you have to push the door open?  Does it seem like all of the godly people in your life are standing in your way?

18.  Do not fall for the false shortcut!

19.  Jesus won His battles so that we could see a false shortcut and have victory over it.

1. Did you fill out that Top 10 page?  Look at it.
2. The question is, if Jesus had not risen from the dead, and his archenemy Satan had won the battle, how would that have affected your life?  And for your answer to be more than a general “probably quite a bit”, I want you to look at the items you listed and think how they would have been impacted.
3. For example, if faith in Christ is high on your list, that won’t stand.
4. Did you put down family? What’s raising a family going to be like when the world’s top ruler is a murderer and a liar?
5. Did you include your health? Your life expectancy is not going to be all that great when you’re taken advantage of and basically a slave to the desires of a cruel taskmaster who has little or no concern for your wellbeing.
6. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, or had taken any of Satan’s baits during those temptations, and his archenemy Satan had won the battle, your life would be very different, wouldn’t it?
7. You would have no victory over your appetites.  Whatever you wanted, you would do.
8. You would have no victory over pride.  Whatever made you look good would be your goal.
9. You would have no victory over shortcuts.  Whenever an easier way presented itself, even if it were the obvious wrong direction, you would take it.
10. As a closing note, our passage started with these words, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit…”
11. Just as Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness for that first battle, He was drawn by the same Spirit to Calvary, where He would allow His innocent blood to be shed.  His lifeless body was taken into that borrowed tomb and as God the Father accepted the sacrifice, the Son arose.
12. This was the greatest victory in history.  Jesus won the battle for the souls of men on that day.  The only question that remains is simple.  Have you placed your faith in that sacrificial event at Calvary?  Now is the time.