Unsolicited Messages from Satan

Unsolicited Messages from Satan Matt. 4:4-11

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

2:50 PM

Reading is found in Matthew 4:4-11

This can also be found in Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13

Mark is just a brief little blurb.

Luke offers us a different order of temptations. Matthew seems to be giving us the Chronological order, while Luke seems to be giving us the Logical order.

Matthew 4:4-11

4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Theme - This visit from Satan was not asked for by Jesus. He did not sign up for it. That's what I want to talk about this morning with the Lord's help - What to do with Unsolicited Messages from Satan.

PRAYER -

I read a statistic recently that "The average American household receives 848 pieces of junk mail per household, equal to 1.5 trees every year" I don't know about you, but it seems we get that every day.

But it's not just our physical mail box. Our emails are inundated with spam and junk emails regularly. It seems like once or month a so I wipe out the spam box that is full of a few thousand junk emails. I found a little encouragement recently when I read where Bill Gates receives 4 million emails a day - the majority of which is junk.

Reuters in 2004 reported that "The unwanted electronic solicitations represent roughly 80 percent of all Internet traffic today."

I find that Satan likes to send unwanted and unsolicited messages to us today. In fact in our scripture reading this morning - he did it to Jesus Himself.

Lets look for a few moments at this junk mail that was sent to Jesus.

Now in order for something to be a temptation - there has to be a desire or an appeal to something. Jesus never committed sin, nor had a sin nature. But we are told he was tempted in all points like as we are.

Jesus was sent to the wilderness to be tempted to face this test - and it seems one does not have to be serving Jesus very long until the test comes. It is important to be grounded by the Word and our Faith anchored firmly Jesus Christ - or it is easy to get involved with things we shouldn't be.

Jesus fasted for forty days - now that seems impossible but it has happened before - Moses at Mt. Sinai and other's throughout history have fasted for long periods of time. The first three days are tough but after that as long as liquids are maintained and the health is good it is possible.

But here he is on the mountain, he has been fasting no food, hasn't had food for awhile and Satan comes to him and says - look at these large stones - that were lying around all over the ground - just turn them into bread.

His famine would be turned to a feast.

Now satisfying hunger is not sinful - eating was a part of man's life even before the fall in the garden of Eden.

One of the greatest tactics of marketing in whatever form of media is to either show, or create a need for the product or service they are selling.

This is what Satan is doing - he is pointing out to Jesus His hunger, and pointing out a "perfect solution"

The only problem is this was not the will of God - He was to wait upon His heavenly Father for provision.

Sometimes I think our day of instant foods, drive throughs, and fast speed internet has created a temptation for us as Christians to take care of our own needs instead of waiting upon God to give direction and provision.

This was as John in his 1 Epistle writes about the things of the world are and he lists three things -

The lust of the flesh - satisfying the flesh is not what we are here for. In fact Jesus taught and practiced a life of self-denial. Of carrying our cross and following Him wherever that leads.

The next phase of the temptation goes a little farther. Sometimes the first piece of junk mail or telemarking call doesn't get our attention but perhaps the next one will.

I hadn't been pastoring here very long when I got a phone call. They were selling ink for copiers and printers. Per piece it was a lot cheaper and so I showed a little interest and before I knew it I was signed up for a monthly installment of copier toner I would pay for a bundle and they would send me once a month. I went along with it for a while and then one day I got tired of paying them money for services I didn't use very much and it was like pulling teeth to get them to cancel my membership

Satan likes to get us listening and then get us hooked and then get us where we feel we can't get free - But I'm glad Jesus is a "CHAIN BREAKER"

Next Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. Whether it was physically in person or not isn't important. What is important is that Satan tells Jesus to cast himself down and that God the Father would send his angels to catch him.

Now lets put this in perspective. To us this sounds preposterous. Go to the top of the New Courthouse and jump off? Are you crazy?

But to Jesus this might have been a real temptation for many reasons the greatest one being…

He was the Messiah - The Jews were waiting for their messiah. In fact they would often recite and pray that Old Testament Prophecy from Malachi 3:1 "The Lord will suddenly come to his temple."

They would readily receive him as their Messiah then. In fact He might not even have to go to the cross.

Maybe we could put it this way - if Satan can't get you the first time - HE WILL BE BACK. HE MAY EVEN TRY A DIFFERENT TACTIC.

Here is essence he is telling Jesus - "If you really believed God you would step off this pinnacle and see how the angels would come and deliver you." He even quoted scripture and put the pressure on.

Look at this he quoted a Psalm that breathes the atmosphere of trust. But putting God to the test is the opposite of trust.

Satan was appealing to the "Pride of Life"

The next installment of unsolicited mail came in the form of another temptation - Satan takes Jesus up to a high mountain and shows him the kingdoms of the world. Luke adds the phrase "in a moment of time"

The glory the grandeur the influence, the following Satan was trying to dazzle Jesus . But all that Satan could offer Jesus was an outward kingdom. Outward splendor, but inward corruption. Here in a few moments Jesus was tempted by the "lust of the eyes"

Part of the coming of Jesus was to establish a Kingdom the Kingdom of God. He founded it and created it an Satan says why go through all of that work - let me just give you all of these kingdoms. It won't cost you very much just bow down and worship me.

The mask of the temper is pulled off here - the very heart of Satan is exposed - he wasn't really trying to satisfy the hunger of Jesus, or have people follow him, HE WANTED TO USURP THE KINGDOM OF GOD> HE WANTED TO BE LIKE GOD!!!

CONCLUSION -

Jesus was able to refute all of the temptations. By simply quotes scripture - The Very Word of GOD to him. That is our hope our stay our anchor.

Do you know that is not the only temptations Jesus faced. It wasn't too long after this that again dealing with bread that Jesus fed a multitude of people and they wanted to make him king. Imagine that not having to go to the cross, not having to suffer or die just let them make me their ruler and then they have to do what I say.

But know that wasn't the plan of God, that is not what was predetermined for Him. And other times he is tempet, but he was able to come through victoriously.

This means we can be victorious over temptations as well.

In fact we are promised -

1 Corinthians 10:13 I like to call it our emergency exit.

THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATIN ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT.

What about us? You may be sitting there asking yourself - what does the temptation of Jesus have to do with me?

First of all - YOU WILL BE TEMPTED - you may not receive millions of unsolicited emails, but you will receive unsolicited visits from Satan.,

Second - YOU WILL BE TEMPTED - the temptation may be for some horrible sin - but most likely it will be these same areas of Jesus - a mistrust of God doubt his word, doubt he will really do what he says. Or foolishly wrest the scripture to your own advantage.

THIRD - YOU WILL BE TEMPTED - BE READY ALWAYS KNOW YOUR EXITS. They are found in the WORD of GOD.

The real reward comes from finding our satisfaction in God - not in meeting our own needs.

Jesus found this out -

A starving, hungry, tempted and tried God-Man was suddenly not alone out in the wilderness. Sure Satan was gone but the Angels came and ministered unto Him.

I don't know exactly what that means but I have found out what it means to me - and it is never a disappointment. I am never sorry that I resisted temptation. That I kept my faith in God.

I like how the songwriter wrote about it in that beautiful old song, "Christ is Not a Disappointment."

2:

I was tempted not to trust Him for so many things had failed

But so patiently He waited and His tenderness prevailed

So, I swung my heart's door open, and His promises I tried

Christ is not a disappointment, He has fully satisfied!

Chorus

Christ is not a disappointment! Every longing in my breast

Finds, in Him, complete fulfillment, He has brought me into rest

I have tested Him, and proved Him more than all I dreamed He'd be

Christ is not a disappointment, He is all in all to me!

You may get the unsolicited mail - but just throw it away - don't open it don't read it, don't listen to it. Keep your eyes upon Jesus.

If you do give in, if you do listen it's not over - God will help you