Acceptance and Testing
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Prayer
Jesus’ Baptism
Jesus’ Baptism
A. Repentance
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
1. An Example to all
a. Led by example
b. Leaders need to take head
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
c. We are all leaders to the lost
2. Jesus didn’t need to repent
a. Dedicated to the process
b. Why it’s important to us
c. Why we talk so much about it
3. We need repentance
a. Turn from Evil
i. Our old life
ii. Fleshly desires
b. Constant struggle in life
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
B. Spirit Received
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
1. Big part of baptism
a. Spirit comes upon us
b. Know its not the only way
i. Main way
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. Tooled for the Ministry
a. Ready to serve
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
b. Ready to study
c. Ready to pray
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Struggled with prayer much of my early life because I didn’t trust this verse. Now, I just drop it on the Lord and allow the Spirit to speak for me. I speak to God with respect but as a friend and child of His!
Jesus’ Testing
Jesus’ Testing
A. Jesus Fasted -
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
1. Turned the battle
a. From physical to spiritual
b. Relying upon God not the flesh
2. Power in the Spiritual
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
a. Holy Spirit was with Him
b. Relied upon the promises of God, not men
c. There is far greater power in the Spirit than we know
How many of us have tried to fast?
24 is a struggle for most. However, its because we rely on the flesh
before starting ministry here, did a 24 hour fast but spent that time in prayer and the Word, man it was powerful, never even missed food. I probably could have gone a few days easy. When we let go of the flesh and its desires, the Spirit becomes powerful!
3. The trial comes after acceptance
a. Stay close to Christians after baptism
b. The trial will come
c. Devil wants us to fail
d. Keep your eyes on Him!
B. If You are the Son of God
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
1. Doubt
a. Tool of Satan
b. Tries to take our eyes off God
c. Peter in the storm
2. God’s Word gives truth
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
a. Rely upon it
b. Test His Word to see it true
c. Read it in the proper text
i. Don’t pull out what you want
It how we get things like:
cleanliness is next to Godliness
A whale swallowed Jonah - Big grouper out there - it was a fish, or sea animal of some kind
Money is the root of all evil - Not what it says - it is all KINDS of evil
God will not give you more than you can handle - love this one
d. All a type of some Scripture in the Word, but not actually Bible verses or concepts
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
i. Context is so important when reading Scripture
ii. Not twisting the Word to have a great Quote is also important
iii. this is dangerous ground
iv. Why I use so much Scripture in preaching, don’t want to rely upon me but God
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
C. Worship
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
1. God or the World
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
a. Same thing Joshua told Israel
b. Serve God or man
c. How can you tell
i. Where you spend your time, money and energy
ii. Is it in the kingdom?
2. Worship Him only
a. Because He loved me
b. Want to be Holy as He is Holy
i. Relationship is all about
ii. Shows me a better way
iii. Not because it benefits me, but it benefits us
Love my wife and want our relationship to grow and be awesome. But I have to take on some of her attributes, I have to like the things she likes. I have to spend time, money and energy on her, that’s how relationships work. Me doing that is building my relationship with her but it is also bolstering my relationship with God.
c. In the testing relationship will bring you through
i. Just like with Jesus here
Conclusion:
So what will you do in the struggle. Have you built your relationship with God upon the Word of Truth or upon the waves of men to be tossed here and there? Now is the time to make a choice to be like Christ to accept the will of God and to follow the Spirit which leads our ways in Truth, whether that is into the trial or into rest. It is time to trust God only and put away the voice of Satan and the flesh in our lives. It is time to silence the tempter and live upon the Truth of God.
Pray