Surviving The Wilderness Pt.3 - Go God's Way

Matthew 4:8–11 (NLT) — 8 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. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

ILLUSTRATION- People sometimes complain about the way I get to places. They don’t like my rout.

MAIN POINT- God’s way matter’s more than the destination.

“You might think, how can you say that? Isn’t it better that I just get to heaven, or that I ‘do my best’ or that I don’t sin but go my way…” You might use this phrase, “Well at least I did… or at least I didn’t do…”

KEY- If you simply reach God’s conclusion without going his way you missed the work he’s doing in you, and if you go his way you won’t miss the conclusion. There is no trade to be had.

Don’t say I’d rather get where he wants me to go and miss some stuff along the way then to get the stuff along the way and not make it where he wants me to go. If you go his way you’ll get to his conclusion.

Understand I’m not just talking about reaching the end of your life I’m talking about reaching the end of this chapter, this season, this period. We all go through seasons and chapters. Looking back over my life I could group together months and even years and name them as they carried a theme a struggle, a victory, a hill conquered, a battle won.

ILLUSTRATION- My wife and me watching a long TV series and she wants to google it.

MAIN POINT- It’s not just about reaching God’s conclusions it’s about walking out God’s process.

Perhaps you are thinking all that stuff is great but what does it have to do with those verses in Matthew you just read…

POINT- Jesus came to win all the kingdoms of the world and their glory back from Satan’s domain, and Satan offers them to Jesus, if He will only fall down and worship him.

KEY POINT- While God is the master creator of everything you see there is a certain dominion that the Devil has recieved due to the “transfer of dominion” that happened in the garden of eden.

God gives Adam “Dominion” over everything on Earth Gen 1:28-30.

Because of Adam’s sin this “Dominion” is taken over by Satan.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT) — 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

KEY- This was a serious temptation because this proposal by the Devil was to take a shortcut around the cross.

POINT- The Devil will wait for you to be at a low point, a point where you are exhausted and try to show you a simpler way to God’s plan.

KEY- Look at this a step further, Jesus could have laid claim to all the kingdoms of the world and do so without enduring the cross.

CHALLENGE- Are you more focused on the destination or the journey. God is more interested in your journey.

“The danger is the greatest when the end is good.”

ILLUSTRATION- Crossing from one trail to the next at Brekenridge

CHALLENGE- Are you interested in doing God’s will but not interested in going his way?

My prayer in preaching this message is that it will hit every heart, but in studying and praying I have realized that I can’t simply break down what it looks like for you to try to be getting to God’s destination by going your way. I’m going to allow and pray that the holy spirit does that. I pray that the holy spirit reveals clearly to you if you have been going your way trying to get to God’s conclusion.

I have come to find typically that…

A way different than God’s often means compromise.

KEY- Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory but not their sin.

A way different than God’s often means “looks” but no substance.

KEY- Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world from a high advantage point.

ILLUSTRATION- At the grand canyon its hard to fathom the size of it. Even just walking a few miles into the canyon barely reveals how insanely big and detailed it is as compared to what you take in at its rim.

The Devil loves to show you things from far away.

A way different than God’s often means delays. (5 more minutes how I am)

Conclusion

Notice this third time is so different as compared to the other two. The Devil would say to Jesus “IF” you are the son of God, but this third time he just goes in for the temptation, not invoking Jesus’ position as THE Son of God.

ILLUSTRATION- As me and my brother’s got older we have moved on, gotten married, so much has changed, but whenever my whole family gets together we have a blast, and if we decide we are going to do something, or get some food, it doesn’t matter if it is far away or just down the road my dad always insists that we ride together… He is not like that with anyone else, not his extended family or his friends just with his kids…

MAIN POINT- God wants you to go his way because of who you are. You’re his child. If you go a way different than what he set up for you there is no fellowship with God there, you don’t learn who he is…

God’s way is the “scenic” rout and if you go your way you can’t SEE what he has you to see.

God has already burned the mixtape for the journey and he knows how to speak to your heart but on your way you wont hear his voice throughout the journey.

The Devil takes you to the “highest advantage point” he can when you are your weakest to show you another way hoping you will have forgotten what it’s like to walk close with God. He’ll try to show you another way, a simpler way.

Don’t forget God’s advantage point is better.

From where God sits he sees it all, he sees the heart,

He sees the whole picture with microscopic detail.