Growing Through the Wilderness

Growing Through the Wilderness

Text: Matt. 3:17; 4:1-11

We all have or will face a wilderness experience, but we should grow as we go through the wilderness.

But why do we look at the end of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4

If you notice, there is an announcement that has been made.

· It’s global

· It’s directed to earth

· It’s heavenly

· It’s the voice of God

This is my beloved Son I’m whom I am well pleased

Then right after that, the devil picks up a challenge

· If you are the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread.

· Jesus was in the desert, the wilderness and

· Satan was challenging Jesus’s mind

· His life

· His motive

· His mission

· His ministry

· His journey

· His purpose in the world

Matthew Mark Luke all report this

· Luke in 12

· Matthew in 11

· Mark in two verses

This means they got this from Jesus himself because no one was out there but the devil and God.

Jesus physically is in the wilderness. But The forces of evil are reaching for His mind

· If the forces of evil can control your thoughts

· Your attitude

· Your emotions

· Your actions

· And your reactions

Then you are in their hands!

Never let anyone gain control of the thermostat of your soul!

· Because that territory belongs to God

· Because whoever controls the thermostat will control the temperature

· So you have to check out sometimes who has their hand on your thermostat?

· Not the thermometer but the thermostat

· And that is what Satan wants to do; he wanted to control Jesus

The text says after he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was hungry, and here comes Satan.

· If you’re the Son of God

· The people didn’t hear it at the baptism when God said that this is my Son in whom I am well pleased.

· But Satan was turned in: if you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.

Jesus responded by quoting

· Duet. 8:3

· Jesus is in the wilderness, and He quotes from a book that was born out of the wilderness

· He didn’t say we did not need some bread but that we needed more than bread

· We need more than materialism

Then Satan Matt. 4:5-6: If you are the Son of God, cast thyself down, and the angels will save thee

· Jesus responds, don’t tempt the Lord thy God.

· We can’t harm our bodies for 40 years and expect God to swoop in and heal you, not saying he can’t

The scriptures tell us in 1 Cor. 6:19-20: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. [1]

1Cor. 3:16-17: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Co 6:19–20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Then Satan takes Him to a high mountain (4:8-10)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God

, and him only shall you serve.’ ” [2]

· Satan says (I) will give you this if you fall down and worship me.

· First, there was (Materialism) now there is (Egotism) sounds like a former president

· If you will fall down and worship me — I turn it all over to you

Satan gave it to the Pharos of Egypt— but when you look at the record Pharos’s army was drowned in the Red Sea

He gave it to Ahab and Jezebel — but the Bible says the dogs licked up their blood and mauled on their bones

He gave it to Nebuchadnezzar — but if you go back and read again, one night there was a handwriting on the wall

He gave it to Alexzander the Great— but where is his kingdom

The Bible says that the earth is the Lord’s, so Satan can’t give you what he doesn’t own.

Satan thought he was hitting Jesus at His weakest moment

· But Satan forgot that Jesus was being fed by the Bread of Heaven

· It’s during those times when we are being challenged in life that the enemy wants us to give up and throw in the towel, but that is when we should fast and pray unto God.

· That we will grow during our wilderness moments in life.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Co 6:19–20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 4:8–10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.