August 14th - Sunday Night - Accusations

Introduction

This Sunday night service is a newer venture for me:

And as I was listening to Charles Stanley; who in my mind has completely different theology and philosophy of ministry than His son Stanley

But as I was listening to His message called “Walking in the Favor of God”

He asked the audience is the favor of God upon your life? Is His favor evident from the life you live?

Favor in the greek meaning grace.

As he continued on he spoke of how when the favor of God is upon us, therefore we are filled with the Holy Spirit and should be listening to God.

This message deeply spoke to a portion of my heart that really needed it. (and i’ve learned we need these moments)

As the favor of God was upon my mind after reading it; then I called Jean Lemonds to talk...

I told her “Jean, it’s so great to see what God is doing here at FBCBW (such as meaning the favor of God has always been upon the Church here) But it’s been Him; yes me, yes other past pastors as a willing vessel; but it’s been His leading,His Word, His Power not mine.”

So as I ventured of quite defeated about how Sunday nights should look, I started to think that what if Sunday Night’s were just that; listening to God; and letting Him lead me for each topic at hand when we have Sunday night service.

So I stand here confident in where we are going; ready to learn as we travel along the road of Sunday Night Church service:

I wanted to give you the order of our hour:

Sining Psalms, Hymn’s and Spiritual Songs

Short Message from a Scripture

The rest of the time (which will be the majority of the time) Prayer and intercessions.

Topic:

Our topic tonight is about the accusations; and temptations that enemy throws our way as Christians daily if not hourly.

And towards the end of this message I want to point out two Scriptures that are deeply soul satisfying for the battle between the Spirits

Our Text we will be coming out of is from Mark 1:12-13 “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

Pray

Temptation for the life of a Christian; is something we all face:

It looks different and possibly the weight and heaviness of it feels different because we all have come from different backgrounds of brokenness and sin.

But temptation while it is a part of the human life, we know as Satan would love nothing but to tempt everyone to death (literally)

I wonder if we realize as Christians the weapon we possess and the power we hold in ourselves because of Christ to defeat his accusations and temptations that come our way.

For instance a recent accusation from the enemy this week for me was:

Accusation being - a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person or group of people. - (I was accused of being a heretic is an example)

Satan the accuser desires to remind believers of their sin and their unworthiness of a place in God’s family and in this way sow doubt into their hearts and minds. Satan wants to make Christians fear for their salvation and forget God’s love and faithfulness. Satan says, “Look at your sinfulness”; God says, “Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith”

For me the week I was writing this short message so accusations began to come my way:

“Shaun you do not know how to do a Sunday Night service; even if you did it’s not going to be something they are used too”

“You are not going to know what to preach/teach on and it’s just going to fall flat on it’s face!”

Accusatory statements I was hearing (lies) that I had to fight off, as accusations try to defeat our Spirit and try to take us captive.

See these thoughts were not of God:

I know as many people do take Phil 4:13 out of context (but I know and can discern these accusations and lies’ because the Holy Spirit in me. That those accusations spoken to my heart were not from God but from Satan himself)

See accusations what they do is they paralyze you in your tracks. “You can’t do this the enemy says, and you never try.”

What do they say “if you don’t try you will never know.” right?

That’s accusations; and what the enemies accusations lead to is temptation to do what one should not; because we feel so defeated why even try?

Satan the accuser desires to remind believers of their sin and their unworthiness of a place in God’s family

TEMPTATION - Broadly defined, temptation is the enticement to do evil. Satan is the tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:5).

Matt 4:3 “And the tempter came and said to him (Jesus)...”

Mark 1:12 “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”

So the Holy Spirit; whom Jesus just recieved for His earthly ministry has been given to Him - Mark 1:9-11 “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.””

And what is the first thing the “Spirit” does to Jesus (Fully God and Fully Man?)

“The Spirit...immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”

Now after such a good moment why would the Spirit, being “pneuma - meaning Blast, Wind, Air

And remember the Holy Spirit is apart of the Trinity, So the Sprit led Jesus to a place where their is literally nothing but dirt and heat?

Does this seem right?

Well God does nothing for the fun of it but their is purpose in all of it. He’s sovereign and providential hand

And so for us, what happens the instance we trust in Christ?

We are filled with the Holy Spirit right?

We as New Creations in Christ:

What I tell many Christians who are new; as I’ve had many Christians tell me this as well in the beginning of my new walk with Christ...

There is now a large, bright red target on your back and Satan sees you; and wants to destroy you and kill you

Not necessarily something any new Christians wants to hear, but oh is it so true; as many things that once were simple and didn’t bind the conscious; now those things are which make the Holy Spirit groan within us.

And so Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, now driven out to the wilderness

Wilderness:

Yes sand and heat; but other words such as uninhabited, lonely, forsaken place uncultivated and desolate

This is where Jesus was driven by the Spirit

But While He being filled with the Holy Spirit was not alone in the wilderness as we know.

Mark 1:13 “And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days

This is a LONG time where their is no people; no food; no water; nothing

And on top of all that in weakness because of the lack of elements that help one live; so Jesus was “being tempted by Satan...”

Anybody knows if you have been a Christian for a long time; the best times for us to be prone to temptation is when we are alone; bored and without food or water

And so Jesus here in the wilderness filled with the Holy Spirit, being tempted not by flesh; but by Satan himself

I was telling Gracie on our drive to Lindale as a question was brought up about Satan and His demons

So let us be reminded Satan himself is loose on the earth “He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour...”

And it dawned on me too as “we are not war with flesh and blood but with the principalities of...”

So very much a reality, Satan is loosed on the earth; and his demons are out to accomplish his will. To send them to temp us Christians into sinning against God and torment us

Not only do we have the enemy Satan and the demons themselves; but also our flesh this sinful flesh suite; our sweet soul which has been redeemed by the Holy Spirit is trapped in

But this is whom was tempting Jesus “Satan”

Mark 1:13 “And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan....And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

After moments of accusations in our lives that can lead to temptations in our lives

So there needs to be a moment of ministering to our souls

If Jesus needed it after 40 days; how much more do we who are not Jesus; need it after every day?

See the angels were ministering to Him

Ministry meaning - to attend or serve

Well what was Jesus needing? Why was He needing to be served?

Well He just got done listening to Satan’ accusations and being tempted by Him

Now we have to remember while Jesus was fully man and fully God, He was still fully man

In many way’s the angles could be coming to minster to Him’ to serve Him a meal and water; to wash his feet and rub his shoulders

But I don’t think that is why they were there (No minister as we know; a pastor is a minister and ministers are all about the Word of God and heralding it and preaching it)

So Jesus in His moments after being tempted by Satan the accuser and tempter Himself needed nothing but Truths preached again to His heart

Well Shaun He is already God; yes He is but He if fully God and fully man and the manly nature side of Christ was weak; and in this sense needed divine intervention and this is why the angel were there

And the same for us’ on the days when the accusations, lies and temptations of the enemy are heavy we don’t need a good loaf of bread and some water; but we do need God’s Word.

For Us:

The accusations of the enemy and the temptations of the enemy; can seem quite weighty and overbearing at times; like we can’t handle them nor escape them (this is a lie; not that they aren’t heavy and annoying; but that we have to give into them)

I have two Scriptures we can put into our belt of Truth tonight and remember in times of Accusation and temptation:

These words we need are, not our own Words, but are the Word’s of the Lord!

“I have stored up your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

What can we learn about Jesus in the wilderness? What did He use to fight off Satan’s accusations and temptations?

Luke 4:1–13 ESV

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Jesus words silenced the accusations; and temptations of the enemy!

We know Jesus Word’s as the Bible that which is often referred to as well as “the Sword of the Spirit”

So why do we say read your bible? Why do we say “stay in the Word? Why did my Dede and my Papa buy me my first Bible and tell me “if anything always be in the Scripture.”

Well we as Christians; as it is inevitable cannot dodge temptation; so we mine as well be ready to extinguish these fiery arrows of accusation and temptation Satan and His demons and our flesh throw our way.

The Word of God is a sword; in the midst of temptation; and accusation that we can wield to cause Satan and His demons and our flesh to be silenced

There are seasons where I have not been in the Word and reading; as I should and mediating and applying it to my life. These seasons for me (dry seasons) are the seasons that I fall into the lie of the enemy, His accusations over my life and temptation seems to ravage me in many ways.

So how is knowing the Bible relevant to fighting of accusations and temptations?

So the Lord used His Word to fend of Satan off; so this is the only Word’s we have to use are Jesus’s Word which we should be learning and living out.

Well how is this going to work? Do we have promise that it will work?

1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Here “no temptation has overtaken you that is not...common to man” meaning a characteristic of weak humanity as opposed to transcendent divinity.

Every man is tempted the same; but every man is also given what in the midst of his temptaion?

“God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

“God is faithful...”

“but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape...”

And this can look like many ways; a phone call; a knock on the door; a subtle hint as you are walking by to go and commit sin or a Scripture that comes to our mind

Because the accusation and lie of the enemy is this, they are directly opposed to God’s Word. The enemy says you cannot withstand this temptation; their is no escape and their is no way to endure it; just give in because you are weak.

But God’s Word says in “Every temptation He provides a way of escape that you may be able to endure it”

But it’s hard to endure a temptation without the only Weapon we have “The Bible” the Sword of the Spirit.

This is where I want to land; I pray it doesn’t have to be any of those physical things that is our way of escape *as those are not bad in moments deeply needed

But I pray as the word says “it renews our minds” So i pray when we are tempted that Scripture would come to mind and we would use it against the accuser and tempter Himself.

This promise of Scripture, it being the Sword against our accuser is true

Even in this moment Satan is saying God’s Word is not this powerful and you remembering it and treasuring it in your heart is not going to do anything for you

Well Jesus says’ differently!

Truth: Jesus purchased US FOR HIMSELF: and He Keeps us from all evil; and the temptations He does allow in our life as we know from the story of Job, are to make us look more like Him. - See their is purpose in everything

But for Christians while we know God works our mess ups for His glory and our Good may it be said that we living in a dark world; full of accusations and temptations from the enemy; that we use only what Jesus had in the wilderness; The Holy Spirit and His Word which is all we need to defeat the accusations and temptations of the enemy

Satan wants to make Christians fear for their salvation and forget God’s love and faithfulness. Satan says, “Look at your sinfulness”; God says, “Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith”

So tonight know this. The accusations and temptations of the enemy are no match to God’s Word, who Christ Spoke; and the Holy Spirit brings to our minds that we may “endure the temptations that are soon to come our way.”