D.L. Moody once said, “Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in money, and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.” Last week we saw the simple faith and God-favoring immediate willingness of John the Baptist to drop the world for the Word! Today, the camera turns to Jesus and as He is faced with hunger, despair, frustration and even aggression from the enemy, He will put on display, trust…

Trusting in God, to me, is more than just a churchy admonition! The practical, academic, intellectual way to walk that out, trusting in God…is to take the Word of God, and do it! Simple and yet there’s got to be a lot of water under that bridge! Time in the Word, time in Bible study, time in discipleship, learning the Word and watching it lived out practically by others even…and yet to me, trusting in God is more. There must be the word mixed with faith. A core-bottom-line type resolution that Christ is the life for you. If not, you’ll get easily easily easily distracted. Why? Because sometimes you’re just doing something else…living life man and for the carnal Christian or non-Christian, this is their norm. Senses are governing your decisions…

The other day I was making some toast and just doing something else and I put my hand right into the butter! HA! Trusting in God is more than just applying God’s Word, it’s surrendering you, your bottom-line…to God. Believing and trusting God even through the unknown or unreasonable circumstance. It’s like looking through the turn on a motorcycle ride…it’s being mindful, heartful, soulful and strengthful of God…and in that…find uncounfounded reality…. Watch this…

Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 1

• Remember last week how we talked briefly about Jesus identifying with man, with His own creation in baptism, and we knew that by how He used the word, “us,” with John the Baptist? Well, continue that thought right into this scene. You think Jesus doesn’t understand the ups and downs, mountain tops and valleys…tough days and thrilling days? He beyond understands! The best folks to talk to are the folks that have been through it, right?
• Well check this out. Jesus is going from the refreshing waters of the Jordan to the barren wilderness. From the huge crowds and announced entry to seclusion, solitude and silence. From hearing so wonderfully and publically the voice of the Father to now having to deal with the locution of Lucifer, (the speaking of Satan). From heaven itself being revealed to the gates of hell taking a run at Him…Jesus understands ups and downs, man…

• And I love this, Jesus understands ups and downs…not because He had to…He could have just lived on earth like a King…accepting the worship of His people and indulging in the delicacies of creation, but His very character is love. How far off from God would He have remained from me if He took that route…man we sing Jesus loves me but second verse, Jesus knows ME! His love for me and for you took Him from the throne of heaven to the cross of Calvary. Boy that’s love! Love is the highest form of warfare! Love is the mightiest form of leadership!

• And so from an extreme high, the scene we ended with last week, to an extreme trial…the Holy Spirit falling on Jesus and alighting upon Him to now the Holy Spirit launching Him into the wilderness to be examined by evil…Jesus identifies with His children.
• And understand as we continue, Jesus’ examination by Satan, His temptation if you will, was not to prove anything to God the Father…God already knows that Jesus is sinless and pure and holy. Jesus’ examination was simply to demonstrate His holy character and sinless perfection even to the principalities and spiritual hosts…to identify fully with us…and I bring this up because sometimes I find myself wanting to prove to God that I’m the real deal…listen, He already knows me…
• The problem is, the benefit of trials in my life is the fact that it’s me that doesn’t know me (Or I know today, can’t deal, forget by tomorrow)…I may think I am this or I am that but I never really know until the test…tests and trials don’t grow us, they simply reveal us…repentance grows us. “That which does not kill me only makes me stronger,” is a lie. That which I repent of for the sake of knowing God only makes me stronger!

Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 2 – 3

• Straight up, this is Satan’s M-O. Right out of the gates, (get it? The gates of hell?), right out of the gates he undermines God’s Word! He says, “If You are the Son of God…,” when God already said, “This is My beloved Son…” But I love the response of Jesus. You undermine the word, I will establish it. Look at Jesus’ response…

Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 4

• Jesus battles His flesh, temptation and the devil with the word of God! And He picks a doozy! Deuteronomy 8:3 is what he just quoted and in context of Deuternomy 8, well the context is perfect! That chapter talks about the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and as they walked, their garments did not wear out, nor did any of them get bunions on their feet! To show them, to teach them, as a nation, that bread alone doesn’t sustain us, but that it is God who sustains.

• Here’s the importance and the hidden power of the word. If you’re not in the word, growing in the word and living in such a way to prioritize the application of the word of God in your daily 24, then man…you’re not sustaining. Your garments are looking pretty old…your feet are feeling pretty swollen…but a heart that is given over to the things of God…forget sustaining! You’re alive! Duds stay fresh, feet stay strong, man!

Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 5 – 6

• Does it not amaze you the knowledge of the word by the enemy? And yet knowledge puffs up…in fact Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, “He who increases knowledge, increases sorrow.” Why? Knowledge by itself, without humility and faith, is worse than worthless, it can become parasitical. He (Satan) misses the connection with the heart of God (try reading a tractor manual to operate your garbage disposal!)…Satan may “know” but he openly rejects God’s heart through distrust, disobedience and pride…and in doing so, completely misses the correct meaning of the word. Psalm 91:11-12 is what he quotes and boy does he take it a universe out of context!
• Psalm 91 isn’t an open invitation for you to tempt or test God. It doesn’t say what Satan has said…that you are bullet proof because of whose you are…it speaks of closeness with God, and the secret place of intimacy with the Most High…no wonder Satan misapplies the scripture, right?

Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 7

• Now I love this response! Because truth, Jesus is saying neither you nor I should misapply that scripture and miss the heart of God. But, who is the tempter? Satan. Is he currently tempting? Yes. Who is he currently tempting? Jesus. What does Jesus say? “Don’t tempt the Lord your God.” Is Jesus not sending a message? Satan, hey dummy, I’m God! Awesome!

Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 8 – 9

• How can Satan give what is not his? Because it is his. All the kingdoms of the world…not just Iran, North Korea and China, the so-called “Axis of Evil.” Newsflash, since the fall of man, the original owner of earth, the enemy is the God of this age, and the axis of evil, is all the kingdoms, man…
• Now here’s the thing…what Satan is actually asking is for Jesus to achieve the outcome and yet avoid the cross. Jesus came to take back what was lost and Satan says here, “Take it!” All the kingdoms of the world, Yours…but I love what a theologeon by the name of Bruce said, “The danger is greatest when the end is good.” Without the cross, we may have the world, but what good is it if you gain the entire world, and yet lose your soul? We would still be in our sin…

Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 10 – 11

• Satan doesn’t attack with demons and monsters or cabinets banging together…that’s Hollywood, man, and that demonic power, according to Colossians 2:15 was disarmed…Satan’s real attack is deception. And his weapon is temptation, and more subtly, distraction…

• Jesus showed the only effective counter to deception, temptation, distraction, hand in the butter life…core-bottom-line operating system of God’s truth! And I love this outcome…that angels someow ministered to Him…a correct application of the original word quoted so deceivingly by the devil…Psalm 91…God was able and did sustain Jesus, but not by being tested, but by being trusted!