Bailey Methodist Church
3/9/2025
  • This Is Amazing Grace
  • O Praise The Name (Anástasis)
  • When I Survey The Wondrous Cross (Hamburg)
  • Jesus Messiah
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • I was never great at taking tests in school. If a teacher asked me to explain something, I could do it easily. But when it came to writing out answers or doing multiple-choice tests, I struggled. I did okay overall, but it was always more challenging for me. I took longer to think through my answers because I wanted them to be perfect; I aimed for A's. I felt like a failure if I didn't get everything right or if I lost points. I wanted to be perfect.
    This mindset affected my faith in Christ, especially after I rededicated my life at 17. I read the Bible a lot to learn as much as I could. I made sure to read it every day to stay strong against temptation. I spent hours praying and volunteering for many church activities. However, after months of effort, I realized I could never be perfect. I kept struggling, and all my trying didn’t seem to help.
    It wasn't until I understood that it wasn't about my efforts but Christ breaking the chains of sin that I began living as He wanted me to. Temptations came, and Satan tried to distract me from Christ. But Christ had already won over sin. He showed us how to resist temptation and stand against the devil's tricks.
    As we journey through Lent, we begin with Jesus's temptation in the wilderness. Satan tests Jesus before He begins His mission to the cross. This story shows us how to live the holy life God wants, not by relying on ourselves but by entirely depending on Him.

    1. Stay Filled with the Spirit and the Word (vs. 1-4)

    JJesus did not enter the wilderness unprepared; He was filled with the Holy Spirit. This preparation mirrored the experiences of Israel, Moses, and Elijah, who were also tested in the wilderness. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus confronted His cosmic adversary, Satan, declaring open combat by defeating him at the very beginning of His ministry. This was no easy task. Jesus was suffering from hunger when Satan approached Him, making Him particularly susceptible to temptation, just like Israel had been. However, because Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, He was empowered to resist Satan's temptations.
    The temptation Jesus faced was not solely about physical nourishment. Satan was urging Him to use His power as the Son of God to perform a miracle merely to satisfy His hunger. Like many today, Jesus was tempted to focus on His desires, potentially ignoring His obedience to the Father.
    How did Jesus effectively resist this temptation? What was His weapon of choice against Satan? The Word of God. Scripture was how Jesus fought back against Satan in all three tests. He began with a crucial verse. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded with Deuteronomy 8:3: “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
    The Word of God serves as our weapon against the enemy. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:17, “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” We must be rooted in Scripture to recognize and resist Satan’s lies. Jesus fought back against Satan's attacks by quoting Scripture, using God’s Word as a weapon to cut through and dismantle Satan's temptations. He refused to let bread alone define His existence, demonstrating that He would not ignore His Father for the sake of earthly needs. When we stand firm on God’s Word and are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we too can resist the temptations that come before us.

    2. Worship God Alone (vs. 5-8)

    In the next temptation, the devil tries to entice Jesus into idolatry by offering him immediate dominion over the kingdoms of the world, which will eventually belong to Jesus. This temptation occurs on a high mountain, reminiscent of Moses on Mount Nebo, where he glimpsed the promised land. Satan claims to have authority over the kingdoms, referring to himself as the "god of this world" and "the ruler of the air." The Lord has granted Satan temporary authority over the world, which humanity relinquished in the Garden of Eden when it fell into sin. Instead of taking dominion over the earth, humankind squandered it in an attempt to become like gods. This temptation echoes Adam's original sin.
    Jesus denies this temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, emphasizing the importance of worshiping only God. His response recalls Israel's past failures with idolatry and humanity’s tendency toward self-idolatry. Accepting Satan's offer would mean abandoning his role as the Suffering Servant for immediate kingship, like Absalom’s betrayal of David. Ultimately, Jesus rejects the proposal, knowing that idolatry leads to tragedy.
    We often fall into the trap of worshiping other things. Idolatry is a significant issue for us, as our inclination to sin encompasses self-idolatry and the pursuit of worldly gains. Jesus instructs those listening to the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Satan entices us to compromise our values. We must remember that true satisfaction comes from honoring God, not seeking worldly gains.
    Satan tempted Jesus with the easy way out. If Jesus worshiped him, he could gain the kingdoms without enduring the cross. Occasionally, we may feel that minor ethical or moral compromises are necessary to obtain power and authority. These minor indiscretions may not seem significant enough to categorize as worshiping Satan. Still, they align with what Paul refers to as the “devil’s schemes” in Ephesians 6:11. These schemes are designed to bring us under Satan's dominion. No indiscretion that encourages us to shift from being led by the Spirit to being led by the devil is insignificant.
    We can find the strength to resist temptation by regularly worshiping God, both through weekly corporate worship and daily personal worship. This practice keeps our minds focused on God. That is why attending church weekly is vital for Christians to withstand the wiles of the devil. Without regular corporate worship, we are at a greater risk of falling into patterns of sin and being tempted by Satan.

    3. Trust God’s Plan, Not Shortcuts (vs. 9-13)

    The three temptations culminate at the temple's pinnacle, likely the royal portico with a 450-foot drop to the Kidron Valley. Here, the devil challenges Jesus to prove his divine Sonship by casting himself down, citing Psalm 91:11–12. This verse promises divine protection, but Satan misuses it to tempt Jesus into a self-serving act, disregarding the psalm's true focus on depending on God. Satan knows scripture as well. He can twist it. He did with Adam and Eve when they questioned God’s word. He was trying to twist God’s word against Jesus to show him that it would be perfectly fine to throw himself off the temple to show the scribes and the Pharisees who he really was.
    Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” This reference recalls Israel's failures at Massah, highlighting Jesus as the obedient Son who does not repeat their mistakes. He successfully navigates this test by refusing to test God.
    We can get caught in impatience when it comes to God answering prayers or moving in our lives in a way that we can get results quickly. Even in our attempts to receive answers from scripture, we can completely misinterpret what it is saying and cause more trouble upon ourselves. You may have heard this story before.
    A man was really struggling so he decides to open a Bible to random page and drop his finger on a verse and do whatever it says.
    The verse his finger landed on was Matthew 27:5 “than Judas hanged himself”
    The man thought “that’s not right, let me try again” and does the same thing, this time landing on Luke 10:37 “Jesus told him ‘go and do likewise’”
    Again the man thought it wasn’t right and so he did it one last time and landed on John 13:37 “Whatever you are about to do, do it quickly”
    To truly resist temptation, we must trust God’s plan. Paul says in Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” This can be extremely difficult because we want quick answers and quick solutions. However, if we are deceived through the twisting of scripture or “following our heart,” we can inflict the wrath of God upon ourselves and become sons and daughters of disobedience. Failing to obey God can lead to unwanted consequences.
    Instead, we must trust God’s plan, remain patient, and refuse to test him by demanding quick fixes to our problems.
    Jesus resisted temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth of God’s Word, and unwavering trust in the Father. We can overcome temptation by:
    Staying filled with the Spirit and the Word.
    Worshiping God alone.
    Trusting God’s plan instead of shortcuts.
    The holy life is marked by resisting temptation. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to do this. The power of sin no longer has a hold upon us. As Christians, we are called to be on the path of righteousness and obedience. It is not easy, but Jesus gives us the example of how we can resist temptation. May we follow Jesus and become more like him.
  • Blest Be the Tie, that Binds
Bailey Methodist Church
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