Sermon Tone Analysis

The Ultimate Discipline

August 11, 1996

 

Scripture:  Mt.

4:1-11

 

*Prayer:*

 

*Introduction:*

          If the passage for today’s message is about the temptation of Jesus, then why have I entitled it, “The Ultimate Discipline”?

It is because in this opening event of Jesus’ ministry we see the results of his training for the spiritual Olympics.

Jesus won the gold medal.

Satan didn’t even place.

*I.

The Elements of the Marathon*

*1 ¶ Then Jesus (/full of the Holy Spirit - Lk/.) was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

(/He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him -Mk./)*

*2  After fasting (/and being tempted - Lk/.) forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.*

*          A.

The Prize*

                   1.       Just Jesus himself?

Or was it all of mankind?

*          B.

The Initiative*

                   1.       H.S.

*          C.

The Resource*

                   1.       H.S.

*          D.

The Setting*

                   1.

The desert:  a sterile, hostile environment where he could find nothing to satisfy himself with or take refuge in except God.

                   2.       Contrast Adam who fell while in the Garden, having everything and yet coming to possess nothing.

Jesus had nothing and yet thru discipline came to possess everything.

3.

Many of God’s people went thru a time in the desert:  Abraham, Joseph, Moses, the children of Israel, the prophets, David, John Baptist, and now Jesus.

And spiritually, many of us.

*          E.

The Adversary*

                   1.       Satan, the tempter himself.

This was no low rank demon but the prince of the power of the air.

One on one.

2.

This was spiritual warfare in its fullest form, but the finest hour was yet to come upon the cross.

In fact, there would be two more confrontations in time.

*          F.

The Duration*

                   1.       Jesus was tempted constantly for 40 days as he went the limit of human endurance physically, mentally and spiritually.

2.       God told Noah he would bring rain for 40 days to wipe every living creature from the face of the earth.

Moses was 40 days on the mountain with God.

Elijah was on a 40 day trip with God.

Both without food and Moses without water.

The Israelites were 40 years in the desert just as Moses had been before them.

God declared a woman ceremonially unclean for 40 days after the birth of a son (80 days in case of a daughter).

Forty lashes was considered the limit of punishment.

Forty is a complete biblical number.

3.       To be tempted is to be tested.

The context of Jesus first response to Satan is in Dt. 8:1-5 where Israel’s testing is “to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”

It ends with an affirmation in God’s purpose of discipline.

*          G.

Discourse on Temptation*

/Temptation is common but not fatal:/

 *1Co 10:13  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.*

/We are to be on guard against temptation:/

*Ga 6:1 ¶ Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.

But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.*

/We are to have a healthy respect for temptation:/

*1Th 3:5  For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith.

I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.*

/We have a source of help in temptation:/

*Heb 2:18  Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.*

/We have a hope of victory over temptation:/

*Heb 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.*

/We cannot blame God for temptation:/

*Jas 1:13 ¶ When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me."

For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;*

/We must see that temptation is possible only because of our sin nature:/

*Jas 1:14  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.*

/Jesus showed us the way to victory over temptation:/

*Joh 5:19  Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.*

*          G.

Questions and Illustrations*

                   1.       What would have happened if Jesus did give in?

                   2.       Just as 4 min.

is the limit of human endurance without oxygen, as in holding your breath under water, which we can reach by practice or discipline, so too is spiritual discipline necessary for the one who would be godly in enduring temptation without sin.

3.       Jesus was tempted to act independent of God and use his God side to override his human side.

If so, he could not have been our human Savior.

But he instead chose to have his human side respond to the nature of God within him who cannot be tempted.

He chose not to act independent of God and so should we - and we are able just as he was thru the power of the H.S.:

 

*Jn.

14:15 ¶ "If you love me, you will obey what I command.*

*16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--*

*17  the Spirit of truth.

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.

But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.*

4.

Jesus was full of the H.S. and we must cultivate our own relationship to the H.S. which we do thru spiritual discipline.

5.       Saul, in contrast to Jesus, and even David, had no spiritual discipline and acted independent of God, saying, “I’ll do whatever I want.”

He destroyed his family and his career as king (1Sam.

13, 28, 31).

He didn’t wait for Samuel.

He failed the test.

He stopped inquiring of God and inquired of a witch.

He ended up commiting suicide on the battle field.

David inquired of God most of his life, but he had a time during his established reign when he stopped inquiring of God.

At that time he inquired about Bathsheba instead.

But even with David’s sins, he was a man after God’s own heart because he sought God’s forgiveness.