Sermon Tone Analysis
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Starting the New Year:
Make Up Your Mind
You may recall that Alice in Wonderland said to the Cheshire Cat, “Would you tell me, please, which way I should go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,” the cat replied.
We don’t live in a wonderland.
We live in a hostile world with stern limitations.
We cannot go just anywhere we want to go.
The past is a closed door, and the future depends on what we do today and what it does to us.
Time marches on!
This is a truth that is considered more this time of year than any other.
It is a time of year when we make New Year's Resolutions.
The things we want to do to better ourselves, our families, our jobs...and prayerfully, Lincoln Trail!
But to understand how that decision process hits us, we're looking at a text that reflects the spirit of the New Year.
Today we're looking at a text where Jesus is presented with several decisions.
Matthew 4:1-11
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Jesus has been announced as Messiah and baptized...then the Spirit immediately begins to guide him.
And just a tip...that's how it's always supposed to work, the Spirit should guide us...and we should follow.
As much as we would like to think it, we don't live in a Wonderland.
We can't just do whatever we want...
and when we do there are very real consequences.
2016 is done.
It's gone...thankfully.
We can change nothing that happened in 2016.
We can however go into 2017 and experience success if we follow a few lessons we learn from Christ in his wilderness experience.
Following God doesn't mean everything will go our way.
(Matthew 4:1-4)
Jesus has been led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
This is Jesus Christ.
Son of God.
Messiah.
Savior.
Emmanuel.
He's kind of a big deal.
In fact, the biggest.
Things should go right for him.
Right?
Especially when he follows God.
Following God leads him into the wilderness for WHAT?
TO BE TEMPTED!
The very thing Jesus told us to pray against.
- Lead us NOT into temptation.
After fasting for 40 days and night - Jesus was hungry.
Understandable.
What do you do when you are hungry?
YOU EAT!
We tend to take things into our own hands though.
We want to do what we are capable of doing.
The things that are within our power.
We have this idea that God helps those who help themselves.
But that's just not Biblical.
Sometimes...we just need to trust God, regardless of what's in our power.
It reminds me of times when my parents wanted me to just trust.
When another minister or preacher, speaking from experienced said, just trust.
When a missionary friend in a foreign country said just trust.
Maybe you had a boss or co-worker ask you to just trust.
It's hard to surrender that trust...especially if everything is telling you NO.
Jesus needs to follow and trust the Spirit even though this won't be easy.
Trusting God isn't always easy.
It can put us in awkward situations.
We may worry if others will accept our faith when we share it.
We may worry if tithing will prevent us from making ends meet.
We may worry if we are doing all we can to reach people.
We may worry if our programming prepares those here.
We may worry if we're even doing the right thing.
Jesus followed the Spirit and he ended up in a place of discomfort...hunger.
BUT HE NEVER STOPPED FOLLOWING GOD...don't stop following God!
But following, especially in areas we are not comfortable with, him may tempt us
Testing God is not an option.
(Matthew 4:5-7)
What's so fascinating about this part of Jesus's testing is Satan.
We learn he's smarter and wiser than we realize.
It would be easy to dismiss Satan if he were a bumbling idiot.
He's not.
He knows temptation.
And that's not all he knows.
Satan talks spiritual...He is spiritual.
Some think the spiritual is safe...that's where God resides so all spiritual is good and pure.
Satan is a spiritual being.
He knows the lingo.
He even tempts Jesus with a spiritual case here.
- The angels will protect you.
God will protect you.
YES...they will...but that doesn't mean they should be tested.
God loves you.
True?
Just because he loves you doesn't mean we should test his love.
Try that with a spouse or significant other...it doesn't go well.
We are forgiven of our sins.
And in our sins we see grace.
True?
So do we keep on sinning so our grace can be more awesome?
Paul answers that in
Sin is at the core of Satan's temptation.
Sin that is justified just because...
Justifying our behavior and our opinions...even if based in scripture...never makes it ok or right.
For Jesus to pass his test he must be obedient.
His ministry depends on his success here.
Successfulness doesn't happen when we rely on shortcuts.
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