Matthew 4:1-11

The Call to Support One Another in Ministry

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All you have to do is type me you don't have to say what it is. But you can let me know that I can pray for you and I will definitely do that when I see the notification. That you're requesting prayer tonight.

I'm going to look at Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 through 11. But before we jump into Matthew chapter chapter 4 and I do want to apologize for my camera I am looking into getting that fixed. It is the auto focus that Wants to continually focus and I don't know what his problem is.

So we'll we'll work on that. But before we jump into Matthew chapter 4 I wanted to say this. This was going through my mind recently that The fact that I Request support that I love to work with other people in ministry want to work with you want to work with the Other people on social media trying to get the word out trying to get the gospel out.

Talk about God's Word study God's Word theology all those things glorifying God Making Jesus famous talking about his gospel sharing the gospel and doing that with one another. You know, I've heard it said in the past that Any any biblical church Its leadership or its members will say, you know, we're we are not in competition.

We are not in competition with other churches. And I would I would venture to say that most churches will say that most especially most biblical churches will say that we are not In competition with other churches and that's that's a good attitude to have that's the attitude that we should have.

We don't want to be in competition With other churches as far as who has the the biggest facility who has the most members who is doing? The most for the kingdom. That type of thing we're not in competition with one another but we have that sentiment and we share that sentiment with each other and and we believe that it's In our hearts and and we're sincere about that.

However from one perspective I know others may see it differently but from from one perspective We may say that that we're not in competition with one another with one Biblical church is not in competition with another biblical church.

But does that does that sentiment translate into into action? From one perspective what I see is that the most that we come close to fulfilling that obligation or that sentiment that we have is We'll send in money.

We'll collect money send it in to a central location and then we will hope that it gets placed in its appropriate Places and and used for God's kingdom. But then and we may we may have programs and do some things within our own local body.

Which is good and and what we should be doing. However, when it comes to Other Churches other believers outside of our Biblical church that we are attending. We should be working together with other believers as well outside of the church.

Not just within our four walls. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays or whenever you gather it should be when we are outside the four walls of the church with other believers not just In our In our own local church.

Primarily, yes, we want to give there. We want to work there. We want to Help and and support our our membership but the kingdom of God is much bigger than that which is in our four walls and we can do more as far as working together with other biblical churches than just collecting money sending money and hoping it that it goes to the the appropriate place, which Again from one perspective.

I've seen that it doesn't always go to the places that it should it goes to fat in the pockets of so many. So so what can we do? That's why I asked for your support because with social media. This is our community.

It's it's not. It's Not the best. I don't think I think most people would agree that that social media is is not the best avenue for our communication for our fellowship. But it is our community now where people gather.

And and we can share the gospel. We can share the bible. We can share truth. Um. And we can do that together and have partnership. And so that's one of the reasons why I call on on you. Because I want to work with you.

I want to partner with you link arms with you fellow pastor fellow believer fellow lay person and and member of a good biblical local church. I want to work with you as we reach the gospel through the these other means such as social media and so I will I hope that you will join me in that and that um our our ministry outside our four walls can can grow and strengthen and become something that glorifies god and um.

And shares the gospel with the world. So let's let's dig into matthew chapter four tonight. I'm gonna i'm gonna go ahead and read verses 1 through 11. And then we'll we'll just talk about what's going on here in matthew.

Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness

Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 through 11 then jesus was led up by the spirit Into the wilderness to be tempted By the devil and after he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights. He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to him if you are the son of god command that these stones become bread.

But he answered and said it is written man shall not live on bread alone. But on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of god. Then the devil took him into the holy city. And he had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple.

And said to him if you are the son of god throw yourself down for it is written he will give his angels charge concerning you and Their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone.

Jesus said to him on the other hand it is written. You shall not put the lord your god to the test. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world. And their glory.

And he said to him All these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. Then jesus said to him be gone satan for it is written. You shall worship the lord your god and serve him only. Verse 11.

Then the devil left him and behold angels came and began to minister to him. So what's going on in matthew? It's been a while since i've been with you and we've we've looked at matthew. But but what's going on in matthew in in kind of a review just very simply matthew is wanting to present jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy fulfilling the prophecy of the messiah to come and that jesus is king and that's what we're looking for when when we are able to see and understand what the Intent of the author of the book is then we can as we read the book.

We can be looking for that that purpose as he writes. And and not just reading the bible purposely just just to um, you know, check it off. A bible reading list. No, we can we can read the bible knowing the author's intent and be seeing that um that The author proving his his point as we read through that particular book.

And of course matthew as I said matthew is wanting to show us that jesus is that Fulfillment of the messiah to come and jesus is king. Some very interesting things to look at at the very beginning uh as we see, uh as we see matthew making his point.

If if you go back we've looked at matthew 1 2 and 3 and several times multiple times in matthew. Um at the beginning of matthew, he'll say he'll make this comment such as matthew chapter 2 verse 23. Um and it and came and resided in a city called nazareth that was spoken to the prophets.

My that that what was spoken to the prophets might be fulfilled. So he says that several times in the beginning so that That was spoken to the prophets might be fulfilled. So jesus Matthew was saying is is fulfilling the prophets.

If you flip over to matthew and this is just three examples here at the beginning of matthew. Uh, if you flip over to matthew chapter 5 verse 17, um, this is jesus speaking, of course. And he says do not think that I have come to abolish the law or or the prophets.

I did not come to abolish but to fulfill so here's this theme of jesus fulfilling certain things um within god's plan. And then we see a third thing coming from from our text. Well our immediate context of our text, uh, which we will.

We'll kind of bleed into as we Look at matthew chapter 4 tonight. Jesus meets with john the baptist, of course, and we looked at that last time. And jesus says to him, you know, john doesn't want to baptize him because he knows.

He knows that jesus is greater than him. He knows his position. He's been preaching to all these people that are coming. Repent and be baptized. There's one that's coming after me. That's greater. I baptize with water.

He will baptize with fire and jesus comes on the scene and john the baptist says no you're you're greater than me. Um, it should be you baptizing me. But jesus says to him in verse 15. Permitted at this time for in this way.

It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. So we see this theme in matthew of him showing that jesus is fulfilling certain things and and I like it's easy to understand it, you know when we use, you know our our own language um.

But using the language of scripture. You know, we can call it a plan god's god's ultimate plan. Um for for all of time. Uh, but but using biblical language looking at a verse we can go to hebrews chapter 13 and and dan and I I think looked at this verse.

Um in in our last one of our last videos that we did but in hebrews chapter 13 verses. Verse 20 now the god of peace Who brought up from the dead the great shepherd Of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant even jesus our lord.

So a verse that we can look at and and biblical Language that we can use instead of saying god's overarching plan for all of time, uh hebrews tells us that Uh, it's the blood of the eternal covenant. God.

God has a a an eternal covenant. An eternal plan for all of time and and matthew is is showing us Glimpses. And part of part of that plan is is prophecy and in old testament scriptures record actual real history where it was part of god's ultimate plan overarching plan eternal covenant that These real people in real history.

Um and real events and even real objects would be shadows would be signs of the messiah to come the words that they use the prophecies that they gave would be signs and and shadows of The messiah to come and then here Jesus comes on the scene.

You have matthew the author of of this book and he's telling us Jesus fulfilled the prophets. Jesus says I didn't come to abolish but to fulfill the law and here in at the end of chapter 3 Jesus says, uh, it is fitting for us to fulfill all the righteousness.

And what do you think he said that to fulfill all the righteousness because those real people in real history throughout History passed here Prior to christ. And of course if it was left up left up to us, it would be the same way from then until now but In history past all these people all these events all these stories that are told in the old testament.

They were given they were given the the um, the covenant they were given the the command to To be righteous to obey the law to do what god had commanded that they were to obey god. And they did not fulfill all righteousness.

So jesus came to fulfill all righteousness. And we see here at the end of chapter 3 and at the beginning of chapter 4. Some of those events and all i'm going to do is make connections tonight. I'm going to make connections of how um in in the past Righteousness was not fulfilled but jesus came.

And here matthew is showing us snapshots of jesus's life where he fulfills all righteousness starting with the baptism um, of course in the in the video that I did discussing the baptism of john and john baptizing jesus, he says It's fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Of course. John had to obey god because god comes to john. And we read that in the gospel of john. That um that he was to baptize jesus and and this would be part of the manifestation of the messiah to israel.

So he this had to happen if john were to be obedient and and he and jesus were to fulfill all righteousness but then We we look at baptism in in the old testament where um some people may want to use this as a Support for infant baptism.

Um, it's not necessarily I don't think that it's it's used as um baptism per se in scripture, but At the beginning of moses's life. You have been put in water and then then drawn out of water. Um where he was he was under a death sentence as a child and he's brought to life into to pharaoh's Kingdom and then later on in in moses's life as he's leading israel um, they they are.

Israel is said to have been baptized into moses. And of course that event happened when they when god parted the the sea and they walked on dry land. And so they were baptized into moses. And so you have you have this baptism here.

But of course, what do we know about what do we know about moses? What do we know about israel? Of course they didn't fulfill Their obligation that they didn't fulfill the covenant. They didn't obey god.

They didn't fulfill all righteousness. Um, and then in verse 16 after being baptized jesus went up immediately From the water and behold the heavens were opened and he saw the spirit of god descending as a dove.

Just as god had told john the baptist would happen Coming upon him and behold a voice out of the heavens saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. We must use the old testament. To help us understand the the eternal covenant to help us understand what's going on in the new testament.

We underutilize the old testament when we are interpreting the new testament um we we talked about the we talked about the wise men dan and I in our last video and how I believe part of the story of the wise men is left out year after year when.

And in addition to that story should be told because it's in the old testament. Um. We see here and and I think I mentioned this maybe in the in the video that we did I'm sure it was the video that that we did.

For verses 13 through 17 in chapter 3 where we see the baptism of jesus. Um, I know I talked about this but um. The the father this is the voice of the father this is my beloved son in whom i'm well pleased.

Um god calls him his son but if if we look at scripture we know that Jesus in this instant isn't the the first or only one to be called the son of god. We can go all the way back to the beginning of history and we see that in luke chapter 3 verse 38 where luke is going through the genealogies of christ.

And the very last one going all the way back to adam. Luke says and adam son of god. So we can take we can take this all the way back to the beginning of history. With adam and eve and we can we can look in genesis genesis genesis chapter 1 um verse 24.

Then god said let earth bring forth living creatures after their kind cattle after cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind and it was so and god made the beasts of the earth and Their kind and the cattle of their kind and everything that creeps On the ground after his kind and god saw that it was good.

Then god said let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea over the birds of the sky over the cattle and over the earth. And over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth and god created man in his own image in the image of god.

He created him male and female. He created him. And god blessed them god said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. And we'll stop there at the middle of verse 28. But there we have adam who luke calls the the son of god the first son of god and god creates them and gives them this.

This ordinance this this command to uh to fill the earth subdue the earth and rule over every Every creeping thing that's on the earth. Um, I just saw a video today where somebody's trying to say that um God told adam and eve to to rule over Every animal on the earth except for the beast but beasts are mentioned here and Even if it doesn't say be specifically it does specifically say At the end of verse 28 over every living thing that moves on the earth.

So they were commanded to to rule over and subdue. And have authority over every living creature that was on the earth. So there you have adam first son of god according to luke and um. You have his his um command the the creation mandate fill the earth subdue the earth have authority over over everything and um.

What happens what happens there with the um, but the creation story with adam and eve. Most of us are probably familiar with with what happens. It doesn't seem that it's that much longer after. Um, we don't know exactly the the timetable but it you know, it's not it's not in the distant future.

Sometime a little bit later. You can you can flip past chapter two and then you get to chapter three which which has the heading the fall of man. Where adam does not adam and eve do not fulfill all righteousness.

They were they they had a command they had ordinance obligation to to obey god. And and all would have been you know, well with them they would obey god, but they did not fulfill all righteousness. And they disobeyed god.

And we're familiar with that story and that story is very familiar to our passage that that event um. Us conservatives like to use the word event and not story because it's not it's not fiction. It's not a made-up story, it's not myth.

It's not mythology. It was real history and uh in that event um. It's very very similar to the passages that we read tonight. Uh, but before we get there. Let's start in verse verses one and two then jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Where do we see that in the old testament? Just as we talked about moses and israel and their baptism. Um. The lord led israel through the wilderness. And and they were in the wilderness for 40 years.

And it was because of their disobedience. They did not fulfill all righteousness they were to obey god and and follow his commands and they didn't and they had to uh, They had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and that generation.

Could not enter into the promised land because of their disobedience and then you have The next part there, uh in verse two and after he had fasted for 40 days and nights. Who else did that? Well, if you flip over to um, if you flip over to exodus chapter 34.

If you look in verse 28 listen to this. So he and who is this moses? So he was there with the lord 40 days and 40 nights. He did not eat bread or drink water. Sound familiar. And he wrote on tablets the words of the covenant the ten commandments.

And then of course when he comes down off the mountain. In verse 32 and afterward all the sons of israel came near and he commanded them to do everything that lord had spoken to him on mount sinai. So there you have moses who spent time with the lord.

Didn't eat or drink for 40 days and 40 nights. And what did he do in that time? He received the word of the lord. I can only I can only imagine I can only speculate but here we have The same thing occurring with jesus in in his life he's in the wilderness just like israel was in the wilderness.

And just like moses he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. And and I can't help but speculate that during that time. What was on the mind of christ the word of god his father? No doubt he was meditating on the word of god and.

And I believe evidence of that is what we read after um his encounter with the devil um I believe it's evidence, of course of What jesus would have been meditating on especially after the first temptation.

Um jesus says You shall not live by own bread alone, but every word that preaches out precedes out of the mouth of god. So how was he living the 40 days and 40 nights supernaturally? He was Living on the word of god just as moses was with the lord for 40 days and 40 nights and Was receiving the word of the lord.

How amazing is that we can go back and look at the old testament and it can help us interpret and understand the new testament and we can see that when Righteousness was unfulfilled for all these years and all these events and all these people throughout history Jesus tells john the baptist it is fitting for us at this time to fulfill all righteousness.

And that is what he is doing. He is fulfilling all righteousness. So let's look at the temptations let's do that so. The the first one we just recited. Um The devil tells him you are the son of god command these stones to become bread.

He was hungry. He said command these stones to become bread. Jesus says it was written that men should not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of god to me. From one perspective when I look back, of course, we're looking back at.

Um the first son of god and his creation mandate to fill the earth subdue the earth rule over Everything all the plants animals all creation. And then in chapter three satan comes and tempts adam and eve.

And what does he tempt him with? The first thing is fruit which is which is food sustenance um He he uses food against Adam and eve and here jesus is hungry. And the first thing that that satan goes after is food.

He goes after food and then the next one when when uh, jesus Meditating on god's word knows god's word recites god's word and resists satan satan. The devil goes on to the next one. Takes him takes him on the pinnacle of the temple says throw yourself down.

Um, the angels Will take care of you. They won't they won't even let you strike your foot against the stone. They'll take care of you. Jesus on the other hand you shall not put the lord your god to the test.

So if you look back at adam and eve. What did he say to them if you eat of the fruit? Did god say You'll die. You will not surely die. He was going after their life. And and and the preservation of their life satan told them that they wouldn't die If they ate the fruit and here he comes after christ.

And says throw yourself down. You won't die. God's word says you won't die. The angels will take care of you won't even you won't even scratch your foot on a stone. The angels will take care of you. So satan is using The same tactic from from my perspective.

As he did with the first son the first adam as he is here with the second adam. And then the third one. Um Satan says to him. He took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

He said i'll give you. I will all these things. I will give you if you fall down and worship me. And of course jesus has Begone satan for his written you shall worship the lord your god and serve him only.

So satan was coming after jesus with power and authority and glory. And what did he come after adam and eve with? He said you will be like god. And no good from evil. You have power and authority you you will be like god.

How how similar is christ. Or how similar is satan in his tactics as he goes after the first adam and the second adam. But the key here is is seeing all these similarities. Making the connections and making the right conclusion and the conclusion is man cannot fulfill all righteousness.

They failed over and over and over again and without christ from then until now. If it was on us if it was up to us We would not be able to fulfill all righteousness. We can't do it. We have we have no Desire to do it in and of ourselves.

We don't want to fulfill all the righteousness. We don't want to please god or do what he says. That's not in us naturally to want to do that in our sin nature. We we would much rather spit at him and throw our fist at him and not even recognize his existence naturally.

That's the route that we want to take apart from christ. But we have a record here of christ fulfilling all righteousness that which Anyone past or any one future could never do. They could never fulfill all righteousness.

And I wanted to make one more comment before we wrap it up. We have verse 11. Then the devil left him. It makes me think of james. Resist the devil and he will flee. Then the devil left him and behold angels came and began to minister him.

Mark records. Uh something a little bit extra. It's not a contradiction. It's not um, it's not different. It's just Matthew decided not to Include this part that mark did but if you look at mark chapter 1 verse.

Uh verse 13 Mark includes another detail in in this story where where jesus was tempted um Satan came he he tempted. And and mark mark's account seems as I read it. It seems to be a little more choppy.

And less fluid as as matthews is but mark reads in um verses 12 and 13 Chapter 1 and immediately the spirit impaled him to go into the wilderness. Verse 13 and he was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted by satan now as matthew reads.

Uh, it's almost a step-by-step this happened then this happened he fasted 40 days and 40 nights. He became hungry and then satan came to tempt him. Here, it's just a matter of fact. And everything kind of wrapped in together.

So he he was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by satan. And listen to this that mark says and he was with the wild beast. And the angels were ministering to him. Why do you think mark mentions that he was with the wild beast.

Of course it can only be speculation from from our part because mark mark doesn't tell us and it's not recorded in any of the other gospels. But what do we know if we're making these connections? That we're supposed to make.

With the first adam and the last adam with jesus fulfilling all righteousness that everyone in the past could not fulfill that they were supposed to. And the you know reason why jesus had to come. The first adam was given that that mandate that creation mandate fill the earth subdue the earth and have authority and rule over every Creeping thing on the earth every every beast every thing that crawls on the ground fish birds everything.

Have rule have dominion subdue it the earth and have authority over all the animals. And then you have it made me think about daniel in the lion's den. When we think about that being a miracle where daniel disobeyed the king because he would much rather obey god and pray to him and against his strong desire.

Because he he liked daniel, of course the king threw him because they they tricked him into making this law. That if if you don't bow down and worship the king you will be thrown into the lion's den. And that's what happened to daniel.

He didn't bow down and worship the king. He worshiped and prayed to god. So the king had to fulfill his law. And he threw daniel in the lion's den and what happened in the lion's den angel came. And shut the mouth of the lion.

Very similar situation here. Um. But what I can gather as we make connections from the old testament and new testament. And we also look at going back to hebrews chapter 13 the eternal covenant god's overarching plan for for all of time god is Is making in the process of making this new heaven and new earth.

And we know jesus says the kingdom of heaven is that hand it's here and as jesus is doing what adam the Didn't do couldn't do what failed to do Jesus is succeeding at and therefore this this mandate is being fulfilled through christ and then of course On through us as christ lives in and through us and works in and through us.

But here after the temptation of satan satan leaves and jesus is with the wild beasts showing That he has authority and rule. Not just over angels as they come to ministry to him. But over the wild animals and as the new heavens and new earth Continue to grow like the like the mustard seed Jesus said it would start out small and it would grow and become big and as a as leaven fills the whole lump.

It's gradually growing and and we're getting to that point and and as the new heavens and new earth are described in scripture. You know the the the lamb um. The wolf will lie down with the lamb. And and the child will not be bit by by the snake and so you see here jesus Fulfilling that mandate.

And what the new heavens and the new earth look like and in daniel and the lion's den. Yes, it was a miracle that the angel come in and shut the mouth of the lions. But that's what the the creation is to look like where man walks with beast.

Has rule over and authority over the beast and. And the he the beast doesn't attack the man. And that's what the new heavens and new earth are are working towards as as christ continues to build his kingdom.

And continues to put his enemies under his feet until he He stomps on the last one, which is death. Which is coming and we can have we can celebrate and rejoice in that christ. Is Working out that victory that he won on the cross and his life where he did fulfill all the righteousness.

And so what do we get? After after making all those connections and looking at matthew chapter 4 what what can we ultimately get out of this? Jesus the last adam fulfilled all righteousness. He is the king of kings and lord of lords.

He is king reigning now. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. So we proclaim jesus as king. Repent of your sins and put your trust in him and and submit to him as your king come to him as your savior.

Love him as your lord. Because he is calling Come before it's too late. We're not promised tomorrow. And we and we we don't know when um, you know, we don't know when his second coming will be but We are commanded we do know the gospel we do know that jesus saves and he will save to the uttermost so that we We proclaim that gospel.

That jesus fulfilled all righteousness lived a sinless life. Down on the cross three days later was raised from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the father. And he will save if you call upon him.

All who call upon the name of the lord will be saved and I would encourage you to surrender to him today and um. Again, if we can pray for you, i'd love to be able to do that. Just let me know um, if you have any questions comments Let me know that too write them in the comments.

If if you will lock arms with me, i'd love for you to do that as well. Share the share the video like the video and and let's work together to get god's word out. Would you pray for me as we close? Father we thank you for the day that you've given us.

Thank you for time that we Have here that we can spend in your word that we can learn about you learn about your son examine scripture and See how glorious and how How much wisdom you have in in what you did and what you're doing.

Father we Help us to surrender every day in gratitude and In the knowledge. That you are god. Jesus is king. And uh, he is king. King of all kings lord of all lords and he's king and creator over all the cosmos.

And we just praise you for your worthy. Let me pray all these things in jesus name. Amen. Thank you guys for watching. I really appreciate it. Again, I apologize for the camera. So thank you for bearing with me.

Remember that jesus is king go live in that victory and let's continue to go out there together and proclaim the gospel. I hope to see you soon.