Catching Up

Here are some from my files - perhaps some repeats and some rough notes:

Luke 2:22-35 (New International Version)

²²When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." ²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss^] your servant in peace.
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

³³The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Sermon Notes: Simeon’s Gift

1. We know his location:
2. We know his orientation:
3. We know his vocation:
4. We know his motivation:
5. We know his consecration:
6. We know his invocation:

Luke 3 (NIV)

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in t desert. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
⁶And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "

The Voice in the Wilderness

q God’s Word Comes to Us.

q We Discover Our Place in His Plan.

q He Gives Us a Vision.

q We Proclaim a Life Changing Message.

q God Brings the Results.

Luke 3 (NIV): ⁶And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "

The background is found in Isaiah 40:5 (NIV)

q We are called to be part of the revelation of God’s glory. “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,”

q God wants all to see His glory. “… and all mankind together will see it.”

q God has spoken and that is that. “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Luke 3:3, 7-10 –

Fruits of Repentance: Meaning Business with God

Luke 3 (NIV): (3) He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (7)John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (8)Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (9)The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (10) "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

Discussion

What is the difference between true repentance and just wanting to have a “quick” religious experience?

What does it mean to really mean business with God? Why is it important?

What are some practical ways we show we want change in our lives?

What is the significance of the question in verse 10 – “What shall we do?”

Do these verses remind you of something that you need to do to show that you mean business with God?

Ethics of Repentance: What Shall We Do?

Luke 3:10-14 (NIV): ¹⁰"What should we do then?" the crowd asked. ¹¹John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" ¹³"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

¹⁴Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay."

Discussion

q What does the word, “ethics” mean to you? (Hint: It is the study of right and wrong and how we determine which is which).

q John calls people to practical repentance. What does that mean? How might it be different for different people?

o What was it for ordinary folks?

o What was it for tax collectors?

o What was it for soldiers?

q Respond to this statement: Different people struggle with different issues and temptations.

q What might be some modern applications to these practical evidences of real repentance?

q What does the possibility of life change mean to you? How can we communicate it?

March 26 – Lk. 3:15-20 – One More Powerful –Who Baptizes with the Spirit.:

q What do you see as the significance of John’s life? What was his role according to his own testimony?

q How does that role apply to us?

q Why is it important to point people away from us to Jesus? How can we do that?

q What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

q What does it mean for chaff to be burned? Is this another picture of baptism? Why or why not?

q What was so good about John’s good news?

One More Powerful –Who Baptizes with the Spirit.:

Lk. 3:15-20(NIV): ¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. ¹⁶John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. ¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Discussion

Have a time of prayer and read the scripture together.

q What do you see as the significance of John’s life? What was his role according to his own testimony?

q How does that role apply to us?

q Why is it important to point people away from us to Jesus? How can we do that?

q What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

q What does it mean for chaff to be burned? Is this another picture of baptism? Why or why not?

q What was so good about John’s good news?

Bible Study

The First Step Toward the Cross – The Baptism of Jesus

Why was Jesus baptized? (from lecture – obedience, identification, demonstration)

What was God pleased with? Why do you think he announced His pleasure?

Have you ever felt Heaven opened up as you were praying?

Describe your feelings about/experience of baptism. What did it mean to you – or would it mean to you if you are not yet baptized?

What is the relationship between baptism with water and with the Spirit?

Luke 4:1-2 –

The Forty Factor
Luke 4:1-2 : And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Lucas 4:1-2 - Jesús, lleno del Espíritu Santo, volvió del Jordán y fue llevado por el Espíritu al desierto. Allí estuvo cuarenta días y fue tentado por el diablo. No comió nada durante esos días, pasados los cuales tuvo hambre.

The Bible is full of "40"s.

q 40 years in the wilderness for the children of Israel,

q 40 years reign of Saul, David and Solomon,

q 40 days and nights flood

q 40 days fasting by Jesus in the wilderness.

q 40 years in a generation

q The spies were in Canaan for 40 days.

q Elijah fasted 40 days.

q After His resurrection, Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days,

1. He deprived Himself.

q He was full of the Holy Spirit.

q He was led by the Holy Spirit.

2. He was depleted.

Isaiah 53:4-6: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ciertamente él cargó con nuestras enfermedades y soportó nuestros dolores, pero nosotros lo consideramos herido, golpeado por Dios, y humillado. Él fue traspasado por nuestras rebeliones, y molido por nuestras iniquidades; sobre él recayó el castigo, precio de nuestra *paz, y gracias a sus heridas fuimos sanados. Todos andábamos perdidos, como ovejas; cada uno seguía su propio *camino, pero el Señor hizo recaer sobre él la iniquidad de todos nosotros.

Hebrews 4:10:For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

porque el que entra en el reposo de Dios descansa también de sus obras, así como Dios descansó de las suyas.

This temptation was severe because of two factors:

q His weakened condition.

q His weary consecration

3. He was done.

q The test is real.

q The trust is even more real.

q

Be not dismayed.
The Father knows your needs.
Be not swayed.
It is His hand that feeds you.
When come the tests of time
And all your strength is past,
You've only begun to climb,
This is God's chosen fast.
© ) 2006, Tom Sims

Three Great Areas of Temptations of Jesus:

q Significance

o It was a personal attack and a primary attack.

q Surrender

o Two things count: God’s purposes and God’s ways. To these only must we surrender.

q Success

o Beware of: Shortcuts and Sensationalism.

Luke 4:3-13

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Si eres el Hijo de Dios --le propuso el diablo--, dile a esta piedra que se convierta en pan. Jesús le respondió: --Escrito está: 'No sólo de pan vive el hombre.'*Entonces el diablo lo llevó a un lugar alto y le mostró en un instante todos los reinos del mundo. Sobre estos reinos y todo su esplendor --le dijo--, te daré la autoridad, porque a mí me ha sido entregada, y puedo dársela a quien yo quiera. Así que, si me adoras, todo será tuyo. Jesús le contestó: Escrito está: Ádorarás al Señor tu Dios, y a él sólo servirás.'* El diablo lo llevó luego a Jerusalén e hizo que se pusiera de pie en la parte más alta del templo, y le dijo: --Si eres el Hijo de Dios, ¡tírate de aquí! Pues escrito está: "'Ordenará a sus ángeles que te guarden con cuidado; te sostendrán en sus manos, para que no tropiece tu pie con piedra alguna.'* También está escrito: 'No pongas a prueba al Señor tu Dios.'* --le replicó Jesús. Así que el diablo, habiendo agotado todo recurso de tentación, lo dejó hasta otra oportunidad.

Three Great Areas of Temptations of Jesus:

q Significance

o It was a personal attack and a primary attack.

q Surrender

o Two things count: God’s purposes and God’s ways. To these only must we surrender.

q Success

o Beware of: Shortcuts and Sensationalism.

The Great Calling : Luke 4:14-20

14 -And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Lesson # 1 – Walk in the Spirit and Listen for the Buzz.

15 - And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

Lesson # 2 – Settle on Your Identity in Christ and Be Yourself.

16 - And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Lesson # 3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Go Home and, when in Doubt, Let the Scriptures Speak for You.

17 - And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

Lesson # 4 – If You Want to Be Sure of Your Calling, Prepare Your for Life by Immersing Yourself in the Sacred Scriptures.

18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Lesson # 5 – You Are Not the Messiah, but You Are Indwelt by Him. Therefore, speak with Confidence.

Lesson # 6 – It’s Not All About You. It IS All About the Message.

Lesson # 7 – Jesus Has Set the Pattern for Our Individual Callings with His Great Calling.

q Are the poor being told the good news?

q Are the brokenhearted being healed?

q Are captives being delivered?

q Are the blind seeing?

q Are we setting people free?

q Is it happening?

19 - To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 - And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 - And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Lesson # 8 – This Is the Time to Proclaim Christ and That Is Our Highest Calling.

Luke 5:12-18 - Ministry

Verses 12: Luke 5:12 - While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[a] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean

Luke uses the words, “while Jesus …” to remind us that so many things happen in our lives while something else is going on. Think of times when you were about one sort of business and another opportunity arose. Luke tells us that “ a man came along ..” While you are about your business, people “come along.” These are often people with real needs, people to whom you can minister if you will. The man recognized Jesus and fell on His knees. Part of that may have been his desperation and part may have been recognition of Jesus’ greatness. Either way, He makes a great statement, “If you are willing, you can …”

Ministry Happens

q Ministry happens when you are making other plans.

q Ministry contacts come along and Sometimes they are among the “unclean,” with great faith.

q What do you believe that God can do if He is willing?

Verse 13: Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

Jesus did not hesitate to reach out to the man. He defied social norms and any concern for His own well-being to touch a man who was not only considered unclean, but was thought to be highly contagious. He told the man that He was willing to heal him. Since many people believed that leprosy was a sign of sin in a person’s life, Jesus might be seen to be forgiving this man of sin without even mentioning any sin in his life. Immediately, the leprosy left the man. This can be seen as a symbol of how the stain of sin immediately leaves our lives when we are forgiven.

Ministry Happens with Touch.

q Jesus touched you when you felt dirty and unworthy.

q We can touch people who deeply need to be touched by Jesus, but are considered unclean. We are the hands of Jesus for touching people.

q Jesus is willing. Are we?

Verse 14: Luke 5 14 Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Jesus was interested in this man’s whole being as well as his reintegration into society. That required that he approach the civil/religious authorities based upon their established laws. Because his disease was also a form of ritual uncleanness, he needed to take care of his responsibilities in that arena before he could mingle with people again. You can announce that you are whole, saved, forgiven, and cleansed, but the real proof is in your life. Be willing to be scrutinized.

The Ministry of Touch Transforms

q It changes us.

q It challenges us.

q It channels us.

Verses 15-16: Luke 5: 15-16 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed

These things cannot be kept silent. When real life change and forgiveness come to people, the news spreads and others gather to hear about it. Nothing beats word of mouth for getting the word out about anything. The change in the leper’s life was obvious. People everywhere are hurting and burdened by sin and

News of Ministry Travels

q How does news about Jesus spread today?

q Are people hungry?

q Why aren’t more people coming to Jesus today? What would make the difference?

The Calling - Matthew 4:18, Luke 5:1-10

Matthew 4:18-22 (New International Version)

¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.

Observation 1: He saw them.

Luke 5:1-11 (New International Version)

¹One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Observation 2: He involved them.

⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

⁵Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

⁴Cuando acabó de hablar, le dijo a Simón: --Lleva la barca hacia aguas más profundas, y echen allí las redes para pescar.

Observation 3: Hechallenged them.

⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

Observation 4: He startled them.

⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."

Observation 5: He calmed them.

Observation 6: He inspired them.

¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Observation 7: He called them.

Bible Study on Luke 5:1-11

The Calling of the First Disciples

Central Truth: Jesus calls ordinary people to be witnesses for Him.

New International Version, (NIV), © 1984, International Bible Society

Luke 5: 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down^[b] the nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

a. Luke 5:1 That is, Sea of Galilee

b. Luke 5:4 The Greek verb is plural.

Background: Matthew Henry’s Commentary: The miraculous draught of fishes, Peter, James, and John called: When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.

Key Questions and Issues:

Verses 1-3:

Jesus enlisted the services of Simon and his boat even before He called him. He used the boat as a platform for His teaching.

q How can we involve people in ministry even before they come to faith?

q How might this give them exposure to Christianity, to the message and God’s people?

q Can you remember your impressions of the church, of Christian faith, or of Christians before you made a commitment to Him? How important was that exposure?

Verse 4:

The next thing Jesus did with Simon was take him fishing – on Simon’s own boat! Through that experience He was able to accomplish two things. (1) He bonded with Simon. (2) He shared an experience with Simon that He was able to use as an illustration of His call.

q What are some ways that we can bond with non-believers as we seek to “make friends for Christ?”

q What are some common every day experiences that might be used to illustrate the call of Jesus in people’s lives?

Verse 5:

Simon had very low expectations of fishing with Jesus because his previous experience had disappointed him. He had been fishing all night with little success and was frustrated. However, he had been listening to Jesus and was apparently impressed. He was willing to try again, but only because Jesus said so. Jesus had earned an influence in Simon’s life.

q What sorts of frustrations and low expectations do people around us have regarding their own futures and matters of faith? Have many people just given up?

q What are some ways that we might win the right and the ability to have influence over people and how might we use that influence over people to persuade them to take another look at Jesus Christ?

Verses 6-7:

What happened next was a surprise to everyone except Jesus. The only difference in the fishing was that He was with Simon and that He was directing the efforts. Often, people think they have tried everything, but they have tried it all on their own. They are surprised when they get a taste of the possibilities of life with Jesus Christ. We can help people take such a taste and accumulate some life experiences that verify the claims of Christ.

q Did you or someone you know ever experience the difference of the faith life before actually coming to Christ? Tell us about that.

q What is the difference that “launching out into the deep” and “fishing with Jesus” makes in your life over going it alone?

q How do you help other people understand the difference?

q Do you ever revert to the old pattern of “fishing alone?” What are the typical results?

Note: Jesus was modeling with Simon what it means to “fish for men.” He was also teaching Simon that in his future ministry, which he was yet to even imagine, he would not do so alone or on his own initiative. Nor would he be fishing in shallow waters.

Verses 8-10a:

To say the least, Simon and his other companions were impressed. In the same way, when we take non-believers “fishing” with us and involve them in Christian life and ministry, they are often impressed with what God does. They can find no explanation for it. They are amazed and somewhat bewildered. Notice that Jesus never mentioned their sin, yet Simon came under deep conviction of his sin and bowed down before Jesus, calling Him Lord. All Jesus had really done was to take them fishing after a “Bible study” lesson.

q What can your learn about witnessing from the example of Jesus? How can we practice His example?

q What does it take to impress non-believers? Why is important?

q Remembering that he had been exposed to a verbal witness, how did Jesus’ demonstration make Simon aware of His sin? What does it take for people to come under conviction? Do we need to badger them or expose them to truth?

q What was happening spiritually that caused Simon to bow down and call Jesus Lord? What brought you to this point in your spiritual life? If it has not happened yet, what would it take?

Verses 10b-11:

Finally, Jesus defined for Simon and the others what their experience had all been about. He called them to discipleship as He calls each of us. He calmed their fears and assured them that they would become “fishers of men.” This call was so compelling and attractive to them that they left everything to follow Him. In less than a day, they had come to understand that in order to experience real significance in their lives, they would need to follow Jesus.

q How important is significance in a person’s life? What does it mean?

q When and how did you first realize that God was calling you? How did you respond?

q What does it take for a person to leave everything and follow Jesus? Would you be bold enough to ask someone to do that? Have you done that?

q What does it mean to be a “fisher of men?”

q How will you apply the lessons of Jesus to your own personal witnessing this week?

Practical Applications

q Who are some people in your life that you need to spend time with as a way of exposing them to the claims of Christ?

q How might you involve them in ministry or fellowship in order to give them a taste of Christian life, faith, and Christians?

q Pray for these people and each other for opportunities, awareness, wisdom, and spiritual power to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4:38-44

Luke 4:38-44

Lessons from Jesus

1. “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”

Romans 2: 17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

Translate that cliché into “Put Your Actions Where Your Mouth Is,” or “Live What You Teach.”

Illustration:

Luke 4: 38Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Lesson – We are saved to serve.

2. Flip Wilson said, “What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG).”

25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the^[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

Translate that cliché into: “The outward symbolism of your life (your deeds) reveal more about who you are than hidden or obscure symbols.”

Illustration:

40When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Lesson: It is not enough to know who Jesus is if we have no intention to obey Him and follow Him.

3. Dorothy Parker said, “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, But Ugly Goes Clean to The Bone.”

28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Translate that cliché into, “You can’t correct what is wrong in the outer man with more symbols or even actions; you have to change his heart.”

Illustration:

42At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Lesson #1 – Jesus prioritized the preaching of the gospel over everything else, because only the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Lesson #2 – You can’t stay where you are and follow Jesus.

Fair Warning

I'm going to start posting my outlines whether or not they are refined.

Just whatever it is. We can edit later.

Offending Sensibilities

20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

The Great Calling

Luke 4:14-20

There is a calling in our lives. It is specific and it is special. Each of us shares some strong elements of a common call and each of us is called to a particular role that is ours and ours alone. Jesus emerged from His wilderness trial confirmed in what He already knew. He exemplified the champion of a ministry that He would call us to share. He announced not only His personal ministry, but a new Messianic era. It was and is the Great Calling and it paved the way for us.

14 -And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Having withstood near starvation and ruthless temptation, Jesus returned to Galilee. In returning, He did so in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was that same Spirit who had filled Him at His baptism and led Him into the wilderness. It was that same Spirit who would accompany Him throughout His ministry and upon whom He would rely. It was that same Spirit He would give to the believers at Pentecost and to us today. Jesus called upon no other power than that which He gives to us freely.

He just did it perfectly and in perfect submission.

As He went forth, His fame spread. There was a buzz. People were talking. Luke does not record any miracles up until this point. Nor does he tell us the content of any of Jesus’ teaching in the synagogues. Yet, there was something about Him and everywhere He went, people noticed.

Is there something about your life as Christ dwells in you? Is there a uniqueness and spiritual vitality that people can notice even if they cannot define it? Those who move in the power of the Spirit have it and it attracts attention.

Lesson # 1 – Walk in the Spirit and Listen for the Buzz.

There is no greater resource for your Christian life. You simply cannot live it apart from the Holy Spirit. If you do walk in the Spirit, you’ll reflect the life of Jesus everywhere you go and people will see the difference. You won’t have to manipulate the conversations to bring Him into them.

15 - And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

We know how Jesus taught. We read His words throughout the gospels. He shattered stereotypes, defied norms, redefined tired old religious language, and challenged empty traditions and prejudicial assumptions wherever He went.

Having been freed the need to prove Himself (significance), having settled the matter of His mission and loyalty (surrender) once and for all, and having laid aside all definitions and means success other than those that were from His Father and intrinsic to His nature, He could simply be who He was and say what He was given to say.

His countrymen were not accustomed to preachers like that. The early polls indicated approval. People were praising Him, but the unanimity of that praise would not last. He was about to become controversial.

Lesson # 2 – Settle on Your Identity in Christ and Be Yourself.

You have nothing to prove and nothing to lose. Be yourself – the person God made you to be – not the phony baloney self that you have fashioned for public consumption, but the truth-telling, Spirit-walking, joy-living, love-giving person you really are.

16 - And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Then He went home. It is tough going home. You will always be the little boy or girl they used to know. Familiarity to breeds many things, but one of them surely is contempt – not hostility – just contempt. He returned to His home synagogue where He had read aloud many times. This time would be different.

We all enjoy going home and we all have a sense of trepidation about it. How will we present ourselves? Will we be accepted? How will people relate to the experiences and insights we’ve had since we left?

Lesson # 3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Go Home and, when in Doubt, Let the Scriptures Speak for You.

Again, we have Jesus, the called, looking for a way to let the people who thought they knew Him know who He really was. Those folks thought they already knew. They had Him boxed in. Some folks think they know who you were; they have you defined, categorized, and set upon a course that they have predicted. Don’t buy into it. God designs you, defines you, and directs you.

17 - And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

We pronounce the name of this book, “Isaiah.” He was the great prophet who had predicted the exile and return as well as the coming of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant. Jesus knew where to find the passage He wanted for that day. He knew exactly. He had immersed Himself in the scriptures all of His life. They had provided the foundation for His life and they had provided the ammunition He had needed to face temptation in the wilderness. Now, they would define His mission.

Lesson # 4 – If You Want to Be Sure of Your Calling, Prepare Your for Life by Immersing Yourself in the Sacred Scriptures.

If the One who authored them read them, at what point to we become to wise or familiar with them to leave them behind? Jesus came under the authority of the Word of God and centered His life and ministry in them. We can learn from that.

The old hymn goes like this:

Sing them over again to me,

Wonderful words of life.

Let me more of their beauty see,

Wonderful words of life.

Words of life and beauty,

Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words.

Wonderful words of life.

18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” is what a Messiah might say – certainly one who is certain of His words, certain that what He is saying is from God and is authoritative. It is the voice of confidence and clarity.

“He has anointed me.” Messiah means, “one anointed by God.”

Lesson # 5 – You Are Not the Messiah, but You Are Indwelt by Him. Therefore, speak with Confidence.

That gives you the authority that comes from being directly under authority. And it bestows confidence upon you.

“He has anointed me to …” Somehow, the One about whom it is ALL ABOUT had the attitude that it was not all about Him. For Jesus, it was about the message and for us it is about the message., Of course, He is the message because He is the agent of the liberation He is about to proclaim.

Lesson # 6 – It’s Not All About You. It IS All About the Message.

“To preach the gospel to the poor…” The Master who needs no affirmation from any man, does not need the status of a court prophet, a ladder climber, or an elite circle runner. He came to preach good news to the neediest of all. He would explain that the poor are the truly blessed because of their special place in the Kingdom. The poor could not help Jesus climb to power and He chose to relate to them.

Anyone can be poor enough to be included if they will just see themselves for what they are.

Lesson # 7 – Jesus Has Set the Pattern for Our Individual Callings with His Great Calling.

God has created you with a unique ability to proclaim the message that Jesus proclaimed. You will do it in your own way. You may focus on a particular component of it, but you share His overall calling to share good news with the poor and “ to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

We need to measure the success or failure of our church’s ministries against the standard of Jesus as He read from Isaiah:

q Are the poor being told the good news? Or are targeting only those audiences that we think can make our churches gown and stroke our egos. It’s not that God does not care about the rich in this world’s wealth, but He can’t help them much until they know how poor they are.

q Are the brokenhearted being healed? He is not saying that He has come to relieve our superficial sadness. It is more. People hearts are broken and that is more than being forlorn and lovelorn. It is about losing heart and giving up, throwing in the life towel and resigning from life. We have a message that can revive the heart and it is our calling to deliver it to the point of brokenness for the ultimate healing.

q Are captives being delivered? Are people coming out of addictions and sin? Are they being lifted? Is Satan losing the battle for people’s souls?

q Are the blind seeing? Are we doing our best and seeing some results in the ministry of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and we promote a message of wholeness and truth? Are eyes being opened that once were oblivious to truth? Are people perceiving reality in a new way?

q Are we setting people free from the chains that bind them and the old tapes that tell them they can never be any more than they are? Are we communicating our calling through His calling that people in bondage have a calling as well and that they can become more than they are?

q Is it happening? Is the Spirit of the Lord upon us? Are we confidently embracing our call?

19 - To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus announced a new day. A careful study of the text including the context of Isaiah, informs us that Jesus was announcing a Messianic age and that He was the fulfillment of the Messianic Year of Jubilee. It was bold and scandalous, but it was true and He did not hold back.

We live in the Messianic Age of Jesus Christ. We live in the Day of Grace, the Moment of Liberation, a Time of Hope – the Day of the Lord!

These are urgent times and these are opportune times.

20 - And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 - And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

There was something about the way He spoke that they knew more was coming, but His sermon was very short and very powerful.

Today, this scripture is fulfilled.

And everything is fulfilled in Christ – all of our hopes and expectations, all of our needs and all of our aspirations, the whole law, the prophets, and the wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures, all the wisdom of the ages, all the longings of humanity through the generations.

Lesson # 8 – This Is the Time to Proclaim Christ and That Is Our Highest Calling.

Tempted As We Are

Luke 4:3-13

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:13: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

First, He identified with us in His baptism, now He is identifying with our ongoing struggle with sin.

Again, the book of Hebrews gives us insight into this application in our lives:

Hebrews 12:4 - Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

So, as Jesus emerged from 40 days of fasting, hungry and weary, weak, and desperate for food, starving, hanging between death and life, He was going before us that He might come alongside of us when we are tempted.

Satan, the accusing adversary, is ready to pounce on Jesus and the pattern laid out here alerts us to areas where we are vulnerable as well. There were three great temptations that Jesus' faced and they prepared Him for every other temptation as well as for the cross. They revolve around three areas of active concern in our lives as well: significance, surrender, and success.

• Significance - The evil one challenged Jesus about His own purpose and identity when he said, "If thou be the Son of God " Of course He was the Son of God and He knew it, but He had been beaten down by the fast and depleted of all but Holy Spirit strength. He had emptied Himself of all divine shortcuts. The attack came at the core of His being.

• It was a personal attack. It was a "double-dog dare" because it challenged His nature, His power, His resolve, His purpose, and His essential calling. Everything was at stake and a lesser man or woman might have confused Satan's challenge as a call to arms, an occasion to prove oneself.

• Here's a hint: Whenever you feel the need to prove yourself, resist it. It is most likely not coming from God. Your significance in Him is secure. He knows who you are and your value to Him. There is nothing to prove.

• It was a primary attack. It was based upon a real and genuine need. Jesus was now actively dying, starving to death. "command this stone that it be made bread." He really needed that bread - just like you really need some of the things that are just out of your reach right now. It is likely that the devil will show up in some form or another - recognizable or not - with an idea that will tempt you to sacrifice your significance and compromise your purpose to get what you really need. All of the martyrs could have saved their own lives simply by recanting their faith. You can very often get real needs met by sacrificing what really counts.

• Here is another hint: When someone says, "but you have to live," respond with, "No I don't. I have to be faithful to my calling. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21). That's was like Jesus' response - Real life isn't about getting bread when you need it. Real food is God's Word. Hanging your life on the Word of God is no milk toast Christianity. It is gut-level, life or death, ready to lay it all down significance of the highest order. It doesn't matter how desperate you are for what you "really need," there is always something MORE important and it is wrapped up in God's truth and that is where we get our significance.

• Surrender - Satan took Jesus to a high place. From that vantage, he could show Jesus the kingdoms of the world and try to tempt Him with them. High places had been temptations for the children of Israel for centuries. Leviticus 26:30 alerts us to the attitude that God had toward such places as they became substitutes for true worship of the true God:

And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

This temptation was about to surrender to God's purposes and God's ways.

• Jesus knew what the high places represented. He knew that when the children of Israel had grown impatient with God, they turned to the false gods worshipped there. Throughout the times of the kings, the altars there had remained and even the kings and prophets had, from time to time, returned there. Perhaps Satan thought that he could lure the weakened, weary Jesus into something less than the best. After all, what he was offering looked like God's purposes. But approximation is not authentication. God's purposes are authentic and unique and the authority and splendor that the world, the flesh, and the devil offer are poor substitutes for the real thing.

• Hint Time: Just because something has the trappings of the worship of God, the language of spirituality, or the look and feel of authentic Christianity, does not make it real. God's purposes are discovered in knowing and doing His will - nothing less. The authority of this world may be appealing and you may be attracted to earthly power, but there is something greater. Splendor is compelling, but there is something that eye has not seen, ear heard, or the heart considered that God has prepared for them that love Him.

• God's ways are very specific and refined. They never involve surrender to anything or anyone but Him. They do not allow for compromise in the areas of holiness and wholehearted devotion to the God of the universe. Even depleted of all strength and resources but the Holy Spirit, Jesus knew this. He had already laid aside all of the glory, authority, power, and splendor of eternity to empty Himself and become a man. Perhaps the memory was not vivid at the moment, just as our vision of what lays in store for us may be dim. But the devil offered bug spit compared to the glory to come. Jesus answered with the Word of God yet again: Worship only God. Serve only Him. Those are His ways and nothing else will do.

• Another Hint: When you are tempted to shift your loyalties for something that looks attractive in the here and now, remember two thigs: (1) There is always free cheese in a mousetrap, (2) The one offering you these things doesn't have the clout to give them. All he has is a cheap substitute. Only God deserves your service and worship. The way to victory is through surrender. If Jesus had to surrender to the will of God to complete His mission, how much more must we?

• Success - God cheers for our success, but He insists on defining it and timing it. We live in an age of instant everything and we want instant success as well. We fall for get rich quick schemes, get burned, heal, and fall again. The less work, sacrifice, and discomfort - the better. Satan tried to pull the wool over Jesus' eyes one more time. This time, He was using all the tactics the Master had resisted before and adding one more. Don't think that Satan will not attack you with the same temptations again once you have overcome. He will try all the angles. He pulled out the significance card (If you are ...), upped the ante on high places and took Him to the highest place, and through in a deal breaker: scripture with a does of frivilous faith. "God won't let anything bad happen to you. Let's get this thing over with. Put on a good show. Then everyone will believe and we can get back to normal." And what he wasn't saying - which was most important - "We can avoid the nastiness of that cross you have in mind."

• Beware of shortcuts. They abound - short definitions of suucess, abbeviated definitions of success, superficial assessments of success - shortcuts. They will appeal to your sense of significance and even mimic surrender to God, but they are sinister. What was at stake here anyway? It was not Jesus' soul. His soul was secure. He would not and could not be lost. It was His mission. And you better be grateful He wasn't willing to lay it aside or we would be lost without hope. His mission was to seek and to save that which was lost and there would be no easy road to that end, no shortcuts, no avoiding the cross. And there are no shortcuts in your road to spiritual success either. God defines it; God decrees it; God directs it; and God drives it.

• Let's Try Another Hint: If it looks too good to be true; it probably isn't true. If it seems too easy, there is probably little value in it. All success is costly, even spiritual success. There are no shortcuts, but if we will apply God's truth to our quest for success, we can find it. The Master refused the shortcuts and calls to us, "Follow me."

• Beware of Sensationalism - cheap substitutes for real faith, trust, and commitment. Don't tempt God! That was Jesus short quote for Stan's long quote. Both quoted scripture. The devil might have sounded spiritual, but he wasn't advocating anything but cheap shot sensationalism. "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. " He is not playing games and He has not called us to play games. This is serious business. This is about redemption. This is not just about life and death; it is about eternal life and eternal death. The stakes are high and everyone is playing for keeps.

• One More Hint: All that glitters is not gold. Just because something is flashy or someone can perform tricks and impress people, it doesn't mean that such a person or thing is from God. God can do the miraculous. Jesus, in His life would perform many miracles and would declare that we would do even greater works - but not to be sensational. God will never resort to trickery to be successful or to make us successful. He is the real thing and He calls us to be real.

• How About One More: In ministry we do not have to manipulate people into belief or surrender to the will of God. The same Holy Spirit who gave Jesus the strength, wisdom, and power to resist the devil will bring that same Word of God to the forefront of our lives to convict the world of sin, and righteousness, and judgment as He speaks through our faithful witness and consistent lifestyle. Never use manipulative methods and never fall for them.

A final word: the devil left Jesus after those three temptations - but only until an opportune time. We never know when it will be opportune for him again, so we need to be ready as Jesus was: filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit. Then we can resist and overcome. Then, we will see our true significance affirmed, real surrender activated, and genuine success attained.

He was tempted as we are and He is with us in every temptation. Through His overcoming Spirit, we too can overcome.

Amen.

The Forty Factor

Luke 4:1-2

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

The Bible is full of "40"s.

There were 40 years in the wilderness for the children of Israel, 40 years reign of Saul, David and Solomon, 40 days and nights flood, and, of course 40 days fasting by Jesus in the wilderness. Forty seems to be the length of a biblical generation and a time of completeness.

For me, the age of 40 seemed to usher in middle age.

Back to the Bible:

The spies were in Canaan for 40 days.

Elijah fasted 40 days.

40 days were given to Nineveh to repent.

It seemed to take 40 days or 40 years to get much of what God purposed done in the lives of people. Today, we have Rick Warren's "40 Days of Purpose" as a propellant to spiritual growth.

After His resurrection, Jesus was with the disciples for 49 days, instructing them and fellowshipping with them in preparation for their lives of ministry and evangelism.

So, what is it about this 4o day period in Jesus' life?

1. For one thing, He deprived Himself. He set aside the natural desire and need for food to sustain His body and during that time He was tempted.

But the temptation of that time was not recorded. We already know what it was. He went into the wilderness strong and at a high spiritual moment in His life. During that time, He chose not to eat. He deprived Himself of food. We can all imagine that sort of temptation. It is the temptation to break the commitment, break the fast, rationalize it away.

After all, it is a rather extraordinary thing to do. Surely this is not required. We need food.

You can come up with your own responses. For the first two-three days, the body will inform the mind of many. It is in those days of a fast that the stomach is still used to food; it growls with discomfort and cries out to be fed.

But those were not the days of deepest temptation. He was still strong. He was still nourished. He has enough nutrients stored up to sustain Him and the voices were controllable. He could ignore the pangs. His temptation at that time was to avoid the greater temptation.

After a few days, the pangs ceased. He was still actually doing something good for His body. Periodic fasts are healthy and promote cleansing. Beyond a few days, we enter into a weakened condition. Extended fasts are not for everyone physically, but Jesus was up to the challenge. The hunger pangs ceased. He may even have felt some euphoria, even times of heightened spiritual awareness. The afterglow of His baptism must have warmed His heart. His Father was very near and He knew it. As long as He did not engage is intense physical exertion, He was OK.

Note: For more information on therapeutic fasting see Dr. Saul's web page: Doctor Yourself.

Concerning this period of deprivation, it is important to note two factors:

• He was full of the Holy Spirit. At His baptism, the Spirit of the Lord had come upon Him in an extraordinary way. He had always been the Incarnate One, but here He was walking the path of an obedient believer. In order to live and we are called to live, He had to draw from the same well that is offered us. Jesus lived the Spirit-filled life that we are called to live. The power that flowed through Him is the power that He offers us. Do not wander off into the wilderness of fasting or temptation on your own. Go in the power of the Holy Spirit.

• He was led by the Holy Spirit. He did not move on His own intuition as holy and in-tune as that was. He did not go on a whim or a challenge. He was led. You may be thinking even now about how inadequate you are compared to spiritual giants you admire. You may be convinced that the secret of their power is found in some spiritual methodology or practice. Indeed, God may use those practices in our lives, but they alone are not the secret of power. The secret is to be led by the same Spirit who fills us. His is perfect timing and perfect methodology and it is customized to individuals and groups of believers such as churches for particular times and needs. God may call you or your church to a concentrated period of fasting, spiritual seeking, or even testing for particular need or opportunity. As the Spirit leads, heed, but don't go off on your own.

The time of temptation is most often associated with the time of spiritual intensity. It is not to be taken lightly. Nor is it to be accomplished in our own strength. The forty factor here is the perfect timing of God for our deprivation and deepening. He must be in charge.

2. He was depleted. There was nothing left to give. He demanded more of Himself than would be expected. At the end of 40 days, He was hungry. The human body can generally go 30 days without food, after which the hunger returns and the body begins to feed on itself. That is starvation.

Jesus went further with this discipline. He completely emptied Himself. There were no resources left. See Philippians 2 to understand how deep was His emptying. This was beyond deprivation. Jesus was now starving.

But it was the purpose of God that he be tempted. That is why He went into the wilderness in the first place.

Otherwise, He might not have fulfilled Isaiah 53:4-6:

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He faced the worst so that we can face whatever we must. Hebrews 4:10 puts it this way:

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

This temptation was severe because of two factors:

• His weakened condition. The hardest part was yet to come and three great temptations lay ahead of Jesus in His weakened state. They would go to the heart of His self-understanding and deepest commitments. They would appeal to His lofty goals and essential goodness. Often, temptation does not come to us wrapped in obvious garments of greed, hatred, and envy. Satan appeals to something good inside of us - Good, but not God. Jesus' condition was weakened so that it was more difficult to be wary of Satan's wiles. You may be there right now - weakened by whatever has come your way. Your only strength is God, but that is enough.

• His weary consecration. For 40 days He had prayed and fasted. There was no more spiritual high to sustain Him, no emotional charge to spring Him forward, and no physical power to hold Him upright. He was weary. All He had was His Father's Word and the Spirit's presence. Yes, that Holy Spirit who had filled Him and led Him into the wilderness was still with Him. He does not abandon us when we are weary. He is no less present when we are less enthused. Our consecration may be weary, but in such moments, it is very real as we are upheld by the power of God and nothing else. You may be depleted in Spirit, feeling that the best moments of opportunity have passed. A few days or weeks ago, you feel you could have faced this trial, but now, there is nothing left. Don't be discouraged. Everything that counts is left.

Jesus gave His best resistance to temptation when He was at His weakest and weariness. Having deprived Himself, He was now depleted. It was then that the Word and the Spirit upheld Him and we have those same resources in our lives.

3. He was done. The 4o days were ended and it was time to eat. No question about it, food was necessary. Without food, He would now die. Some of us would be desparate, He was simply done. It was at this point where the choices He would make would be matters of life and death.

Are you desperate or are you just done?

If you are desperate, you are susceptible to the devil's shortcuts and tricks. If you are merely done, you have already made a choice: Live or die, it's God all the way!

Jesus made that choice. Nothing would short circuit His mission. Nothing would compromise His commitment. Nothing would keep Him from doing what He came to do.

But He could have died.

He came to die. This was not the way He had seen it, but He was ready. It was in God's hands. So are our lives. Two things come to mind:

• The test is real. Our needs are not imaginary. Our hunger is not all in our heads. Our desperation is based upon reality. We really are done. We could die, or go bankrupt, or be crippled, or be hurt in some way. And Satan will most likely show us a way out and it will not be God's way. We need to be ready for that, make a prior decision, and be filled with the Spirit in a way that transcends good feelings. We are in for a test. Some time or another, there will be a big test in our lives, perhaps more than one. We need to be prepared. Jesus has gone before us and He has showed the way.

• The trust is even more real. Jesus entered the wilderness trusting the Father and we can trust Jesus who has gone before us. Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." We can trust Him to save us or take us home. He will bring us through or carry us over. Andre Crouch said it this way:

Through it all, through it all;
I've learned to trust in Jesus;
I've learned to trust in God ...

I've learned to depend upon His Word.

That is what He leaves us with, a lesson and example of absolute trust. Jesus did not know how His next meal would come, but He knew that He was in the Father's care. And so are we. So are you.

Be not dismayed.
The Father knows your needs.
Be not swayed.
It is His hand that feeds you.
When come the tests of time
And all your strength is past,
You've only begun to climb,
This is God's chosen fast.
(c) 2006, Tom Sims