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THE TEMPTATIONS TO BE RELEVANT, POWERFUL, AND SPECTACULAR
by Pastor Mike Fortune
August 23, 2014
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- God's words are still relevant (Luke 4:1-4; Exodus 34:28; Revelation 12:17; Deuteronomy 8:2-3; John 20:31; Luke 3:21-22; Nouwen p.41)
- Serving others is powerful (Luke 4:5-8; Daniel 4:17; John 12:31; Deuteronomy6:13; 10:20; Nouwen p.35)
- Trusting God minus the miraculous is most spectacular (Luke 4:9-13; Psalm 91:11-12; Deuteronomy 6:16; Daniel 3:16-18; Proverbs 18:10; James 4:7-8)
Henry David Thoreau
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
Luke 4:1-4
1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4 But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone.'"
Exodus 34:28
28 Moses remained there on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the LORD wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.
Revelation 12:17
17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3
2 Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
John 20:31
31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
Luke 3:21-22
21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."
Henri Nouwen
The desire to be relevant and successful will gradually disappear, and our only desire will be to say with our whole being to our brothers and sisters of the human race, 'You are loved.- In The Name of Jesus p.41
Luke 4:5-8
5 Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them," the devil said, "because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me." 8 Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.'"
Daniel 4:17
17 The Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses even to the lowliest of people.
John 12:31
31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.
Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20
13 You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. 20 You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him.
Henri Nouwen
The leaders of the future will be those who dare to claim their irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows them to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success, and to bring the light of Jesus there. - In The Name of Jesus p.35
Luke 4:9-13
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'" 12 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the LORD your God.'" 13 When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
Psalm 91:11-12
11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.
Psalm 91:11-12 (KJV)
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all Thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up...
Deuteronomy 6:16
16 You must not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah.
Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.
Proverbs 18:10
10 The name of The Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.
James 4:7-8 (Scripture Reading)
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you.