February 7, 2021
Morning Service

Have you ever been to the desert?  I am not talking about an actual place like the Mojave Desert, but I am talking about a time period in your life where you felt like you were stranded in a desert.  A time that things were difficult, dry, and lonely.  It seemed that you were torn down to the core of who you are and were tested to the your very breaking point.  Trials and temptations became hurdles along your path one after another; nothing came easy and everything seemed a struggle.  It may have been a short time or it could have lasted for several years.  It may be well in your past or it may be going on right now for you.  We often wonder what we have done wrong to have ended up in that desert, but in reality it was God who led us there and it was He that led us out of it or will lead us out.  I believe we all have our desert stories.  The OT is full of desert stories.  Job lost everything he had in this world in about an hour.  Joseph seemed to be led from one desert to another.  But by far the most famous OT desert story is that of the children of Israel, a story that lasted for 40 years.  God had just miraculously rescued them from 400 years of slavery in Egypt by the leadership of Moses.  They had experienced the hand of God in their lives by witnessing the ten plagues and had walked across the Red Sea without getting wet.  No person’s faith could have been any greater than theirs from what they had just seen.  They were on a spiritual high and everything was right in the world.  It was at that time that God led them, His chosen people, to the desert, but why?  At the end of their 40-year journey Moses explained the purpose of their desert experience to them.

  Deu 8:2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

            God had a purpose for leading them to the desert.  He used the desert to humble them, test them, and know and prove the desire of their heart.  He wanted them to come to the very breaking point and humbly call out to Him for help.  He wanted them to show with their actions and attitudes at a time of struggle and difficulty that they were “in it to win it;” following Him no matter the cost.  At the end of their desert journey the children of Israel “owned” their faith.  By humbling themselves, they learned to trust the Lord and obey even when it was difficult or made no sense to do so. The desert had a purpose and the struggle there fulfilled that purpose; they were broken down and then built back up again.  Can you see that in your desert story?  I certainly hope so. Today we will go with Jesus to the desert.  The Hebrew writer tells us this of Jesus’ experience:

 

Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

            Our Lord and Savior is able to sympathize with us about our times in the desert because He has been there.  He our true leader experienced every temptation that we will ever face without sin.  He leads us by example, He first does what He later asks us to do.  Let’s go with Jesus into the desert this morning.  He too, like the children of Israel, is coming off of a spiritual high at His baptism where His Father affirmed Him; “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Notice what sends Jesus to the desert.

 

Mat 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  (2)  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

            It was the Spirit that led Jesus to the desert to also be humbled, tested, tempted and tried.  It was God’s will that Jesus was not exempt from the same temptations and trials that we all face in our time in the desert.  God chose to walk in our shoes so He could truly relate to us as our High Priest.  After fasting forty days, He had to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained; empty with nothing left to give.  Have you been there?  At the end of your rope and feeling unable to face even one more challenge.  It is at that point of vulnerability that our enemy comes after Him and after us.  Our enemy knows it is easier to attack when we are at the bottom feeling overwhelmed, over worked, unappreciated, unloved and alone in the desert.  The bright sun makes us squint so we can’t see things clearly and all we can think about is the pain of the sunburn upon our back.  We become solely focused upon ourselves and nothing else.  Just as the lion chooses his victim from the outskirts of herd, Satan attacks us when we are alone and vulnerable (more proof that we are “Better Together).  Jesus’ desert story resembles that description.  At His lowest moment the enemy attacks, not with a full frontal assault at first, but with a subtle suggestion and then proceeds to accelerate to the final charge.

 

Mat 4:3-11 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  (4)  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "  (5)  Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU,' and, IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.' "  (7)  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.' "  (8)  Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  (9)  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  (10)  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.' "  (11)  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

            Only three temptations are listed here, but we know by Hebrews that Jesus was “in all points tested as we are.”  These three focused on two specific areas of temptation that we all face.  First He face the temptations that come from our physical needs and desires which was tested with both the first and second temptation.  Jesus was hungry and needed to eat, which is not a sin, but He refused the subtle suggestion of a temptation to use His power to justify meeting that need before the time was right (Dt 8:3).  The devil then quotes scripture to Him of God’s promised protection daring Him to use His power to prove God’s Word (Dt. 6:16).  He chose to trust God by placing His faith in God’s Words and not focus on His own circumstances.  Our needs and desires often drive us to a point of choosing between obedience to our Lord or following our “need” to fulfill our physical desires.  We ask “wouldn’t God want me to be happy?” to justify our disobedience.  It is at that point that we must choose “my will or His.”  Jesus chose to obey without sin.  

Secondly He was tempted on the front of power, possessions, and pride.  The devil offered Him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”  Jesus was offered an easy way out of the difficult journey that lay ahead for Him.  To fall and worship the devil would mean there was no cross to bear and all the responsibility that went with it would disappear; life could be much easier.  He could have all these things, all the desires pride brings to each of us, with only the bowing of His knee.  We too can be given opportunities to “take an easy road to success” that often means bending or breaking our spiritual commitment to follow Jesus.  Success, especially attained easily, often come at a high price of choosing it over your faith and ethics.  In that test, the true desire of your heart is revealed.  Jesus again showing His resolve to “fulfill all righteousness” rebukes the devil with the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), God’s Word.  “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” (Dt. 6:13) He sought the kingdom of God and Will of God as the first and foremost authority in His life letting nothing deter Him from following the course set before Him.  He chose to stay on the narrow, difficult road and complete His journey successfully.  When He did, the “angels came and ministered to Him.” God rewarded His obedience.

God often leads us to the desert with a specific purpose in mind.  We often get caught up in moment and lose focus of Him and focus solely upon ourselves and our circumstances (have a pity party).  If and when you find yourself in the desert know that it has its purpose.  Your job is to endure it faithfully with obedience and with an attitude that is searching for the lesson behind the suffering.  James tells us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” (1:2) or as we call it today, are led to the desert.  Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.  If we take that attitude and resolve to be an overcomer, then in the end the angels will minister to us as well.  Job ended his life with twice the children and possessions that he had lost.  Joseph, in a Christ like manner, saved his people from a famine by enduring his deserts.  The children of Israel moved on to conquer the land of Canaan and live in the land God had promised them.  Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by enduring His desert by completing His journey to the cross and to rise from the grave conquering sin and death.  What about you?  How will you desert story end?  Your job is simply to hold on tight and follow faithfully.  Don’t let the sun blur your vision or the heat destroy your resolve.  Let the desert fulfill its purpose and be the better follower of Christ because of it.  Don’t give up, the Spirit has led you to this desert, and know Jesus walks through it with you.  Don’t worry because He has been here before.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the times You lead us to the desert to be tested and tried.  Please grant us through the power of the Holy Spirit to be an overcomer by keeping our eyes upon you during the time of struggle.