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But with that there's a parallel passage. If we just turn over to Matthew chapter 4. Matthew chapter 4 and from verse 1. We're just going to see the Matthew account of this. Matthew chapter 4 and verse 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights he was afterward and hungered and when a tempter came to him he said if thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread and he answered and said it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and seteth him on a pinnacle of the temple and saith unto him if thou be the Son of God cast thyself down for it is written he shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dashed thy foot against the stone. Jesus said unto unto him it is written again thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and shaeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and saith unto him all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me then saith Jesus unto him get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve then the devil leaveth him and behold angels came and ministered unto him. Okay the title of my sermon today is three ways that the devil tempts believers three ways that the devil tempts believers and if you go back over to Luke 4 you know I could have preached on either passage there they're pretty similar there's actually a slightly different order to Matthew which I want you to think about as well in a minute but Luke there's just a bit a little bit more description in a few of the verses so I chose to preach it from Luke chapter 4 and just have a look there let me look from verse 1 just a couple of points here Luke chapter 4 verse 1 and Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness I want you to notice there that he was full of the Holy Ghost and he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness now Jesus has just been baptized he's just about to start his ministry and then we have this this 40 days of temptation it's not 40 days and the temptation come he's fasting for 40 days and he's tempted during that those 40 days it says in verse 2 being 40 days tempted of the devil it in those days he did eat nothing and when they were ended he afterward hungered okay so he's just done a full today fast now that sounds like a tough time being tempted fasting for 40 days also there's only two other people in the Bible that have done that 40 day fast now these three particular temptations are recorded here and in Matthew 4 and like I said in Matthew 4 there's a slightly different order where the second or third temptation is swapped over and I think they're recorded for obviously for a reason that we can learn from them like we said he was tempted for 40 days but these three temptations are ones recorded in both both passages there now I've heard different preacher I've heard some people preach that they're just three you know just particular temptations on as you can see them on surface level there's nothing wrong with that that they're just many kinds of sin that Jesus tempted with and that's not untrue but I don't know I studied this this week and I believe they do picture three different types of temptation too and so hear me out here while I preach this to you and have you look at verse 3 there of Luke 4 in verse 3 the Bible says and the devil said unto him if thou be the Son of God command this stone that it be made bread and Jesus asked him saying it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God okay so what's the temptation here he's hungry he's just he's done the 40-day fast turn the stones into bread is that bad is that that bad to turn the stones into bread didn't Jesus make wine juice from water didn't he multiply fish and bread to feed thousands of people now have you ever wondered what the application is for us because I do believe this is for us to apply apply this to our lives apply this to ourselves what's the application here don't turn stones into bread I don't think so I don't think anyone's going to try that maybe they will but you need to sort yourself out if you do think that you've got some sort of magic powers like that maybe it's hard you know now that's time for hard preaching on bread making well you could switch it around don't turn bread into stones because I know that some people I know my wife's done that sometimes as well when you make a mistake with that bread maker it's a bad result isn't it but I think the key here is in verse 1 where it says that Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost and had been led by the spirit into the wilderness he was full of the ghosts are led by the spirit into the wilderness now Matthew 4 one says that then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil so he's been led to fast and led to be tempted by the spirit and he's just completely relying on the Holy Spirit the leading of the Holy Spirit here okay God the Holy Spirit has led him into the wilderness to be fast and tempted now that I believe it the devil is tempting him to stop relying on God to stop trusting his leading and to do it his own way because he's been led into the fast being led into the temptation surely he's then going to be led to the food but the devil saying do it yourself he's saying turn the bread in turn turn the stone into bread and I think that Jesus is setting an example to us here if you turn to Matthew 6 turn to Matthew 6 and verse 31 and this is Jesus speaking where he said therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be clothed for after all these things that the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you so Jesus could have made stones into bread I don't think it would have necessarily been that sinful from that respect but he was trusting in God to provide for him wasn't he he was he had been led he was filled with the Holy Ghost being led by God and he was trusting God to provide for him so if the Holy Spirit is going to lead him to fast he's also going to lead him to food it's God that provides for us isn't it right that the first temptation I think is subtle here and you know there's something that really dawned on to me even more this morning but that the when you compare it to Genesis 3 and in Genesis 3 1 he said yea hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden and I think it's a subtle temptation here to start relying to or to sorry to put doubt and to stop trusting fully God and it's just that little bit of doubt into God turn these turn this bread turn these stones into bread so three ways that devil tempts believers I'm going to show you this in Genesis in a minute number one the temptation to stop trusting God I believe that the temptation is to stop trusting God now there are many ways that we're tempted to stop trusting God aren't there there are many ways well you know right now we're just getting hit aren't with constant so-called evidence for big bangs for billions of years all this sort of stuff we're getting hit with all the time basically you can't trust Genesis 1 you can't really trust the Bible was he right when he said that now how does he do that because it's easy for us say oh the devil does that and and some people might might not be that aware of this but let's make it clear right now the devil has a lot of influence in the world okay the devil has a lot of influence in the world and sadly there are a lot of Christians that don't really seem to believe or accept that they don't they think oh well there's a spiritual thing with unbelievers now the devil has a lot of influence in the world Ephesians 6 12 says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places second Corinthians 4 4 calls him the god of this world now if you think that the mainstream media Hollywood music industry world governments financial institutions and medical industry aren't either controlled at least influenced by the devil than you a fool you're a fool look at the filth look at the evil that's promoted look at it the crime committed by these people in power and openly as well the support of the mass murder of what what is the abortion industry mass baby murder supported across the world it's all of the devil it's all of the devil clearly okay oh you're a conspiracy theorist that's what you then get called you must be a conspiracy theorist you think that no I'm a realist I think most people here realists as well and anyone that believes that there are no conspiracies is a naive fool you've got to be a fool to think that there's no such thing as conspiracies in the world I'm not saying every conspiracy like there's a lot of lies and I think as well the devil is behind a lot of the lying conspiracies as well because there's some muddy water out there don't get me wrong but proverbs 22 3 says a prudent man for seerth evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished and we should be prudent we should foresee the evil we need to be wise okay now the devil wants us to not trust God to not trust his word to live in fear doesn't he fear of climate change we get a lot of that don't we fear of climate change oh the world's gonna suddenly melt away but Genesis 8 22 says well the earth remain is seed time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease so if you're believing in that you're not trusting God are you the earth isn't going to suddenly melt away fear of war but Matthew 24 6 says and you shall hear of wars and rooms of war see that you be not troubled for these things must come to pass but the end is not yet that means don't worry don't have to worry about it fear of harm through crime and other things such as that are we that that's pushed on us a lot I feel Matthew 10 29 says are not to spare a soul for farthing one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father but the very hairs of your head are all numbered fear ye not therefore ye of more value than many sparrows we don't have to fear we don't have to be in fear of these things now there are many ways that you want start God and no surprise when we look at Satan's first appearance in the Bible so have a look at Genesis 3 so all the way to the front of your Bible Genesis chapter 3 and verse 1 now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden and a woman said unto the serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said ye shall not eat of it neither shall you touch it lest you die and the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil so verse 1 the first thing he did was he put doubt didn't he first thing he did was he questions he questioned God's Word and in verse notice here in verse 4 he says ye shall not surely die and verse 5 he's saying here basically you'll be as gods and he's tempted them with the power by basically following what he says now that's exactly the same order in Matthew 4 of these three temptations of Jesus first is to doubt God's Word secondly he says to him cast yourself off because it because the angels will look after you you won't die if you cast yourself off the pinnacle of the temple at number 3 he's basically tempted him to seek power to seek power by basically following what the devil says rather than God it's the same order now that's in Matthew 4 Luke it's they just switch around the other two but I definitely see some some similarities there to Satan's first temptations of Adam and Eve there and Satan's temptations of Jesus okay keep a finger there go back to Luke 4 and verse 4 the Bible says and Jesus answered him saying it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God okay now Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 8 3 which reads and he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manner which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know that he might make thee know that man does not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth the Lord doth man live okay so God had made the children of Israel have to rely on him to trust him he had told them clearly clearly in Exodus 6 you don't have to turn there just quickly he said in verse 7 and 8 and I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the Lord so he made it clear what he was going to do but they were constantly doubting weren't they we read that a lot they're doubting murmuring thinking that they're going to die so God showed them in a remarkable way you know there was no food they're in the wilderness and he's raining at this special bread from heaven called manna and he's doing that every morning six days a week now I think that's to show that we can trust him because that was a and I'm you know they're in the wilderness thinking how on earth we're going to eat and he's raining down bread and he's showing them that we can trust every word every word that comes out of the mouth of God for of 35 says every word of God is pure he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him and Jesus reform reinforced it as believers we need to trust every word of God okay every word of God if we need every word of God to live there has to be every word of God somewhere doesn't there if if we're told we need every word of God there has to be every word of God doesn't there okay praise God that we have it here in the King James Bible praise God that we have every word of God here in the King James Bible and unlike these liberal wishy-washy sort of namby-pamby type churches we believe God when he said he preserved his word because that's the truth when they when they stand ago well we below and believe it was only in the originals so you're basically saying he didn't preserve his word so you're down in the Bible and that's the truth of it they're saying he's a liar they're saying he didn't preserve his word he couldn't preserve his word and we believe that he preserved his word it's as simple as that really isn't it Psalm 12 6 7 says the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in the furnace of earth purified seven times thou shalt keep them Oh Lord thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever Matthew 24 35 says heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away Isaiah 48 says the grass with with the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand forever forever okay and I believe God I believe God that we have the preserved Word of God and like I said if you're saying it's only in the originals then you don't believe in preservation you're calling God a liar it's as simple as that it's as simple as that where art because there are no originals there are no original manuscripts so what and there's two choice we make and that's why this church we preach the King James Bible and we can say God have said yeah thou shalt not sayeth the Lord we don't have well did he really mean that not so sure who I make my mind up myself about that and you can just decide what do you think he said he said okay so back to Genesis 3 the serpent first questioned God's Word then he lied didn't he he lied changed it and called God a liar okay so in verse 4 Genesis 3 4 and the serpent said unto the woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day ye thereof then your eyes shall be open and you shall be as God's knowing good and evil and that's exactly what happens with these false Bible versions that's exactly what happens so these joke churches they say well the NIV says they see RSV says this and the you know new new living translation says this but I believe that it means this so suddenly we've got a situation where it's thus saith the pastor the pastor has become as God hasn't he ye shall be as God's and that's what they do at the same time they're trying to really impress him now everyone's like wow pastor you know so and so pastor so he knows he's Greek doesn't he because he knows more than all these different translations he's decided and I've been in churches where they've done that and and the whole places and they're just gazing at this pastor oh wow what a linguist he doesn't understand a word of it he's just got a few different different dictionaries and lexicons and he's just decided which one he's going to choose and he has become as God hasn't he he's become as God now there's different angles of attack with this so you're going to get different angles of attack you probably already have you got the intellectual angle haven't you that somehow we're just so stupid because we don't we don't understand the scholars when they explain the differences and everything else and they'll go through the manuscripts to show us how we've got these older manuscripts and we're intelligent enough to know that they're actually more accurate in these places or you've got the easy-to-read lie you've got the opposite one haven't you where basically this is so difficult yet apparently we're stupid to be thinking that it's a preserved Word of God and this is actually so difficult that we need an easy-to-read version which is kind of ironic anyway isn't it but um but we have got every Word of God here haven't we we have every Word of God here in our King James Bibles but if I want to live by it if I want to live by it I've got to read it don't I I've got to read it if you want to know God and resist the devil's temptations and not trust him you've got to read his word you have to read his word and that's going to help you with another way the devil tempts you not to trust God and that's through false doctrine and false doctrine a lot of the time comes from false Bibles but they've been false doctrine ever since the beginning there's been false doctrine but the the new Bibles do help with that if you read your Bible enough that repent of your sins it's not going to even touch you is it you're not gonna start wondering well maybe you got to give up sir and I'm not saying anyone here if you're saved you're saved but but there is doubt put into people's minds the Galatians got bewitched didn't they they got bewitched but if you know your Bible you know surely that for by grace you say through faith and that not of yourselves it's a gift of God not of works as any man should boast and you know that turning from your evil way God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented evil that he had said that he would do unto them if you you know your Bible you know those verses you ain't going to be touched by that but you can read that verse and five years later you ain't read it again is that going to come into your mind maybe you hear it preach maybe you won't and not and obviously being in church is important as well lordship salvation as well lordship salvation but but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that just fires the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness but how much do we hear that that you're gonna you've got to make Jesus Lord of your life you had to have done to have been saved you had to follow him but the more you read your Bible the more you see that's not the case Zionism Zionism you and these guys that preach that stuff hard they don't read it they don't read their Bibles I know because I've spoken to him and they don't they have their little favorite passages they have their little little notes that will come around for Bible College or what they preach on but they don't read the Bible otherwise how on earth do you read the Bible and come away with that with that racist Zionist octree it you can't the pre-trib rapture how does that cut if you read your Bible over and over again not through the lens of someone else how'd you come up with a pre-trib rapture it's not going to happen is it women preaching how do you come up with women it's okay for women to preach how how do you get that from when you read your Bible how'd you get that you suffer not a woman to usurp authority over the man how does how does that or the all the anti soul winning doctrine when the Bible's so clear to go ye therefore and preach the gospel it's clear as day isn't it to go out and save people pull them out of the fire you know the fruit of the rights of the tree of life and he that win of souls is white there's so much isn't there yeah then you get these church and again it comes from not reading their Bibles from doubting God's Word or from from they start to hear that and it starts to strike over them because they don't know God's Word so then the doubt that then the don't you can't really trust what God said or did he really say that are you sure you're really meant to go out and preach the gospel and it appeals to the flesh doesn't it but it's not just man shall not live by bread alone but will read every word of God is it it's man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that's living by every word to turn a James chapter 1 James chapter 1 and verse 22 James 1 22 but be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves for if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was but who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hero but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed okay look at verse 24 there he forgets straight away so he looks at it he sees it and then he forgets straight away and that's what happens when you're not in the word of God isn't it you hear it you hear the preaching you read a little bit and then you're not in it you're not hearing it it goes it goes we we're not just going to retain every single thing we hear it has to be repetition and but you also have to do it you have to live it it's no good just me oh well I know where this is I know everything about the bar but I'm not living it and I gave this analogy the other day the analogy of a textbook for example and think about your particular professions and and I was saying to brother Alex say brother Alex who was a chef and say you had a textbook like this at best chefs in the world and they had written every single in and out of exactly what to do and how to cook the best meals in the world and he read it through time and time and time again but he never once went into a kitchen and even turned on a hob who's gonna be a better chef him or the guy that cooks a couple of times a week the guy that cooks a couple of times we and you think about how with any profession you're in it's all well and good reading our bar was young I've got so much knowledge I read my book but I don't live it I don't do it I'm not doing the work I'm not trying to follow what God has told me to do how on earth how am I how on earth am I living by every word of God it ain't happening okay so three ways that devil tempts believers I believe the temptation to stop trusting God okay have a look at verse 5 of Luke 4 ok Luke 4 verse 5 and the devil taking him up into an high mountain showed 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 in the glory then for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it if thou therefore will worship me all shall be thine okay so he takes him up verse 5 and shows him all the kings of world in a moment of time now notice it's all the kingdoms of the world not just the most ungodly oh well that nations of the devil but that one's not because it's got a few Christians our leader that claims to be a Christian or something else he shows him all the kingdoms of the world okay and in a moment of time so this is definitely spiritual this is definitely spiritual it's not he's not physically up on a particular mountain in the world the way you can see every kingdom of the world this is spiritual and I think in the same way what what he wants in return isn't necessarily physical either it's spiritual as well now in verse 6 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 will worship me all shall be thine and Jesus answered 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 the three ways the devil tempts believers number two is a temptation to worship him the temptation of worshiping him and ultimately the temptation is through stuff of the world isn't it okay now he says the glory and the glory is abundance wealth treasure and honor but he also talks about the power doesn't he the power and glory of the world and there's a lot of temptation there for a lot of people now notice how the devil says that the power and the glory is delivered unto him it's delivered unto him now he says he chooses who gets it and I think about this verse a lot when I talk about the real power in the world and I think I've mentioned this in preaching before this verse and obviously from Matthew as well talking that the devil Jesus didn't turn around and say you can't even do that what are you talking about no because the devil does have that he does that the power is is is his to give to people and that's through basically deals and people worshiping the devil in one way or another but notice here how he's he's offering power and glory to Jesus but I believe that this can apply to us too okay I don't think this is just something to look at for non Christians so can save Christians worship and Matthew 4 9 says to fall down and worship the devil can save Christians worship the devil well turn to first Kings first Kings 11 we've looked at this before but just quickly first Kings chapter 11 first Kings 11 and from verse 4 this is King Solomon who wrote obviously Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon for it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father for Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites and Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and went not fully off the Lord as did David his father then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab in a hill that is before Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon and likewise did he for all his strange wives which burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods okay clearly being saved because Solomon was clearly saved being saved does not make you immune from this temptation clearly King Joash we looked at the other week served groves and idols in 2nd Chronicles 24 Saul consulted with the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28 Aaron with the golden calf in Exodus 32 okay so what are some ways then what are the ways that believers today fall down and worship the devil what are ways today that believers can fall down and worship the devil have a look at 2nd Corinthians 11 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and from verse 13 for such a false apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as a ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works okay through false prophets through false prophets and false prophets aren't just for the unbelievers error believers I believe there are many false prophets I believe they're probably many believers as well that listen to these scumbags that put them on that put them on a pedestal that fallen that want to listen to them want to listen to them tickling there is in one way or another and that happens and we've probably a lot of people in probably listen to false prophets at some time some time or other and maybe it took a while maybe they realized maybe some haven't I hope not okay but I believe that that's one way I also believe that it's not just the it's not just the independent fundamental Baptist false prophet or maybe the evangelical Christian false prophet I believe that there are various ministers of Satan worldly academics there are you know the moral example of the world who's trying to show everyone how you need to care for the world or the or whatever it is that basically becomes an idol I believe that they're ministers of Satan turn to Ephesians 2 though Ephesians chapter 2 second Corinthians 4 4 remembers calls Satan the god of this world Ephesians 2 verse 2 says wherefore in time past he walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience so the course of this world the prince of the power of the air that prince is a ruler it's a principle it's not that he's second-in-command there he's a ruler he's that he's a ruler of the power of the air turn of 1st John 2 this is 1st John and chapter 2 John 12 31 calls him the prince of this world that's the ruler the ruler of this world and 1st John 2 16 says for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world so the way I see that is that seeking fame riches treasures putting it above God it's of the world and he's a god of this world so you could you could you might not you could put that together and be like is that worshipping the devil in one way or another when I'm worshipping this world when I'm putting it of more importance above God things of this world the stuff of this world now you might not be physically bowing down and worshipping him but maybe maybe that is spiritually when people do that now you okay what so I like worldly things I want riches yeah you know I'm bit sinful treasures but am I really worshipping the devil well how far will you go though for your stuff for your treasures for your things of this world don't go soul winning because you need to earn more for that holiday or that new car so you need to work late those nights is it really just to survive or you're missing church services to earn more money to work on a Sunday or maybe to keep popularity with your unsafe family people do that don't they or you don't read your Bible because you're surfing online shops for treasures or whatever else you know you know you've got your Bible reading time but I really want to buy that and you you know you fill in the blank there okay how about you you cut it all out well you work long hours and you just focus on getting more money because I need to buy that house I need to buy that new how I need to get that mortgage that's that house that's as in that house now come above God has it I think so are you worshipping those idols yet then is that worshipping them have they not gone above God I think and I'm not saying people here but I think that will happen you you talk to many Christians they'll say their times their lives that I've done that with things of the world have come above God okay now here's an extreme one but I guarantee you there are saved Christians that have done this sadly okay turn to Psalm 106 okay Psalm 106 and from verse 34 Psalm 106 and verse 34 they did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them but were mingled among the heathen and learned their works and they served their idols which were a snare unto them yea they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan and the land was polluted with blood how about abortion baby murder how about that sacrifice the idol of money the easy life I guarantee you there are Christians that had done that and sat and if that is you you know God God will forgive you for sure and we've forgiven by it by the blood of the Lamb aren't we but there are Christians who have been forgiven and will still go out and worship the devil in that way see how verse 37 38 there yeah they sacrificed their sons their daughters unto devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan I think the devil's and idols of Canaan or the world are used interchangeably there aren't they they use interchangeably and talking of idols first Corinthians 10 20 says but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to devils and not to God and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils behind the old the idols are devils and ultimately the devil yeah yeah okay with that in mind go back to Luke 4 and verse 8 Luke 4 verse 8 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 okay Jesus said get behind him Jesus is God now he seems to be referring there to Deuteronomy 6 13 which says thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shout swear by his name so listen to that again in Deuteronomy 6 13 he said thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shout swear by his name okay here he said thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shout thou serve now he used worship for fear didn't he he swapped worship with fear and I think true true worship of God requires fear doesn't it it requires fear and not just respect as again these worldly sort of liberal oh well they actually mean I've heard this they mean they mean respect it means respect they're not real fear no we should fear God you're gonna worship him properly you need a fear him don't you when we truly truly fear and worship him and serve with all our hearts it doesn't leave any room for idols and does it if you're really fearing God you're really worshiping him are you really then gonna be gonna have in your mind just that time for those idols of the world those devils of the world I don't think so Matthew 22 turn to Matthew 22 famous verse verses here Matthew 22 and from verse 37 Matthew 22 37 Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy mind this is the first and great commandment and I think that that's the sort of worship we should be thinking of if we you know if we want to beat these temptations of the devil and and not see I'm talking about temptations I'm not talking about direct attack of the devil it's the temptations in the world and I think that's what these are standing for the temptations of the world because the devil is the god of this world but if we want to beat those we need a focus all our love our heart our soul our mind on God don't we okay so three ways the devil tempts believers number one the temptation to stop trusting God the answer was to relearn and live by every word of God number two the temptation to worship him and the answer was to worship God properly okay verse 9 from Luke 4 Luke 4 and verse 9 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 thence 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 dashed thy foot against the stone and Jesus answering said unto him it is said thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God okay three ways that devil tempts believers and number three the temptation I think this is to destroy yourself with sin to destroy yourself with sin so have a look at this yeah and he brought him to Jerusalem set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said unto him if thou be the Son of God cast thyself down from thence for it is written he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee okay um just before I go there just just remember what I saying from Genesis and Genesis the temptation there isn't it is to destroy themselves with sin okay and he says ye shall not surely die and what's he saying here cast yourself down basically you won't surely die because he's given his angels charge over thee to keep thee now he's quoting one of my favorite Psalms here Psalm 91 so if you turn to Psalm 91 I believe this is a picture of sinful self-destruction if you turn to Psalm 91 okay have a look at verse 10 there shall no evil before thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways now you are okay he's only missed off in all thy ways notice in if you keep a thumb there I hope you have in Luke 4 he said he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee but in Psalm 91 he says in all thy ways now there's a difference between angels just keeping you which sound like keeping you alive you could you could have maybe apply that to that or keeping you in all your ways which is keeping you on course keeping you on the right path keeping you on course now that's only a little change but look at the next one he does verse 11 of Luke 4 but keep your finger in Psalm 91 verse 11 of Luke 4 he says and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time he's added in here at any time thou dashed thy foot against the stone now both Matthews and Luke's account so the devil added at any time Psalm 91 look at verse 11 here Psalm 91 verse 11 for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone okay so again well it's only a little thing at any time why is he added at any time well all believers all believers have guardian angels I believe this church will be a spiritual machine-gun turrets at the top there we've probably got them encamped around as I said this before but I do believe that been some 91 the protection is conditional it's conditional okay look at verse 9 of Psalm 91 okay so verse 9 because thou has made the Lord thy God which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation there shall no evil before thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling and then he goes on for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against the stone so verse 9 to 10 he's saying therefore because of verse 9 because you've made the Lord your refuge the most high your habitation therefore shall no evil before before thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling it's talking about danger coming to you danger coming to you so the devil is just taking a verse here slightly out of context added a little just a little bit here and hey presto you have a false doctrine where God will protect you when you willfully sin just a little change a little bit out of context take the verse on its own don't use the beginning verses and God will protect you if you willfully sin and look we're all sinners okay that's clear we're all sinners here everyone here is a sinner Ecclesiastes 7 26 for there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good that sinneth not okay we know that we're all sinners and praise God that he not only forgave us but he continues to forgive us doesn't he he continues to forgive us but there's a big difference there's a big difference I'm talking about in life we're all going to heaven for sure everyone who's put their faith in Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior is going to heaven but there's a big difference when it's willful presumptuous sin there is a difference to how God looks at that to how he deals with you in the day to day life and how much protection you get when it's willful presumptuous sin numbers 15 turn the numbers 15 numbers chapter 15 and verse 27 numbers 15 27 and if any soul sinned through ignorance and he shall bring a she-go of the first year for a sin offering and a priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord to make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him you shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance both for him that is born among the children of Israel for the stranger that sojourneth among them but the soul that doeth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the land or a stranger the same reproach of the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from among his people because he had despised the word of the Lord and the broken his commandment that soul shall utterly be cut off his iniquity shall be upon him and due to on me 17 12 says and a man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the judge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel okay now the answer to this oh well that's just a mean old God from the Old Testament that's that mean old God from the old he's just that little bit stricter isn't he and you know praise God praise praise God that you know Jesus just come to just be that little bit more relaxed with us a little bit easier with us and the devil starts and spreads those false doctrines no doubt about it the devil starts to spread those false doctrines the judge not we look we hear that all the time don't we the judge not judge not they didn't miss out the rest of the verse but judge not or you're so unloving you're so unloving because you preach on sin you're so judgmental because you preach on sin you're a legalist you're some sort of lead you just try you know you're just trying to try to put the standard too high look we're all under grace that's clear but did Jesus die so we can enjoy sin did Jesus no Jesus did not die so we can enjoy sin purposely willfully sin and just go well I'm not perfect well I'm you know that's just the way it is no Jesus didn't die for that Jesus didn't die for that you need to take it seriously now the devil also floods our culture our minds with sin too doesn't he that's clear that's clear everywhere you look there's all sorts of temptation everywhere isn't there and those temptations will destroy you when you start going down that road sin is a horrible right when you start getting into those sorts of sins where the devil's just on you all the time now he also tries to change your understanding of who Jesus and God the Father is doesn't he doesn't he just you think that's not of the devil that the hippie Jesus the peaceman Jesus or the God the Morgan Freeman God you know he's just like hey come up into heaven you know everyone could come up to heaven you know it's just such a cool old granddad you know that's not the God of the Bible that's not the God of the Bible yeah he's a loving God he sent his son to die for us but but the way the devil depicts him and tries to brainwash us is not the God of the Bible and all it's constantly doing is trying to encourage us into sin trying to encourage us in the sin now why does the devil want to encourage to save Christian to willfully sin why because sin destroys us in our testimony because it destroys us in our testimony you're out of the spirit when you're in sin when you're willfully sinning you're out of the spirit and we know that getting people saved is a spiritual thing isn't it and even that journey to getting people saved because different people have different levels with that don't they it's not that people get saved the soul in the next week and some people it will take a while some people it won't okay but but being in the spirit to get to that point to be that point where you're an encouragement in church where you're all these things sin destroys that and you become a bad example then when you're just willfully sinning and trying to excuse it and justify and laugh it off you're a bad example to your kids so what are they gonna grow up to do they're gonna grow up to be to be spirit filled Christians bad example to your friends to the church as well that's why the devil he's constantly pushing he's constantly trying to encourage you that sin isn't that bad you'll be all right you're saved by grace oh well it's okay well I'm saved oh well that's all right it doesn't matter you know I'm the only human no we should be trying to up the bar we should be trying to live right all the time take it seriously and look when you start going down the route it only it won't last a long time oh well I'm still soul winning yeah I might live completely I might be really sinful and willfully sinning and just ignoring this ignoring that preacher ignoring what I read in the Bible oh well you know I'm all right look you know still read my Bible you know I still do it it will only last a little while and even if you you can keep it up maybe for a few years I don't know how long that is because sin will take you down but but you're gonna affect everyone else around you well what about the chastisement do you really want the chastisement and I think many people don't realize sometimes when they're being chastised either and we should always everything that happens yeah we go through tribulation yeah we get persecuted for Christ as well and yeah we go through life we have to live life but we should always be looking the first thing you should do is this chastisement yeah we should be constantly reflecting constantly thinking now verse 12 there Luke 4 so Luke 4 and verse 12 Jesus is answering Jesus answering said unto him it is said thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God now this is from Deuteronomy 6 16 where it says you shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted him in Massa Massa actually apparently means temptation so they named the place temptation and in Massa they were complaining about Moses and God they were complaining about Moses and God okay they weren't throwing themselves off off buildings or whatever else so that's why I don't see this is all that's just that particular type of sin you know daredeviling or something else well well they tempted him they and the temptation was basically complaining about Moses complaining about God but that is a wicked sin that's a wicked sin they've got God's man there they're complaining about him and ultimately and as well anyway they're complaining and murmuring about God and that's a wicked sin and that's gonna take you down now Acts 5 turn to Acts 5 we see another presumptuous sin here in Acts 5 and and how God views that Acts 5 from verse 1 but a certain man named Ananias with Sephira his wife sold a possession and kept back part of the price his wife also being privy to it and bought a certain part and laid it at the Apostles feet but Peter said Ananias why have Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of land whilst it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power why has thou conceived this thing in thine heart thou has not lied unto men but unto God and Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost and great fear came on all them that heard these things so it was Satan that filled Ananias heart to a preconceived lie wasn't it it was Satan it says there why has Satan filled your heart but look at the result look at the result the result was that he died was it he fell down and died and okay I'm not saying you're gonna when you pre when you plan and plot preconceived lies and preconceived sin you're necessarily going to fall down and die but you could and it is an example to us of what God thinks about it and look willful sin results in chastisement and we need to fear the Lord we need to fear the Lord like I said before that worship is fear in the Lord as well and it is it's so easy to then just to listen to preaching on on sin or to read your Bible on stuff and then just go well yeah I'll do my best but do you really and look we're all sinners every one of us sins that's that's clear but we should our hearts God wants to see a contrite heart doesn't he he wants us trying our utmost doing our best and taking it seriously taking that sacrifice seriously okay Jesus said thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God okay and I think that the answer is to recognize and fear the chastisement of God we should recognize the chastisement of God and we should fear the chastisement of God now it doesn't always come straight away does it it does always come straight away you do think well well I did all right oh it seems you know that's fine but it does come just what he said it comes isn't he he said for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth not just some oh well I did some good stuff for him so so it's not gonna happen now well I'm so winning well I mean I'm going to church each week so he's not going to chastise you know it does chastise you okay but look we can be I think we can beat this particular temptations temptation to destroy our lives through sin this temptation to destroy ourselves this temptation to just think oh well it's all right I'm saved I've you know the angels will look after you it will be okay God's not going to mind I'm covered by the good works I've done it's okay if I do this sin it's okay if I do that look when it's willful when it's presumptuous God hates it okay when God's made it clear to you he's told you not to do it he's made it clear as day to you don't do it and pray to God if you're finding it still hard pray to God get on your knees and worship him and pray to him please help me with this sin not just try and laugh it off fob it off you know oh well one of those one of those strict Christians one of those ones that you know thinks that you can't be at all sinful no we shouldn't be we are we all are but we should be trying to utmost not to be okay that's what God expects that's what God wants okay verse 13 there verse 13 and when the devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season now Matthew 4 11 it said the angels came and ministered unto him and I reckon that's when the food came I believe that's probably when the food came he got ministered to what he needed then now three ways that the devil tempts believers number one was this temptation to stop trusting God the answer was to relearn and live every word of God number two the temptation to worship him the answer was to worship God properly and number three the temptation to destroy yourself with sin and the answer was to fear the chastisement of God right now notice how Jesus answered all three temptations with the Word of God didn't he all three temptations Jesus answered with the Word of God and that's something we should aspire to shouldn't we we should aspire to be able to answer temptation with the Word of God for the Word of God to come in your head and when you read it a lot and you're living it you're living it you're reading it you're worshiping God you're in the spirit when those temptations come it pops up doesn't it I'm sure everyone said that were little verses will pop into your head there's a little challenge a little test a little something or other and verses will start you'll start to think of a little verse something will come in your head that's what we want that's that comes from reading reading reading and living and doing it yeah okay and that's where we want to be that's that's how we should be aspiring to be a little we will fail in many ways we all make mistakes we all get things wrong but we should be we should be trying our utmost to go forward to move on from that and to live right live for God follow his word follow the clear Commandments and then the rest of it gets so much easier notice as well it said he departed from him for a season in verse 13 the devil only departed for a season or a time okay I don't know how long that was but he did he did tempt him again I mean we see him saying that Peter get thee behind me doesn't he Satan to him and there I'm sure you know there are many many ways we can look at in the Gospels and look it's an ongoing battle isn't it it's an ongoing battle you don't just resist one temptation that's it it's an ongoing battle it had 40 days of temptation okay and then he only departed for a season and came back and I think it's same with us and that temptation it's all around us it's there the whole time but Jesus did show us how to win it didn't he Jesus showed us the way Jesus showed us that the scriptures of verses showed us how to respond how to deal with it and that we can do it and Jesus as as fully human there as well as fully God showed us how we can do how we can win and defeat temptation on that let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the example you set to us through through Jesus Christ through through the way that that he responded to the temptations that we all deal with in life we pray that you'll help us all going forward this help us that they've had open ears and open hearts to it and to want to want to live for you to want to worship you properly to want to live by every word of God to not want to tempt you to want to worship you and just help us to get our hearts right help us do it to want to do these things help us to do that going forward today try and get out there soul winning but to do it with it with the right heart the right heart of wanting to get people saved not not to to show others not so we can just you know show off that we go out but but to be to be in the right spirit and all that we do I'll see things in Jesus name Amen