Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:1-4(NIV): Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

We are most vulnerable to temptation, and need to HALT, when we are:

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

Hebrews 4:15(NIV): For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin.

Jesus demonstrated the power of God’s Word to overcome. Satan questioned:

· God’s goodness - Matthew 4:3-4, James 1:17, Matthew 6:11

· God’s faithfulness - Matthew 4:6-7, Matthew 28:20, Galatians 6:7

· God’s authority - Matthew 4:8-10, Exodus 20:3, Luke 9:23

“You go to the fertile valley to become rich. You go to the wilderness to become wise.”

Are you using the “Armour of God” to resist Satan? (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Are you trusting God to overcome temptation?

1 Corinthians 10:13(NIV):No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Mark 1:1-15

Mark 1:1-3(NIV): The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Just as God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, so he sends us also. What can we learn from John the Baptist that we can apply to our own lives and calling? John the Baptist had a clear:

• Ministry - Mark 1:2-3 , Mark 16:15
• Method - Mark 1:4-6, Luke 3:7-14, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
• Message - Mark 1:7-8, John 3:30

Jesus said this about John the Baptist:

Luke 7:28(NIV): 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John the Baptist said this about himself:

John 3:27-30(NIV): To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

Imagine what God could do with us, with this church, if we had that attitude.

Jeremiah 29:4-14; Matthew 6:25-34

Jeremiah 29:11(NIV): For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The Israelites found themselves as exiles in Babylon, far from their beloved homeland of Israel. They desperately needed hope. Jeremiah’s letter firstly warns them not to believe the false prophets, but to put their confidence in God alone. God offered them:

· A plan - Jeremiah 29:10-11, Matthew 6:25-27, Ephesians 1:11

· A good plan - Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:28-30, Ephesians 2:8-10

· An eternal plan - Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:33, John 3:16

Who are you placing your confidence in today?

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?

Psalm 121:1-2(NIV): I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Galatians 6:14(NIV): May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Jeremiah 29:1-14; Matthew 6:25-34

Jeremiah 29:11(NIV): For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Coping with what life throws at us requires character traits which God offers to us. They are:

1. Contentment

2. Confidence

3. Commitment

Contentment means we:

· Make the best of our situation - Jeremiah 29:5-6, Psalm 137, Matthew 6:26

· Pray for our enemies - Jeremiah 29:7, Matthew 5:43-45

· Accept what we can’t change - Jeremiah 29:8-11, Acts 26:14, Matthew 6:33-34

Are you sad, angry, worried about your current circumstances?

Contentment is a secret God offers to all who seek him.

Philippians 4:12-13(NIV): I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:11(NIV): On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

We often overlook what God has given us – gifts like

• Long life - Proverbs 16:31
• Family - Psalm 127:3-5
• Marriage - Proverbs 31:10-12
• Spontaneity - 2 Samuel 6:14-16
• Order - 1 Corinthians 14:40, Romans 12:6-8
• Children - Luke 18:15-17
• Teenagers - 1 Timothy 4:12
• Missionaries - Matthew 28:18-20
• Hospitality - Hebrews 13:2
• Responsibility - Luke 12:48
• Jesus - Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:8-14

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV2011): For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.