Paul
All Who Are Thirsty
You'll Come
Consuming Fire
No Other Name
The Solid Rock
Stephen
After church in K-1 is a meeting for solace for the children (Afghani kids summer program)
Jon
Matthew 6:9-13
-“Plant your hope with good seeds. Don’t cover yourself with thistle and weeds.” Mumford & Sons
Life sentence for drunk driving manslaughter
Instead of staying and facing the crime he ran
Inspectors found him and convicted him
Interview revealed why he ran
Father had a watch collection, had a beloved watch
Curiosity got the best of him, he broke the watch and he put it back
When dad found out he called the kids together and asked them to fess up
Nobody did and this middle child learned early on that when the big test comes along, he would leave it in the dark
Series of small compromises led to this big failure
-Peirasmos?
Temptation in the text
Tricky word
Also translates as test
The test can be turned into a temptation
Temptation is there to try and put our trust system into something other than God
Jesus attaches this idea of temptation to the Evil One
As God tries to do something redemptive in our hearts, the evil one opposes that
Do not let this test become a temptation and deliver us from evil
God deals with things privately so things don’t become public
Bring it out into the heart of God
In this decision may be the small compromise that will make you leave something in the dark
Truth is not a concept
-The word peiramos is regularly used of the divine placing of a person in a situation which is a test, a situation in which he may fall, but in which he is not meant to fall, a situation which may be his ruin, but out of which he is meant to emerge spiritually strengthened or enriched.’ William Barclay
What are you trying to bring out of my heart, Father? Why was this taken from me?
The Evil One is very subtle, subtle push, even a lean
The enemy does everything he can to steer us away from the reality of truth
To get us to doubt the goodness of God
Genesis 3
-Strategies of the Evil One
-1. Sowing seeds of suspicion
The only reason I know of M&S is because of Stephen Keating
Thought of the evil one not being interested in our wellbeing
Becoming suspicious of God
Sown into the fabric of the heart
Maybe you were mistreated by other Christians
Relationships are too hard, don’t work at it, they’re too mean and difficult
God is not good, people are difficult
God told Adam not to eat of one tree
We tend to focus on the one not the hundreds of other trees we were free to eat of
Did God say not to eat if any tree? – Left out the word free
Middle of the garden
Tree of life in the middle of the garden according to genesis 2 – Eve twists the knowledge of good and evil to central tree
She starts to become suspicious
If he can create an identity crisis inside, I can tear apart
If he can separate us, he can isolate us
The Son and the Father are doing EVERYTHING they can to get to us – that’s the definition of goodness
Why is God silent? Why is this person ignoring me?
Once they’re sown, he will start to water them by focusing on the negative
-2. Start making deductions from the negative, from what God isn’t giving you
Deserts were about discipline, for testing
Loaded with all kinds of redemptive possibilities
-Matthew 4:3 “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
The Evil One knows He is the Son of God
Not questioning the truth, just the strength of the relationship
Why did He abandon You?
Voice in your ear – maybe you’re not as special as you thought you were
After all, look at your broken circumstances
Not just desert
Merciful to want to improve you
Instead of seeing the redemptive act of God
Think about how damaging it is to our identity to have our Christianity called into question
-If you are the Son Of God?
-3. Let’s force God’s hand
Matthew 4:5-6
Prove that You love me
-4. Now it’s time to take matter into my own hands
He doesn’t care enough to do something so I have to get it started
Psalm 2 is Messianic
Matthew 4:8
Jesus took suffering over the enemy’s lies
We are vulnerable when we surrender to the Father
This is why Jesus taught us to pray: don’t let this test become a temptation
Jesus lead us away from the temptation
You are the way out of destruction
Lead us
I read a prayer this week of a man whose son was in a coma from a skiing accident
Parent’s hearts break when someone they love is in peril
Things are not as they seem
Much more going on than you can see with the aid of the senses
NEVER a time that God isn’t there or isn’t good
Lead us into life
-“It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart but the welcome I receive with the re-start.” Mumford & Sons (Roll Away The Stone)