Don't Miss Moments - Week 2 - St. Peter - Pastor Jim Fleming
Don't Miss moments
Week 2 - St Peter
Pastor Jim Fleming
I have a couple items here. I want to show you this morning, can hardly pronounce. This is such a long name. Ghiardelli chocolate, intense, dark premium assorted chocolate assortment. I have a relative in my family that if I would show up with these at her home and I would say, hey, if you want to eat one of these, she would say, oh, yes, and I'll take the whole bag because I want to keep eating them. They're so yummy, and they're so delicious. So, for our chocolate lovers out there, there are some of us who would have difficulty stopping and having just one piece of chocolate. Now I'm not much of a chocolate guy myself, quite honestly, this is something that is near and dear to me. This is deer sausage, but it's not just any deer sausage. So, some of, you know, I'm I was in New Mexico for many years. I love New Mexico green chilies. And so I put some of those in.
Green chili in my sausage and also some extra fresh cheddar from Simon's cheese in here, along with the venison and pork and this is hickory-smoked. So this is really, really yummy and great in my opinion. And if you ask me, Jim, can you eat just one piece, one slice of this sausage? I'd have a hard time fact, that, you know, I could sit down and turning the TV set, watch a movie with some crackers and this with the cutting board and there, I probably polish off the whole thing and went. Even this is so good. So, now why do I share these two examples? Derek, and I put this here and you won't need it. I know you're a hunter. You protect that. Okay, but why do I use these two examples? Because today we take up this question, thought about temptation and maybe it's not deer sausage. Maybe it's not chocolate. But for all of us, there are things in our life and maybe one thing that just seems to give us a hard time. It's like we can't stop and we deal with this to a greater degree.
A lesser degree in our life. There are some of us here today, who really struggle with it at times and maybe we're even broken inside and we cry out to God, you know, God, why do I have to struggle with this temptation in my life? It always seems to get the upper hand. I go back to it and some of us today are even broken, we're broken inside when it comes to this and if you're one of those people and you struggle with temptation, and I'm glad you're here today.
Because this is a message for you. And I message that gives us encouragement and strength and to know that there can be recovery and we can overcome Temptation in our life. We're going to do that today. We're going to look at this guy called Satan now just like we would scout an opposing team if we're talking about basketball or football. We want to know the strengths. We want to know the weaknesses. What are the plays that they run? What do they do? So that We know our opponents and we're going to take a moment here just for a little bit to say, who is this guy Satan?
What is he what is he not going to do that with looking at both good angels and bad angels? Because that's what Satan is. He's a fallen angel and reminder that angels are spirits and that they are individuals. Another word. Satan is not omnipresent. He's not in all places. Why? When we see angels in the Old Testament, they will show up in human form as an individual when Satan's demons or seeing enters into a person to system. Right? One place. So where is Satan today? Is he in Ukraine? Is he in Las Vegas? Is he in Hawaii? But he's someplace as an individual Satan. Also, he’s not all-knowing. In fact, in the book of 1st Peter we are told even angels long into these things and other words, angels, learn and discover and appreciate new information and such. And so, when Satan or about the future. Satan does not know the future. And what's going to take place? Satan is not all powerful. Neither are told in the Book of Genesis that they're just two angels in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah that struck a bunch of men with blindness. They were powerful, right? And Jesus tells us. Well, Gospel of John after the Lord's Supper. I'm on a Thursday evening. Satan entered in to Judas. He's right. So they're powerful but they're not all powerful. Book of Job, when Satan goes to see God, talk about this guy named Job and God says to him, “but on the man himself, do not lay a finger.” In other wordsS, atan is like a pit bull on a leash. There's only so far he can go is under God's control. It may be a final thing about Satan. What kind of angel is he, because they're different kinds of angels in the Bible.
We see Michael. He's the only one listed, but there are other ones, but they're not sure where. We're not quite sure. There's seraphim around the Throne of God, powerful angels that we see there are cherubim in the Garden of Eden. They're guarding the Tree of Life with the swords. And finally, there's ordinary Angels. What, what kind of Angel was saying? We don't know, but, but probably higher up in the hierarchy of angels when he led his Rebellion. And the final thing we have about Satan is we are told that he has the power to come and snatch away to take away Faith. Jesus himself, says this in the parable, this or how exactly, does he do that. We're not sure. But we do know that that God shows us today, that there is a defense to that when we see our Saviour overcome him in the desert, as he was tempted. That's who Satan is. That's our opponent in our takeaway for this first part of our message.
It is really this…It's a passage of God's Word. “Be alert and sober. Mind your enemy. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Maybe some of you have been up to Michigan. There's a cat reserve up there, if you've been there. We took our kids there one time. Huge lions. It happened to be feeding time and they take these hunks of meat and throw them over these 10 foot fences and these cats jump up there. One bite, it's almost gone. Now. If you ask me to go into that cage, there's no way I'm going in there. There's no way.
It's simply the reminder. This is the picture that God, the Bible, uses for Satan. He is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That's who Satan is as our opponent. This is who we see, Jesus go up against it and maybe a reminder before we give into the temptations, but Jesus is a human being. Yes, he's true God but he slept and he wept and he got tired and we’re reminded of this in the book of Hebrews where we're told “Since the children have flesh, he too shared in their humanity.”
And that's what makes these words all the more amazing and wonderful as we look at our Savior in the battle that he gets into with Satan. In our last week, Pastor Bill started us off with the baptism of Jesus. Jesus is baptized. God says about Jesus. This is my Son. Whom I love with Him I am well pleased. And we're told the spirit takes him out into the desert to be tempted. I was tempted for 40 days. There are many temptations that Jesus undergoes and we have examples.
Let's take a few of those and we are reminded as well with the book of Hebrews that Jesus is a human being just as we are. So, let's take a peek at these words. “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit left, the Jordan and was led by the spirit Into the Wilderness. Where for 40 days. He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days. And at the end of them, he was hungry. The devil said to him. If you are the son of God, Will this stone to become bread and Jesus answered, “It is written man shall not live by bread alone.” to temptation here. It's a little bit more than just bread. Like, Jesus. You're hungry. There's no fast food restaurant around, take these stones, make some bread. Eat.
But it's deeper than that, really the challenge, the temptation is to challenge God's care. Jesus. Your heavenly father is not taking care of these, not going to provide, he is seeking to create doubt in Jesus mind. Jesus, you need to take things into your own hands, control the situation, feed yourself because God is not going to take care of you. And…Jesus. Is that with God's word? Now, does this temptation sound familiar to us to create doubt in the human heart? If it doesn't, we should go back to the Garden of Eden there? We see Satan come to Eve. And the question is the same as Jesus here. Did God really say he seeks to create doubt and use heart and she does down and she does eat. Adam does nothing in the Sin of the world plunges into sin. Did God really say…
Fast forward a little bit to another book in the Bible. The Book of Job, Satan goes to God, talking about the man named Job. And the question is, does job fear God for nothing? You have not, have you not placed a hedge around him. Another question. Of course, job loves you. God. Look at everything. You have around him. If you take these things away, job is going to curse you because he will doubt your care. Are you in doubt your concern for him? There's an opportunity here for us to reflect. Where is it in our life that we doubt God's care and concern? Maybe we look at the things in Europe. God, are you really in control of everything there? Maybe there's something in our life. It's a relationship. That's under stress God. I don't know what's going to happen. You maybe it's a house situation. Maybe it is a financial thing. But there's some area where we go. God. Are you really going to follow through? Are you going to help me in this area?
You can reflect on that. This is our second thought here, list ways. I doubt God's care. How do I do that in my life? That's the first temptation. Second temptation, the devil, led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, I will give you all their Authority and Splendor. It has been given to me and I can give it to anyone. I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours and Jesus answered. It is written Worship. The Lord your God and serve him only question for you. You don't have to raise your hand.
Bought the lottery ticket.
No one has. Okay. I can move on then.
Why do people buy a lottery ticket? Do you realize in 2015 Americans spent seventy three billion dollars, a Lottery Ticket. 73 billion…unbelievable amount of money, right? And why do people buy them? It's not because you realize this at half of every lottery ticket goes to the government. I'm buying this lottery ticket so I can, you know, support education. Help with property taxes. Now, we think, “Right….We know that's not why people buy lottery tickets.
Its that you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than winning a lottery, but why do people do it? We want the wealth and we want the glory, want the excitement. We want the life of ease, right? All that money. What would I do with millions and millions of dollars? Hours, that's why people do it. And really, that's the temptation for Jesus. He is the king of kings. He is the Lord of lords and Satan comes to him and Jesus, you shouldn't have to suffer. I mean, why go through your passion? Why go to the Cross? Why be abandoned by your heavenly father?
You don't have to find glory in that way, Jesus. A quicker way. You can be Lord oLf Lords and King of Kings. Just worship me. And again, Jesus sees that temptation for what it is. First Commandment, Serve the Lord, your God and serve him only..right again. It gives us opportunity to reflect. What is there in our life? If we would say, if I just had This, I would be contacted.
Maybe it's millions of dollars. Maybe it's a nicer ride. Maybe it's a newer home if I just had that I would be happy. For many of us there is that one thing in one way or another. And so this is really our second. Our next takeaway. What are the shiny sparkly things of this world that are attractive to you? That’s temptation number 2. Temptation number 3. The devil led him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, who said throw yourself down from there, for it is written. He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully. They will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered. It is said, do not put the Lord your God to the test to see how quick Satan is on the trigger.
Temptation word of God, Temptation word of God. Oh Jesus, you're using the Bible. You're quoting scripture. Well, I can do that too. And let's just check to see if God's Word is really true. Is he the temptation is not so much to jump, you know, a bungee jump, but it's more an attack on God's word. Is God's word authoritative disguise word meaningful. Does God do what He says he's going to do.
And Jesus doesn't bite on that one, either. And instead of addressing that he again, quotes God's word against that. So just like in the basketball game when our team scores two points, we cheer and we shout and with every Temptation that Jesus go passes. It makes us want to go. Yes, Jesus. Because why did the Holy Spirit and then Luke record these words for us? It is not so much to show us. Jesus as an example. You use the word of God too, all tell you story a little bit. That's true. But we have this account to show us a perfect savior. Yes, I sin. And there are things in this world that I covet. There are times when I have run away from God, but that God does not abandon us. He shows us this account.
Show us our perfect savior. Because in Christ, his act of obedience, his Perfection that he shows us here is ours. In Christ through the gospel when when God looks at us. We have always been faithful to him. We have never doubted his care. We have never looked at the shiny sparkly things of this world. We have never questioned whether his word is authoritative or not. No, we have not. Because we are holy and we are pure in His sight. And for those of you who are struggling with temptation… is their deliverance? Can I ever overcome it to know that through those times? There's the peace and comfort that when God looks at you, when he looks at me. He does not see our sin. But he's Christ and this is our encouragement. In this He lifts us up. This, along, with other things help us to combat to fight against Satan and his lies.
And so, to close down with a little story. Well, this is our passage that tells us is these are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb Christ. Perfection is my perfection. Just God's word have power. It does. We share a little story with you, some of you know, I did 20 years of reservation Ministry. I'm just going to say many crazy things that I saw and experienced. And my wife says I write a book, and maybe someday I will, but on one occasion, There's one family, out of serving members of my church, had some traditional Navajo religion in their background, little Christianity, but also the occult. In talking to members of this family, they would share things with me about what was going on in their home. “Pastor, I’d come into this room and this picture is always on the floor and falls off the shelf. I go into this room, the house is warm, but there's a cold spot here. A man told me, I was laying in my bed, one night and I could not get up. I was frozen in place. Another person said I see shadows and I hear voices at times, will you know, what's going on?
There's demonic activity going on in this home and I can tell you, they don't teach you at the seminar what to do. And so I asked. I asked around. I talk to some other pastors hooked up with another Pastor who had dealt with it. And he gave me this and I can give you a copy of it if you want. It's called “God's Word for Direct Demonic Donfrontation”. And he explained how to use this. He said, “Jim. I want you to take a little bowl of boil.
And you go into that home, you open up all the doors and all the windows and you take an elder with you, and you have him sit with the family. I want you to have him, pray and read the Psalms with the family. And as you go, Jim, humility…it's not your strength. It's not your faith. It's not what you know, but God's Word and you go into this house and this is what you say. And this is what I did. Demons, I know who you are. I will tell you who I am. I'm a Child of God for it is written. How great is this love? The father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are there somewhere. I confront you Satan and I drive you from this place. For I have the promises of my Lord. It is written in God's word fear. Not for I have redeemed, you have called you by name. You are mine. So do not fear for I am with. You do not be dismayed for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you and I will uphold you with my righteous hand. So Satan in the name of Jesus, I command you to leave this place for it is written in God's Word. I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the god of the armies of Israel whom you have defied this day the Lord will hand you over to me and I will strike you down. Pastor Shell told me, says, “Now Jim, when you read these words, don't be surprised if those demons manifest themselves. If they show themselves, they may speak to you or things. May fly off the wall because they're not happy. They're not happy that they are being driven out. So as we did this, nothing happened, everything went well, and I'm going to say, we cleaned that house.
The days that followed and nothing was happening anymore. No cold spots, no voices. Everything was good. So I share this story to show you the power of God's word. It does drive away Satan. If we will use them when we have opportunity and God's word, the sword of the spirit accountability partner, life group are all part of dealing with temptation and overcoming Temptation in our lives. So brothers and sisters. May God grant you strength, as you seek to do this in your life, know that your savior Jesus goes with you and act. Now, let's pray.
Lord, we're thankful for all who are gathered here. Those who are watching online today. We're thankful Lord, Jesus for your forgiveness and your grace that you love us. And that you have call this your own. So bless all who are gathered here. The Lord, we ask this in your name. Amen.
