THE LEADING OF GOD’S SPIRIT
OR
LIVING BY EVERY WORD OF GOD
SUNDAY AUGUST 12, 2018
Scripture To Consider:
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He has fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But Jesus answered and said, ‘It is written, “You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”’”
“Then the devil took Him [Jesus] up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 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.”’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”’”
“Again, the devil took Him [Jesus] up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he [the devil] said to Him [Jesus], ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ 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.”’” Matthew 4.1-11
Something To Consider:
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Mark wrote in his gospel, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him [Jesus] into the wilderness.” Sometimes being led by God’s Spirit is more of a driving force than a gentle leading. This leading of God’s Spirit was for the purpose of Jesus being tempted by Satan and tested by God.
James in his epistle assures us of a truth in James 1.13-14; “Let no one say when he [or she] is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God;’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he [or she] is drawn away by his [or her] own desires and enticed.’”
The leading of God’s Spirit should be a much sought-after priority of every believer, whether leader or leader in training. Notice Jesus’ answer to Satan’s attempt to entice Him to sin. “It is written, ‘You [men, women, and young people] shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” If Jesus is God, and John in His opening verses of his gospel declared that He is, should we be living by, learning from, and heeding every word that has proceeded from the mouth of Jesus? And if not, why not?
There is coming an end time event that John in Revelation 13 warns of, “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth…” and “…he exercises all the authority of the first beast…” John declared in verses 16-17 of Revelation 13 concerning this second beast, an end time evil agent of Satan; “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
There is also coming a time when we will be forced to decide between feeding our families and ourselves by way of the usual means of commerce or trusting in God to provide for our needs. Will we bow to the demands of the end time Antichrist and his agents of evil and have access to a job and the grocery store because we have succumbed to the receiving of the mark of the beast? Or will we stand firm and stand fast holding onto every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?
Something Else To Consider:
Matthew wrote in our text in verse 5, “Then the devil took Jesus up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle [high point of view] of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.’” And in essence the devil said God would protect Him even if He provoked God His Father. Jesus’ response was, “It is written, ‘You [men, women, and young people] shall not tempt [provoke] the LORD your God.’”
In all these temptations Satan interjected an “if;” “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.” God the Father has already declared at the baptism of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew wrote in verse 8, “Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain [highest point of view], and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’” Jesus did not dispute the devil concerning his authority over the kingdoms of this world. Jesus knew that the Scriptures declared Satan to be the prince of the air and ruler of the darkness.
But Jesus did dispute his temptation, by stating, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” And after the battle over a shortcut to the cross was won by Jesus, “Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came and ministered to Him.”
The spiritual backstage scene was set for the testing of Jesus’ devotion to His Father’s will and mission plan. In giving Jesus a view of possibly the present as well as future kingdoms of the world as far as the eye could see, Satan was in reality offering Jesus a non-biblical shortcut around the cross of Calvary. But Jesus had an eye on eternity. Jesus had His eyes on every Word of God! Can the same be said of us?
When we are face to face with the end time decision to feed our families by receiving the mark of the beast, what will we choose to do? Will we compromise our convictions and the warnings of the Word of God and worship the image of the beast, or will we willingly stand fast and possibly be killed? These are not easy decisions but they are decisions that must be made now and not at the time of great suffering. The beastly representative of Revelation 13 will not be taking names but lives. If we remain in Christ we have eternal life!
Something More To Consider:
As leaders in training we learn that living by every Word of God will eventually bring us victory and lead us to overcoming any and every temptation and test that comes our way. Christ-like leaders need the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. Christ-like leaders also need to be living by every Word of God if they are to be used effectively by God to spiritually impact and to biblically influence others of their own generation for God.
Be assured, the leading of God’s Spirit should lead us to never question the Word of God! Let us therefore, look to God’s Word and depend upon God’s Holy Spirit to divinely lead us to endure unto the end of whatever end time events may bring. If we endure, according to Jesus, we shall be eternally saved, even if by way of death.
The apostle Paul, writing to young Timothy affirmed in 2 Timothy 3.16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man [woman, or young person] of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Paul continued in chapter 4 by emphatically stating, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.” These things cannot be accomplished if we are not living by every Word of God or not being led by God’s Holy Spirit.
Paul gives us a very clear picture of the end times in verses 3-4 of 2 Timothy chapter 4, by announcing under the influence of the Holy Spirit; “For the time will come [has actually come] when they [those not living by every Word of God] will not endure sound [biblical] doctrine, but according to their own desires, they will heap up [vote in] for themselves [false] teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
The world has entered into this warned of in advance time in which the truth of the Word of God will no longer be declared because the Word of God leaves no room for compromise. Unbelieving leaders have been voted in, selected, and placed in positions of religious power within Christendom with one purpose. That purpose is to indoctrinate people with earthly wisdom and foolish fable-like non-biblical nonsense that lead individuals away from living by every Word of God.
A Few Final Words:
We must be found by Jesus living by every Word of God or we will die a slow spiritual death. We must be being led by God’s Holy Spirit or we will be led to spiritual ruin. The choice is ours as it was for Jesus.
Let us now, and in the end, follow Christ’s example as Satan attempts to tempt us, by stating as Jesus did; “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘We shall worship the LORD our God, and Him only we shall serve.’” Therefore, let us submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and he [the devil] will flee!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, in the mighty name of Jesus, Your beloved Son. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 