Matthew 4:8–11Scripture
Matthew chapter 4, we've made our way to the third temptation and we're seeing that Jesus succeeds where Israel failed and Jesus succeeds where we failed.
And the reality is many of us have desert experiences, wilderness experiences and we have not chose rightly but Christ does.
And so we celebrate in that because our hope cannot then be found in men or wisdom of men or in our choices.
But our hope is only found in Christ because he succeeded where we failed.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 0:38
When we place our faith in him, we are hidden in his goodness. And our unrighteousness is hidden in him and in his righteousness.
So that's good news because I don't know about you, but I've done some I've done some stuff that God is not proud of.
Matthew chapter 4 8-11 says this again. And I love that word there because the devil's persistent. Have you ever had a nagging, persisting temptation that just won't let up? It's a thing that you want to quit. You want to stop. You want to not do, but it just persists. Again in verse eight, the devil took him to a very high place, high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to him, "All these things I'll give to you if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."
Introduction
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Have you ever noticed how the enemy always offers the easy way and God seems to always offer the hard way, right?
Pastor Shawn Gray · 2:24
Let's take the Israelites for instance. I'm going to free you. The way I'm going to do it is you're going to suffer a bunch of plagues. And it's not only going to affect just, you know, those that have come against you, the Egyptians. It's going to affect you, too. Those frogs that are hippie hopping all over the place, they're going to be hippie hopping around you, too.
All the plagues will affect you. And then I'm going to free you and I'm going to take you to the land that I promised. But the route that I'm taking you is the long way.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to following the Lord. The reality is when you make him your Lord, when you follow his ways, it's the long way.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 3:22
It's the hard road. It's the difficult path. The reason this is problematic in the church today is because we have preached another gospel. We have said if you come to God, if you come to Christ, there are shortcuts that simply coming to him makes life easier, paths simpler, the way softer.
But the reality is once people have walked with Christ for some time, they begin to realize that it isn't so short. It isn't so easy. It isn't so straight. And it isn't so quick. The reality is this is a hard walk. It's a difficult path. It's hard to say no when everyone else is saying yes. It's hard to not take shortcuts.
And the enemy comes and he tries to pluck out and away from you what God has promised by offering shorter routes, simpler paths, and an easier life.
But the reality is any of you who have taken that short path for any amount of time, you realize that it is empty offerings and empty promises.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 4:45
And it leaves you desolate, dried up, and depleted on the side of the road with no hope for eternal life that only the long route can get you to.
The reason why God says that believers have to persevere is because perseverance required.
Meaning it's longer, meaning it's more difficult. I know the difference between a sprint from here to the back of the room and a three- mile run. This sprint takes a lot of energy quickly, but a long run hurts more.
Go do it. Now that I'm 47, about to be 48. Wow. I'm like picking up speed on the other end of the hill. Going down. I'm going down. I'm going down. Right. The average age that people live, especially men. I'm past that. I'm past the halfway point, baby. I'm going I'm flying. I've summited and I'm going down the other side, if you know what I mean.
But I want you to know that if you go out today when you're 47 and you try to run three miles like you did when you were 18, it don't feel the same.
It hurts. You know why it hurts now versus then? Cuz I don't run now. It's a simple fact. It's not rocket science. This is not It isn't because I'm younger. It's because I quit running because I have some sense, right? I don't run as much. I'm not as active as much. And the reality is I've created this way in my life that is easy.
Are you with me? But the Christian way is not easy.
There isn't the Christian way when you're 20 and the Christian way when you're 47. There is the way of Christ.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 7:09
And there is one way and perseverance required. Why? Because you run at 20 and you run the race at 40 and you run the race at 80. And you run the race all the way to the end of your life.
And perseverance is required. This is the way of Christ and it's the long way. So the enemy then comes at multiple points in your life and he tries to get you to take the shorter route to what God has designed for you.
He never shows up saying the devil, the enemy, let's go the long way.
Let's walk through some pain together because that will really develop you into somebody that has great character. Let's endure hardship. No, he comes with shortcuts. He comes with quick fixes. Some of you are having an emotional unstable week. So, no one in here but people elsewhere will pick up some alcohol and they will soo themselves for a moment.
But how many of you know that doesn't last? It's a quick fix that rares out fast. Makes you feel good for a moment, makes you feel empty tomorrow. This doesn't last. It's a shortcut. Everyone wants a fast lane. Lose weight in 30 days. Get rich with no effort.
Skip the struggle. Skip the suffering. Skip the cross. That's the language of the enemy.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 9:00
And here in Matthew 4, the enemy brings Jesus to a high mountain. Notice he takes him high because it's it's more glamorous up there. How many of you have ever ridden in an airplane? You look down and everything seems beautiful. But if you were to jump out and parachute into the beautiful lights that are down there into the alleyway where the homeless people are and the drugs are at, would it be as beautiful from up here?
Everything looks glamorous and sparkly and wonderful. So he takes us high as to affect our perspective. So that we see the kingdoms of the world as something beautiful to be offered, not as something miserable to be offered.
It's a problem. It's a problem. He takes them high so they can see it as something that it's not. He rolls out the red carpet of temptation. And he shows him every kingdom, every crown, every ounce of earthly glory from another perspective. And then he says, "It's all yours. Just bow down and worship me. Hear me." The devil's not just talking to Jesus on that mountain.
He is, but not only him. He's talking to you. He's talking to me. It is his ultimate desire that all of you would bow down and worship him. He's whispering into every one of our hearts.
You can have glory without God and people chase that today. You can have success without surrender and people chase that today. You can have a crown without a cross and people oh how they want that today.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 10:45
But Jesus models for us what victory looks like. And his way becomes our way. His fight becomes our fight. His victory becomes our victory.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 11:06
And that's what we celebrate today. So here's here's the title of my sermon today. Bow out. Bow down. Bow up. That's pretty easy. And that's what we see Jesus doing.
Point 1Bow out of Satan's lies
Bow out. Bow down. Bow up. Number one, bow out of Satan's lies.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said to him, "All these I'll give to you if you'll fall down and worship me."
Listen, man.
The devil's crafty. He's got the best editing team in the universe. He will never hand you raw footage.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 11:52
He gives you the highlight reel, the slow motion dunks, the winning touchdowns, the applause of the curtain call. He shows you the good angles, the polished moments, and the staged glory. He only shows you the good stuff. He never shows you the blooper reel, the mistakes, the problems, the issues.
He cuts those out.
He won't let you see the hangover the next morning, the broken families left in the dust and the shame that crawls into bed with you after you sin.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 12:34
Didn't show you that. He hides the tears that fall behind closed doors. He edits out the emptiness that follows the immediate thrill that waxes and waines and disappears in moments.
He'll show you the glory, but never the guilt.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 13:06
He'll whisper about the thrill of the affair, but won't mention the h the hollow ache of betrayal seeps into your relationship.
He'll promise you the rush of the purchase, but won't mention the crushing weight of the debt that will suck the very life out of you.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 13:22
He'll dangle the applause of a crowd, but won't tell you how quickly that same crowd forgets your name the moment you die.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 13:31
He'll show you the crown, but he'll never show you the cross.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 13:41
He'll flash the gold, the success, the recognition. And he'll say, "This can all be yours." But he won't tell you that shortcuts steal destiny.
He won't tell you that compromise cost your soul. He won't tell you that the only crown worth wearing is the one that comes after the cross.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 13:59
Let me tell you, Satan is not in the business of full disclosure. He only tells you the good stuff. He gets you to sell your soul for something that's not even a true story. He gets you to sell your soul for a lie. And you should bow out. He's a thief, master illusionist. He'll bait you and the hook with shiny promises, but he'll never show you the book.
The hook until it's in your mouth. And Jesus saw through it and you should bow out. Now, I'm pretty introverted. I love people. I love people in small numbers. Okay. Okay. Large numbers of people. I don't know what to do with them. I only know how to handle two or three of them at a time. Right? That's why if we ever go to a party, you'll find me in a corner where only two or three can get in that corner and talk.
I'm luring a few in so I can engage them. Right? I'm introverted that way. It isn't that I don't love interacting with people. It's that I have to do it in portions. Right? And so it is what and what am I talking about here? Here. I can't even I don't even I forgot what I was talking about. I'm introverted. I people in portions bowing out.
Okay. Yes. So, sometimes when Brooke tells me we're going to go to this big shindig, that's what we call it in the South, and there's all these people going to be there, I try to look for ways to bow out. Are you with me? Because that is what I want to do. How many of you have had a really busy weekend?
Somebody asked you to do something that you really want to do, but you've been so busy and you're exhausted and you try to bow out. How many of you have ever agreed to do something and then bowed out of it? Yeah. So, you know how to do it? When it's convenient for you, right? Are you with me today?
And that's where the enemy gets you is because he offers you something convenient for you so you don't bow out of it.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 16:48
He knows that the reason you bow out is for personal convenience. So the way he comes to you is he offers something that's personally convenient to you because he knows you won't be inclined to bow out of that.
He's tricky that way. You just need to know his tactics. Yeah. But if ever there was a time to bow out, it's when he comes to you with something that's convenient for you. Yeah, I know this is hard to think about taking the long road, choosing the cross over a crown. I understand that doesn't seem very attractive because it's not convenient for you.
It wasn't convenient for Christ to say no to having the kingdoms of the world and then choose the cross because the cross was misery.
It was tough. It was hard. It wasn't convenient for him. This is the way of Christ. This is the way of Christ.
Everybody wants to put wwjd, believers and non-believers alike on their bracelet and they want to wear it with pride. What would Jesus do?
But this is what he would do. He would choose a cross over a crown.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 18:24
He would not He would bow out of convenience for your sake.
What will you do? Some of you right now can think of the thing you wrestle with, the temptation that comes to you on often on occasion. You can think of it. It's in your mind now. He comes to you with something that you won't want to bow out of because bowing out is not convenient.
It doesn't serve you. It doesn't make you happy in the moment. It introduces you to a life of perseverance and suffering. And that is not something we want to choose. But will you bow out when it's inconvenient for you? This is the way of Christ. Bow out of his lies because it leaves you empty. It leaves you empty.
Bow out of his false advertisement. Bow out of his edited version of life.
Bow out of the deal that looks good now but cost you later. Because every shortcut Satan offers you is a detour from God's glory.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 19:42
Point 2Bow down to God's word
I will bow out of Satan's lies. Number one. Number two, bow down to God's word. Verse 10. Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan, for it is written." See, I don't think this be gone is as much of as a command as a knowledge of what Satan will do the moment the issue of worship is resolved.
Is a declaration of what Satan will do when the issue of worship is settled. He just flees.
See, some of you have lingering temptation because the issue of worship hasn't been settled with you.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 20:36
Are you with me today? Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."
Everybody in this room today bows down to something.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 20:56
Everyone does.
The question is not if you will bow. The question is what do you bow to?
Pastor Shawn Gray · 21:04
That's the question. The Bible says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. Amen. But for some who bow on that day, it will be too late.
And although they bow, they did it too late and they will go to hell. Where are you and what do you bow to? Think about it. We bend our knee for less every single day. Some bow to money. Some bow to fame. Some bow to relationships. Some to comfort.
We bow to the approval of people who do not even know our name.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 21:54
We bow to jobs that will not remember us after we're gone. We bow to idols made of glass and pixels glowing on a screen from our phone.
We bow for less.
I like football. I like basketball. But some of us have taken a knee for that over God. It's a fact. Of course you'd say that. You're a pastor. No, of course I'd say that I'm a believer. I wonder what God thinks about when our attendance is affected by football season.
Wonder what he thinks about that. I wonder what he thinks about when he compares our worship on Sunday morning to our worship in a stadium. I wonder what he thinks about that.
I wonder what he thinks when he compares our loyalty to an inflated ball and the people who throw it or hike it to a heavenly father. I wonder what he thinks about that. This is not just football. It's And I'm not against football. They won last week. Yay. I was wondering if they were going to win any game.
Somebody actually caught a ball. I was really happy about that. I want the Chiefs to win partly. Part of me doesn't. Not because I'm anti-chief, but because I'm anti- anti- worship. It's amazing how people behave during certain seasons of the year. What do you bow down to?
We bow for less. We bow for things that cannot save us.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 24:23
We bow for kingdoms that crumble. I do think it's interesting. It's called the chief kingdom. We bow for less stuff that fades away and does not matter eternally.
But Jesus shows us the way. You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.
True worship is not just a song you sing. It is a knee you bend.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 24:55
Amen. Worship is surrender. Worship is allegiance. Worship is saying not my way but your way be done. Not my will but your will be done. Not my glory but your glory.
It's the exclusion of you to the beauty of him.
And notice this, Jesus bows down to the word of God so he didn't have to bow down to the lies of the devil.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 25:34
If you don't bow down to the word, you'll end up bowing to the world. If you don't bend your knee to God, you'll bend it to something else.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 25:43
And be careful to not create some kind of provisional space to sit on a fence when it comes to God's word.
Track with me here just for a moment. Oh man, it's going to be amazing the people we see in heaven that we didn't think would make it.
Can I just say this real quick? Just so you can think that I am somewhat human, right?
It's going to be amazing because we're not saved by what we do. We're saved by what he did.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 26:30
Yes. Amen. Okay. This then does not give us a license to continue sinning so that his grace may abound. That's what the Apostle Paul says.
But still when we get to heaven, we're going to be shocked. Some of us are going to get there oursel and be like, "How'd I make it? I mean, I went to church, but I didn't think I was making it." Here's the thing. Today we have this issue with people wanting to stand on the word of God but not really.
They don't want to stand on worldly principles and they don't really want to stand on the word of God. So they create some space and they straddle one foot on the world and one foot on godly principles. What the word says. What the world says. What the word says. What the world says. So, I'll straddle it. You don't really know whether I'm of the world or of the Lord.
Here's an example. The Bible says, "Let no profane talk come out of your mouth." Right? Track with me here. That's what it says. That's what the word says. Yes. But the enemy comes to you and says, but as long as you preface it with, "Pardon my French," then it's okay because you're asking for forgiveness before you say it and you're warning them.
And so, pardon my French, profanity. Track with me here. Which is it? Do you stand on what the word says or what the world says? And can you really straddle it? The Bible says, "Put off the old man. Who is the old man?" The old man spoke profane things. Well, who is the new man? We speak pure things.
So for our edification when we get to heaven, we'll be amazed of people who did this that are there because you're not saved by your good works.
You're saved by Christ. But that doesn't mean you should continue to do this. Are you with me today? True worship is standing on the word of God. Jesus bowed down to the word of God, not some version he created. That's what Satan does. He creates a new version so he can be a little bit of the world and a little bit of God.
And it's confusing and we call it godliness. So, he didn't have to bow down to the lies of Satan. He bowed down to the word of God. You'll end up bowing to the word world if you don't bow to the word. Yes. Amen. If you don't bend your knee to God, you'll bend your knee to something else. And it doesn't matter how close it looks like it's godliness.
If it's not all godliness, it's not godliness at all.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 30:10
All right. So, let me ask you, what has your knee the most?
What gets your bow? What receives your allegiance when nobody's looking?
I will bow down to God's word, not the world.
Point 3Bow up in God's strength
Number three, bow up in God's strength. We bow out, we bow down, and we bow up. We see Jesus bowing out, bowing down, and then we see him bowing up. Verse 11, then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him and uplifting him. We bow up. When Jesus bowed down to God's word, the devil had to bow out.
He left and heaven rushed in and angels came and ministered to him. And Jesus humbles himself in obedience. And the father exalted him in strength. That's what it means to bow up. Not in your own might or your own strength, but in the strength that flows from God alone. It's a lifting that God does. And if you need a picture of what this looks like, right, you could look at Genesis 32, it speaks of Jacob.
Now, I love the story of Jacob because here is a man that is seeking all the kingdoms of the world and everything those kingdoms can offer.
I want the most livestock. I want the most money. I want the most inheritance. I want everything I can get my hands on. Even if I have to finigle, steal, and grab and trick people to get it. I want the kingdoms of the world. I will fight God himself for the kingdoms of the world. An angel of the Lord appears to him on a mountain on a high place begins to wrestle this angel all night long.
Why? Because Jacob was still clinging to what the world could give. Does this sound like one of you? He was fighting for blessing, for security, for the kingdoms of the world and all they had to offer. He thought if he wrestled hard enough, schemed long enough, fought fiercely enough, he could force life to go his way. Sound familiar? Some of us are exhausted trying to finigle our way into the good life.
Because we have declared and decided that the good life is a godly life. Talk to all the apostles in Jesus about that. Ask them how good their life was and then ask them how godly their life was. Are you with me today? Preaching a gospel that the good life is the easy life. But that's not the biblical gospel.
And he fought and he wrestled and he thought if he wrestled hard enough and schemed long enough and fought fiercely enough, he would force life to go his way. But when God touched his hips, listen to his position change, everything changed. Jacob realized this wasn't about fighting for the world's blessing. It was about clinging to God's blessing. And he went from wrestling God to clinging on to God with all his might.
From striving in his own power to surrendering to God's power. From chasing earthly kingdoms to receiving heavenly identity. And in that moment, God bowed him up. He gave him a new name, Israel. He lifted him from deceiver to prince.
He marked him with a limp, but that limp became his testimony. Jacob bowed down in weakness and God bowed him up in strength.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 34:56
That's the picture for us when we come to Christ. You can spend your life wrestling for the kingdoms of this world, for money, for status, for comfort, but when you bow down to God's word, he will bow you up to something far better than anything you can chase in the world's kingdoms. His strength, his blessing, his kingdom that never fades.
Bowing up doesn't mean puffing up. It doesn't mean flexing your own muscles. It means standing tall in God's.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 35:45
It means walking out of the wilderness with the confidence that even if you limp, heaven has lifted you.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 35:57
When I bow down in surrender, God bows me up in his strength.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 36:06
We need to bow out so we can bow down so God will bow us up in his strength.
Here's the pattern of victory we see in Christ. And I believe it's the pattern of victory we see in believers. Here's the road map for your wilderness today. Bow out of Satan's lies. Bow down to God's word and bow up in God's strength. This isn't just theory. This is not just a sermon. This is survival.
Because every day you wake up, the enemy is waiting with a mountain view and a shortcut for you.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 36:52
He's waiting with a crown and for with a crown without a cross. He's waiting with a deal that looks good but leads to death. But you don't have to fall for that. You don't have to bow.
You don't have to lose because the one who conquered in the wilderness now lives in you for all who believe. His word is your weapon.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 37:16
His spirit is your strength. And his victory is your victory. So the next time the devil whispers to you, the next time temptation comes knocking, you lift your head and declare, "I will bow out. I will bow down. I will bow up." And when you do, watch Satan flee and watch heaven rush in on your accord.
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