After the Message: What Did Jesus Really Say About Temptation

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What's up guys?

Hi.

How's it going?

Good.

How's everybody doing?

Good.

Good.

Yeah, how are you?

Doing well, doing well.

If you're joining us, uh you're joining us via Zoom for After the Message.

Um, our studio is currently under construction.

So getting a makeover.

So we're doing this uh from Zoom, but thank the Lord for technology.

If you don't know what After the Message is, um we do it every week and we talk about uh the past message from Sunday and just kind of continue that conversation.

And uh we are um talking about what did you just really say about temptation?

And we're gonna continue that discussion today.

So um, Josh, Callie, Becca, thank you guys for joining.

Of course.

Yes always um what did you guys uh after watching it again?

What did you guys pick up on or think about how we talked about it on Sunday?

Well, I don't like watching myself back on anything.

So did you did you watch back or no?

I was like, I don't know, it makes me so uncomfortable because I I literally hear my voice.

I'm like, I sound like that.

I apologize already.

The people who are listening are like, I am wow, my voice is not nice to listen to.

So anyway, that was my uh that was my major takeaway.

And I also thought about how many times I interrupt people, so that was my takeaway.

I think that was the Lord speaking to you.

Josh is realizing his temptation to very interact when you it's not is that what you oh yeah you walked away with?

Exactly.

I'm like, I gotta learn how to like keep it in a mental note to just go back to that, you know?

And so, but by that time my brain is so ADD, I've got a different thought, and you know, it may not be as theological as the first one, which is okay.

Because we're going after the message.

Oh bless the Lord.

I love how you uh I love how you go, you know what, now that I'm saying that out loud, that's not correct.

Let me say let me say uh what actually is right.

Um the first the first kind of thing we we touched on was the the spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness and how that just kind of messes with your mind, like what?

Like God's God's spirit's gonna take me into an uncomfortable place in a place where I'm actually gonna experience difficulty.

We can't really comprehend that as Christians, or not as well as we should at least.

Um, but Pastor Keith said it's difficult to be spirit-led without being spirit filled.

So for those who may be listening who are new to this whole thing, what does spirit-filled mean to you guys?

Becca Westcott.

I was gonna say everyone's gonna point at someone else.

Yeah.

I mean, I think it's that uh like in Galatians 5, like where it talks about when you are filled with the spirit, you're led by the spirit, you know, like that they're just they're so um hand in hand.

Like when you are allowing the Holy Spirit to dictate where you go and what you do and who you are, I I think that's what it is.

It's like when your identity is driven by the spirit, then you're led into areas that the spirit wants to lead you.

So I think that's the that's like the long and short of it.

Well, and I would like even back up even more than that and say, like, if someone's like, what in the crap are y'all talking about?

Um, filled with the Holy Spirit or filled with the spirit, like, so we believe obviously that like we have given our life to Jesus Christ, and in doing that, like we have um come into a relationship with him, and by doing that, we believe that um like the spirit of God lives on the inside of us because we are spirit beings, and so um being led by the spirit to me in the most simple terms would just mean that like the spirit of God lives on the inside of me, and who is referred to as the Holy Spirit, um, and so therefore I can be led by and hear from God because the spirit of God lives on the inside of me.

Yeah.

Hopefully that helps.

Yeah, read Romans 8.

I mean, Romans, I think Romans 8, like it talks about, I mean, being led by the Spirit, what you even talks about what you feed grows, and that either the Spirit or the flesh.

But it is such a we all, if you're listening, listening to this, watching this, if you've accepted Jesus Christ in your life, the Holy Spirit now lives on the inside of you.

Like, and it's this thing that's hard to explain, it's hard to even understand because you're like, hold up, that sounds crazy.

Um, a man dying for our sins on the cross sounds crazy.

Um, but the fact is, is like all this takes faith.

And so, I mean, and the apostle Paul says multiple times that the same power that was in Jesus that raised him from the dead lives inside of us, and so that's what it means to be filled with the spirit.

If you've made that decision to follow, to follow Jesus, then like you're now one with him through the Holy Spirit, like that's what it is, and so and then every day, like we do, we have that decision to either follow that leading or to not follow that leading.

Um, and that that's what I feel like that's what brings us in the temptation and testing, is because I mean we have those decisions to make every day.

Like I can think of, I mean, we we talk about it so much, but like our kids, it seems to like, you know, we're not the Holy Spirit to them, but in a way, like this is a great example, is like we're trying to lead them and guide them down the path that we can see further down than than they do.

And so there's things that we say, hey, you probably shouldn't do this, or no, you actually shouldn't do this at all.

And it seems like the things that we tell them they shouldn't do, they're super attracted to do those things.

They're like, Oh yes, that's what I want to do.

But I think that's how it is for all of us is as we're on this journey, God knows the beginning from the end.

He can see everything where we're going.

And he, there's so many times where like God may even see something that's good for us then, but it's not good for us now.

And what he's trying to do is to help us grow to where we need to be at, so that maybe what's good for us then will be something that we work into.

But for us, we're so, and we talked about this on Sunday, like the different things that Jesus went through, it was all different shortcuts that he could have got to then now.

And so I think it's like important to remember that that the fact is the spirit's leading us and the spirit is guiding us, but we have the choice and the free will to listen or to not listen.

And that doesn't mean, like you said, like what we talked about, that those situations are always going to be comfortable, or that like when we go through something difficult, like um, that God can still work in those things and like we can grow into being the people we need to be for the next season or for this season or for what's coming or for where we are by being in those hard spaces.

And so sometimes, like, I mean, it was always so hard for me, like I said, to wrap my head around like, oh, God would lead me, lead me into like a testing season or something that was typical or hard.

And I was like, that's me.

What is wrong with you?

Why would you do that?

Like, you know, but like in those times, like you grow and you learn, and even in the times that like God necessarily didn't lead you into, like those broken seasons that maybe were the decisions of someone else, like God still shows up in those and works in those and moves in those and helps you to grow and helps you to become like who he has for you to be and who he has for you to be on the like on the other side of it, even for other people.

So there's just there's so much there.

It's so complex.

But well, and I think that's one of the greatest lies that we believe as Christians is okay, so I said yes to God, so now everything's gonna be easy, and then as soon as we hit something difficult, it's like, oh, I must be doing something wrong.

Right.

And and that's just not true.

And when you look at the Great Commission, you know, when Jesus tells his disciples, go into all the world, preach the gospel, obey my commands, and surely I'll be with you always.

And I think that's the thing, is that we forget that he never said, and everything's gonna be easy.

He said, Surely I'll be with you, and I'm sending the Holy Spirit to be with you.

And so, in that same way that Jesus was baptized, he was filled with the spirit, God said, Here, you are my son, that is your identity, and he's filled with the spirit in that moment, and the spirit leads him and stays with him through through the wilderness.

And and because he's filled with the spirit, he's able to overcome that temptation.

So I think that's that's the thing, is like and I hope that if anybody who's listening, like I hope that's your takeaway is like, man, when I encounter something, that's an opportunity for me to lean into the strength of God and not not try to do this on my own or think that I'm doing something wrong, but like lean in to the strength that God has given you.

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

And and kind of along the lines of what Pastor Megan was talking about, she had like this silver lining uh that I never really considered about how Jesus being in the wilderness prepared him for the temptations that were to come.

And I think that's kind of that's kind of where we're leaning, you know, like he was almost fasting without like, I don't know if it was intentional or not.

And maybe it's somewhere between the lines that it was intentional, but it's 40 days, you know, of of stillness, of quiet, and because the Spirit of God knows and theologically he knows if he knows, but that there's a test coming, you know, and and it's gonna it's gonna hit him in a vulnerable, vulnerable position too.

So um, but I do want to talk about the testings because uh and I want to actually talk about what Jesus said about temptation because that's the name of our, you know, of our of our title.

Um so uh the question I wrote down just popped into my head this morning.

It was what would be so detrimental with Jesus giving into the temptations?

Uh I I get the bowing down to Satan one, like that's like, okay, like you're worshiping someone else besides God, but what about the other two?

You know, like what about what about getting turning something in stone into bread, like so that he can be fed, or you know, showing how powerful he is by jumping off something and having the angels like take care of him.

Like, what's so detrimental about falling into those things?

Well, I think I think what's interesting because I was rereading this this morning, and especially the one of um him jumping off of the like, hey, jump off of this and let the the angels catch you, and the fact that he was being tempted with like being spectacular, doing something awesome.

And this was at the beginning of his ministry.

And of course, we like go on to see throughout the gospels that Jesus is doing all these signs and wonders and healing the sick and and people are being um delivered from oppression and and from demonic spirits and all this stuff.

But we also see throughout the gospels that um when he was doing all these things, that there was this temptation of the crowd to be like, hey, he's the king and we're gonna make him king.

And then Jesus would be like, it's not the proper time, they're gonna try to make me king in a way that isn't the right way.

And so he would retreat and go away from the crowd in order to avoid them doing that.

And so I think that um when I was rereading it, like, man, that that's kind of what Satan was tempting him with.

Like, hey, let's let's expedite your kingship and like let's show everybody like how great you really are, how spectacular you can be by calling the angels here.

And Jesus went, No, that's not the way, like that's not the way this is supposed to play out.

And so I think that would be the again, because identity is in question here, you know.

The enemy is saying, if you were the son of God, like you would be able to do these things.

And he Jesus is saying the way that the world thinks that I'm gonna become king is not the way that the kingdom is saying I'm gonna become king, you know, and so I think that's the the thing is the tension is what is spectacular, like that spectacle that he could have been, and and the fact that he had to resist that temptation.

Yeah.

I think those two that you mentioned too, Nate, like it all comes back down to like those two things come back down to like pride.

Like, well, can you do this?

I mean, how many times is it like so easy?

Like, I think back like being a kid, you're like, Man, I can do a wheelie on that bicycle and I can ride it for like a block.

And then someone's like, Can you really do it?

And you're like, No, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna show it, and you prove it, but in proving it, you get you know, bloody knees and bust your forehead, like I did multiple times.

I still tried to do that as an adult, and the same thing happened.

Um, anyway, I've not gotten any better.

It's it's really like he didn't have to prove himself.

So, like, there's gonna be so many times where it's like you may feel this temptation or thing like, I need to prove myself, I need to prove something.

We don't even have to prove ourselves to God.

Like, that's what's so crazy about all this is that Jesus did what he did for us, and we didn't have to prove anything for it at all.

And like in this, like, if he would have done those things and given over to those, it would have been, it would have been like, oh, like I I'm proving myself to you.

But the thing is, is he didn't even have to prove himself to the enemy because he was greater than the enemy.

And when you realize that, when you realize, like, man, that like the God that I have, the Holy Spirit, that's on the inside of me is greater than the thing that I face, you don't have to worry about proving yourself to the thing that you face because God's already done it.

Yeah, I think like that's what he showed us in those things is that I don't have to prove myself, I don't have to be prideful and do these things and show these things because God is going to ordain and align these things in his timing and in his way.

And so I think that's one of the things we can take from it is that because did he do, like Becca was saying, amazing miracles?

Yeah, the crazy thing about this is this is before he did any miracles at all, you know.

But like he he could have chosen in that moment to expedite the process.

Let's be great now, let's be spectacular now, let's and let's let let's show the world that like I am legend now.

Like, but he didn't, he chose to take the humble path, and that's what it's about.

He chose to humble himself for us all the way up into the cross.

That's beautiful.

That's my favorite part.

Like, that has nothing to do with what we're talking about, but when I hear like anything around the realm of like Jesus chose to like humble himself and like all the way to the cross, like there's nothing that is more beautiful than that.

Like just for someone to say, like, I'm gonna come and I'm going to just become basically from the greatest to be the least, to serve, to love, and to literally give my life, like to like actually give my life in death so that other people may live.

Like, I will humble myself and go to the I mean, what else is there?

Yeah, then folks, is all we got for you today.

I mean, that's it is a really powerful thought because if he were if he were to give in to what the devil was trying to tell him and do something uh premature, it would almost be like, well, the devil talked you into doing this instead of doing it of his own volition, you know, or doing it of his own will, which in which in reality his will was the father's will.

So that's a really point because if we're doing it, and it's almost like a peer pressure thing, like if we're doing it for the pressure, even though it may from the outside look like a good idea or something that's not super detrimental to us or wouldn't really hurt us, if it's not God's will, it's probably not the right decision, you know.

And that's a that's a really powerful point.

And he was like, I know what I'm here to do, I know where I'm going, I know why I'm doing it.

Like, so you know, you can come at me with these things, but like that's not what I'm here for.

I'm not here to be relevant and spectacular and and show off like what I can do.

That wasn't the goal, that wasn't why I came.

Like, you know, I feel like all of the all of the great things, honestly, that he did and all of the great things that he still does, they're just a bonus.

Like, he came for salvation.

Yeah, and so all of those things were just these like extras um that like almost Satan was trying to entice them.

Like, look, you could have and look, you could, and look, and it's like, but that's not why I'm here.

It's like a late-night infomercial, but wait, there's more.

Oh my gosh, sure.

But I I I do think though, that's that's one of the things with the that it's so easy to get off into, is like, because if you just solely look at the miracles of Jesus and the things that he did, you can just look at him like a magician.

It was like, but like he you have to look at the humanity and the things that he went through.

And I think we can even stop sometimes thinking like we'll go to the garden where Jesus prayed three times, and we're like, Well, that was his final temptation, he overcame it.

And sometimes we'll even do that, like logically.

But while he was on the cross, he still had three different times where people were like, now just prove it.

Just get down off the cross, call the angels.

He's sitting there between the two thieves and was like, bro, if you're really who they say you are, get us off this cross, like right now, like take us down.

So he still, even after the moment in the garden, he could have chosen to be spectacular.

He could have chosen to be like, Look, suckers, ain't nobody ever come off a cross.

And he could have came off the cross.

But with the end in mind and Jesus knowing the end from the beginning, he was able to be like, No one has ever risen from the dead, y'all.

What's up?

You know, like and it's it's you and I are so different.

Like, you're just over here, like, yeah, what's up, man?

I'm like, it's just so beautiful.

I just like it is beautiful, it's it is beautiful, but he humbled himself.

We are just such different people all the way to the end.

Which dog's eating right now, Rocky?

Rocky guys, I was a little about to be like, let's just go ahead and pause for one minute.

To be honest, we are um at our house.

The girls are at school, which is going great, but we still have two dogs here.

And as soon as we sat down, they ring the bell to go um outside, and then comes back inside and decides that it's breakfast time at noon.

So I love that they have a bell.

Like, yellow.

And I would like to go outside now.

And it's like, of course he would, because we're trying to do something.

Oh man, after the message is such a great thing.

This is where it's like the real behind the scenes.

It is the real behind the scenes, especially on Zen.

And we're not editing it out.

Um, it's it's gonna stay.

Here we are.

All right, great.

Yeah.

Let's talk about uh when he says um man shall not live on bread alone, you know, that temptation.

Uh it kind of makes sense, and then it kind of doesn't, you know, because you think you're thinking like physical versus spiritual.

Yeah.

Um, but it does show the importance of if God's word is that important, you know, and God's ways are that important that you can equate it to you know, physical food to sustain you and to keep you breathing, basically.

But let's go down that one.

What's this what's the significance to you guys in in that statement?

I mean, so I'm just gonna go ahead and be honest.

Um, some there's a book which my dog ate, um, called Um In the Name of Jesus by Henry Nowen.

And he talks about this this passage of scripture through this whole book.

And so we've got it back out, and I have highlighted the jeepers out of this book, but um, he literally talks about this part, and I and I have it like underlined and highlighted because I thought it was really great.

Um, but he says, but when he was asked to prove his power as the son of God by the relevant behavior of changing stones into bread, he clung to his mission to proclaim the word and said, one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

And so, like, I feel like he's saying, like, what you were saying is that like he knew exactly what he was there to do.

He clung to his mission, and it was to proclaim um the word of God, and like saying, like, no, like I'm here to literally live out the words that God has spoken.

And so, like, he was like, This is what's important to me, not proving my relevance to you, and not proving my relevance to like who you think I should be and what I should do.

It's it's to literally live out the word of God, and and that's like the thing is that I think um sometimes the word of God can like almost feel lose its like importance.

Oh, that's not relevant for today.

Oh, I mean, what does that really have to do with you know X, Y, Z, Z situation?

Or, you know, that's just an old book with like, you know, some old stories.

Like that's not what it's about.

Like the Word of God is like alive and it is like food for your spirit.

Yeah.

And so I think that was like what he was saying was like, no, no, no.

Like I've come to prove that like the word of God is is alive and I'm going to live it out.

Yeah.

And he actually, I mean, the crazy thing in that I mean you were saying that and I I mean I've thought about it before, but like he was the bread.

Like that's what's crazy.

Like he even said I am the bread of life.

Like the devil was tempting him to do something that like he already was.

Like he he had that on the inside of him.

And so it's like you know him giving into that would have literally been like him giving in to something that he already all these things were him giving into something that he already was and already had.

And I mean Pastor Keith brought that up like at the end he's like you got to know what you have.

Jesus knew I already have this.

Like this is already you're tempting me with bread but I am the bread.

You're tempting me with power but like I am the power.

You're tempting me with like like control and kingdom and king but like I'm the king.

Like I actually left my throne to like come down here and be here.

And so I think like with that like the man shall not live on bread alone but every word was that bread of life that Jesus proclaimed that he was like the word of God that is the stuff that the things that come out of God's mouth those things they don't change.

They're the same you know you think about bread like in general like Jen loves making homemade bread.

That sourdough bread that she made that I saw on Instagram this past weekend it looked really good.

Was it so good?

Uh I'm on whole 30 so I didn't I mean I'm sure it was not that great it wasn't good at all back to the program.

But like bread it can mold it can get hard it gets stale like it can change all of its things like if we're just living on bread alone like that stuff can change.

If we're living on everything that we see from day to day those things can change but the bread of God the word of God it's eternal and it never changes.

It don't mold it don't get stale unless you communicate it stale um but I think those are the things that it's like when you look at that like physical things can change but the word of God it it's eternal and it doesn't and so if you base your life on the physical things things are going to change but if you base it on the word of God then you know that that's something that doesn't change.

Yeah.

How much I mean like how much do we look for things in the world that we already have because if we have the same spirit that Jesus had we are afforded the same things that Jesus is afforded obviously other than like kingship but you know the same the same spirit offers the same things to us the the ability to to uh have God's word you know and to know God's word and and how how to live our lives like there's so many times where I'm so focused on things of the world the bread of the world so to speak that I totally I totally forget about that there's life giving bread in in God and what he has to say about my life.

Yeah well I think it's so important to recognize that like world priorities and kingdom priorities are two different things.

And so like in the world when we're looking at that like that going back to the temptation to be relevant you know like where we're in a a culture where your highlight reel is like something that's constantly constantly being updated like oh I need to have relevant content that I like and people have legitimate jobs of being influencers and it's like okay but by that standard um you're trying to prove something that in the kingdom like you're proven as a as a son or a daughter already.

You don't have to go in and be relevant.

You don't have to go and improve and at the end of the day I think um what the enemy tempts us with so much it so often is like to add to who we already are because he wants us to think we're not enough with the stamp of approval that we already have from God.

And so at the end of the day like God isn't going to be like hey I need a detailed list of everything that you did for me like what were the spectacular things that you did for me he's gonna say did you love me and did you love others toward me and like that's that's it you know and so I think but if we're looking at the world standards and priorities like that's not enough like people are constantly going to be like oh you only have two things on your list like what else are you doing?

You know but if you look at what the kingdom wants us to be doing like that that's it like are we loving God first are we loving others towards him and we don't have to do anything else.

One of the best messages I ever heard um just kind of like about this um was Sheep Don't Strive by Carl Lentz.

It was a few years ago and you and if you've ever heard Carl speak man you know he is like it's like he's passionate beyond passion you know um but when he was talking about this he's like we are sheep sheep don't strive they follow because the thing about sheep is sheep is very easy for us to get distracted by looking to other things that's why like the shepherd had certain tools that he would use to help keep the sheep following but ultimately we have the decision if we're gonna do it or not but as long as we keep our eyes on the shepherd we're gonna follow in the right direction but following takes a lot more work than just distractions.

Like following is actually I in my opinion I I think following God it's not easy.

It's not it's not something that you're gonna like if you're going through a financial crisis and you're looking for a get rich quick scheme it's not God.

Like but it's really easy to go I can go online I can find a get rich quick scheme and I can invest money in it and in a week I'll be a millionaire and I'll get out of this financial thing.

No like following God means man I'm learning to tithe and what tithing is actually going to do is it's gonna help me steward my finances better because I'm saying I'm gonna trust God with this 10% more than I can myself with 100%.

And so then you actually have to start stewarding what you have in those moments and when you learn to steward your finances well then I believe that's gonna lead to financial things in your life but God is not a get rich quick scheme.

He is not a the only thing he's a get out of hell card I'm just kidding anyway but it's like it's not enough I do but I was gonna say get out of jail free but I was like anyway play too much Monopoly with the girls but everything with God takes time because following takes time and we don't want things that take time and when we're looking at things in the world it seem from the outside looking in we think that's instant I can have that now and I mean we keep coming back to this but it's the result that we know that like you're saying Nate that we have in the end or even the thing that we have right now but getting it's a lot easier this way.

It seems easier because it seems like a shortcut but how many times do we like does one take a shortcut?

I'm that sounds terrible she's looking at me because I like she's not a shortcut taker I'm a shortcut taker.

But I'm a one and ones follow the rule then you follow all the steps like so there's your little Enneagram tip.

But um I'm thinking about I can read the first verse and the last verse and I'm good.

Alright cool solid note.

So but how many times does someone take a shortcut and then you're like why did the bookshelf fall apart and I'm like well if we want to follow all the steps we would have a bookshelf that is completely put together.

So I just feel like that's the same same good idea here.

Yeah.

Yeah it's uh that's a great point because we're always trying to figure figure it out whatever it may be and it seems that Jesus isn't someone to be figured out he's someone to be followed you know and he's trying to figure out Jesus and what Jesus said that in a righteous way that can be a good thing but if you if you hype are hypersensitive like what does he really mean like how do I really do this instead of just surrendering and following and taking it a day at a time like he said to do uh you can drive yourself mad because I've been there and sometimes I still get there I just like well I just want to figure it out what do you want you know and that's that that can be that can be taxing and challenging and and and just following step by step like okay today this next decision whatever it may be I you know I think that's a much more peaceful kind of like what Pastor Carl was probably alluding to it's a much more peaceful existence you know and I think and I'm not as I'm not as smart as you know Becca or Pastor Keith but I think one of the things that I have realized honestly like over the past I would say month and I and I because I've always kind of struggled with that too Nate I just I just want to figure it out can someone just give me the definitive on just whatever it may be and there's so many trains of thought and so many trains of stuff I I think that we are all trying to figure God out and there are definitely things in his word like that lead us to exactly like it's like it's like a scavenger hunt and it leads us directly to it but then there are other things that the scavenger hunt leads to another thing to another thing to another thing and we're constantly in this process of trying to figure things out instead of what you said instead of following and then trusting that if we trust God enough that the things that we're trying to figure out now he's gonna he's gonna lead us to that and so I'm trying to learn a better follower.

I wonder if Jesus was thinking that like in the wilderness like he could he very well could have been like man I wonder what's coming up I because I would be thinking I would be going into that like okay God's doing something I wonder what it is like let me start like my contingency plans for whatever God throws in my way you know that's that's how I can live my life sometimes instead of like you know day one um being communication with the father focus on the father day two same thing day three all the way up to 40 you know and by then it just becomes like a second nature he just the the enemy starts to say well what about this and he goes nah dude this you know like and I think that's the genius and the brilliance of this passage.

Yeah I agree um kind of wrapping up here how how does knowing that Jesus went through these things and conquered these things how does how does that help you get through them when you go through similar situations or does it do when you're in similar temptation situations do you think about that or is it usually like a hindsight thing like man I could have I could have reacted this way because Jesus showed it to me.

Does that make sense?

I think one thing that it shows me is that like there's purpose in testing and that God can show up in things even like temptation or like the wilderness and that um it's not all for nothing because for a long time I was not in a hard place like it's my fault what did I do what am I not doing what do I need to hurry up and do so that I can get out of this because I'm clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing like and so um being able to get to a place where I can let all that go to know like God is moving in all of those things.

He's so much bigger and and to even go to like a new level of trust knowing that if you are leading me to a place that is hard and uncomfortable or difficult or where like you know there's a testing happening because you're refining something in me I can still trust you in that like and just knowing that like oh Jesus Jesus did that like so if Jesus was in the wilderness um for 40 days and and the devil came to tempt him like okay I'm not doing too bad.

Like I'm not you know I'm not completely off the path and so I feel like it can give us assurance in knowing that like we can trust God in a greater way but also knowing like okay we're not screwing up completely.

I think with that too like um I didn't get to use my cheesy preacher quote on Sunday so um but the thing that this showed me more than anything again was Jesus it wasn't his resilience but it was his reliance on God that got him through everything in life and you know it wasn't his resilience to his own power his own strength his own things it was his reliance on God.

And I think what we can do is think man I wouldn't be getting tempted if I had enough faith or I wouldn't be getting tempted if I just had enough of something else but really like no like it's about trust it's about reliance.

And so what this shows me is that if even Jesus who is both fully God and fully man had to be reliant on God then how much more do I need to be reliant on him?

And so I think for me that's what it you know that's what it that's what it shows me.

And when I think about it I would love to tell you Nate that I think about it during the middle of the test or temptation a lot of times it is hindsight.

And then I'll say next time I'm gonna think differently and then I don't and then like but it it helps me just to know like man like if Jesus had to rely on God how much more do I need to rely on him and not just try to be resilient in my own strength or my own ways yeah yeah I think well first of all can you guys hear them practicing for sub 30 because everything you were saying sounds so spiritual because there's just keys in the background that's amazing.

It's like perfect time it sounds a little bit like heaven is in the other room like with just like the song I can't wait to tell Josh that heaven was in the other room but also heaven is in the other word is it's just like minor chaos where we are you know okay go ahead I think for me uh it challenges me to approach temptation like knowing that I already have the victory.

Does that make sense?

So it challenges me to when I get led into those moments of like testing to recognize like that the enemy's a punk and that he doesn't actually have any authority in this and that I get to yield like the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and all of that prep time ahead of time like I'm going into battle prepared and that I already have the victory because of what Jesus did.

And it challenges me to not go into these moments with defeatist attitude uh which is like really easy to be like man I can't believe I'm here again like I thought I thought I had totally like overcome this but instead like really looking at it and being like you don't have any authority here like enemy be gone like I I'm focusing on the fact that like my bread is to do the will of the Father and I'm I'm gonna focus on obedience and I'm not gonna worry about um what the enemy's trying to attack me with because I know that God has the upper hand and God's on my side.

And so I think that is what I learned from this is that like the same way that Jesus walked through it going uh no like you don't get to take over who I am you don't you can challenge this but you're not gonna win is the same posture that I I go in and go, okay like I'm gonna model that like Jesus modeled that for me and if I'm following how Jesus did it then I'm gonna go in and be like no you don't have any authority here and take what like me and God have been working on up until that point of knowing the word of God reading the word of God knowing who I am in God taking that into every every temptation every battle and being like yeah you don't get to win here and so I think that's my like takeaway from the passage and how Jesus handled the temptation I always go back to like when you said that like I mean Jesus one of the last things he says to his disciples is like man you're gonna face trials and you're gonna face trouble.

He even promised them trouble.

But he's like but have peace because I've overcome them all and the the fact is is like he overcame the thing that no one else could and he overcame death and like literally that same looping back at the beginning of the conversation the same power that was in Jesus that raised him from the dead lives on the inside of us and like we know that we have the victory and then when we know that we have the victory that helps us in the battle and so because you still may have a battle season but when you know man like at the end of it all no matter how it ends up God is God and God is sovereign and like I've got the victory in that then that gives you the ability to then walk through every battle knowing that like you may think you got me but you don't got me like God does and that's who I'm relying on.

And that probably doesn't sound as spiritual because my dog was running across the floor I'm sorry.

But if he never did another thing he humbled himself he came here he went to the cross so that we could spend eternity with him and there's nothing more beautiful than that.

Yeah man let's just uh let's just play just as I am and do an altar call right here you know I could take this into the other room where it's put them on blast you know thank you guys so much for for doing this uh this was a really good conversation and that's one of the things I love about this is it's just we're humans we have short-term memory loss and we just need reminders and even just talking about this with you was beneficial for me and I'm sure it will be beneficial for others so um if you're out there and you want to uh if you have a question about what we talked about today or you just want to say what's up uh you can email at n that stands for after the message at celebrationorl.org.

All right guys what can I add one more thing I know you just tried to close but um I just feel like I know we don't do this every single time like we do after the message and I know that you know it's happened the past couple times but if this is someone's very first you just happen to come across this this one message and you've been listening and and we're talking about being filled with the spirit of God and and Jesus coming and giving us life um so that he can you know bring us into relationship with God like and you're like I I don't know I don't know about all that I don't know this Jesus I don't have um I don't have this this spirit of God living on the inside of me like you know I just want to encourage you that this is for you too and it's not just for us it's not just for um the people in our church this is for you so if you're listening and you happen to find us and you happen to come across this conversation and you've heard us talk about Jesus I just want you to know that he loves you that he sent his that he came and he humbled himself and he went to the cross so that you can have a relationship with God and so his spirit can live on the inside of you.

So if you want to know if you want to know him if you want to say hey this is this is something I want to be a part of um I just feel like we want to give you that opportunity um to to be in a relationship with him so I just thought it'd be important that we that we do that uh before we go.

So I'm any emotion we're even so if you if you do want to make that decision it's really simple.

The apostle Paul says we just believe in our heart that Jesus died on the cross and rose again and we confess with our mouth that he is Lord and we're saved.

So I'm gonna pray that really quick if you're in your car if you're watching whatever you're at all you have to do is just pray this and then uh yeah that's your next step.

But God we thank you um for your son Jesus um God thank you for saving me I believe that Jesus died on the cross and he rose again Jesus Christ you are the Lord of my life thank you for saving me fill me with your spirit and leave me um in all of your ways in Jesus' name amen amen and if you did just make that decision it really is the best thing you could have ever done and so welcome to the family we love you and um you can just like we say every Sunday you can text the word to side to the number 25101 and we'll come alongside you we'll love you and resource you for the journey.

So thanks for letting me hijack your ending mate you can actually end it for real.

All good if you want to do that that's the best way to hijack any ending so you guys good?

Yeah.

All right each of them thank you for joining us for after the message to learn more about celebration church here in Orlando you can follow us on social media under the handle at celebration ORL or visit our website at celebration or l dot org.