Matthew Ch4v1-22 - Set Free To Follow

Let's go to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 4.

Well, we're going to read Matthew, Chapter 4, up to verse 22.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Let's hear God's Word to us today.

Verse 1, then, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted or tested

by the devil. After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him

and said, If you're the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. And Jesus answered,

It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the temple.

If you're the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his

angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, It is also written, Do not put the Lord your

God to the test. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms

of the world in their splendour. All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me.

Jesus said to him, Away from me, Satan, for it is written, Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.

Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and

Naphtali, to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah. Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people living in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

As Jesus was walking beside the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people.

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.

Jesus called them.

And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

We're going to pray.

I wonder if someone, I'm not sure who, would mind getting me just a glass of water.

That would be helpful. Thanks very much.

Thank you, Claire. Thanks.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Encourage us and build us up.

And so we pray for ourselves, for the children, for our Sunday school teachers,

that we would know your word working in us, guiding us to your light.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you, Claire.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Claire.

Well, we are in a battle.

We're in a conflict.

A war.

It's a battle of two kingdoms.

There's the kingdom of heaven, and there is the kingdom of Satan.

One is a kingdom of light against a kingdom of darkness.

But tragically, the story of humanity is all about how we have fallen for Satan's lives.

Instead of enjoying God's kingdom, we have become enslaved in Satan's kingdom.

Instead of living under God's good rule, we have followed Satan's rule.

We have chosen the darkness rather than the light.

And the problem is, we can't free ourselves.

Well, in Matthew chapter 4, we're going to see how God's promised king, Jesus, fights this battle for us.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Three things we're going to see.

First, that Jesus confronts the devil for us and wins.

Second, Jesus enters into the darkness to free us.

And then third, Jesus, our commander, our warrior king, comes to us and calls us to follow him.

So, let's take these in turn.

First, as we think about this battle, Jesus confronts the devil for us and wins.

Look at verse 1 with me of chapter 4.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil or Satan.

This isn't a chance encounter, is it?

It's intentional and it's planned.

You see what it says in verse 1?

The Spirit leads the Son of God into a confrontation with the devil.

Now, that shouldn't surprise us because this has been God's plan all along.

God had promised a Son who would come and defeat the devil for us.

You see, this battle has been raging since the beginning of time.

It began way back in the Garden of Eden when the devil came and tempted the first man and woman to sin.

And instead of saying no to sin, they believed the lie.

And immediately they were plunged into a darkness and faced the penalty of death.

And this has been the objective of Satan throughout history.

He is leading the whole world astray.

His desire is to lure and deceive, to tempt and destroy.

And yet from the outset of this battle, God promised to raise up a son.

Genesis reminds us of this.

In Genesis 3 verse 15.

Genesis 3:15

God said to Satan, after he had deceived and led the man and woman astray,

God said to him,

I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers.

He, that is one of her offspring, a son, will crush your head and you will strike his heel.

A promise that one would come, a son from the woman who would crush the enemy for us,

freeing us from the darkness that we might enter into the kingdom of heaven.

God's word was true.

And a son came.

But, that son failed.

Have a look at verse 1 with me again back in Matthew.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested or tempted by the devil.

After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry.

Does that ring any bells with you to an event back in the Old Testament?

It should remind us of God's son, Israel.

Because God had promised to raise up a son who would follow and who would go his way and not Satan's way.

And remember how Israel were slaves in Egypt under the brutal reign of Pharaoh.

And God had come and said to them,

Israel is my firstborn son.

Let my son go that he might worship me.

And so God's son, Israel, were released.

They were to go with God to worship him.

And on their release, they entered the wilderness for 40 years,

where they went through a time of tempting, a time of testing.

But it was a test.

They failed.

They grumbled and they complained.

They turned their back on God and longed to be back in Egypt again.

They were deceived by the lies of Satan.

God's son, Israel, failed to be the people God called them to be.

Instead of triumphing and being victorious,

they were losing the battle.

And that's been the problem throughout the history of humanity.

Faced with a choice of walking with God or living as our own God,

we choose self over God all of the time.

We've been born into sin,

trapped and enslaved,

and we can't free ourselves.

In a sense, we are all failed sons.

But true to God's word,

God promised a faithful son, didn't he?

And that faithful son did come.

Just as Israel went into the wilderness to be tested for 40 years,

so Jesus comes and he is sent into the wilderness for 40 days.

And he goes through a time of testing.

But unlike Israel, the unfaithful son,

Jesus is the true and faithful son.

Verse 3,

The tempter came to him and said,

If you are the son of God,

tell these stones to become bread.

And Jesus answered,

It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Three times the devil tempts,

and each time the son remains steadfast,

loyal and faithful

as he enters into the battle,

the confrontation.

Have a look at verse 10.

And as the tempting came,

Jesus said to him,

Verse 10,

Away from me, Satan,

for it is written,

Worship the Lord your God

and serve him only.

You see,

You and I go through times of testing all the time.

And yet we seem to fail that test so often.

We worship self.

We serve my desires and my wants.

But there is one who stands strong.

And he passes the test.

And he worships God.

He never fails.

For Jesus is the faithful son.

Satan can't deceive him

or trip him up or trick him.

Satan cannot lead him astray,

no matter what he throws to him.

Here, Jesus,

have the kingdoms of the world

as if Satan could offer it to him.

Already Satan had tried to destroy Jesus,

didn't he?

Remember when the birth of Jesus was announced?

King Herod was furious.

He ordered that all the boys

in Bethlehem age 2 and under

would be slaughtered.

Yes, Herod would be responsible.

But who's standing behind these evil acts?

Only the desire of Satan

to destroy God's king.

But God's promise of a faithful son

will not be broken.

God's plan never fails.

That means this faithful son

can come and help you and me.

Because we need somebody

who will come in and stand for us

and go where we cannot go.

Because Jesus comes as our representative.

He passes the test on our behalf.

He doesn't fail.

He confronts the devil for us

and he wins.

Jesus is the perfect son

who is fully equipped and qualified

to go into the battle for us.

And that's exactly what Jesus does.

So first, Jesus confronts the devil

and he wins.

Second, he means he can now

enter into the darkness

to set us free.

The battle lines have been drawn.

The kingdom of heaven has come

through the kingdom of his son

and he confronts head on

the kingdom of Satan.

And the battle is truly fierce.

Look at verse 12.

When Jesus heard that John

had been put in prison,

he withdrew to Galilee.

Remember, we looked at John last week.

He was the one, the forerunner,

announcing the coming of Jesus.

And what's happened to John?

Well, he's now imprisoned.

Satan is again at work

trying to disrupt the ways of God.

Verse 13.

Hearing this news,

Jesus left Nazareth

and went and lived in Capernaum,

which was by the lake

in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.

So he'd gone from Jerusalem

following the river Jordan north

up to the lake of Galilee.

Once again,

Jesus' movement is intentional.

He's not just escaping.

There's a plan and a purpose behind it.

For look what verse 14 says.

He goes to Zebulun and Naphtali.

Why?

To fulfill what was said

through the prophet Isaiah.

You see, Jesus is on a mission

to set us free.

Jesus is going to a people

who are living in darkness.

Look at verse 15, the quote.

This is what we learn about the people.

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali.

The way of the sea beyond the Jordan.

Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people are living in darkness.

Darkness is the Bible's way

of talking about the presence of evil

and our hearts of sin.

And the world has seen

some very, very dark days.

This weekend we commemorate

the Holocaust

when up to 8 million human beings,

people just like us,

were brutally exterminated.

What a terrible darkness it was.

Today our nation

commemorates Bloody Sunday

which led to decades

of violence and hatred

and mindless death

of over 3,000 people

on our island.

What a terrible darkness

we have experienced

in our land.

And we too,

each one of us,

if we were to put a microphone

in front of us all,

we all have our own stories

of darkness, don't we?

Of troubled days

and hard times.

Things that have come

into our life.

But we too

are not innocent.

Because we too

have added to the darkness

by our cross words,

our selfish actions

and our unloving thoughts.

Isaiah's description

is right.

We live with a shadow

over us.

Look at verse 16.

These people, he says,

are living in the land

of the shadow

of death.

The darkness

of this world

has only one end.

And that is

death itself.

This is the kingdom

of Satan.

Darkness

and death

prevails.

This is what

we experience

in our life.

And sadly,

this is what we

inflict on each other.

But yet,

this is the world

that God himself

steps into.

He's not immune

to it.

He comes in the person

of his son.

Look back at verse

13.

Leaving Nazareth,

he went

and lived

in Capernaum.

He went

to a people

of darkness

and he lived

amongst them.

He entered

into the darkness.

He entered

into your world

and my world.

He understands.

He knows.

Because he encountered

darkness.

But he enters it

because he comes

to bring

light.

People are

in darkness.

But the light

has come.

Look at verse

16.

The people

living in darkness

have seen

a great light

on those living

in the land

of the shadow

of death.

A light

has dawned.

Every morning

at this time

of year,

if you're up

early enough,

that is,

you will

awaken

in the darkness.

But slowly

as the sun

begins to rise,

so that darkness

is dispelled.

Light has come.

Well,

that's exactly

what Jesus

has come to do.

He is the light

who comes

breaking through

into the darkness

for us.

And to understand

why we need

the light

of Jesus,

we need

to go back

to Isaiah

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

where this

quote

comes from.

So if you

go back

in your Bibles

to Isaiah

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

and we'll

see a little

bit clearer

why

the light

had to come.

Because we

live in a

world of

darkness

darkness,

we live

with the

shadow

of death

and we

look for a

way out

of it,

a way to

get through

it.

And here

in Isaiah

9,

or really

it's at the

very end

of chapter

8,

the last

couple of

verses,

we're

introduced

to,

well,

as Isaiah

describes them,

a people

who've ignored

God's word

and sought

their own

solution to

the darkness.

darkness.

And this

is what

they find.

Look at the

very end

of verse

21.

Looking

upwards,

they will

curse their

king and

their God,

shaking their

fists angrily

at God for

all that there

is.

And then

they will

look towards

the earth

and see

only distress

and darkness

and fearful

gloom,

and they

will be

thrust

into utter

darkness.

Isn't that

what we

do?

We look

to ourselves

and to

other people

to lift

the darkness

and to

remove the

shadow of

death,

but as we

look to

others,

what do

we find?

Well,

just more

distress and

darkness.

We look

to other

people and

what do

we get?

More fear

and gloom.

Rather than

fix our

lives and

our world,

we only

make things

worse.

That's why

we need

the light.

That's why

we need

Jesus.

Look at

chapter 9

verse 1.

Nevertheless,

there will

be no

more glooms

for those

who are

in distress.

Verse 2.

For the

people walking

in darkness

have seen

a great

light.

On those

living in

the land

of deep

darkness,

a light

has

dawned.

Jesus

has come.

Matthew

identifies

that who

Isaiah

is speaking

about is

Jesus,

the one

who comes

into the

darkness

of our

hearts

to destroy

the shadow

of death.

You see,

Jesus enters

the darkness

to set us

free.

And how

does he

do that?

Well,

he wins

the battle

for us.

He wins

the battle

for us.

Look down

at verse 5,

Isaiah

Isaiah 9:5

chapter 9

verse 5.

Isaiah

here

pictures a

battle

scene,

but it's

a battle

that has

been won.

Verse 5.

Every

warrior's

boot

used in

battle

and every

garment

that has

been rolled

in blood

will be

destined for

burning,

will be

fuelled

for the

fire.

The

garments

of war,

the

uniform

of the

soldier

has now

been taken

off,

stained in

blood.

The battle

was fierce.

It's been

ripped off

and now it

is burned

up because

they are no

longer needed.

The battle

has been

won.

we don't

need to

fight the

battle

because

Jesus has

come to

do the

battle for

us.

And that

battle was

ultimately

fought and

won for

us at

the cross

and it

was a

bloody

battle.

For as

Jesus took

my sin

and your

sin,

we are

told that

darkness

came over

the whole

land,

symbolic of

the ways

and deeds

of Satan.

Jesus was

thrust into

utter darkness,

suffering the

darkness of

hell for

you and

for me.

But yet

three days

later,

that warrior

who went

into battle

would rise

again from

the grave,

destroying

the shadow

of death

that is over

us,

his resurrection

confirming

that this

battle has

been won

once and

for all.

the apostle

Paul would

put it like

this,

you can read

on screen.

For he,

that is the

Son,

has rescued

us from

the dominion

of darkness

and brought

us into

the kingdom

of the

Son he

loves,

in whom

we have

redemption,

the forgiveness

of all

our sins.

He takes

us from

darkness

and brings

us into

light.

a place

of fear

and gloom

and distress

to a

kingdom of

love

and beauty

where we

are forgiven

and treasured

and made

his children.

That's

what Jesus

has done.

He has

faced the

devil for

us and

he wins,

fully equipped

and able

and qualified.

He enters

the battle

and he

does war

on our

behalf

so that

we can

enter his

kingdom.

So how

do we

experience

this kingdom

of light?

How do

we get

to enter?

Well,

third,

Jesus,

if you like,

the warrior

king,

the victorious

champion,

now comes

to us

and says,

follow me

as your

captain.

Follow me

as your

captain.

Because if we

are to know

and enjoy

the freedom

that he has

come to give

us,

then we need

to follow

him.

Let's go

back to

Matthew 4.

Back to

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 4.

Matthew 5.

Because as

Jesus came

to live

in the

darkness,

he comes

to call

people to

follow him.

Look at

verse 19.

As Jesus

was walking

by the

lake,

he sees

two sets

of brothers.

Verse 19,

he says,

come,

follow me.

And at

once they

left their

nets and

followed him.

A little

later he

met two

more brothers

and Jesus

called to

them,

saying,

follow me,

and immediately

they followed

him.

You see,

following

Jesus is

nothing less

than a

radical

transformation

of our

whole life

and thinking,

our

perspective.

And the

question that

is before

us,

are we

going to

follow the

triumphant

king?

Are we

going to

be loyal

to our

commander

and captain?

For

Jesus comes

to us

and says,

if you

want to

experience

this

kingdom,

then you

must

follow me.

You must

follow.

Look back

in verse

17.

From that

time on,

Jesus

began to

preach,

repent,

for the

kingdom of

heaven has

come near.

The call

to follow

is essentially

a call

to repent.

It's saying,

will you

turn from

yourself?

Will you

put down

the weapons

that you

fight against

God and

your desire

to be

Lord and

King over

your life?

Will you

lay down

your weapons

and will

you turn

and trust

in the

Saviour,

the one

who has

won for

you?

Will you

trust him

who entered

the darkness

and has

given you

life?

You see,

to follow

Jesus is a

commitment to

say,

I am no

longer going

to trust in

my own

resources or

willpower.

I see

my weakness

and the

only one I

can follow

is the

strength of

my warrior,

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

who gives

us grace

and mercy

in every

test and

trial we

come up

against.

There is

nothing so

big or so

great that

he cannot

supply the

grace that

we need

in our

times of

trial and

temptation.

And when

we fail,

he gives

us forgiveness.

Will you

follow this

captain?

Will you

walk with

him?

It's a

life of

continuous

repentance

and faith

as we

trust in

our

redeemer who

takes us

from darkness

into light.

life of

God.

But not

only that,

our warrior

king calls

us to a

new purpose.

He gives

us a

brand new

mission.

Jesus is

come,

hasn't he,

to rescue

people from

the kingdom

of Satan.

He's come

to free us

from the

kingdom of

darkness,

to bring us

into the

kingdom of

light.

And now

that mission

is ours,

not to

fight the

battle because

that's already

won,

but to go

with new

weapons of

war,

the weapon

of the

gospel,

the good

news of

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Look what it

says in

verse 19.

Jesus says

to these

fishermen,

come follow

me,

Jesus said,

and I will

send you

out to

fish for

people.

our mission

is now to

go empowered

and equipped

with the

good news

of Jesus,

not to

convince people

because that's

what God

will do,

but to

call people,

to point

them to

Jesus and

say,

look at

him,

the one

who can

take you

from distress

and darkness,

one who

can bring

you into

light and

beauty and

forgiveness.

He will

do it for

you.

As one

writer

commented,

we are not

here to

gaze at

the aquarium

in comfort.

We are to

go into

the rough

sea of

this world

and do

the work

of a

fisherman.

I'm

challenged

by that.

Maybe

we're too

busy gazing

at the

aquarium,

looking at

one another.

We're to

go into

the rough

seas of

this world

and to

do the

work of

a fisherman.

This is

our purpose.

This is

our new

goal.

This is

our aim

in life.

This is

the mission

that the

risen Lord

Jesus,

the victorious

captain,

has given

us.

Go and

make

disciples of

all nations

is how

Matthew

finishes his

gospel,

because that

is the

purpose.

So when

we waken

up each

morning,

remind

yourself,

who are

you?

Maybe

you think,

oh, I'm

a teacher,

I'm going

off to

school today,

I'm a

mother,

I'm looking

after my

kids today,

I'm a

worker,

I'm going

to be

online today.

Whoever

we are,

you wake

up and

you remind

yourself,

well,

remind

ourselves

this,

I need

to do

it.

Johnny,

you're a

fisherman.

You've

been

called

by God

to go

and present

the good

news to

people,

the gospel,

the power

that brings

people from

the kingdom

of darkness

to a kingdom

of light.

So mums,

when you

wake up,

you're not

just a taxi

driver for

your children,

you're calling

your children

to the kingdom.

kingdom.

When you

spend time

with your

family,

yes,

you're there

to provide

and to

care,

but you're

to raise

a family

for the

kingdom.

When you

socialize

with your

friends,

yes,

we have

a laugh,

yes,

it's to

be good

fun,

but we

are calling

them to

a kingdom.

And when

you go to

work,

yes,

you want

to get a

salary to

pay off all

your bills,

yes,

you want

to perhaps

go up

the career

ladder,

but you

are there,

God has

placed you

there to

bring the

light of

his kingdom

through every

act of

service by

listening

attentively

and

sensitively,

praying for

those who

will meet,

giving a

reason for

the hope

we have,

calling

people to

the kingdom.

Are we

going to be

loyal?

to this

kingdom

work that

we have

been called

to?

Did you

notice the

response of

the brothers?

Do you

see what

they said

at verse

20?

At

once,

they left

their nets

and followed

him.

Verse 22,

immediately

they left

their boat

and their

father and

followed

him.

this is

a matter

of life

and death.

This is

serious.

It's the

kingdom of

darkness

versus the

kingdom of

light.

The kingdom

of Satan

which ends

in destruction

or the

kingdom of

heaven

which is

life eternal.

God

you see

when Jesus

calls us

and he is

calling us

today

he's calling

us to

leave work.

They left

their nets.

He's calling

us to leave

family.

They left

their father

and they

followed him.

Now

does Jesus

really mean

for me to

leave work

and not to

go to work

tomorrow and

move out of

my house and

leave my

family?

Now if we

read on through

Matthew's

gospel we

discover that

they did

continue fishing

and they

did spend

time with

their family.

So what

does it

mean?

Well it

means holding

loosely our

work and our

family and

grasping

tightly the

priorities of

Jesus.

You see I

think it's

fair to say

isn't it?

Aren't work

and family the

things that

dominate our

minds most of

all?

Aren't we

thinking about

our families

the most?

Don't we

think about

work the

most?

Don't we

talk about

these things

the most?

It's what we

build our

lives around.

But rather

than hold on

to work for

our security

he's saying

hold on to

me.

Hold on to

Jesus.

Instead of

clinging on to

family for

comfort and

for all our

needs cling

to Jesus.

Why?

Well because we

can lose our

work at any

stage.

Your job can

be taken from

you just like

that.

We can lose

our family,

any members of

our family,

myself, any of

us could die at

any moment.

None of it

lasts.

But we can

never ever

lose Jesus.

Nothing can

separate us

from him.

Not even the

darkness,

not even death.

The kingdom of

this world will

be blown away

but the kingdom

of heaven

will last

forever.

Forever.

Jesus has

confronted the

devil for you

and for me

and he has

won.

He's entered

the darkness

and he's

fought the

battle for

us.

And now he

calls us,

follow me,

follow me

in this

kingdom work.

Join the

fight.

Pick up the

weapon of the

good news of

Jesus Christ

and go

wherever you

are scattered.

Your loyalty

to me

and I will

be with you.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father,

once again,

your word

presents

before us

your amazing

son,

our

savior,

who has

won

salvation

for us,

who has

brought us

from a

kingdom of

darkness

into the

kingdom of

the son

he loves

and

how we are treasured and loved

and cared for by you.

Thank you for life today.

Thank you for an eternal kingdom to come.

And we pray

that in light of all of this

we will follow you.

Father, would you impress upon us

the areas of our life

that we so tightly hold on to

that we would let it go

and grasp firmly

the priorities of your kingdom.

Go with us as you have promised.

Use us

to bring our children,

our family,

those within our community,

those we'll meet tomorrow.

Use us

to bring them and point them

to the kingdom of light.

Help us, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

We're going to sing

the church.

We're going to sing