It is Written
February 25/26, 2023
Daniel Im

The temptation to be relevant
o Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:1-4 CSB)

The temptation to be spectacular
o Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:5-7 CSB)

The temptation to be powerful
o Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him. (Matthew 4:8-11 CSB)

God has given us the sword of the Spirit to battle, fight back, and stand against the evil one's temptations and attacks:

o "For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 CSB)

o Tempted with lust?
§ But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28 CSB)
§ Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2 CSB)

o Tempted to cheat, lie, steal or deceive?
§ Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119:37 CSB)

o Tempted to pursue things that you know you shouldn't?
§ Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 CSB)

o I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11 NLT)

o How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word (Psalm 119:9 NIV)

Your Sword and (The Sword of the Spirit):
1. Do you have a sword? (What is the Bible?)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16 CSB)

2. How sharp is it? (Do you trust the Bible?)

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels:
- The reliability of manuscript transmission
- Corroboration from non-Christian authors
- Corroboration from geography
- Corroboration from archaeology
- Corroboration from the Jewish context
- Corroboration from Onomastics

(From Neil Shenvi's, Why Believe? A Reasoned Approach to Christianity)

3. Do you know how to use it? (How do you read the Bible?)

5 Steps to Devotionally Reading the Bible:
1. Be intentional about it
2. Start with one of the gospels, or a Bible reading plan
3. Pray before, during, and after you read
4. Live it out
5. Talk about it with others

5 Reminders When Studying the Bible
1. Don’t try to discover what no one has ever seen before
2. Every reader is an interpreter
3. The Bible isn’t a series of commands written without any sort of context
4. Ask questions of context and content
5. Use good tools