Jesus' Temptation | A Sermon on Matthew 4:1-11

Introduction
Last week, we read the incredible, powerful story of Jesus’ baptism.  When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and God spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  What a wonderful affirmation that was for Jesus as He marked the beginning of His public ministry. 

Immediately after that remarkably special moment, Jesus faced a very dark and difficult test.

Matthew 4:1
¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 

Three Things
I want to pause here and point out a few important ideas. 

First, the peaks of our spiritual highs are often followed by difficult lows.  Life has its ups & downs.  Make peace with it. Soak it up and savior the highs.  And understand the lows won’t last forever.  Be faithful and cling to your faith.  Things will improve & there are more incredible victories coming.  Don’t give up.  Keep the faith.

Second, testing is part of the spiritual journey.  
Right after the high of Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted.  And it specifically says it was the Spirit who led Him there.   It was important for Jesus to be tested.  A person’s real character is not revealed unless it’s tested.  That’s true for everyone—even Jesus.  People can dress up and look good on the outside, but when pressure squeezes a person, the juice comes out.  That’s when you find out who they really are inside. 

Third, I want to say Jesus understands what we go through because He went through it too.  Jesus didn’t live a sheltered life.  He faced all the same life struggles we all face.  He even met the Devil face to face and it was awful. That’s why He told us to pray about it in the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”  Even though temptation and evil are an inevitable part of our experience from time to time, Jesus encourages us to pray that God would protect us from them as much as possible.  But for Jesus, in this chapter of His life, it was important for Him to face the Devil.  And He did.

Matthew 4:2-11
² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

³ During that time the devil^[a] came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’^[c]”

⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’^[d]”

⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God
    and serve only him.’^[e]”

¹¹ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Why Did Jesus Need to Be Tempted?
You may wonder, “Why did Jesus need to be tempted?” One reason is because we are.  Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” 

Another reason is explained in Romans 5:18-19.  Jesus is the second Adam.  Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve were tempted and ate the forbidden fruit.  Their disobedience caused everything in creation to fall apart.  That is why there is sin and suffering and death and corruption in our world.  It is why the world and people are so broken.  But Jesus is the second Adam.  He is obedient where Adam and all of Adam’s offspring (us) fail.  Jesus’ obedience takes the place of our sin—fulfilling God’s original intent for humankind.

Jesus’ response to Satan also shows us how we can resist the Devil too.

How to Resist the Devil For Dummies
First, understand Satan’s plan.  The Devil often tempts us the same ways he tempted Jesus: with physical needs (bread), power (control), and testing God (pride).  Satan takes good things and twist and corrupts them.  Food is a good thing, but if we overindulge it is bad for us.  Power and influence can be used for good, but not if they require us to compromise godly values.  And we can certainly rely on God to help us through our trials, but it is sinful pride to expect God to protect us when we do something stupid.

And notice, Satan’s strategy is often to come quoting Scripture to back up His evil temptations.  (He tries to trick Jesus to jump off the highest point of the Temple by quoting Psalm 91.)  But Jesus doesn’t fall for it because Jesus doesn’t just pick Scriptures to prove his own points.  He knows the over-arching meaning of the whole Word of God.  And we must know it too so that neither Satan (or anyone) can lead us to sin by quoting the Bible to us.

As Jesus said in John 8:44, “[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  So listen to 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”,

Second, Use the 5 Finger Defense Technique. 

The 5 Finger Defense

1.     Thumb – Stay Close to God through Prayer & Submission – The thumb is closest to you, reminding you to stay connected to God.  Do this through Prayer and Submission.  You will never be able to resist the Devil on your own.  You need God’s help.  And a life of prayer is the most important way to stay close to God where Satan cannot overcome you. Develop a strong, vibrant, regular prayer life.

2.     Index Finger – Know & Use Scripture to Point to the Truth – Just like you use this finger to point, use God’s Word to point out the lies Satan tells you.  But it’s important to KNOW the whole truth—not just over-simplistic random quotes from the Bible.  Even Satan quotes Scripture.  So ask yourself, “What is God really saying in Scripture?  What is the whole Truth Jesus reveals?”  Know Jesus’ Truth and live it!

3.     Middle Finger – Guard Your Mind and Stay Pure – The tallest finger reminds you to rise above sin and keep your mind focused on God.  Thoughts lead to actions.  Heed the Apostle Paul’s advise in Philippians 4:8 – “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

4.     Ring Finger – Avoid Triggers and Be Committed – Just like a wedding ring symbolizes commitment, commit to avoiding temptation.  Examine the times you failed and fell to sin.  Learn from your mistakes.  What triggered you?  How can you avoid those triggers in the future?  Learn to be content with what God has already given you.  Then, Satan’s temptations won’t entice you.

5.     Pinky – Stay Faithful in Small Things – The smallest finger reminds you that even small, daily acts of obedience give you strength to resist the devil.  Satan often starts eroding your faithfulness to God through little things.  He’s not going to ask you to rob a bank right from the start.  He’ll start with stealing a pencil.  He won’s start by asking you to cheat on your wife.  He’ll start by tempting you to lust after someone you see on TV.  If you stand firm in the small things, Satan won’t be able to get through your defense and hit you with something bigger.

Remember: Jesus faced every temptation we do, yet He remained faithful.  Through Him, we have the strength to resist the devil and walk in righteousness too.  This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season where we refocus spiritually, just as Jesus did during His 40 days in the wilderness. It's a time for prayer and fasting, reflection, and drawing closer to God, resisting the distractions and temptations of this world.  What will you do during the 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday to help you grow in faith? 

Return to Nazareth | A Sermon on Matthew 2:19-23

Introduction
I have preached on a lot of different Scriptures over the 25 years of my ministry. I figure I have preached at least 1,000 sermons at this point in my life. But I have never preached on the passage I will speak about today. It is near the beginning of Matthew, but not the very beginning. During Advent, we studied to story of the Wisemen coming from the East to visit Jesus at His birth.  They gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But evil King Herod wanted to kill the newborn king of the Jews.  So Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus. And then we come to Matthew 2:19-23.

Matthew 2:19-23
¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ²⁰ “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

²¹ So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. ²² But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. ²³ So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
I’ve never preached on this passage.  It falls between the story of Christ’s birth (which we study every Christmas) and the stories about John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism.  Those stories are so interesting and we focus on them again and again.
But, we just take this little section of Matthew in between for granted as a transitional passage. 
Now, we know Jesus fled to Egypt and then he came back to Nazareth, so we just skim over these 4 verses that tell us the details how he got back to Nazareth.  But one thing I’ve learned in 25 years of preaching the Word of God, every section, every verse, every word is important and packed with significance and meaning.

The Gospel of Matthew intentionally connects Jesus with the story of the Israelites in the OT.  You will remember that another “Joseph” ended up in Israel.  The Joseph of the Old Testament was a dreamer. This was Jacob’s son, Joesph, back in Genesis—the Joseph who wore the coat of many colors.  That Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, but God was with that Joseph and gave him the power to interpret dreams and he rose to power as second in command to Pharoah.  And then Joseph’s father and his brothers and all his family—the Israelites—escaped a terrible famine by moving to Egypt, where they lived for 400 years.

And here in Matthew, we have another Joseph—Mary’s husband, Jesus’ earthly father—who has now had three important dreams.  In the first dream the Angel of the Lord told Joesph not to divorce Mary because Jesus was God’s Son.  In the second dream, the Angel of the Lord told Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod was trying to kill Jesus.  And now in this third dream, the Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel.

This fulfills the Old Testament prophecy from Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.”  This passage from the prophet Hosea speaks of both Israel and God’s Son.  God brought the Israelites out of Egypt through Moses in the Exodus.  And God also brought His Son, Jesus, out of Egypt back to the land of Israel.  But what does this have to do with us today?

First of all, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.
You cannot separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. The OT & NT are intrinsically connected as one whole story of God’s salvation plan. And there are connections there you cannot even imagine.  Even parts you think don’t matter, do. And the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament.  Don’t ever forget. This grand plan stretching across thousands of years glorifies the power and wisdom of God.

Second, Jesus fulfilled everything the Israelites failed to do right in the OT.
And that might not seem important to you personally, but it is.  You can probably think of some regrets you have in your life, things you wish you’d done differently, mistakes you’ve made, sins you’ve committed.  I want you to know that somehow through the mysterious power of God, Jesus fulfilled everything you were supposed to do but didn’t.  It’s not just that Jesus’ blood washes away your sins; it does, but Jesus is also your righteousness.  He completes you. In Christ, your broken past is made absolutely right so you can stand before God fully vindicated.

Third, this passage shows God's ongoing guidance and protection in our lives.
Just as God guided Joseph to protect His family, God is actively involved in our affairs. When we walk with God daily and seek to be in His will, He shows us the way. God’s Holy Spirit is there to guide you to avoid danger, to make good decisions, and to accomplish His plans for you.  But it is His plans, not your own selfish ambitions. Therefore, give yourself to God.  Let Him be in charge and listen to His voice guiding you.

Fourth, this passage shows God cares about the poor and the humble.
By settling in Nazareth, a humble and obscure town, Jesus' life aligns with the lowly and humble. God doesn’t just focus on the power centers of our world—Jerusalem & Rome in the ancient world or DC & Wall Street in our modern one.  No, God’s son was born in the small town of Bethlehem, lived as a refugee in Egypt, and then returned to grow up a Nazarene from an unimportant, backwater town in northern Israel, far from the centers of power and influence. This shaped His ministry among ordinary people rather than the elite.

Holy Communion
Jesus’ journey back to Nazareth wasn’t just a transition or insignificant detail of history. It is part of God’s great salvation plan.  A small, seemingly unimportant town became the place where the Savior of the world was raised.  And that should be an encouragement to us.

Many of you may feel like your life is far from the center of power or influence. Maybe you think your work, your home, or even your struggles seem small in the grand scheme of things. But this passage reminds us that God is at work in the ordinary. Jesus didn’t grow up in a palace. He wasn’t raised in a wealthy family. He lived among humble, hardworking people like you and me. And yet, He was the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise.

That same God is working in your life. He is guiding you. He is protecting you. He is calling you to follow Him. Like Joseph, you may not always see the full picture, but if you trust God, He will lead you where you need to go.

As we come to the Lord’s Table today, remember that Jesus is our righteousness. He fulfills everything we have failed to do. He washes away our sins and makes us whole. And He invites us to follow Him—not to the great cities of power, but into a life of humble obedience and deep faith.

Come to the Table.  Receive His grace.  And trust that wherever you are, no matter how small or ordinary it may seem, God is working in your life.

Building Godly Relationships – Reflections from Eden | A Sermon on Genesis 2:18-23

Introduction
Today, we’re continuing our series on the second creation story in Genesis.  Last week, we learned how the story of God’s creation in the Garden of Eden shows how intimately God was involved in creating us and how it shows He cares deeply for us and is not afraid to be involved with our messy lives. 

Today, we’ll learn how the creation story teaches us the importance of relationships—with God, with creation, and with others.  And we’ll learn about Jesus’ most important rule about relationships.  Are you ready?

Genesis 2:18-23
¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. ²⁰ He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

²³ “At last!” the man exclaimed.  “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”

God Is Our Deepest Need
The story of the Garden of Eden shows God created us for relationships.  First of all, there is our relationship with God.  Something everyone of us needs to understand, we were made for God.  Life is not about us, alone.  If you have everything in the world you desire, but don’t have a relationship with God, you will be unfulfilled.  There will be a hole deep in your soul you cannot satisfy.  And it will unsettle everything else about your life.  So if you skip this first idea, you will always struggle in the rest of your life.  You have to start by getting right with God…

But People Need People Too
But isn’t it interesting what God says in verse 18?  “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  Even God recognizes that people need people.  You might think God is all we need.  But even God knew we need relationships with other people.  That’s why church is so important.  Our spiritual life and our worship of God is not complete without including other people. 

So God created all the animals and let Adam name them.  And this shows how humanity has dominion and the important responsibility of taking care of creation.  We were created to “tend” the Garden and “watch over it”, not to just exploit it and use it however we wish.  But of all the animals God created, none was just right for Adam.

Bone of My Bone - Genesis 2:21-23
²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.  ²³ “At last!” the man exclaimed.  “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh!  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”

Finally, Adam had a helper just right for him.  And I just learned this week some insights about the Hebrew word for helper.  The Hebrew word for "helper" in Genesis 2 is ezer. It is a combination of two words, one meaning "to rescue" or "to save" and the other meaning "to be strong". It can also be used as a verb, meaning "to defend, protect, surround, and cherish".  It is the same word often used for God in multiple places in the Bible—such as in Psalm 115:11, “[God] is their help and their shield.”  So, think about that if you ever think a woman being man’s “helper” is a weak or degrading thing.  In the Bible, God is also called helper and uses the same word used for wives!

Eve was created from Adam’s very own rib.  This illustrates the unity and partnership God intended in human relationships.  We are to love each other, help each other, nurture, respect, and build up each other.  We are to be strong for each other when the other is weak.  We are to defend, protect, surround, and cherish one another.  What a beautiful and fulfilling design God gave us.

Unfortunately, we are broken.  We don’t experience the beautiful vision of the Garden in real life.  Because we sin, we live in a fallen world full of broken relationships.  People mistreat each other, use each other, and we all suffer the consequences of sin.

That’s why Jesus came to save us.  He showed us how we were meant to live.  He lived as the perfect human—doing everything right that we had done wrong.  Jesus suffered the same troubles we suffer and he was tempted in all the ways we are tempted, but He did not sin.  He was faithful to the end.  And then He died for our sins so that we can be forgiven if we will repent and turn to Him and follow His way of living.

The Golden Rule
As the perfect Son of God, Jesus taught the most important rule about healthy relationships.  In Matthew 7:12, Jesus said, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

You see, not only did Jesus wash away our sins, He also shows how we can break free from the power of sin.  He shows us how to live.  And it goes right to the very core of who we were design by God to be—people who live in harmony with each other.
We are to treat people the way we want them to treat us.  How do you want people to treat you?

Do You Want People to Be:

• Fun to be around
• Loyal, honest & trustworthy
• Genuinely caring
• Want what’s best for you
• Praying for and protecting you
• Forgiving
• Cheering for you/supporting you
• Were generous with you
• Honored & respected you
• And truly loved you

Wouldn’t that be nice!  Don’t we all want to be treated that way? Jesus says, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.”

How to Have Great Relationships with Others:
So you want to know how to have great relationships with others? Here’s the secret:  Treat others the way you want to be treat.

• Have fun
• Be loyal, honest, & trustworthy
• Genuinely care and want what’s best them
• Prayed for them and protect them
• Quickly forgive
• Cheer for them and support them
• Be generous with them
• Honor them & respect them
• Truly love them

Maybe you have some other ways, you want to be treated.  What would you add to your list?  The secret, in every situation, is to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Did your friend win a major award?  How would you want to be treated if you won an award?
Did your friend make a huge mistake?  How would you want to be treated if it was you?
Did your friend hurt your feelings?  How would you want your friend to treat you if it was you who hurt their feelings?

The key to great relationships is to imagine how you would feel if you were in their shoes and then to treat them the way you would want to be treated.

Holy Communion
As we reflect on God's beautiful design for relationships, we are reminded of how sin has distorted that plan. But through Jesus, we find hope. Jesus came to restore what was broken. His sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate act of love, making up for our sin and showing us how we can live in harmony with God and each other once again.

In Holy Communion, we remember this sacrificial love. We remember how Jesus' body was broken and His blood shed so that our brokenness could be healed. As we come to the table today, let's reflect on our relationships—with God and with others. Where there has been brokenness, seek restoration. Where there has been hurt, seek forgiveness. And as we take the bread and cup, may we be reminded of Jesus’ love and commitment to restore our lives and relationships to God’s original, beautiful design.

And remember, Jesus is not dead.  He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  And as we come to His table today, He is here with us to nourish and strengthen us, to impart His grace to equip us to live in His Kingdom where we live in harmony with God, with each other, and with all creation.

 

Standing on Holy Ground | A Sermon on 1 Kings 8:27-30

Introduction
Today, we begin a new series about the Holy Temple.  But don’t think this is just a series of lectures about some ancient ruins of a long, lost temple.  What the Bible says about the Temple is highly relevant to your life today.  The New Testament teaches that Christians are the “Temple of God”, that each one of us is a “living stone” in God’s spiritual temple.  I want us to understand the full ramifications of what this means for how we are to live every day.  So for the next 4 weeks, we will explore the Biblical concept of Holy Ground.  And we will end on August 25^th a special rededication service for our “Holy Ground” here at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.

Our Scripture today is 1 Kings 8:27-30.  This passage is part of King Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the first Temple he built in Jerusalem in 957 BC.  Solomon asks an important question.

1 Kings 8:27-30
²⁷ “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! ²⁸ Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. ²⁹ May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. ³⁰ May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

Will God really live on earth?
In his prayer, King Solomon asks a wise question:  Will God really live on earth?  For thousands of years, human beings across the globe have worshiped in sacred places.  There is archaeological evidence of sacred rituals in caves as far back as 100,000 years.  The oldest evidence of a temple is Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey that dates back to approximately 9600 BC—that’s 11,000 years ago.  Obviously, people have always felt the need to worship God in special places—whether natural or manmade.

Christians believe God is omnipresent – meaning God is everywhere.  If I go to church, God is there.  But God is also with me when I go on my morning walk.  And God is with me when I lay down to sleep.  And God is with me when I go on vacation.  Psalm 139:7 – “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”  If we believe in an almighty, all-powerful God, we also understand God can be everywhere.  So why go to the trouble to build and worship God in a temple, or a church, or even in special place we deem “Holy Ground”?

People sense a deep need to worship a Higher Power.  Christians call this higher power God.  But we also inherently seem to understand, something troubles and separates us from God.  Isaiah 52:2 reveals, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.”  Sin separates us from God who is Holy and Sinless.  This was not always so.  Originally, God dwelled in perfect Holy Communion with humanity.

Heaven and Earth and Holy Ground
In the beginning, God made heaven where God and His angels dwell, and God created earth where animals and humans live.  Then God made the Garden of Eden where God and humanity abide together in perfect harmony.  

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned and broke their relationship with God through disobedience.  Their sin separated them from God.  And all creation suffered from this “great fall” that corrupted everything.  Romans 8:20 says, “all creation was subjected to God’s curse.”

It’s not so much that God can’t be around us because we’re filled with so much disgusting sin
(as guilt and shame ridden people often think of it).  God has always loved us unconditionally and desired a relationship with us aven after we sinned.  The problem is:  we cannot abide the holy presence of God.  Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”  God’s holiness is like a beautiful light emanating from a brilliant and holy fire.  Our sin is an impurity that would burn up in the presence of God’s absolute holiness; we could not survive it.  So God’s act of separating from us is actually an act of merciful grace.  

Yet God has never stopped loving us.  And God always wants to be with us.  And God started working from the very first moment we sinned to save and reconcile with us, but it’s a very difficult and expensive to rescue us.  It’s a plan thousands years in the making and cost the death of God’s very own Son—Jesus Christ.  And so, from the very beginning, God has made special places to be in His holy presence.

Holy Ground
In Genesis, we see God is primarily working through individuals and individual families.  Therefore, worship is primarily done by individuals or their families and private altars.  In Genesis 6, God told Noah to build an Ark to save his family and a remnant of the animals from a great flood.  Afterward, Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible.  As God painted a rainbow across the sky, Noah worshipped God on holy ground.  

In Genesis 12, God appeared to Abraham and blessed Him at Shechem, promising to make His descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.  So Abram built an alter and worshipped God and they cut a covenant together.

In Genesis 22, we find the disturbing story where God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, the miraculous child of promise on holy Mount Moriah.  Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain as Abraham mournfully seeks to obey God in this terrible request.  It is hard to understand, but  this story foreshadows God's plan of salvation for humanity.  Mount Moriah is the same hill as Mount Calvary.  God cries out and tells Abraham not to sacrifice his son.  God provides a ram to take Isaac's place.  2,000 years later, Jesus--the Son of God--carries the wooden cross up Mount Calvary and is crucified upon it to atone for the sins of the world.

In Genesis 28, we find Isaac's son Jacob sleeping on another piece of holy ground in a place he names Bethel, which means “House of God”, because there he dreamed he saw a ladder upon which angels where ascending and descending from heaven to earth.

In Exodus, God broadens His focus from individuals/families to a whole nation—the Israelites.  In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells him to take off his sandles because he is standing on holy ground.  God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh in Egypt and let God's people (the Israelites) go free from slavery.  

Then in Exodus 20, Moses climbs up holy Mount Sanai where God gives him the 10 Commandments and the Law for His people.  This is how God's holy people are to live.  God's people became a nation.  They were slaves, but God rescued them from Egypt.  

As the Israelites wander through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land, they dwelled in tents Since His people lived in tents, the Holy, omnipotent God who dwells in the glory of heaven humbled Himself and came down and lived in a tent alongside His people.

The Tabernacle

In Exodus 25, God gives instructions to build a Tabernacle, Israel’s first worship center.  That's how bad God wants to be with us, despite our stubborn, sinful, rebellious nature.  For 440 years, the Israelites worship the Holy and Living God, Yahweh, in the Tabernacle, an elaborate tent complex designed to mimic the Garden of Eden, the intersection of Heaven and Earth.  Here are some of the ways the Tabernacle was designed to mirror the Garden of Eden:

• The Menorah Lampstand in the Tabernacle looks like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.
• There are pomegranates embroidered on the priestly garments to represent the fruit of the garden.
• There are cherubim guarding the Holy Place in the Tabernacle that houses the Ark of the Covenant (the footstool of God); these represent the cherubim guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.
• The holy presence of God is with His people in the Tabernacle as He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

The purpose of the Tabernacle was to make space for holy ground where people could once again dwell in the presence of God.  And all the elaborate rituals of the Old Testament Law where meant to make it possible for sinful humanity to come into the presence of their holy God as much as possible.  

The Israelites worshiped God in the Tabernacle for 440 years until they settled down in Israel.  And finally, after most Israelites were dwelling in houses and not tents and the king of Israel lived in a palace, God finally told King Solomon to build a Temple--a permanent structure, not a tent.  The pattern for the Temple was much the same as the Tabernacle—mimicking God's original plan to dwell with people in the Garden of Eden.

Then and Now
Despite God being beyond physical containment, He chose to make His presence known to the Israelites in the Tabernacle and then the Temple.  These worship centers served as the focal points for prayer, worship, and the experience of God's presence.  The temple was a physical reminder of God's covenant with Israel and His promise to dwell among His people.  The temple was a place to seek God's mercy and forgiveness and healing. 

Of course, God is not confined to a specific building, no matter how sacred and glorious it was.  God is still everywhere.  But the ancient temple in Jerusalem was the communal place where the ancient people of God (Israel) gathered to worship together.

Together
And that's a key word for us to take away today:  together.  God’s people are meant to worship God together.  Of course, we can and should worship God every day in our own personal ways and in our own personal spaces.  However, our worship is always incomplete if we do not join together with other believers as a community.

Conclusion
There is much to unpack as we examine the history and purpose of the Temple.  I'm going to share more over the next few weeks.  I hope you will stay tuned as we examine a number of important ideas and themes connected to the Temple.  Stay tuned!

Godly Wisdom vs Worldly Wisdom | A Sermon on James 3:13-18

Introduction
As we continue through the Epistle of James, written by the biological half-brother of Jesus Christ, we come to the place where James compares two kinds of wisdom.  One kind of wisdom represents wisdom that comes from God in Heaven.  Another kind of wisdom is worldly, unspiritual, and demonic.  Would you like to know the difference between the two types of wisdom?  Listen to James 3:13-18.

James 3:13-18 (NIV)
¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Christian Examples of Wisdom
Remember, James wrote his letter to people who were already Christians.  And in it he basically says, if you are a Christian, you will live an honorable life and do good works with humility.

Can you think of some examples of people who lived an honorable life?  Perhaps you might think of Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving the poor and sick, displaying humility, compassion, and selflessness, embodying the qualities of wisdom, mercy, and sincere love for others.  Or maybe you would think of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," who dedicated his career to educating and nurturing children through kindness, empathy, and understanding, promoting peace and genuine care for others in his community and beyond.  Or maybe you might think of Martin Luther King, Jr., who bravely and peacefully fought for civil rights and promoted harmony, righteousness, and compassion. 

Though all these examples are public figures who had fame and notoriety, fame and notoriety was not their goal.  They did what they did with humility and compassion, willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of others.  (It is interesting to note that all 3 were all Christian leaders.) 

Of course, Jesus is the ultimate example of a man who lived an honorable life with good works and humility.  He gave up the glory of heaven, humbled himself as a servant, lived a perfect life for the sake of others, and even died for sinners who didn’t deserve His grace and forgiveness, but desperately needed it.  Jesus is the embodiment of goodness and wisdom.

An honorable life, according to James, is one marked by humility, good conduct, and wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, merciful, impartial, and sincere, resulting in peace and righteousness.  Christians are to live and honorable life and do good works with humility.  Who have you known personally who has lived an honorable life, doing good works with humility?   How did they inspired you to live like them?

Worldly Wisdom
Worldly wisdom, has an appearance of wisdom.  It has the false-promise of success, but it is a lie.  It is demonic and it leads to sin, suffering, and death.   James says that worldly wisdom is full of envy and selfish ambition (see versus 14-15).  Envy is a feeling of frustrated inferiority where you are jealous of others and what they have.  Ambition can be a positive attribute that drives people to achieve goals and succeed.  But when Ambition is coupled with envy and selfishness, it becomes sinful, focused solely on personal gain, often at the expense of others.  Perhaps you can think of some people who embody the selfish ambition of worldly wisdom. 

You might think of Bernie Madoff, the financier orchestrated one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history, defrauding thousands of investors out of billions of dollars purely for personal financial gain, with no regard for the devastating impact on his victims.

Or perhaps you think of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, whose ambition for power and dominance led to World War II and the Holocaust, resulting in immense suffering and loss of life.

James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”  Sadly, we see a lot of this kind of demonic wisdom in our world leaders today.  We need to pray hard during these troubled times.  

Can’t you see what worldly wisdom leads to?  It leads to conflict and strife, dishonesty and deception, pride and arrogance, short-term gains with long-term consequences, and discontent and unhappiness.  Be very careful of anyone who is full of worldly wisdom.  You can clearly see where it leads.  The Bible tells us.  history has shown us.  Yet people are still manipulated and misled by people with worldly wisdom.  You don’t want any part of the “kingdom” they are trying to build.

Godly Wisdom
In verse 17, James tells us a better way—Godly Wisdom.  This is the wisdom that come from God above—heavenly wisdom, the wisdom Christians should seek.  “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

For wisdom to be pure means it is free from moral corruption, selfish motives, and deceit.  It is characterized by sincerity, integrity, and a focus on what is right and just.  Godly wisdom prioritizes truth, goodness, and the well-being of others, reflecting a heart and mind aligned with God's will and values.

Godly wisdom is peace-loving and promotes harmony, reconciliation, and understanding among people.  Godly wisdom fosters an environment of cooperation and mutual respect, prioritizing the well-being of relationships and the community.

Godly wisdom is considerate, mindful of others' feelings, needs, and perspectives.  It shows compassion, empathy, and respect and seeks to understand and value the experiences of others.  Godly wisdom avoids harshness and insensitivity, instead promoting kindness, patience, and gentleness in all relationships and decisions.

Godly wisdom is submissive, meaning it is willing to listen, be open to reason and yield to others when appropriate.  It has a humble/teachable spirit that values collaboration and respects authority.  Godly wisdom is not stubborn or argumentative but is flexible, cooperative, and ready to consider others' viewpoints and make adjustments for the greater good.

Godly wisdom is full of mercy.  It shows compassion and forgiveness.  It prioritizes grace, reflecting a heart that is generous and ready to help others without judgment or condemnation. 

Godly wisdom has good fruit, meaning it produces positive, tangible outcomes in a person's actions and character.  This includes acts of kindness, generosity, and righteousness that benefit others and contribute to the well-being of the whole community.

Godly wisdom is impartial—fair and just, treating all people equally without favoritism or bias. 

Godly Wisdom is sincere—genuine, honest, and free from pretense or deceit.  It does not manipulate or deceive but is transparent and trustworthy, fostering trust and credibility. 

Which Wisdom Will You Choose?
Think about these two very different kinds of wisdom: earthly wisdom that comes from Hell and leads to death or Godly wisdom that comes from Heaven and lead to eternal life.

Wisdom from above is what truly leads to a life of peace, righteousness, and genuine fulfillment.  James, the brother of Christ, challenges us to embody this wisdom in our daily lives, living with humility, purity, peace, consideration, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity.

The ultimate example of godly wisdom is found in Jesus Christ.  He lived an honorable life, full of mercy and truth, and gave Himself up for us so that we might be reconciled to God and to one another. As we seek to follow His example, we are called to come together in unity and love, reflecting His grace in all that we do.