Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 3:13 - 4:11 ESV
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Key Points
- There is a spiritual war going on in our lives every day, and it is a battle over truth and lies.
- Satan attacks our identity first by making us question God’s love for us or our relationship with him.
- If you are in Christ, your identity is received not achieved.
- We live outside the truth of who we are and who we’ve been created to be.
- Every struggle in the Christian life is one of trust, and it begins by questioning whether God will provide for us, protect us, and if he has the power we need in our lives.
- Power in public begins with power in the private place of prayer.
- We can’t say “it is written” if we don’t read the Bible. If we don’t know the truth, we will fall into the lies of the evil one.
- Jesus’ baptism is his coronation as the sovereign King who identifies with us, and who is immediately sent by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to overpower evil for us.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
-John 8:31-32 ESV
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: What about Jesus’ baptism is reminiscent of a king’s coronation?
2: What does baptism signify for us? What do you think baptism signified for Jesus?
3: If Jesus’ baptism is his coronation, what does that teach us about God? What might Jesus’ baptism teach us about ourselves?
4: Have you ever been baptized? If so, why were you baptized, and what do you remember about your baptism? If not, why do you think people get baptized and what has prevented you from doing so?*
5: Jesus calls his disciples to overcome evil through the power of his word and his Spirit within us.
· Name two ways we can cultivate the power of God’s word within us.
· Name two ways we can cultivate the power of God’s Spirit within us.
6: Consider the way the enemy tempts you. Are you more prone to doubt God’s provision, protection, or power in your life?
7: What specific lies straight from the pit of hell have you been believing lately?
8: Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. Even in our temptations, God always provides something better for us. What truth is God providing for you today to free you from the weight of the lies you’ve been wrestling?
9: What would it look like for you to actively combat and defeat the lies of the enemy in the context of community in Christ?*
*If the Spirit of God is prompting you to trust in Jesus as your King, follow through with believer’s baptism, or you want to find and contribute toward community in Christ, let us know here so we can help you take your next step of surrendered obedience to God. We’re in this together.
Pray
Lord, you alone are our Provider, Protector, and Power from on high. Forgive us when we go searching for provision, protection, and power outside of you. Help us believe in who you are, and from that place of renewed belief, teach us to be free in who we are in you. In you, we have all we truly need. In you, our souls are safe from every one of the enemy’s schemes. In you, the enemy is powerless before us, because he is powerless before your Spirit in us. In you, Lord Jesus, we are free.
**Note: We invite you to pray with us in Ellis Chapel Monday through Friday from 11am to 1pm through April 15, 2022.
