You Are What You Eat
090426 You Are What You Eat
Luke 4:1-4
Tim Franklin
Introduction:
- In the year 2000, I took a physical challenge to get myself in shape. It was a 12 week challenge. In that time I had to follow a very strict course of eating, exercise and certain supplements to my diet. My goal was to go from 18% body fat to six.
- In three weeks time had lost nearly 10 pounds. In week four I began to gain back three pounds, only it was muscle.
- I went to CA for two weeks to take a class and worked my eating and exercise plan rigidly while there. When I returned home and removed my shirt, I heard my wife say something I had never heard her say before…”Wow!”
- In that time, I was so in tune with my body that I could watch it change over night depending on what I ate. I could clearly see that what I put in it affected how it looked and how it responded.
- Lets look at what Jesus has to say about our eating plan. After all, it is true—You are what you eat.
- Luke 4:1-4 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" NKJV
The Challenge
A Principle: Everything reproduces after its own kind. Gen 1:11-12 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. NKJV “According to its kind.”
i The seed produces a harvest.
ii The harvest literally is a judgment=”the ability of the mind to compare ideas, facts, or arguments. The ability to make a determination.” Webster 1828 dictionary. Every time a plant reproduce, one is able to attain the decision that, “Yes this plant/animal has produced after its own kind.”
iii Gal 6:7 for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. NKJV Principle: everything reproduces after its own kind.
iv If you want to know what a man believes look at what he does! This is powerful parenting principle here. You can’s say one thing and do another.
B The Challenge: Satan wants seeds of death sown so that it will produce after its own kind.
i We have the Seed of the serpent challenging the seed of the woman in Luke 4. Turn the stones into bread.
a The seed is in contention as to what will be produced.
b Seed of the serpent produces death, curse, pain, sorrow.
c Seed of the woman produces life, joy, peace, health etc. (seed of woman—Jesus)
ii It is the same challenge we see in Gen. 3. The serpent comes to the woman and challenges her God given view of the garden of Eden. He wants both the woman in Genesis three and Jesus in Luke four to believe lies. What are those lies in Gen 3 and Luke 4?
a I am my own caregiver. I have to watch out for me. I cant trust God to provide.
b I live by my own insight. I am not sure of what God is thinking of if he is even thinking of me. I can’t trust God’s insight or foresight.
c I must depend upon me. I must be my own deliverer in case God does not come through. I cant trust God to do what He said he would do.
iii Principle: He wants us to think independent of God. When we do this, we most certainly sign our own death certificate. Il. Ps. 78:19-20. Satan speaks to Moses through the people. He strikes the rock rather than speak to it as told. God is furious—because they will not believe and will not trust. Vs. 21.
C We live in this continual challenge of how we will see God’s approach to life.
i God gave man the very best. God has a dream for us. Defeat is not part of that.
a In the beginning in the garden. “It was good.” “God walked with Adam in the cool of the day.”
b In Jesus. We have been raised up with him. “Faith in that name has made this man whole.” Acts 3:16. All our needs are meant in Christ Jesus.
c God desires us to have His best. We have to labor towards that end.
ii Satan desire to take man out. The only way he is going to do that is to get us to believe lies rather than truth.
a He twists the truth. You won’t die. Gen 3:4
b He sows lies in our head. Temptations.
c He blinds us. God of this age has blinded us. 2 Cor. 4:4
2 The Response
A The Word Speaks both NT and OT
i Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" NKJV
ii Deut 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. NKJV
B Jesus responds based on the Word of God. Let’s go deep here!
i Satan had some advantages over Jesus:
a Jesus was in Satan’s territory. Wilderness
b Jesus was alone. No friends to call on. No intercessors to cry out to.
c Jesus was weak physically. He is at the end of a 40 day fast.
d Satan is always going to seek to get the advantage over you. That is why he roams like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8. That is why he looks for opportune times to tempt. Lk 4:13 That is why he must twist the truth.
ii Jesus had some advantages too:
a Jesus lived a life in the word. I must be about my fathers business. He grew in favor and stature with God and man. Lk 2:49-52.
b He was led by the Spirit. 4:1.
c He was fasting. He was intentionally afflicting himself that he may encounter the Holy One.
d He was free from distractions and fully able to meditate on the Word while in the wilderness.
C He was able to recognize the lie because He was filled with the Spirit and with truth. Because He was a man of the Word he was able to recognize and respond to the lie.
i So often we do not recognize the lie because we are not people of the Word.
ii Sometimes we know the lie but we respond inaccurately because we are unable to see the issue as God sees it because we have not stopped to ask the question, “How does God see this?” We do not look to the end of a thing. We only consider the ‘now’ what is in front of us ‘now’.
iii He was in communion with God. He learned to see as God sees.
D He was able to respond to the lies (see above point I B ii a-c) with the truth/Word of God.
i Characteristics of the Word
a Living and Active. Heb 4:12
(1st) Living--To have physical vitality.
(2nd) Active/powerful=enére(e) ia in the sense of "activity" or "energy" occurs at an early date. enérgma means "act" or "action," and energy ¡s "active." The verb energéœ means "to act," "to be at work." (from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged edition, Copyright © 1985 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)
b Light. Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. NKJV Word is a lamp and light. Increases our ability to see/perceive.
c It is eternal. Ps 119:89 Your word is settled in heaven. NKJV
d It is pure. Ps 119:140 Your word is very pure; NKJV The word does not defile us. What defiles us is the sowing of lies. Deut 22:9 "You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled. NKJV
e It is truth.
(1st) Ps 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, NKJV. We are not given the liberty to chose what portion of the word we will believe. It is the entirety of the word that makes a disciple. A disciple is not one who has put his faith in Jesus. A disciple is one who has done that and also governs his life by Jesus teaching.
(2nd) John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV The Word sets us apart. There is a big difference between me setting myself apart and the Word setting me apart. When I attain Gods view/Word. Then that word sets me apart if I choose to live accordingly. If I do not find out how God sees then I live life out of do’s and don’ts.
ii Because he knew the word he saw the lie and was able to respond with the truth against that lie.
E Because of the Word He was able to return in the power of the Spirit.
i This take us back to point #1 Everything produces after its own kind.
ii Satan was not able to get Jesus to think outside of or independent from the Word of God.
3 The Outcome
A Jesus won the challenge.
B Satan is forced to depart until a more opportune time presented itself.
i If we stay growing in the word the opportune times will be fewer!
Conclusion:
- Everything produces according to its own kind.
- You are what you eat. If you will give yourself to the word of God you will see your spirit man respond daily to the things you are feeding it.
- Invitation to lost.
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