WEBVTT 00:00:01.340 --> 00:00:08.106 You're listening to the Midweek Motivation Podcast from DeSoto Hills Baptist Church in South Haven Mississippi. 00:00:08.106 --> 00:00:13.311 Here's your hosts Mark Lewis, david Burgess and Pastor Grant Stegall. 00:00:16.981 --> 00:00:22.713 Welcome to the Midweek Motivation Podcast for March 5th here at DeSoto Hills Baptist Church. 00:00:22.713 --> 00:00:26.589 I'm Mark Lewis here with special guest Jeffrey King today. 00:00:26.589 --> 00:00:27.472 How you doing, jeffrey? 00:00:27.472 --> 00:00:29.140 Great Good afternoon Now. 00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:35.113 You guys have actually been members of DeSoto Hills since March 2007. 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:41.713 It's hard to believe, but my first sermon was on the banana compared to the book of Romans by Brother James. 00:00:41.713 --> 00:00:47.112 It's what tied me into this church, and it was actually November of 06 when we started coming. 00:00:49.365 --> 00:00:50.969 And so how did y'all end up at this church? 00:00:50.969 --> 00:00:53.990 Like, did you just literally look online and saw it? 00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:04.772 No, we were attending a church in Olive Branch and we moved to South Haven and when we did we came two miles north and just walked in one Sunday morning. 00:01:04.772 --> 00:01:05.802 I love it, man. 00:01:06.084 --> 00:01:06.465 I love it. 00:01:06.465 --> 00:01:18.727 Now, for those of you who might not know, you've been leading our Praise Prayer Proclamation service on Wednesday nights in the DeSoto room this year, but I'm curious about your story. 00:01:18.727 --> 00:01:20.805 Where did you grow up? 00:01:20.805 --> 00:01:25.027 And you were actually in the ministry for a bit, so what's your entire? 00:01:25.087 --> 00:01:25.700 story arc? 00:01:25.700 --> 00:01:29.028 Sure, so I became a believer in 1997. 00:01:29.028 --> 00:01:41.234 I was actually on summer missions, grew up in a family very strong in the faith, but I actually came to know the Lord in the summer of 1997. 00:01:41.234 --> 00:01:42.703 I came home and got baptized. 00:01:42.703 --> 00:01:58.974 It surprised everyone, went and worked as a youth minister the following summer and then after that I went back and worked and decided to try to get a master's degree and got a job at a bank in Starkville but kept feeling that calling. 00:01:58.974 --> 00:02:06.325 And so Rosie and I picked up and moved to DeSoto County and I got a master's of divinity and I loved the education aspect of it. 00:02:06.365 --> 00:02:09.973 But working in a church was a little stressful for me and my personality. 00:02:09.973 --> 00:02:15.300 I called the bank that I worked at and I said I want to go back into the business world. 00:02:15.300 --> 00:02:26.542 That was my language at the time and I talked to my systematic theology professor and he gave me his blessing and I called the bank and they said when do you graduate? 00:02:26.542 --> 00:02:37.593 We just bought a bank in Memphis and so I graduated on a Friday and I think I started the following Tuesday at the same bank that I had worked for prior to going to seminary. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:38.502 I got you. 00:02:38.502 --> 00:02:40.168 So how did you choose? 00:02:40.168 --> 00:02:48.000 Like, give me the story of how you chose your college and then, when you decided you wanted to do seminary, how did that all unfold? 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:50.924 Sure, so choosing college was pretty easy. 00:02:50.924 --> 00:03:08.762 I'd been going to basketball camp at Northeast Community College and I had a very strong youth pastor that was instrumental in getting me tied into the Baptist Student Union, the Baptist Student Union. 00:03:08.762 --> 00:03:23.544 From there we visited Mississippi State after my sophomore year as a Baptist Student Union and when I went there I felt home and that's where I went, and so I had grown up thinking I would go to Ole Miss because my dad graduated from there and I ended up at Mississippi State and it was fantastic and I'm a bulldog to this day. 00:03:23.544 --> 00:03:38.568 Seminary was a little different, because my father-in-law had attended the seminary that I attended and so that was kind of the and plus it was proximity close to home in Slayton, mississippi, which is out in the country about 30 minutes from here. 00:03:38.995 --> 00:03:41.524 Okay, now, at one point you ended up at Belzona. 00:03:41.524 --> 00:03:44.465 How did you end up there serving? 00:03:44.974 --> 00:03:49.146 So the pastor at Belzona had attended Mississippi State. 00:03:49.146 --> 00:03:57.746 He was connected to Ken Watkins who was the BSU director at that time, and Ken asked me would I be interested in serving there that summer? 00:03:57.746 --> 00:04:07.385 He thought I would be a good fit and he said why don't you talk to Grant Arender that is that pastor's name and we met and that was the connecting point of getting over there. 00:04:08.034 --> 00:04:09.640 Okay, and you weren't there. 00:04:09.640 --> 00:04:10.683 How long did you serve? 00:04:11.216 --> 00:04:17.637 I was there that summer, and then I was there almost a year after I graduated, before going to work for a bank in Starkville Right. 00:04:18.158 --> 00:04:21.562 Well, I mean, I love it and I wanted to hear just a little bit of your story. 00:04:21.562 --> 00:04:27.391 I tell people all the time like we are all ministers in a mission field. 00:04:29.975 --> 00:04:31.016 It just might not be actually at a church. 00:04:31.016 --> 00:04:47.959 You know, to echo, that, there is a veterinarian, a systematic theology professor and a few other people that were instrumental in me leaving seminary, graduating, going ahead and getting a degree, but then, going back into my words, were the business world. 00:04:47.959 --> 00:05:15.411 It feels a little elementary to say that now, but it is not only about sharing the gospel but it's about God's glory, and I'm going to quote Mark Du Bois about excellence, about serve as unto the Lord, and I, literally, I prayed this morning Lord, help us as a bank to serve you as to serve our customers and our shareholders as unto the Lord. 00:05:15.411 --> 00:05:21.547 So while I was picking up trash in the front in the parking lot, Right. 00:05:22.254 --> 00:05:35.581 And I had a friend at a church who once told me, and their spirit, I understood where they were coming from, but I did have to. 00:05:35.581 --> 00:05:37.404 The children would say, clap back a little bit. 00:05:37.404 --> 00:05:46.980 He, really, he was really telling me you know, mark, I think you need to be on the mission field serving. 00:05:46.980 --> 00:05:47.500 And I just told him. 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:50.706 I said, man, have you walked through a DeSoto County school like a public high school lately? 00:05:50.706 --> 00:05:56.182 I am on a mission field, like a thousand percent I'm on a mission field. 00:05:56.504 --> 00:06:05.718 You know one of my favorite quotes a shoe cobbler was born again and he went to Martin Luther the reformer and he said what am I supposed to do now? 00:06:05.718 --> 00:06:08.646 And he said go home, make shoes and sell them at a fair price. 00:06:08.646 --> 00:06:11.559 So that is somewhat of my. 00:06:11.559 --> 00:06:14.947 It's not my motto, but it is something that comes to mind a lot. 00:06:14.947 --> 00:06:22.783 And if you think that people aren't hurting, if you think they don't need love and care, go sit at a school or go sit at a bank and you'll find out that they do. 00:06:22.985 --> 00:06:31.821 Oh, absolutely, and for all of our listeners whatever you're doing for your job to make your money, you are on a mission field. 00:06:31.821 --> 00:06:34.785 There is a way that you can certainly serve Christ. 00:06:34.785 --> 00:06:38.365 So always, we want you to always remember that and keep that in mind. 00:06:38.365 --> 00:06:42.627 What have you loved about DeSoto Hills over the years you've been here? 00:06:42.627 --> 00:06:45.103 It's how many years is it now 2006? 00:06:45.103 --> 00:06:48.468 You're coming up on 19 years, 20. 00:06:48.468 --> 00:06:49.735 You're pushing 20. 00:06:51.117 --> 00:06:56.088 I think you know people say that some things are like a fine wine they get better with time. 00:06:56.935 --> 00:07:09.706 I think it is the relationships that I have developed over the years, because you're never going to attend a perfect church Absolutely not but over time there is perfection and imperfection. 00:07:09.706 --> 00:07:19.850 When you love people, when they love you, when you're at your best, when you're at your worst, when you stand up and you don't give the best lesson, and they come up to you and they hug you and they love you. 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:24.120 And I can look around the room and you see people that have had cancer. 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.706 You see people that have survived cancer. 00:07:26.706 --> 00:07:33.476 You see people that are widows and when you came to church they were a couple and they've lost their spouse. 00:07:33.476 --> 00:07:57.829 And it's those relationships and then it is I'm not the best at this, but it's, you know things like my wife praying for children before they were born and now they're 13 and 14 years old and she can tell them I've known you before you were born because I was praying for you and it's that connection over time that has become the sweetest part for me by far. 00:07:59.196 --> 00:07:59.918 Yes, desoto Hills. 00:07:59.918 --> 00:08:09.380 You end up becoming family with all these people through the years and you know the struggles they've been through and what their kids have been through, and they know what you've been through. 00:08:09.714 --> 00:08:22.944 Even with 600 folks on a Sunday morning, there is a crew that you see and you know, and sometimes it is just a smile, sometimes it's a handshake or a hug, and I also like the continuity that we have with staff. 00:08:22.944 --> 00:08:29.307 I like the fact even that Brother Mark has retired and he attends church here. 00:08:29.307 --> 00:08:32.443 I like the continuity that we have in staff. 00:08:32.443 --> 00:08:35.203 That is very meaningful and very important to me. 00:08:35.605 --> 00:08:39.118 Right and the fact that they would retire and then not want to go anywhere else. 00:08:39.258 --> 00:08:40.019 That's exactly right. 00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:42.486 Your dad obviously has to preach a lot, right? 00:08:44.236 --> 00:08:49.519 If you've seen him at church and this year he's been a handful of times those have been the only days he's been off. 00:08:49.780 --> 00:08:54.697 Like if he's off, he's here and he will open up for us on Wednesday nights. 00:08:54.697 --> 00:09:07.628 He'll do the opening prayer request time and sometimes he comes up with the best phrases that I could have said and I tell him I'm like, if you want those phrases, you need to have somebody with 50 years of experience and a receding hairline. 00:09:07.628 --> 00:09:08.928 You're not going to get it with me. 00:09:08.989 --> 00:09:11.129 That's right, he's definitely the words, man. 00:09:11.129 --> 00:09:13.231 We'll circle back around to Wednesday nights. 00:09:13.231 --> 00:09:19.860 I wanted to piggyback off what we said earlier, though, about family here at DeSoto Hills. 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:32.775 If you're listening and this goes for any church, even if you don't come to DeSoto Hills if all you ever do is walk in for a 10, 30, or 11 o'clock service on Sundays and sit on a back pew and then go home, you're not going to be able to build that community. 00:09:32.775 --> 00:09:49.643 You have got to plug in, and whether your church has small groups or here at DeSoto Hills, we still have what we call Sunday School, which is still small groups, it just has an old term to it, and then, on Wednesday nights, we do a small group that's in more themed setup. 00:09:49.643 --> 00:09:59.746 If you want to choose an actual theme, or a book study or something, or if you want to come to your class on Wednesday nights, now tell everybody what the praise, prayer proclamation is and what you're going through right now. 00:09:59.787 --> 00:10:03.847 Sure, we're going through 1 Corinthians, we're going verse by verse. 00:10:03.847 --> 00:10:09.330 Typically it is broken down by a passage that you will see already outlined in your Bible. 00:10:09.330 --> 00:10:11.971 That will give a heading and things of that nature. 00:10:11.971 --> 00:10:21.624 And I would like to piggyback on something you just said Come eat supper on Wednesday nights, sit down, yes, sit down and enjoy the camaraderie. 00:10:21.624 --> 00:10:34.563 And, as my Piper said, man, they've really upped their game with the food on Wednesday nights, yes, but it is that fellowship, that time before, where you can just shut down, you don't have to worry about cooking and you can connect with someone. 00:10:34.705 --> 00:11:04.894 Yes, and if you haven't been here for Wednesday night's supper basically the way it works very affordable because we have a cap for families, so you don't pay over a certain amount for your entire family to eat and we literally clear the chairs off of just about all of the MPC now because it's grown so big and we just have tables all over our multipurpose sanctuary and everybody gets to eat together and you get to meet people on Wednesday nights and maybe people that you don't get to see on Sundays, and it's just amazing. 00:11:04.894 --> 00:11:09.326 And then Wednesday nights, we have a lot of activity here at DeSoto Hills. 00:11:09.326 --> 00:11:21.303 The entire building is buzzing on Wednesday nights, so if you haven't been here on a Wednesday night, it's a great time to come and get fed and then fellowship with a bunch of people who you may not see on Sundays. 00:11:21.303 --> 00:11:24.682 Amen, all right, we want to get to our church calendar. 00:11:25.855 --> 00:11:28.544 Next week is spring break, march 10th through the 14th. 00:11:28.544 --> 00:11:31.625 We are not going to have Wednesday nights during spring break. 00:11:31.625 --> 00:11:32.880 We will take that week off. 00:11:32.880 --> 00:11:39.765 We will also not have this podcast next Wednesday morning, so don't be looking for us on Apple next week. 00:11:39.765 --> 00:11:43.496 Our kids and students also have a number of activities planned for the week we wanted you to know. 00:11:43.496 --> 00:11:48.047 The youth will have a wiffle ball game from 10 to 2 on Monday the 10th. 00:11:48.047 --> 00:11:51.605 Lunch will be provided on Tuesday, march 11th. 00:11:51.605 --> 00:11:55.765 It's going to be a trip to Amuse Adventure Park from 930 to 2. 00:11:55.765 --> 00:11:58.023 You will have to register for that event online. 00:11:58.023 --> 00:12:03.244 There is a little bit of a cost for the entry and then they'll also need some money for food on Tuesday. 00:12:03.735 --> 00:12:10.764 Wednesday, march 12th, is going to be Dodgeball from 10.00 to 2.00, and lunch will also be provided for Wednesday. 00:12:10.764 --> 00:12:11.645 That's the youth. 00:12:11.645 --> 00:12:14.500 For the children, we have a couple of days for them as well. 00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:19.909 There's going to be a play day here at the church on Monday from 10 to 1. 00:12:19.909 --> 00:12:23.402 Lunch will be provided. 00:12:23.402 --> 00:12:34.501 And then there's going to be a movie day which is going to be over at DeSoto Cinema on Wednesday the 12th, and that's from 9 to noon, and you'll need to register for that online. 00:12:34.501 --> 00:12:40.379 For the movie day, we also have a night of worship and a business meeting coming up on March the 23rd. 00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:46.965 That's at 5 pm pm in the attic, and then we've mentioned before, but the Grand Prix is going to be coming up at the end of March. 00:12:46.965 --> 00:12:49.395 That's a lot of fun You're not going to want to miss that. 00:12:49.395 --> 00:12:55.932 We will talk about that in the coming weeks as well, but there are going to be work days leading up to that. 00:12:55.932 --> 00:13:02.849 The Grand Prix work days are going to be March the 29th from 9 to 11, and Sunday, march the 30th at 3. 00:13:02.849 --> 00:13:11.711 The Grand Prix is actually going to be early April, april 6th, 4 o'clock in the treehouse, and we will give you much more information about all that. 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:15.551 Now we've got a little segment that we call Table Topics for Jeffrey. 00:13:15.551 --> 00:13:29.328 All right, jeffrey, table Topics is just a fun segment that we do, and this is something that people can do with their families at mealtime. 00:13:29.328 --> 00:13:30.351 It's what we encourage you. 00:13:30.351 --> 00:13:37.769 So here's a couple that you can ask your family this week what was your favorite family vacation you ever took? 00:13:38.821 --> 00:13:46.995 My favorite family vacation as a child was to the Pink Palace in Memphis, tennessee. 00:13:46.995 --> 00:14:14.488 We were a single-income family and so my parents took the time to let us stay in a hotel and we went to Memphis and we thought that that was great and we spent the night, two nights, and we went to the Pink Palace and then we went and drove go-karts and I think it was tied to the fact that my mom had won $1,200 in a raffle drawing and so we went and we stayed two nights away. 00:14:14.488 --> 00:14:19.288 There were others that the experience was much better, but that's the most meaningful to me. 00:14:19.428 --> 00:14:20.511 That's incredible, man. 00:14:20.511 --> 00:14:24.788 Okay, next question what is your favorite dessert? 00:14:25.400 --> 00:14:28.879 My favorite dessert has to be chocolate brownies, just chocolate brownies. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.408 Chocolate brownies made by Piper A la mode. 00:14:31.408 --> 00:14:32.530 You put the ice cream on it. 00:14:32.530 --> 00:14:34.726 No, absolutely not, jeffrey. 00:14:34.726 --> 00:14:37.908 No syrup no, I did the other night and it ruined them for me. 00:14:37.908 --> 00:14:40.048 I want them hot and gooey right out of the oven. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:44.668 Yeah, but you've got to have a little vanilla ice cream to cut into it, not me ice cream to cut into it Not me. 00:14:44.668 --> 00:14:47.092 So Rosie and Piper had the ice cream with it. 00:14:47.133 --> 00:14:47.774 Well, I did it. 00:14:47.774 --> 00:14:51.682 I don't know if they wanted it, but that's what I did for them. 00:14:51.702 --> 00:14:55.548 I just have to have a little something to cut into it, but I do love a chocolate brownie. 00:14:55.548 --> 00:14:57.311 It's just, oh my goodness, all right. 00:14:57.311 --> 00:14:59.234 What's the hardest thing you've ever done? 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.251 Run a marathon. 00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:04.980 How long did you train? 00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:06.883 Started in August. 00:15:06.883 --> 00:15:16.712 It started with me pushing Piper in a stroller going for walks, and I realized one day that I had gone three miles and so I started jogging. 00:15:16.712 --> 00:15:28.368 And one day I went out and I jogged four miles, but I noticed that I would start out at nine minutes or eight minutes and then my times would go down to 12 minutes and a guy taught me how to pace myself. 00:15:28.368 --> 00:15:36.912 So from August until February was my training time, and so finishing a marathon not running a marathon, finishing a marathon. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:38.725 You take your lunch with you to work every day. 00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:41.850 Not every day, but I do maybe three days a week right now. 00:15:42.052 --> 00:15:42.293 All right. 00:15:42.293 --> 00:15:46.669 A popular question I tend to ask people is what's your favorite fast food restaurant? 00:15:47.091 --> 00:15:51.288 Chick-fil-A yes, chick-fil-a or Slim's is tough right now. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:54.089 What have you got in Holly Springs to eat when you don't take something? 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:57.490 Well, you have the Mexican restaurant and you have the China buffet. 00:15:59.961 --> 00:16:00.702 There's nothing at the truck. 00:16:00.702 --> 00:16:02.208 They've got a nice truck stop over there now. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.265 Every now and then I get a salad at Love's. 00:16:04.265 --> 00:16:04.969 It's pretty fresh. 00:16:14.017 --> 00:16:15.360 Right, yeah, that was Table Topics. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:23.562 Alright, we're now going to shift to our devotion portion of the podcast today and we call that portion the Midweek moment. 00:16:33.134 --> 00:16:33.895 Hello everyone. 00:16:33.895 --> 00:16:43.019 Today we're going to be reading from Matthew, chapter 4, and the title of the devotion is Jesus, the object of our faith. 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:55.246 In Matthew, chapter 4, the scripture reads then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 00:16:55.246 --> 00:17:01.794 And the tempter came and said to him If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. 00:17:01.794 --> 00:17:03.059 But he answered. 00:17:03.059 --> 00:17:09.373 It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 00:17:09.373 --> 00:17:11.082 Let's pray, father. 00:17:11.082 --> 00:17:12.729 We thank you for Jesus. 00:17:12.729 --> 00:17:21.490 We thank you that he is the perfect example of our faith, but more importantly, father, we thank you that he is the object of our faith. 00:17:21.490 --> 00:17:36.411 He is what fills the gap between us and you, and it is only by his blood that we can have forgiveness, and it is only by his perfect life that we can have righteousness, and it is only by his resurrection that we can have eternal life. 00:17:36.411 --> 00:17:37.925 And so for that we thank you. 00:17:37.925 --> 00:17:40.028 In his name, we pray Amen. 00:17:40.028 --> 00:17:51.488 Now I'm calling today's devotion Jesus the object of our faith Because, believe it or not, I'm geared very high on the inside. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:18:00.388 When most people meet me, they probably think that I've had two to three cups of coffee and maybe two BCs to start my day. 00:18:00.388 --> 00:18:29.285 And while that is true, on some days I'm naturally geared to be a doer, if you will, and sometimes, in the faith, I think that we struggle with becoming justified, being born again and then thinking we're supposed to go out and do and try to accomplish all of these wonderful things for God, and we are supposed to, and we're supposed to look at Scripture and say how can I mimic that? 00:18:29.285 --> 00:18:33.602 But today I want us to think about what's going on with Jesus. 00:18:33.602 --> 00:18:37.210 In chapter 3, he has just been baptized. 00:18:37.210 --> 00:18:52.549 When he comes up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven is loud enough that John the Baptist and probably the people around him hear this is my son, with whom I'm well pleased. 00:18:52.549 --> 00:18:54.165 What's going on? 00:18:54.165 --> 00:19:01.900 Well, this is the public announcement, or the anointing, if you will, of Jesus as the Messiah. 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:15.369 That was God's confirmation to the people that witnessed that event, that he is the one who has come to save the people from their sins, and the first thing he does is go into the desert. 00:19:15.369 --> 00:19:26.236 Now let's talk about why he would go in the desert to be tempted by the devil, because we want to avoid temptation at all costs as believers. 00:19:26.236 --> 00:19:31.412 I think to accomplish that purpose, we need to think about three things. 00:19:31.412 --> 00:19:33.828 Number one, jesus as the second Adam. 00:19:33.828 --> 00:19:37.390 Number two, the significance of the number 40. 00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:40.910 And number three, jesus as the true Israel. 00:19:42.181 --> 00:19:54.695 In 1 Corinthians 15, paul tells us that the first Adam became a life-giving spirit, became a living being, and the second Adam became a life-giving spirit. 00:19:54.695 --> 00:20:02.693 So there's a comparison and a contrast, if you will, by theologians, between the first Adam and the second Adam. 00:20:02.693 --> 00:20:05.489 The first Adam had a covenant of works. 00:20:05.489 --> 00:20:10.467 He was supposed to rule over the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea and everything that crawled on the ground. 00:20:10.467 --> 00:20:18.789 And he was given every seed-bearing plant and every fruit-bearing tree and he was told that he could eat of any of it. 00:20:18.789 --> 00:20:27.622 But he was subject to one command, as it related to that you shouldn't eat anything that comes from the tree in the middle of the garden. 00:20:27.622 --> 00:20:29.709 Now, this showed two things. 00:20:29.709 --> 00:20:38.510 Number one, it showed that, even though he was ruler over the earth, he was ultimately a steward that was subject to God's authority. 00:20:38.510 --> 00:20:41.643 But number two, it showed that he was supposed to trust God. 00:20:41.643 --> 00:20:43.665 And what do we see happen? 00:20:43.665 --> 00:20:53.329 During his trial basis his time of probation, if you will Satan comes to Eve and it says she gave some to her husband, who was with her. 00:20:53.329 --> 00:20:55.407 In other words, he tempted both of them. 00:20:55.407 --> 00:20:57.644 And what did Adam do? 00:20:57.644 --> 00:21:05.513 Instead of subjecting himself to God, instead of trusting God and resisting the temptation, he ate the fruit. 00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:10.152 Now let's compare and contrast that with Jesus in today's passage. 00:21:10.152 --> 00:21:13.528 Jesus is not in a beautiful lush garden. 00:21:13.528 --> 00:21:15.567 Jesus is out in the desert. 00:21:15.567 --> 00:21:19.611 He hasn't had food for 40 days and 40 nights and he's hungry. 00:21:19.611 --> 00:21:28.903 And at just the right moment, if he was going to fail, satan comes to him and says Since you're the son of God, turn these stones into bread. 00:21:28.903 --> 00:21:31.267 What does Jesus do? 00:21:31.267 --> 00:21:34.373 He does what Adam was unable to do. 00:21:34.373 --> 00:21:43.282 While Adam had plenty of food at his disposal that he could have eaten, jesus had nothing, but instead he chose to trust the Father. 00:21:44.186 --> 00:21:46.494 Now let's think about the significance of the number 40. 00:21:46.494 --> 00:21:51.550 40 throughout scripture is known as a time of temptation, a trial. 00:21:51.550 --> 00:21:57.086 Sometimes it's even a time of preparation, or sometimes it's a time for judgment. 00:21:57.086 --> 00:22:00.413 Noah was on the ark 40 days and 40 nights. 00:22:00.413 --> 00:22:04.665 Moses was on Mount Sinai 40 days and 40 nights. 00:22:04.665 --> 00:22:17.801 Elijah, when he traveled to Mount Horeb it took him 40 days and 40 nights and even Nineveh, the wicked city that Jonah prophesied against, was given 40 days to repent. 00:22:19.044 --> 00:22:31.704 But the most significant number 40 in all of Scripture has to be Israel's time in the wilderness, and I think that ties into the third idea of Jesus being the true Israel. 00:22:31.704 --> 00:22:35.692 In John, chapter 15, he says I am the true vine. 00:22:35.692 --> 00:22:44.193 This is a reference to Isaiah, where God speaks through the prophet and says Israel is my special vineyard. 00:22:44.193 --> 00:22:50.893 Well, the comparison and the contrast can be very similar and very stark in this case also. 00:22:50.893 --> 00:22:54.809 Israel has just been rescued from a house of slavery. 00:22:54.809 --> 00:22:57.512 It is sometimes known as the iron furnace. 00:22:57.855 --> 00:23:01.165 Throughout scripture, they're sent out into the desert. 00:23:01.165 --> 00:23:02.410 They're led by Moses. 00:23:02.410 --> 00:23:11.154 They have a visible manifestation of God 24 hours a day, with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud of smoke during the day. 00:23:11.154 --> 00:23:21.644 They have food that they wake up to every morning, known as manna, and all they have to do is gather enough to make it through that day. 00:23:21.644 --> 00:23:28.942 But instead of trusting God, they gather more and the food spoils and his anger burns against them. 00:23:30.005 --> 00:23:39.477 But the epitome of Israel's rebellion or their ungratefulness comes in this statement, when they say why did you take us away from Egypt? 00:23:39.477 --> 00:23:43.664 We had meat there that cost us nothing. 00:23:43.664 --> 00:23:52.415 Now, if this doesn't sound like a spoiled, ungrateful child, or maybe even a spoiled ungrateful Jeffrey, I don't know what does. 00:23:52.415 --> 00:24:00.017 When I go outside the other night and my car didn't crank because it was cold, I said in my mind how come? 00:24:00.017 --> 00:24:04.887 Nothing is ever easy and I had just been in a warm bank all day. 00:24:04.887 --> 00:24:12.165 I had driven home, I had plenty of food to eat, but we tend to make broad, sweeping statements that are untrue. 00:24:12.165 --> 00:24:16.944 Israel's meat actually cost them their very personhood. 00:24:16.944 --> 00:24:17.886 They were slaves. 00:24:17.886 --> 00:24:22.734 They worked seven days a week, but now they've been rescued and they are ungrateful. 00:24:22.734 --> 00:24:24.536 They worked seven days a week, but now they've been rescued and they are ungrateful. 00:24:24.556 --> 00:24:28.198 Jesus, on the other hand, wasn't rescued from a house of slavery. 00:24:28.198 --> 00:24:29.578 He stepped out of heaven. 00:24:29.578 --> 00:24:31.619 He left the Father's side. 00:24:31.619 --> 00:24:40.345 We don't know if he had a visible manifestation of God while he was in the desert during this time of tempting, but we know that he doesn't have food. 00:24:40.345 --> 00:24:51.471 He hasn't eaten for 40 days and 40 nights during this time of temptation and trial, and when Satan comes to him and tells him to turn the stones into bread. 00:24:51.471 --> 00:25:01.146 Jesus doesn't succumb to the temptation, but instead he says man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 00:25:01.146 --> 00:25:09.226 In other words, where Adam couldn't resist, where Israel couldn't pass their time of testing, jesus did. 00:25:10.188 --> 00:25:28.747 Now, if you are exploring the faith or thinking about Christianity, or you've never put your faith in Christ, this is good news, because God has built inside all of us a conscience, and it can be a very pesky thing Because it is constantly telling us the way that we're supposed to be. 00:25:28.747 --> 00:25:32.885 But we can't live up to whatever that standard is. 00:25:32.885 --> 00:25:40.974 And right here, when Jesus resisted temptation, he was quote-unquote earning our salvation. 00:25:40.974 --> 00:25:47.243 I often say we are saved by works, we're saved by the works of Jesus Christ. 00:25:47.243 --> 00:26:01.527 But second, if you are a believer and you have salvation and your sins are forgiven, this is good news for you too, because, just like me, even though we've been born again, we still sin. 00:26:02.276 --> 00:26:11.307 And even though we want to do right and we want to live a holy life, we know that there is a standard that we don't meet every second of every day. 00:26:11.307 --> 00:26:22.847 And the same thing that got us here is the same thing that keeps us here, and that is the perfect life of Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection. 00:26:22.847 --> 00:26:26.239 The perfect life of Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection. 00:26:26.239 --> 00:26:38.126 So when he resists temptation in the desert, while we want to follow that example, more importantly, we are thankful for the person and work of Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. 00:26:38.126 --> 00:26:39.736 Let's pray, father. 00:26:39.736 --> 00:26:46.926 We thank you that we have not only been forgiven of our sins, but we have been credited with the good works of Jesus Christ. 00:26:46.926 --> 00:26:51.980 We thank you that we are counted as righteous before you because of him. 00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:54.468 In Jesus' name, we pray Amen. 00:27:02.135 --> 00:27:07.265 Man, Jeffrey, thank you so much for that and thank you for serving here at DeSoto Heels. 00:27:07.265 --> 00:27:11.185 Your family is absolutely precious and we're so glad that y'all are here. 00:27:11.185 --> 00:27:15.306 If any of our listeners don't know Jeffrey, please come up and introduce yourself to him. 00:27:15.306 --> 00:27:20.086 He's just an incredible guy and he loves to serve and will do anything for you. 00:27:20.086 --> 00:27:21.921 Thank you, guys again for listening. 00:27:21.921 --> 00:27:26.965 If you don't have a church home, we'd love to see you here at DeSoto Hills on Sunday morning. 00:27:26.965 --> 00:27:30.104 You can catch our services online at desotohillscom. 00:27:30.104 --> 00:27:32.974 Our YouTube channel is at DeSoto Hills Baptist. 00:27:32.974 --> 00:27:35.564 For all of our church family, we love you. 00:27:35.564 --> 00:27:38.182 We'll see you back here on March the 19th. 00:27:38.182 --> 00:27:43.878 Have a wonderful spring break this has been your Midweek Motivation. 00:27:44.058 --> 00:27:45.401 We have a wonderful spring break.