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Martin Chairez: Good morning, buenos dias.

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Please turn your Bibles to Matthew
chapter 4, verse 1 through verse 11.

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For us in the Spanish ministry here
for the year of 2026, we have been

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studying out the Gospel of Matthew.

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Amen?

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Amen.

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Uh, and it's been quite a journey.

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We're all the way up to chapter 7.

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And during Palm Sunday, uh, Good
Friday, and Easter, we kind of

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fast-forward into the story toward
the later chapters there in Matthew.

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And as I was given the opportunity to
share God's Word, preach God's Word, try

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and teach God's Word today, uh, there's
only one thing I can teach at this time.

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Uh, it's Matthew.

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Uh, and so that's where,
that's where we're at.

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Amen?

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Amen.

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This is actually my first time
preaching in this building.

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Uh- It feels like it's not the first
time, but, but it is, so that's-

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that's cool.

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I guess that's encouraging.

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Um, anyway, I don't
know why I shared that.

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So we're in chapter 4.

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One of the things that we have been
trying to do, that I've been trying to

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do and our ministry's been trying to
do, is to dive deep into the world of a

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gospel, and stay there, and live there,
and not worry about other gospels,

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the oth- any of the other three.

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But just stay in that world and try
to honor the gospel that we're in, in

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this case Matthew, and try to listen
to it, and not try to kinda add other

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things to it, but just kinda walk
with Jesus and see what stands out.

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Amen.

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And I've shared this before,
and I'll share it again.

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Um, but after almost 30 years of
being a Christian, I will confess

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that I got bored reading the Gospels.

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I often felt like, "Okay, I
already know what it says.

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Okay, I already know that."

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Yeah.

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"I know what to say about that."

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About that.

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Because of my high school
campus ministry experience.

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You know what I mean?

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Like...

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Yeah.

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And so I ended up feeling
bored, and I'd try to find other

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inspiration outside of the Gospel.

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And so if in your Christianity you're
looking for something else other than

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the Gospel narrative, something is off.

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Off.

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Other resources are great, but to
exclude the Gospel or to label it like

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I had, I had, um, is really alarming.

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And so in the last few years,
trying to relearn how to read these

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Gospel worlds, how to honor for what
it says, stay there and read it.

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And one of the things that has jumped out
is the distinctions between- Each gospel.

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And so as we read this very familiar
passage about the temptation

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narrative, it's also somewhat
present in Mark, it's definitely

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present in Luke, and here in Matthew.

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And one of the things that Matthew
does that's different from the

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Gospel of Luke is he rearranges
the order of the temptations.

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And so he places the third
temptation of the mountain as the

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third temptation, whereas in Luke,
I believe it's the second one.

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And for our modern Western
mind, that could be troubling.

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It shouldn't be, because we're thinking
chronologically, we're thinking order, or

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we've used analogies like each four, each
of the four Gospels is like one camera

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recording the same thing from a different
angle, and I guess that kind of works.

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But if we try to honor the scripture,
we have to think like Easterners.

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Kind of we have to think about, oh,
the context when it was written.

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And so the, when, when the Bible,
when the Gospels are rearranged,

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it's not a contradiction.

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It definitely is a distinction, but
it's an invitation for you to note, "I

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want to tell you something here that
the other Gospel is not telling you."

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Are you with me right here?

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Yes.

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And so in this case, why is
the temptation of the mountain

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third in the Gospel of Matthew?

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What do mountains have to
say in the Gospel of Matthew?

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And if we remember our Old
Testament, what happens in mountains?

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God reveals God's self and speaks Torah,
life, His covenant with His people.

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And so distinctions are invitations
for you to notice this Gospel's

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pointing something very unique to us.

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Are you with me right here?

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Yeah.

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Let's go ahead and read chapter 4:1.

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"Luego el Espíritu..."

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Ah, that's in Spanish right there.

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"Then Jesus, Jesus was led by
the Spirit into the wilderness

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to be tempted by the devil.

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After fasting for 40 days
and 40 nights, he was hungry.

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The tempter came to him and said,
'If you are the Son of God, tell

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these stones to become bread.'

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Jesus answered, 'It is written'"
"Man shall not live on bread

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alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God."

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Then the devil took him to the
holy city and had him stand on

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the highest point of the temple.

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So they're in Jerusalem.

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"If you are the Son of God,"
he said, "throw yourself down.

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For it is written, 'He will command his
angels concerning you, and they will lift

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you up in their hands so that you will
not strike your foot against a stone.'"

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Emphasis added by the speaker.

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Jesus answered to him, "It is
also written, 'Do not put the

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Lord your God to the test.'"

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Again, the devil took him to a very
high mountain and showed him all the

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kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

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"All of this I will give you," he said,
"if you will bow down and worship me."

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Jesus said to him, "Away from me,
Satan, for it is written, 'Worship the

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Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

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Amen.

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Then the devil left him, and the
angels came and attended him.

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Amen.

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Up to this point in the narrative
of the Gospel of Matthew,

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one thing has been clear:
the identity of Jesus.

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And so the fact that the first
two temptations are addressing his

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identity, it's somewhat ironic.

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And when we read this passage on
its own, sometimes we can miss.

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As a standalone passage, sometimes we can
miss, so we need a little context here.

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So the Gospel of Matthew begins
with a genealogy account letting

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us know that Jesus is a direct
descendant of Abraham and of David.

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And it names a lot of other people,
people that you usually do not put in

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a genealogy for a king who wants to
look good and not have any skeletons

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in their closet kind of thing.

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But it places people, Gentile
women who were faithful to God,

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and yet they were treated in a very
unjust, unfair way during the time.

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And so from the very beginning we
see the theme of God with us, and

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it includes those who had a very
difficult situation And then the

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angel lets them know, "Hey, call him
Immanuel," which means God with us.

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And so we see the Magi who come from the
East, kind of a foreshadow because the

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end of the gospel, uh, Jesus is gonna
command them to go into the Gentile world.

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And so you kind of have this encounter
there between two worlds, and

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the God who's mediating and who's
wanting to reach all, all nations.

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The Magi vow and worship, and
we are introduced to a king,

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Herod, and then later his son.

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And from the very beginning, the Gospel
of Matthew's already letting us know

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there's already a kingdom established,
but there's a new kingdom that's breaking

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in, and they are at odds with each other.

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The values of the kingdom of heaven,
that's the phrase Matthew is going to

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use rather than the kingdom, uh, of God.

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He uses the kingdom of heaven.

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The original audience, it's a very
Jewish audience and so in order

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to honor that, you try to say...

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Uh, you try to avoid to say
the actual name of God in that

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context 'cause it's so holy.

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Are you with me right here?

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And so in the Jewish context, he says
the kingdom of heaven, whereas in Luke,

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it was written to the Gentiles, and he
says kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God.

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Anyhow, so and then we see, uh, the, the
family having to flee and take refuge, uh,

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in Egypt and then be called, called back.

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And along the way, there's more trouble
because this earthly, worldly kingdom

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does not go away, and it hasn't.

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It's there.

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It's aggressive.

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It's ambitious.

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It's everywhere.

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It's in us.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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It's forming us.

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Yeah.

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It's encouraging us.

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It's creating a vision of what the good
life is because that kingdom needs us to

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be consumers and think about ourselves.

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And so if you get anything from
our story today, our, our passage

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today, I want you to consider which
kingdom is forming you the most.

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They both are.

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Right.

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Come on.

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But which kingdom is forming us the most?

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What kind of person
are you striving to be?

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A faithful participant
in the Kingdom of God?

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I'm sure it is because we're here.

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But this other kingdom, Herod's
kingdom- Yeah ... the kingdom

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of the world, it's there.

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You may call it empire, you may
call it all different things.

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It's there.

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It's in us.

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We're consuming it all the
time, and it's forming us.

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And the challenge is when it's forming
us, then we read the scriptures from

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that lens and that filter, and it ends
up br- creating in us an entitled people.

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Wow.

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Who is...

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And then we're assigned labels,
and we're assigned enemies, and who

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deserves and who doesn't deserve,
and da, da, da, da, da, da, da.

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And it goes on, and it goes on, and
it goes on, but it's always present.

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Yeah.

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But thanks be to God,
Emmanuel, God is also present.

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God is also with us.

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God is in mission right now, contrasting,
combating this type of kingdom and forming

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a new kind of people where He is king.

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Yeah.

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And so then Jesus
participates in a baptism.

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In some ways, Jesus is reenacting
the entire life of the community

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of Israel from the Old Testament.

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And in every stage where Israel fails,
God wins, which we can also personalize

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that to our past, to our wounds, to our
failures, to our regrets, that there

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is a God who dives into our past, who
walks with us to restore and to heal.

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Amen?

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Amen.

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And that could be our personal past,
our family's past, our church's past.

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It's a God who is with us, who's
in for restoration and healing.

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And right after baptism, we see the
description of the Holy Spirit hovering,

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which is a sign of new creation.

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Very similar language to the
creation story in Genesis.

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And what does the Spirit do right after?

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The Spirit leads Jesus to the wilderness.

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And so sometimes we can read this passage
and only stay to learn the tactics

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of the tempter, which is pretty good.

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You want to know your enemy.

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But this passage is more, it's less
about learning our enemy's tactics, and

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it's more about learning who our God is.

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It's more about learning what kind of
Messiah Jesus is, what kind of king and

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what kind of kingdom He is bringing.

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Amen.

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Yeah.

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And so it's not a test of
let's see if you're worthy.

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It's a test of confirmation to show
us, the readers and the audience,

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"Look- Look what God's about to do.

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He's about to expose the enemy.

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He's about to expose the values of
this empire, of this kingdom that keeps

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manipulating, controlling, and abusing
people- Yeah ... and dividing them.

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That's why Jesus comes later
and says, "Love your enemies."

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What?

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That doesn't fit in this kingdom.

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In this worldly kingdom,
you have to have enemies.

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That's right.

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They're assigned to you, even now.

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Yes.

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And sometimes we embrace that.

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But Jesus calls us to be a
different kind of people.

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Yeah.

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Come on.

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The challenge is there's suffering
and vulnerability and permanent

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weaknesses in the Kingdom of God.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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And we don't like that a whole lot.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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We want guaranteed wins, and so we
try to control outcomes, and there's

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that evil word of control which
always leads to manipulation, and

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it always becomes violent, whether
physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

238
00:16:09,469 --> 00:16:12,129
But that's not the
Kingdom- Right ... of God.

239
00:16:13,239 --> 00:16:18,940
And so the first temptation that
Jesus receives is, "Hey, you're

240
00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:23,050
hungry, and you are the Son of God.

241
00:16:23,050 --> 00:16:29,580
Why don't you take these stones
and turn them into pan dulce?"

242
00:16:36,230 --> 00:16:38,220
The translation in English, banana loaf.

243
00:16:38,220 --> 00:16:38,589
I don't know.

244
00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:52,800
And so immediately you see the tempter
trying to get Jesus to prove his worth.

245
00:16:55,969 --> 00:16:57,210
To prove his value.

246
00:16:57,990 --> 00:17:00,210
To prove that, hey, you can
do s- you can do something.

247
00:17:01,659 --> 00:17:02,239
You're worthy.

248
00:17:04,109 --> 00:17:05,160
You can be productive.

249
00:17:05,419 --> 00:17:06,230
Show them.

250
00:17:06,848 --> 00:17:08,059
Show yourself.

251
00:17:08,919 --> 00:17:09,559
Prove it.

252
00:17:10,719 --> 00:17:13,269
Start thinking about you.

253
00:17:13,269 --> 00:17:13,519
Yeah.

254
00:17:16,499 --> 00:17:20,269
Which is the temptation that Israel
had in the Old Testament as they

255
00:17:20,269 --> 00:17:24,409
grumbled after leaving Pharaoh's
empire because they couldn't

256
00:17:24,409 --> 00:17:27,999
grasp a kingdom in the wilderness.

257
00:17:28,929 --> 00:17:34,170
All they knew was the structure
of Pharaoh, and what do they do?

258
00:17:34,260 --> 00:17:37,659
"Oh, we got nothing here 'cause
I've never been here before, so

259
00:17:37,659 --> 00:17:39,619
let me go back to what I'm used to.

260
00:17:39,670 --> 00:17:41,439
Didn't we have it good back then?

261
00:17:41,650 --> 00:17:43,560
Didn't we have fish every now and then?

262
00:17:44,229 --> 00:17:45,619
I mean, are you kidding me?"

263
00:17:45,709 --> 00:17:46,694
But that's us.

264
00:17:46,694 --> 00:17:46,814
Yeah.

265
00:17:47,084 --> 00:17:52,205
Yeah 'Cause when we can't see
the outcome, we want to try and

266
00:17:52,205 --> 00:17:53,635
control it and go back- Yeah

267
00:17:53,635 --> 00:17:55,665
and enslave ourselves again.

268
00:17:57,314 --> 00:17:57,484
Yeah.

269
00:17:59,104 --> 00:17:59,215
Right.

270
00:17:59,434 --> 00:18:07,014
But quickly, God, surprise,
shows up and provides water and

271
00:18:07,014 --> 00:18:11,004
quail and food for his people.

272
00:18:13,535 --> 00:18:18,765
And so this temptation, and first one
is clearly overcome by god, but it's

273
00:18:18,765 --> 00:18:23,765
also an echo of the past, as I just
mentioned about what happened in Israel.

274
00:18:24,575 --> 00:18:27,624
And where Israel failed, Jesus wins.

275
00:18:29,294 --> 00:18:32,944
So it's an echo of the past, but it's
also a foreshadow of what's about

276
00:18:32,944 --> 00:18:34,764
to happen the rest of the gospel.

277
00:18:36,165 --> 00:18:41,264
So a couple chapters later, what
does Jesus teach us when we pray?

278
00:18:42,915 --> 00:18:46,885
Ask God for your daily- Bread ... bread.

279
00:18:46,885 --> 00:18:55,744
Because for Jesus, providing bread
is not for self, but providing

280
00:18:55,744 --> 00:18:59,505
bread is for the sake of his people.

281
00:18:59,694 --> 00:18:59,784
Right.

282
00:19:01,575 --> 00:19:06,194
In two different times, he will
multiply bread and fish and m-

283
00:19:06,435 --> 00:19:11,255
and feed the multitudes, showing
us what kind of king he is.

284
00:19:11,924 --> 00:19:19,785
Not one that produces bread for self-gain,
but one who produces bread for the sake

285
00:19:19,785 --> 00:19:24,404
of his community and those in need.

286
00:19:27,835 --> 00:19:31,895
The tempter knows, "Hey, you can provide
something that could really help people,

287
00:19:31,895 --> 00:19:35,605
but why don't you provide it for yourself?

288
00:19:36,265 --> 00:19:39,494
Think about yourself first."

289
00:19:41,414 --> 00:19:41,485
Yeah.

290
00:19:41,485 --> 00:19:43,564
And Jesus says, "That's not my kingdom.

291
00:19:44,834 --> 00:19:49,734
In my kingdom, we provide
for the sake of others.

292
00:19:49,974 --> 00:19:53,705
We give to those that do not have.

293
00:19:54,465 --> 00:19:57,195
That is my kingdom.

294
00:19:57,435 --> 00:20:00,214
That is what is written.

295
00:20:00,284 --> 00:20:04,264
It has always been written," and later
he'll say, "I've not come to abolish

296
00:20:04,264 --> 00:20:09,304
the law, but to fulfill it," to give
his original intent and live it out,

297
00:20:10,545 --> 00:20:15,194
and what the prophets said, because
you can't separate law from prophets.

298
00:20:15,194 --> 00:20:18,025
And so Jesus embodies this at all.

299
00:20:18,284 --> 00:20:22,155
And so if you ever wonder, what is the law
really about, look at the life of Jesus.

300
00:20:22,514 --> 00:20:24,054
Generosity, giving.

301
00:20:24,054 --> 00:20:30,234
In every example he uses about the law
in chapter five, it's all relational-

302
00:20:31,484 --> 00:20:35,145
Yeah ... for the sake of other,
that God who's re- from the very

303
00:20:35,145 --> 00:20:42,059
beginning has been wanting to restore
all creation, all relationships.

304
00:20:43,250 --> 00:20:48,540
But his Old Testament son, the
people of Israel, what did they do?

305
00:20:48,540 --> 00:20:53,359
They grumbled, complained, failed,
and they bel- ended up believing that

306
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,429
this was about them being on top.

307
00:20:56,429 --> 00:20:56,580
Like us.

308
00:20:58,839 --> 00:21:01,599
Which can be just like us.

309
00:21:01,630 --> 00:21:01,970
Thank you.

310
00:21:03,249 --> 00:21:06,189
So we come to the second temptation.

311
00:21:06,870 --> 00:21:11,689
Now he's taken to the temple,
to Jerusalem, and out of all the

312
00:21:11,689 --> 00:21:15,759
passages Satan could have used,
he chose Psalm, and you heard the

313
00:21:15,759 --> 00:21:19,029
emphasis there on you, you, you, you.

314
00:21:19,270 --> 00:21:21,599
Read the scriptures
like if it's about you.

315
00:21:24,410 --> 00:21:27,869
And Jesus says, "No, I'm reading the
scriptures because it's about God."

316
00:21:27,950 --> 00:21:28,010
Yeah.

317
00:21:30,429 --> 00:21:33,370
Which might be an invitation when
we open the scriptures, it's less

318
00:21:33,370 --> 00:21:35,729
about us and it's more about God.

319
00:21:36,139 --> 00:21:40,349
In that, you will find what you need,
because God gives us our daily bread.

320
00:21:40,630 --> 00:21:45,730
But our first move in reading scripture
should be, "Let me learn about God."

321
00:21:45,730 --> 00:21:45,819
Yeah.

322
00:21:47,019 --> 00:21:50,239
And sometimes it has
nothing to do with you, yet.

323
00:21:50,239 --> 00:21:50,659
Yet.

324
00:21:51,429 --> 00:21:51,550
Amen.

325
00:21:52,870 --> 00:21:56,430
But later, the Spirit will remind
you, "Remember you read this?"

326
00:21:56,430 --> 00:21:57,020
Oh, yeah.

327
00:21:58,410 --> 00:21:59,430
God is always there.

328
00:21:59,859 --> 00:22:00,219
Amen?

329
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:01,289
Amen.

330
00:22:02,550 --> 00:22:06,189
And so the second temptation is
organized to be at the temple.

331
00:22:08,230 --> 00:22:13,520
And if we move forward in the
story, what happens at the temple?

332
00:22:15,039 --> 00:22:16,789
See, Satan says, "Hey, come up here.

333
00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:18,109
Look at all this.

334
00:22:18,649 --> 00:22:23,460
Throw yourself down and
let the angels catch you."

335
00:22:24,379 --> 00:22:24,870
Like this.

336
00:22:24,870 --> 00:22:25,370
No, I'm just kidding.

337
00:22:28,090 --> 00:22:30,780
And the temptation to be spectacular,

338
00:22:33,189 --> 00:22:44,219
to see how great you are, to win
people over by how spectacular you are.

339
00:22:45,210 --> 00:22:51,709
And let's, so let's have this show of
greatness, this wonder working, let's

340
00:22:51,709 --> 00:22:57,020
have it at the temple so you can rule
the temple as you know you are going

341
00:22:57,020 --> 00:23:01,489
to, but do it with this kind of vibe.

342
00:23:03,299 --> 00:23:03,450
Come on.

343
00:23:03,450 --> 00:23:03,509
Yeah.

344
00:23:05,229 --> 00:23:15,049
And I'm sure it was tempting, but
Jesus quickly responds, directly

345
00:23:15,709 --> 00:23:21,189
responds that, "It is written, do not
put the Lord your God to the test."

346
00:23:21,609 --> 00:23:27,500
So when we hear the echo constantly,
the people of God kept testing God.

347
00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:30,259
When things got difficult,
they blamed God.

348
00:23:30,580 --> 00:23:34,420
There is room for that, but i-
there's no room when you stay there.

349
00:23:36,999 --> 00:23:39,615
And they started wondering,
"We need a king."

350
00:23:40,454 --> 00:23:42,614
Everyone has a king except us.

351
00:23:42,944 --> 00:23:43,825
That's how they said it.

352
00:23:43,955 --> 00:23:45,294
The m- I was there in the reading.

353
00:23:45,774 --> 00:23:46,654
I heard the notes.

354
00:23:49,204 --> 00:23:50,564
And so what did they do?

355
00:23:51,675 --> 00:23:55,374
They make themselves a king.

356
00:23:56,704 --> 00:24:00,564
And that was the beginning of
the end of so many, you know,

357
00:24:00,564 --> 00:24:01,834
of the Kingdom of God there.

358
00:24:03,615 --> 00:24:07,265
And yet God comes back, continually
restores, and is faithful.

359
00:24:07,885 --> 00:24:11,444
And so we see this
temptation to be spectacular.

360
00:24:11,444 --> 00:24:18,865
Now, that temptation is present in all
of us and is being formed in all of us

361
00:24:19,074 --> 00:24:23,554
personally, as a family, for sure in
our careers in the workplace, 'cause

362
00:24:23,554 --> 00:24:28,155
you kinda have to work in that work
situation, but sometimes even in church.

363
00:24:29,984 --> 00:24:37,414
We can desire a, a group that provides
all of these things for us, where

364
00:24:37,414 --> 00:24:40,885
I don't suffer, I don't struggle.

365
00:24:41,095 --> 00:24:42,254
Just take care of me.

366
00:24:45,865 --> 00:24:48,805
Because that entitlement
just keeps coming back up.

367
00:24:48,855 --> 00:24:49,364
Why?

368
00:24:49,735 --> 00:24:52,875
Because we're being
formed by it all the time.

369
00:24:52,905 --> 00:24:53,834
Oh, yeah.

370
00:24:54,674 --> 00:24:54,865
Yeah.

371
00:24:56,584 --> 00:24:56,775
That's right.

372
00:24:57,455 --> 00:25:02,485
But Jesus, we've heard the echo,
now let's look at the foreshadow.

373
00:25:03,894 --> 00:25:08,165
Palm Sunday, He rides into Jerusalem.

374
00:25:09,345 --> 00:25:11,435
And the people are
shouting and worshiping.

375
00:25:11,435 --> 00:25:13,384
There's another reference to stones there.

376
00:25:13,825 --> 00:25:16,675
Uh, Jesus says, "Yeah, even
the stones will cry out."

377
00:25:16,675 --> 00:25:17,935
And so this time they won't be bread.

378
00:25:17,935 --> 00:25:19,424
This time they're gonna be
worship leaders, you know?

379
00:25:23,064 --> 00:25:25,785
In the Gospel of Matthew, it...

380
00:25:26,854 --> 00:25:32,564
Jesus stays the day and enters
the temple, whereas in Mark,

381
00:25:33,064 --> 00:25:35,644
Jesus looks around and heads out.

382
00:25:36,385 --> 00:25:39,584
So that's already a distinction,
which is an invitation.

383
00:25:39,584 --> 00:25:40,854
So what does Jesus do?

384
00:25:41,184 --> 00:25:45,994
He flips the tables, then He enters a
temple, and if you read there, I believe

385
00:25:45,994 --> 00:25:48,135
it's chapter 21, what does He do?

386
00:25:48,434 --> 00:25:50,614
He begins to heal.

387
00:25:51,514 --> 00:25:54,405
And it mentions all the
people that He is healing.

388
00:25:55,254 --> 00:25:58,635
All the people, because after
centuries and centuries of additions

389
00:25:58,635 --> 00:26:06,614
of rules to the g- law of God, a lot
of people started being excluded, no

390
00:26:06,614 --> 00:26:09,734
longer having access to the temple.

391
00:26:10,274 --> 00:26:12,045
And so what does Jesus do?

392
00:26:12,804 --> 00:26:17,734
He avoids this temptation to be
spectacular so that people can pay

393
00:26:17,734 --> 00:26:19,594
attention to Him, and what does He do?

394
00:26:20,164 --> 00:26:25,644
He flips over that table of being
spectacular and prod- productive

395
00:26:25,675 --> 00:26:30,604
and, and gaining all kinds of,
uh, power and control, and He

396
00:26:30,604 --> 00:26:34,665
begins to heal at the temple.

397
00:26:35,525 --> 00:26:40,565
Because the temple is not for
selfish gain, but in the temple of

398
00:26:40,565 --> 00:26:46,795
God, it's a space for healing, for-
Amen ... restoration, for inclusion.

399
00:26:46,795 --> 00:26:46,914
Amen.

400
00:26:49,255 --> 00:26:54,455
And we see the living present
God do it the right way.

401
00:26:55,124 --> 00:26:55,185
Yeah.

402
00:26:55,515 --> 00:26:58,914
So a quick recap before we come to
the close here for the third one.

403
00:26:59,644 --> 00:27:03,695
Sometimes we can read this and only
focus on the tactics of the enemy.

404
00:27:04,294 --> 00:27:07,984
We should read this and look at
the greatness and the goodness

405
00:27:08,054 --> 00:27:09,944
of God- Amen ... as well.

406
00:27:09,944 --> 00:27:10,065
Amen.

407
00:27:11,975 --> 00:27:17,745
And so for the third one: Again, the
devil took him to a very high mountain

408
00:27:17,745 --> 00:27:23,905
and showed him all the kingdoms
of the world and their splendor.

409
00:27:25,414 --> 00:27:32,775
"All this I will give you," he said,
"if you will bow down and worship me."

410
00:27:33,694 --> 00:27:36,845
And either that word bow down or
worship me, I can't remember right

411
00:27:36,845 --> 00:27:43,194
now, it's the same word that is used
to describe when the Magi came to

412
00:27:43,194 --> 00:27:47,145
Jesus and bowed down and worshiped.

413
00:27:47,855 --> 00:27:52,845
It is also the same word used when
the resurrected Lord encounters

414
00:27:52,845 --> 00:27:57,205
the women to went to the tomb, and
they see the resurrected Lord, and

415
00:27:57,205 --> 00:28:00,664
they bow down and they worship.

416
00:28:01,925 --> 00:28:06,565
It's that same word of
reverence, of giving everything,

417
00:28:06,874 --> 00:28:10,084
of giving your allegiance.

418
00:28:11,434 --> 00:28:15,215
And the empires and the kingdom of this
world, the main thing that they are

419
00:28:15,215 --> 00:28:23,135
requiring from us is our allegiance,
your consumption, your support.

420
00:28:23,684 --> 00:28:25,914
Defend me and attack them.

421
00:28:27,385 --> 00:28:28,575
Because without us...

422
00:28:28,575 --> 00:28:34,334
And a- and so the narrative goes on, back
and forth and back and forth and back and

423
00:28:34,334 --> 00:28:38,355
forth, and we're hearing it all the time.

424
00:28:39,164 --> 00:28:39,224
Yeah.

425
00:28:40,254 --> 00:28:43,504
But we should also be hearing the gospel.

426
00:28:43,504 --> 00:28:43,625
Amen.

427
00:28:43,625 --> 00:28:43,745
Amen.

428
00:28:45,465 --> 00:28:51,224
The King, the God with us, who
doesn't use bread for selfish gain

429
00:28:51,405 --> 00:28:55,504
but provides it for those who need it.

430
00:28:55,504 --> 00:29:00,935
Who doesn't use his authority over
his temple to be man- to manipulate

431
00:29:00,935 --> 00:29:05,625
and draw the masses, but goes in
there and heals those that have been

432
00:29:05,625 --> 00:29:09,635
neglected and excluded from that place.

433
00:29:10,495 --> 00:29:12,655
And now they are in a mountain.

434
00:29:12,655 --> 00:29:18,435
So if we hear the echo, as we
mentioned earlier, what is Jesus...

435
00:29:18,485 --> 00:29:20,364
What does God do in the Old Testament?

436
00:29:20,485 --> 00:29:26,135
He calls Moses to this mountain,
and God appears and reveals God's

437
00:29:26,135 --> 00:29:28,844
self and speaks and provides.

438
00:29:29,655 --> 00:29:31,829
But what happens quickly after?

439
00:29:32,839 --> 00:29:38,420
Those people t- quickly turn to worship
and give their allegiance to idols,

440
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,519
and the story continues and continues
and continues, and they keep falling

441
00:29:42,519 --> 00:29:45,600
apart, and God comes back and restores
them, and then they keep falling apart,

442
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,659
and God comes back and restores them.

443
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,469
I don't know if I'm still talking about
us or the Old Testament, but maybe both.

444
00:29:53,260 --> 00:29:54,739
But the point is, God is good.

445
00:29:54,739 --> 00:29:55,500
Yeah.

446
00:29:56,219 --> 00:29:56,340
Amen.

447
00:29:57,110 --> 00:29:59,639
So foreshadow mountains.

448
00:30:00,569 --> 00:30:03,969
What happens in mountains
in the Gospel of Matthew?

449
00:30:04,010 --> 00:30:09,149
Chapter five, he's gonna go up on
a mountain and sit down and teach.

450
00:30:11,009 --> 00:30:11,999
No longer...

451
00:30:13,229 --> 00:30:16,300
It's, it's, it's God's
self, Jesus, teaching.

452
00:30:18,149 --> 00:30:21,130
And the fact that he sits down,
it's a sign of his authority,

453
00:30:21,130 --> 00:30:23,070
his throne, his kingdom.

454
00:30:23,070 --> 00:30:26,900
He's sitting on this mountain like
the Earth is his thron- throne,

455
00:30:27,609 --> 00:30:30,319
and he begins to, to teach.

456
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:39,280
Later, he will also be in a mountain and
there will be a tras- transfiguration of

457
00:30:41,460 --> 00:30:44,170
Jesus, and that happens in a mountain.

458
00:30:44,959 --> 00:30:47,129
Then he goes to the Mountain
of Olives, and once again he

459
00:30:47,129 --> 00:30:52,740
sits down and teaches some very
complex things, chapter 24 and 25.

460
00:30:54,219 --> 00:30:55,639
And what else happens in a mountain?

461
00:30:57,050 --> 00:30:59,929
He is crucified in a mountain.

462
00:31:01,359 --> 00:31:04,419
And then he rises from the
dead, and where does he go?

463
00:31:04,909 --> 00:31:05,689
To a mountain.

464
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:07,669
And what does he say?

465
00:31:08,939 --> 00:31:13,449
"All authority on heaven and
on Earth has been given to me."

466
00:31:13,649 --> 00:31:15,300
What did Satan want to give him?

467
00:31:16,169 --> 00:31:16,960
Authority.

468
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:17,020
Yeah.

469
00:31:19,399 --> 00:31:23,779
But he didn't do the shortcut,
manipulative, self-gaining,

470
00:31:24,020 --> 00:31:26,029
self-preserving way.

471
00:31:26,910 --> 00:31:33,669
Jesus shows us, unlike Israel, unlike
us, God is good and faithful, and

472
00:31:33,669 --> 00:31:40,259
Jesus embodies the true kingdom
of heaven, and he is serving.

473
00:31:40,259 --> 00:31:43,079
And so at a mountain,
he doesn't gain power.

474
00:31:43,439 --> 00:31:47,790
God gives of God's self
for the sake of the world.

475
00:31:49,419 --> 00:31:49,610
Amen.

476
00:31:49,699 --> 00:31:54,960
And every single temptation that we
have heard so far, he hears it again

477
00:31:55,119 --> 00:31:59,739
and again, but no longer by this
figure of the tester and the tempter.

478
00:31:59,970 --> 00:32:03,610
It's now the disciples.

479
00:32:04,979 --> 00:32:12,839
And just like he told Satan himself,
"Away from me," when his faithful disciple

480
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:21,220
Peter has still not let go of this
false mountain, of this false kingdom,

481
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:27,044
of this manipulative nature because he
can't imagine any other way- He's never

482
00:32:27,044 --> 00:32:31,065
seen it that way, and even though he's
heard it from Jesus, he's seen all those

483
00:32:31,065 --> 00:32:35,155
miracles, it's still in him to survive.

484
00:32:36,235 --> 00:32:38,764
And he says, "Jesus, do not die."

485
00:32:41,524 --> 00:32:43,914
Let's have power without suffering.

486
00:32:47,015 --> 00:32:49,594
Let's have authority
without being generous.

487
00:32:49,594 --> 00:32:49,715
Amen.

488
00:32:51,354 --> 00:32:52,914
Let's be at the top ourselves.

489
00:32:53,135 --> 00:32:54,454
We'll be better than them.

490
00:32:56,484 --> 00:33:00,694
And Jesus looked at him and
said, "Get behind me, Satan."

491
00:33:03,765 --> 00:33:04,605
The same thing.

492
00:33:04,605 --> 00:33:06,864
And then when Jesus is
hanging on the cross,

493
00:33:09,144 --> 00:33:11,474
the first and second
temptations show up again.

494
00:33:11,754 --> 00:33:16,195
If you are the Son of God, why
don't you bring yourself down?

495
00:33:17,235 --> 00:33:21,945
If you are the Son of God,
why don't you save yourself?

496
00:33:22,844 --> 00:33:27,575
And then the chief priests, the elders,
and the teachers of the law, same thing.

497
00:33:27,804 --> 00:33:30,054
He s- he said he can destroy all this.

498
00:33:30,165 --> 00:33:32,735
Why don't he s- why don't you save
yourself if you're the Son of God?

499
00:33:33,155 --> 00:33:38,375
That same temptation is present.

500
00:33:38,815 --> 00:33:39,805
And guess what?

501
00:33:40,145 --> 00:33:42,285
It's still present now.

502
00:33:43,785 --> 00:33:43,845
Yeah.

503
00:33:43,874 --> 00:33:43,935
Yeah.

504
00:33:45,635 --> 00:33:48,664
Can you identify where the
temptation is present in your life?

505
00:33:48,695 --> 00:33:48,784
Yes.

506
00:33:50,414 --> 00:33:58,035
To prove your worth, to be spectacular
and adored without giving and providing,

507
00:33:59,285 --> 00:34:04,195
to have entitlement because don't they
know who I am and what I have done?

508
00:34:06,744 --> 00:34:06,884
Right.

509
00:34:06,884 --> 00:34:10,934
To have authority without suffering
and generosity and pouring out

510
00:34:10,934 --> 00:34:14,125
of self for the sake of others.

511
00:34:14,494 --> 00:34:14,554
Right.

512
00:34:14,554 --> 00:34:14,614
Yeah.

513
00:34:16,024 --> 00:34:20,645
Is that, are those temptations not
real for us- Yeah ... personally

514
00:34:21,174 --> 00:34:22,465
and as a community of faith?

515
00:34:22,543 --> 00:34:23,625
Absolutely.

516
00:34:24,293 --> 00:34:25,524
And they're so subtle.

517
00:34:25,934 --> 00:34:28,634
And for a temptation to work, it's
for actually for you to buy in

518
00:34:28,634 --> 00:34:29,755
without noticing you bought in.

519
00:34:29,804 --> 00:34:29,895
Yes.

520
00:34:32,454 --> 00:34:36,114
And so Jesus comes and he's
disrupting all of those things,

521
00:34:36,695 --> 00:34:41,063
bringing us to wilderness, because
there's also life in the wilderness.

522
00:34:41,284 --> 00:34:43,685
There's surprises in the wilderness.

523
00:34:43,685 --> 00:34:48,094
There's encounters with God that we
have not experienced before in the

524
00:34:48,094 --> 00:34:51,465
wilderness, and it always leads to cross,

525
00:34:53,623 --> 00:34:59,404
to suffering, to death, to the
pouring of self for the sake of

526
00:34:59,404 --> 00:35:05,894
others, and that always leads to
resurrection and new hope- Amen

527
00:35:05,894 --> 00:35:11,425
and new thoughts and new ideas
and fresh practices of worship and

528
00:35:11,425 --> 00:35:15,195
community and spiritual formations.

529
00:35:16,134 --> 00:35:21,134
And so Matthew closes with the mountain,

530
00:35:23,175 --> 00:35:27,990
because that's where-
God reveals who God is.

531
00:35:28,690 --> 00:35:31,799
Not to have control and manipulate,
'cause that always leads to

532
00:35:31,799 --> 00:35:34,829
violence, as it happened to Jesus.

533
00:35:36,869 --> 00:35:40,509
But in this mountain, he says, "Go.

534
00:35:43,059 --> 00:35:44,189
Go make disciples."

535
00:35:45,959 --> 00:35:47,780
But not disciples of this kingdom.

536
00:35:51,309 --> 00:35:54,309
Not make disciples in
this manipulative way,

537
00:35:56,790 --> 00:35:59,089
but disciples Jesus' way.

538
00:35:59,089 --> 00:35:59,159
Yeah.

539
00:35:59,159 --> 00:35:59,280
Amen.

540
00:36:00,829 --> 00:36:06,190
Teach them what I have taught you,
which is not that, but it is this.

541
00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:06,780
Yeah.

542
00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:09,360
And I'm with you always.

543
00:36:10,879 --> 00:36:15,180
One of the things that has been
restored for me is this image that I

544
00:36:15,180 --> 00:36:17,230
had, that I'll describe it this way.

545
00:36:19,039 --> 00:36:23,879
God came, saved me, and you, but me.

546
00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:28,140
And then God left.

547
00:36:30,290 --> 00:36:31,790
And before he was leaving, he said, "Hey.

548
00:36:34,149 --> 00:36:34,900
Go build a kingdom.

549
00:36:37,149 --> 00:36:37,669
Do it for me.

550
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,869
And when I come back,
I'm gonna reward you.

551
00:36:43,500 --> 00:36:44,740
And you're doing all this for me."

552
00:36:45,649 --> 00:36:49,649
So now I'm keep- being facetious a
little bit, but, but I'm stuck with

553
00:36:49,649 --> 00:36:52,540
this mindset of, I am the protagonist.

554
00:36:52,590 --> 00:36:54,319
I am the savior of the story.

555
00:36:55,179 --> 00:36:56,009
And where's God?

556
00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:57,090
He's far away.

557
00:36:57,870 --> 00:36:57,929
Yeah.

558
00:36:58,109 --> 00:36:59,169
He actually left.

559
00:36:59,300 --> 00:37:04,689
It's up to me, and so the savior complex
sort of takes form, and now it's up to me.

560
00:37:05,019 --> 00:37:08,890
Well, this doesn't work with ... If
it's me, so what do I have to do?

561
00:37:10,089 --> 00:37:11,579
I can't do the Michael Jackson, sorry.

562
00:37:12,869 --> 00:37:15,330
That would be cool.

563
00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,150
But then I start being a Christian,

564
00:37:21,210 --> 00:37:21,950
but not in kingdom.

565
00:37:22,759 --> 00:37:22,819
Yeah.

566
00:37:23,860 --> 00:37:24,530
But in empire.

567
00:37:25,499 --> 00:37:25,559
Yeah.

568
00:37:25,559 --> 00:37:25,710
Empire.

569
00:37:25,740 --> 00:37:25,800
Yeah.

570
00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,070
And then critical and that.

571
00:37:28,070 --> 00:37:28,629
You know what I'm saying?

572
00:37:28,629 --> 00:37:29,370
It just, it's all there.

573
00:37:29,370 --> 00:37:29,639
Yeah.

574
00:37:31,450 --> 00:37:33,440
But what does the Gospel
of Matthew teach us?

575
00:37:33,929 --> 00:37:35,190
Emmanuel, God with us.

576
00:37:35,219 --> 00:37:36,490
What does God say at the end?

577
00:37:36,639 --> 00:37:37,809
"I'm with you to the very end."

578
00:37:37,939 --> 00:37:38,869
So where is God?

579
00:37:39,260 --> 00:37:41,139
God with us, among us.

580
00:37:41,650 --> 00:37:41,709
Yeah.

581
00:37:41,709 --> 00:37:45,330
God is in mission, and is
present, is living and active now.

582
00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,559
He's not a far away, distant God.

583
00:37:47,740 --> 00:37:49,479
He's a living, present God.

584
00:37:50,129 --> 00:37:54,410
And it's not up to us, it's up to
God, but it is up to us to join God.

585
00:37:55,029 --> 00:37:55,090
Yeah.

586
00:37:56,110 --> 00:38:01,459
And to be told a few times, "Martin,"
'cause God talks to me in Spanish.

587
00:38:05,069 --> 00:38:07,119
"Get behind me, Satan.

588
00:38:08,980 --> 00:38:11,470
That is not my way, Martinsito."

589
00:38:15,010 --> 00:38:15,900
"Here's what I have taught.

590
00:38:16,489 --> 00:38:17,219
Here's who I am.

591
00:38:17,910 --> 00:38:19,450
Follow me my way."

592
00:38:19,450 --> 00:38:19,539
Yes.

593
00:38:19,539 --> 00:38:19,659
Amen.

594
00:38:21,209 --> 00:38:22,089
Jesus is Lord.

595
00:38:22,089 --> 00:38:23,700
Amen.

596
00:38:25,419 --> 00:38:27,650
Let's come to a close.

597
00:38:28,740 --> 00:38:32,320
I have a question before
here we take communion.

598
00:38:34,279 --> 00:38:37,420
It's a question for us to reflect,
to think about, and we'll take

599
00:38:37,420 --> 00:38:42,089
two or three minutes to share with
our people nearby our thoughts.

600
00:38:43,650 --> 00:38:48,080
Where in our lives are we still
being tempted by the bread,

601
00:38:48,869 --> 00:38:50,900
the temple, and the mountain?

602
00:38:52,130 --> 00:39:00,369
To seek security, validation, or
power apart from trusting the Father?

603
00:39:01,399 --> 00:39:10,029
And how does the cross reveal a different
way of faithfulness, surrender, and love?

604
00:39:12,050 --> 00:39:12,410
Amen?

605
00:39:12,959 --> 00:39:13,079
Amen.

606
00:39:13,790 --> 00:39:18,950
So let's go ahead and take a few minutes
to reflect, and then I'll come back.

607
00:39:19,209 --> 00:39:21,750
I'll say a prayer for communion.

608
00:39:22,390 --> 00:39:22,790
Go for it.

609
00:42:34,959 --> 00:42:40,179
I hope this conversation and
exploration of scripture continues.

610
00:42:40,619 --> 00:42:41,690
Let's go ahead and pray.

611
00:42:42,459 --> 00:42:43,529
We'll take communion.

612
00:42:43,850 --> 00:42:47,010
We have a few announcements, and
then our, our close, and then we'll

613
00:42:47,149 --> 00:42:51,800
have, um, uh, conclude our service,
but let's keep the fellowship going.

614
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:52,230
Amen?

615
00:42:53,310 --> 00:42:58,580
This passage, again, reveals more
of who God is than what Satan is.

616
00:42:58,619 --> 00:43:01,119
It does expose those tactics.

617
00:43:01,289 --> 00:43:02,820
And I've heard...

618
00:43:02,900 --> 00:43:08,029
I hope that we hear this, and we are open
and invited to be informed by the Kingdom

619
00:43:08,029 --> 00:43:12,930
of God, by the King, Jesus Himself.

620
00:43:14,009 --> 00:43:14,450
Let's pray.

621
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:21,480
God, we're so grateful for your sacred
text that creates encounters with

622
00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:30,279
us within the world, in scripture,
but also our lives, our past, our

623
00:43:30,279 --> 00:43:34,540
present, our hopes, our aches.

624
00:43:35,509 --> 00:43:37,099
Thank you for your example.

625
00:43:37,129 --> 00:43:43,299
Thank you for being a good, faithful king.

626
00:43:43,330 --> 00:43:51,959
Help us to embrace you, to obey
you, to follow you, to be like you.

627
00:43:52,729 --> 00:43:58,500
Reveal to us where empire or the kingdoms
of this world is being formed in us,

628
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:05,449
that we may let it go and embrace
the way of the cross, your way of

629
00:44:05,449 --> 00:44:15,659
life-giving, space-making, restorative,
faithful, full of genuine love.

630
00:44:16,820 --> 00:44:21,930
We take communion with gratitude
and humility in our hearts,

631
00:44:22,279 --> 00:44:24,825
desiring- to be formed by you.

632
00:44:24,825 --> 00:44:30,207
It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen