A Message for You This Sunday, March 9 at 10 AM
The Message Today: by Rev. Mark Poyner
Based on the Scripture: Luke 4: 1-13 – Jesus in the Wilderness for 40 Days
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Everybody here like WaWA Convenience Store? I Love WaWa. I like to get Bev a fresh coffee from there when she gets home. Lately, since my Sinus Infection, I would stop by there and get us chicken noodle soup. I figured, what the heck, chicken soup is good for that, isn’t it? And there is one thing that I love to get, but I really don’t anymore, is a glazed coffee roll they sell on their bakery shelf. I walk by it, and I am tempted, but the sugar content in the coffee roll is high, so I resist the temptation. I walk by it, and I am really tempted…… Sometimes I slip though…..Now, while a coffee roll may seem like a small thing, it reminds me how temptation comes in many forms—both trivial and significant. In today’s scripture, we see Jesus facing far greater temptations, yet He remains faithful."
This causes me to reflect a little bit, especially about God’s word today in the message from Luke. Here we have a man who resisted the temptation of authority over all the kingdoms of the world, who refused to use His power to feed His starving body, and who would not put God to the test… And I have trouble with a little coffee roll.
It’s a reminder that temptation doesn’t always come in grand, dramatic ways. Sometimes it’s in the small, seemingly harmless choices—choosing comfort over discipline, self-indulgence over self-control, or convenience over faithfulness.
The devil tempted Jesus with food, power, and security, but aren’t these the very same struggles we face daily? We may not be offered the kingdoms of the world, but we are tempted to chase success and status instead of God’s kingdom. We may not be asked to turn stones into bread, but we are tempted to seek instant gratification rather than trusting in God’s provision. We may not be standing on the pinnacle of the temple, but how often do we ask God to prove Himself before we fully trust Him?
Temptation is not just about the big moments—it’s about the everyday choices we make that either bring us closer to God or pull us away. But the good news is that Jesus has already walked this path and shown us the way to overcome it: through faith, through God’s Word, and through steadfast trust in the One who truly sustains us."
Most of us think of temptation as something that lures us into sin. But have you ever thought that resisting temptation can also mean failing to act? Sometimes, the greatest regrets in life come not from what we did, but from what we failed to do. Let me tell you two stories that illustrate this. As we walk our own journey into the wilderness with Christ today, I would like to point out one or two other things that may relate in our own lives that trouble us when it comes to temptation. Sometimes resisting temptation may be a bad thing, especially when it comes to resisting the temptation to do good. Let me start by telling you the first story about a high school football coach.
You know, the coach we see in the movies in the small town where high school sports seem to be the only attraction and the main news event. The kind of town where the coach walks into the local barber shop after the Friday night game to get the questions and the recap from the local yocals. It seems one year the coach ran into a problem. He found this boy that was, let’s say, underdeveloped in the mind, very slow. We know the type, don’t we? Well, he took that boy under his wing, made him a helper on the football team, brought him into his class every day, and the boy started to develop and open up. The problem was some of the town people didn’t like the boy getting in the way because you know he was different, but the coach was fixated on this boy, so much so it got in the way of his own interest in his own family. One day, after the crisis where the boy’s mom had passed away, the coach and his daughter went to him and the coach comforted him greatly. The coach knew he had to take him on as his own. Now, one may wonder why the coach was so fixated on helping this boy, this young man. We find out when, after driving his daughter home that night, he tells her this story. He says to her, “I want to tell you something, something I never told anybody. When I was a young boy about 12, I had a paper route. I got up at the crack of dawn every day. I had quite a lot of territory to cover, so I took a shortcut on a path in the woods to get from one side of my route to the other. One morning I was riding through there, and I heard this strange noise. Sounded like a rabbit or something caught in a trap. Then I realized it was coming from one of these houses set back there in the woods. So, I walked on up and it had this chicken wire and barbed wire around the bottom of it. Suddenly, I see these fingers coming through the wire. I put my bike down, got down on my hands and knees, and I looked under there and there was this boy about my age. I don’t know what was wrong with him, something was. They used to keep him under there. And I looked right at him. We sat there staring at each other for a while. I ran that route for two more years, and I never did anything. He went on to say to his daughter, “I just wanted you to know that.”
Friends, two things here. First, temptations are not just resisting doing what is wrong. Sometimes resisting the temptation of doing right may be what haunts us throughout our life. Yet God does allow for second chances doesn’t he. I think we see here on this coach that he needed to be redeemed. This was a big moment in his life. Secondly, I don’t know if anyone noticed this: he went on to say to his daughter, “I just wanted you to know that.” Everyone, it is so important that we pass on our life experiences, our mistakes, what we have learned from our mistakes to our children. They deserve to know that there is a place for them in God’s trust. The stories we tell our children, our grandchildren, and for some of us, our greatgrandchildren about what God means to us in our lifetime can only make chances better for them. The world can be a better place if we do that.
Now let’s talk about temptation and fear. The second story I have for you is a poem by Marianne Williams called “Our Deepest Fear” It goes like this: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Many know these words, often mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela, but they come from author Marianne Williamson. And they contain a deep biblical truth. Marianne Williamson’s poem "Our Deepest Fear" speaks to a profound spiritual reality: we are created in the image of God and are meant to shine for His glory. Too often, we let fear, doubt, or false humility keep us from stepping fully into the life God has prepared for us. However, Scripture consistently reminds us that we are called to live boldly in faith, using our God-given gifts for His purpose.
1. "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
This line aligns with Ephesians 3:20, which declares that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” It is not our own strength that makes us powerful, but the power of Christ within us.
2. "Your playing small does not serve the world." Jesus calls us to be a light to the world. In Matthew 5:14-16, He says: "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." When we shrink back in fear, we dim the light that God has placed within us. Instead of hiding, we are called to shine for His glory, not for our own recognition. 3. "We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us." This statement echoes 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." Each of us has been given unique talents, callings, and opportunities to reflect God’s glory. The question is not if we are called, but whether we will be faithful to walk in that calling. Will we resist the temptation to walk faithfully with Christ?
4. "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
This is the heart of discipleship! When we live boldly in our faith, it inspires others to do the same. Consider Hebrews 10:24, which encourages us: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Just as Jesus' life empowered and transformed His disciples, our faithfulness to God’s calling can encourage those around us to step into their purpose.
I read this poem about our greatest fears because I ask ourselves, is it during the time we are most fearful that temptation seems to drive at us the most? Remember friends, as I stated before, temptation doesn’t only come at us from doing what is wrong, it also comes when we fail to do the right thing. As Ephesians stated, it is the power of Christ within us that drives us from temptation into doing the right thing. Our strength is in not looking the other way. Our journey in the wilderness is much like Christ’s journey. Our playing small does not serve the world. Jesus did not play small. Our wilderness journey is where we are the light in the world that Jesus calls us to be.
Friends, throughout His journey in the wilderness, Jesus never looked inward—He always looked to God. Whether the temptation was hunger, power, or security, His response was the same: standing firm in God's Word. And that is our challenge today. Temptation is not just about avoiding what is wrong—it’s also about boldly stepping into what is right. Like the coach in the story, like those called to shine their light, we must walk forward in faith. May we follow Christ’s example, keeping our eyes on God as we walk through our own wilderness, trusting that He sustains us, strengthens us, and calls us to more. Amen
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