WTFMT 87 (from HGM on 12 Jan 21)

 WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-87

TEXT: "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,"  (Luke 4:1)

  I.    IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT

       A.  Jesus did not go into the wilderness in the power of the Spirit, but notice how Jesus came out of the wilderness and what happened.

                                "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. ¹⁵ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all."  (Luke 4:14-15)

The children of Israel never moved in the power of the Spirit.

      B.  He did not engage in His ministry before His wilderness experience.  His ministry came afterward.  First things first.  First He had to meet His testings, His trials.  Peter says,

          "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  (I Peter 5:10)

We are brought into that which Jesus experienced.  We enter into that which Hagar entered, Paul entered, all of those who have qualified ahead of us. 

       C.  There we meet the testings and the trials, and other difficulties head on.  We walk the way the children of Israel walked, the way of the wilderness.  There, as it was with them we meet our trials and testing, in God.  We come into situations which are impossible, which threaten our very existence, our very life, and we don't have much strength. 

       D.  We do not have adequate provisions.  We discover that we lack.  Unless we come to this discovery we will never be able to see God's power, strength, and filled with His Spirit.  Discovering our lack is the greatest revelation God can bring to us.  More then opening all of the truths in the Bible. 

      E.   If God opens our understanding without being broken (which He never would do) we would try to move in the truths in our own strength, and this would end in great loss and death.  Don't worry God protects His word from ones.  He will give them a chance to be broken and line up with His word, but if not, they will be pulled up from the ground and cast away.  They may still be a Christian, but not one who moves in the power of the Spirit.

       G.  Why, do you suppose, does God bring us into difficulties?  He does this in order to squeeze things out of us.  Bad attitudes, unbelief, independent self-sufficiency, pride, and such things are to be squeezed out of us.  This will make room for Him to put into us the things which He wants us to have.

       H.  To have the stuffing squeezed out of us is quite an experience.  Just think what out tube of toothpaste goes through every day. Soon there isn't anything left in it, so we throw it away.  But God doesn't.  He takes the empties and fills them with something better than they had before.

       I.  He is going to beautify us.  He is going to glorify us, and put the radiance of Himself in us, put in us His own beauty, His own grace, His own power, His own glory.  Can we see that?  Will it become a part of our vision?  All of His quality goes in when all of our self has been squeezed out.

       J.  Peter experienced the squeezing and came to the realize, "I am not as good as I thought I was."  (Mark 14:29-31, 68-72; John 21:15-18) Peter had to admit his weakness.  That way, he would learn, and come to the purpose which God intended for him.  Peter discovered that he lacked. 

      K.  What a great discovery!!  For then we discover we can lean on our Shepherd.   And we can be brought up out of the Wilderness of Beersheba with so much more than we had when we went into it.  

     L.  Go into the Wilderness of Beersheba, cry your tears, get upset, get up-tight, get confused, get all turned around, have a real good cry.  Don't worry.  God will be around before you die.  YOU must make your adjustment, God does not adjust to us.  If you do, you will make your discoveries.  God will give you what He has for you.  And that will be quite a prize package.

  II.  PARTING THOUGHTS

       A.  The Wilderness of Beersheba is a place of wandering, despair, discoveries, adjustments, and beginnings.  It is your place of lack and weakness.  But you must always remember that it is the place where God hears you.  This is where God draws you into a richer life with Him.

       B.  In your adjustment, the wilderness becomes your satisfying dwelling place.  Do not attempt to leave this place on your own.  If you leave the wilderness before God's time, you will only have to return to rebuild the altar and renew your dedication to God.  That can be rather costly.  Rather pay the lesser cost of obedience, follow Jesus and remain in the will of God.