God With Us Part 2 - In the Wilderness
December 4, 2022
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” —Matthew 1:23
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. —John 1:14
Rather than just
Part 1 - He is God with us through the valley. The valley represents the low-points. He’s God with us both in the high points and the
Part 2 - He is God with us in the wilderness. The wilderness is different from the valley, because time in the wilderness usually lasts
IN THE WILDERNESS
- The wilderness is usually a “pro” when you
a. Place of His
b. Place of
c. Place of
The wilderness is usually feels like a “con” when you find yourself there, but
Wilderness: Trials, hardship,
1. The wilderness often
mountaintops.
a) Jesus: baptism to wilderness. Matthew 3:17-4:3
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” —Matthew 3:17
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” —Matthew 4:1-3
- The wilderness is also a place of spiritual
b) Disciples: Transfiguration to the trenches of ministry. Matthew 17.
b) Elijah: Outrunning the chariots to running for his life. 1 Kings 18-19
Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. —1 Kings 18:46
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. —1 Kings 19:1-3
- Elijah, after a great victory, is
But he himself went a day’s journey
, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” —1 Kings 19:4
2. Your deepest need becomes a great
when it drives you to depend on God.
- In the wilderness we become very of our
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; —Psalm 23:2-3a
- In this moment, we see God
5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. —1 Kings 19:5-8
- Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to
- God gave him a second touch! This is a restoring touch.
- Wilderness: midbar. The desert isn’t just the place where we wander. It’s the place that God
- Even if you aren’t in the wilderness by choice, you can choose to seek God there! You can choose to depend on Him there.
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [f]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” —Matthew 11:28-30