Today's Sermon: "A Balanced Life"

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11; John 9:39; Second Corinthians 4:3-4

Good morning Strangers Rest. The title of my message today is “A Balanced Life.” So far this year I have stood before you and talked about getting our thoughts in line with the Word of God and then acting on those thoughts to fulfill what God’s Word says about us and what we are to be doing for Him. I have delivered three messages on faith and how we are to be walking in faith in every season that we go through, which will be evident in our lives and visible to others. To walk in faith that is visible because of the good works we are doing for the Lord we must implant God’s word into our hearts. This morning, we will see the application of everything I have said to date as we examine Satan’s efforts to tempt Jesus. But before I go further let’s examine what it means to be balanced.

When I think of balance, I think of opposites. Have you ever heard the saying “opposites attract”? It is believed your “opposite” brings you back to the middle. Now think about a scale that is balanced. Whatever you add to one side must also be added to the “opposite” side for the pole to remain balanced. I remember going to the doctor years ago before they had the electronic scales. They had what was known as beam (balance) scales. With those scales you stepped on it and the level automatically shifted up and you heard the clink sound. Then the nurse would begin guessing your weight as you patiently waited for her to get the level balanced by shifting the dial more and more to the right until the level floated. Do you remember sweating as the nurse kept moving the lever to the right? I hated those scales.

Also, have you ever eaten something so sweet that you craved something salty afterwards? We often crave salt after eating sweets because it acts as a flavor contrast, essentially "resetting" our taste buds after the sweetness overload; our tongue perceives the saltiness as a more stimulating taste compared to the lingering sweetness, leading to a desire for something salty to balance out the flavor profile on our palate. The same applies when you’re too cold or too hot. When you’re cold your first response is to put on more clothes to warm yourself and the opposite happens when you’re too hot. Again, this response is to get your body back in balance.

According to Webster’s dictionary, balance “is bodily or mental stability; a weight, value, etc. that counteracts another; equality, to bring into proportion.” When you’re balanced, you are not swayed to the right or to the left. You are walking a straight path. Balance is acquired and maintained based on the choices we make. Our daily choices demonstrate our understanding of who we are in Christ and our position as children of God. Acquiring and maintaining balance requires not only that we understand who and whose we are, but also what we have in our possession – what we have been given. When we understand this, our choices will change.

I want to demonstrate this to you, but first I want to read a Scripture to set the stage for the demonstration. Jesus said, “…. For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:39)  Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 4:3-4, “(3) But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” In these verses we find that understanding God’s Word allows us to see clearly and be balanced. However, we become blind and unbalanced when we closed our eyes to God’s Word. Now let me demonstrate what this looks like in the natural. I am going to ask for my volunteer to come forward.

What you have just witnessed is a demonstration of how our eyes (our sight) keep us in balance in this natural world. As long as he had his eyes open, he had no problem standing on one foot but that changed when he closed his eyes. When his eyes closed he started swaying and getting off balance and quickly opened his eyes to steady himself. This happened because the body’s balance system works through a constant process of position detection, feedback and adjustment using communication between the inner ear, eyes, muscles, joints, and the brain. Deep inside the ear, positioned just under the brain, is the inner ear which one part enables hearing while another part, the vestibular system, is designed to send information about the position of the head (dynamic or static) to the brain’s movement control center, the cerebellum. Without getting too technical, dynamic equilibrium lets us know the direction our head moves while static equilibrium helps us detect the positioning of our head relative to gravity. Simply put, you can stand on two feet with your eyes closed all day long, but you cannot do this standing on one foot. Our eyes working with our inner ear gives us what we need to maintain physical balance. Likewise, spiritually, it is God’s Word and our heart working in unison with God’s Word that keeps us spiritually balanced.

Now, let’s examine what took place when Jesus was tempted by Satan and how he demonstrated a balanced life. When Jesus was in heaven, Satan knew Him. Jesus was there when Satan was kicked out of heaven. Satan knew of the eternal existence of Jesus. When Jesus came to the earth to save mankind, Satan again knew that He was coming. Now here is what we need to understand: Satan tried to kill Jesus when He was a baby, but he failed. When Jesus grew into a man, Satan understood that his best way of defeating Jesus would be to have Jesus fail in His assignment. Satan knew that his fate and the fate of mankind’s relationship with God the Father rested on the shoulders of Jesus the Christ. Now turn with me to Matthew chapter four and we will begin reading at verse one.

“(1) 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.’ (4) But He answered and said, ‘It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’’ (5) Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU, and, IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’’ (7) Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.’’ (8) Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ (10) Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’’ (11) Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matthew 4:1-11) 

In verses two through four, we see that Jesus had been fasting for forty days and afterwards He was hungry. Notice how Satan waits until after Jesus had fasted for forty days before he approached Him. Jesus’ body was tired, and He was hungry – a dangerous combination for someone who is not spiritually balanced – and Satan chooses this moment to come and tempt Him. While Satan knows that He is the Son of God he also knows that Jesus was walking the earth as a man and subject to the same temptations as other men. Knowing that Jesus was hungry and tired Satan attempts to get Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by asking Him to turn a stone into bread. Although Jesus was very hungry and bread would have been very pleasurable to the body, the consequences of Jesus accepting that challenge were great. If Jesus turned a stone into bread, which He could have done, He would have sacrificed His relationship with His Father and failed in His mission from His Father. He was our sacrificial lamb – one without a blemish. If He had given in to the needs of His body, He could no longer be the perfect sacrifice. And, without His sacrifice, we would not be able to have our relationship with the Father.

We eat because we need food, but Jesus’ reply to Satan speaks to something else we need more than food – the Word of God. If Jesus had turned a stone into bread He would have had something to eat; proving that He was the Son of God; but ultimately He would have sacrificed us! It would have meant death for us – in this life (physical) and in the life to come (spiritual). Jesus told Satan that He could go without food, but He couldn’t go without the Word of God. If Jesus needed the Word of God to survive being tempted, then what about us? Satan had a perception of what could make Jesus fail, but Jesus knew the reality of the situation. He knew He would physically eat again, and He also knew that if he accepted Satan’s challenge to prove Who He was that we would never eat at His Father’s table. That was His reality, and Satan did not understand it.

The first area we need to be balanced in spiritually is our physical needs and desires. We must learn restraint. We must learn to say no when our physical needs and wants conflict with our spiritual needs. If you have ever watched children when they want something you understand this. If they want something, they want it right then – no waiting, hurry up and give it to them now. I have witnessed that same response in me. But to be in balance means that we practice self-control because we understand that this life is only temporary. Our physical desires and needs must be managed to ensure that we do not sacrifice our mission for one day’s gratification. Peter wrote the following in First Peter 4:7 and I will be reading this verse from the Amplified Bible, “The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him.]” Now let’s move on to the second temptation Jesus faced.

Matthew 4:5-7 records, “(5) Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU, and, IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’’ (7) Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.’” I told you earlier that Jesus understood that as long as He walked with His Father that nothing could happen to Him until He completed His mission. Satan now recognizes this, so he tries to make Him doubt His connection to God. What he was doing was daring Jesus to prove, finally, that He was the Son of God. Remember what I told you last week in the quote from Stephen Biko? He said, “The greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” Satan was trying to get into Jesus’ mind to make Him doubt His relationship with God.

Have you ever been pushed to prove something to someone who just wouldn’t believe what they were told about you? You may have heard this example before but consider someone who knows how to fight. This person knows that he can fight, yet he keeps it under control. If someone tries to bully him, the simple knowledge of knowing that he can defeat the person is more powerful than him doing it. The power does not come from taking action but from walking away. Now consider the bully. Most bullies are physically bigger but are often afraid to fight. They get their bluff in because they know if push comes to shove, they may not be the best fighter, so this way they never have to find out. The bully’s power comes not from his being able to hurt someone, but the “perception” that he could hurt someone. The person who knows how to fight makes a choice based on reality, however, the bully influences choices based on perception. Jesus knew who He was and understood that He did not have to prove it to Satan. Satan was trying to get Jesus to question His connection, His relationship with the Father but Jesus returned to the Word. His response was, “It is written again, ‘YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.’” Jesus understood what Satan’s request was and how it would go against what God’s word said.

Satan uses that same tactic with us. He attempts to make us question our relationship with God the Father. He tells us, “If you were really saved, you would not think like that.” Or “Look how hard you are struggling, just give up and enjoy this life – God wants you to be fully happy – besides, what harm will it do, you can always ask for forgiveness later.” Not only does he influence us to question our relationship with our Father, but our relationship with one another. He whispers thoughts in our ears about our spouse, kids, friends, co-workers, and church members. He will do whatever he can to destroy relationships that bring us closer to God. This is just who he is.

The second area that we must be balanced in is our relationships and understanding of who we are within them. We must start with our relationship with God. Jesus said, “…. YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” (Matthew 22:37-39) We must know that we know that we know what our standing is with our Father. We can’t doubt it, fake it, or deny it. We must be sure. When we are confident in our relationship with God we begin to walk like it. Our firm relationship with our Father through His Son bleeds into all other relationship, even those that may not be good. When we are confident in our relationship He has given us all that we need to do His will; we just need to get “us” out of the way.

In two weeks I will start a sermon series on the marriage relationship. The reason for this is simple; when you look at your spouse do you see them as God sees them? Do you realize that marriage is the first relationship institution on earth that God created for mankind? Following the marriage relationship is our relationship with our children. When you look at your children do you see them God as sees them? Finally, there are all the other relationships that we have. When you look at extended family, co-workers, friends and even people you do not know, do you see them as God sees them? Are they able to see God in you? All of this is accomplished when we have balance in our relationships.

The last area that we need to have in balance based on Jesus’ temptation is our need for power. And this, my friends, is a big one. After the first two temptations fails, Matthew 4:8-11 records, “(8) Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ (10) Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’’ Satan told Jesus that He could have it all if He would just bow down to him and worship him. If Satan walked up to you and said he would make you a billionaire if you would bow down and worship him, would you do it? Power is a wonderful thing, but it can corrupt. We see power on our jobs, in relationships, in our communities and in our Churches. Some people are what we call “natural born leaders,” but with that come a healthy respect for the use of power.

Satan offered Jesus the world; He could have it all. All He had to do was just bow down to him and worship him. Satan did not understand what Jesus already knew – everything he was offering Jesus already belonged to Him. Jesus had the power because His Father had given Him the power – He was just waiting for His Father to give it back to Him and He had a lot more to lose if He accepted what Satan was offering. Personal power was not important to Jesus and for us to be in balance, we cannot be motivated by the personal power that we may obtain. Christians need to consider what we give up to accept anything that the devil offers us. He will never negotiate from a losing position! No matter what’s on the table for us, he always wins in the end. That is why we should never consider going to the negotiating table with him!

God has spoken to me many times in dreams. He has confirmed what he was calling me to do as well as provide warnings when I was headed in the wrong direction. Several years ago, I had a dream that concerned me. In that dream I was in a situation where I could choose to sin. Now you would think the choice would be easy – just walk away and therefore the choice would be clear. But in that dream I was debating as I was trying to decide the total impact if I gave in “just this once.” As this internal debate raged on, I heard God say “Rodney, Satan can give you everything that you want if you choose to serve him.” After I heard that I woke up. There were things going on with my job that I had not recognized as a potential problem. There were also things in my heart that I held secretly that I wish I could have if I chose a different lifestyle – one that did not include being in ministry. You may not realize it, but being in ministry affects every area of your life, especially if you work in the secular world while also being in ministry. The Spirit of God told me that I needed to get my life back in balance, so I had to rethink some things.

This story appeared in “Our Daily Bread.” “In a sermon titled “Faith Tested and Crowned,” Alexander Maclaren distinguished between being tempted and being tried. He said, ‘The former word conveys the idea of appealing to the worst part of man, with the wish that he may yield and do the wrong. The latter means an appeal to the better part of man, with the desire that he should stand.’ Maclaren continued, ‘Temptation says,’ ‘Do this pleasant things; do not be hindered by the fact that it is wrong.’ A trial or proving says, ‘Do this right and noble thing; do not be hindered by the fact that it is painful.’” 

When you reflect on the record of Jesus being tempted there is one theme that is a repeated throughout – He stood on the Word! As He walked in His ministry He stood on the Word in everything He did because He was truly obedient to His Father. For Jesus, serving His Father was most important. He chose not to give in to physical pleasure (in the sense that we do), the need for power or fame or proving to the world that He was the Son of God. These things were not as important to Him as serving His Father. For us to live a balanced life it starts with our understanding who we are in Christ and walking in obedience to God.

I want to close by encouraging you to return to your feast of God’s Word. Remember how you studied it when you first got saved? There are many Christians who are currently fasting from God’s Word, and they have been fasting for so long their spirits are no longer craving it. And the problem is, whereas they should be starving they are living as if nothing is wrong. I am asking you this morning to break your fast. Get back into the Word of God – allow it to feed you the food you really need to live. You are dealing with situations, and you do not have the strength or energy to handle, feed on the Word of God. It will not only give you the wisdom you need for the moment, but it will also give you what you need to be prepared for the next round. David said, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”  (Psalm 119:11) 

Jesus told Satan that “…..Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Are you eating the bread of life every day or are you most often fasting from the Word of God?

Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.”  (Numbers 6:24-26)