“Helping those who are far from God become committed followers of Jesus Christ from the Scenic City to the nations.”

Life Group Leader Guide

Sermon Text: Mark 1:2-13 | Complementary Text: Matt. 3:1-4:11 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Opening/Community: Ideas for beginning your Life Group ​ ​ ● Icebreaker: Come up with a fun and fitting question to help people get to know one another. ​ ● Sing Together: BX Spotify Playlist ​ ​ ● Highs & Lows: What were the best and the most challenging parts of your week? ​ ● Follow up: How did you apply what you learned from last week’s discussion in your life this week. ​ ● God at work: How have you seen God at work this week? ​ ● Prayer: Thank God for his character and the ways you've seen his faithfulness this week. ​

Sermon Review: Review and discuss the sermon together ​ ​ ● Main Point: ● Sermon Outline:

● What challenged you in the sermon to deepen your commitment as a follower of Christ?

Complementary Text: Additional material to help deepen your Life Group’s understanding of Scripture ​ ​ and become more committed followers of Christ.

Text: Matt. 3:1-4:11

Author & Date: Matthew/c. A.D. 50s and 60s

Audience: Jews

Theme of the Book: Jesus Christ is the Promised Messiah

Immediate Context: Baptism and Temptation of Christ

Main Point: Jesus is our Example

How does the sermon text complement this text?

Mark has the tendency to leave out details in much of his account. We begin with the baptism of Jesus. As we have already learned from our previous study, the ministry of John the Baptist was predicted by the prophet Isaiah. Mark includes the detail, and then also outlines the ministry of John the Baptist. Matthew gives these details as well.

It is when we come to the temptation of Christ that we notice the difference between the two accounts. As we can see, literally, the “devil is in the details.” The specific account of Christ’s temptation is found in greater detail in the other gospels, and Matthew, as the one who wrote to the Jews, provides his readers with more information. Matthew's account complements the Mark account by providing greater detail and revealing to us the specifics of Christ’s temptation experience. It also gives specific prophetic reference to point us to Christ’s identity as the Messiah of Israel.

Mark’s account reminds us that God never promised that life would be easy. He allows circumstances to teach us lessons and to grow us into mature believers as He guides us through life with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Bruce Barton notes as follows:

As we study the most condensed account of Jesus’ temptation (see the longer accounts in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13), we can better understand our own temptations and how to overcome them. With Jesus in the wilderness were the Spirit, Satan, wild animals, and angels. The episode began with the Spirit’s guidance. This shows that God’s leading does not always guarantee safe circumstances. God’s Spirit will lead us, as he led Jesus, into the places we need to go, even though they may be dangerous. As God’s Spirit leads us, we can fully expect to be tempted by Satan and to be exposed to the wilderness of the world with both its wonders and its dangers. (Life Application Bible Commentary) ​ ​

What does this passage teach us about God?

Christ’s baptism set an example for His followers. -- Matt. 3:15.

John the Baptist argued that Jesus should baptize him, not the other way around. But Jesus had a reason for baptism. Jesus said, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” The first reason for Jesus’ baptism was to set an example for all believers.

Christ’s baptism anointed Him for service. -- Matt. 3:16.

Moreover, God the Father confirmed the ministry of Son with His baptism. The Bible says that ​ following Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a dove, and God the Father said, “This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!” David Platt adds these thoughts on God the Father’s confirmation of His Son’s ministry:

Keep in mind, this was not the Spirit coming on Jesus for the first time, as if the Spirit had never been on Him before; the Holy Spirit was on Jesus even before He was born (Matt 1:18, 20). The picture in Matthew 3 is a public display of exactly what Isaiah prophesied—that the Spirit of the Lord would anoint the Messiah "to bring good news to the poor... to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners" (Isa 61:1). So while the Spirit was present with Jesus prior to Matthew 3, Jesus was set apart in a unique way by the Spirit for His public ministry at His baptism. (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew) ​ ​ Christ’s victory over Satan affirmed his messianic identity. -- Matt. 4:1-11.

Jesus’ obedience in light of temptation affirmed his identity as the Promised Messiah of Israel. Jesus proved himself to be the pure sacrifice for sin. He was God, therefore, He could not go against his character, but he had to be tested, to show his humanity. Stuart Weber notes as follows:

One practical implication we may draw from this passage is that temptation itself is not a sin. Jesus was "tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin" (Heb. 4:15; see also 2 Cor. 5:21). A misunderstanding of this defeats many people before they begin resisting temptation. A false (devilish) guilt grips them, and they begin to lose the battle before they begin to fight it. Jesus' temptation was a test not so much to see if he would fail (he could not!) but a "test" (much like the test drive of a new automobile) to demonstrate just how powerful the Son of God was, even in the face of the devil himself. (Holman New Testament Commentary) ​ ​

What does this passage teach us about mankind?

Christ’s temptation reminds us that we are in a spiritual war. -- Matt. 4:1-11.

When we realize that even Jesus was tempted, it should help us remember that we are all in a spiritual battle. We are always at war with the world, flesh, and the devil. But this battle is on a spiritual plane. Forces unseen are at war with us, but Jesus has won the war through the cross. Satan was doing his best to distract or derail Christ from fulfilling His mission. David Platt notes as follows:

First, there is a spiritual world. When we see the Devil tempting Jesus, we don't know exactly how this actually played out, whether in some kind of physical form or just a spiritual form. We don't have all the answers, but what we do know is that the Devil is real, and he is active. And we know that there is an invisible, spiritual world that is just as real as the visible, natural world. Scripture teaches that there are vast numbers of angels, both good and bad, and that these spirits exist all around us. There are glorious beings that would take our breath away at this moment if we saw them, and there are evil beings that would horrify us if they were to appear before our eyes. We need to feel the weight of these supernatural realties.

Second, followers of Christ need to be reminded that we are involved in a spiritual war. A battle is continually raging, and this battle is between conflicting kingdoms. The kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan—a kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness—are warring against one another. All of history is a story of spiritual warfare. This war begins with the first man and the first woman in Genesis 3, where the enemy, Satan, tempts man to sin and leads him into spiritual darkness and ultimate death. From that moment, the world and all its inhabitants are darkened with sin, under the rule of the prince of this world (Eph 2:1-3).

For every one of us, these conflicting kingdoms of Christ and Satan create a continual struggle. In actuality, this continual struggle is not just between Christians and demons, but between all people and demons, which brings us face-to-face with two realities. First, the Devil is not omnipresent like God is. So when you are being tempted, remember that Satan is only a creature, and although he is behind every temptation to do evil, our battle is not only against him, but against what Paul calls "the rulers... the authorities... the world powers of this darkness... the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens" (Eph 6:12). These powers Paul refers to are demons.

The second reality we need to come to terms with is the fact that temptation for the Christian is not simply about us and our own little kingdoms; it's about an all-out attack of the Devil and all his demons on the kingdom of Christ and every single person who associates with Christ. In attacking Christians, demons are attacking Christ. So trusting in Christ for salvation doesn't end the believer's battle against temptation. If anything, it takes the battle up a notch. The kingdom of darkness that sought to destroy the Messiah is absolutely committed to devouring the Messiah's followers. Therefore, when we talk about temptation, we're not simply talking about some psychological battle; we're talking about an intense spiritual war against cosmic powers of darkness who are dead set on destroying the kingdom of Christ and the children of God. (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew) ​ ​

Satan is a roaring lion, seeking to devour us (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8). As believers, we are constantly under the attack of the Enemy. How are we going to respond? Christ has given us a method for resisting temptation the way He did--using the Word of God. We must remember that Satan is seeking to destroy our lives and our testimonies. We must be equipped with the armor of God to resist temptation (cf. Eph. 6:10-18).

Christ’s temptation enables him to identify with humanity. -- Matt. 4:1-11.

The passage reveals to us the three ways that humanity is tempted, and all sin seems to manifest itself in these three ways. This is why Hebrews tells that Christ was tempted in all ways like us, yet without sin (cf. Heb. 4:15). David Platt explains as follows:

Jesus was fully tempted. The Bible says He was tempted as we are (Heb 4:15), that is, He was tempted ​ with things that are common to man (1 Cor 10:13). Now you may read these temptations in Matthew and think, "I'm not tempted in these ways." If you're honest, these temptations may even seem quite trivial; however, these temptations Jesus faced are at the core of every temptation that you and I face. There are no new temptations—just new ways of succumbing to old temptations. (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew) ​

Now. let’s look at these three types of temptations: (1) self-gratification; (2) self-protection; and (3) self-exaltation. David Platt breaks them down for us as follows:

(1) Self-gratification - We are tempted to fulfill our wants apart from God's will. All of us have desires ​ that God has built into us, desires that are good—needs in our bodies and cravings in our souls. But God has also created us to look to Him as a good Father who satisfies those desires. This same kind of testing accompanies every temptation in our lives. We have desires that are good and God-given, desires for food, water, sleep, sex, relationships, companionship, etc. This is the place where Satan works—at the level of our wants. You desire food, and he tempts you toward undisciplined overeating. You desire sleep, and he tempts you toward apathy and laziness. You desire sex, and he tempts you toward such sins as lust, pornography, adultery, and homosexuality. And at the core is a desire for self-gratification that says, "God is not providing for me in the way I want, so I will seek my own gratification apart from Him." Satan tempts you to fulfill God-given wants apart from God's will.

(2) Self-protection - This temptation is probably the most difficult to understand because we struggle to ​ see what is so enticing about the possibility of Jesus jumping off a tower. But this was no normal tower; this was the top of the temple, the place that was intended to be a visible demonstration of God's presence and protection among His people. Satan quotes from Psalm 91, a song about God's protection, and he tempts Jesus to prove that God will be faithful to Him as His Son: "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down" (v. 6).

(3) self-exaltation - You may be wondering why this would be such a great temptation if Jesus already ​ knew these kingdoms would be His. But remember, Jesus also knows that the road ahead leading to such authority is filled with sorrow, suffering, and ultimately a violent death. He was tempted to try and seize God's reward right then, apart from the path of pain. "You're a Son," the Devil said, "so why be a Servant? You're a King, so why be crucified? Take them now; they're yours."

That's precisely what Satan whispers in our ears today. He points to all the things of this world—the successes, the accomplishments, the pleasures, and the possessions—and he says, "Get them now." He promised Adam and Eve that they would be like God if they ate the fruit, and they believed him. They ascribed worth to Satan instead of worth to God. (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew) ​

How does this text point to Christ and the gospel?

The ordinance of believer’s baptism is a picture of the Gospel which every believer is commanded to perform to show identification with Christ. In His baptism, Jesus set an example for us. David Platt reminds us as follows:

In addition to identifying with us, Jesus also sets an example for us. His baptism is an example for saints. Jesus models obedience for His followers by being baptized, which is an obedience that He will eventually command His followers to submit to (Matt 28:20). Jesus is validating here the central importance of baptism. He begins His ministry by showing what would be central in our mission. Baptism is not something that man has made up; it's something that God has commanded, something He has called every follower of Christ to do, and something He has told us to do in all nations (28:19) (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew). ​

This King whom Matthew announced is the One before “every knee will bow” because He emptied Himself, and became obedient to death on a cross. This is the One whom God has highly exalted, and given the name above every name (cf. Phil. 2:5-11). The Bible tells us that one day all will worship before Him singing, “Hallelujah! ​ For the Lord God omnipotent reigns! King of Kings and Lord of Lords! (Revelation 19:6; 16). ​

What specific applications does this text call us to do or believe?

The act of believers’ baptism was pictured for us by Jesus. What does this mean for us as believers? David Platt notes as follows:

First, as a Christian, you should be baptized. I am always shocked to see how many followers of Christ have never been baptized. If that's you, don't wait another minute, because you are living in disobedience to Jesus Christ. And you're missing out on the joy of identification with the Christ, the King who died and rose from the grave for you. Though other kinds of public professions of faith have become common—raising hands, walking aisles, taking stands—baptism is the biblical, visible, public picture of saving identification with Christ.

Second, for those followers of Christ who have been baptized, live your lives as the overflow of faith in Him. The essence of following Christ, as initially displayed in baptism, is death to self and to every effort to improve yourself by obeying God in your own strength and resolve. Don't look to yourself; trust in Christ. Then ask Him to work in you so that you might trust Him more with every aspect of your life—your marriage, your family, your schedule, and your possessions. Ask Him to do things in and through you that you could never do on your own. That's what it means to bear "fruit consistent with repentance" (3:8). (Christ-Centered Exposition, Matthew) ​ ​

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it significant that John's first command had to do with repentance? 2. What is the difference between regretful confession and true repentance? 3. How would you counsel someone who professes Christ but shows no marks of repentance? 4. What images come to mind when you hear about demons and spiritual warfare? Are these thoughts biblical? If not, explain why. 5. List some things that distract us from seeing the spiritual battles all around us. What are some specific ways we can battle our ignorance and apathy toward spiritual warfare? 6. Which sins are especially prevalent in our culture today? 7. Explain how Jesus' triumph through temptation is both our example and the basis for our own victory in temptation. What is the danger if we only see Jesus as our example? 8. How would you answer the following question: "If Jesus was fully God, then how can His victory over temptation help a weak and sinful person like me?" 9. Of Satan's three temptations in this passage, which one do you struggle with the most? What promise from Scripture might help you battle that temptation? 10. Explain the following statement: Jesus triumphed where Adam and Israel failed. 11. What attributes of God strengthen you during temptation?

Recommended Resources

1. Exalting Jesus in Matthew -- Christ-Centered Exposition. ​ 2. Holman New Testament Commentary - Matthew. ​ 3. Mark (Life Application Bible Commentary). ​

Pray @ Brainerd: Please pray for: ​ ● Those who committed to apply the text in some way this week. ● The needs in your Life Group. ● Pray if the Lord might be calling you to serve in the opportunity below. ● Pray for Brainerd members deployed around the world (Deployed requests below). ​ ​ ● Pray for the activities of our church (Announcements below). ​ ​

Brainerd Deploy ● Ignacio, Lauren, Ali Greis, Sofia, Nicolas, and Eleonora | Ecuador ○ Specifically, pray for wisdom in the launch of the new soccer ministry, and the challenges of the environment that the families come from.

Serving @ Brainerd ● First Impressions and Kids Ministry ○ As we recently considered what it meant to be "Stewards of the Mission," will you consider how ​ God would have you serve at Brainerd Baptist Church? We have great needs in First Impressions and Kids Ministry. Talk with your Life Group about how you might collectively fill these needs. Email [email protected] if you have any questions. ​ ​

Events & Announcements ● Brainerd Institute ○ Committed to Know Him Bible Reading Plan ■ You can pick up a copy of the reading plan at any of the Welcome Desks or download a copy by visiting the website.

○ Understanding the New Testament (Feb 5-6) ■ As part of the Seminary Track of The Brainerd Institute, Understanding the New Testament is a seminary level course open to eager learners who desire in depth teaching on the New Testament. The course will cover an overview of the New Testament from Acts to Revelation and will be taught by Dr. Jake Pratt. Dr. Pratt serves as professor of New Testament & Hermeneutics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

■ The class will take place over two days in a seminar type format. The class will go from 12p-8p on Friday and 9a-5p on Saturday in the BX Crossview room.

■ As an added bonus, everyone who registers for the course will receive complimentary lectures on the New Testament from SEBTS professors for additional study as desired.

■ Questions? Email Paul Christensen at [email protected] for more information.

○ Committed to Marriage: A Marriage Enrichment Weekend (Feb 12-13) ■ Dr. Hershael York, Dean of Theology at Southern Seminary, and his wife will be leading a marriage enrichment weekend for our church. This event is for married couples or anyone interested in learning more about Christ-Centered marriage. To learn more and register for the weekend, you can visit the church events page or brainerd.institute.

○ Understanding God’s Word (Mar 12-13) ■ As part of the Seminary Track of The Brainerd Institute, Understanding God's Word is a seminary level course open to eager learners who desire to better understand God's Word. The course will cover an overview of interpretation principles and will be taught by Dr. Jim Shaddix. Dr. Shaddix serves as our Interim Pastor as well as professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

■ The class will take place over two days in a seminar format. The class will go from 12p-8p on Friday and 9a-5p on Saturday.

■ As an added bonus, everyone who registers for the course will receive complimentary lectures on Bible Interpretation from Danny Akin, president at Southeastern Seminary for additional study as desired.

■ Questions? Email Paul Christensen at [email protected] for more information.