Discipleship Lesson #5

Jesus began his work after the Holy Spirit came upon Him and filled Him with the Spirit of the living GOD.

Matthew 3:16 (KJS) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

After the Holy Spirit came and filled Jesus, He was immediately tempted of the devil. Jesus resisted every temptation by the word of God. Let the following example of Jesus’ trial be a lesson to us. We only resist the devil by the words of the Living God.

Matthew 4:3 (KJS) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. tempt: or, try, or, put to trial, or, proof}
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Jesus submitted to His Father and spoke His words and the devil had to flee.

James 4:7 (KJS) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

So we resist the devil by submiting to God, then speaking the written word of God, and then the devil must flee.

Jesus was sent by God to present His word to the world.

Jesus in His coming fulfilled every scripture ever proclaimed of Him while upon this earth the first time. This, in itself, is an enormous string of events that could only come to pass because of God’s word, given through the Prophets.

The following is a few of the prophecies given about Jesus as to what He would do when sent by God.

Prophecy

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

Fulfillment

Matthew 4:23 (KJS) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Prophecy

Zechariah 6:12 "Then say to him, `Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord.

Fulfillment

John 2:19 (KJS) Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

1Corinthians 6:19 (KJS) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

When you accepted Jesus as the Son of God the Holy Spirit filled you with His presence and began to dwell in his Holy temple which is you!!

The devil cannot enter into the temple of the living God, nor can he abide there with the Holy Spirit. You are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

2Cor 1:21 (NASU) Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
22 who also sealed us and gave [us] the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Ephe 4:30 (NASU) Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The word sealed has a very special meaning. Study the BDB/Thayers Definition of the word Sealed.

BDB/Thayers # 4972
4972 sphragizo sfrag-id'-zo}
from 4973; TDNT - 7:939,1127; v
AV - seal 22, set to (one's) seal 1, stop 1, seal up 1, set a seal 1,
vr seal 1; 27
1) to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal
1a) for security: from Satan
1b) since things sealed up are concealed (as the contents of a
letter), to hide, keep in silence, keep secret
1c) in order to mark a person or a thing
1c1) to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal or a stamp
1c2) angels are said to be sealed by God
1d) in order to prove, confirm, or attest a thing
1d1) to confirm authenticate, place beyond doubt
1d1a) of a written document
1d1b) to prove one's testimony to a person that he is what
he professes to be

This does not mean that the devil cannot tempt you.
It means that you are as Jesus was on the mountain of temptation, marked of God. The devil will try to sway you by saying the same thing he said to Adam & Eve and to Jesus. He will challenge you and try to make you doubt God. But God has promised us this one thing about that.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJS) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. {common...: or, moderate}

There is nothing as wonderful as meeting temptation ,then being able to turn your back upon it and come out the side as victorious. It is a feeling of conquering and a feeling of power to do right. When you look back you have become a person with great character.

Character is what you do -- When you are the only one around

Prophecy

Malachi 4:2 "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

God’s Promises to the Believer

Psalms 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; {flourishing: Hebrew word for green}

Isaiah 49:9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that [are] in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures [shall be] in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.

Jeremiah 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn. {supplications: or, favours}
10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.
11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of [him that was] stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

Hosea 14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. {grow: or, blossom} cast...: Heb. strike}
6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. {spread: Heb. go}
7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive [as] the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof [shall be] as the wine of Lebanon. {grow: or, blossom} scent: or, memorial}

Jesus said

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
(Now that takes Character on your part)
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. without me: or, severed from me}

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, filled with the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Because of His works your spirit will live forever and be with the Living God. Because of His works you now have the ability to heal the sick, preach the gospel to the poor and cast out devils.

Mark 16:17 (KJS) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

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