Matthew

[0:00] the lord may help me I ask your attention to the gospel as recorded by Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4 Matthew chapter 4 and verse 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 what a powerful adversary is Satan it was manifest here in his tempting of the lord Jesus the great head of the great captain of our salvation and that he is a powerful adversary is indeed in measure proved in the experience of every a spirit taught child of God but my friends there is one great mercy that this chapter does set before us though Satan is a powerful adversary there is one more powerful than he there is one greater there is one that has indeed overcome him one in whom against

[1:38] Satan did not prevail one jot or tittle and that indeed is the lord Jesus Christ and all do notice this as is set before us in holy scripture how closely identified is the lord Jesus with his own dear people what a sweeter truth my friends is set forth to the tried and tempted people of God than in those words that he was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin that there is not a situation there is not my friends a temptation which befalls a child of God but that my friends by personal experience the lord himself has passed that way or that in those things he himself has overcome the great adversary of souls that my friends through his rich grace indeed he has promised that the

[2:58] God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly in other words that they indeed shall overcome overcome they shall prevail ah that my friends Satan shall not have the final victory over them that though often indeed they know and prove what it is while in this wilderness world even for the great adversary even at times to so prevail against them yet has brought and taught by the Holy Spirit to cry alone unto the Lord there is one my friends who indeed has graciously promised that when the enemy does come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against him just one other thought here before

[4:02] I come particularly to the words of our text notice my friends the time and the opportunity that Satan wherein Satan attempted the Lord Jesus we find him attempted him after 40 days in the wilderness wherein he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights and was afterward and hungered we might say that this was a point of great extremity with the Lord Jesus but does my friends ever remember this though indeed here is the eternal Son of God he indeed was a real man ah he knew what it was to hunger and to thirst he knew what it was to be weary with his journey he knew what it was as was manifest of him even at the tomb of Lazarus to indeed weep with those that weep he was a real man ah the God man blessed glory of truth and it was at such a time as this that Satan my friends came to him and do not in measure his people prove the same ah my friends at when at times in great extremity in great weakness when they have themselves have no power to resist or stand before the enemy therein my friends are his temptations indeed brought before them and are what can cause them to stand at such times and seasons why is it my friends that such seasoned

[6:13] Satan does not completely and finally prevail against them oh is found my dear friends in the sweet truth of what the Lord spake even to Simon Peter ah you know tis this alone that keeps and preserves his people from finally and totally being overcome by Satan the Lord said to Peter Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not ah my friends what kept Peter the hour of temptation was not his resolutions his strong determination to follow the Lord even unto death why they were like chaff before the wind before the temptations of the great adversary but my friends was the intercession of a precious

[7:21] Christ that kept in and tis the same thing alone the power of divine sovereign grace tis my friends that which is found in the great head of the church himself that keeps his people oh what mercy what truth is sounded forth in those words of the Lord in that great prayer to his father what did he pray for that thou wouldst keep them from the evil I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name he says none of them is lost save the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled and now oh father I come to thee keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one even as we are one are my friend there the sweet truth of the keeping and preserving of the people of

[8:38] God is found in the intercessions of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but also notice this we find the particular temptations that Satan used before the Lord Jesus was here was found in this oh my friends the hymn writer says what impious if he does a God incarnate through you know there at the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jordan a most wondrous declaration of this had been seen and manifest that he indeed was the son of God or what it were an infallible demonstration as that truth was given there as the

[9:39] Lord came up out of Jordan the spirit like a dove descended and lighted upon him a voice from heaven was heard saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and my friends shortly afterwards what was the temptation of Satan if thou be the son of God questioning doubting even my friends in the light of that which was demonstrated there in Jordan if thou be the son of God question in your heart does not

[11:24] Satan say if thou be the son of God ah and my friends what deep trials at times does this cause as those things which God indeed in his rich mercy has made known to your soul of his love and of his goodness as they are called into question by Satan ah my friend you are brought at times indeed to cry out with the man in the gospel Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief or deliver me from these things is it not at times my friends it were that Satan threatens to sweep all away before him but what mercy is this though my friends he cast out upon it and your own evil heart at times go with him so you're ready as it were to question whether it was of

[12:28] God or not be assured of this though that which God has spoken that shall stand no matter my friend how much it be questioned by Satan he can never disannul it or overthrow it or what mercy is seen in that you know my friends how he said to the dear Redeemer if thou be the son of God you know those ifs and buts of Satan never hold to what iota the word that the father had spoken this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and so my friend with you Satan may indeed at times rob you of the comfort of that word that God has spoken but he can never rob you of the reality of it and ah though in those things like with Peter you my friends may lose much yet be assured of this you'll never lose that which

[13:35] God in his rich grace has indelibly stamped upon your soul the mercy my friends is this that the work of God shall stand let Satan do what he may ah we may lose much and a good thing to lose it as well of our own fleshly confidence much my friends of our own fleshly religion also may be burnt up it was you know with Peter in Satan's sin but the work of God in the soul that will stand that will abide that will shine forth to the praise of the glory of his grace but to come to these words of our text we find here an answer of the Lord to the temptation of Satan all the sweet and precious truth of this my friends Satan never prevail for one moment against against the

[14:37] Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ though all his power was extended against the Lord of life and glory in these temptations my friends not one not in one in the smallest measure did he prevail if thou be the son of God command that these stones be made bread 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 I see my friends that with which a precious Christ did indeed defeat the temptations of Satan it is written ah what sweet truth does this set before us oh my friends there's something here that

[15:44] Satan cannot my friends get over there's something here that indeed does baffle him at every turn it is written all for that grace and faith within our heart to know increasingly of the sweet and blessed teaching of the Holy Spirit in our soul to be my friends kept close to the precious word of God it is written why here are those things my friends that shall stand and stand when time shall be no more or have often said this sweet to realize the truth of it within our heart that though my friend there may be at times many questionings in your heart and mind ever remember this may the Lord lay it home with power to your soul in

[16:45] God's precious word in the gospel of his divine grace there is not my friend one if one but one perad venture there the Lord himself has said not one jot nor tickle shall pass away till all be fulfilled here here we have my friends indeed a more sure word of prophecy ah it is as the apostle Peter in that second epistle of his and oh how as he was on the very brink of martyrdom himself my friends he labored that those to whom he wrote be established in this truth that we have not followed comingly devised fables will be made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ he sets forth my friends the truth of this the infallibility of the precious word of

[17:51] God here is that that shall stand and are my friends as taught by the Holy Spirit we are brought to stand through grace upon it to stand with the sweet reality of it within our heart why there are those things that Satan with all his power could not overthrow or my friends rob the Lord's own dear people of it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God what I particularly wanted to notice this evening was this that portion of the word of God wherein these words are written they're taken from that eighth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy and I'll just read the two verses that the

[18:53] Lord through his servant Moses spake to the children of Israel with regard to these words he said and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no and he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee thy fathers know that he might make thee known that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live now I feel my friends we can rightly and safely say this that all real vital religion is summed up in this it is that my friends which we have received at the mouth of

[20:04] God ah let me try to bring it before you in this way man does not live by bread only now we know bread is a staple diet of man that my friends those things are necessary and essential for our natural life it is essential that we partake of right nourishment but man shall not live by bread alone man is not merely that were like an animal that his whole being is my friends concerned alone in what shall we eat what shall we drink and where with all shall we be clothed ah my friends we know that that does suffice the natural man and the carnal man his whole thoughts his whole concerns are with those things but oh my friends is not the truth of this set before us man you and

[21:19] I possess that which is indeed inspeakably valuable and that is my friends a possession of an immortal soul of that which shall live forever and all the solemn consequences of that of that eternity that faces each and every one of us that soul of which we possess as my friends man was formed by God in the beginning and God breathed in his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul that soul must live not only during the short period of our earthly existence but to all eternity and all the consequences of eternity that soul must live either in heaven or in hell there are no other way my friends with regard to it one says eternity tremendous sound to guilty souls a dreadful wound but all with Christ and heaven be mine how sweet the accents how divine man shall not live by bread alone are it is not merely that which concerns his earthly existence necessary needful as those things are but something far more important than this says that it is found in these words of the

[23:07] Lord Jesus is the concerns of an immortal soul and the eternal consequences of that soul ah my friends are we rightly concerned with regard to eternity is the consequences of our immortal soul a deep concern indeed with us man shall not live by bread alone how true my friends is this that in him we live and move and have our being that is so regards our natural life how much more so as it concerns our spiritual life in him we live and move and have our being ah my friends the spiritual life of a child of God is that indeed from which he indeed does possess and obtain by and through divine grace alone oh how the truth of what the Lord

[24:19] Jesus Christ spake in those words is clearly set before us he said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me ah my friend what do we know about spiritual life within our soul what do we know what it is indeed to be a partaker of that of which the Lord spake as being so necessary and essential ye must be born again oh solemn truth deep truth my friends our souls exercise with regard to it I believe it is and will be an exercise with a child of God ah my friend find at times exercise of your soul summed up in those words tis a point

[25:23] I long to know oft it causes anxious thought do I love the Lord or no am I his or am I not am I a partaker of that new that spiritual birth have I union with the church's living hand these my friends real living exercises with your soul is it that which you're brought to cry out unto the Lord forth that he would indeed reveal and make it known my friends notice the truth of this such exercises of that prove the sweet evidence that indeed you are the possessor of spiritual life never would be those exercises with your soul if you were dead in trespasses and in sins therein is seen a sweet evidence of the life of God within your heart but oh my friend what alone will bring sweet comfort and peace to your heart with regard to it what my friends alone will bring to speak and for him and for him my friends to speak with power as he does in his word may apply it to indeed his exercised ones this evening he says i i have i have redeemed thee thou art mine ah my friends nothing less than that will satisfy and exercise living soul man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God oh is not that spiritual life of a living soul indeed bound up in this even in divine communications from the lord of life and glory and the blessed power and teaching of the holy spirit the lord indeed bringing home and seizing his word with sweetness and power upon the heart and my friends a point i want to try to trace out with this here this evening is found in this we find the lord said to ancient israel thou shalt remember all the way the lord thy god hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness ah that path wherein they walked wherein they proved the truth of this that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god was my friends as they were brought to walk it out in that wilderness journey of forty years and ah these things are my friends indeed stamped upon the soul and the teaching of the holy spirit in the way and path wherein the lord does lead and teach his own people true this world and the journey of a child of god through it is a wilderness world the lord brought his ancient people into the wilderness what for that they might learn these things that therein he would teach them of it my friends what does this indeed sweetly set before us the wilderness what a place was it a place my friends can we sum it up in this where they were cast entirely upon god for everything the land through which they passed yielded them my friends nothing there was not one thing in that wilderness journey that they could do or perform for themselves for their own maintenance in that journey they were dependent upon god for everything for the food that they ate did eat for the water that they drank for my friends the clothes that they put on for their defense from their enemies oh does it not and is it not summed up in the lord's dealings with his people still tis there my friends he'll bring you indeed you have found amongst his own people tis such things as this that he will teach you and wherein he'll make his word precious to you and the very joy and rejoicing of your heart and meat and drink to your soul by bringing you into those situations wherein you are cast entirely upon himself dependent my friends upon him for all things we know is that not true with regard even to the things of this life how much more my friends with regard to spiritual life and the things of

[31:22] God oh the word says no man can keep alive his own soul the Lord my friend indeed impress that deeply upon your heart there's no keeping alive your own soul no maintaining of yourself in a spiritual walk and closeness with God ah and wherein my friends does he cause us to prove that no man can keep alive his own soul why by at times cause us to realise of what my friends it is to have death within and ah death as it were in all our own efforts and endeavours bring us indeed what as beggars pour at mercy's door to be brought to have indeed to call and look alone unto him for all things man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God oh what a fullness there is in this subject ah my friends it is by that that the

[32:43] Lord's people live by divine communications from the Lord ah it is here a little there a little line upon line precept upon precept as the Lord and the gracious teaching of his Holy Spirit makes his word precious to their soul remember how it was with Israel in the wilderness they hungered there's no means my friends to satisfy that hunger of themselves what could a wilderness yield and what my friends a wilderness yield a spiritual food to your soul ah nothing can my friends the husks of this world satisfy the desires of a living soul now oh how is it indeed the Lord teaches these things that the very life of your soul is dependent upon this divine communication from himself when my friends weep and faint in the way when as it were you know something of what it is to be spiritually starved in your soul what alone my friends can satisfy that need is it not a word from God ah but one word dropped with power into the soul when it comes my friends like as indeed that manna came to

[34:22] Israel ah dropped all around their tent ah they had not partaken of any such thing like that before why it satisfied all their need ah and so it is my friends with his living family a word from God dropped with power into the soul what spiritual refreshment oh what joy does it put within their heart how it causes my friends a bone that he hath broken to rejoice causes the laid man to leap as a heart and the tongue of the dumb to sing nightwise where Israel thirsted in the wilderness ah my friends did they not murmur and complain and oh how at times in the midst of your murmurings and complainings the word of the Lord has indeed been my friends that which has refreshed your poor parched and a tried soul ah as that blessed streams from that fountain of the water of life to sum it up what my friends the very sum source and centre of that word of

[35:46] God that which proceeded from the mouth of the Lord tis made me can drink to a living soul or is it not trace up even to this tis my friends a precious Christ that those things concerning himself of his love his blood his grace his compassion are sweetly open to the soul and the teaching of the Holy Spirit oh what refreshing streams well may the Lord say and does he say in his word that even in his word concerning himself that I am the bread of life he says he that believeth on me shall never hunger and him that cometh to me shall never thirst real my friends vital religion is found in this in that partaking of his flesh and of his blood except he says ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood he has no life in you man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of

[37:14] God notice my friend that word every word or does not the scripture say and the apostle in writing to his son in the faith Timothy that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for instruction for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be indeed thoroughly furnished unto every good work God and so my friends in the experience of the Lord's people every word that proceedeth out of his mouth ah therein my friends is contained all that which is real and vital in religion with you and

[38:15] I is that alone which will stand in that last great day what we have received at the mouth of God what the Holy Spirit has brought home with power into our heart and be assured of this that word which comes from God that which is of divine communication to the soul it my friends does and will have gracious and blessed effects and what are some of those effects that that word from the mouth of God will have upon a living soul why my friends one of the effects is this it will humble that soul it will bring that one low at his feet it will cause that one to know something of what it is to weep and mourn over sin and after a precious Christ in measure also it will my friends produce this that going forth of the heart still after him in spiritual hungerings and thirstings and oh my friends also the fruits of this in sweet measure will be manifest it will draw the feet into the way into those paths of obedience to his revealed mind and will every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of

[39:50] God what an unspeakable mercy to have and possess through grace a divine communication the word of the Lord spoken with power to our heart ah my friend here is something that neither the world nor the flesh nor the devil himself can overthrow it is that which will stand when time indeed shall be no more is it not the truth of these things that the psalmist David was brought to rest in and my friends indeed increasingly as he drew near his journey's end to realize of the sweetness and power of and comfort of within his soul he said though my house be not so with God yet as he made with me ah the

[40:51] David was not my friend's destitute of divine communication but that which God had done for him and by his spirit wrought in him that was his comfort his consolation his whole salvation indeed was found in it and all my friends the consolation of his soul and so it is their measure with the Lord's people still ah my friend but if and when you know we rightly do it when we consider that which is within our own experience of what we received at the mouth of God how small a compass did it come in ah but my friend what mercy that which is of God that shall stand everything else must my friends apart and will depart but that which is of

[41:53] God shall stand man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is my friends that we're in the souls of his people are kept alive by divine communications by receiving by precious faith out of that fullness that is treasured up in Jesus Christ and these things are made known my friends we're in even in the roughness and the ruggedness of the way it is in the wilderness it is when brought into situations we're cast entirely upon him when brought my friends helpless weak and needy to his feet it is there that we prove the truth of these things it is there God the riches of his grace does bless his own people does he not say sweet truth blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled may the

[43:05] Lord bless his word amen and thirst to happen their history sometimes to do e WA it would after he I W I I I but heard coming of