Well today I'd like to do basically two things. I'd like to just kind of walk through the text with us, and then I want to follow that walk through the text with four observations, either from or based upon the text. And our walk through the text itself will be rather brief. You notice here in verses eight through 10 that this is the third temptation that Jesus has faced from the devil. He faces the first in verses three through four, then the second in verses five through seven, and now the third in eight through 10. And we notice as we kind of enter into this final temptation, at least the final of the three, it's not the last temptation Jesus will face, in his ministry that once again we have changed location. We are moving somewhere else. The first two apparently have not been successful and perhaps the devil thinks if we just go somewhere else maybe this will be more successful. We need to get a better vantage point. So the location here is no longer just the desert floor, if you will. It's no longer the pinnacle of the temple there in verse 5. Now we are on a very high mountain. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain. Now, Again, we don't know whether or not this is a physical relocation or is this more of a visionary type relocation. I tend to think it's a visionary relocation and they are simply basically in the same location physically that they were with the first temptation. I think that will come out a little more clearly as we look at the purpose of why they're relocating. It's to show him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. I'm not sure you could find a mountain high enough on a spherical globe to see all the kingdoms of the world from one particular point. And I tend to think when he says that he shows him all the kingdoms of the world, he is showing him not simply all the kingdoms that are presently active, he's speaking in terms more broadly about all the kingdoms that have been, the kingdoms that are, or the kingdoms that will be. And in some moment, some visionary experience, Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world. The temptation itself is found as we move through the text a little further, it says that he said to him, all these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. So the temptation involves both a promise and a condition to meet the promise. The promise is that I'm going to give you all these kingdoms of the world and their glory, the condition, if you fall down and worship me. Well, the response quickly is given to us in verse 10. Jesus said to him, go Satan, for it is written, worship the Lord your God, and serve him only, or you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. And just as the temptation has two parts, both a promise and a condition, the response of Jesus has two parts. It has a directive and it has a foundation. And the directive is you're to go. We're done. As one writer said, that Jesus is not simply terminating the interview, Jesus is sending his adversary packing. It's time, we're done, all right? Everything's over from this point on. And what's interesting to me at that point, it's kind of humorous, because you might be tempted to think that Satan is like directing this entire thing in the wilderness. Jesus has not surrendered his sovereignty in this moment and he clearly sends Satan on his way. And the reason for this, the reason that he dismisses him so abruptly here and so finally is that we have now come to the serious crux of the matter of what Satan is really looking for. Satan is looking for the honor and the glory of Christ. He once again is trying to usurp the very throne of God in the heavens above, but now he's trying to do it in the wilderness. Jesus makes very clear to him, I will not bow. I will not bow to you. The God of all creation will not bow to a creature. You are to worship the Lord your God and to serve him only. Now, that's just a very quick walk through the text. Let me make some observations about it. And these will probably take a little longer. This particular temptation, it brings up some questions. Questions like, can this possibly be real? Is this legitimate? Could Satan really deliver on what he was promising here, or was this all just, you know, full of sound and fury signifying nothing? It was just, it's my last chance, I'll throw something out there like, worship me, I'll give you all the nations of the world. What I want you to consider with me for a moment, Satan's relationship with the world. Satan's relationship with the world. While it is true, as we learn from, for example, the book of Job, Whatever Satan wants to do in this world, he must gain the permission, the directive, the allowance of God who made him. You remember Job chapter one, Job comes in, not Job, excuse me, the devil comes into the presence of God accompanied by the other angels and he begins to inquire about Job down there on the earth and thinks that Job must serve God for nothing and God gives, Satan a sense of allowance. He gives him a little bit of rope to deal with Job and to bring suffering and difficulty into Job's life. But God is always limiting. God is always determining how long the leash is, in a sense. He will not give Satan just complete and free reign. He is at the disposal of God. And though that is true, it is important that we understand that the Bible does speak over and over of Satan having authority in the world. Let me just take you to a couple of texts. Matthew chapter 12. Let's just kind of start there. Matthew chapter 12. In verse 25. And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then will his kingdom stand? But if I, by Beelzebul, cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house? Jesus has been challenged in the context here in Matthew 12 of casting out demons, but having done so basically by the power of Satan himself. And Jesus is like, if I'm casting out Satan by Satan, then this is rather counterproductive, isn't it? The devil's like casting out his own demonically possessed subjects. Then he's kind of, you know, undoing his own work. What I want you to notice though, is what it says in verse 26, by way of implication, how then will his kingdom stand? Jesus is implying here very clearly that Satan has a what? He has a kingdom. And a kingdom has a king. Satan is the king over his kingdom. What is this kingdom? What is the realm over which he rules? Look with me in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter four. There are many texts that we might turn to, but we only have time for a few. 2 Corinthians chapter four, I'm gonna begin reading in, let's back up to verse three. 2 Corinthians chapter four, verse three. Even if our gospel is veiled, this is why some people don't respond to the gospel, they can't see it. It is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who is shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. In the proclamation of the gospel, the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ is being proclaimed. It's being displayed for all to see. But those who are perishing have a what? They have a veil over their eyes. They cannot see. You've had those conversations maybe with family members, maybe with children, maybe with relatives, maybe with friends, coworkers. The gospel and its truth is as plain as day to you. You see it, you rejoice in it, you delight in it. Or maybe you can think of yourself. There was a time in your life where the gospel was being proclaimed to you, but you did not see. You could not hear. You could not understand. And then as if someone flipped on the switch, light came in the room. Or like someone took a veil and pulled it away from your eyes, you could see. And it all became clear. What was making it so that you could not see? Your own sin? Surely. Your own, maybe even lack of exposure, having grown up without those kinds of things, perhaps. The hardness of your own heart, definitely. The blindness of your eyes, yes. In addition to it all, the God of this world had blinded your eyes. Notice what it says. In whose case? Those who it's veiled, they're perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ, who is the image of God. How many people have you spoken with, or perhaps even your own self, who were hardened against the gospel, didn't want to listen to the gospel while they propounded and promoted and declared their own self-sovereignty and their power, not realizing all the while they were a what? They were enslaved to the God of this world. This is how Satan is described. He is the God. Yes, it's a lowercase little g. He is subject ultimately to uppercase big G, the true God. But he is referred to as the God of this world. Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. In verses one to three, this is our condition before we came to Christ. It says in Ephesians 2 verse 1, and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now at work, and the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Satan is described here vividly as the prince of the power of the air. It is His Spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience. Turn to 1 John 5. 1 John chapter 5. It's interesting, it's sad talking to an unbelieving person who thinks that the only thing stopping them from believing is them. It's like I'm the captain of my own ship, that old poem. Or like a Frank Sinatra, I did it my way. I'm the one in charge. I remember someone who has a habit Maybe a habit that's one that other people think they should quit. And you hear the phrase, I can quit anytime I what? Anytime I want to. That's usually the kind of phrase thrown around by someone who can't what? Who can't quit. Okay? Look in 1 John 5, 19. We know that we are of God. and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Or literally in the evil one. There is a union between the unbeliever and Satan that is like, apart from the intervention of Christ, it is unbreakable. This is why Ephesians chapter two has to say, for those in whom the spirit of the sons of disobedience is operative, the prince of the power of the air, this is why God has to do what? He has to come and make them alive. He has to speak a life transforming regenerative word to the dead. take seriously Satan's relationship to the world. He is the God of this age. He is the prince of this world. He is the evil one that holds the whole world in his power. Listen, after the triune God of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, next in line for the most powerful being in all creation is the devil. Don't think too little of his power. Look in the book of Jude. We've alluded to this text several weeks now. I want to read it. If you're lost, go to Revelation and turn back one block, and you'll find it. Little bitty book. You can amaze your friends and say, I read a book of the Bible. I read Jude. It's a great book. Jude, verse eight. He's speaking here about false teachers. He's speaking here about those who have, in verse four, crept in unnoticed, those who are marked out for condemnation long ago, ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ. False teachers that creep in the church. And it says in verse eight, in the same way these men, also by dreaming, they defile the flesh and they reject authority and they revile angelic majesties. In other words, False teachers are often so foolish that they will assume to themselves by virtue of the name of Jesus that they have a power that they do not have. I don't know how many years I would listen to Kenneth Copeland sign off every one of his broadcasts with Jesus is Lord all the while while he was an ungodly man who turned the grace of God into licentiousness and denied the only, he denied the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ and somehow assumed that he had some kind of power that Jesus possessed. Verse nine. But Michael, in contrast to these men, but Michael, the archangel, after Satan fell and took a third of the angels with him, the stars in Revelation 12 that fell from heaven with him, the archangel became Michael, the leader of the elect angels. The two thirds that were left with the Lord And there is a dispute that takes place between Michael and the devil about the body of Moses. It says, Michael the archangel, when he disputed the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, the Lord rebuke you. I cannot imagine what it would be like to stand before the Archangel Michael. It wasn't the Archangel Michael in the book of Revelation that John fell down before to worship him. It was just an angel. But here's the Archangel. Here's the chief of all the angels. They must be so glorious, so full of power. You know those little things when you were a kid, and they were like the bottom of the Lucky Charms box, and they had the little plastic white stuff, and they were like glow-in-the-dark things, and you'd hold them up to your lamp before you went to bed at night. Mom and Dad said, now go to bed, all right? And you'd say, okay. And then you'd put that thing right there by the light, and it would like illuminate your room for like two and a half seconds. And then it was over, and you're like, oh, what do I do now? I can't turn the light back on, I'll be caught, all right? Well, where am I going with that? The angels attend for centuries, for millennia. They have attended the holiness of God. And they surround Him like the cherubim there. And they have the wings. And with two they cover their face. And with two they cover their feet. They cover their face because they can't look on the holiness of God. And they cover their feet because they're ashamed of their creatureliness. And with two they fly. And they serve. And they sing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory. Can you imagine what it would be like to be next to Jesus like that? Can you imagine the radiance with which you would glow? And that's what's happening here, this picture of a display of glory and light that seems to just radiate from within them, but it's all because of their association with God, in whom there is only light. John says in 1 John 1.5, there's no darkness. Our fellowship is with him. There's no darkness in him. He's just pure, perfect, unending, non-depreciating light. And the angels tend to that. And you might think, do the angels really reflect the glory of God like that? Think of Moses. Moses is a creature. He goes and meets with God in the tent of meeting and he comes out what? He comes up like a glow bug. There he is. He has to cover his face because the glow is gonna diminish. But we're talking about beings that never leave the presence of God. They're there forever. And Michael comes, and there's a conflict with the devil. I mean, how tempting it might have been to just say, I am Michael, I am the archangel. Get out of here. Just go. He doesn't. He hands him off to Jesus. Jesus, who says to the devil when he's done, go. We're done. Come back later, and I'll do it to you again. One day I'll cast you into the pit, the everlasting pit that I've made. I've made a pit. I've made a fiery pit of judgment just for you and your angels. And I'm gonna throw every last one of you into it and everyone who serves you. Satan's relationship to the world is one of great. Yes, I believe the promise was true. I believe he could have delivered. But there's a second observation I want us to make. I want you to remember and think for a moment about the true nature of the kingdom work of the Savior. The kind of kingdom that Satan could have delivered would not have been the kind of kingdom that he was coming to establish. It would have been a kingdom of the world. Even if it would have been all the kingdoms of the world, it would have still been a kingdom made up of all the kingdoms of the world. You might recall Jesus before the government officials there in the book of John when he speaks about his kingdom. So you are a king. I'm a king. But my kingdom is what? My kingdom is not of this world. Satan and his demonic forces have great power in the kingdoms of the world. Think for a moment in the book of Colossians. Turn over there for a moment. In Colossians chapter one, Now we've looked at this verse before because it's very similar to the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians chapter one, where Paul says that the Lord is summing up all things in Christ, that doctrine of recapitulation that we've been seeing, that all of creation is going to be put under a new head, that is the Lord Jesus no longer under the first Adam. but under the second Adam, because in Adam all die, but in Christ all are made alive. And it says in Ephesians 1.10 that, with a view to the administration suitable to the fullness of times, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. Similar statement is made in Colossians 1, look there with me, Colossians 1.15, that he is the image of the invisible God. He is the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible. Now we've seen this kind of phrasing in our confession, in our study in Sunday school, in the doctrine of creation. God has created all things visible and invisible, meaning that he's created not only the earthly or the creaturely realm that we see, he's also created the creaturely realm that we cannot see. He's created the angelic realm. And what's in this invisible realm? Notice Colossians 1.16, thrones. Dominions, rulers, and authorities. These are designations of rankings of spiritual powers that are in the heavenlies, that are unseen in that invisible realm. He's not talking about earthly powers here, earthly kings, earthly presidents, earthly representatives. He's saying here that God has created, if you will, this hierarchy within the angelic realm. And this hierarchy applies in unfallen angelic realms and fallen demonic realms. Look over in Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians six and verse 10. This is the context of the armor of God. You've probably read this before. He's exhorting the believers to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God that you might be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It's very tempting in the Christian life to think what you're fighting against. is fleshly things. Paul wants us to understand and know that behind this fleshly realm in which we live, there are forces at play that are very real. It's interesting, the other night, watching again the Luther movie, for those that got to get indoctrinated into that, old, boring, black and white movie that I love. But I confess, I have a problem. I've done that like 25 years in a row now, and every time I watch it, I see something new. And I was reminded, there a night, whenever it was, Friday night, It opens up with a whole series of creepy pictures, if you remember that, all right? I remember when the kids were really little, we used to like, you know, fast forward through all those, because they were just like too scary. And I didn't want somebody coming down at two in the morning going, oh, that was really scary, Daddy. But one of the things it was trying to highlight was within the medieval realm, in the medieval period, there was a deep awareness of the spiritual realm. Now, it goes to those extremes where there's basically like a, you know, goblins behind every bush, and Satan is the cause of everything, and there are like demons all over the place and stuff like that. But, you know, we live today, post-Enlightenment, in a very tangible world where everything's empirical. If I can't taste it, touch it, smell it, see it, it's not what? It's just not real. The world, and in many ways the church, has kind of forgotten that there is a true, powerful, demonic realm that exists. Paul says here, Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Then what is it against? But our struggle is against the rulers. Against the powers. Against the world forces of this darkness. Against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. These are these invisible realms. Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm. In other words, to fight off spiritual forces, you need what? Spiritual weapons. 2 Corinthians chapter 10, turn there. 2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse three. Paul says, 2 Corinthians 10.3, though we walk in the flesh, and we do every day, we have fleshly relations in our families, with our children, with our coworkers, Shopping, whatever, you deal with a fleshly world. Temptations, temptations often come to you, how? By fleshly means. Another person, an activity, an engagement, a party, a thing you have to do. You walk in the flesh, you live in this fleshly world, but don't be fooled. Don't be fooled, brothers and sisters, that the fleshly world you live in is the only world you live in. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. I still remember the guy that used to tell me in college, look, if you have dirty thoughts in your mind, just put this rubber band on your wrist, and every time you have a dirty thought, pop your wrist. Dude, all I got from that was a really red wrist. And then I struggled with anger. And then I sinned more. Rubber bands do not overcome lust. They don't. Techniques and all kinds of external behavior modifications are great, but they do not crucify sin, because sin is in the heart, and you need some spiritual weapons that pierce deep to get to them. We do not walk in the flesh. For though we do not walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. And we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. And we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Do you not see Jesus in the wilderness doing that very thing? The devil comes to him with a very affectionate temptation. Worship me, bow down before me. Jesus. a master at taking thoughts captive, a master at true spiritual warfare, a master at utilizing and laying hold quickly of that spiritual weapon, of the sword of the spirit, picks it up and says to the devil, it is written, the very thing the children of Israel forgot to do in the wilderness. The true kingdom work of the Savior was to come and to build a spiritual kingdom inhabited by spiritual redeemed men and women who would be a part of that kingdom that would last forever. At best, at best, if he had received all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, it would have been a temporal prize because it would have been a fleshly prize. It wouldn't have been a spiritual prize. They wouldn't have been redeemed men. Satan is tempting Jesus with a fast track to the kingdom, but Jesus knows that that's not the way you come into the kingdom. A kingdom obtained without a cross is a kingdom that would soon be lost. Jesus knew, look in Psalm 2, Jesus knew that I don't need the promise of Satan. I don't need the promise of the devil. Look, if you'll just come and bow down before me, I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Jesus is probably like somewhere in there, you know, you're a little late. Do you understand that my kingdom made up of men from every tribe and tongue and language and nation of the world has already been promised to me by my father? I have a kingdom, devil, and it's not of this world, and it's not your kingdom. Your kingdom is coming to an end, but my kingdom will live forever. And it will never die. And it will be inhabited by people who will never die. Psalm 2. Psalm 2, we see in verses one to three, the very rage of the nations. They're assembled together. The nations are in an uproar. The peoples are devising a vain thing. The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take their counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us. I'm done with this king. I'm done with his rules. I'm done with his Messiah. Let's kill him. When Peter and the apostles read this Psalm, you know what they thought of? Having a very Christocentric reading of the Psalms, they thought of Jesus. Acts chapter four, keep your finger there on Psalm two, and look with me at Acts chapter four. I know we're taking you all over the place today, but it's good to have sword drills. Acts chapter four, Peter's preaching, or he's just finished preaching, I'm sorry, he's been released now from prison. And he comes, the church, they come back, they report to the folks, and it says in Acts chapter four in verse 24. Let's back up to 23. When they'd been released, they went to their own companions, reported all the chief priests and elders had said. And when they heard this, that is the church, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said, Oh Lord, it is you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, who by your Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant said. Now Psalm 2, if you just kind of keep these two texts together, Psalm 2 does not have an introductory script. It doesn't tell us who wrote it. But Acts chapter four tells us who wrote it. The Holy Spirit wrote it through David. And notice what it said. How do they see that applying to what's happened to Jesus? Look in verse 27. In this city, there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatsoever your hand, your purpose, and your purpose predestined to occur. In other words, Psalm 2 is about the what? It's about the crucifixion. It's about the crucifixion of Christ. It's about the assembly of the nations that are raging, that are in uproar, and they unite their hands to come against God and against his Christ. It's interesting, in the Gospels, it says that Herod and Pilate, on the day of Christ's trial, became what? They became friends, buddies. They hated each other. But they hated Jesus what? They hated him more. We've gotta get rid of this guy. Maybe then we'll go back to whatever we're doing here. But right now, we've gotta come together or this guy is going to turn everything upside down. Note the rage of the nations in verses one to three. But then notice in verses four to six, notice, The rejoinder of the heavens. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. It's the laughter of derision. It's like he's mocking them. He'll speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, but as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. All your rage will do nothing. Because the Lord, in Acts chapter 2, it says, has made this one whom you crucified both, what? Lord and Christ. I say Acts chapter 2. I think that's where it was. But maybe not. Is it Acts 2? I want you to see it. Yeah, it is. Acts 2, 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. God is in the heavens and he sees what the men are plotting and planning and scheming and doing on earth. But it will not do anything to his plan. His plan will succeed. His plan will march on. Listen to me, friend. If you are raging against the God of heaven, it will not matter at all in the end. Because God will do what God will do. And he has made this one whom men have crucified both Lord and Christ. So notice in verses seven to nine, we see the request of the king. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son, today I begotten you. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron and you will shatter them like earthenware. This is the father speaking of and to the son. He tells the son to ask of him and he'll give him the very nations as his inheritance. You'll break them. You'll rule them. You'll shatter them. And as we read in Psalm 110, your people will offer themselves freely in the day of your power. And you see with that, the kind of kingdom that Jesus is going to build, the kind of kingdom that Jesus is going to receive is a completely different kind of kingdom than the one Satan would be able to offer him. At best, Satan could offer him a temporal kingdom that would have a temporal warranty. Eventually, warranty would expire and those nations would turn on him. But in this kingdom, he rules over them. moves them to submission. He displays his power and they offer themselves freely and they come willingly and joyfully and gladly and they come into the kingdom. Notice finally, the recommendation of the psalmist. Verses 10 to 12. Now we hear from the psalmist. He says, now therefore, O king, show discernment. I mean, wise up. Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the son that he not become angry and you perish in the way. For his wrath is maybe soon kindled and how blessed are all who take refuge in him. one response that's a wise response. There's only one response that's a discerning response, and that's the response to come and find refuge in this king before he does pour out his wrath from on high. In the book of Revelation, I think it's in chapter 11, and one of the visions that John sees Revelation chapter 11 in verse 15. The seventh angel sounded, this is trumpet number seven, it's woe number three. If you remember the trumpets and the bowls and the woes and all those things in Revelation. The seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven and this is what they were saying. I love in the book of Revelation how we often move, in the book of Revelation, from earth to heaven, from earth to heaven, from earth to heaven, and we see what's going on down here in the world, and it's all chaos, and it's all tumult, and the sea, where all the wickedness is in the world is all overwhelming, and then we're drawn into the heavens, and we see peace, and we see solidity, and we see rescue, and we see glory. Notice what happens. We sweep from earth back to heaven, and we see and hear this announcement, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and forever. And the elders, they fall down in their faces, and they worship God, saying, we give thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. This is another one of those scenes in the book of Revelation where John is like fast forward. Not only is he lifted up into the heavens, he's fast forwarded to the future to see when all these promises that are rooted in God's decree and promises that he gives to the son finally come to fruition. We should consider Satan's relationship to the world. We should remember the true nature of the kingdom work of the Savior. And we should wonder, back in Matthew 4, and just worship at the non-effect of the temptation on Jesus. It ought to be just awe-inspiring to see how easily Jesus moves from this absolutely foolish offer of the devil to go Satan. If you read, In verse nine, he said, all these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, go. There's no pause, there's no entertainment, there's no hmm. I wonder if he could really deliver. Of course he could deliver. But what he could deliver is absolutely nothing when compared with what the Father has pledged and promised to me. A kingdom that will never end. And I've been put in this world to come To prove and to demonstrate my fitness for this, and I will walk through this world of suffering, and I will die, and I'll be buried, and I'll be raised, and I will ascend back up in the clouds to the heavens, and I will receive from the Father the kingdom that is prepared for me. Look in Daniel chapter 7. Daniel chapter seven, I want you to see the ascent of the Lord Jesus Christ going to the ancient of days to receive this kingdom. You remember in Acts chapter one where the disciples are there and they're listening to Jesus and he's been teaching them for 40 days about the kingdom and then it says in Acts one that all of a sudden he's lifted up in the clouds. He ascends up into the heavens, and then those angels are there, and they say, why do you stand here like looking up at heaven, jaw gaping on the ground? What are you looking for? He says, this same Jesus who departed from you will come again. He'll come again. But for now, he's ascending. He's ascending up in the clouds to heaven. What's happening there? Look in Daniel chapter seven. Daniel chapter 7 in verse 13. And we have in verse 9 where he looks up at this vision and he says, there are thrones that were set up, and the Ancient of Days took a seat. His vesture was like white snow, and his hair of his head like pure wool. His throne is ablaze with flames, its wheels are burning fire. It almost sounds like Ezekiel, doesn't it? Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 2. The river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him, thousands upon thousands as the angels attending to him and myriads upon myriads were standing before him. The court sat, the books were open. I kept looking because the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking, I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. And as for the rest of the beast, their dominion was taken away by an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. I kept looking. That's exactly what he said back in verse nine. I kept looking. In other words, it's as if his focus is just being strengthened, and he's honing in to this amazing picture. If you read Revelation 5 and Revelation 6, this is where you get the Father, and then you see the Son, and then you see the Spirit, and it's like in Revelation 4 and 5, as he looks, It's getting more and more focused. It's becoming more and more clear what I'm looking at, and he's seeing the glory in Revelation 5, 4 and 5 of the triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit there with all of creation attending him. And here in Daniel 7, it's very similar. I kept looking in verse 9. Verse 13, I kept looking. I kept looking in the night's vision, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like the Son of Man was coming and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him. This one who is a son of man who is in the clouds is not descending to come to the earth, he's doing what? He's ascending, he's going up, the very thing witnessed about Jesus in Acts chapter one, going up in the clouds. And here's like a little commentary on Acts chapter one. And to him, verse 14, and to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom with all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that they might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. Satan, you wanna give me the kingdoms of the world and all of their glory? You wanna take all the wicked kingdoms that are at your power, at your disposal, and you wanna give these wicked kingdoms to me? If I just bow and worship you, that's a bad deal. What you have to offer me is nothing because what the Father has decreed to be mine is everything. Men from every tribe and language, every tongue, they'll all come, what, from all the nations of the world. They'll come and they'll bow down before me and they'll be in my kingdom forever and forever. And all those who refuse to come, what about them? What about all those that are in Satan's kingdoms of the world that refuse to come to Jesus? They'll come too, not as part of his kingdom, but they'll come. And what does it say in Philippians chapter two? Every knee will what? Every knee will bow. and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We should consider Satan's relationship with the world. It is one of rule, it is one of power. But we should remember the true nature of the kingdom work of the Savior. He is coming to receive a kingdom from the Father that knows no end, that is made up and consists of redeemed, transformed people. And we should wonder at the non-effect of this temptation on the Lord Jesus. He dismisses it and says, Go, Satan. Why? Because his sights are on something much greater. And brothers and sisters, this is where we need to observe one final thing. Direct your heart to the kingdom promise of your Lord. Did you know, did you know that it is the Father's good pleasure, listen, it is the Father's good pleasure who gave the kingdom to Christ and who will one day make all the kingdoms of the world either submit in judgment or Delight in the rule of Christ. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Look here in Daniel chapter 7 if you're still there. It said, as for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me and the visions in my mind kept, this must have been overwhelming. I approached one of those who were standing by and began to ask him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things. These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise on the earth, but the saints of the highest one will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for all ages to come. Brothers and sisters, when many things in this world tempt you in the flesh, we overcome them by remembering, in this text, this is one thing we're to remember, that the offer, the promise, the allure, of the things that the world promises to me. They are nothing. If I remember what Christ has promised to me, we fight against the allurement of the draw of the kingdoms of the world. and they offer us many things, but we, as the subjects of Christ, we as the ones who have been promised to inherit a kingdom by a remembrance of that kingdom, by the pursuit of that kingdom, by the seeking of that kingdom, by putting that kingdom before all other things. The things of the world will grow what? As the old hymn writer said, they'll grow strangely dim in the light of his glorious face. Do you know that Christ, Christ had set before him this kingdom? We read it earlier in Hebrews chapter two, and we'll close with this. Christ had that glorious inheritance that was decreed in all eternity, that had been pledged and promised to him by the Father. Christ had that kingdom in his eye. It says in Hebrews chapter 12 that he, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. What does that mean he sat down? It means he took his throne. The true reality of his kingly inheritance is given to him in heaven, and he rules now and reigns as a king. And in light of that, The writer to Hebrews says, therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us doing what? Fixing our eyes on Jesus. In other words, Jesus becomes the pattern here, doesn't he? As Jesus set the kingdom before him and this pulled him ever forward, so you and I are called to set the kingdom before us, that that would ever pull us forward in life and in godliness and dealing with the temptations that Satan lays our way. Let's pray together. Father, how easy it is to become distracted by the things that the devil promises us. He promises us glory, he promises us power, he promises us influence, he promises us happiness, he promises us joy, but all he has to offer are the temporal treasures of the world. He has nothing that lasts. nothing that really tastes, nothing that really satisfies. We all have had the experience of taking the things that Satan has offered to us, and in the end, they've left us empty. We pursue with great energy, great effort, we spend our money, We spend our time, we spend our efforts on all the things the devil promises to us that supposedly will satisfy, but they all leave us empty. All is vanity, we find. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that the end of all things is to fear God and to keep his commandments. Jesus comes and tells people who are worried about the things of the world and want to amass the things of the world, he says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Jesus models for us so beautifully and so perfectly in the wilderness that when Satan comes with his empty promises of an earthly broken kingdom and its subpar glories, Jesus tells them to go. You alone are worthy of our worship, our praise, our honor. You alone are worthy of our efforts and our pursuit. Oh God, I pray for myself and I pray for my brothers and sisters here today that the things of the world, that they would grow strangely dim in the light of your glory and your grace, that we would pursue the kingdom Christ offers to us that we will one day rule and reign with Christ, that we'll be present with him forever, that every true and lasting joy will be given to us in the coming heavenly kingdom, the new heaven, the new earth. God, give us the grace and the strength we need to endure, to fight against the temptations of the devil here. So remember that we don't wage war against flesh and blood, but we fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons, and principally here, as Jesus shows us, with the true and certain truth of the Word of God. God, help us. We are often weak. We are often feeble. We pray, O God, that you would open our eyes to behold the wondrous blessings promised us in the kingdom of God. And might this be fuel for us and encourage us in the coming days. We ask God your blessing and your grace in Christ.