Mat 4:1-11; We Have Nothing to Fear but … God Himself.

Class Outline:

Tuesday February 13, 2024

 

Introduction:

Rebellion is to set yourself free from the will of God.

 

The Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. His circumstances are God-appointed; and where He appoints us, God will support us. To use His divine power to make bread from stones would have been to free Himself from God’s will - rebellion.

 

To throw Himself down from the temple would be the same. God’s will is for Him to be trusted, not tested - rebellion.

 

PSA 78:16-18

He brought forth streams also from the rock

And caused waters to run down like rivers.

 

17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him,

To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18 And in their heart they put God to the test

By asking food according to their desire.

 

When He views the kingdoms of the world and all their glory, does He see what He would call glory? He is training us to see as He sees.

 

MAT 4:8-10

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

 

Man was made to worship God. His fall led him to seek worshiping other things.

 

Most people have a pantheon in their heads. They place the desired idol on the throne of their soul and then switch it out for another.

REV 7:9; REV 7:15.

 

Cannot serve two masters (MAT 6:22-24).

 

Worship of the Lord is fear of the Lord, love for the Lord, and service of the Lord.

 

Jesus alters the Scripture of DEU 6:13 - changing fear to worship and adding “only” (which was implied). Parallel passage of DEU 10:12 adds love and service.

 

You are not worshiping God without the other three.

 

Christians can (and do) deceive themselves into thinking that they worship God because they perform some spiritual tasks.

 

The joy of true worship (which we do every waking moment) involves every aspect of what God says it is; fear, love, and service.

 

Fear of the Lord. What is it?

1. You are not God. You stay in your lane. (PRO 3:7).

 

2. You fear the consequences of sinning against an all seeing, righteous, holy Creator (PRO 16:6).

 

Fear of the Lord. How do you develop it?

 

We must practice the disciplines that are on the narrow road to life.

 

Paths to the fear of the Lord / worship.

 

1. Reading and learning the Scripture? (DEU 4:10)

 

2. Keeping His commandments? (DEU 6:1-2)

 

3. Serving Him in His presence (DEU 14:22-23)

 

4. Know what He has done (recognize all creation as His work) and all that He has done for you? (1 Sam 12:15; PSA 33:6-8).

 

It is a relationship, not a formula. The disciplines are a means of exploring your relationship with God. You have to explore for yourself.

 

The first and foremost discipline is learning God’s Word, but learning it to a true understanding.

 

Lloyd Jones: “It is obviously important that we should approach this Book in the right manner. We must start by agreeing that merely to read he Bible is not enough in and of itself. It is possible for us to read the Bible in such a mechanical manner that we derive no benefit from doing so. That is why I think that we have to be careful with every kind of rule and regulation in the matter of discipline in the spiritual life. It is a good thing to read the Bible daily, but it can be quite profitless if we merely do so for the sake of being able to say we read the Bible daily. I am a great advocate of schemes of Bible reading, but we have to be careful that in our use of such schemes we are not content just to read the portion of the day and then to rush off without thought and meditation (I would add prayer). That can be quite profitless. Our approach to the Bible is something which is of vital importance.” [Lloyd Jones, Sermon on the Mount]

 

Lectio divina (sacred reading):

Read (short passage).

Reflect (a few minutes pondering, asking qs, imagining).

Respond (offer passage back to God in personal prayer).

Rest (silent, humble, contemplation).  

 

Some of the results to those who fear the Lord? (tune in next time).