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MATTHEW CHAPTERS 1 - 4
Mat 1,1-25
· (37e) Judgment of God Ø
Jesus’ humanity Ø He was part of the
lineage of David --
This may seem like a boring part of
Scripture, but it is necessary to enumerate the people who were part of the
lineage of Jesus Christ for two very important reasons: first, the list of
names becomes a chronological human chain from which we can easily tell
time. Matthew did a bit of research and gave us a brief historical summary
that we can use to go back as far as Abraham. This helps us to better
understand certain aspects of the Bible, such as the times and the epochs of
prophesy. For example, we see 2000 years between Adam and Abraham, and 2000
years between Abraham and Christ. Therefore, we see the pattern that every
2000 years is the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Many people
predict the second coming of Christ partially based of this portion of
Scripture. Secondly, and more
crucially, it becomes a record of the physical origins of Jesus Christ, the
man in whom we have set our hope. The fact that the Holy Spirit conceived
him implies that He did not come solely from His ancestors as did all the
false prophets who came after Him claiming His status. We ironically have a
better record of His genealogy than His rivals who never claimed the
Immaculate Conception. It is significant that we have information proving He
did not pop into existence from nowhere. On the contrary, we not only have a
list of names of His forefathers, but also some of their achievements
recorded in the Old Testament, most of them listed as kings of Israel in
ancient times. God wants us to know here that Jesus was a well thought out
plan who has roots traceable to the very beginning of time.
Mat 1,18-25
· (36m) Gift of God Ø
Adopted Ø We are adopted in the flesh
-- Here is one of the many ironies of the Bible, Joseph adopted Jesus
Christ as his son, but the birth of Christ was God's adoption of the world. He
accepted us and took on the responsibility of raising up a people for His own
good pleasure through Jesus Christ called the church.
· (98i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Endurance Ø (Faith à
Suffering [Integrity] à Glory [Reward]) --
Joseph had a legal right to dismiss Mary, because
she was pregnant with someone else’s child. However, after the vision he
received from the Lord, he believed that God spoke to him and his faith
changed everything about the situation. It was his integrity that led him to
believe God's message, and kept him on course until the baby was born, which
led him to receive the reward of his faith, which was the privilege of raising
the Son of God.
Mat 1-20,21
· (15f) Servant Ø
Angels are messengers from God sent to change our perspective
Mat 1-20
· (23m) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Fear of the unknown Ø
Fear the appearance of angels
Mat 1-22,23
· (141h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ life
Mat 2-1
· (212f) Sovereignty Ø
God is infinite Ø He is the creator Ø
Evolution (Defaming God) Ø God created atheists
too -- This verse goes with verse 11. -- Joseph had a legal right to dismiss
Mary, because she was pregnant with someone else’s child. However, after the
vision he received from the Lord, he believed that God spoke to him and his
faith changed everything about the situation. It was his integrity that led
him to believe God's message, and kept him on course until the baby was born,
which led him to receive the reward of his faith, which was the privilege of
raising the Son of God.
Mat 2,2-6 -- No Entries
Mat 2-6
· (141h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verse
15
· (240a) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom Ø Pastor (Shepherd) Ø
Jesus is the chief shepherd
Mat 2-7,8
· (182h) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Deception Ø
Being deceptive with people Ø Lying to others
-- See Mat 2-1 (212f) for
commentary.
Mat 2-9 -- No Entries
Mat 2,10-23
· (7f) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the gospel Ø Defending the truth
-- Just as Joseph and Mary
protected the tiny treasure that God had entrusted to them, so God calls us to
protect the tiny seed of faith that He has entrusted to us, until it grows
into a mature adult realization of all the treasures we have inherited through
our faith in Christ.
Mat 2-10,11
· (125e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Joy Ø
Joy is the result of partaking of the Holy Spirit Ø
Joy of the revelation of Jesus Christ
-- It is no wonder we
celebrate Christmas so fervently, it really was a wonderful night. Try to
imagine whom those wise men were who searched and found our baby Jesus and
were converted that night on the spot. First, the fact that they found Him
means they knew a lot. They were for real wise men! Now look where they came
from, Herod, a king so evil he would have killed the baby as soon as look at
Him. God nullified the wisdom and the evil influences of these men, cutting
through it all like butter by the overwhelming Spirit of God. This is what we
hope will happen to us on Christmas Eve, oh holy night.
Mat 2-11
· (173a) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Catholicism Ø
Scripture that contradicts the catholic faith Ø
Relationship between Jesus and His mother Ø
Jesus is our savior, not Mary
-- When the Magi bowed down
and worshiped, they were worshipping Jesus, not Mary.
· (189d) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Holy sacrifice Ø
Costly sacrifice
-- When the Magi worshipped
the Lord, they did not do it for free, but they brought gifts with them. Their
sacrifice consisted of things they could buy at the store, but the gifts that
God expects from us, His true worshippers, is the sacrifice of ourselves, that
is our flesh.
· (212f) Sovereignty Ø
God is infinite Ø He is the creator Ø
Evolution (Defaming God) Ø God created atheists
too -- This verse goes with verse 1
· (252b) Trinity Ø
You shall put no other gods before Me Ø Worship
Jesus (Because He is equal with God) Ø Jesus is
worthy of our worship Ø Worship Jesus for who
he is
Mat 2,13-23
· (209h) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Righteous saved with
difficulty Ø Fulfill your calling with
difficulty
Mat 2,13-20
· (48m) Judgment Ø
Jesus’ enemies are destroyed Ø Enemies of His
grace
· (163e) Used By Satan
(Key verse)
· (163h) Works of the devil Ø
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø Used by
Satan to destroy the word of God Ø Used to
destroy Jesus
-- There is an evil force loose on the
earth that hates everything about God, including His creation, and we are one of
His most prized possessions. Therefore, Satan hates us too with an aversion
greater and more perfect than any man's indignation. The only person with a
greater and more perfect hate is God Himself for sin, of which Satan is the
embodiment of it.
Mat 2-13
· (15e) Servant Ø
Angels are messengers from God sent to impart information – This
verse goes with verses 19 and 20
· (241g) Kill Jesus
(Key verse)
· (241h) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Persecuting the kingdom Ø Persecution to the
death Ø Kill Jesus Ø
Kill Jesus because of who He is
-- It seems unimaginable
that anyone would want to kill Christ, especially if the person knows that He
is the Christ, but there are spiritual forces that live among us who are
absolute opposites of the Spirit of Jesus. Unfortunately, there are also
people who have allied themselves with these evil forces and are working in
partnership
with them for some trifle temporary reward. These rewards will rot before their consequences for
doing Satan's will are paid in full. The
scary part is, these kinds of people are increasing in numbers at a staggering
rate.
Mat 2-15
· (141h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verse
18
Mat 2,16-23
· (61f) Paradox Ø
Two implied meanings Ø The dragon—King
Herod / Satan
-- Only Satan could devise a
remedy this evil, or someone just as evil, like Herod. Look at Rev
12,1-10 for a repeat performance of this atrocity which will occur in end
time prophesies. Here we see a great red dragon whose tail sweeps away
a third of the stars of heaven and throws them to the earth. There was also
a woman involved whose baby he wanted to destroy, representing Mary and the
Christ child. Although these verses are smothered in symbolism, which we
will not get into right now, it is interesting to consider the correlations
of two nearly identical events. One is the actual historical record of the
birth of Christ, while the other seems to be a symbolic rendition of the
same event. The words in Revelation are tailored to dovetail into the other,
so that we may draw upon the gospel's record for a fuller, more meaningful
interpretation of Revelations. One portion of Scripture gives depth to the
other. Consider the possibilities of their significance.
Mat 2,16-20
· (21k) Sin Ø
Premeditated murder
· (176j) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø False doctrine Ø
Extremes Ø Truth is never found in your conduct
on either extreme of any circumstance
-- Going to extremes almost never leads you to the truth. It explains how so
many strange religious heresies have gotten started throughout the ages. There
are essentially two ways that false doctrines find their way into the church:
either through our conduct or through our thinking process. Strange ideas are
generated based on what we do or say, and they are accepted and believed based
on their prevalence in society. Hitler was quoted as saying, "If you
continue to repeat a message long enough, loud enough, and frequently enough,
eventually, the people will believe you". This fact has proven itself in
our commercial market place. Take Herod for example in this portion of
Scripture. Before he could have ordered the death of thousands of innocent
children, many false ideas about his position as king had to be entrenched in
the people's minds, or else they would have caused a revolt. Most of the
mental mindsets were already in place in the people before he took office, and
was perpetuated by the kind of evil decisions he made. It is what the people
believed about the authority of their king that allowed Herod to do what he
did. No one should have this kind of power, therefore; it was deception. There
is always someone at the other end of our mislead ideas to take advantage of
the opportunity.
Mat 2-18
· (141h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verse
23
Mat 2-19,20
· (15e) Servant Ø
Angels are messengers from God sent to impart information – These
verses go with verse 13
· (48k) God’s
Enemies Destroyed (Key verse)
· (170i) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Temporary Ø
All suffering is temporary
-- It is not a coincidence
that those who sought the child's life are dead. God is willing and able to
manipulate the circumstances when His divine plan and purpose are at stake.
His protection not only goes for preserving the plan He had for His Son, but
also for preserving the purpose He has for us, if we are following that plan.
This ensures that what ever suffering we may experience, it is all temporary
in that God can terminate it at any time, whenever He feels that we've had enough.
Mat 2-23
· (141h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ life -- This verse goes with verse
6
Mat 3,1-12
· (154i) Witness Ø
Validity of the Father Ø God bears witness
against the world Ø Witness that the world is
rebellious against God Ø Witness against
hypocrisy
-- Baptism was unheard-of in the Old Testament,
which made it a completely new concept to the New Testament. Knowing the Jews'
resistance to change in their customs and religion, it was an incredibly
smooth acceptance on their part for everyone to flock to John the Baptist. It
probably went smooth because of the Spirit and forcefulness which John the
Baptist used to present it. Baptism went from non-existent to so popular that
everyone had to be baptized or you weren't "with it". The biggest
issue, however, surrounding baptism was the message that
Mat 3-1,2
· (193b) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Repent Ø
Turn from your evil ways Ø Turn from sin
Mat 3-2
· (231g) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø Body of
Christ is the organism of God’s kingdom Ø
Jesus is the head of His body’s kingdom Ø The
kingdom of heaven is where Jesus is
-- What makes heaven heavenly? Is it the place or
the location that is heavenly, or is it the owner? It is the owner that makes
heaven a heavenly place. Therefore, wherever He goes He brings heaven with
Him.
Mat 3-3,4
· (141a) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ ministry Ø Jesus as the
great shepherd
Mat 3-3
· (14g) Servant Ø
Ministry of helps Ø Helpers are set apart
from the world – Seeing John the Baptist as a helper in the
ministry of helps actually helps us understand what the ministry of helps
is all about. We know that he was a prophet and was also the one prophesied
about in Scripture as the one coming before Christ to make ready the way of
the Lord. So, although he was special in that way, he was also a minister of
helps in that he helped Christ fulfill His ministry. The purpose of the
ministry of helps is not to be served, but to serve, regardless of your
status in the world.
· (142c) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament
bears witness to the new Ø Prophesy about
evangelism
Mat 3-5,6
· (144a) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Popularity Ø Men who follow God are popular
Mat 3-6
· (194j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Yielding Ø
Confessing your sin to God
Mat 3,7-12
· (122m) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Boldness to rebuke
the world for unbelief -- Take another look at the things John the Baptist said to
the Pharisees in the Spirit of boldness. "Who warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?” Wasn't it Jesus who was about to come? Why did John the
Baptist associate Jesus with wrath? I thought he was good-natured and came
only to help mankind with his sin problem. That's right! Anyone who accepts
His offer of eternal life through the forgiveness of sin will receive God's
blessing, and anyone who tries to hinder that work of redemption, like the
Pharisees did, will be removed. The nature of God's curse is a reprobate mind,
a state of mind that is not able to accept the things of God, no matter how
convincing the circumstances. This makes it impossible for them to believe God
and receive His blessing.
· (171f) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Decorating the outside to simulate
the inside Ø Playing the part to be accepted by
men -- God considers our heart above and beyond our works when He
judges our good and evil. That could work for or against us, depending on our
motives. For example, we can do great and wonderful things for other people,
but if we have ulterior motives, God will take that into account more than the
good deed itself. In the same way, we can have a good heart, but be stuck in a
rut and unable to get out of it, and God will consider what is in our hearts
more than the deeds we produce from the bondage of our flesh. God is
completely aware of what we are experiencing right down to our thoughts and
emotions, and He knows when we do something for someone else and when we are
doing it for our own selfish interests. Take the Pharisees for example; going
out to be baptized by John the Baptist was a good thing if you are doing it
for the right reasons, but they went out to him because it was the popular
thing to do at the time, so that they might look righteous in the eyes of the
people. They did not seek John's baptism with pure motives, and thus did not
receive his reward, which is a repentant heart, which would have prepared them
for the soon coming Christ.
· (173l) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Man’s Religion Ø
Deeds that are not initiated by God Ø Deeds
that are not initiated by the Holy Spirit
-- There were many people who went out to be baptized by John,
and they may well have been led by the Holy Spirit, but the Pharisees were not
led by the Spirit to be baptized by John because they were doing it for the
wrong reasons. If you want to be baptized for any motive other than faith and
love, it is the wrong reason. It is a profound truth that everything we do
through faith and love will produce a spiritual fruit that will lead to
greater spiritual insight and closeness with God, while everything we do
outside of faith and love, based on human inspiration or something else, will
not produce that result. That is not to say it won't produce fruit, it just
won't be spiritual, and God will not bless it.
· (185a) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Abusing the grace
of God Ø Dragging God’s Grace Through The Mud
Ø Operating His grace through religion -- There are many people who think that the very act of being
baptized will save their souls. They also think they can go on from there and
live any way they want, completely ignoring God their whole lives and expect
to be in His favor just because they had a little water poured over their
heads in the name of the Lord. I am sorry to report to them that the
Scriptures do not back up such blasphemous theology, unless you have forgotten
that the whole point of Jesus' sacrifice was to reunite with His creation in a
spiritual relationship. Baptism is a symbolic representation of our salvation,
not the very substance of it. Christ Himself is the substance, but we must not
pursue Him through religion, rather through faith and love. Religion makes a
mockery of God's love.
· (230b) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø
Partaking Ø What we must do to partake of the
kingdom Ø Partaking which requires our
participation -- With the right heart we may approach God's provision and
participate in His ceremonies and offerings and be fully accepted with no
questions asked. God has prepared not only these things, but also a whole life
of service filled with good fruit to enjoy along the way and share with those
around us. Although it is a simple act, being baptized makes a statement that
you believe in Jesus and that you consequently have been made partakers of the
Holy Spirit and of the greatness of the age to come. To go through God's
sanctioned ceremony says that you are willing to do whatever God requires of
you from here on, regardless of your past history.
Mat 3,7-9
· (21i) Sin Ø
Premeditated sin Ø Intending to abuse the grace
of God
· (68i) Authority Ø
Discernment Ø Judging truth and error Ø
Perceiving wicked motives
· (186j) Works of the devil Ø
The result of lawlessness Ø The reprobate Ø
God’s role in forming a reprobate Ø Marked
out for destruction -- Understanding God's role in forming a reprobate is crucial
to understanding the doctrine of the reprobate mind. The fact is God doesn't
do anything to form a reprobate; He simply gives the person what he or she
wants. (Don't forget, it is the person's mind; they are the ones mostly in
control of it. We will talk extensively about this later.) The searing of the
conscience is the central theme—the person practices sin, which numbs the
conscience. Everyone is guilty of that, but the reprobate's standard for evil
is lower than our own. That is, there are many things they do that they don't
know are evil, but they have no excuse for not knowing. Before long they can't
tell the difference between right and wrong. God's role in all of this is
mostly to let it happen, but there is an active role He plays at the end that
seals the person's fate, which can be seen in Romans chapters 1 and 2.
Essentially, He places His mark upon that person, so they can never be saved.
Mat 3-7,8
· (92i) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way Ø What kind of trail is this? Ø
All other paths are crooked
Mat 3-7
· (76f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Wicked motives Ø Motives based on
self-righteousness
· (166d) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Wisdom of the
world Ø Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful
nature Ø Have a religion to avoid hell -- It is much better for God to excuse our sinful nature than
for our own wisdom to do it. It is needless to say that if we choose a
religion to avoid hell, we probably will not please God, any more than the
Pharisees were pleasing to Him. They were not coming to be baptized by John
out of faith and love, but perhaps out of a sense of duty at best. If your
religion does not have faith and love at its center, you have the wrong
religion.
Mat 3-8
· (156f) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø You will know them by their
repentance
· (193f) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Repent Ø
Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance Ø
Instruction to the church
Mat 3-9
· (200i) Denying Christ Ø
Excuses for rejecting Christ Ø Using
irresponsibility as an excuse to reject God Ø
Trying to talk your way out of accountability -- John seemed to think that the Pharisees would try to defend
themselves and use the old disclaimer that they were sons of Abraham (being he
was a prophet, I wouldn't doubt they would have said that, had John not cut
them off at the pass). The Pharisees were very proud of their heritage
(genealogical status); it was the center of their religion, not God. By
contending that God was able to use “stones to raise up children to
Abraham,” John made common what they worshipped to show how meaningless it
was compared to what John knew about the coming Messiah.
Mat 3,10-12
· (103g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Purifying process Ø Spirit like water Ø
Anointing cleanses you from the practice of sin
--
In verse 11 compare the substance and significance of John's baptism with
Jesus' baptism to help come to terms with a thing called the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit. John used water to perform his service, while Jesus used a
substance that is not of this world. However different common water is to the
substance of the Holy Spirit is as different these ceremonies are from each
other, yet they are similar enough for both to be described as baptisms.
Moreover, John's baptism was defined as one of repentance
· (191e) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Extract the
leaven from the church
--
When you look at John's words here, you see a prime example of how the
majority of Scripture was written. What he said applies to every generation
that surpassed him, but none so much as those who live in the last days, the
people of whom I believe we are. For the past 2000 years the church has feebly
attempted to fulfill bits and pieces of God's word, but the last days church
will completely fulfill it as a culmination of all truth in the Bible,
especially of the New Testament. How this applies in this portion of Scripture
is a fearful and terrifying reality about how many people in the church will
fall away from the faith as their response to the anointing reclaiming the
church. Those who want it will embrace Christ all the more, and those who
don't will change their minds about following Him altogether. Look at verse 12
again; In John's day the threshing floor represented Israel, but now it
represents the church. Since the days of its persecution-filled beginnings,
the church has gotten by without the anointing, but a time is coming
when the body of Christ will need to remember the power it once had to
surmount unimaginable difficulties. Get ready here it comes; enjoy the ride!
Mat 3-10
· (49d) Judgment Ø
Those who are unfruitful in His kingdom are destroyed -- This verse
goes with verse 12
· (157d) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of being
hell-bound Ø Being displeasing to God Ø
Leading a fruitless lifestyle
--
In this case the validity status of the believer is invalid. As the
commentary mentioned in verses 10-12, those who reject the anointing will be
stuck trying to produce fruit through their flesh. Even if they were able to
perform such a feat, it would be unacceptable to God, because He has
previously stated that everything that is not from faith is sin (Rom 14-23),
and rejecting the anointing is not from faith.
Mat 3-11,12
· (104d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Purifying process Ø Purified by fire Ø
Purified through the fiery anointing
-- See verses 10-12 for commentary.
Mat 3-11
· (111f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Spirit and the word Ø Word and the power
(meaning) of God Ø Word in obedience cannot
evade the power of God
-- There are essentially two components of the anointing: the Spirit and the
word. They can be described in many different ways, and manifest in many
different forms, in this case through obedience. God is using baptism as an analogy
for understanding the anointing. What are the similarities? First, getting
baptized takes no brains or brawn, just simple faith. Secondly, it is perhaps
the easiest thing in the world to do. The anointing is exactly the same way.
With a simple faith in God's word anyone is eligible to walk in the power of
God. So, don't look to intelligence, or to popularity, for those qualities do
not disqualify you from the anointing, but neither do they help you walk with
God. If anything, they are a hindrance to the kingdom, since His kingdom is
based on humility, and human abilities tend to make people arrogant.
· (190k) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Baptism Ø
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Mat 3-12
· (49d) Judgment Ø
Those who are unfruitful in His kingdom are destroyed -- This verse
goes with verse 10
Mat 3,13-15
· (44c) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Complete Ø
Fulfill the requirements
Mat 3-16,17
· (253f) Trinity Ø
Relationship between Father and Son Ø Father
and Son glorify each other Ø Holy Spirit honors
the Son through the Father Ø Father honors the
Son who honors the Father
· (255g) Trinity Ø
Father, Son and Holy Spirit Ø The process of
imparting the substance of God Ø Father
discloses the Spirit by the word
-- All three members of the trinity are here in these verses. Jesus is there
of course, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove, and finally they
heard the voice of the Father. It is imperative to understand the two-fold
system God uses to communicate with us through the Spirit and the word. If you
are interested in this concept (Spirit and the word), may I suggest that there
is an extensive topic devoted to delineating this incredible
truth.
Mat 4,1-11
· (8k) Responsible to defend God’s cause Ø
Preparing for the ministry – Prior to a powerful ministry is a time
of hardship and difficulty wherein people must go through many things they do
not understand. The end result is that they come to realize that difficulties
don’t destroy them, but rather help them realize they don’t have many
alternatives besides serving the Lord, which strengthens their resolve to keep
the faith.
· (15c) Servant Ø
Ministering spirits Ø Angels give help in time
of need
· (39j) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø Jesus defeated this
world system
· (94o) Thy kingdom come Ø
Perspective is your personal reality Ø How your
location influences you
· (99h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Endurance Ø Enduring circumstances Ø
Temptation
· (105m) Thy kingdom come Ø
Led by the Spirit Ø Into the fire Ø
Led by the Spirit to be led by the devil
· (160h) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Temptation Ø
Overcoming temptation Ø Jesus was tempted
· (183j) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Spirit of error Ø
Truth is the enemy of the spirit of error Ø
Spirit of error interrogates the truth
-- Tell me, what do you think? Would Satan have
really given Jesus all the kingdoms of the world had He fallen down and
worshipped the devil? Of course not. Rule number one: never believe the devil.
All of his promises are hollow. He never comes through with
his guarantees--ever! Satan would have met his goal the moment
Jesus' knee touched the earth, severing the tie between He and His Father, and
would have no need to follow through with his promise to give Him all the
kingdoms of the world, since Christ would no longer be a threat to
him.
Mat 4,1-7
· (182j) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Deception Ø
Being deceptive with people Ø Telling the truth
with an evil motive
-- Later, Jesus fed 5000 people with five
loaves and two fish. Do you think He could have turned a rock into bread? He
told the people who came for Him following Judas Iscariot that a myriad of
angels surrounded Him; He could have called for help and they would have saved
Him from that mob. Don't you think those angels would have also caught Him had
He jumped off the pinnacle? Jesus testified that Satan was the ruler of
the world, so he was not lying about owning all the kingdoms of the world
either. Satan did not lie about anything he said to Jesus, yet he has the
reputation of a liar and the father of lies. So what did he say that was a
lie? Everything! How? By telling the truth with an evil motive. That is just
as much lying as not telling the truth, because it is just as deceptive.
Mat 4-1
· (64j) God Helps Satan
(Key verse)
· (65c) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø God helps Satan Ø
God leads His son into temptation by the devil
-- Probably, most people think of being led
by the Spirit as being sent by God into some heavenly bliss, but that is not
where Jesus went. This verse tells me that God's will is not as predictable as
what some people purport it to be. Let's face it, you and I are not venturing
into a wilderness experience through our own reasoning. Rather, if we are going
to pretend to know God's will we will send ourselves into as much comfort as
possible in the name of the Lord. However, if our intention is to be real with
God, get ready for a bumpy ride, because He will sacrifice your flesh to prepare
you for the ministry, just as He did with Jesus. When you are in the midst of
your trials, it seems that God is helping Satan and not you, but that is the
paradox of it. We must go through a cleansing of the flesh in order to create
the mindsets we need to fulfill the will of God and to understand His ways. It
is our flesh that is paradoxical, not God.
· (71j) Authority Ø
God ordains us through His commandments
· (105f) Led By The Spirit
(Key verse)
Mat 4-2
· (189j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Masochism
(Self-made martyr) Ø
Fasting Ø Fasting
simulates dying to self
Mat 4-4
· (46f) Judgment Ø
Spiritual warfare Ø Fall of Satan Ø
Resisting Satan’s deception -- This verse goes with verse 7
Mat 4,5-11
· (160f) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Led by the devil
into the wilderness
Mat 4-6,7
· (9d) Responsible to prevent false doctrine –
All
too often the problems we face in our churches stem from slanted teaching in the
pulpits. Sometimes this is done ignorantly, while in other cases it is the
diabolical plan of the pastor to subvert the church in order to make a bigger
profit. In most cases it is merely ignorance that leads the preacher’s mouth
into error. However, there is a line drawn at the word "ignorance,"
that maintains a person’s guilt regardless of how little the ‘victim of
ignorance’ claims to know. That line is defined by the measure of opportunity
he has to educate himself above a reasonable level of ignorance. With so many
Bibles in America, I can’t see why anyone in this country has an excuse for
being ignorant of its teachings, especially the pastors who claim to have
devoted their lives to the book for the purpose of helping others with their
faith. Without making a conscious effort to study the Bible and consequently
misinterpreting it, there it is no difference in distorting its teachings
deliberately. But if you do commit yourself to the knowledge of God, no one will
be able to lie to you.
· (108b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Balance Ø Balance between truth and error Ø
Jesus brings balance between truth and error
-- This is how false doctrine is started. It
begins with people in charge of the word, who have no commitment to it, having
mindsets that are not trained on the Scriptures interpreting it and making
decisions about the church. Look who ultimately controls the misinterpretation
of Scripture and the people who misinterpret it. The people who put those people
in charge of the word are also guilty of neglecting to protect the word of God
from being distorted by distorted minds. We need people who have a heart for
Jesus to protect the word of God against those who have minds that have been
trained by the devil.
· (177a) Distorting Scripture
(Key verse)
· (177c) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø False doctrine Ø
Distorting Scripture Ø Distorting Scripture for
personal gain
Mat 4-7
· (46f) Judgment Ø
Spiritual warfare Ø Fall of Satan Ø
Resisting Satan’s deception -- This verse goes with verse 4
Mat 4,8-11
· (196b) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø Idolatry Ø
Worshipping the devil
Mat 4-11
· (15c) Servant Ø
Ministering spirits Ø Angels give help in
time of need
Mat 4,12-14 -- No Entries
Mat 4-15,16
· (141a) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø It bears witness to Jesus Ø
Prophesy about Jesus’ ministry Ø Jesus as the
great shepherd
Mat 4-16
· (25k) Consequences of sin Ø
Dead in sin Ø The human condition without
Christ
· (112c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Light Ø Jesus’ light overcomes darkness Ø
The light of His truth
· (184e) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Darkness Ø
God controls darkness Ø Darkness is the absence
of light
Mat 4-17
· (192i) Repent
(Key verse)
· (193c) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Repent Ø
Turn from your evil ways Ø Turn to God
· (231g) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø Body of
Christ is the organism of God’s kingdom Ø Jesus
is the head of His body’s kingdom Ø The kingdom
of heaven is where Jesus is
Mat 4,18-22
· (93f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Following Jesus Ø Leaving everything behind to
follow Him
Mat 4,18-20
· (248k) Priorities Ø
God’ s preeminence Ø Values Ø
The Highest Values Ø Some things take
precedence over others
Mat 4-23,24
· (145c) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Healing Ø
Jesus healed them all
Mat 4-23
· (239h) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom Ø Teachers Ø
Teachers are construction workers Ø Jesus is a
teacher
Mat 4-24,25
· (143j) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Jesus is popular because of His works
Mat 4-25
· (93l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Following Jesus Ø The multitude follow Jesus
See
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