Sermon Notes, February 24, 2013
Rev. Gary Smith
Pastor Gary’s
sermon was titled “Journey to the Cross: The Worshipper,” from Luke 4:5-8.
Life is
tough—what will we do? There are many
challenges, trials and temptations; Jesus knows, because he’s had challenges,
trials and temptations. He was tempted
all 40 of those days in the desert.
Jesus had just come from his baptism, where he had heard God’s voice
affirming him as the Son of God, giving him purpose, power, and his
mission. Luke puts Jesus’ genealogy
right there, between his baptism and his temptation, showing us he had earthly
ties: Jesus was fully human. He went to
the wilderness to find answers: How shall I use these powers? How shall I fulfill my ministry? How shall I exercise the authority of
Sonship?
Satan’s temptation
is to take shortcuts. He tempts Jesus to
bypass the cross, telling him to bow down and worship him and he’d give him the
kingdoms of the world. Satan promises
things he can’t deliver. Jesus doesn’t
fall for it; he goes back to scripture, “You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.”
The act
of worship is when the redeemer communes with the redeemed. Jesus told Satan, “I don’t need what you
offer, I have my Father.” Worship’s
focus is our God: it’s not about me, it’s about giving glory to Him. When Satan gets us to refocus our attention
from God, he wants to separate us from God’s power. Jesus knew his worship of his Father was his
lifeline.
The position
of the worshipper—Jesus counts the cost.
It’s not worth what it would cost—the easy way—to bypass the cross. There are no shortcuts to relationship, to
intimacy. They are cultivated by
spending time.
What effort do
we make to worship, to focus on Him? How
much are we willing to sacrifice? True
worship is a lifestyle—what we do daily as we live, being a reflection of
Him. True worship is an attitude of the
heart. True worship is humility—I don’t
need all the kingdoms of the world: I have God.
True worship is knowing we belong to God and finding contentment—I can’t
live without God. Jesus models being a
worshipper—the Redeemer communicates with the redeemed.
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