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University SDA Church- East Lansing

Hid in My Heart

David Shin

Hid in My Heart- Part 1

Two-part series of messages entitled hid in my heart It's taken from Psalms 1 19 11.

You remember that verse thy word have I hid in my heart?

That I might not sin against thee will be focusing on the Word of God as it relates to the Christian experience and today the focus of our message is found in Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 through 4.

We'll be looking at the first temptation of Jesus right after He has been baptized.

Matthew 4 and verse 1, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

When you're reading this passage, some of you may be inclined to think that somehow the devil and the spirit were in collusion to frame this temptation for Jesus when that is not the case.

There is not an alliance between the spirit and the devil.

The actual translation of the word tempted here is literally tested.

And I wanna make very clear that in this situation, Jesus is not placing himself willfully on Satan's ground.

Jesus is right after his baptism, before his ministry, preparing for ministry in the wilderness, and it is in this situation that the devil comes and tempts Jesus.

Matthew 4, verse 2, and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry.

And Satan knew that he was not going to wait 30 days, he was going to wait 40 days.

And it's not by accident that this temptation came right after the baptism of Jesus Christ, which means that when you go down into the watery grave of which we have witnessed this year many times, that afterwards you are a marked individual.

But the difference is now you're not alone.

And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward he was a hungered.

Now when the tempter came to him and said, if you are the son of God, command these stones to become bread.

That first part of that phrase, it says, if you are the son of God, Satan was tempting Jesus to doubt the words that he had just heard before at the baptism of Jesus saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

There's a myriad of things that we can focus on, but I want to focus this morning on this particular passage in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4 it says, but he answered and said it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by what did your Bible say But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

I want to make a few observations about this passage and then we will go to the heart and the thesis of our presentation here this morning.

Jesus, in all 3 temptations says the words what it is written we have an Adventist ministry today entitled it is written Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3.

We're not going to go there here today, this afternoon if you have some time.

I want to encourage you to read Deuteronomy chapter 8.

Matter of fact, in the temptation number 2 and temptation number 3 Jesus quotes Deuteronomy the second time and the third time in all 3 temptations Jesus quotes the book of Deuteronomy the Old Testament We live in an age today in the Christian community where they say, you know, the Old Testament, it's not really as relevant today.

But Jesus here shows that the Old Testament is relevant.

So relevant that in this great controversy between Christ and Satan at the greatest moment of temptation, Jesus looks through his mental files of scripture and he quotes the book of Deuteronomy in response to the temptation by the devil himself, which means that Jesus thought that he believed that the Old Testament was relevant, powerful, and transformative in the life of the Christian.

Another observation that Jesus made or Jesus said of this passage in Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3, it says, man shall not live by bread alone.

Jesus is pointing out that we are not only physical beings.

We're going to be making some more observations about this passage, but Jesus points out that just as important for our spiritual nourishment, it's a relationship to our physical nourishment of bread.

And then Jesus says, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

We're not to be selective when it comes to God's Word.

He says that every word is appliable and powerful.

I want to focus here this morning on this relationship that Jesus alludes to.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jesus here is implying that there is some sort of relationship between physical bread and the spiritual word.

There is an interesting parallel comparison between these 2, and this is not the only time that Jesus alludes to this reality.

You remember in John chapter 6, verse 51 through 52, Jesus said, I am the living, what does it say?

I am the living bread that came down from heaven he's talking about the manna this is an allusion to the heavenly manna that came down during the times of the Old Testament he says I am the living bread that came down from heaven and notice the language here it says if anyone eats this What does it say?

Bread He will live forever and the bread also which I will give for the life of the word is my flesh and this verse 56 is shocking The people heard this and many of the disciples went away.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them.

And the people, many of the disciples, many of the Pharisees thought that Jesus was alluding to cannibalism.

But Jesus later on clarifies in John chapter 6 verse 63, he says, the words that I speak unto you, They are spirit, they are life.

Jesus is implying that there is a special unique relationship between physical bread and the spiritual word.

Are you following me here this morning, yes or no?

There is an interesting fascinating relationship between the word and physical bread.

It is what we call a parallel comparison.

It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

What do we mean by a parallel comparison?

Remember in elementary school, you had these parallel comparisons.

Matter of fact, they come up in IQ tests, at least some of the ones I've taken.

This is a very simple parallel comparison to illustrate my point.

Now, the way that you find the answer right here is that you look at the unique relationship between kitten and cat, isn't that right?

You say, all right, kitten, cat, let me see.

Then you think puppy is an adolescent dog.

And then you say this is what we call a parallel relationship.

Jesus in Matthew chapter 4 verse 4 is giving an implied parallel analogy.

Bread is to physical as the Word is to spiritual.

The bread is to physical as the word is to spiritual.

Now I know this is Sabbath morning and you're like, oh pastor, come on.

This is, but this is, I try to keep it as basic and elementary as possible.

All right, so the bread is the physical as the Word is the spiritual, and so we do the same thing.

The same relationship or a parallel relationship between bread and our physical nature is the same as the word is to our spiritual nature.

So the exercise I want to do here this morning is for us to understand how essential the word is to the physical nature, I want us to go in there and analyze, to think about the relationship between physical bread and our physical nature.

And so here is some reflections in my sermon preparation this week.

The way that we relate to bread is a active Interaction.

It is not a passive interaction, at least if you want to receive the full benefits of the bread.

Let me give you an illustration of a passive relationship.

A passive relationship is carrying bread, having the bread on your lap.

Even smelling the bread, you know, Putting your tongue on the bread, passive.

Hid in My Heart- Part 2

And it's not by accident that this temptation came right after the baptism of Jesus Christ, which means that when you go down into the watery grave of which we have witnessed this year many times that afterwards you are a marked individual.

And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterward he was a hungered.

The same relationship or a parallel relationship between bread and our physical nature is the same as the word is to our spiritual nature so the exercise I want to do here this morning is for us to understand how essential the word is to the physical nature, I want us to go in there and analyze, to think about the relationship between physical bread and our physical nature.

The way that we relate to bread is a active interaction.

It is not a passive interaction, at least if you want to receive the full benefits of the bread, right?

You're not going to receive the full nutritional benefit of the bread.

Matter of fact, you can have a thousand loaves in your cupboard.

In other words, possessing bread is not the relationship that is going to give you the most nutritional value.

As a matter of fact, it's going to give you 0 nutritional value.

Now the relationship between us and bread, by the way, when Jesus said bread, he's not just talking about specifically bread, he's talking about the material necessity for human existence.

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Series

Hid in My Heart

Hid in My Heart- Part 2

Transcript

Parent Series

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Parts

Hid in My Heart- Part 1

45m

Hid in My Heart- Part 2

45m

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