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[1048.30 --> 1052.06] Do we require God to follow us
[1052.06 --> 1053.56] In our own agendas?
[1054.46 --> 1055.96] That's the temptation.
[1056.34 --> 1059.70] The latter is what the devil is trying to entice from Jesus.
[1061.74 --> 1063.90] And then applying this to our lives,
[1064.28 --> 1065.60] I think to myself,
[1065.60 --> 1068.68] Do we not do that sometimes in our own faith journeys?
[1069.54 --> 1071.84] Do we always trust in God,
[1072.02 --> 1074.50] Even if life looks dark and gloomy?
[1075.82 --> 1076.38] Or,
[1076.56 --> 1081.12] Do we demand that God follow our agenda
[1081.12 --> 1083.04] Because we have tithed enough,
[1083.28 --> 1083.94] Prayed enough,
[1084.06 --> 1085.04] Gone to church enough?
[1086.12 --> 1089.70] Do we demand that God now follow our own agendas
[1089.70 --> 1091.38] And somehow fix all of our problems
[1091.38 --> 1093.32] Because we have done all these things?
[1093.32 --> 1097.30] In our weakness and desperation,
[1097.30 --> 1099.50] We seek God's healing and guidance,
[1099.60 --> 1100.26] Of course.
[1100.82 --> 1103.22] And this is out of trust in his ultimate wisdom.
[1104.34 --> 1105.54] We fully trust in him.
[1105.66 --> 1106.70] That is a truth.
[1106.98 --> 1110.26] But do we sometimes even take this truth
[1110.26 --> 1112.32] And pervert it in a way
[1112.32 --> 1115.22] Where we require him to follow us
[1115.22 --> 1116.44] Instead of us following him?
[1116.44 --> 1120.14] And notice something very significant here.
[1120.38 --> 1123.76] Because Jesus says that the most important commandments in the Bible are,
[1124.60 --> 1125.30] Love God,
[1125.78 --> 1126.36] Love neighbor.
[1126.66 --> 1128.68] And I love how this commentator pointed this out.
[1129.02 --> 1129.80] Simple fact,
[1130.18 --> 1131.86] Jumping off the top of a roof
[1131.86 --> 1133.22] And testing God
[1133.22 --> 1135.18] Does neither of these things.
[1137.18 --> 1139.46] Testing God by jumping off a roof
[1139.46 --> 1141.76] Does neither loving God more
[1141.76 --> 1143.60] Or loving our neighbors more.
[1143.60 --> 1146.14] So what's the point?
[1146.78 --> 1149.88] Well, the point was for Satan to try to split that relationship.
[1152.92 --> 1155.66] And finally, we come to the last temptation.
[1156.22 --> 1157.88] As one commentator titled it,
[1158.24 --> 1160.86] Challenging Jesus' love for God's world.
[1161.98 --> 1167.00] And this temptation is a challenge against the core of Jesus' own vocation.
[1167.00 --> 1170.42] He came to save the world that was lost
[1170.42 --> 1172.54] Because it was broken in sin.
[1173.90 --> 1175.90] That was his job, you can say.
[1177.14 --> 1178.52] And Satan here
[1178.52 --> 1182.72] Is perversely offering that completion of the job
[1182.72 --> 1184.04] To Jesus
[1184.04 --> 1187.38] Only if he would bow and worship Satan.
[1188.86 --> 1190.08] I'll give you this world.
[1190.16 --> 1191.06] You came to save it.
[1191.14 --> 1191.94] I'll give it to you.
[1192.30 --> 1193.62] Just bow and worship me.
[1194.98 --> 1196.56] Do you see the purpose behind it now?
[1197.20 --> 1198.10] What's he trying to do?
[1198.40 --> 1200.68] If Jesus were to bow down and worship Satan,
[1201.44 --> 1202.44] That would be, again,
[1202.56 --> 1204.86] Breaking that relationship between him and God.
[1204.86 --> 1206.84] Because God is the only one
[1206.84 --> 1210.62] Who is deserving of all praise and worship.
[1211.60 --> 1212.94] Breaking of the relationship.
[1215.24 --> 1218.02] Satan is tempting us as well,
[1218.12 --> 1219.20] Like he did to Jesus.
[1220.00 --> 1222.60] Tempting us to think that when we are successful,
[1223.32 --> 1225.30] And when our work advances,
[1225.30 --> 1229.92] Then the glory of God automatically advances as well.
[1230.18 --> 1231.78] This is the subtlety here.
[1232.40 --> 1235.82] It is one thing to do our best to be faithful to God's calling,
[1236.14 --> 1238.58] Wherever he calls us to.
[1239.02 --> 1240.40] Whatever he calls us to.
[1241.20 --> 1246.24] The truth is that doing our best does reflect God's goodness through our lives.
[1246.24 --> 1247.84] That is a truth.
[1247.84 --> 1249.80] But this same truth,
[1249.92 --> 1251.68] This same vocation or calling,
[1252.00 --> 1254.40] Can be turned quickly into an idol
[1254.40 --> 1257.04] When we would do absolutely anything
[1257.04 --> 1259.08] To not let it fail.
[1259.08 --> 1263.28] The lies that we sometimes believe,
[1264.00 --> 1265.62] You need to be successful,
[1266.06 --> 1267.82] Otherwise God will not love you.
[1268.16 --> 1269.10] Or the lie,
[1269.54 --> 1272.76] You are only as good as you are successful at your job.
[1272.76 --> 1277.10] That is a blatant lie.
[1277.10 --> 1278.96] But it's a deceptive lie.
[1279.10 --> 1280.78] Because we can always think to ourselves,
[1281.04 --> 1282.54] But I'm doing all this for God.
[1284.72 --> 1286.74] This is all for God's glory, isn't it?
[1287.86 --> 1289.48] No, it's not for my pride.
[1289.72 --> 1290.98] No, it's for God.
[1291.36 --> 1293.14] And we keep deceiving.
[1293.26 --> 1296.36] We have the temptation of deceiving ourselves with that.
[1299.02 --> 1300.82] We belong to God.
[1301.24 --> 1303.46] And as Jesus proclaims from Scripture again,
[1303.58 --> 1309.20] The ultimate truth is that only God is worthy to be served and worshipped.
[1310.80 --> 1314.70] And this God that we worship loves us unconditionally,
[1315.18 --> 1316.74] No matter where we are.
[1317.80 --> 1320.42] And we are called to trust fully in Him.