This is my sermon outline for my class that I delivered today:

Intro – Matthew 4, you will see time and time again how it is important to know scripture specifically and precisely, you will see the import ants of having an edge to you sword. 

Matthew 4: 1-11

* And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to be made into bread. But he answered and said It is written, Man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

The rest of this verse reads

Deut. 8:3- He humbled you causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

The context of this verse is the Lord is talking to his people about how they need to remember him and what he’s done for them. The proceeding verse, God did this to humble and test his people to see what was in their hearts, to see if they would keep his commandments.

-  Here we see that specific scripture helps keeps us focused on want God wants for our life.

- Through out your life people will try to get you to take the easy way out. Here we see the Devil trying to get Jesus to make stones into bread so that he can eat. What’s wrong with eating bread when you’re hungry? Nothing, unless God has called you to hunger, then it would be going against his will for you and his glory. Jesus used the Deut. 8:3 edge of his sword, and showed us why it would be wrong for him to do that.

** Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, “It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

- Now here we see the Devil quoting Psalm 91:11-12 – in Psalm 91 the Lord speaks of protecting the ones he loves as the wicked are being punished and killed. It’s an interesting text for Satan to have quoted, seeing as the context speaks of the protection of God’s people ad the destruction of the wicked.

- Jesus then quotes Deut. 6:16 – Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah.

-This verse speaks of and quotes Exodus 17:2 – So they quarreled with and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

Here we see Jesus comparing jumping off of the highest point of the temple to the Israelites complaining for water. We from Psalm 91 that God will protect the ones he loves. God is faithful enough that his word does not need to be tested to see if he’s telling the truth.

- Satan will use scripture and he will use it out of context to try to get us to go against God. He will use half truths to try and trick us. The best way to undue a half truth is to know the whole truth. Many people, will you scripture out of context to support ungodly things saying it’s in the Bible. Cults who claim that they got there start from the Bible do this all the time. This shows us why it’s so important to know scripture and to know it well, scripture in the hands of those who want to misuse it can do great damage. The whole truth is far more powerful than a mere half truth and to get that whole truth you must know that truth specifically.

Knowing specific scripture not only helps you know what God said, but also what he didn’t say.

*** Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus Answered to him “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”

Deut. 6:13 – Fear the Lord your God, serve him alone and take your oaths in his name.

The proceeding verses give this verse a better sense of completeness…they go on to say not to worship any other gods because God is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

- Satan does not want God to receive your worship, which is the reason you were made. Here we see that scripture can protect you from using sin to get what you want.

Now from this whole text we see that after each and every time that Jesus uses scripture, Satan moves on and doesn’t keep on the same temptation. He finds himself out done and over powered.

This passage is like a fencing match as Jesus and Satan go back and forth with their swords. Satan attempts to attack Jesus’ weakness with the food and Jesus counters with specific scripture. Then Satan tries to mimic Jesus’ style by using scripture and adding in a bit of his own by getting Jesus to prove himself by tempting God. Jesus’ again counters Satan with specific scripture and over powers and out maneuvers Satan. Then Satan goes for the kill by offering Jesus his whole kingdom and Jesus ends the match with specific scripture and forcing Satan to retreat.

In Ephesians 6:17 - …the sword of the spirit which is the word of God

This is how scripture is portrayed, as a sword which is attacking and defending.

A lot of preachers today have spiritual pipes rather than swords. The have general and vague scriptures that can skim the surface but not go very deep. They lack the specific and detailed scripture that gives the sword its edge. Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edge sword. It penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints, marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  What incredible power we have before us. What an incredible responsibility and accountability we have.

When training with a sword in the military you don’t start off being very effective with it, it takes lots of time and lots of practice. You get the general idea of how to use it and sadly most Christians are content with that with their spiritual swords. I bet that if you knew that you were going to war and that sword was not only the means of saving your life but the lives of you loved ones that you would  learn how to master that sword and master it well.

We are in a spiritual war and scripture is the sword that gives us the means to save our lives and the lives of the people around us. How can we be content with just the basics?

It’s like trying to dig a hole with a basketball on a stick. All we can do with that is just beat the service over and over again. There’s no depth or variety to our perching and you can only have so much urgency. If only we had an edge on the stick like a shovel head to not just hit the surface but to go deeper and deeper with the scripture. Today we have pastors handing out basketballs on sticks and telling the people to go dig for berried treasure.

Our swords will always need more sharpening; this is not a task that we can ever ask if we are done yet, but a life long mission to know the word of God Better.

So may God himself help us and give us the desire to learn his word better and allow us to be better servants for him.