Luke 4:33-44

Luke 4:33-44

1. We should notice the clear religious knowledge possessed by the devil and his agents.
2. We should notice the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. We should notice our Lord's practice of occasional retirement from public notice into some solitary place.
4. We ought to notice the declaration of our Lord as to one of the objects of His coming into the world.

"Let it never content us to know religion with our heads only. We may go on all our lives saying, "I know that, and I know that," and sink at last into hell, with the words upon our lips."

"The ability of Christ to supply to the uttermost every need of human nature, is the very cornerstone of Christianity. Christ, in one word, is "all.""

"The more work we have to do the more we ought to imitate our Master. If He, in the midst of His abundant labors, found time to retire from the world occasionally, how much more may we? If the Master found the practice necessary, it must surely be a thousand times more necessary for His disciples."

"To speak of preaching, as some do, as a thing of less importance than reading public prayers or administering the sacraments, is, to say the least, to exhibit ignorance of Scripture."

Questions:

1. Do we reflect the devil in knowing truth about God but are not transformed by it? What differences does our theology make? Let me ask Ryle’s questions again:

a. Does our knowledge of sin make us hate it?

b. Does our knowledge of Christ make us trust and love Him?

c. Does our knowledge of God's will make us strive to do it?

d. Does our knowledge of the fruits of the Spirit make us labor to show them in our daily

behavior?

2. Do we really believe that Christ is the cornerstone of all our needs and hopes? That in Him are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?

3. Ryle, like us, lived in “hurrying, busy times.” What is our practice of making time for private meditation and being alone with God? What difference would it make if we did?

4. Do we see preaching as a primary means of grace? Do we come to sermons with humble, prayerful hearts to hear from God and apply what we hear?