Tuesday 5 March 2019

Sermon 10th March 2019 – 1st Sunday in Lent Text: Luke 4:1-13 – Overcoming temptation


Sermon 10th March 2019 – 1st Sunday in Lent
Text: Luke 4:1-13 – Overcoming temptation

One of my favourite Bible Readings is in St Paul’s letter to the Romans.
You possibly know it well, and if you’ve ever been a bible reader in church with this reading you’ve probably gotten a bit tongue tied.
It reads, from Romans 7 - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does.
Why do we do what we do not want to do – and why don’t we do what we want to do when it comes to do with what God wants?
It’s been a problem right from the beginning of creation with Adam and Eve.
They had the world at their feet.
They had not a care in the world as long as they did what God wanted and not eat from the one tree in the Garden of Eden.
They were free to eat from any of the trees in the garden except one.
It was their one weakness – their Achilles heel – their weakest link – or whatever other metaphor you wish to use – and Satan knew it.
And that’s the pivotal point – Satan knew it.
He began by creating doubt – and then he wrapped that temptation so enticing that despite knowing what she had to do and what she should not do – Eve gave in to the temptation:
When we read Genesis 3 we see 3 things at play that led to Eve, and then Adam’s downfall:
First - the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.
Secondly – the use of doubt – did God really say?
And thirdly - the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.
Satan’s craftiness and knowing our weakness – and the enticing nature of temptation – it’s the perfect storm.
And we see in today’s Gospel reading the same 3 power plays by Satan:
His craftiness knowing Jesus’ likely weakness – 40 days without food – you must be hungry – turn these rocks into bread.
The use of doubt – if you are the Son of God – “IF” – Satan knows very well that Jesus is the Son of God – otherwise why would he be trying to cause his downfall.
And further doubt – throw yourself down and see if God really loves you enough to catch you like he promised.
Thirdly – enticement –
Worship me and I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world.
And this is where Satan now works in your life.
He knows your weakness and will use his craftiness to wrap that temptation in glitter to entice you and create just enough doubt to make you ask “why not”.
Are you surprised when you hear of devout TV evangelists who are caught having an affair with one of their parishioners – Satan’s not – because he knew their weakness.
Are you surprised when you hear of a devout Christian who has been caught stealing from the church – Satan’s not – after all, Judas was very easy to tempt with 30 pieces of silver to betray his Lord Jesus.
Are you surprised when a person who has been a Christian all their life suddenly stops coming to church and says they no longer believe – Satan’s not.
It’s what he does best and is constantly looking for his next victim, as St Peter says: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Peter got that warning from Jesus himself when he said to him - “Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
So how do we overcome the temptation of this crafty serpent whose desire is only to “kill, steal and destroy”?
St Paul gives us a clue when he says – the good I want to do – and the evil I do not want to do.
We know what God wants and that’s why Jesus in his temptation always resisted the devil by saying – It is written.
The Bible is not a book – it is God’s living word to us.
And when we are tempted that’s where we go.
Satan may know your weaknesses but God knows your strengths and he who is faithful will present you blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus, as St Paul assured the Thessalonians.
And so when Satan tempts us and says – did God really say – we can respond – yes he did – because it is written.
Jesus also gives us a clue in his warning to Peter when he says – when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Jesus is acknowledging that Peter is going to fall to temptation but there is restoration by God.
And when he is restored he asks Peter to strengthen his brothers.
God always forgives when we repent – he always restores – so we constantly need to return to God and receive his grace.
And we need to strengthen one another as Jesus did when he said he was praying for him and the other disciples against Satan.
Encourage one another to seek God’s forgiveness.
Satan’s greatest weapon is our guilt.
That’s why he tempts us.
Not so we do wrong to upset God – but so he can accuse and convict us and break our relationship with God through guilt.
Look what it did to Adam and Eve as they hid in the garden from God.
And then they blamed each other  and God – the woman YOU gave me.
Look what it did to Judas as in his guilt he threw the money back at those who gave it to him and then took his own life.
Jesus says – come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest – rest for your souls.
As St Paul assures us in today’s 2nd reading - if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Satan is cunning and can hit us with precision for which we are urged to take up the armour of God and to take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Satan is not a cute little fellow in a red suit who comes out on Valentines Day.
He is the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
But Jesus has come that we may have life, and have it to the full.
For these 40 days of Lent may we walk ever more closely with our Lord Jesus and call on him in that we may not be led into temptation and to be delivered from evil and the evil one and to be assured that "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – because it is written."

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