Gifts For Our Children - Oct. 27, 2013

Gifts for Our Children

Psalm 78:1-8, 2 Timothy 1:1-7

Grace Presbyterian Church

October 27, 2013

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Introduction It has been said that “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. Only that the world was better because I was important in the life of a child.” [Forest E. Witcraft - 1894-1967]

I believe that influencing a child’s life in a positive manner is one of the most important and rewarding things we can do. Why? Because we are passing on to future generations our ethics, our morals, our civility and our faith. And years from now, long after we’ve left this earth, it matters not if they remember your name - only that their life was enhanced because of your presence and influence in their lives.

Special Meaning this Morning This timeless truth has a special meaning for each of us this morning as we promised to help Curt and Leann teach Carter about Jesus so that he will grow up to embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior. However, all year long, all of us can be important in the life of a child or youth whether we are parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, or friends.

Israelites and the Honey Cakes  Passing on their faith to future generations was considered essential by the Israelites. They did everything they could think of to make sure that the teachings of their ancestors were passed on to their children and to the generations that would come after them. One way they did this was to have each law of the Torah imprinted on honey cakes. Each day, the children were given honey cakes. When the children could recite the law, they could eat their cake. Thus learning had happy and tasty rewards.

On the Farm  As a boy of ten years of age, I worked on the farm of my Uncle Everett and Aunt Ida up in Iowa. Every evening, before I could eat my supper, I had to recite at least one Bible verse. Believe you me, when you are famished, memorizing a Bible verse can be done very quickly! My favorite was John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”

Psalm 78 The importance of passing on the decrees of God to our children is found In our Psalm for this morning: The psalmist wrote: “we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (God) established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep their commandments.”

The psalmist gave four reasons for teaching the children - (1) that the next generation might know the laws; (2) that they then could tell the laws to their children; (3) that all children might set their hope in God and (4) that they would never forget the works of God, but rather keep God’s commandments.

Our reason for teaching our children and youth is the same - so that our children, and their children, and the generations to follow might all set their hope in God and be followers of Christ. The importance of doing this cannot be overstated since the Church of Jesus Christ is always just one generation away from extinction.

In our New Testament reading this morning, Paul says to Timothy, I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. Three generations.

In my own life, I have twenty-three direct ancestors, including my father, coming down in thirteen straight generations to me who were ordained ministers of the Gospel. That’s 500 years of passing on from one generation to the next the Good News of Christ until it reached me.

As we educate our children in the faith and equip them for the work of ministry, what shall we give to them?

Gift of Time Let us first of all give our children the gift of time. The older we become, the more quickly time seems to pass. And many are the parents who wished they could go back and spend more time with their children when they were growing up. So let us take time to play with them, listen to them, and to pray with them. It is said that your child will hold your hand for only a little while, but will hold your heart for a lifetime.

The story is told of the great missionary, Francis Xavier.  He arrived home from a long trip, went to his room to rest and gave strict orders that under no circumstances was he to be disturbed.  However, before long he came back out of his room and said, “If it is a child who needs me, please awaken me.”

Gift of Amazement  Second, I suggest we give our children the gift of amazement. Being amazed is more and more difficult to experience. I recall vividly when I was with a group of about thirty students in the Student Union in college filled with amazement that we could see people moving and talking on this little screen called television. Today’s children are not amazed at television. After all, they grew up in the world of computers, iPhones, skype, smart phones, texting, blogs, iPads, linkedin, myspace, lap tops, flickr, email, twitter, and facebook. They even know to “unfriend” people.

As a result, it takes a lot to amaze our children these days. Yet we must find ways to share and show our children the great and majestic things God has created and be lifted up by the five A’s of our faith - amaze, astonish, astound, awe and adore.

Help them be amazed at the great stories of the Bible. We do that by reading them to and with our children.

Help them be astonished at being loved unconditionally by God. We do that by loving them unconditionally ourselves.

Help them be astounded at being able to be born again in the Spirit. 

Help them be awed at God’s unmerited love and grace.

Help them be filled with adoration

Gift of Security  Third, let us give our children the gift of physical and emotional security. Children need to know they are secure and safe in their homes and in their schools. They need to have strong safe arms hugging and encircling them in love. They need to experience the security they can have with God. And that Jesus is with them every day of their lives.

Gift of Self-Esteem  Next let us give them the gift of self-esteem by reminding them, each and every day, that they are made in God’s image, and that they are very, very precious. Find ways to commend and build them up every chance we get. We must never belittle them or put them down, for this is not the way of Christ. Let us always listen fully to what they are saying, and take their small person concerns seriously.

Gift of Prayer  Fifth, let us give our children the gift of prayer. Not only can you have regular times of prayer with and for your children you can introduce popcorn prayers. What are they? They are one word prayers for things we see everyday. See a flower - “Thank you God.” Hear a bird sing - “That’s beautiful, God.”

I remember a youth group I took to Wheeling, West Virginia on a Mission Trip. One afternoon we took the children to Oglesby Park. I’m walking with a small boy hanging on to each of my hands. We came upon a huge rock, the size of a room in our house. The one little boy looked at the rock and then asked, “Who made that rock?” I replied, “Why God made that rock.” The little boy then shouted, “Hurray for God!”

Gift of Faith  Finally, let us give the children of our lives the gift of faith. We do this not only through Church School and Confirmation Classes, but at home as well. Most families pray before they eat, and most have their children give a bedtime prayer. But more than this is needed at home. We are to tell them about Jesus. We are to tell them how much God loves them by showing them love. We are to teach them about God’s forgiveness by forgiving them and others. We are to teach them Christian caring by showing compassion for others. Regular family devotions is very important. This is a time each day when everyone joins in reading or listening to the Bible, discussing what it said, and having prayers for each other. 

I read the story of a minister who was giving a children’s sermon. He asked, “How many of you have family devotions each night?” One little girl immediately raised her hand enthusiastically. The minister, quite pleased, said, “That’s wonderful, Nancy, that you and your family have family devotions each night.” Nancy looked back at the minister quite puzzled and said, “Oh, I thought you asked how many of us had family commotions each night.”

Do your family commotions outnumber your family devotions? If so, make a concerted effort to turn that around so that you can give your family the gift of faith.

Final Thoughts  As we leave here this morning, let us do so with a fuller idea of what it means to pass on the joys and wonders of Christ to our children and youth. Let us go forth determined to give our children the gifts of time, amazement, security, self-esteem and faith. And let us go forth thanking God for the precious children of our church and our lives. I leave you with this thought: “When children of God look into the Word of God and see the son of God, they are changed by the Spirit of God into the Image of God for the glory of God.”  Amen.

Psalm 78:1-8 NRSV

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

2 Timothy 1:1-7 NRSV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grand I mother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

Thus it has been rightly said that “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” [Iroquois Nation Maxim]

Ephesians   In Ephesians, Paul says that the work of sharing the good news of Christ is to be done by apostles who attract, prophets who prepare, evangelists who enthrall, pastors who preach, and teachers who share. All are important, but this morning our focus is upon all who pass their faith on to youth and children. Why should we go to all the trouble of doing this? Paul spells it out quite clearly.  We teach (1) in order to equip the saints for the work of ministry and (2) in order to build up the body of Christ.  To equip someone means to prepare them to successfully handle whatever challenges the future might throw at them. To equip a back packer with supplies and knowledge enables the person to survive in the forest. To equip ministers with three years of seminary training enables them to teach and preach the Gospel. To equip our children and youth to be faithful disciples enables them to be a blessing to all of society. Paul says that we are to be equipped so that we are no longer tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine. Jesus said to his twelve disciples,"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” [Matthew 10:16] To be equipped spiritually means that we interact with the world wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

In addition to equipping our youth for ministry, our teaching also builds up the church, the body of Christ. Spiritual growth is difficult to measure. It’s easy to give a test to determine how many Bible facts we know. And we can measure with equal ease our knowledge of theology. But to measure where we are in our walk with God is more difficult. The main thing is for us to keep walking with God and learning to trust him more and more each year.

Sneetches "R" Us, October 20, 2013

Sneetches “R” Us

Psalm 73:1-3, 10-14, Matthew 20:1-16

Grace Presbyterian Church

October 20, 2013

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

The Sneetches of Dr. Seuss

“Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars. Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small you might think such a thing wouldn‘t matter at all. But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.” With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!” Then one day, it seems while the Plain-Belly Sneetches were moping and doping alone on the beaches, just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars, a stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars! “My friends”, he announced in a voice clear and clean, “My name is Sylvester McMonkey McBean. And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-It-Up Chappie.” Then, quickly, Sylvester McMonkey McBean put together a very peculiar machine. And he said, “You want stars like a Star-Belly Sneetch? My friends, you can have them for three dollars each!”

The story continues with the plain belly sneetches paying money to have stars put on their bellies and then the star belly sneetches paying money to have their stars taken off. Back and forth it went, with sneetches having stars put on and then taken off. This went on until all the sneetches had spent all their money.

Pride and Envy  In one fell swoop, Dr. Seuss captured the essence of pride and envy. Both pride and envy made Pope Gregory’s list of the Seven Deadly Sins. Why did envy make the list? Because whether we realize it or not, envy foments resentments, creates regrets, fuels discontent, and separates us from God. And in the Tenth Commandment we read, “You shall not covet anything that is your neighbors.” (Exodus 20:17)One person wrote:

In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. [Ivan Illich, priest, 1926-2002]

So what is envy?  First of all, we must remember that envy is coupled with jealousy to create a two-headed, green-eyed monster. And the two are quite different.

A person is jealous of what one has (that it might not be taken away or destroyed), and envious of what other people have (that you want so much that you feel your joy and happiness depends on acquiring it).

In whatever way you define it, envy distorts the mind and warps thoughts, words and actions. How does envy manifest itself? Those too heavy might be envious of those thinner. Those too short might be envious of those taller. Those who are poor might be envious of the rich. Those who are plain looking might be envious of those considered beautiful. Those who are less intelligent might be envious of those who are smart.

People Are Different  The fact is, people are different. They have different gifts. They have different physiques. And each of us know of people who are richer, better looking, stronger and smarter than we are. This is simply a fact of life. People have different attributes, personalities, and bank accounts. Life isn’t equal.  

A few years ago, a person observed,“If life were equal, all men would have all the wealth of Donald Trump, the physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the wit of Woody Allen, and the selfless devotion of Mother Teresa.”

Ambition and Debts  Now some folk think that being dissatisfied with what we have is what spurs us on to bigger and greater things. It’s called ambition. To some degree that is true, but it also spurs us on to bigger and greater debts. Envy can be very expensive.

A person once said, “Have you every noticed that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to save money when your neighbors keep buying things you can’t afford?”

And “Envy results in spending money we don’t have, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like.”

Now I’m sure that’s not universally true, but the fact remains that envy rears its ugly head at some time or another in our lives. Each time it does, it robs us of joy.

As Shakespeare said, “O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes.” [As you Like It]

Another person observed, “You can’t be envious and happy at the same time.” [Frank Tyger]

Isaac Envy is found quite frequently in the Bible. When Isaac and his family went to live in the country of Philistia, he soon became richer in land, flocks and herds than most of the Philistines around him. As a result, the Philistines became very envious of the success which Isaac enjoyed. [Genesis 26:14]

Prodigal Son When the prodigal son returned home and received a party, the older son said, “It isn’t fair that my younger brother should receive a welcome like this when I have stayed home all these years in the father’s house and I have never received a party like this one.”  (Luke 15:11-24)

Jesus and Workers in a Vineyard  In our morning scripture, Jesus told the story of a man who hired workers for his vineyard. Some he hired at 6:00 a.m., others at 9:00 a.m., noon and 3:00 p.m. and some just an hour before quitting time. No matter how long each person had worked, each received a full day’s pay. As might be expected, those who had worked all day were envious of those who had signed on an hour before quitting time. Why? Because it in their minds, it wasn’t fair.

Envy is not a healthy emotion . Envy and jealousy have been called the Green-Eyed Monster. All-consuming envy can eat us alive - it can cause us to lose sight of the virtues of love, concern, caring and contentment.    

Dwight l. moody once told a fable about an eagle who was envious of a fellow eagle who could fly better than he could.  One day he saw an archer who was out hunting.  He dropped down and said to the hunter, “Would you please bring down that eagle up there?” pointing to his arch rival.  The archer replied, “I might be able to if I had a feather for my arrow.”  So the eagle plucked a feather out of his wing for the archer to use.  But the arrow missed. So again the eagle pulled out a feather, and then another and another.  Each time, the archer missed.  Suddenly the eagle discovered that without his wing feathers, he no longer could fly.  So the archer took advantage of the situation and killed him.  Moody concluded, “if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.”

Contentment How do we counteract envy? One way is through contentment. I suggest that if we were completely content with our lot in life, we would never be envious of others. The sneetches became content with or without stars on their bellies and they were finally happy. Both pride and envy had disappeared. To be content would mean that we would not care that our co-worker was promoted before we were, or that a rich uncle died and left everything to our brother, or that our neighbor has a new boat. Yes, envy is fueled by dissatisfaction and defused by contentment.

Paul  Paul, while in prison and waiting for his trial to begin, said, “I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content...” (Philippians 4:11) That is an amazing statement considering the trials and tribulations which Paul endured over the years. Overall, the fact is that if we are completely content with who we are and what we have, we will never be envious of others.  

Perspective Sometime life is a matter of perspective.

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent several days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"  "It was great, Dad."  "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. “Oh yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants to serve us but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us but they have friends to protect them."  With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son said, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Life isn’t always Fair If we are to be content, we must accept the fact that life is not always fair. And that we aren’t always going to be treated fairly. This doesn’t mean we have to like it, but we don’t have to become envious or resentful when it happens.  

Envy Separates  We also need to recognize that envy separates us from God and neighbor. Coveting what other’s have is specifically forbidden in the tenth commandment.

Wish them Well One way to counteract envy is to look at everyone who has things you don’t have and wish them well. Wish them great joy with their money or their power. I used to think it unfair that people who are really good in sports make millions of dollars a year while I, who did more for the spiritual welfare of people than they did, made so little in comparison. Now I wish them well and hope they find fulfillment and happiness in their wealth.

Prayer  Finally, we need to take all of our feelings of envy and coveting to God in prayer, asking to be cleansed from such feelings.

Final thoughts Are you envious of anyone? Are you resentful of someone who has more of what you want? Then I suggest you wish them godspeed. Wish them happiness. Wish them joys galore. If you do, the Green-Eyed Monster will no longer hold you a prisoner. Amen.

Psalm 73:1-14 NRSV

¹ Truly God is good to the upright,

   to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

   my steps had nearly slipped.

³ For I was envious of the arrogant;

   I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

¹⁰ Therefore the people turn and praise them,

   and find no fault in them.

¹¹ And they say, ‘How can God know?

   Is there knowledge in the Most High?’

¹² Such are the wicked;

   always at ease, they increase in riches.

¹³ All in vain I have kept my heart clean

   and washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴ For all day long I have been plagued,

   and am punished every morning.

Matthew 20:1-16 NRSV

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’ 

Something For Nothing, The Third Temptation, Oct. 6, 2013

Something For Nothing

The Third Temptation

Psalm 27:1-4, 11-14, Matthew 4:1-11

Grace Presbyterian Church

October 6, 2013

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Recap This morning we visit Jesus in the wilderness for the third time. He is alone, weakened from a forty day fast and by two assaults from the Tempter. As you’ll recall, the first two times, Satan baited Jesus by saying, “If thou be the son of God, then change these stones into bread,” and “If thou be the son of God, jump from the high pinnacle of the Temple and not be hurt.” Each time, Jesus quoted scripture and refused to do what the Tempter asked. This third time the Tempter changes his strategy.

Offer of Power  He ups the stakes by taking Jesus to a very high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. Then, as an experienced salesman, he makes an offer he feels Jesus cannot refuse by saying, “All these kingdoms I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” [Matthew 4:9]

Imagine that! Instant power over all the people on earth! He would be President, Prime Minister, Premier, Monarch, Chancellor, King, and Ruler all rolled into one. He would have complete power over everyone and every thing! And he wouldn’t have to spend a penny on his campaign! When we consider the money and energy and time that is spent by people trying to get elected into high office, you can imagine the elation they would feel if they were offered the post of senator or representative or president without having to spend money or campaign at all.

This had to be tempting for Jesus since there were wars, disputes and conflicts taking place in every nation on earth and sin was rampant. If he accepted Satan’s offer, he could force everyone live in peace and harmony. All he had to do is simply bow down and worship Satan.

However, the response of Jesus to the offer was quick, firm and decisive. Jesus calls upon scripture by saying, “Begone, Satan!  For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” [Matthew 4:10, paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:13]

Jesus could never bow down to Satan and compromise his principles, ethics or loyalty to God. He would only serve his heavenly Father.

Also, something Satan did not realize was that Christ’s kingdom was not to be the same as those of  King David or King Solomon. As Jesus later said to Pontius Pilate, “My kingship is not of this world. If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight that I might not be handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from the world.” [John 18:36] Therefore, the offer to rule earthly kingdoms did not attract Jesus.

Overview So ends the three wilderness contests between the Tempter and Jesus. Jesus won each and every one of those battles simply because he would not use his powers for his own comfort by turning stones into bread, or glorify himself by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple, or for achieve political power and take control over all the kingdoms of the world. As Hebrews 4:15 says, “Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he was without sin.” [Hebrews 4:15 NIV]

But it was not easy repelling the three temptations thrown at him by the Tempter. In fact, he ended up hungry and exhausted when it was over. And so the wilderness account ends with this statement: “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.” Some spiritual first-aid was in order.

The Tempter Before we leave this account of the Tempter, let’s take a moment and review what we know of him. Through the centuries, the Tempter has gone by many names: Devil, Satan, Fallen Angel, Anti-Christ,  Adversary, Enemy, Foe, Demon, Beelzebub, and Lucifer to name a few. How do you picture him in your mind? In a red suit? With horns and a tail? If the tempter looked like that, no one would ever sin since we’d be repelled by him rather than attracted to him.

However, the Tempter is a chameleon - assuming whatever shape, sound, smell or thought that appeals to you personally. Therefore, he is a power to be taken most seriously.

Freedom of Choice The Tempter’s success depends on being created with the freedom of choice, and of us choosing him instead of God. God created us with the freedom to choose what we say and do in life because he wants us to to love him because we want to, not because we have to. The only way that can happen is if we choose to enter such a love relationship. If we had no choice but to follow, obey and love God, we’d never sin. But love cannot be legislated. It cannot be mandated. God wants us to love him because we want to, not because we have to.

But our freedom of choice opens the door for the Tempter. The fact that we can choose not to love, not to follow, and not to obey means that times of testing are constantly with us.

This morning I urge us to consider the following:

1. Take sin more seriously than we ever have before. Sin incites the wrath of God. Our sin caused Jesus to die on the Cross of Calvary.

2.  Next, take the Tempter’s power to lead us into sin very, very seriously. Never assume we are beyond his grasp.

3.  Be aware that Satan is persistent. He never takes “No” for an answer. As with Jesus, he will try again and again.

This is illustrated by the story of the lady who was looking at a very expensive dress. She knew she shouldn’t spend the money. But then Satan said to her, “It looks divine on you.” The lady replied, “Get behind me, Satan!” Then Satan said, “It looks great from back here as well.”

Screwtape Letters  Many years ago (February 1942), C. S. Lewis wrote a small book called “The Screwtape Letters.” It includes thirty-one letters from a senior Demon named Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, a Junior Tempter. Wormwood is enrolled at the Training College for Tempters and wants to be a Certified Tempter for Satan. Uncle Screwtape briefs Wormwood in the fine art of tempting his "Christian patient" away from God. Wormwood's task is to undermine the Patient's faith as well as to tempt him to specific sins. Unfortunately, his patient reaffirms his Christian faith and Wormwood is given a severe reprimand and threatened with severe penalties at the House of Correction for Incompetent Tempters. Screwtape then tells Wormwood that the gentle, sliding slope of habitual small sins is more effective than any grand sin in making the patient follow Satan instead of Christ.

The Tempter is the one who fills our hearts and minds with what has been known as the seven deadly sins: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and laziness.   Our freedom to choose obviously can be a bane or a blessing. It becomes a blessing when we choose to replace the sin of pride with humility, the sin of covetousness with generosity, the sin of lust with restraint, the sin of anger with kindness, the sin of gluttony with moderation, the sin of envy with charity, and the sin of laziness with diligence.

The Lasting Effect of our Sins We are mistaken if we think our small, habitual sins to be of no lasting consequence. One person wrote, “If man were aware of the significance of his actions and his speech he would weigh each and every act before carrying it out, and would check and examine each and every word before emitting it from his mouth. The actions of man have an enormous impact on everything - on literally all of existence. Every word which comes out of man's mouth has an effect; every act which man carries out makes an impact.” [Rabbi

If we don’t take the choices we make in life seriously, then we won’t take sin seriously, we won’t take God seriously, and we won’t rejoice when forgiven.

Psalm 27  In our psalm for this morning, we read, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. Teach me your way, O Lord. Lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” The Lord Jesus can and must be the stronghold of our lives. We must allow God to teach us his way and then lead us in a straight path.

Avoid Being the Tempter to Others  The flip side of being tempted is being the Tempter and enticing someone else to sin. Jesus was strongly against us Tempting others to sin. In Luke he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” The Church, the Communion of Saints, was called into being for many reasons, but one of them is so that we might encourage one another and build one another up.

We will continue to Sin  In the weeks, months and years ahead, we’re going to be tested and tempted. And sometimes when we’re tested, we’re going to flunk the test. We’re going to miss the mark. Yes, we’re going to sin.

1. Then it is that we must repent, turn back to God, and ask and receive his forgiveness. And as James writes, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [4:7]

2.  Then it is that we must rejoice that God forgives our sins and the times we gave in to the enticements of the Tempter.

3.  Then it is that we walk confidently into the unknown future, knowing that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Final thoughts I leave you with this thought. Try to lead your life in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. Amen.

Psalm 27:1-4, 11-14 NRSV

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Matthew 4:1-11 NRSV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,

“One does not live by bread alone,

   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you”,

   and “On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 

Pinnacles & High Places, The Second Temptation - Sept. 29, 2013

Pinnacles & High Places

The Second Temptation

Deuteronomy 6:10-16, Matthew 4:1-11

Grace Presbyterian Church

September 29, 2013

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Recap of Last Sunday  This morning, we continue our exploration into the perilous world of temptations. Last week we found Jesus in alone and hungry in a 525 square mile wilderness area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It was an area of yellow sand, crumbling limestone and jagged rocks and was called Jeshimmon, or “The Devastation” by the Hebrews. The area was about the size of Jefferson County. In this wilderness, Jesus could be more alone than anywhere else. He had gone into this wilderness immediately after his baptism to pray and to discover exactly how he was to fulfill God’s will for his life.

After fasting for forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry and tired. And it was in this weakened state that he encountered the power of the Tempter who said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” And Jesus replied, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” [Matthew 4:4] For us, this means that even though we need the necessities of life, such as food and shelter, we must feast on the Word of God as well.

Second Temptation  Although Jesus repelled the Tempter, the Tempter was persistent and wouldn’t give up. So he decided to try and corrupt Jesus a second time. This time the Tempter and Jesus travel to the great Temple of Jerusalem. The Temple was built on the top of Mount Zion. The top of the mountain was leveled out into a plateau. It was on that plateau that the temple buildings stood. There was one corner of the Temple where Solomon’s porch and the Royal porch met. At that corner there was a sheer drop of four hundred and fifty feet into the valley of the Kedron below. It is at this high pinnacle that Jesus and the Tempter looked out over the valley below. Then the Tempter said to Jesus, “If you are the son of God, 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.” [Matthew 4:6, NIV]  The Tempter was paraphrasing Psalm 91:11-12 [NIV] which says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Just as he did the first time the Tempter threw a dare at Jesus. In this case, daring Jesus to put God’s promises to the test by thrusting himself off the pinnacle and compelling God to intervene for his safety with a miracle.

To understand the lure of this second test thrown at Jesus, it is well to remember that from early childhood, Jews were taught to believe that when the true messiah came, he would be endowed with the divine power, or “dunamis” of God. They learned the rabbinical tradition which stated, “When the king messiah reveals himself, then he comes and stands on the roof of the holy place.” 

Thus, a quick and dramatic way by which Jesus could prove that he had the messianic power from God would be by leaping into the valley below and not be injured.

Golden opportunity  What a golden opportunity for Jesus! It was carpe diem. Seize the moment! If he jumped from the pinnacle with thousands of Jews looking on, and survived without even a scratch or a bruise, he would be immediately hailed as the messiah. Performing such a miracle, and receiving the applause and adulation of the crowd, was surely a far more appealing alternative than enduring the pain and agony of the Cross. But again, Jesus said, “No.”  He rebuffed the Tempter by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” [Matthew 4:7] 

He refused to do as the Tempter dare him to do because he knew that his Messiahship was not to be revealed to the world through a simple leap down from the top of the Temple, but instead through his gigantic leap upwards onto the Cross.

Satan Knew Scriptures  What is important to realize is that Satan knew the scriptures as well as Jesus. He tempted Jesus with Psalm 91 hoping that Jesus might be persuaded to follow him if he thought he was fulfilling scripture. But Jesus’ knew better and rejected the Tempter’s proposal by dipping into his own scriptural arsenal, and throwing Deuteronomy 6:16 back at him.

Struggling with Temptation a Lonely Business  Struggling with temptation is a lonely business. The final decision is always ours alone. When Jesus repelled the Tempter, the decision was his alone. When Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the decision was hers alone. When David sent Uriah into battle so he could have Bathsheba, the decision was his alone. When Moses killed the Egyptian, the decision was his alone. When Judas betrayed Jesus, the decision was his alone.

Every time we are tempted and put to the test, we wrestle back and forth in a titanic spiritual tug-of-war. “Should I or shouldn’t I?” In that struggle, the Tempter gives us reasons why it is OK to do it anyway. The final decision, right or wrong, is ours alone to make.

Be Prepared So what shall we do? We can take a cue from the Boy Scouts - Be Prepared. How?

*** First, we can do what Jesus did and arm ourselves with the knowledge of Holy Scriptures. Many are the prisoner’s of war who have been sustained by repeating passages of scripture such as Psalms 23, 27 and 46, Proverbs 3, John 14, 1 John 5, and Philippians 4. Paul wrote to Timothy: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:14-17] A key phrase is “equipped for every good work.” You don’t have to memorize scriptures word for word, but be familiar enough with them to receive the strength you need to repel the temptation. Yes, scriptures can equip us to withstand the fiery darts of the Tempter.

*** Second, we must be receptive to the power of the Holy Spirit so that when temptations arise, we can automatically plug in to God’s power and strength. This means establishing an ongoing relationship with God’s Spirit before temptations arise, rather than waiting until we need God’s help in a particular situation. In other words, we need Jesus in our heart at all times.

That reminds me of the story of a little girl who came up to her grandfather and laid her ear on his chest. “What are you doing?” asked her grandfather? “Oh, in Sunday School this morning we were told that we needed to have Jesus in our heart, so I was listening to see if he was in your heart.” “And is Jesus there?” he asked. “Oh yes, but it sounds as if he’s making coffee.”

*** Third, we can prepare ourselves to conquer temptation by receiving strength, encouragement and power from one another. We are members together of the Body of Christ. There is great power in numbers. The Body of Christ is commissioned to support the weak and encourage the fainthearted.  Thus it is the Spirit of God working through those around us that bolsters our inner resolve.

Paul puts it this way, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.” [Ephesians 4:14-16 NRSV]

Through the Holy Spirit, flowing into our hearts by prayer, scripture, worship, meditation, and with those around us, God strength flows to us. If any of you are facing great times of testing, I urge you not to fight them alone. Reach out to others for help and guidance, for God’s strength can flow through their voices and their caring into your heart.

The Armor of God  Paul writes to the Ephesians and says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” [Ephesians 6:10-11NRSV]  What armor of God is Paul talking about? He says we are to fasten the belt of truth around our waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. We are to take the shield of faith so that we can quench the flaming arrows of the evil one. We are to put on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And we are to pray in the Spirit at all times. To be armed before the testings of life come is vital. We must be prepared to be tested if we want to pass the test.

Final thoughts  This morning I ask you to think about all your relationships - the covenants you have made with others - with your spouse or parents or children or friends. With business partners or customers. How worthy of their trust are you? Do you fulfill the terms of your relationship even when it’s hard? Even when put to the test? Arm yourselves with the power of scripture and fellowship, remembering that it’s “Better to shun the bait, than struggle in the snare.” [John Dryden]
 

Deuteronomy 6:10-16 NRSV

When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth. Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Matthew 4:1-11 NRSV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,

“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.