Preparing For Greater

Introduction- Testing provides an assessment and/or evaluation of our preparedness

A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to move unless their demands are met. The often clearly visible demonstrations are intended to spread awareness among the public, or disrupt the goings-on of the protested organisation. Lunch counter sit-ins were a nonviolent form of protest used to oppose segregation during the civil rights movement, and often provoked heckling and violence from those opposed to their message.

Nonviolent Training

Bruce Hartford, 2004

Just as there were two kinds of nonviolence, there were two kinds of nonviolent training. Some training was in classic Gandhian nonviolence, learning why (and to some degree, how) to peacefully face and defuse hatred and violence with courage and compassion. The main purpose of training in philosophical nonviolence was to shape the individual person's attitude and mental response to crises and violence. Most of the nonviolent training that is carried out today seems to be of this philosophical sort.

On the other hand, the main purpose of training in tactical nonniolence was to learn the practical techniques of participating in, organizing, and leading, nonviolent direct action demonstrations, — and how to protect yourself from being maimed or killed while doing so.

These two kinds of training were not mutually exclusive, nor were they in opposition to each other,  — frequently they were combined. But a given training session usually emphasized one or the other. In the early years of the Freedom Movement, the late 50s and early 60s, philosophic training predominated, but by the time I became active in 1963 most of the training I was involved in was tactical rather than philosophical.

Why We Trained in Tactical Nonviolence

I used to teach tactical nonviolence at CORE, Non-Violent Action Committee (N-VAC), and SCLC training sessions. And there were good reasons why such training was necessary:

Physical safety. In the 50s and early 60s demonstrating for (or against) anything was dangerous (to say nothing of being considered "un-American"). The notes from a training session I ran in late '63, listed the instances of violence that had been inflicted on local demonstrators in that area during the previous year: Verbal abuse Spitting on Kicking and stepping on Beatings with fists, chains, and police billy-clubs Dragging female protesters across a room by the hair Throwing manure, eggs, tomatoes, exploding firecrackers, rocks, & bricks at us Knocking sit-ins over and rolling them down a flight of stairs Chokings by police (the infamous "choke hold") Attacks with home-made flame-throwers (hairspray ignited with a cigarette lighter) Pouring hot tar over heads Cars attempting to run over pickets Stabbing with a knife (fortunately not fatally) Those abuses were endured civil rights demonstrators in Los Angeles, California in 1963, — not in Georgia, Lousiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. In the deep South the violence was much worse.

Discipline. To be effective, a demonstration has to adhere to a code of self-discipline so that a clear and positive message is conveyed to the public and the press. When faced with violence, discipline is essential for the safety of everyone in the action. When a mob has you surrounded, or the cops are itching for an excuse to whip heads and bust you on felony charges, one person "doing his own thing" can get a lot of folk hurt. But discipline does not come easy to the kind of people who protest against the way things are, which is why training in that discipline is so necessary. How to demonstrate. Today almost everyone believes (incorrectly) that they know how to demonstrate. But it was not always so. When the direct action phase of the Freedom Movement began in 1960, almost two decades of repression had crippled, — driven underground, — most of a political generation. So in the early years of the Movement many people who participated in direct action, — particularly in the South and mid-West, — had never even seen a picket-line, much less been on one; or a sit-in, or a Freedom Ride, or a mass march. And the fact is that even today there are more effective and less effective ways to organize, lead, and participate in protest; and that direct action has an element of craft to it that can — and should — be learned.

Rite of passage. In the early years, before the Freedom Movement grew into a mass movement, we really were small bands of brothers and sisters in a hostile land. The training was something we all shared, and participating in the rough & tumble of a full-blown nonviolent training session forged mutual confidence, and acted as a rite-of-passage initiating new members into the circle of trust.

The songs.       The songs elevated our courage,            The songs bonded us together,                 The songs forged our discipline,                      The songs shielded us from hate,                            The songs protected us from danger,                               And the songs kept us sane. In terms of political and moral effectiveness, group singing is to group chanting, as an elephant is to a mouse. But songs have to be learned. Moreover, the kind of singing that (trained) protesters do as an act of solidarity in the face of hatred and danger is very different from performance singing done on stage or in school. And just as a choir has to practice, so too do demonstrators. One of the reasons that the singing on modern mass marches is so pathetic and demoralizing is that no one's been doing any training or practice.

Transition To Body- God’s chosen beloved people- Children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years

Matthew 4:1–11 (IVPBBC NT): The three texts from Deuteronomy (6:13, 16; 8:3) cited here (4:4, 7, 10) were commands God gave to Israel when he tested Israel for forty years in the wilderness. Unlike Israel of old, Jesus as Israel’s representative (1:1; 2:15) passes the tests.

Children of Israel’s Baptism

1 Corinthians 10:1–5 ESV

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:1 (IVPBBC NT): The surprising feature here for most Jewish readers would not have been that the devil was providing temptation, but that he was doing it in person.

When does the devil show in person?

Garden of Eden

Genesis 3:1 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Job

Job 1:6–12 ESV

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Joshua the High Priest

Zechariah 3:1 ESV

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Why?

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Jesus’ Baptism

Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Body- Preparing For Greater

Led by the Spirit to be Tested

Matthew 4:1 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Tempted- of God or Christ, who put people to the test, in a favorable sense

Tempter- to entice to improper behavior, tempt

Above all the devil works in this way;

But he also makes bold to tempt Jesus

James 1:12–18 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Preparing to be Tested

Matthew 4:2 ESV

2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Illustration: According to https://www.educationcorner.com/test-preparation-tips.html

Proper Test Preparation Strategies

1. Don't Procrastinate. Don't Cram.

It seems like some students thrive on last-minute 'cramming'. But most experts will agree, cramming isn't effective.

2. Plan Your Study Time

3. Make time for studying.

4. Watch for Clues

5. Ask Your Teacher for Direction

6. Arrive Early on Test Day

Preparation

Fasting 40 days & 40 nights- why?

Illustration: Ash Wednesday is February 22. 2023.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Christian season called Lent. Lent originated in the 4th century, and was initially a time of preparation for those being baptized at Easter. Since baptism is an act of introduction into a community of faith, the entire community was called to this "time of preparation."

Additionally, those people who had been removed from the fellowship of the church (for a number of reasons that are not particularly important for us to get into at this time) were also called to this time of self-examination, prayer, fasting, and introspection before their re-introduction to the church.

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It’s a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ’s death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Tested/Tempted by the Devil

Tempted while hungry

Matthew 4:3–4 ESV

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 ESV

2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Tempted to Test God

Matthew 4:5–7 ESV

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said 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, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV

16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

Illustration: You run in front of a moving car, you will most likely be severely injured if not killed

Devil misquoting scriptures

Psalm 91:9–13 ESV

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Tempted to Worship & Serve False Gods

Matthew 4:8–10 ESV

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Deuteronomy 6:13–14 ESV

13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—

Matthew 4:8–9 (IVPBBC NT): This realm did not technically belong to the devil (see Dan 4:32), who owned human hearts only as a usurper. The best the devil could do would be to make Jesus the political, military sort of Messiah most Jewish people who expected a Messiah were anticipating.

Transition To Close- Victory over the Devil

Matthew 4:11 ESV

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

James 4:7 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:11–12 ESV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Be watchful!

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 30.25 νήφω

to be in control of one’s thought processes and thus not be in danger of irrational thinking—‘to be sober-minded, to be well composed in mind

Be not conformed!

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Thief!

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Greater is He!!!!

1 John 4:4 ESV

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

That’s greater church!

Victory over temptation & angels ministering to Jesus

“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

Close- Angels Ministering to Jesus

Matthew 4:11 ESV

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Illustrations: Angels Watching Over Me by Richard Smallwood

Well it's all night all day Angels watchin' over me, my Lord Well it's all night all day Angels watching over me, my Lord Well I went down to the valley to pray Angels watchin' over me, my Lord My soul got happy I stayed all day Angels watchin' over my, my Lord Now when my heart is sad and blue Angels watchin' over me, my Lord I call on Him to see me through Angels watchin' over me, my Lord Well if you get there before I do Angels watchin' over me, my Lord Tell all my friends that I'm comin' too Angels watchin' over me, my Lord

Great is the mystery of Godliness!

1 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.