First Sunday in Lent

When we get things wrong, we place our trust in you, Lord. When we feel lost and alone, we place our trust in you, Lord. When we are scared and hurting, we place our trust in you, Lord. When we face the unknown, we place our trust in you, Lord, relying on your endless love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF ADORATION

Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour, who when tempted in the desert, resisted, in the world, but not of the world: we worship and adore you. When tempted by bread, you chose the word of God. When tempted to be spectacular, you chose humility. When tempted by riches and power, you chose servant hood. Lord Jesus Christ, we worship and adore you. Amen.

A PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Lord, we are sorry when we are tempted by all that the world has to offer us: the temptation to be relevant and popular; the temptation to be spectacular and successful; the temptation for power and wealth and so many things. We are sorry when we make the wrong decisions. We are sorry for the temptations that lead to addiction, corruption and ultimately hurt other people.

Forgive us, Lord. We seek your wisdom and discernment to make better choices, to be rooted in you. We thank you that, in our weaknesses, we can be made strong; and that it is in weakness, in the desert times of our lives, that amazing things can happen. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Though tempted and though we make bad choices, through the cross we are assured of healing and forgiveness. In our weakness we are made strong. We are forgiven, and God gives us a blank canvas to start again, to create together something beautiful. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

(StF 332) How sweet the name of Jesus sounds.

READING

Genesis 2: 15-17; 3: 1-7

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’

3 Now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’

2 The woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’

4 ‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman. 5 ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

(StF 317) At the name of Jesus.

Matthew 4: 1-11

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’

4 Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”[b]’

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the temple. 6 ‘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.”[c]’

7 Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”[d]’

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 9 ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

10 Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”[e]’

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

(StF 254) Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

SERMON

What is temptation?

Oscar wild wrote In “Lady Windermere’s Fan” Lord Darlington says, ‘I can resist everything except temptation’, I guess we all can probably understand that aren’t we all tempted at some time or other.

We very often concerned about the present. We are tempted at times to sacrifice our principles for some short-term gain. Satan lures us into this trap. With soft words or thoughts that say it’s not that bad everyone else does it. But giving in to one thing, leads to another and then another. the point is that in the readings it shows the subtle ways we can be tempted.

The Bible’s story of Creation and the Fall gives rise to all sorts of stories, like this one: Adam and Eve were walking near the Garden of Eden, showing it to their son, Abel. Abel saw that it was a very beautiful place, and asked, "Daddy, why don’t we live there?" "Well, son, we once did," Adam replied, "but your mother ate us out of house and home!"

How like us. When all our needs are met and supplied. Chances are that we have a weather-tight house with a thermostat to turn on the heating, a refrigerator to keep our food in a good state, a bed with a mattress on top and enough bed covers to keep us comfortable within a fully insulated bedroom. We can buy cereals to provide us with 100 percent of our vitamin requirements and enough fibre in each serving to last us a week.

If we need to get up in the middle of the night for some reason, we have only to go down the hall a few steps to meet our needs and right handy is tissue paper as soft as a white cloud. Yes, we have it good here in the UK.

Adam's situation was much like ours. He was surrounded by a rich supply of food all available just for the very slight work of picking them as needed. His clothing budget was nil since the climate was so mild in the Garden of Eden. He had no mortgage, nothing to worry about. He could cavort around the Garden in the daytime and sleep soundly at night because he had no need for sleeping pills to soothe his mind uncluttered by worry about stress, job security, loss of health and pension benefits, or promotions. Oh, it was a good life. One would imagine he would have been happy. I would have been, wouldn't you?

There was no danger of Adam's breaking any commandments because none of them applied to him. Theft was not an issue because Things were so easy that it was almost impossible to foul up. He had no neighbours any houses or cars to covet. But he did slip up.

Because It was Adam who was told not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge, and although it is Eve we are told is tempted by the snake if you notice she expands what God had said to Adam she adds “that even if they touch the tree we will die” so already we see mankind adding to God’s word. Also, we are told Adam was with her and he didn’t refuse or intervene, and so began the fall of man.

it left the world in need of someone a saviour.

A man by the name of Richard collects funny signs from his travels. Some of these are simply the result of people in foreign countries having difficulty translating into English. He says that at the entrance to a hotel swimming pool on the French Riviera there is a sign that reads like this: "Swimming is forbidden in the absence of a saviour."

You never know maybe the person who put up that sign knew English better than we may suppose. Not only swimming but life itself should not be lived in the absence of a Saviour.

Have you ever heard of Shiny Object Syndrome? Many of us may suffer from this syndrome and we don’t even know what it is. Shiny Object Syndrome is the desire to constantly chase new trends, to try whatever new thing comes along in technology, or management techniques, or fashion or food. There’s nothing wrong with jumping on new trends. It’s good to be open to change. But you know you have Shiny Object Syndrome if you quickly lose interest in each new trend and chase after the next trend that comes along, especially if it becomes a constant distraction in your life. Business men can be particularly susceptible to Shiny Object Syndrome because they have a higher tolerance for risk, for trying new things in general. But most of us are tempted by Shiny Object Syndrome because we like to go along with the crowd. We are social creatures.

Some research suggests that we are more susceptible to Shiny Object Syndrome when we are facing a big challenge or a big project. The stress of facing a big challenge causes us to look for an easy fix. And the easiest, fastest fix is to drop what we are doing to chase a new trend, a new challenge, a new priority. You feel overwhelmed or you just don’t want to persevere in the face of a challenge? Then don’t. Pick some new challenge or project. Change course. This becomes an easy way out when we are facing a big challenge. But it’s actually a way to give up when the going gets tough.

This morning marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the Christian church. Lent is a period of 40 days set aside specifically for Christians to reflect on the events leading up to the death of Jesus. It is also traditionally a time for more intentional prayer, self-examination, and confession of our sins. These acts prepare us to celebrate Easter in a more meaningful way. So as we reflect on our Bible passage today, I hope we do so in a spirit of self-examination and humility. What is God saying to us through this passage, and how can we translate this knowledge into action?

I thought about Shiny Object Syndrome when I read our Bible passage this morning from Matthew 4. In this passage, Jesus is facing a tremendous challenge. And he is offered a quick fix, an easy way out of his problems. Why didn’t he take it?

Our passage begins, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’”

Why would the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil? The original Greek word for “tempt” in this passage also has another meaning. It means “to test.” This time in the wilderness was a testing ground. It was essential to prepare Jesus for leadership. Many of us have a negative reaction to the word “test.” But there are some things you can only learn from going through a time of testing. If you look back on some of your “wilderness times,” can you see the hard-won strength or wisdom or courage that you gained from that time? Those aren’t qualities that develop naturally through a comfortable, easy life.

For starters, our times of testing teach us what’s worth sacrificing for. What’s worth persevering for. Many of us will gladly take on any challenge, any test, any hardship to take care of the people we love or to reach a meaningful goal. We don’t even think of that as a sacrifice. Why? Because our love for them gives us strength. We don’t get distracted, we don’t give up, we don’t give in to Shiny Object Syndrome when the goal is important to us. We’re willing to risk anything to achieve our goal if it’s for something or someone we love.

I read the most incredible story about a young man named Chris Bombardier who is the first person with haemophilia to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Haemophilia is a rare blood disorder that prevents a person’s blood from clotting. People with haemophilia are at increased risk for internal bleeding and joint disorders, and even a simple cut can be life-threatening if they don’t get an infusion of clotting factor in time.

In spite of these tremendous risks, Chris Bombardier chose to hike to the top of Mt. Everest. He even had to give himself an infusion of clotting factor during his trek. He was risking his life to make this climb, but he didn’t do it for fame or publicity. Instead, Chris climbed Everest to raise money for Save One Life Inc., an organization that helps people in developing countries who have bleeding disorders. A portion of the money he raised also went to the Nepal Haemophilia Society.

After he completed his historic climb, Chris posted the following message to his Facebook blog:

“For every child who has been told no due to their bleeding disorder.

For every patient wondering when his next dose of life-saving clotting factor will be.

For every family who has plans derailed by haemophilia.

For every parent who goes to bed in agony not understanding how to treat their child’s disorder.

For every haemophiliac athlete who waits in fear of injury.

For all of us overcoming the impossible.

This mountain is for you.”

When something or someone is important to you, you will endure any test on their behalf.

And that’s why this encounter in the wilderness was an essential test for Jesus’ ministry.

What was he willing to endure, what was he willing to sacrifice to take on his role as our Saviour?

The devil offered him a quick and easy way to end his hunger, to prove his identity as the Son of God, and to gain instant and unlimited power.

Jesus didn’t have to be fully human. He didn’t have to experience our weakness and fatigue and conflict and suffering. He didn’t have to die.

The devil was testing Jesus’ obedience to God and his love for us. And he endured this test so that by his suffering, death, and resurrection he could give us eternal life. The first thing we learn from this passage is that our times of testing teach us what’s worth sacrificing for.

The second thing we learn from this passage is that our times of testing teach us who we really are.

Notice that the first thing the devil said to Jesus was, “If you are the Son of God. . .” The devil wasn’t ignorant.

He knew exactly who Jesus is. But our values stem from our identity.

One of the most effective ways to derail a person is to attack their identity, who they are at their core.

That’s why emotional abuse can be as devastating to a person as physical abuse.

A Canadian psychiatrist named Eric Berne had a theory that most of us develop a “core story” about who we are and about our inherent worth by the time we reach five years of age.

By five years old, we have developed a core story about whether or not we are lovable or competent or brave or important. And our values and actions and choices flow out of this core story.

So, it’s not surprising that a study of men in prisons found that a high percentage of them had some variation of the phrase “Born to lose” tattooed on their skin. Can you imagine if your core story, your core identity is “Born to lose”?

But what if those men had “Child of God” tattooed on their skin? What if they had it tattooed on their minds? Imagine how differently their life could have turned out. (3)

I read a story about a special donation that was made to the International Justice Mission, an organisation that fights human trafficking and slavery in some of the poorest countries in the world. A seven-year-old boy named Luke had been saving up his money to buy a LEGO set. But one Sunday, he heard about the International Justice Mission and its work in protecting the poor from human trafficking. A few days later, Luke announced, “Mom, I need to give them my money.”

His mom said, “Give who your money?”

“IJM,” he replied.

She asked, “How much do you think you ought to give?”

Luke said, “. . . I need to give them all my money.”

When his mom asked him if he were sure about that, Luke said, “I want to give [my money] to slavery people. Because I don't want them to be called slavery people. I want them to be called their names.” (4)

Do you know your name? You were made in the image of God. Nothing and no one can take that away from you. And if you are a follower of Jesus, then God also calls you His child. The first tool the devil uses to distract us from God’s will is to question our identity. “If you are a child of God. . .” When you know who you are, when your identity is rooted in your worth as an image-bearer of God, then it is a lot easier to endure times of testing without giving up.

And the final thing we learn from this passage is our times of testing show us what our true purpose is. Look at Jesus’ final test in verses 9-10 in this passage. The devil offers him power over all the kingdoms of the earth if he will bow down and worship him. And Jesus answers, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

That’s our true purpose: to worship the Lord and serve him only. To carry the presence and the Spirit and the intentions of God into every moment of our lives, every interaction, into all our plans for the future. There are so many Bible verses on worshipping and serving God. But the overwhelming theme of them all is to put God’s love into action and do good works. We worship and serve God when we do good works for others. This is the purpose the devil wants us to reject. That is the devil’s ultimate goal, to make us reject God’s will for our lives. To chase after some easier goal. Because the devil knows that the good works we do cause others to see God in us. And that draws them toward God’s love.

The greatest test you and I will face in this life is recognising the source of our identity and purpose. These two things have the greatest influence on the direction of our lives, the impact of our lives. The Bible tells us that our identity comes from the image of God in us, and our purpose is to worship the Lord our God and serve Him only. Examine yourself to ensure you have settled these questions in your mind. Then you will be prepared to endure the great tests of life and remain a faithful witness to God.

OFFERING DURING HYMN

(StF 238) Lead us heavenly Father lead us.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

Thank you, Lord, that it is never too late to turn around, never too late to start again. Thank you that you have pulled us out of darkness into your marvellous light. Thank you that though we are tempted, though we get things wrong, by your grace we are healed and restored. Thank you that we are precious to you, that we know whose we are – we belong to you. Thank you that your love for us is unconditional, we don’t have to prove anything. And thank you that when we are tempted by the offerings of this world, you are there to pick us up, wipe off the dust and set us back on the right path. Thank you for the amazing love that you offer to each one of us. Amen.

God of all, we turn to you today and ask for your help. We pray for wisdom to make right choices and right decisions in all things, to seek your truth and not be swayed by all that the world offers. We pray for those who are easily led astray and end up in situations and places that they struggle to get out of – especially those influenced by status, money, power, drugs and alcohol. We pray that world leaders will always seek justice, truth and wisdom in their decision making, and treat everybody as an equal, with fair opportunities for all.

We bring before you our concerns for all people displaced by war or natural disaster and in need of you today, help them to feel your grace and comfort and may we offer our support and prayers for them.

We bring to you people we know who are in need of you today within our Churches and outside of our community, may we be a comfort and support to them.

Steer us, Lord, in the way we should go. Amen.

(StF 545) Be Though My Vision

BLESSING

Let us go out with the love of God surrounding us. Let us go out with the wisdom of God guiding us. Let us go out with our trust in God protecting us. Amen.

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