Untitled Sermon (3)

Effective Change in Your Life

STORIES

Introduction Beginning of Lent Fasting, prayer and extreme generosity. How many of you are giving up something for Lent? Not all denominations recognize Lent… and so don’t participate in it, but it is the tradition of the Anglican Church to mark this season with repentance.

Introduction Stories Lent: Anybody giving anything up for Lent? Season of Repentance - of fasting, prayer and generosity. We will follow our Lectionary now through to Easter. The lectionary is rich in brining us back to the church year.

Illustration: I once gave up chocolate for Lent… then one year I gave up coffee, that was tough… one year I gave up meat…. then one year I gave up social media (Facebook specifically), that wasn’t as hard of giving up coffee. I still love chocolate. And eat it. It’s a nice indulgence. I still drink coffee. I love coffee. I’m back on Facebook I’m eating meat. I love meat. God made meat and it is good. But to do Lent “right” means not simply giving up something you really want… like chocolate, or social network, or television or meat…. giving these things up for 40 days with the expectation that, when Easter comes, you’re going to celebrate your victory with 10 pounds of indulgent food… or simply return to the bad habits we proudly managed to avoid for a limited time. chocolate, and coffee, and a good steak are not sins. I think, if you’re going to “do” Lent, it needs to be something more valid. It needs to affect change in your life; not simply an episode of self-discipline. What if Lent was a 40-day period of prayer, fasting and generosity aimed at eliminating something in your life that was damaging to yourself or others? What if we approached Lent with an end goal of permanently addressing a specific sin or indulgence? to change even a small part of our stories … that parts where we choose that sin is easier than faith. taking our efforts beyond the 40 days, and re-writing a part of our lives that is spiritually or physical destructive. Can Lent actually be used this way? When we receive the Holy Spirit, our lives begin to be re-written. We take on a different story than the one that was written before. And the Spirit is the agent of change in God’s recreation. Setting the Stage In our Gospel reading this morning from we see how Jesus begins his ministry on earth; three events - His baptism, his temptations, and his ministry. We are going to look at just the first two this morning: Baptism and temptation. What does it tell us? 2 things…

Illustration: Stories Journalist: Write a story, but get new information and have to re-write story Creative Writing: Story has a trajectory… and end that the writer leads to, Once in a while they get off course, are unhappy with where it’s going and go back a rewrite parts of the story so that it better leads toward the desired plot outcome. What if we took this season of Lent and used it to rewrite a part of our own stories? What if, in the next month and half, we create a different narrative for a part of our lives? Our Gospel reading from Mark this morning has many lessons and observations in it, but this morning I want to look at this concept of rewriting our narratives: rewriting, redirecting our circumstances and attitudes in such a way as to give Lent a real purpose for you and a real outcome. Setting the Stage Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. The Baptism of Jesus is a remarkable, powerful event. Heavens open As Jesus was lifted from the water by John, he saw the heavens “torn open” It is not as though a little tiny split in the sky happened and a little tiny dove came fluttering down. This is not the image Mark is trying to recall. The Greek means, “torn apart” “a motif in eschatological revelations which God gives at turning-points in the history of His people” References : “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,” (ESV) Mark’s original readers would have seen this is realized: “This is big” “Something huge is happening” “Big changes are coming!” The entire sky/universe (everything!) was peeled back to reveal the spiritual domain of God himself. The heavens ripped outward to reveal the abode of God. NT Wright describes it this way: "It’s more as though an invisible curtain, right in front of us, was suddenly pulled back, so that instead of the trees and flowers and buildings, or in Jesus’ case the river, the sandy desert and the crowds, we are standing in the presence of a different reality altogether.” It is the "true tabernacle" the true place of God, and the "abode" to which Jesus will return! And from which Jesus will return () And it is the different reality that we are called to live in Spirit descends… “like a dove” …He’s not a dove… it likely hasn’t the image of shape of dove, what is meant here is that the Spirit didn’t come down cawing like a crow, or screaming like a seagull. He came down as gently and as quietly as a dove. Despite the bizarre exposure of a different reality, the Spirit of God descends peaceably, and soundlessly. Matthew says He “rests” on Jesus; abides with him () Think about the imagery… all of this is happening at once… the heavens are ripped open (left hand) the Son of God is raised from the water (right hand) The Spirit of God descends and abides and… God the Father affirms Bam! Jesus is identified… “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased.” Greek literally says, “You are MY THE Beloved”. not “a” beloved… but thee beloved that belongs to God. without these words from above, Jesus might have been seen as just another false prophet among a plethora of false prophets. But the full presence of God is here... The Spirit descends on the Son, and the Father offers an affirmation/confirmation to the world that this is no ordinary prophet. This is the anointed one descended from heaven; sealed with divine approval, God endorsing God -, The Father anointing the Son with the Spirit. The Messiah means "anointed one" - Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and marked as God's own Son. The Messiah, as Messiah, represents his people. He is the King of Israel. He represents you. He represents me. He represents all who believe in him. And so… the whole Gospel can be summed up into these words from NT Wright: …”that when the living God looks at us, at every baptized and believing Christian, he says to us what he said to Jesus on that day. He sees us, not as we are in ourselves, but as we are in Jesus Christ.” Jesus gives us a name, an identity and a dignity that is ”rooted and grounded… in the eternal, unconditioned, unalterable being and love of God" What’s happening here The “something big that is about to happen” is this: God is giving us an opportunity to rewrite our stories: where your story is darkness and sin Jesus writes it this way: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” where our narratives plotted us toward death as the end Jesus writes it this way: “I am the resurrection and the life”… and “Whoever shall believe in me shall have eternal life.” in the baptism he identifies with us where we are drawing alongside us in our need "stepping in" to the effects of our sin and self-destruction That’s why the Gospel flows logically into the Spirit leading Jesus to be tempted by sin.

The Baptism event. Why? Many reasons can be understood The Baptism of Jesus Was a Declaration of Sonship (1: 9-11). It inaugurated His public ministry (1: 9). It identified Him with sinful humanity (1: 9). It associated Him with John’s ministry (1: 9). It demonstrated His approval by His Father (1: 10). It revealed the triune God (1: 9-11). It showed His total dependence on the Holy Spirit (1: 10). It declared the type of Messiah He would be (1: 11) Jesus himself gives reason in his dialogue with the Baptist in Matthew's Gospel: to "fulfill all righteousness" () - "to fill every ordinance of God for his people" in the baptism he identifies with us where we are drawing alongside us in our need "stepping in" to the effects of our sin and self-destruction John Piper says: “When Jesus was baptized along with all the repenting people who wanted to be on God’s side, it was as though the commander-in-chief had come to the front lines, fastened his bayonet, strapped on his helmet, and jumped into the trench along with the rest of us. And when he did that, his Father in heaven, who had sent him for this very combat, signified with the appearance of a dove that the Holy Spirit would be with him in the battles to come.” (Piper, “Christ in Combat”)

Spiritual Battle against Temptation This isn't the kind of thing we might expect after a baptism, or after such a powerful announcement. Where's the party? Where's the king's ball? Notice that the Spirit didn’t lead Jesus to a Canaan wedding? Because our biggest problem is not that we’re going to run out of wine. Jesus wasn’t led to Peter’s house. Because our biggest problem is not fishing nets and friendships. Jesus wasn’t let to the marketplace in Jerusalem. Because our biggest problem is not commerce. Jesus wasn’t led to Pilate, or Herod, or some Roman parliament building. Because our biggest problem is not politics. Jesus was not led to the largest pagan temple in Ephesus. Because our problem is not in itself paganism or secularism. No… the Spirit led the Son into the wilderness because our biggest battle around sin is against temptation. our innate inability to resist sin. At the heart of our corruption of marriage, the corruption of politics, the corruption of commerce, the corruption in our relationships, corruption at our jobs, corruption in our city… is the sin problem. If our stories are to be written in light and life … the sin problem needs to be addressed. And so, the Spirit of God empowers the Son of God (the anointed Messiah) right to the enemy of God, the deceiver, the liar: Satan; in the wilderness of temptation. a battle you and I face everyday Says Ryle: "It was the devil who brought sin into the world at the beginning. This is he, who vexed Job, deceived David, and gave Peter a heavy fall. This is he, whom the Bible calls a “murderer,” a “liar,” and a “roaring lion.” This is he, whose enmity to our souls never slumbers and never sleeps. This is he, who for nearly 6000 years has been working at one work, to ruin men and women, and draw them to hell."

Three things happen at the baptism: Heavens open As Jesus was lifted from the water by John, he saw the heavens “torn open” It is not as though a little tiny split in the sky happened and a little tiny dove came fluttering down. This is not the image Mark is trying to recall. The Greek means, “torn apart” “a motif in eschatological revelations which God gives at turning-points in the history of His people” References : “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,” (ESV) Mark’s original readers would have seen this is realized: “This is big” “Something huge is happening” “Big changes are coming!” The entire sky/universe (everything!) was peeled back to reveal the spiritual domain of God himself. The heavens ripped outward to reveal the abode of God. NT Wright describes it this way: "It’s more as though an invisible curtain, right in front of us, was suddenly pulled back, so that instead of the trees and flowers and buildings, or in Jesus’ case the river, the sandy desert and the crowds, we are standing in the presence of a different reality altogether.” It is the "true tabernacle" the true place of God, and the "abode" to which Jesus will return! And from which Jesus will return () And it is the different reality that we are called to live in Spirit descends… “like a dove” …He’s not a dove… it likely hasn’t the image of shape of dove, what is meant here is that the Spirit didn’t come down cawing like a crow, or screaming like a seagull. He came down as gently and as quietly as a dove. Despite the bizarre exposure of a different reality, the Spirit of God descends peaceably, and soundlessly. Matthew says He “rests” on Jesus; abides with him () Think about the imagery… all of this is happening at once… the heavens are ripped open (left hand) the Son of God is raised from the water (right hand) The Spirit of God descends and abides and… God the Father affirms Bam! Jesus is identified… “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased.” Greek literally says, “You are MY THE Beloved”. not “a” beloved… but thee beloved that belongs to God. without these words from above, Jesus might have been seen as just another false prophet among a plethora of false prophets. But the full presence of God is here... The Spirit descends on the Son, and the Father offers an affirmation/confirmation to the world that this is no ordinary prophet. This is the anointed one descended from heaven; sealed with divine approval, God endorsing God -, The Father anointing the Son with the Spirit. The Messiah means "anointed one" - Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and marked as God's own Son. The Messiah, as Messiah, represents his people. He is the King of Israel. He represents you. He represents me. He represents all who believe in him. And so… the whole Gospel can be summed up into these words from NT Wright: …”that when the living God looks at us, at every baptized and believing Christian, he says to us what he said to Jesus on that day. He sees us, not as we are in ourselves, but as we are in Jesus Christ.” Jesus gives us a name, an identity and a dignity that is ”rooted and grounded… in the eternal, unconditioned, unalterable being and love of God"

Conclusion (What does it say again?) By his baptism Jesus identifies with us; John Piper says: “When Jesus was baptized along with all the repenting people who wanted to be on God’s side, it was as though the commander-in-chief had come to the front lines, fastened his bayonet, strapped on his helmet, and jumped into the trench along with the rest of us. And when he did that, his Father in heaven, who had sent him for this very combat, signified with the appearance of a dove that the Holy Spirit would be with him in the battles to come.” When Christians are baptized they identify with Jesus and the Holy Spirit is with you in your battles to come. Our new story means that we are given the power to do what we could not do before-the power to rewrite - to change the outcome - of our temptation stories. William Abraham says this: “The Holy Spirit is not a holy labor-saving device who bypasses the hard grind of temptation and spiritual discernment. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit intensifies the need to work through the tough choices that confront those who would do God’s work in the world.” The Holy Spirit changes our story from one of being alone in our fight against temptation; to one of having a powerful ally. As the Apostle Paul says, where once the law was incapable of doing nothing but pointing out our sin, Jesus sends the Spirit so that we can resist it.

Transition (What does it say again?) The Trinity - the full presence of God with a glimpse of his abode God the Son is raised, God the Spirit descends, God the Father affirms It makes sense that the heavens had to open up: God left heaven in sending Jesus. But the fullness of God, Father, Spirit, and Son exist together in heaven. Thus, heaven must be where the Triune God is fully revealed. Where the Triune God is fully revealed, it can only be from his dwelling place. But look where Mark takes us next From this heavenly revelation that big change is coming to the wilderness The wilderness is not a vacation spot. It’s a harsh place to spend 40 days. Dry, barren, no food. Most of the time it is completely arid, desolate and full of rock and sand. Spiritual Battle against Temptation This isn't the kind of thing we might expect after a baptism, or after such a powerful announcement. Where's the party? Where's the king's ball? Notice that the Spirit didn’t lead Jesus to a Canaan wedding? Because our biggest problem is not that we’re going to run out of wine. Jesus wasn’t led to Peter’s house. Because our biggest problem is not fishing nets and friendships. Jesus wasn’t let to the marketplace in Jerusalem. Because our biggest problem is not commerce. Jesus wasn’t led to Pilate, or Herod, or some Roman parliament building. Because our biggest problem is not politics. Jesus was not led to the largest pagan temple in Ephesus. Because our problem is not in itself paganism or secularism. No… the Spirit led the Son into the wilderness because our biggest battle is against temptation. our innate inability to resist sin. At the heart of our corruption of marriage, the corruption of politics, the corruption of commerce, the corruption in our relationships, corruption at our jobs, corruption in our city… is the sin problem. And so, the Spirit of God empowers the Son of God (the anointed Messiah) right to the enemy of God, the deceiver, the liar: Satan; in the wilderness of temptation. a battle you and I face everyday Says Ryle: "It was the devil who brought sin into the world at the beginning. This is he, who vexed Job, deceived David, and gave Peter a heavy fall. This is he, whom the Bible calls a “murderer,” a “liar,” and a “roaring lion.” This is he, whose enmity to our souls never slumbers and never sleeps. This is he, who for nearly 6000 years has been working at one work, to ruin men and women, and draw them to hell."

Application (What do we do about it?) For Lent one year, I gave up chocolate. For another coffee. Another meat. And another social media. Here’s the problem with what I did. I gave these things up for 40 days but always with the expectation that when Easter comes, I will indulge in them again. even celebrate my victory with excessive amounts of them So this Lent, while we are thinking of "giving up" something... only to feast on it again when Easter Day is done.... why not think about this? How would you life change - if you addressed an actual, real, ongoing sin over Lent? with the idea, that come Easter, something has changed for the better. Some dark part of your life has been rewritten in the light of Christ? what if you turned your internal eye away from the delight of your temptation and looked upon the character of Jesus and the gifts of the Spirit; hate or anger toward someone and replaced with with the Spirit’s love, what if you took your temptation to be greedy and replaced it with the Spirit’s kindness what if you took your temper down a few notches and replaced it with the Spirit’s patience ETC. Find your temptation. It is important to our success over temptation to see Jesus’ ordeal with Satan in light of His baptism. If you’re idea of God is that He is merely some authority figure - helicopter parent - who is ready to kick you out of the basement if you don’t shape up… don’t meet up to his expectations… then temptation will take you over. You will not be successful. BUT… if you remember, that you, too are beloved, because we belong to God, we are “in God’s love”, then you can be empowered to resist what Satan is tempting you to do. Think of how the Spirit can re-write your temptation stories… in your relationships, your families, your finances, your behaviours, your outlook…. but most of all, in your heart and mind.

Be encouraged. Jesus knows what you are going through.

Application (If you want to do Lent to re-write a sinful struggle in your life?) Our new story means that we are given the power to do what we could not do before-the power to rewrite our story about sin. William Abraham says this: “The Holy Spirit is not a holy labor-saving device who bypasses the hard grind of temptation and spiritual discernment. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit intensifies the need to work through the tough choices that confront those who would do God’s work in the world.” The Holy Spirit changes our story from one of being alone in our fight against temptation; to one of having a powerful ally. As the Apostle Paul says, where once the law was incapable of doing nothing but pointing out our sin, Jesus sends the Spirit so that we can resist it. But what this event also tells us, is that we have the fulness of God behind our salvation. Father, Son and Spirit are participants in our life, even if but one is directly involved. Says one commentator: In Genesis, God created by his word and his Spirit. All things were created in Jesus and through Jesus... not a thing was created without him. It makes sense then, that now, that the "same operation of the whole Godhead" is engaged in the new work of recreation (see Cole, 108) So this Lent, while we are thinking of "giving up" something... only to feast on it again when Easter Day is done.... why not think about this? Lent=Resist temptation How would your life change if you actually addressed an actual sin in your life? Seriously. If you gave up something that is actually sin? Gluttony? Or hate toward someone Pride and self-centeredness? An uncaring, or un-sharing attitude? what if, you actually repented; and started letting the Spirit take over? Envy? what if you turned your internal eye away from the delight of hate or anger toward someone and replaced with with the Spiriit’s love, what if you took your habit for hoarding everything you own, and replaced it with the Spirit’s kindness what if you took your temper down a few notches and replaced it with the Spirit’s patience It is important to our success over temptation to see Jesus’ ordeal with Satan in light of His baptism. If you’re idea of God is that He is merely some authority figure - helicopter parent - who is ready to kick you out of the basement if you don’t shape up… don’t meet up to his expectations… then temptation will take you over. BUT… if you remember, that you, too are beloved, because we belong to God, we are “in God’s love”, then you can be empowered to resist what Satan is calling us to do. Think of how the Spirit can re-write your temptation stories… in your relationships, your families, your finances, your behaviours, your outlook….

Be encouraged. Jesus knows what you are going through.