Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome everyone!

Mention about the Wednesday evening prayer meetings (using the journals and entering the verses each week and praying over them.)

Alright, so we have been a couple of weeks away from our reading and discussing The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

Who can tell me what letters we are looking at tonight?

WAIT FOR SOMEONE, OR SOMEONES, TO ANSWER.

Now if you remember, Pastor Clyde filled in and covered the last set of letters a few weeks ago and I am sure that it was done with excellence!

As a matter of fact, I was concerned that you guys may have finished the other half of the book in that one session!

(Is that the case?)

Letter 19: (Summary) - In this letter, Screwtape has become a little concerned by Wormwood’s previous letter.

In his previous letters, Screwtape blundered by uttering that the “Enemy really loves His creatures.”

This would be considered heresy in the devil’s world, and Screwtape feels it best to explain it away through cynicism.

However, he continues his talk on the subject of love noting that either the acceptance or rejection of “falling in love” can be useful if focused in the right way.

Highlighted thoughts and statements and questions:

“And there lies the great task.

We know that He cannot really love: nobody can: it doesn’t male sense.

If we could only find out what He is really up to!

Hypothesis after hypothesis has been tried and still we can’t find out.”

- Screwtape

Question: Screwtape displays his cynicism of God’s love when he says, “He is one being, they are distinct from Him.

Their good cannot be His.

All His talk about love must be a disguise for something else - He must have some real motive for creating them and taking so much trouble about them.”

Why is it hard for some people to believe there is a God who is not motivated by anything other than pure love for His creation?

Answer: It’s hard for a human to understand true agape love.

A cynical person may believe that people are motivated to some positive action (like love) solely because of self-interest.

This attitude causes them to miss out on some wonderful things in life because they do not trust other people.

From their perspective, there must be some self-serving motive behind every person’s words or actions.

Therefore, this makes it hard for them to trust a God, who they cannot even see, who says that He loves them without any strings attached.

Question: What is Screwtape’s response to Wormwood on whether he “regards being in love as a desirable state for a human or not?”

Answer: Screwtape says that like most other choices in life, it’s neither good nor bad.

It is the ability to corrupt and exploit the choice that matters most.

Whichever view moves the patient further from the enemy is preferable!

QUOTE - “But really, Wormwood, that is the sort of question one expects them to ask! Leave them to discuss whether "Love", or patriotism, or celibacy, or candles on altars, or teetotalism, or education, are "good" or "bad".

Can't you see there's no answer?

Nothing matters at all except the tendency of a given state of mind, in given circumstances, to move a particular patient at particular moment nearer to the Enemy or nearer to us.

Thus it would be quite a good thing to make the patient decide that "love" is "good" or "bad".’

- Screwtape

Question: Screwtape provides a couple of options for exploiting the patient based on whether he is an arrogant or an emotional man.

The patient’s character will determine whether “being in love” is good or bad.

What does Screwtape mean by an “arrogant” or an “emotional” man?

Answer: If he is an arrogant man, let him decide against love by making him feel distaste for normal sexuality while creating an inclination towards perversion.

In this situation the man would not want to be tied down to any one woman when he can be with many.

If he is an emotional man, let him decide in favor of love by making him constantly strive for romanticism that is unfulfilled.

In this situation, the man would be continually (and unsuccessfully) trying to replicate that emotional and romantic feeling.

This will lead to many adulteries.

In the use of meth and drugs like it, the person receives an abnormal state of sexual pleasure from the drug and from that time on, they are continually looking for that same sensation again.

This is how a warped sense of “love’ is.

We are like the greyhounds on the track, chasing after the rabbit that we will never catch and forfeiting “true love” and true “freedom” in Christ all the while!

In , Paul says, “  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?

Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

What accord has Christ with Belial?

Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

What does it mean to be unequally yokes in marriage?

do you think this is a common occurrence in marriages?

How does instruct us to handle this matter?

Answer: God’s plan is for man and woman to become one flesh.

He commands us not to make alliances or partnerships where we are unequally yoked.

Unfortunately, it is common and can even occur after nuptials if one of the spouses becomes a believer.

In , Paul tells us to prioritize our spouse’s spiritual welfare—not our own comfort level.

If the unbelieving partner consents, live together in peace.

The decisions we make can affect the spiritual state of our children.

In , God had said,

Letter 20: (Summary) - For the time being, the patient has been able to withstand Wormwood’s attacks on his chastity.

Screwtape suggests that Wormwood try another route: fill the man’s thoughts with the idea that chastity is unhealthy.

Wormwood can best accomplish this by capitalizing on a particular culture’s taste in women as often manipulated by the media.

Screwtape says that if they cannot use the man’s sexuality to make him unchaste, then using it to find the wrong woman to marry is also desirable.

Highlighted thoughts and statements and questions:

Question: Screwtape chastises Wormwood for directly attacking the patient’s chastity.

Through this attack, what “dangerous truth” did the patient learn about sexual temptation?

Answer: The patient has learned a dangerous truth—that sexual temptation does not last and that it goes away faster when resisted.

, “Flee from sexual immorality.

Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

, “ So humble yourselves before God.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Question: According to Screwtape, temptation loses its power once God intervenes.

What does say regarding temptation?

Why do you think God allows temptations?

Answers: God will never allow a temptation or testing in our lives that exceeds our ability through Christ to overcome it.

The problem with temptation is that we often do not feel like fighting it; we would rather give in.

However, fighting the temptation is part of God’s plan for us, and that involves trusting Him in obedience.

If we do this, He promises to always provide an escape.

reasons: to help us learn to discern good from evil; to learn humility; to become more aware of our own weakness; to experience the freedom we gain when we overcome; and to help us build character.

God allows temptations for several reasons: to help us learn to discern good from evil; to learn humility; to become more aware of our own weakness; to experience the freedom we gain when we overcome; and to help us build character.

Question: What is the difference between chastity and abstinence?

How can we effectively teach our children the importance of chastity and not just abstinence?

Answer: Chastity is refraining from sexual intercourse outside of marriage.

Abstinence is refraining from sexual intercourse completely.

It is important to teach our children that abstinence is God’s plan prior to marriage and chastity during marriage.

We can effectively teach these principles by first modeling them in our own life and then by having open conversations with our children about the consequences of disobeying these guidelines and the impact of that disobedience upon their lives.

Question: According to Screwtape, there is a demonic strategy in twisting “sexual taste” through the ages.

He gives reference to past ages and to the current “age of jazz”.

What do you think is the ideal “sexual taste” for a man or a woman in today’s culture?

How does the media influence what we find desirable?

Answer: (Answers may vary).

The role of mass media is a significant force in impacting our sexual taste in modern culture—particularly in America.

We are bombarded on a daily basis with messages from a multitude of sources including TV, Internet, billboards, magazines, music, and more.

The messages not only promote products, but they also promote what is beautiful or attractive.

In addition they influence our moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is right and wrong.

Question: We learn that Screwtape seeks to make the “role of the eye in sexuality more and more important.”