Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

The Third Sunday in Lent, Series C March 7, 2010

Lessons for Third Sunday in Lent (Lutheran Service Book)

Ezekiel 33:7-20 – Ezekiel was sent to warn the house of Israel and call them to return to God’s love.
Psalm 85 (antiphon: v. 8)
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 – The example of Israel’s sin and suffering serves as a warning to us.
Luke 13:1-9 – Suffering around us should draw us to God’s protecting care and redeeming love.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: Open Your Eyes in Suffering!
God sent Ezekiel to proclaim to the people of Israel that their sufferings did not indicate God’s rejection, but rather His call for them to return to Him. God’s ways are not in question, but the wayward ways of sinners. St. Paul reminds his readers that many Israelites forsook God and perished; their sufferings serve as warnings for us. Jesus explained that when suffering is seen in the light of God’s love, it is an invitation for the sufferer to seek comfort and courage in God’s steadfast mercy. Suffering opens our eyes to the presence of God in our lives.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Gracious God, help me remember that suffering in my life is not a sign of Your displeasure but a loving call to repentance. Help me see the suffering in Jesus’ life as a sign of Your love that He would share my life and my sin. Help me be a servant to others to ease their burdens of suffering and to call them to Your love. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: God provides us with material blessings to sustain us in life and to ease the sufferings of those who travel beside us through life. We are His hands to reach out to the hurting and sorrowful.

OFFERING PRAYER: Lord, in our sorrows You are near
And when we’re lost You hold us dear.
Give each of us strong hearts to care
For those who suffer anywhere.

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: When we suffer affliction, we think God is not fair. Why should we undergo such trials when others seem to have comfortable lives? Such an attitude is a reversal of the relationship of Creator to creation. In other words, it is idolatry. We make ourselves the judge of God’s ways. When we understand our place before God correctly, we see God’s hand as he sustains us in suffering. That is how God comes to us in the death of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ suffering, God reaches out to claim us and cleanse us. When we suffer in Christ, we are drawn closer to God’s love.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Greetings fellow redeemed!

Here's a thought on this text offered by St. John Chrysostom:
He saith, “the body of our humiliation,” because it is now humbled, subject to destruction, to pain, because it seemeth to be worthless, and to have nothing beyond that of other animals. “That it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” What? shall this our body be fashioned like unto Him, who sitteth at the right hand of the Father, to Him who is worshiped by the Angels, before whom do stand the incorporeal Powers, to Him who is above all rule and power, and might? If then the whole world were to take up weeping and lament for those who have fallen from this hope, could it worthily lament? because, when a promise is given us of our body being made like to Him, it still departs with the demons. I care not for hell henceforth; whatever can be said, having fallen from so great glory, now and henceforth consider hell to be nothing to this falling away. What sayest thou, O Paul? To be made like unto Him? Yes, he answereth; then, lest you should disbelieve, he addeth a reason; “According to the working whereby He is able even to subject all things unto Himself.” He hath power, saith he, to subject all things unto Himself, wherefore also destruction and death. Or rather, He doth this also with the same power. For tell me, which requireth the greater power, to subject demons, and Angels, and Archangels, and Cherubim, and Seraphim, or to make the body incorruptible and immortal? The latter certainly much more than the former; he showed forth the greater works of His power, that you might believe these too. Wherefore, though ye see these men rejoicing, and honored, yet stand firm, be not offended at them, be not moved. These our hopes are sufficient to raise up even the most sluggish and indolent.

This past week at Mt. Olive saw two opportunities to see the work of missionaries firsthand. Listening to John and Doris Bowerman was great. But, there was a humbling circumstance about which they told us. After retiring, right before considering the mission field, John and Doris sold their earthly possessions. It was in that instance, while the endless garage sales were going on, that they realized how tied they were to stuff - things of this world. As I listened, I wondered to myself: Am I as tied to the stuff of this world? Does it plague me in the same way? I could come up with only one answer: yes.

The second opportunity came with the arrival of the Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ team on Friday night. First of all, praise God for the hosting that many of you offered and did over the past two nights. It was a great blessing not only for the kids, but also for you, the hosts. These young people visited about 350 homes in our area, all in the name of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. Going on some of the calls, there was genuine passion for people coursing through these young people. My son Jonathan had a great time, interacting with the OAFCers and going out on the visits.

In both these events, there is an opportunity to praise God for the work of the Gospel in our midst.

This week at Mt. Olive has a little less activity than last week, but there is a great witness opportunity for you. The greatest witness challenge for church members is sounded by the words, "Pastor Jennings is starting an information class Tuesday night at 6:30." That's the challenge laid before church members - the challenge to invite your friends and neighbors who don't have a church but might be looking, who don't know about Jesus, to come and hear and get a handle on the message of the Church. It's also an opportunity for established members to have a refresher course, or even support the folks who will be in the class. By the way, Adult Information Class begins Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday will again be Lenten services at 12:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The meal this week is offered by the LWML. They've termed it "Breakfast items for dinner."

I will be out of the office on Tuesday for Circuit Conference.

Prayer Concerns:
Burt Nelson
Kim Kots, undergoing surgery this week
Ruth Prytz, hospitalized
Those who serve in our armed forces: Andy Epley, John Miller's niece, Richard Rhode, Ryan Radtke, John Sorenson, Dru Blanc, William Worley
Lutheran Schools throughout our nation and throughout the world - that those who teach and those who learn may be blessed by our Lord Jesus and that faith may be birthed and grown in many.
The OAFC traveling team that will be going through southern Texas this week.

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, March 1
Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 2 - Texas Independence Day!
Adult Information Class, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 3
School Chapel, 8:30 a.m.
Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Lenten Midday Prayer, 12:15 p.m.
Lenten meal, 5:30 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal, 6 p.m.
Lenten Evening Prayer, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, March 4
Cub Scouts, 6:30 p.m.

God bless!
Pastor Kevin Jennings

Follow the Apostolic Example! Phil. 3:17 to 4:1

Almost 100 years ago, a group of Christians began a congregation in Kingsville, Texas. They shared a common commitment to God’s inspired, inerrant Word and the Lutheran Confessions as a faithful confession of that Word. Out of all the possible names they could have given to their congregation, they chose the name: St. Paul.

And that choice was made in large measure because they treasured the central article of the Christian Faith which Paul so faithfully taught—the article upon which the church stands or falls: the article of justification—that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

They chose his name as an enduring testimony to their desire to do the very thing that we are called upon to do in the words we have before us today: follow the example found in Paul and the other leaders of the apostolic church—in what they believed and practiced—in what they hoped for—and in what they were committed to as things of first importance.

In the very near future this congregation will celebrate its 100th anniversary. These kinds of milestones are wonderful opportunities to look back—but also to look forward—to do some real soul-searching and ask ourselves: do we still have the same set of values as those who came before us—do we have the same hopes—do we have the same commitments to the faith and practice as the man for whom this church is named?

As we reflect upon God’s Word today—as individuals and as a congregation—my prayer is that we would re-commit ourselves to follow the apostolic example. Paul writes:
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

All of us, I think, understand the value of examples. We can read book after book on how to hit a baseball or how to bake bread but to watch someone do it is to really begin to understand how it’s done. This is especially true when it comes to living out our Christian faith as individuals and as a congregation.

Two thousand years after the words of our text were written, we cannot “see” with our physical eyes the example of Paul and the other apostles—but what we can do is read their words in Holy Scripture. And so to imitate them—to follow their example-- means to read and hear their words for what they are: the Spirit-inspired, inerrant Word of God—as the Lutheran Confessions say: the only rule, source and norm for the Christian life.

The content of the apostolic faith—especially the centrality of the atoning work of Jesus Christ--and the living out of that apostolic faith in genuine Christian piety that we find described in the words of the apostles-- is what we are to return to again and again in our lives as individual Christians and our life a Christian congregation.

To imitate Paul and to follow the apostolic example means that we are to ask ourselves: would Paul and the other apostles recognize me and the members of St. Paul Lutheran Church as believing the same things-- and practicing the same things-- and living the same kind of life-- as they did?

This question must be asked again and again because it is very easy to wander away from the apostolic example and instead begin to imitate the world. Paul writes:
Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Just exactly who Paul is speaking of in these verses is a question that bible scholars disagree about and so I will set before you the two choices—and show that they are really not all that different and he could have easily been speaking of both the self-righteous Judaizers and the self-indulgent libertines who troubled the apostolic church.

We know that Paul had to struggle mightily against those in the church who said that faith in Jesus was not sufficient for salvation—that besides faith it was necessary to keep the Jewish laws. We also know that he had to fight against those who took the Good News of salvation and turned it into a license to sin.

Both groups he counted as enemies of the cross—not just mistaken or misguided or misinformed—but enemies of Jesus. The legalists were enemies of the cross because when they added their works to salvation they destroyed the Gospel itself—that we are right in God’s sight on account of faith in Jesus apart from deeds of law. The libertines were enemies of the cross because they destroyed the very reason that we have been saved—to bring glory to God by doing the good works he has appointed for us to do.

Now it may seem at first glance that there could not have been two more different kinds of false brothers in the early church than the legalists and the libertines-- but they were just different sides of the same coin: their focus was not on Christ crucified-- but upon themselves—the legalists in making sure that they scrupulously kept the demands of the Jewish law, careful about what they ate—and the libertines in satisfying every earthly appetite. For both groups—their god was their inmost desires—their belly.

One group was not better than the other or closer to Christ or more faithful to the truth—though each claimed that very thing: that they (and not the apostolic example found in Paul and the early pastors) was what being a Christian was really all about. But Paul told the truth: the end of both of these groups was destruction because they were enemies of the cross—one denying the need for the cross and the other its purpose.

Now all this may seem far removed from this place and time and our lives as individual Christians and as a congregation—but it is not—the same spirit that that troubled the Philippians-- and that would lead us away from following the apostolic example-- is present in the church today.

There are those who follow the Judaizers of old and teach the false gospel that we are not saved by Christ alone but by something we do—some good work or some decision we make.

There are those who follow the legalists of old who do not find their identity first and foremost in Christ crucified for the sins of the world but find it in what they prohibit: drinking alcohol or dancing or wearing a certain kind of clothes or the non-use of technology.

There are those who follow the example of the libertines and are morally indistinguishable from the fallen world around them in how they regard sexuality and the sanctity of life.

And so these words from Paul about the importance of following the apostolic example in how we live our lives and how we order our congregational life are as vitally important in 2010 A.D. as they were in 65 A.D. because they call us to keep the cross of Jesus Christ at the center of our lives as individual Christians and as a Christian congregation--finding in him alone our life and salvation—since eternity itself is at stake—destruction for the enemies of the cross but heaven for us. Paul writes that:
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Significant congregational anniversaries like the one that we will soon celebrate are an opportunity to look forward—to plan strategically—to set goals. But it is also easy to focus on all the wrong things when we make plans and set goals because we do not always keep the main thing before us. Should we relocate? Should we build a new building? What should our worship life look like? What kind of ministries would serve our community?

All of these are important questions to consider but they are not an end unto themselves. Instead, they are merely means to en end—ways to accomplish the main thing: and that is for each member of this congregation and every person that we reach—to be a citizen of heaven through faith in Jesus.

No matter where we are located or what kind of building we have or what kind of ministries we conduct, if we do not always keep that evangelistic purpose ahead of us as individual Christians and as a Christian congregation—to make sure that we and those we reach have a place in heaven through faith in Jesus—if we don’t do this--we will have failed to be what God has created, saved, and sanctified us to be.

Having that goal always before us has a remarkable clarifying effect on all that we say and do—on what we value and insist upon. And so we put the first priority on faithfully preaching and teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are faithful in administering the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. We reach out boldly to those who don’t know Jesus. We put flesh and bone on the life of Christ in our own lives so that those who don’t know Jesus can come to know him through us.

As we believe these things and do these things we will look like the apostolic church—imitating Paul and following the example of the other apostles—confident that we are about the true business of the church and that when Jesus returns we can give him an account of our congregational life that we do not have to be ashamed of.

And he will come again. The apostolic church never lost sight of that—they lived with a constant awareness that Christ could return at any moment—they looked forward to the restoration of all things including their own lives. And so they lived out their faith and they conducted their ministries and they ordered their congregational life with his return always in view—asking themselves: “How will Jesus view this?”

That too has a remarkable clarifying affect on what we do as a congregation and how we live our lives as Christians, doesn’t it? It helps us to remain steadfast in following the apostolic example. All the silly things that congregations can argue over—all of the fads that we are tempted towards—all of the false doctrine and false teachers and false brethren that try to lure us away from the apostolic example—are seen for what they are: things not worth losing eternity over. Paul writes:
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

100 year is a long time—it’s a long human life and it’s a long life for a congregation. But it is nothing compared to eternity—and that is exactly what is at stake when it comes to following the apostolic example in our faith and practice-- and in what we hope for and look forward to.

Standing firm in the Lord and following the apostolic example is not trying to return to the first century or the 16th century or the 19th century or whenever it was that we think that the church got it right, but what it is, is taking what we have received from Paul and the other apostles and living it out in the world of our day—committed to being the Christians in this place and time who have remained steadfast in following the apostolic example. May God grant it for Jesus’ sake! Amen.

The Blessings of Studying the Catechism

Dear Friends in Christ,
There are many advantages of teaching confirmation. Every time I travel through Luther’s Small catechism I learn something new. In a recent class we were discussing the characteristics of God. We saw that God was omnipresent (everywhere) and omniscient (knows all things). He knows what we are thinking and what we are doing all day long. It was a scary thought for some to think that nothing was in secrete because God knew everything! The question then arose, “What if next Sunday morning when we walked into church there was a list of our top ten secret thoughts displayed on the front wall?” Needless to say the whole class was not enthused about that idea.

But let’s think about this. If God knows all things and sees all things then why doesn’t he expose them to everybody? Why doesn’t he crush us with embarrassment before our friends? Why does he let us be known as Christians (Christ like) and calls us Saints (those who are pure, chosen ones)? The Eighth Commandment says, “Do not bear false witness” or do not lie about your neighbor. What are we to do? We are not to betray, slander, hurt ones reputation, but defend, speak well of, and explain everything in the kindest way. Isn’t that exactly what God does for us even though he knows all the evil we think and do?

God not only doesn’t expose all our sin but he invites us confess and have our sin removed privately. He invites us, as his friends, to his dinner table where he feeds us his body and blood FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS! He knows our sin, reveals it to us, and then forgives our sin because of his grace and mercy.
As we ponder God’s grace toward us, how can we not treat others in the same manner? Think how this would affect our families, our jobs, our communities, and our world. Then people would be drawn to peace we bring to life. When they come asking about our new attitude we have an answer. We tell them how God treats us and because of his great love for us, we can’t help but treat others in the same way.

I would encourage parents to begin teaching your children the Small Catechism where your family can learn and see these same truths for yourselves. I know it’ll be a very worthwhile endeavor.

God’s richest blessings,
Pastor Brynestad

Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

The Second Sunday in Lent, Series C February 28, 2010

Lessons for Second Sunday in Lent (Lutheran Service Book)

Jeremiah 26:8-15 ~ The people didn’t want to hear the one message that could save them from destruction.
Psalm 4 (antiphon: v. 8)
Philippians 3:17 – 4:1~ As citizens of heaven, we live in a way that calls people to the cross of Christ.
Luke 13:31-35 ~ Nothing would turn Jesus aside from His mission to cover His people with God’s love.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: When You are Sure You are Right, You'd Better Be!
The people of Jerusalem were ready to kill Jeremiah because he warned them of God's coming destruction. They were so sure they were right that they ignored Jeremiah's repeated warning: "The Lord has sent me to speak against this city." In Jesus' day the people of Jerusalem were sure they were right and would not listen to Jesus' message. They were willing to kill him rather than admit they were wrong. St. Paul reminded the Philippians and us that sometimes the way we live is at odds with God's gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. To be sure we are right, we need to be right with God through the cross of Christ.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Lord God, give me a humble heart that willingly hears your instruction so that I may learn from your word and so be renewed and reformed to live according to the pattern of your love expressed in Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: As citizens of heaven, we use the earthly goods God has given us to represent His love for people still caught up in the shameful ways of this world. Our lives show God’s love as we point people to the cross of Christ, where God covers our sin and transforms our hearts with the promise that in Christ He will transform even our bodies to be like Him.

OFFERING PRAYER: Lord, bless these earthly goods to serve Your purpose from above
So people trapped in sin and shame may come to know Your love.

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: We become defensive and self-righteous when we are living contrary to God’s Word. Such a course will bring us to destruction, just as it did the people of Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s day. We have a message that needs to be delivered to turn people from their disastrous ways and call them to God’s love in Christ. Instead of justifying our earthly ways, God has justified us in Christ Jesus and made us citizens of His heavenly kingdom.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening, fellow redeemed!

One of the great difficulties of sending out a Sunday evening/Monday morning update is the many dates often missed in between. One such date was February 18. If you look on the Commemorations page at the LCMS web site, it will simply say, "Martin Luther, Confessor."

Martin Luther died February 18, 1546. His last written words, reportedly found by his side, were, "We are beggars."

As 21st century North Americans, as those whose daily lives enjoy myriad technical advances, as those who are used to doing as many things as possible by ourselves, we would gladly give lip service to Luther's words, but little more. We are a people convinced we have change in our pockets. While we believe we're sinners, we're fairly certain we're not really all that bad. We're able to do more and more in the context of life, and want to transfer that ability to our standing before God.

The traditional Gospel for the First Sunday in Lent is the account of the temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-11 today). Think for just a moment about the temptations and how we might fair with them. Fasting for forty days and forty nights, wrestling with the devil, we're promised that we might turn stones into bread. How many of us would really balk at the opportunity, preferring to heed God's desire to trust Him for our daily bread?

Assuming we prevailed, the devil would show us all the kingdoms of the earth and their splendor, promising to give us all these things if we would simply bow down and worship him. Forget the idea that the devil is a major league liar, just think: you'd have all the earthly powers at your beck and call. How many of us would really balk at the opportunity to have this great power to make changes, preferring to heed God's desire to call upon Him alone in prayer and praise, even though it might mean we don't get to do things the way we want?

Assuming that we still prevailed, the devil would then take us to the pinnacle of the temple. "Jump down," the devil says. He reminds of God's promises from the Psalms that God Himself would employ His angels to protect us. There was an added benefit. An ancient rabbinic tradition told that the Messiah would descend into the courtyard of the temple. Jump down, y'all, and everyone will believe you. You can forget about all that cross and suffering stuff, because people will be astonished by your arrival.

Every temptation has a basic element. The devil tells us, "You can be independent of God's Will." The truth is, faced with the same temptations as Jesus, we would no doubt fail. In other words, we have no resistance to temptation, no great faithfulness, no great following of God's Will to hold before our heavenly Father and say, "Look at this." The truth is, we are all beggars - no spare change, we can't even get spare change. We have nothing with which to bargain with God.

Perhaps that's what's so amazing about the temptations of Jesus. His obedience is perfect - and He doesn't need spare change. By faith, we receive His perfect obedience as our own. Isn't it amazing? We can't obey our Father's desires. Jesus says, "I'll take care of that for you." We can't pray rightly. Jesus says, "Got that one, too." We can't do anything to please God the Father! Jesus says, "Trust me. I'll cover it for you."

This week at Mt. Olive is full of opportunities for worship. for celebrating (even in Lent), and for serving our Lord by serving our neighbor. I've included my brothers in the ministry here in south Texas on today's update, making sure that our brothers and sisters at our sister churches are invited to these great opportunities!

Tuesday, John and Doris Hauermann, volunteer missionaries to the Far East, will be at Mt. Olive to tell about their mission endeavors. Many of you may remember John and Doris as the ones to whom we sent a notebook computer last year. We'll gather in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30 p.m. Eat before you come, but bring a dessert to share!

Wednesday is the scheduled Lenten services at 12:15 and 7:15 p.m. We are still in need of sponsors for the meal before the evening service.

Friday, the Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ team will be arriving - late (about 9 p.m. or so). I've spoken with a couple of families who are available to be hosts, but I'm going to need a few more, since we have about 18 people converging here.

Saturday, the OAFC team will be leading us in outreach efforts in our area, some Bible study, some faith sharing, all culminating in what OAFC usually calls "an event" Saturday evening. Young people (probably grade 7 and older) and adults are invited to join. All ages are invited to the event on Saturday evening.

Needed for Saturday evening are trimmings for a barbecue meal - potato salad, beans, relish trays, bread, etc.

The OAFC team will also be helping us lead guitar worship on Sunday morning at both services.

Prayer Concerns:
Ruth Prytz, hospitalized
Bill and Mavis Waterman, Stephanie Waterman, and Kathryn Guerra, as Mavis' mother, Elva, was called to her Lord and given Christian burial this past week.
Ken, Sue, and Matthew Catherman, as Ken's dad, Kenneth, was called to his Lord and given Christian burial this past week.
Those who serve in our armed forces: Andrew Epley (Iraq), Richard Rhode (North Carolina), Michael Baker (Corpus Christi), Dru Blanc, John Sorensen, Ryan Radtke (NAS Corpus Christi), Bill Worley (NAS Kingsville)
The families of those who are serving in our armed forces
Those who serve in the health care fields, often caring for people who are in the clutches of death
Pastors and their families, during the busy time of Lent

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, February 22
Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.
Board of Elders, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 23
Mission Presentation by the Hauermans, 6:30 p.m.
Don't forget to bring a dessert to share!

Wednesday, February 24
School Chapel, 8:30 a.m.
Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Prayer at Midday, 12:15 p.m.
Lenten meal, about 5:45 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal, 6 p.m.
Evening Prayer, 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, February 27
OAFC activities, 9 a.m.

God bless!
Pastor Kevin Jennings

The Temptation of Jesus Luke 4:1-13

The text for our meditation on God's Holy Word is the Gospel lesson appointed for the day. I bring you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Wednesday night after the worship service Caroline and I were in the kitchen helping clean up after the meal. And as I put dish washing soap into the bucket to wash some of the utensils, I said out loud that “Caroline ALWAYS complains that I put too much soap in the dish water” and Caroline immediately responded that “she NEVER says that”--which is hilarious because not fifteen minutes before in the sermon I had used that exact illustration of what we shouldn't be doing when we argue with one another! Fifteen minutes--which is about right for me when it comes to resisting temptation!
A couple of Sundays ago in confirmation class one of the students asked me why it was that when they knew what their parents wanted them to do--and when they themselves wanted to do the right thing--why did they did they find themselves doing just the opposite. And I just had to smile to myself and say "kiddo, do I have an answer for you!" And we turned to the seventh chapter of Romans when Paul asks that exact same question and give the answer: it is the sin living in me--what a wretched man I am!
What Caroline and I experienced last Wednesday and what my confirmand was going through and what Paul experienced is very familiar to us all--it is a part of our broken human condition--it is temptation--from the world, the devil, and our own sinful flesh. And we should not be the least bit surprised. The Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 4: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial you are enduring.
From the moment we were baptized and became God's children, we have been targets in the devil's sights—him trying to wrench us away from God. And not only has it been that way in our lives, it has been that way from the very beginning and throughout salvation history. Adam and Eve faced temptation and failed. The children of Israel faced temptation and failed. The patriarchs and great heroes of the Bible like David faced temptation and failed. All people were victims to temptation right up until the moment that the Son of God entered into the field of battle--and then it all changed.
Jesus was not defeated by temptation. He is the new Adam who got it right when it comes to temptation. He is faithful Israel who was faithful to his heavenly Father in every way. What we're going to see as we reflect upon God's Word, is that Jesus’ obedience is the best possible news for us because through faith in him, his faithful victory against temptation is counted as our own-- and he provides the model we need to remain steadfast in temptation--and that is to take our stand on the Word of God. Luke writes that:
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.
I want you to realize that when it comes to temptation, you are not being tempted because you are a bad person or because you are weak but you are being tempted because you are a child of God. I remember as a young man struggling with this and talking with the principal of our school about it because I felt terrible that I was constantly faced temptation--Paul's Romans 7 struggle was my own and I worried that I had lost my faith. But thank God for that wise man who told me that it was BECAUSE I was a Christian that I was tempted--BECAUSE I knew God's will and wanted to do God's will that I regretted it when I didn't. This was a profound comfort to me-- that being tempted didn't mean that I had lost my faith-- but struggling against it meant I was still a believer.
There is a spiritual battle that rages against us and in us and each of us must fight against temptation. From almost the very beginning when Satan and his angels rebelled against God, a battle has raged on and Satan and his evil angels have done everything in their power to destroy mankind--to wreck the fellowship that were created to have with God--and that certainly included tempting Jesus who was not only a human being like we are--but also the heaven-sent Savior of us all. Right before his temptation…
Jesus had just been baptized--the Spirit had descended on him--the Father had announced his pleasure in him, identifying him as his Son--and yet immediately Jesus faced temptation from Satan. Jesus did not seek this out--he did not cavalierly put himself in harm's way--he wasn't looking for a fight--it simply came to him because he was filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit.
In the same way, we should not intentionally put ourselves in harms way spiritually. If we have problems with alcohol we should stay away from places where it's served. We should be circumspect in how we interact with the opposite sex and so on. But even when we do all that we can to avoid it, temptation will still come to us because Satan is a destroyer and we are his goal. Luke writes that:
Jesus ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
If you remember the stories of Israel wandering in the wilderness for those forty year before entering the promised Land, you know how they struggled with trusting God to meet their physical needs--how they grumbled and complained and would have gone back to being slaves in Egypt just for the food-- if Moses had let them do it.
Now please understand--being hungry is no more a sin than being thirsty is a sin or desiring companionship is a sin. God made us creatures with physical appetites. But on account of sin, those appetites have become distorted and misdirected and the devil tempts us to meet them sinfully. Adam and Eve ate the one thing they were forbidden to eat in a whole world of food. Noah served God faithfully and kept mankind from complete annihilation in the flood by building the ark but got drunk to celebrate. David sinned sexually with Bathsheba. That sorry list goes on and on and includes us.
And so when Jesus goes hungry in the desert there was no sin in that--there would be no sin in turning a stone into bread and certainly within his divine power--but what he would not do was take his cue from Satan on how to meet a legitimate bodily need.
Jesus is the faithful Adam who says "no" to Satan. He is the faithful Israel who is satisfied with his Father's provision no matter what it is. He is the faithful man that God wants all men to be who find their sufficiency in God himself and Jesus responds to this temptation by saying, "IT IS WRITTEN." If you have your bibles open or your bulletins open you ought to underline that each time it occurs in our text for with each temptation Jesus has but one response: "IT IS WRITTEN."
Jesus' faithfulness is our salvation and his method of remaining steadfast is something that every child of God can make use of--in fact, the Bible says that we are to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Now this doesn't mean that we simply quote some verse of the bible when we are tempted—though there is sure nothing wrong with that. What it does mean is that who we are and what we desire and the direction and purpose of our lives is to be drawn from the Word of God.
The devil and the world want us to believe that we are nothing but biological creatures--merely animals-- who are at the mercy of our appetites-- and our flesh wants us to believe that lie. But we are much more than that. We are God's children for we were created in God's image and we find our life in his Word that has called us forth from death to life through the Good News of his death on the cross--The very thing which the devil would have wrecked in the next temptation. Luke writes that:
The devil took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
The really sinister thing about Satan's temptations is that truth and lies are always twisted together. When he tempted Adam and Eve with the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil he promised them that they would be like God—knowing good and evil. And sure enough they did know good and evil-- but what they discovered is that they were evil and God was good and they weren't like God at all but had lost the image of God altogether and become subject to death.
That's the way it always is with temptation--Satan shows us the pleasure but hides the danger--the glass of wine with a meal that becomes an early death and a ruined family--the innocent friendship at work that becomes a destroyed marriage—and so on--spiritual danger in some good thing that Satan ruins.
That is how Satan tempted Jesus. He showed him that which was rightfully his: kingdoms and glory and power and honor--the kings of the world casting down their crowns before him--every knee bowing before him in submission--and all he had to do was one small thing--to render one act of worship to Satan. Who would ever know--they were all alone--why go through the rejection and suffering-- when what is rightfully yours-- can be yours-- right now? Why die?
This temptation cut to the very heart of Jesus' mission--he had come for this purpose—to die. This was his work--to offer up his own life upon the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world--to do what we have failed to do in giving our all to God. The Bible says that we are to worship God by offering our bodies as living sacrifices-- but we all know how often we have failed to render to the Lord the worship that is his due and instead have used the members of our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness.
But Jesus did not fail--he did not abandon the way of the cross. He was tempted in every way as we are and yet without sin. He set his face towards Jerusalem and the cross and never looked back. After his death and resurrection he ascended to the Father and took his rightful place at the Father's right hand--the ceaseless worship of angels and archangels and all the company of heaven sing his unending praises and on the last day every knee will bow before him BECAUSE the way of glory went through the cross.
So it is to be for us. We are constantly tempted to take short-cuts in our spiritual life--to desire forgiveness and peace and hope apart from hard work of taking up our cross and following Jesus in faith. We want a life of ease unaffected by the hardships of living as God's people in this broken world. Now sure enough, the day will come when the hardships of this life will be no more--but that journey goes through the cross--not around it--and so we take our stand on the promises of the Word of God. But in doing so, we should also recognize that even there, that Satan is at work. Luke writes:
The devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
I don’t think that any of us would consciously put the Lord to the test—which implies that we doubt his word and demand some kind of tangible proof of his existence or promises. But how often do we say or think to ourselves: “Well, if God really loved me…then this or that would take place”. Who we are in God’s sight and what his attitude is towards us is certain—his Word tells us of his love and the sacrifice of his Son is the enduring sign of all of it. But Satan tempts us to seek certainty in some external sign.
With Jesus, Satan used the Word of God itself—inviting him to put God’s promise to the test and cast himself down from the pinnacle of them temple with the promise that the angels would catch him as a sign to himself- and a testimony to all looking on- that he really was God’s Son.
But at his baptism, Jesus had already heard God’s Word concerning his identity and that was sufficient. The same is true for us. When we were baptized God said: you are my child. And he has not changed his mind. We can return to that promise again and again no matter what is going on in our lives—no matter how we are being tempted-- and be certain that it is true and unchanging. Luther said that morning and evening we need to lay claim to that promise because Satan is not going to give up and we have to fight on until the day that God calls us to our eternal rest. Luke writes that:
When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time.
The devil never gave up on Jesus—step by step in his public ministry the devil was right there beside him trying to undermine his mission and destroy his purpose. But Jesus was faithful each step of the way—going to the cross—laying down his life—rising again and descending to hell to announce—not only his own victory—but ours as well.
What we see before us in our text today in Jesus’ faithfulness in temptation is God’s promise to us of our own victory over Satan as we put our faith in Jesus and take our stand in his Word. Amen.
And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.