[Propertalk] Fwd: Part 1 - Sermon for Lent 1C

[joeparrish]

Forwarded: 


From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.

-------- Original message --------
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> 
Date:02/13/2016  10:49 PM  (GMT-05:00) 
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> 
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 1C 

Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Yield Not to Temptation” or “The Devil Made Me Do It!” and deals with the gospel (Luke 9: 28- 36).  Here it is:  

 

We just heard the story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Luke 4:1-13) and we know the feeling of being tempted all too well, because temptation is a part of our lives.  In Lent it gets even worse as we try to stick with our Lenten commitment of giving up something that keeps us from being the best we can be and taking on something to deepen our spiritual lives.  You know as well as I do, even good change is hard.  How many diets have you gone on?  Since we purposely take on change in Lent, we also purposely expose ourselves to temptation.  Do you remember the story about the father who told his three-year-old son not to go near the street while he was outside.  He could ride his tricycle.  He could dig in his sandbox.  He could sit on the steps and watch his father work in the yard.  He could help his father dig in the yard.  The only thing he could NOT do was go near the street, because it was very dangerous.  The father held his son’s small face in his hands and carefully explained this to him, then asked if he understood.  “Yes, daddy,” said the child.  As soon as the father turned away, you know exactly what the little boy did, don’t you...put his right toe in the street and looked at his father as if to say, “I dare you!”  Sounds like Adam and Eve all over again.  We humans surely do have a disobedient streak in us!  So, let’s get personal.  What did you give up for Lent?  If it’s doughnuts, I know your car just happens to drive by the doughnut shop.  If it’s smoking, I know you look at those cigarettes when you pay for your gas.  It’s no accident that Jesus taught us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” better translated: “Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.”  Jesus came to give us life, allow us to live our lives to the fullest.  What is the opposite of “live?”  Sure, “E-V-I-L”- what the devil wants to trick us into choosing.

 

Here are some useful facts about temptation and how to handle it:

When we’re under huge      assault, it’s so easy to forget that Jesus has overcome, so the power to overcome is in our hands.  The devil      cannot force us.  All he can do is simply try to convince us.  The trouble is- we get convinced all too easily.
One of the devil’s tricks is to make us think overcoming temptation is simply a matter of education.  As is the case with most of the devil’s tricks- this is partly true.  Education helps, but the real problem is one of the will, of making choices.       We are tempted to choose short term happiness over our long term well-being.
Temptation starts in our minds and moves from mind to action.  Did you notice the thought for the week? Gandhi taught: “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.  Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.  Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.  Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.  Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” 
The Rev. Dr. Anthony Evans reminds us: “Used improperly, credit cards operate a lot like sin: enjoy now, pay later.”
 

Question- how can you know if that still, small voice in your head is God’s- encouraging happiness and life, or the devil’s encouraging unhappiness and death?  Use Jesus’ experience to help you figure it out.



(Continued in Part 2)

 

May God bless us as we keep a holy Lent full of life-giving spiritual growth.

 

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

 

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Propertalk" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to propertalk.topic+unsubscribe at ecunet.org.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://stsams.org/pipermail/propertalk_stsams.org/attachments/20160214/8eb68d5e/attachment.htm>