[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4B: “Don’t Lose Your ‘Attitude of Gratitude!”

[Joe Parrish]

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From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Mar 10, 2018 7:41 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 4B: “Don’t Lose Your ‘Attitude of Gratitude!”



Dear Friends,
 
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Lose Your‘Attitude of Gratitude!” and deals with the Old Testament lesson (Numbers 21:4-9).  Here it is: 
 
So far this Lent, we’ve looked at what the Bible says to us abouttemptation- how vulnerable we are to wanting anything we’re not supposed tohave or to doing anything we’re not supposed to do.  As you know, one of our offertory hymns forthis Lent is “Yield Not to Temptation for Yielding is Sin.”  We’ve considered one of our chieftemptations- to avoid the cross that Jesus expects us to carry.  Remember, he said, “Take up your cross andfollow me”- and he wasn’t talking about jewelry on a gold chain; he was talkingabout a chosen sacrifice for him.  Lastweek we examined where yielding to temptation leads us- SIN, and we saw thatthe middle letter of sin is “I”! Actually, self-centeredness (i.e. original sin) is like a beautifulapple with a rotten core.  Today I’d likeus to think through one of the dangerous symptoms of sin- a poisonedspirit.  Did you hear of the mother whocalled the poison control center, seriously worried that her two-year-olddaughter had poisoned herself by eating ants? The nurse who answered the phone calmly reassured the anxious motherthat, although eating ants sounds nasty and you hate the thought of yourprecious child eating them- they’re not poisonous.  “Oh, I’m so relieved!” said the mother.  “If I had known that ants weren’t poisonous,I wouldn’t have made her eat all that ant poison!”  “You made her eat ant poison?” asked thenurse.  “Absolutely”, answered themother.  “I wanted to be sure all theants in her stomach were killed.”  “Looklady,” shouted the nurse.  “Bring thechild in RIGHT AWAY!”  We know what’spoisoning that precious two-year-old, but I’d like us to look at the snakesthat were poisoning the Israelites and then think about if anything ispoisoning you.  
 
The Israelites were in the desert- picture their situation.  God had worked a mighty miracle deliveringthem from slavery in Egypt and then topped it off with their miraculous escapethrough the Red Sea.  They saw God’smighty hand when Moses encountered the living God on the mountaintop and cameback down with the Ten Commandments.  Godled them through the desert in the fire by night and the cloud by day- on theirway to the Promised Land.  When theybegan to hunger, God began sending manna. Every morning when they woke up, there was this bread-like substance onthe ground- enough for one day’s food for everyone (two days before the Sabbathso they wouldn’t break the fourth commandment). Manna, plus the occasional quail that foolishly landed where they couldbe caught, made an amazingly nutritious diet.  Their feet did not blister and their sandalsdid not wear out throughout the entire trip. What wonderful provisions from God! How truly blessed they were! Wouldn’t you think that would have been enough for any human being?  Yet all we heard in today’s Old Testamentreading was complaining!  Why?  Because they were bored with the same old“same-old.”  Sounds like when I was alittle girl.  We were very poor, but mymother always saw that I had all my necessities met.  Occasionally she would find me in front ofthe refrigerator with the door open. When she would ask what I was doing, I would complain- “I’m hungry, butthere’s nothing to eat!”  She would tellme to close the door and remind me that I must not really be very hungry.  You know why? Because the refrigerator was full of food- just nothing special, nothingfancy- just the same old “same-old.”  Yousee, I was truly blessed- but instead of an attitude of gratitude, I had acomplaining spirit- just like the Israelites did.  You heard what happened to them.  God allowed them to stumble into a bed ofsnakes with burning, poisonous venom. Whether God actually made this happen or whether they took a wrong turndue to their negative attitude and then blamed the problem on God- whoknows.  Whichever- the problem did whatproblems frequently do- it shaped up their bitter attitude and got them down ontheir knees in a hurry!  They wentrunning to Moses who prayed.  We heardhow God told Moses to erect a bronze snake on a pole.  God said that anyone who looked at the snakewould be healed.  That’s whathappened.  Now- what’s in it for us?  What Bible wisdom can we extract from thisancient story to help us in our lives today?
 
FIRST, THEY WERE IN A SPIRITUALLY VULNERABLE POSITION.  They had repeatedly experienced greatvictories won for them by the Lord.  Whatfrequently happens after a woman has gloriously experienced the amazing miracleof giving birth to a longed-for child? Sure- depression hits.  Whathappened after the prophet Elijah won his mighty victory over the prophets ofBaal?  Same thing- depression.  What other factors predisposed them to beingvulnerable?  Exhaustion- mentally and physically;the “sameness” of their lives that must have had them thinking- “Is this allthere is to life- walking, work, boring food and water- over and overagain?”  Do you want to avoid theirmistake?  Watch out after a marvelousevent.  Watch yourself when you areexhausted, mentally or physically.  Takecare of your physical health.
 
SECOND, THEY LOST THEIR ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.  Instead of focusing on their blessings, theyfound themselves focusing more and more on the negatives.  Just as I should have been thankful for allthe food in our home refrigerator, I focused not on what WAS there but on whatWASN’T there.  Before you go to bed everyevening, count your blessings and thank God for every last one of them.  Thanking God for at least one blessing dailyis a wonderful spiritual discipline!
 
THIRD, DON’T BLAME GOD IF YOU MAKE A WRONG TURN IN LIFE.  Simply do as Moses did.  Pray and ask for guidance.  Did you notice that God didn’t make thesnakes go away?  He simply told hisbeloved people what to do if they got bitten by one.  He’ll do the same for you.  Your problems won’t necessarily go away, butyou will be given the wisdom to handle them in a way that turns them into ablessing for you.  I’ve got a questionfor you.  Have you ever wondered why theperson had to look at the snake to be healed? In other words, why didn’t God automatically heal anyone who was bitten?  Think about it- because God never forces usto come to him.  The person who wasbitten had to choose to look.  Healingwas then and is now a choice.  When haveyou ever had the experience that God MADE you come to church on Sundaymorning?  And yet, it is God’s will thatyou worship Him and receive Holy Communion every Sunday morning unless you aresick, working, or engaged in some other pressing ministry.  Don’t presume on God.  Ask God for help.
 
FINALLY- THE SNAKE ON THE POLE: remember the snake that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden?  Can’t you just picture the lovely belt orshoes or handbag he would make? Yet- when that snake is all curled up, what’sat the very center?  I’ll tell you what-a head, complete with a venomous mouth, almost camouflaged from view.  That’s how sin is, which is why we’re sovulnerable to temptation, especially at weak points in our lives.  It often looks so inviting, so beautiful, soharmless.  But watch out- the poison isright there.  Please look at the thoughtfor the week: “It is unlikely there’ll be a reduction in the wages of sin” (Anonymous).  Does anyone remember what Paul says the wagesof sin are?  (“The wages of sin is death,but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord”- Romans6:23.)  John 3: 16-17 reminds us thatwhen Jesus was lifted up on the cross for our sins, it wasn’t to condemn us butto save us and gift us with eternal life- fullness of life that will lastforever and begins at our baptisms.  So,what’s poisoning your life?
 
Do you have a     health problem?  Enjoy what you can     do and the life you have.  Don’t     waste the life God has given you worried about what might happen.
 
Are your     children becoming a frustrating heartache?      They’re God’s kids, not yours.      Give them to God, do the best you possibly can with them, and enjoy     them whenever you can.  Have an     attitude of gratitude, not a complaining pity-party.
 
Do you have a     relationship problem?  Is there     someone in your life who is really hard to deal with, perhaps even hard to     live with?  Once again- remember the     happy times you had with this person, forgive them, and don’t let them     impose their negatives on your attitude.
 
Are addictive     substances wrecking your life?  Look     to Jesus, claim his power, get into a program if necessary, and get     yourself healed.
 
Do you have     money problems, housing problems, car problems, job problems?  Put God first in your life, consult with     someone you trust, pray about it, and give them to God.  Don’t let them wreck your present life.

 
In closing, let’s bow our heads and sing our prayer: “Thank you, Lord.”
 
For anyone who isinterested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements areposted 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

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