Listen to Sermon
Pastor Tom Johnson, March 24, 2019
In our reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul encourages us on our journey through the wilderness of this world. He reminds us of the story of the Israelites how they spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Their own sin held them back time after time. Nevertheless, God was with them to bring them safely to the promised land. Paul encourages us by their example not to let sin hold us captive. In this case, we can be our own worst enemies. We let the temptations of this world lure us away from a faithful walk with God. We become prisoners of our own sinful appetites. I call it encouragement because Paul is not talking about sin in order to increase our shame, guilt, and despair. He is talking about not letting anything in this world hold us back. God wants us to live unhindered, unshackled, and free. He wants us to move forward in way that is best for us and for those around us.
“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.” In other words, you are not struggling alone. Misery loves company. We are all in this together. One thing that may be holding us back is the idea that I am the only one who has this struggle. It may be a deep and dark secret that no one knows but ourselves. We may think it is so rare that we are the only ones with this particular struggle. That is part of the lie and deception of sin. The temptation here is to think that there is no way I can be free—there is no way you can be free because our struggle is so unique. We are broken goods. We have passed the point of no return. No, your and my struggle is universal. We all have something in our lives that keeps tripping us up. We all have something that is holding us back. It is the normal Christian life to battle sin in our lives.
If we are not battling sin in our lives it is because we are so overtaken by sin that we do not yet realize just how much of a deceptive hold it has in our lives. It’s why Jesus said, “Forgive them. For they do not know what they are doing.” In fact, the word “forgive” in the New Testament Greek literally means to loose. To forgive is to set one free from the destructive power of sin. To be forgiven means God has set us loose to live our lives in love for him and for our neighbor.
What is holding you back? There is something holding you and me back from moving forward in greater freedom, greater joy, greater godliness, greeter peace, and greater fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is the common human struggle—this is the normal Christian life to humbly and soberly acknowledge the chains around our wrists and our ankles—the things that are holding us back. Just as Jesus says, “You will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.” Sin is not just the bad things we do. Sin is not just the good we fail to do. Sin is the power that wants to seduce us to become its slaves. Sin wants to hold us captive and its prisoners. Sin wants to deceive us into a life of addiction. Sin wants us to repeat destructive cycles of behavior over and over again. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” He knew that as long as we are still on this side of eternity evil and sin will continue to threaten our freedom to walk with God with joy and peace.
A few months ago, Pope Francis suggested that we change the wording of the Lord’s Prayer to better reflect its true meaning—from “Lead us not into temptation” to “Do not let me fall into temptation.” He said, “Because it is I who fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and then sees how I fell. A father does not do that, a father helps you to get up immediately.” I do not believe it is necessary to change the wording of the Lord’s Prayer but I really like his point. God is our Heavenly Father who wants what is best for us. He wants us to live fruitful and joyful lives.
“God is faithful,” Paul says, “he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” “God is faithful.” God is good all the time. All the time God is good. We do not look to ourselves for strength to battle sin in our lives. We look to the One who is faithful. We look to God. He is in our corner. He is cheering us on. He gives us strength to journey on. He provides a way out of our temptation. That is why we are bold when we pray. Because we are holding God to his Word. We are praying his promises. If God promises that we will not be tested beyond our strength—if God promises that there is a way out of our temptation, then we are bold and have every right to pray that God will keep his Word in our lives.
“God, you say that you will not allow temptation to be so overwhelming that I will not be able to have the strength to endure it. Give me the strength and perseverance I need to not succumb to evil and sin.” “God, you say that you will also provide the way out—a way of escape from the clutches and deception of sin. Help me to see and recognize it when that way to freedom opens that I might be set free from despair and bondage.”
We look to the Cross of Calvary as the way out. That’s where Jesus endured his final temptation. It’s where he overcame sin, evil, and even death itself. In his resurrection, he led a host of captives free. He opened the door to eternal life. There is a way out. And his name is Jesus. God the Father has provided that way through the person and work Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment