Overcoming Temptation

A Sermon delivered to St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Charleston, WV on February 15, 2015, based on: Mark 1:9-15 (Luke 4:1-14a).

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ!

In our Gospel lesson today we see Jesus submitting to something that most of us would rather avoid: Temptation.

Usually we see Temptation as something to be avoided and feared. Jesus even taught us to pray: 'lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'... And in fact, Temptation is indeed a solicitation by the Evil One to get us to do wrong. So, - not incorrectly we see Temptation as something bad.

However, in Jesus’ life and ministry we observe a different reality.

You’ll remember that after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. He was full of God, full of the Holy Spirit. And a voice came out of heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22).

And yet, immediately afterward, Jesus was led by the very same Holy Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days!

Like my daughter Leslie might say, "What’s the 'dealio'?!"

Well, the dealio seems to be that God had a mission for Jesus to accomplish. Armed with intimate knowledge of God and trust in Him, Jesus allowed himself to be led out into the desert to fast and to be tempted by Satan. Our Lenten fast is an imitation of this Jesus Fast in the wilderness.

But if we’re going to imitate Christ in our Lenten Fast, we need to understand what Jesus understood about Temptation: that it does not come to us because God hates us or is trying to trick us. Rather, God allows Temptation to come to us through Satan, so that, like Jesus, we may be purified and prepared for our own mission up ahead: participating with God in redeeming the world.

So why Temptation? If God wants to teach us things, why not just give us an elaborate video game that you can play over and over until you master the levels - and where if you die, your character just comes back to life digitally?

I think it has to do with the exalted place of Human Beings in God's Plan. God intends for us to be His Friends! – To share Life eternal with Him and to share the Rule of the physical universe with Him. That’s way better than the highest level of powers you can accomplish through any video game!

Sadly, God’s Plan for us seems SO exalted that most of us would settle for something more like a dog’s life:

 being happy, well-fed, free from hard choices, and blissfully unconcerned about being like God.

Temptation comes to ask the question, "Do you want to be LIKE GOD - or do you want to settle for something smaller?

If you want be LIKE GOD, it's not going to be easy. Just like Jesus, you’ll have to endure Temptation in order to be purified, trained and prepared for God's Best: Participation in the Divine Nature and Mission.

In Luke 4:1-12 we read how Jesus faced and overcame Three categories of Temptation,  all of which have to do with taking matters into our own hands: 

   Provision

   Power

   Protection

Jesus resisted the temptation to fulfill his own bodily hunger, and instead trusted God for his daily bread.

He resisted the temptation to grab worldly power and instead became King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And he resisted the temptation to test God, and instead put the Evil One to flight, just as James says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

Jesus met each of these temptations successfully, and as a result, 'returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee' (Luke 4:4) to begin his ministry. Thus Christ's Temptation was a prelude to ministering in the power of the Spirit.

Our Temptations 

I believe that we as a congregation are facing some of the same temptations Jesus faced – but that if we meet these temptations successfully we have the opportunity to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may minister to our world just as Jesus did.  

We seem to be on the verge of throwing ourselves down into destruction as a congregation. We have concerns about Power and we are worried about our long-term Provision as a church.

We are full of Consternation and Questioning: What is happening to us? 

Why?

Many of us feel discouraged. We may even be Desperate, wondering if we will ever get out of this? Will it last forever?

Please be comforted with this: 

1 Cor, 10:13: says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

What I’d like to suggest today is some very practical ways of escape.

Ironically, this advice comes from someone who identifies himself first as a scientist, but also as a faithful Jew – John Mordecai Gottman, PhD.

As most of you know, I’m a Professional Counselor by occupation and a Certified Gottman Method Couples Therapist. I’d like to sketch out for you a few of the basic principles the Gottmans have discovered through their research and relate this along the way to our current situation. By doing this I hope we can find some practical ways of meeting and successfully overcoming our Congregational Temptations.

Gottman is famous for what he called the Seattle Love Lab

He and his associates set up an apartment in a local resort as a laboratory for observing couples’ behavior. Over a 40 year period, they worked with some 3000 couples. By recording them for 12 hours per day and then minutely coding and decoding their behavior, the Gottman team discovered two distinct patterns used by two different groups. He termed these the MASTERS and DISASTERS of relationships.

The Masters consistently practiced things nurtured their relationship: 

They worked on creating a good Friendship.

They had a Positive Attitude about their relationship

They made Repairs when their conversations got off track.

They acknowledged that not all problems are solvable. And

They Honored and Respected one another.

On the other hand, what predicted failure was also very clear.

The Number One factor in predicting relationship Failure is a pervasive pattern of Negativity…

Couples who showed what we Negative Sentiment Override consistently manifested the Fundamental Attribution Error: I’m Ok and you’re messed up – or Crazy or Demonic!

This Fundamental Attribution Error also manifests itself in what Gottman calls The Four Horsemen of the Relational Apocalypse 

- So called because they are the Signs of the End of a relationship. In fact, Gottman now states that if these behaviors are observed in a 15 minute segment of a couple’s conflict conversation, and they go uncorrected over the next three years, he can predict the failure of the relationship 91% of the time.

Criticism - This usually starts with 'YOU...always, YOU never, Why dont' you ever?!... It's finding fault with the other person and starting up Harshly and with an accusing atttiude. 

Naturally, when we are on the receiving end of this we feel: 

Defensive - we put up our shields of defense and might throw it back on the other person: OH, Yeah, what about YOU! What do YOU do?!

Contempt is when we adopt a morally superior attitude towards the other person and become disgusted with the things they do: We roll our eyes or bring back the Left side of our mouth  in a kind a scowl or smirk. Contempt is like pouring sulphuric acid on your relationship. 

Finally, Stonewalling is what happens when we get upset and want to leave the situation, either physically or by emotionally checking out. When our heart rates goes up about 20 beats per minute above its normal resting rate, we get too upset to really talk rationally and we just want to leave. 

Unfortunately, this can be a real source of danger when there is no agreement that taking a Time Out is OK. It would be like a sports team calling a Time Out and just going home. 

Men and women seem to have specific besetting sins in this regard: 

About 80% of the time, women bring up issues for discussion, so women tend to be the ones to start Critically. 

And about 85% of the time, men are the ones to get upset, defensive and who want to check out.

Now in this video, we can see all four horsemen at work in just 30 seconds…www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUMYU-Ghb0

Any of those seem familiar at St. Timothy?...

While we can’t necessarily generalize from couple data to congregational outcomes, it’s not hard to imagine that a congregation could easily split under the influence of the 4 Horsemen.

If we’re not able to successfully come together and conquer the 4 Horsemen in our midst, the probability of failure could be as high as 91%.

I’m no prophet, but I can tell you what the sign of this would be:

Here’s your sign: 

It’s not impossible. Ask yourself the question: Where are these churches now?  

All Saints Episcopal, South Charleston, WV 

Humphreys United Methodist, Charleston, WV 

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Charleston, WV 

Here's what St. Paul's posted on Facebook on November 27, 2013: 

"We have closed our doors. Our building is for sale. Our church has moved to Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church."

Imagine the future with me for a moment and picture some possible buyers 

for our property:

The Bible Center could probably use a new Senior High School building.

Or River Ridge might be interested in expanding their 20-something ministry.

This space would make a great dinner theater…

Or perhaps the local mosque would like to expand…

And think about what we might offer an incoming pastor if we don’t get our act together. Imagine the Help Wanted Ad:  "We offer:

•      Departing Members

•      Declining Giving

•      Fierce Factions

•      Gridlocked Council

•      Aging Congregation

•      Few or Zero Visitors

It’s vitally important that we meet and overcome this temptation. Listen to this quote from Frederick Barbee and Paul Zahl:

"There is a proper sense of having your emotions under rein which precedes any effective service outwards. You have to be free from ungoverned outbreaks of personal need and personal pain if your attempted works of love are not to be marred by self-interest and self-service, even self-sabotage."  (pg. 35 in The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, Barabee and Zahl)

Let’s avoid self-sabotage by starting with applying the Antidotes to the Four Horsemen!

Instead of a Harsh Accusing Start-up, Let's start softer: I feel, I think...instead of YOU, YOU, YOU! 

Instead of Defensiveness, take Responsibility for at least some part of the conflict.  MEA CULPA! I admit it! 

Instead of Contempt, which is like sulphuric acid poured on your relationship, build a culture of appreciation, and show respect for the Image of God in the other person. 

Finally, instead of Stonewalling, take a TIME-OUT and calm down. (More about that in just a bit.) 

Dreams in Conflict

Sometimes our conflict is because we have differing Dreams and those dreams end up causing us to become gridlocked in conflict. For example, one person has a dream of Preserving the past and another has a dream of forging ahead with new programs. Who is right? Both!

What’s the solution? In a word, Dialogue… and that entails: Confessing your sins according to James 5:16. We also need to ask questions of our opponents so that we can truly understand their position.

Here are some of the types of questions to ask: (no sarcasms please!) 

Why is this so important to you?
What are your guiding feelings?
What do we agree about?
What are our common goals?
How might these goals be accomplished?
How can we reach a compromise?
How can I help to meet your core needs?

Surely having a conversation like this and really listening to one another can only help to heal our wounds!

Process your Fights

One very important thing for couples and for congregations is to Process your Fights – talk about them without getting back into the fight!

Here is a 5-step process for talking through a fight:

State your Feelings

Tell your Story

Identify your triggers

Take responsibility

Think about next time.  What can we do better?

Make Repairs

During such a conversation, it’s possible you might get off track. 

Be alert to the other person’s attempt at making a REPAIR. Accept the repair in a spirit of gentleness and humility – and make one of your own as well! The classic one for Christians is: “I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

Take the time to actually ask for forgiveness. Also take the time to actually say: "I forgive you!" 

If you get too upset (Heart rate 100 bpm or greater) Take a time out!

Rules for a Time Out: 

Agree about taking a time out

•      Set a specific time to talk about it again

•      Soothe Self:  Physically, mentally, spiritually

•      Think hopeful thoughts: We can make it!

Remember:

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (II Tim 1:7 NKJV)

And : God is WITH US:

Mt. 28:20, ..." behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)

Challenge: Conquer the Temptation by Resurrection Day!

Lent is the season for repentance and returning to the Lord. If we as Christians cannot get our act together, it is as if we are saying that Jesus was crucified and stayed in the ground. We serve a RISEN, not a dead Savior! 

What to Expect: 

By meeting temptation successfully, we can expect to be prepared for:

Increased effectiveness in ministry, and Further Temptations! (You can count on there being more as we go along - as we progress in the Christian faith and we become stronger, the temptations also become stronger!) 

Summary: 

Friends, Temptation does not come from God, it's not God's first choice for us. Temptation is a solicitation from our Enemy to choose second best and so use our God-given freedom for our own harm. But God, in his wisdom, knows how to turn even the temptation to evil into a good thing for our benefit.

Jesus showed us the way to resist Temptation successfully. It has all to do with being full of God's Word and Spirit and using some very basic tools to talk respectfully to one another. If we can do these two basic things, God will help us and use the temptation to make us stronger for His kingdom.

May God grant us grace to appropriate the gifts he has given us in order to successfully meet and overcome every temptation. In the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.