Sermon Notes

Fasting & Feasting for Lent, Part 3

Sermon Notes

March 15, 2009

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248

(480) 895-8766

Exodus 20:1-17 NRSV

¹Then God spoke all these words: ²I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ³you shall have no other gods before me. ⁴You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. ⁷You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

⁸Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work. ¹⁰But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ¹³You shall not murder. ¹⁴You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵You shall not steal. ¹⁶You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ¹⁷You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Matthew 4:1-11 NRSV

¹Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” ⁷Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; ⁹and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” ¹¹Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

A. Introduction

1. Chief Iron Eyes Cody (from “Plus Magazine” April 1992)

a. Chief Iron Eyes Cody is best remembered for the TV ad where he sheds a tear; because of his sadness over the way we humans have polluted our environment. Chief Cody, also, had a deep concern for young people and he tried to encourage them especially to avoid drugs. A story he often told young people was about the rattlesnake and the Native American lad. It goes like this: A Native American youth climbed a high mountain. The lad heard a rustling and looked down at his feet. There was a rattlesnake. Before he could move the snake spoke. “I am about to die,” said the snake, “It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley.” “No,” said the youth, “I have been warned about your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up you will bite me, and your bite will kill me.” The snake said, “Not so. I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you.” So the foolish youth put the snake under his shirt and hiked down to the valley. As the lad opened his shirt to set the snake down, the snake bit him on the chest. In agony the young man wailed, “But you promised!” “You knew what I was when you picked me up,” hissed the snake as he slithered away.

b. Chief Iron Eyes appeared on television with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and stated, “And now, wherever I go, I tell that story. I tell it especially to young people who might be tempted by drugs. I want them to remember the words of the snake: ‘You knew what I was when you picked me up.’” There are a lot of things we ought to avoid. Make this Lent a time you fast from the things that are truly bad for you and hurtful of others.

2. Stanley and Livingstone

a. Most people know the story of Stanley and Livingstone. David Livingstone of the London Missionary Society went to Africa to preach the Gospel of Jesus and to help the locals. Livingstone was missing for about a year. So people went looking for him. New York Herald correspondent and explorer Henry Morton Stanley found Livingstone in a village working with the natives. Now picture this in your mind: In that day in this part of Africa there were only blacks except for Livingstone and Stanley’s expedition members. So it was a bit absurd when Stanley’s first words to the missionary were: “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

b. But what you may not know is the rest of the story. Stanley was not a Christian when he met Livingstone. However, he stayed four months with the famed missionary. Henry Stanley was so impressed with Livingstone’s kindness, love, inner peace, and purpose that he became a Christian. A positive example is always inspiring. We have the most positive example ever in Jesus Christ. This Lent feast on His words and His positive example!

B. Fast from a known sin, and feast on obedience to God’s will!

1. Two Drunken Sailors

a. One foggy night two inebriated sailors decided to take a rowboat across the bay to their homes. They jumped in the little boat and rowed hard all night and still did not reach the other side. When the sun finally rose and the fog lifted they discovered that they were still tied to the dock! They had not moved all night!

b. Many years ago Dwight L. Moody told this story. Reverend Moody saw this story as an analogy of the way many people are thwarted in their striving for heaven, because they are tied to the dock of this world. “Cut the chord!” he would bellow. “Set yourself free from the clogging weight of earthly things, and you will be headed toward heaven.” Is there something keeping you from going farther in your spiritual journey? Is there some known sin in your life? Is there some negative behavior that you need to stop, but for some reason you continue on the same fatal course.

2. Battleship and Lighthouse

a. The Navy was conducting maneuvers with many ships at sea. The weather and the visibility were poor with fog. Shortly after dark, the Lookout on the bridge of a battleship reported, “Light bearing on the starboard bow.” The Captain asked, ”Is it steady or moving astern?” The Lookout replied, “Steady, Captain.” This meant that they were on a collision course. The Captain ordered the Signalman to send this message: “Change your course 10 degrees south.” The reply came back: “Change your course 10 degrees north.” The Captain angrily sent this message: “I am a Captain in the U.S. Navy. Change your course 10 degrees south!” The ever nearing light responded: “And I am a Seaman First Class. Change your course 10 degrees north.” Now the Captain was really angry and he sent this message: “I am on one of the Navy’s biggest and most powerful battleships. Change your course south!” Back came the response: “And I’m in a hundred year old lighthouse. Change your course north!”

b. Sometimes we are pretty stubborn. But there are times we need to change directions and set a new course!

3. The Ten Commandments & The Great Commandment (See: Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:1-21, Matthew 22:34-40, & Mark 12:28-34)

a. And we know the rules. We know the Commandments of God: 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image. 3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. You shall not kill. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not bear false witness. 10. You shall not covet.

b. God gave us these laws not to suppress us, or frustrate us, or even to inhibit us. God knew and knows how He made us. These laws are for our own good, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Is there one of these ten that you are disobeying? Is God first in your life? Do you respect the name of God? Do you faithfully worship the Almighty? Do you honor your family? Maybe you don’t kill people, but have you been killing someone’s hope or another’s spirit? Maybe you’ve been faithful to your spouse, but you have recently been tempted and now have some doubts. You don’t rob or steal your neighbor’s stuff, but are you always honest in your dealings? Have you lied recently to cover a mistake? And perhaps you’d never act on it, but you’d really like to have something or someone that belongs to another. This Lent obey God and know the joy of obedience to the Lord’s will!

c. Jesus summed up the Law with The Great Commandment: 1. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 2. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

d. Is there some area of your life where you do not love? Is there someone you are not honoring, respecting or loving? Are you holding anger against anyone? Do you need to forgive? Fast from the sin and feast on obedience to God’s will. And what God wants you to do the most is to be kind and loving to others.

C. Conclusion

1. Temptation of Jesus

a. Today’s New Testament lesson is a familiar story. It is the beginning of Jesus earthly ministry and the Devil comes to try to tempt Jesus. Jesus stays true to God and He says “No” to evil, and “Yes” to good.

b. And this Lent He calls us to fast from the bad and to feast on what is noble! Jesus could obey perfectly, we cannot. However, if we lean on Jesus, by His strength we can be victorious! My friends turn to Him and He will help you to:

2. Recap: Fast from a known sin, and feast on obedience to God’s will!

Fasting & Feasting for Lent,

Part 3

Fast from a known sin,

and feast on obedience to God’s will!

Exodus 20:1-17 NRSV

Matthew 4:1-11 NRSV