First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu July 17, 2011 Should I or Shouldn t I (Genesis Sermon Series) The Rev. Dr. David Stoker

Transcription

1 SERMON OF THE WEEK First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu July 17, 2011 Should I or Shouldn t I (Genesis Sermon Series) The Rev. Dr. David Stoker Gen 13: 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. Gen 13: 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. Gen 13:7 And quarreling arose between Abram s herders and Lot s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. Gen 13:8 So Abram said to Lot, Let s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Gen 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Let s part company. If you go to the left, I ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I ll go to the left. Gen 13:10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. Gen 13:11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Gen 13:12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Gen 13:13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. Both Lot and his uncle Abram had become rich in terms of flocks, herds and servants. They were so wealthy, especially in animals, that there wasn't enough grass, water or even room for both of their flocks and herds. As a consequence, arguments broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot they both wanted grass, water and space for their animals. Abram knew it was not right for brothers in the Lord to fight with each other so he proposed a solution to Lot to their problems. The two of them go out on a cliff overlooking the valley and Abram says You choose. If you want the east, I will take the west. If you want the west, I will take the east. Lot lifts up his eyes to the East and what does he see? He sees the well-watered plain that looks like a garden in the midst of the desert. The garden is there because of the Jordan River. On either side of the Jordan there is a variety of palm trees, which makes it look a lot like the view we have of Ko olau from our church. This is the place for Lot. It is a real estate developer s dream! Lot knew he would prosper in the valley. Lot was rich already, but he wanted to be even richer. And so Lot makes a decision that would affect him and his family for the rest of his life. For there in the far distance is the city of Sodom. And the Bible says in verse 13 that the 1 men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. The Bible also says in 2 Peter 2:7 that Lot was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men. Nevertheless Lot chose this eastern direction toward Sodom. And every time Lot moves his tent, he moves it closer and closer to Sodom. And you can guess what eventually happens. We find in Genesis 14:12 that Lot has traded his tent for a townhouse in Sodom. Then in 19:1, we find that Lot is sitting in the gate of the city of Sodom. To sit at the city gate means that he had become one of the rulers of the city. In essence Lot has been elected to the City Council of Sodom. There was some allurement, some temptation about Sodom that Lot could not resist. Please notice the progression. First, Lot looked at Sodom (Genesis 13:10). Second, Lot pitched his tents near Sodom (Genesis 13:12). Third, Lot lived in Sodom (Genesis 14:12). And fourth, Lot ruled over Sodom (Genesis 19:1). So little by little Lot was tempted by the things of Sodom, until finally he finds himself in Sodom. This story, of course, is not unique to Lot. It is a story that everyone of us should be able to identify with. All of us are tempted in a variety of ways each day. Everyday we are enticed to eat too much, spend too much, procrastinate, hold a grudge against someone, lie or call in sick when you weren't sick at all.

2 Or perhaps fib a little on your tax return or to drive faster than the speed limit, or to sin sexually. Temptation is everywhere. There was a woman who was attending Weight Watchers. At the meeting the instructor held up an apple and a candy bar. The instructor said, Why is the apple better for us than a candy bar? Among the answers that came from the group: Low in calories and lots of fiber. Then the instructor explained what was wrong with eating candy, and concluded, Apples are not only more healthful, but also less expensive. Do you know that I paid 75 for this candy bar? And then from the back of the room a small voice spoke up, I ll give you a dollar for it. That s human nature, isn t it? To be tempted for the candy bar instead of the apple? Friends, we are born with a tendency to sin. The Bible is filled with stories of men and women who sinned. Abraham lied about his wife. Sarah lied to God. Moses struck the rock in defiant anger. Elijah complained against God. David committed adultery and then had a man murdered to cover it up. Jonah ran way from God. Peter denied the Lord. John Mark deserted Paul. These facts should not discourage us, but rather cause us to seriously consider our own spiritual condition. Most of the time when we are confronted with the temptation to do an evil deed, we know in our hearts that it is wrong. Sometimes we should respond as Jesus once did by saying, "Satan, get thee behind me." And I do believe there is an evil one and he delights in tripping us up. But we can t use the devil as a scapegoat when we sin. Years ago there was a comedian named Flip Wilson and in one of his routines he often dressed up like a woman named Geraldine. And her signature phrase was, The devil made me do it. I remember one of the comedy routines. Geraldine s husband asks, Why did you buy the new dress? Well, honey, the devil made me do it. Didn t you say, Get thee behind me Satan? Yeah, but he said it looked good in back, too. Comedians may seem funny when they tell stories about people giving into temptation, but the consequences can be devastating. There was a woman who was going into the final interview on the biggest contract she had ever written. As she was ushered into the office of the executive buyer, a secretary brought her coffee and then spoke briefly with the executive. He stood and said, "I apologize, but I have to tend to a matter. I'll just be a minute or two." And he followed the secretary out of the room. The sales representative looked around the beautifully appointed office and noticed a contract on the desk. The executive had evidently been studying a bid from a competitor. Leaning forward, she could see the column of figures, but it was obscured by a diet soda can. She was tempted to move the can and see the bottom line of her competitor's bid. What possibly harm could there be in reading the private information? After all, the man had left it out in plain sight, almost. After wrestling with herself a while, she finally decided to take a 2 peek. As she lifted the soda can, she discovered that the can wasn't filled with soda at all. Instead it was a bottomless can filled with 1,000 BBs, which gushed out, and ran all over the desk and onto the carpet. Her attempt to shortcut the competition was exposed. Not every temptation is so obvious. Not every failure is so embarrassing. But every temptation is a challenge. And when temptations come into our lives 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us God will always provide a way out. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Look at the last part of that verse: "When you are tempted God will also provide a way of ESCAPE." I'd like us to take that word "ESCAPE" and use it as an acronym to help us remember 6 things we must know or do to win over temptation. Some of these ideas come from devotional material by Bill Beacham. 1. The "E" stands for ENVIRONMENT. You see, one way we can prevent temptation from happening in the first place is to stay away from environments where we know we are sure to be tempted. Proverbs 4:14 says, "Do not set your foot on the path of the wicked..." This is another way of saying we avoid places or people where we are tempted. I mean, if you have a problem with gossip stay away from people who can't keep their nose out of other people's business. If you have an alcohol problem, don't eat your meals in bars.

3 If you struggle with the temptation to eat too much, don't buy your coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. There was an overweight businessman who decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously. One morning, however, he showed up at work with a gigantic coffee cake. Everyone in the office scolded him. But he said: "This is a special coffee cake. As I drove by the bakery this morning, there in the window it was. So I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious coffee cakes, let there be a parking spot open right in front.' And sure enough, the eighth time around the block, there it was!" We need to stay away from people, places, and things that you know could cause you to stumble. Remember the words of Rick Warren: It s easier to STAY out of temptation than to GET out of temptation." 2. The "S stands for "SPEND time with God." I really believe that one of the best things we can do to win over temptation is to keep a daily appointment with God. Spending time regularly with God gives us His perspective on things. The deeper our relationship with God is, the better we can see through the devil s lies and understand the consequences of giving in to temptation. We will have our spiritual eyes opened. When Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days He told Satan, "Away from Me! For it is written 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." (Matthew 4:10) Jesus was basically saying, "Leave me alone Satan, because I belong to God and not you." And we need to have a deep relationship with God so that we can confidently say the same. I remember when our now teenage kids were much younger, they would get into an argument with each other. Andrew would try and tell Sarah what to do. And I clearly remember Sarah saying: "I don't have to do what you say. You're not the boss of me!" Well, when we spend time daily with God we are strengthen to say the same thing to Satan, "Get away from me. You're not the boss of me. You're not the Lord of my life! Jesus is!" And this leads to the principle behind the third letter in this acronym. 3. "C" stands for CLAIM Scripture. The gospels record that Jesus' primary weapon when He faced temptation was Scripture. Every time Satan tempted Him, His response was, "It is written..." And this should remind us that the Bible is a weapon in our own battles with temptation. King David understood this principle. In his Psalm 119 he answers the question of how a young man may keep his way pure. Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Pastor Charles Swindoll tells how Scripture helped him defeat temptation. He writes: "I was once in Canada. I had been away from home 8 days and there were two more days to go. It was a weekend. I was lonely and having a pity party for myself eating supper alone. After the meal I got up from the table in the hotel, heaving a sigh and walked toward the elevator. En route, I heard a couple of young women talking and laughing as they used the hotel phone in the lobby. I smiled 3 as I passed by and a few steps later punched the "up" elevator button. I got on. So did the two ladies. I punched '6.' They didn't reach for the row of buttons, so I asked, 'What floor?' One looked at me rather sensually and said, 'How about 6? Do you have any plans?" We were alone on an elevator. In Canada. I was flattered, to be honest, since most folks don't usually mistake me for Tom Selleck. These women were available and I was lonely. On that trip from the lobby to the sixth floor, I had an extremely significant decision to make the bait had been dropped. Do you know what immediately flashed into my mind? My wife and children? No,not at first. My position and reputation as a pastor? No, not then. The possibility of being seen by someone or being set up? No. God gave me the words of Galatians 6:7 where it says, 'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.' During that elevator ride, the memorized Word flew to my rescue. I looked back at the two ladies and replied, 'I've got a full evening planned already; I'm really not interested.' They looked at me like I was some sort of fool and stayed on the elevator as I stepped off. I walked to my room grateful for the overcoming power of God's book." Chuck Swindoll knew God often provides a way of escape through the power of His Word. Perhaps this is why Dwight Moody once said, "Sin will keep you from the Bible, and the Bible will keep you from sin." 4. The "A" stands for ACCOUNTABILITY. This refers to the practice of finding a fellow Christian friend to be your accountability partner.

4 One of the core values of First Presbyterian Church is COMMUNITY. And we really believe that community is best experienced in SMALL GROUPS. We encourage (in fact let me say it a bit stronger) we expect everyone of you to be in small group. Incredible things happen there. One of the small groups in our church has a commitment they ask each member to agree to. Here is a portion of it: Commitment to Myself and Others: Each week I will: Take care of myself physically and maintain physical fitness; Be a faithful steward of all God s financial blessings in my life; Balance my time between family, profession, and leisure; Make certain my speech gives evidence of my Christian faith; Control my anger and find healthy ways to release it; Respond to Jesus In as much as statement found in Matthew 25:34-45 by seeking to help someone every week. Commitment to Purity and Faithfulness: I also commit myself to: Avoid persons, places, and things that I know have a potential to draw me into temptation, Avoid dwelling on that which I know is wrong, and Confess my sins as I become aware of them. Now, understand - true accountability is when you confess a sin and give someone permission in your life to do something to help you. It's different from disclosure. Disclosure is telling someone you have a problem with porn on the internet. Accountability is asking them to receive a list of all the questionable internet sites you have visited from an online monitoring software. Disclosure is telling someone you are arguing with your parents a lot and being unkind to them. Accountability is having them call your parents once a week to see how you're treating them. Accountability is a good thing because other people can give us a lot of power when it comes to saying NO to temptation. 5. "P" Stands for two words: PLEASURE and PAIN. There are times when giving into temptation might yield some pleasure. But the Pleasures are temporary, whereas the Pain that comes after goes on and on. Randy Alcorn says that whenever he is tempted by sexual sin, which might be pleasurable, he finds it helpful to review the painful effects such an action could have. Here are a few of the things he mentions: One day looking Jesus in the face and having to give an account for my actions. Inflicting untold hurt on my loyal wife...losing her respect and trust; hurting my beloved children; destroying my credibility with my children; nullifying my efforts to teach them to obey God; causing shame to my family...and so on. Whenever we are tempted to sin, we should ask God to open our eyes so that we can see all the pain our sin will cause us and other people. This can be a powerful motivation to say "no". This leads us to The E stands for EVANGELISM. We must remember that when we yield to temptation we lose the power of our personal witness. You see, many nonbelievers are looking for an excuse not to take the claims of Christ 4 seriously and often all it takes is for them to see one of us involved in sinful behaviors. Every time a pastor stumbles with some kind of moral failure, it really hurts the cause of Christ. Non-believers think we are all fakes. In one of my former churches there was a lady named Polly. She was the moderator of the Deacons and a good person and good friend. One day Polly drew me aside in the church parking lot and with a seriousness in her voice that I have never forgotten. She said to me: You better never have an affair. Besides the fact that I love Monica so much, it would void everything you have ever said from the pulpit. Over the years you have preached so many sermons and I believe them, but if you were to be untrue to Moni, I would think you are a sham and I would doubt everything you have ever said. Boy, that was a heavy. As you can tell, I still think of Polly often and I would never want to do anything that would disappoint you and discount the words God gives me to say from this pulpit. Having said all of this, it is most likely everyone in here at some time has given in to temptation and probably feels guilty right now. That is not my intention. I have said so many times from this pulpit, that there is nothing you can do to make God stop loving you. If you know me well, you know one of my favorite passages of scripture is the story of the Prodigal Son, who blows it, and yet his father never gives up on him. It has been said so many times that our church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. As the Bible says: There is not one of us that is righteous, no not one.

5 I have always admired the ministry of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). One of the reasons the AA ministry is so strong is because they admit each person is broken. My understanding is that when I would go into a meeting I would say: My name is David and I am an alcoholic. That levels the playing field and let s everyone know we are struggling. What a healthy attitude that would be for the church, if we would begin each worship service by saying Hello, my name is David and I am a sinner. In fact that is so powerful I would like for us to do it right now. Please turn to the person beside you and say My name is, and I am a sinner. If you have given into temptation, made mistakes, remember as far as the east is from the west, so great is God s love for us to forgive and make us whole again. Though our lives seem stained like crimson, in God s forgiveness, we are as pure as the driven snow. It is all about GRACE. As we come to understand grace and realize that God will forgive us of our sins, we still don t want to commit sins purposefully. That is called cheap grace. I love what Dallas Willard says: God wants to bring us to the point where, when we re tempted, we say, Sin is stupid. Vic Penz is the pastor of the Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Vic says: I want to tell you my proudest moment as a Dad. It's not when my daughters have excelled academically or athletically. My proudest moment was a phone call that I got on a Saturday night from my daughter who was at a slumber party. I said, "Hi, Honey, are you having a good time?" "I think so," she said. "Why only 'think so'? What are you doing? "I'm sitting in the laundry room reading a Nancy Drew book." "You're doing what? Where are the other girls?" "They're watching a movie." "Oh. Why aren't you?" "It's an R- rated movie." And she went on to describe a highly inappropriate movie, which she knew no Christian had any business watching, so there she sat alone in the laundry room with the others in the next room watching the movie. Yes! She had withstood the Tempter! She was thinking more about God and what he was thinking than about what her friends thought of her. She realized that sin is stupid. Let us pray. Lord, at times there are harmful things in our lives that attract us, just like Lot was attracted to the city of Sodom. We thank you that you have provided an ESCAPE for us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we can be strong and claim that Jesus is the Boss of me! And when we stumble like the prodigal son, thank You that you always welcome us back, loving us as if we had never been away. We make our prayers in Jesus name. Amen. 5 * * * * * Sunday sermon texts are also available at fpchawaii.org. The audio version can be downloaded from itunes or from fpc.posterous.com. It can also be sent to you by . Request the free audio version at fpchkoolau@gmail.com