The Challenge of Lent Series Part 3 { Mid-Year Instruction Reid Temple AME Church Pastor Washington
Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday we began on a journey and a call to a Holy Fast. We put a mark on our forehead as a sign of our mortality. We also are reminded of the mark of Cain. A sign of guilt but also a sign of protection. The message suggests interacting with God we are guilty but we are also sheltered simultaneously by God's mercy. The mark of the gray/black cross on the forehead is a reminder that because of our sin we die. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the transformation into the resurrection of Easter.
Lent Challenge Each year during Lent we spend time wrestling with God as to how are we being called to feast or fast. The alluring addiction of a consumerist culture calls us to come forth and indulge. The buy now and pay later mantra has created a massive debt load for the average American. Our expectations grow with income and age. The 36" color TV may still work fine but a 52" flat screen is so much better especially when it is installed with surround sound.
Assessing our Commitment Commitment is not as elusive or difficult as some initially think. In fact everyone is committed to many things in varying degrees. Scripture and experience, however, testify that total commitment to the true and living God can be more difficult. That is because commitment to God is to be our top and guiding pledge, requiring single-minded devotion and total dedication. Romans 12:1-2
Double-Mindedness Double-mindedness speaks of one who tries to split his or her energies between the struggle and system of the culture and the role and rule of Christ. Jesus announces in Luke 11:23 - He who is not with me is against me. Others, like James also urge us not vacillate between two allegiances. Double-mindedness and divided hearts only multiply our problems. We are called to serve a single master while we firmly fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfected of our faith.
Daring Discipline - Luke 9:23-24 Jesus gives us a 5-part investment prospectus. The first step to a self-investment with eternal dividends is a definite decision. We will never accidentally stumble into committed discipleship. We must desire the presence of God in our lives enough to make a resolute decision to follow Him wherever He leads, no mater the cost. Have you done that? Let him deny himself-for your decision to stick you must fuel it with daring discipline. This means putting Christ above every other thing, idea, and even yourself. Are you doing that?
God's Direction for Daily Decisions: Prov. 3:5-6 No matter your age or position, your life is teeming with decisions. There are 3 commitments that prepare us to navigate the sea of questions we face each day. If we don't completely rely upon the Lord with the totality of our being, we shouldn't expect His guidance. Halfhearted trust isn't trust at all when it comes to trusting God. We should admit God's wisdom into our lives. Because life is complex and interrelated, we must acknowledge God's presence in every area to discern God s leading in any area.
My Will Be Done We often avoid the gospel call to give our lives sacrificially to the cause of Christ, and instead use God to serve our personal interest. We Christians have long taught the biblical principle of tithing, giving 10 percent of income to serve God's kingdom, yet we trend with the rest of American public in giving about 2.2% of our personal disposable income to the Church. Following Jesus in the way of the cross will mean a radical reordering of our priorities. Matthew 6:33
Luke 10:25-37, Luke 12:31-21 Jesus tells the story of a Good Samaritan who sacrifices his time and financial resources to help an unknown stranger. "Go and do likewise," Jesus commanded a Jewish expert in the law. In Luke 12:31-21, Jesus relates the parable of a rich man who forgets his responsibility to be a channel for God's blessing in helping the least and the lost. The man in the story wastes his precious gift of life, living only to serve his expanding lust for bigger, better and more. Jesus told him, "you fool! This is the very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself.
Luke 18:22 It s Your Choice When a young entrepreneur came asking how to prioritize his life, Jesus told him, "sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. When the young man heard this he walked away, choosing the comfort and security of his lifestyle over the renegade gospel of Jesus and the kingdom of God. Following Jesus means being rich toward God by serving God's interest in meeting others' need.
Giving It Up For Lent So many of us give up certain things for the 40 days of lent and discover in doing so, it can be a very beneficial thing for us. The Holy Fast is simply a 40 day challenge of giving up certain attitudes or behaviors so that we can benefit from these practices. So after the 40 days we need to understand that God wants us to give up, not just for 40 days but forever.
What Should I Give Up as a Christian to help me grow in my walk with the Lord?
Control
Giving Up Control Gen. 2:15-17; Mt. 4:1-11 Adam and Eve disobeyed God, thinking that they knew better than him, with disastrous consequences. While being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus denied his own impulses and followed God's will. In the modern world, when we are used to having control over so many things, we often fail to seek God's will for our lives and try to call all the shots ourselves. God wants us to deny ourselves and give him the final way when we are charting out the course of our lives.
Giving Up Expectations: Gen. 12:1-4;Jn 3:1-17 Abraham followed God's call to leave his homeland and travel to the place God promised his descendants, even though he didn't know how it would all work out. Nicodemus is talking to Jesus, he has a hard time understanding what God's grace is really about because he is used to thinking in terms of religious structure. Sometimes we just can't know what's going on or coming next. God doesn't guarantee any future but we can trust that God will be with us through whatever circumstances we face.
Give Up Superiority
Giving Up Superiority: John 4:5-42 Jesus broke all kinds of social conventions by speaking to a woman in public, a Samaritan no less, whose own life was such a mess that it could have really messed up Jesus' reputation as a holy man. Jesus brought his message of grace and freedom to the woman, If we let go of our status symbols and judgmental attitudes, we too can hear Jesus call more clearly and respond more faithfully. God doesn't care about artificial lines we draw to make ourselves feel superior to others.
Enemies
Giving Up Enemies: Luke 19:37-44 Loving our enemies can sometimes feel like as idealistic a notion as instantaneous world peace but Jesus showed us that caring even for those who persecute you is a real, actionable mandate that we can carry out following Jesus example. Peace isn't just a far-off fantasy. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people following him misunderstood his message to be about peace in Heaven instead of Earth. We call Jesus the Prince of Peace, but do we really believe and live like peace is possible in our world today?
Our Lives
Giving up Our Lives: John 11:25 God creates life from death, nothingness, and hopelessness. The Bible is full of such paradoxes, as Jesus tells us that those who try to keep their lives will die, but those who give up their lives for others will live. We are used to thinking of life in terms of fixed beginnings and ends, but the story of Jesus calls us to throw away our old categories and embrace God's larger vision of eternal life that begins here and now.
Popularity
Giving Up Popularity: Mt. 21:1-11 What a welcome Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. Hosanna the people cried hailing him as an honored king. The crowds loved Jesus on Palm Sunday, but just a few days later a different crowd was calling for his death. Popularity and acclaim in the eyes of others is fleeting, and if we put all our faith in it we will be very disappointed. Instead, God calls us to put our faith in God's unending love and grace-something that will never go away, and will sustain us through the times when others have abandoned us.
Death
Giving Up Death: Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-8 Jesus' rising on Easter morning was more than a showy miracle to shock and awe his attackers and followers. When Jesus rose, he turned the entire order of the universe on its head. The resurrection shows us that death does not have the last word. God has the last word, and that word is life. Suffering and death end, but God's kingdom lasts forever.