• Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission and Core Values
    • Our Beliefs
    • Congregational Documents
    • Our History
    • Our Pastor
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Church Year Explanations
    • Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • The Singing Church
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry
    • Related Sites
  • Give Online
  • Calendar
  • 90 Day Objective suggestions
Epiphany Lutheran Church | Dorr, Michigan
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission and Core Values
    • Our Beliefs
    • Congregational Documents
    • Our History
    • Our Pastor
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Church Year Explanations
    • Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • The Singing Church
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry
    • Related Sites
  • Give Online
  • Calendar
  • 90 Day Objective suggestions

Invocavit (Lent I) 2019

3/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Satan has it out for us.  He’s working to make evil sound good, and good sound evil.  Both Adam and Jesus are told by God to fast.  Adam’s was a minor fast—you cannot eat from this one tree, but everything else is fair game.  Jesus’ fast was a much greater fast—forty days with absolutely nothing to eat or drink.  This fast, which God knew was good for both, was made out by the devil as something evil.  To Adam Satan said God is holding out on you.  This is the epitome of unfairness!  You won’t die from one bite.  To Jesus Satan said God is holding out on you.  This is the epitome of unfairness—You have the power to create and yet you’re being told you can’t do it as your body wastes away in starvation and dehydration.  You won’t die from one bite.  So, do not be surprised that the devil says all the same things to you today.  They may not be the same words, but the concept is the same.  Satan tris to convince you that sin is okay, that it’s not a big deal, that you can mess around with it and come out just fine.  Do not be deceived.  In this season where we focus on spiritual warfare, remember that the one trying to convince you that sin is okay is the Father of Lies.
It’s no surprise that a battle with Satan is the first thing Jesus does after beginning His public ministry at His baptism.  He’s the Second Adam, the One who has come to mend what sin has marred.  The first thing encountered by the First Adam was Satan.  Adam and Eve are maybe a day and a half old and Satan is already trying to kill them.  He does his work and wins.  Adam is a lousy man and an even worse husband.  He was given one job: have dominion over creation.  That dominion wasn’t an arrogant lordship, but a loving conservation of what God had given.  After the Sabbath rest, on the first day of earth’s second week, Adam stepped into his role as caretaker of creation and his wife, and he plunged everything into death.  He didn’t tell Satan to leave.  He didn’t confront Satan for his lies.  He didn’t keep the fast God had ordered him to take.  He lived in perfection, he had everything he needed, he didn’t know hunger or want or stress or sadness or anger.  And he caved.  He had one job and didn’t even try.
 
From that point on all his children were made in his sinful, dying image and likeness.  Now, all that Adam and Eve, and we, their descendants, know are thorns and sweat and pain.  But that’s not all.  We’re all fallen Adam’s children learning lessons fallen parents taught.  Like father like son; like mother like daughter.  We don’t strive against the devil as we ought.  More often than not, just like mom and dad, we don’t even try.  We buy the lies—God is holding out on you, this is so unfair, God is asking too much of you given the circumstances, one little bit won’t hurt you.  We learned from Adam and Eve that you don’t drop dead immediately, so it must be okay.  But now Satan tries out another lie on us.  Jesus forgives you every time you sin, right?  So go ahead and do it!  If He wipes out sin, it must not be that big a deal.
 
But there’s a reason Jesus tells us to flee from sin.  Every temptation and sin is an attempt by the devil to destroy your faith.  How does that work?  You give into the temptation to the sin that’s the most appealing.  The more attracted you are to that sin, the less you want to confess it and actually give it up.  Eventually, after yielding to that temptation every time it crosses your mind, it has become so important or so seductive that you’re willing to intentionally go against what God says, to risk telling the Holy Spirit that you’re not interested in His intervention right now.  You’re willing to walk away from God just to have that sin.  Eventually you get to a place where you have convinced yourself that, despite what God’s Word or anyone else may say about your favorite sin, it doesn’t matter because it’s a necessity to you.  And if that sounds at all like addiction language, you’re right.  We’re all addicted to sin.  We need the fix.  We are willing to risk everything, even our eternal life, just to have that one thing. 
 
So that’s why the very first thing Jesus does in His public ministry is defeat the devil’s temptations.  He is not willing that any of us should perish because of the devil’s temptation and lies.  So, Jesus not only destroys each temptation, but He does so under the worst of circumstances.  Starving, thirsty, and exhausted, He meets Satan blow for blow with Scripture.  He is obedient to God where Adam and Eve were not, where you and I are not.  He is obedient and victorious so He can give His obedience and His victory to you.  He does it so when Satan, the accuser, tries to stand before you and before the Lord and throw your sins at you, you can say with all boldness and confidence: Jesus has defeated you.  He has forgiven my sin.  Your accusation is empty.
 
That is to say, the devil is defeated forever.  He lost permanently when Jesus was crucified.  Even though it may seem like Satan won because he wanted Jesus dead, Jesus died of His own will as the sinless, perfect sacrifice, yet the one who bore every one of the world’s sins, even your own.  Jesus took upon Himself every time you gave into Satan’s temptation, every time you fed your addiction to sin.  He died your death so that you don’t have to.  At the battle of the cross, Christ was declared the winner, and His victory was shown when He was raised from the dead three days later.  He stands victorious over Satan, his lies and temptations, and his death, and that victory is not only given to you, but it is counted as if you did it yourself. 
 
Unfortunately that doesn’t mean the devil will stop attacking you.  He knows his time is short, so he is all the more eager to devour you.  But because you are Baptized into Christ you do not have to fear this evil.  Just as Christ fought for you in the wilderness, His Holy Spirit is with you today to fight with you and for you.  He works through Word and Sacrament to strengthen your faith, to give you the resolve necessary to stand up to the devil.  He reminds you of the Word of God, especially the one that angers the devil the most: It is finished.  The Holy Spirit gives you the Words to say that make the devil flee.  The name of Jesus sends him running in terror, knowing the One who fights on your behalf.
 
Until your Last Day when you are forever relieved of the devil’s attacks, you have Christ as your mighty Fortress who defends you and protects you.  Because He has defeated Satan for you, you are free.  He can try to overcome you, but his fate is sealed, and so is yours, by the Blood of Christ, shed for you.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinrghians 1:4-9
    1 Corinthians 11:23 32
    1 Corinthians 11:23-32
    1 John 3:1-3
    1 Kings 19:3-8
    1 Peter 1:3-9
    1 Timothy 5:3-10
    2 Corinthians 2:3-11
    2 Samuel 22
    Acts 1:1-11
    Ad Te Levavi
    Advent 1
    Advent 2
    Advent 3
    Advent 4
    Advent Midweek
    All Saints
    Annunciation
    Ascension
    Ash Wednesday
    Baptism Of Our Lord
    Cantate
    Christian Questions With Their Answers
    Christmas Day
    Christmas Eve
    Christmas Octave
    Commemoration
    Confirmation
    Daniel 7:9-18
    Deliverance From Pestilence
    Deuteronomy 10:12-22
    Easter
    Easter Sunrise
    Easter Vigil
    Ember Wednesday Lent
    Ephesians 4:1-6
    Ephesians 5:20-33
    Epiphany
    Epiphany 2
    Epiphany 3
    Epiphany 4
    Epiphany Octave
    Esther 13:9-18
    Exaudi
    Exodus 20:12-24
    Ezekiel 36:23-28
    Feast Day
    Funeral
    Gaudete
    Good Friday
    Good Samaritan
    Holy Monday
    Holy Tuesday
    Holy Wednesday
    Holy Week
    Hymn Festival
    Invocabit
    Isaiah 17:1-8
    Isaiah 62:11 63:7
    Isaiah 62:11 - 63:7
    Jeremiah 11:18-20
    Joel 2:12 19
    Joel 2:12-19
    John 10:11 16
    John 10:11-16
    John 10:22-38
    John 1:1 14
    John 1:1-14
    John 1:19 28
    John 1:19-28
    John 12:1-11
    John 12:1-36
    John 1:29 34
    John 1:29-34
    John 13:1-15
    John 1:35-42
    John 14:23 31
    John 14:23-31
    John 15:1-11
    John 15:26-16:4
    John 16:16 22
    John 16:16-22
    John 16:23-30
    John 16:23 33
    John 16:5 15
    John 16:5-15
    John 19:28
    John 20:1 18
    John 20:1-18
    John 20:19-31
    John 2:1 11
    John 2:1-11
    John 3:1-15
    John 3:1 17
    John 3:1-17
    John 4:46 54
    John 4:46-54
    John 5:24-29
    John 6:1 15
    John 6:1-15
    John 6:60-69
    John 8:42 59
    John 8:42-59
    John 8:46-59
    John 9
    Jubilate
    Judica
    Katharina Von Bora Luther
    Laetare
    Last Sunday
    Lent
    Lent Midweek
    Leviticus 19:1-19
    Luke 10:23 37
    Luke 10:23-37
    Luke 11:14 28
    Luke 11:14-28
    Luke 12:13 21
    Luke 12:13-21
    Luke 1:26-38
    Luke 1:39-56
    Luke 14:1 11
    Luke 14:1-11
    Luke 14:15 24
    Luke 14:15-24
    Luke 15
    Luke 15:1-10
    Luke 15:11-32
    Luke 1:57-80
    Luke 16:1 13
    Luke 16:1-13
    Luke 16:1-9
    Luke 16:19 31
    Luke 16:19-31
    Luke 17:11 19
    Luke 17:11-19
    Luke 18:31 43
    Luke 18:31-43
    Luke 18:9 14
    Luke 18:9-14
    Luke 19:41 48
    Luke 19:41-48
    Luke 2:1 20
    Luke 2:1-20
    Luke 21:25 33
    Luke 21:25-33
    Luke 21:25 36
    Luke 21:25-36
    Luke 2:21
    Luke 2:22-32
    Luke 2:22 40
    Luke 2:22-40
    Luke 2:41 52
    Luke 2:41-52
    Luke 5:1 11
    Luke 5:1-11
    Luke 6:36 42
    Luke 6:36-42
    Luke 7:11-17
    Luke 7:36-50
    Luke 8:4 15
    Luke 8:4-15
    Mark 10:17-22
    Mark 14:1-15:46
    Mark 16:1 8
    Mark 16:1-8
    Mark 7:31 37
    Mark 7:31-37
    Mark 8:1 9
    Mark 8:1-9
    Matthew 10:26-33
    Matthew 11:12 15
    Matthew 11:12-15
    Matthew 11:16-24
    Matthew 11:2 10
    Matthew 11:2-10
    Matthew 12:11-15
    Matthew 12:38-50
    Matthew 15:1-20
    Matthew 15:21 28
    Matthew 15:21-28
    Matthew 17:1 9
    Matthew 17:1-9
    Matthew 18:21 35
    Matthew 18:21-35
    Matthew 20:1 16
    Matthew 20:1-16
    Matthew 20:17-28
    Matthew 2:1 12
    Matthew 2:1-12
    Matthew 21:1 9
    Matthew 21:1-9
    Matthew 22:1 14
    Matthew 22:1-14
    Matthew 22:34-46
    Matthew 24:15 28
    Matthew 24:15-28
    Matthew 25:1 13
    Matthew 25:1-13
    Matthew 25:31 46
    Matthew 25:31-46
    Matthew 28:1 10
    Matthew 28:1-10
    Matthew 4:1 11
    Matthew 4:1-11
    Matthew 5:1 12
    Matthew 5:1-12
    Matthew 5:17 26
    Matthew 5:17-26
    Matthew 6:16-21
    Matthew 6:24 34
    Matthew 6:24-34
    Matthew 7:15 23
    Matthew 7:15-23
    Matthew 8:1-13
    Matthew 8:23-27
    Matthew 9:1 8
    Matthew 9:1-8
    Maundy Thursday
    Michaelmas 1
    Michaelmas 2
    Michaelmas 3
    Michaelmas 4
    Michaelmas 7
    Michaelmas 8
    Michaelmas 9
    Misericordia Domini
    Most Holy Name Of Jesus
    Nativity Of John The Baptist
    Oculi
    Palmarum
    Palm Sunday
    Passiontide
    Pentecost
    Pentecost 21B
    Pharisee And Tax Collector
    Philippians 2:5-11
    Populus Zion
    Presentation Of The Augsburg Confession
    Proverbs 25:6-14
    Psalm 103
    Psalm 118
    Psalm 119:73-80
    Psalm 50
    Psalm 91
    Purification BVM
    Quasi Modo Geniti
    Quinquagesima
    Reformation
    Reminiscere
    Revelation 12:7-12
    Revelation 7:9 17
    Revelation 7:9-17
    Rev. Jeffrey Miskus
    Rogate
    Romans 3:21-28
    Romans 5:6-11
    Rorate Coeli
    Second Last Sunday
    Second-Last Sunday
    Septuagesima
    Seven Last Words
    Sexagesima
    St. Andrew
    St James
    St. John Passion
    St. Mary Magdalene
    St. Matthew Passion
    St Michael And All Angels
    St Titus
    Tenebrae
    Thanksgiving
    Third Last Sunday
    Third-Last Sunday
    Titus 1:1-9
    Transfiguration
    Tre Ore
    Triduum
    Trinity
    Trinity 1
    Trinity 10
    Trinity 11
    Trinity 12
    Trinity 13
    Trinity 14
    Trinity 15
    Trinity 16
    Trinity 17
    Trinity 18
    Trinity 19
    Trinity 2
    Trinity 20
    Trinity 21
    Trinity 22
    Trinity 25
    Trinity 26
    Trinity 27
    Trinity 3
    Trinity 4
    Trinity 5
    Trinity 6
    Trinity 7
    Trinity 8
    Trinity 9
    Trintiy 7
    Vicar Burgdorf
    Visitation Of The BVM
    Wedding

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    June 2021
    April 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission and Core Values
    • Our Beliefs
    • Congregational Documents
    • Our History
    • Our Pastor
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Church Year Explanations
    • Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • The Singing Church
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry
    • Related Sites
  • Give Online
  • Calendar
  • 90 Day Objective suggestions