Reuben's Sermon for The First Sunday of Lent:
Reuben's Theme: "Temptation & Confession"

(Lent 1) - EVENSONG 1800hrs. at Holy Saviour, Tynemouth.
Sunday, 13th. February 2005 Anno Domini.

Morning Mass: Genesis: 2.15-17; 3.1-7 Ps: 32 Romans: 5.12-19 Matthew: 4.1-11
Evensong: Psalm: 50.1-15. Deuteronomy: 6.9-7, 16-end Luke 15.1-10.

February 13, 2005 Cycle A Lent 1

COLLECT

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Morning Masses:

FIRST READING: Genesis 2.15­17; 3.1­7

A reading from the book of Genesis.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.'
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, 'Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the garden"?'
The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die."'
But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

PSALM: Psalm 32

RR I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.
1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile! RR
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. RR
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.
6 I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'; then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. RR
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. RR
9 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.' RR
11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart. RR

SECOND READING: Romans 5.12­19

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned ­ sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law.
Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.
And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.
If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so the act of righteousness of one leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one person's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

GOSPEL: Matthew 4.1­11

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was famished.
The tempter came and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.'
But He answered, 'It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."'
Then the devil took Him to the holy city and placed Him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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."'
Jesus said to him, 'Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."'
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to Him, 'All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'
Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! for it is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him."'
Then the devil left Him, and suddenly angels came and waited on Him.

POST COMMUNION

Lord God, you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;
by it you nourish our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love:
teach us always to hunger for Him - who is the true and living bread, and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from out of your mouth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Evensong:

Psalm 50:1-15

1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God comes, he does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
8 I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will accept no bull from your house, nor he-goat from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world and all that is in it is mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High;
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

Deuteronomy: 6.4-9, 16-end (RSV)

4* "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD;
5* and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
6* And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart;
7* and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
8* And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9* And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 "And when the LORD your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, with great and goodly cities, which you did not build,
11 and houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which you did not hew, and vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and when you eat and are full,
12* then take heed lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
13* You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.
14* You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you;
15* for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
16* "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
17* You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers
19 by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised.
20* "When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD our God has commanded you?'
21 then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;
22 and the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes;
23 and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land which he swore to give to our fathers.
24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.
25* And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.'

Luke 15.1-10. (RSV)

1* Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
2* And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
3 So he told them this parable:
4* "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?
5* And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.'
7* Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8* "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.'
10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Reuben's Theme: "Temptation & Confession"

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In our first reading this morning, we are told part of the story of the evolution of the human race. The point at which mankind gained the ability to discern good from evil.
It's a shame that the English language has produced the word 'evil' - blaming poor Eve, when Adam was just as much to blame.

In our second reading this morning, Paul - writing to the Romans - attempts to show a connection between Adam and Jesus.
The sin of Adam - one man - affecting all mankind...
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - one man - opening the gate of salvation... ...to all mankind.

In our psalm this morning, we heard of confession and the joy of God's forgiveness. Guilt suppressed becomes an intolerable burden. Confession and forgiveness bring a joyous lightness of heart.

And in our Gospel this morning, we heard how Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness. Jesus totally divine, yet totally human - and His total humanity tempted more than we can imagine... ...yet Jesus resists temptation.

Well, looking at that selection from this morning, you'd think it was the first Sunday of Lent.
All this talk of temptation, sin and confession.
Let's face it, after the New Year festivities, there's probably been a lot of sin and temptation about.

A couple of weeks ago, a senior Bank of England executive was being interviewed about the poor takings in most high-street shops over Christmas.
He said that it was too early to tell the true impact and meaning of sales figures over Christmas and New Year, and added, "of course, the full impact and true meaning of Christmas is always revealed at Easter"
John Humphries was impressed... ...and so was I!
That's what Lent is all about.

That is what everything is building up to in our readings each Sunday...
...Holy Week... ...and Easter!
So, having looked at this mornings readings, what do tonight's psalm and readings do to develop what we heard this morning?

In our psalm tonight, God calls mankind to account.
In verses 1-4 the summons comes and in verses 7-15 God warns us that it is not enough to go through the ritual motions. It is the thankful heart that counts.
"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High"

In our first reading we have the Great Commandment, "...and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."
We also have instruction to teach to future generations, "...and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

In our second reading tonight the religious people - the Pharisees and scribes - were somewhat put out by the fact that Jesus was spending His time with a fairly shady crowd of people and we hear the first two - of a trilogy of parables about returning to God.

The lost sheep and the lost coin - which both lead on to the parable of the prodigal son.
God cares for those who have made a mess of their lives.
God is always ready to forgive any who turn to him.
God rejoices at the repentance of a sinner...
...the rescue of the lost sheep.
Jesus goes out of His way to force home the importance of repentance.
"I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Jesus goes out of His way to show that anyone can find salvation and follow the true God - it's open membership - anyone can join.
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
And that is what these weeks leading up to Easter are all about.
Putting our house in order.
Confessing our sins - and let's face it, non of us are without sin.
Mending our ways and dedicating our lives
...at church... ...at home... ...at work...
...dedicating our whole lives to God.
So yes, this is the first Sunday of Lent.
As shown in the story of Adam & Eve, we have the knowledge of right and wrong "Good & Evil"
As Paul told us this morning, in his letter to the Romans...
Through Adam we were introduced to sin...
and through Jesus we are brought to salvation.
As Matthew showed us in his gospel this morning, Jesus - totally divine yet totally human - resists temptation. The impossible goal we must always strive for.

In our second reading tonight we learn that there is hope for absolutely everyone...
...the greater the repentance... ...the greater God's joy.

In the reading from Deuteronomy tonight we are given the great commandment "...and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." and told that we must teach the generations to come.

If we truly love God, even a fraction of how much he loves us...
If we truly follow Jesus, to the best of our abilities...
If we truly care at all...
We will truly confess our sins to God this Lent and start a fresh new life through the death, on Good Friday, and the Resurrection, on the third day, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As today's psalms say...
This morning, "Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!
I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.
...then you forgave me the guilt of my sin."

And this evening, "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

Eternal and infinite is God's love for us, however much we sin.
Eternal and infinite is God's joy at our confession of our sins.
Eternal and infinite is God's forgiveness to all who confess their sins.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.