Third Sunday in Lent

Rev. Michael Scott

Michaeljscottministries

Lent 2024 • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

Psalm 19

Exodus 20:1–17

John 2:13–22

1 Corinthians 1:18–25

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Transcript

Welcome. I invite you to continue our journey as we quickly approach the Easter season. Join my as we take a little stroll. Let us wander through this wilderness we call daily life.

Do you remember your first car purchase? Mine was a little Oldsmobile Omega. It certainly wasn’t fancy, but it was mine. These days, it seems to norm when purchasing major items such as vehicles, they are financed. Picture this; in buying an automobile, you make a down payment. Then you sign a contract drawn up by the dealer or financing institution. The contract stipulates that you must make installment payments at stated times until you have completed payments on the car. So long as you do so, you keep and use the vehicle. If you default on the payments, the dealer or lender may repossess the car. He is bound by the promise that you are able to keep the car as long as you meet the stated payments.

What if you had such a covenant with God? Would you be in danger of default?

If we were to have a covenant with God akin to the contractual agreement we have with a car dealer or financing institution, the implications would be profound and perhaps unsettling. What would mean to have such a covenant with God? Would we be in danger of defaulting on our commitments. Firstly, if we entered into a covenant with God, it would be a sacred bond based on mutual promises and obligations. God, in his infinite grace and love, would promise to be our provider, sustainer, and guide throughout our lives. In return, we would commit to loving and serving God faithfully, following his commandments, and seeking his will in all things. Much like the contractual agreement for a car, there would likely be terms and conditions stipulating our responsibilities and the consequences of failing to meet them. We would be expected to make spiritual "payments" in the form of obedience, worship, and righteous living. And just as defaulting on car payments could result in repossession, failing to uphold our end of the covenant with God could lead to spiritual consequences.

But here's where the analogy diverges: unlike a car dealer or lender, whose actions are governed by legal and financial considerations, God operates on the principles of grace, mercy, and love. While our human failings and shortcomings might lead us to default on our spiritual commitments, God's response is not one of punitive repossession but of redemptive grace.

In the covenantal relationship with God, there is room for repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. Even when we stumble and fall, God's love remains steadfast, offering us the opportunity to renew our commitment and reconcile with him. As the psalmist declares, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8).

So, while we may fall short in our covenantal relationship with God, we are never beyond redemption. Our God is faithful and forgiving, always ready to extend his hand of mercy to those who seek him. As long as we turn to him with contrite hearts and a willingness to repent, we can trust in his unfailing love to uphold the covenant and keep us in his grace.

As we journey through this Lenten season, our hearts and minds are guided by the theme of wandering through the wilderness. And as we reflect on today's Scripture from Exodus, we delve into the profound interplay between contracts and covenants, understanding how they resonate with our Lenten journey.

God, in his wisdom and love, spoke the Ten Commandments to his people, establishing a moral framework for their lives. Yet, if we examine our own lives honestly, we find ourselves falling short of these divine directives. We stumble, we falter, and we sin. It's an inevitable part of our human condition.

In a world governed by contracts, our shortcomings would lead to termination, a severing of ties between us and our Creator. But God operates on a different plane. God's relationship with us is not based on a mere transactional agreement but on a covenant—a sacred bond rooted in love and grace.

Contracts are about what we can gain for ourselves, ensuring that our efforts are met with commensurate rewards. But covenants transcend this transactional nature. They are about commitment, about a deep, abiding connection between God and humanity.

Consider the covenant God made with Noah after the flood—a covenant initiated solely by God's grace, with no conditions or negotiations on humanity's part. God chose to bind himself to us, knowing full well our strengths and our weaknesses, our faithfulness and our failings.

As we explore Exodus 20:2–5, we uncover profound truths about the nature of our relationship with God and the importance of honoring him above all else.

No Other Gods

Exodus 20:3 ““You shall have no other gods before me.”

The declaration begins with a powerful assertion: "I am the Lord thy God." This statement leaves no room for ambiguity or plurality. There is only one true God, and he demands our undivided allegiance.

God's jealousy is not born out of insecurity but out of his rightful expectation of sole adoration. He is deserving of our complete devotion, and any attempt to worship other gods is a direct affront to his sovereignty.

No Graven Images

Exodus 20:4 ““You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”

The prohibition against graven images underscores the seriousness of idolatry. Anything fashioned for the purpose of worship, whether tangible or intangible, constitutes idolatry and is strictly forbidden by God. In our modern context, we must be vigilant against the subtle idols that vie for our devotion—whether they be material possessions, status, or ideologies that take precedence over our relationship with God.

Examples of Breaking This Commandment in Modern Times

Exodus 20:8 ““Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Let us clarify our terminology: while the Sabbath is of Jewish origin, Christians observe the Lord's Day on Sunday as a commemoration of Christ's resurrection. The sanctity of this day is not obsolete; rather, it is fulfilled in the grace of Christ. Our liberty in grace does not diminish our responsibility to honor God through worship, fellowship, and scriptural instruction.

Exodus 20:12 ““Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

The commandment to honor our parents extends beyond earthly relationships; it is ultimately a reflection of our honor and obedience to our heavenly Father. Just as we obey our earthly parents out of love and respect, so too should we obey God's commands with reverence and gratitude for the promises he bestows upon those who honor him. In the wilderness of our lives, amidst our struggles and our wanderings, God's covenant remains steadfast. It is a covenant marked not by our perfection, but by God's enduring love and forgiveness. As the Jewish proverb wisely reminds us, God's decision to forgive preceded even the creation of the world itself.

So, as we journey through the Lenten wilderness, let us remember the nature of God's covenant with us. Let us take solace in the knowledge that, despite our shortcomings, God's love remains unwavering. And may we respond to this covenant with hearts full of gratitude and lives transformed by grace. Let us heed God's supreme commandment with reverence and obedience. May we strive to honor God above all else, rejecting the allure of false idols and dedicating ourselves wholeheartedly to his service.Amen.

Call to Worship (based on John 2:13-22)

Leader: On this third Sunday in Lent, we recall the moment Jesus walked into the temple, encountering a scene far removed from a sanctuary of prayer. Instead, He found a marketplace, a space where worship was overshadowed by transactions.

People: With righteous zeal, He cleansed the temple, overturning tables and declaring His Father's house a house of prayer for all nations.

Leader: He spoke of a greater temple, His body, which would be torn down by the hands of man but raised up by the power of God in three days.

People: In His actions and words, Jesus revealed His passion for pure worship and the promise of resurrection.

Leader: As we gather today, let us seek to worship in spirit and truth, reflecting on the temple He has established within us through His Spirit.

People: May we, too, be cleansed and made holy, our lives a living sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to God.

Leader: In this season of reflection and repentance, let us embrace the transformation Jesus calls us to, becoming vessels of His light and love.

People: We commit our hearts to worship and our lives to service, celebrating the power of Jesus to renew and restore.

All: Together, let us worship the Lord, who makes all things new, who invites us into His eternal story of redemption and grace.

Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 19)

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, we approach Your throne of grace with hearts full of wonder and mouths filled with praise. As the psalmist declares in Psalm 19, the heavens proclaim Your glory, the skies display Your craftsmanship. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Without a word, without a sound, without a voice being heard, their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Lord, in the vastness of Your creation, we see Your handiwork and are reminded of Your greatness and Your majesty. The sun, which You have placed in the sky, rejoices like a champion about to run its course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

As we gather here today, we are reminded that Your law is perfect, reviving the soul. Your statutes are trustworthy, making wise the simple. Your precepts are right, giving joy to the heart. Your commands are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. Your decrees are firm, and all of them are righteous.

We confess, O God, that often we have not lived according to Your laws. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We ask for Your forgiveness, Lord. Cleanse us from our hidden faults. Keep Your servants also from willful sins; may they not rule over us. Then we will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. As we worship You today, open our ears to hear Your voice, our eyes to see Your glory, and our hearts to receive Your Word. May we be transformed by Your Spirit, walking in Your ways and reflecting Your love to the world around us.

In the precious name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen

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