June 5, 2011 (Easter 7 A / Ascension / Confirmation)
1 Peter 5:8-11
“VICTORIOUS . . . . or . . . . victimized?”
I just got some wonderful news (sorry confirmation students, this has nothing to do with you) . . . it seems that I am going to be fabulously rich very soon! I got this email – apparently some wealthy dictator in Nigeria died, and they need help in getting his money out of Africa. All I have to do is let them deposit the lump sum in my bank account – over 21 million dollars – cover some minor transfer fees, and they’ll let me keep 10%. That’s over 2 million dollars! Isn’t that good news??
You’re just jealous – that’s all. Surely you don’t think it’s a scam? Have you heard of, or received emails like this? It’s actually called “The Nigerian Banking Scam” – it’s been around for years and taken on many different forms, going back to at least the 1920’s. If it’s nothing but a scam – why do the emails, letters, and variations of this lie continue to spread and thrive? Because, sometimes – it works. Some people believe it, and are tricked, and get sucked in. How would YOU feel if you just got scammed by some con-artist who was lying to you? You would feel very foolish, guilty perhaps – since they preyed upon your greed, victimized, hurt, and angry.
Nobody wants to be victimized. God doesn’t want any of us to be victimized by Satan’s lies – that’s why He tells us this (through the Apostle Peter) in the first verse of our sermon text: verse 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
The devil is relentless – and, he has allies working all over the place, and even our own sinful nature is on his side. So – we ask all our confirmands: “Do you reject the devil along with all his lies and empty promises?” It seems so simple. We went through these questions and vows ahead of time so our kids had a chance to really consider them. They thought this first one was a piece of cake – “Devil bad. Jesus good. Yup – got it.” Oh . . . it’s not so easy. It’s not so simple.
People think the devil works by throwing temptations at us: “Here – steal this / cheat on this test, or on that person / hate him or her / lie about this or that / indulge in all these ‘goodies’ – spend all day in a casino, you might get rich! / hurry, get on the internet – no one is around and no one will know what you’re looking at! / soak up everything that feels so good – booze, drugs, sex, whatever!!” Unfortunately, the devil is not that simplistic, stupid, or inexperienced. Here’s a key to understanding how he works: sins are not his favourite weapons; lies are. It worked in the Garden of Eden and Jesus Himself calls him the “Father of lies” and said that when he is LYING, he is speaking his native language! (see John 8:44). The Nigerian Banking Scheme is just a good example of how he likes to find a weakness and exploit it – to lure people in, get them to believe his lies, and then victimize them.
If you don’t want to be a VICTIM – don’t just spend all your energy trying to fight temptation – because you will be using your own power, and it will fail, and you will fall. Instead, look for the lie behind that temptation, eradicate it with the TRUTH – and that sin will no longer even be attractive to you.
Let me explain what this looks like, and I’ll pick on my young people – since it’s their special day today: You might feel pressure to always have the latest gadget / to play unwholesome games / to use filthy language / to watch wicked movies / to dress in the latest trends . . . . and maybe wear gobs of makeup and (God forbid) dress like a prostitute and do things you know are wrong . . . . and you might fight with your parents for the freedom to do things that are wrong, dangerous, risky, or sinful - you might lie or deceive them, and hate all the restrictions you have that get in the way of what you want . . . .
But, why do you even want these things?
Because the devil has LIED to you. And you believed it; and you are being victimized by those lies. The enemy has told you that you are not attractive as you are, and therefore you need to . . . . he’s told you that you will not be happy unless you get the things that you want . . . . he’s told you that you will not be loved and accepted unless you do what everyone else is doing . . . . and . . . . you believed him. Once you get suckered by the lie, then you get drawn into the sin. Then he wraps you up in guilt, and rips you away from your parents and those who love you, and then he can get you to forget all about your Heavenly Father and everything you know about Him. Satan doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about your family, your parents, your church, your friends – all he wants is for you to believe his LIES. Then he can get his claws into you.
And, my parents and grandparents out there sit back and say, “YES! Pastor Halldorson – blast those kids with the truth so they don’t get sucked into the devil’s lies!!” But, here’s the thing parents and adults – you get suckered by the devil’s lies too. We all do. The lies just change slightly as we progress through life. You responsible adults want security and stability – but you’ve been scammed into thinking that it can only be found in money and wealth. So, you put work first. The needs of spouse and family take a back seat. They suffer, but you can’t see it. You neglect God, neglect your relationship with Him, neglect teaching your children about Him, and neglect mentoring them in the Christian walk of faith and truth. Maybe it’s health, beauty, or the acceptance of others that you CRAVE to feel loved, cherished and secure. It doesn’t really matter. If it’s not Christ, then it will not bring you peace, and your world will shatter when it all gets taken away.
Maybe I’m preaching to the choir here – maybe you know all that stuff already. If that’s the case, then you’ve bought another one of the devil’s favourite lies: “I know all that stuff!” Here’s the painful FACT: if you do not think Bible class is really that important . . . . if you think studying the Word is just for kids and teens . . . if you think Sunday School is just free babysitting and don’t consider further study and growth in the Word as all that important for YOUR soul – than the vows YOU made when you were confirmed mean nothing, and you’ve been suckered into a scheme FAR worse than the Nigerian Banking Scheme. You will waste your life chasing after your “more important things” that will wind up leading you to a dead end. And, your children will see it, and they will follow you. If anyone here today is not faithful in regularly hearing and studying God’s Word as a priority – then don’t you dare laugh at the suckers who fell into that email trap – you’ve fallen into one far worse, and far more costly.
The devil knows us, and he knows our weaknesses. He knows what lies work the best, and he will thrust his claws into our spiritually soft flesh and put his sharp teeth right around our necks! What are we to do? The Apostle Peter tells us exactly what to do: verse 9: Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
FIGHT BACK!!! Resist him, stand firm and FIGHT – just as your fellow believers across time and throughout the world have. “But, I’m a sheep – how am I supposed to fight off the wolf?” Remember how he works: he lies to you. That’s how he gets his claws into you. Throw the TRUTH at him, and – he’s powerless against it . . . . he will flee; like a spineless coward.
FIGHT back and tell him: “I am not a helpless pathetic sheep – I am a loved, cherished, forgiven, talented, and gifted son or daughter of the KING . . . and He accepts me just as I am! So – get your teeth off my neck!! Happiness is not found in stuff, in popularity, in acceptance of peers, in money, entertainment, beauty or power . . . . true and real security and peace is found in Christ and Him alone! Nothing or no one is more powerful than He is, and He will protect me!”
Peter reminds us in verse 10: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. HE will save me – He already HAS saved me. He will forgive me and fix all my problems. He will protect me. He will fill me with every good thing. He will satisfy all my desires. He will fill me with the TRUTH and equip me to stand firm in the truth and destroy all the devil’s lies. As Luther reminded us in his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress” – one little word [of truth] can fell him . . . it can take down the father of lies.
I’m not going to stand up here and tell you the dismal statistics as far as how many confirmands remain true to their vows throughout life. It’s dismal because we are simply swimming in lies and it’s so easy to get sucked in by them. But – you are not statistics – you are souls. And, if you want to be victorious; not victimized – stand firm in the faith you have learned, and stay close to Christ. He not only tells you the truth, He is the truth, and He will fill you with truth – so that you can see right through all the lies . . . . and make it home VICTORIOUS – by His grace alone / by faith alone / by Scripture alone – and by His power alone. That’s why Peter concluded this lesson with these words:
Verse 11: To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
