Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Matthew 4:8-9
There is a saying: “All that glitters isn’t gold.” Deception can be deceptive, can’t it? You thought it was this, but it was really that. It sounded like a good deal, but it turned out to be a scam. He wined and dined me, then I never heard from him again. We love the idea of beautiful things, wealth, and romance. But sometimes it’s all an illusion and we find ourselves in the desert of deception.
The devil tried to get Jesus to bow down and worship him by showing Jesus all the splendor of the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus didn’t fall for it, and you don’t have to, either! We know our God. The One who’s been there for us time and time again. The One who was by our loved one’s bedside, the One who provided for us when things were tight, the One who has sustained us through a global pandemic!
Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Matthew 4:10
Jesus shows us how to deal with the deception of the wilderness, and once again He uses the very Word of God. And it’s a Word for the Church as well. We cannot lose focus and fall for the deceptions of the world. The Church has a duty to reflect the glory of God to the kingdoms of this world. So we need the real Church to take a stand! I invite you to join me for this week’s sermon: Will the Real Church Stand Up.
Worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
And don’t forget - this Saturday night marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, so be sure to Spring Forward and set your clocks ahead one hour. You don’t want to miss service!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda