Worship Helps for Lent 1

Artwork: The Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness

Artist: Sebastiano Ricci

Worship Theme: Being “tempted” may make us think of the creamy alfredo sauce or rich chocolate cake which leads some to overindulge. In God’s view, temptation to sin is a far bigger problem. God says the one who tempts us, by our lack of self-control, is Satan himself (1 Corinthians 7:5). Temptation happens, God also says, when by our own evil desires we are dragged away and enticed (James 1:14). So? “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” No wonder Jesus tells his disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46).

Old Testament: Joshua 7:16-26

¹⁶Joshua got up early in the morning, and he had Israel come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe of Judah was identified. ¹⁷Then he had the tribe of Judah come forward, and he identified the clan of the Zerahites. Next, he had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by individual familes, and Zabdi’s family was identified. ¹⁸Then he had Zabdi’s household come forward one man at a time, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was identified.

¹⁹Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory now to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him praise. Now tell me what you did. Do not conceal it from me.”

²⁰Achan answered Joshua, “It is true. I am the one who has sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹Among the plunder I saw an expensive Mesopotamian robe, a fine one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one wedge of gold—it weighed fifty shekels. I coveted them and I took them. Now they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is underneath it.”

²²So Joshua sent agents. They ran to the tent, and there it was! The robe was hidden in his tent, and the silver was underneath it! ²³They took them from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel, where they poured them out before the Lord.

²⁴Then Joshua took Achan son of Zerah and the silver, the garment, and the wedge of gold, as well as Achan’s sons and his daughters, his ox, his donkey and his flock, and his tent and everything that belonged to him—so all Israel, led by Joshua, brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

²⁵Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you this day!”

Then all Israel stoned Achan to death. They also burned him and them with fire, and they pelted them with stones. ²⁶They erected a large heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from the heat of his anger. For that reason the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.

1. What was Joshua trying to do for Achan in verse 19? Was he successful?

2. What impact does God’s treatment of Achan and his family have on us?

Epistle: Hebrews 4:14–16  

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who has gone through the heavens, namely, Jesus the Son of God, let us continue to hold on to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. ¹⁶So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

3. The Old Testament high priest went into the presence of God on the Day of Atonement. Read that account in Leviticus 16:11-14. Where specifically did the high priest go on that day? How is Jesus superior to him? (Hint: Focus on the phrase “gone through the heavens” in Hebrews 4:14.)

4. In 4:15 the writer says that Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Why can Jesus sympathize with us? How is Jesus different from us?

Gospel: Luke 4:1–13  

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ²where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. He did not eat anything during those days. When they came to an end, he was hungry. ³The Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

⁵The Devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶The Devil told him, “I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, because it has been entrusted to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. ⁷So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

⁹The Devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰because it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you.

¹¹And,

they will lift you up with their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

¹²Jesus answered him, “It says: ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’”

¹³When the Devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time.

5. Compare Satan's temptations of Eve with Satan's temptations of Christ?

6. What can we learn from Jesus' method of defeating Satan's temptations?

Answers:

1. He was trying to lead Achan to repent. Achan was not giving glory to the Lord or praising him for his victory. Joshua was successful; Achan did repent. Yet he still had to suffer the consequences of his sin.

2. Achan’s disobedience brought defeat upon the Israelites at Ai. The Lord revealed Achan as the culprit. Achan and his family were put to death. Thus, Achan’s sin leads us to realize that God is serious about his will. It leads us to realize that God sees everything we do, even the subtle theft of the wealth God has given us that we refuse to use for the purpose he intended.

3. Jesus did not go through an earthly tabernacle, which represented heaven. Jesus went into heaven itself. He did this when he ascended into heaven, having offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin.

4. He knows the daily temptations that confront us, because he went through them also. Think of what he went through in Gethsemane. Also think of what Jesus must have gone through every day of this life as he preached and dealt with all sorts of people, from enemies, to disciples, to those in the middle. He is without sin.

5. Satan tempted Eve to doubt God's love and Word, to make her own decisions about her care, and to think that created things could somehow satisfy her more than the creator.  Satan basically tempted Jesus in the same way.

6. When we are tempted, we need to go to the source for our answers and for our strength to stand firm.  By the power of His Word, God created all things and raised His Son from the dead.  By the power of His Word, we shall be victorious and live a new life!

Putting your faith into action

It’s not a fair fight when you really look at the daily struggle between humankind and Satan’s assaults. His temptations run so parallel to our own evil desires and fleshly demands that we can confuse our sinful disobedience for perfectly natural requests. Thank God for our Substitute! In love, Jesus took the fight to Satan, conquering his wicked attempts with God’s powerful truth. And now God’s truth says it’s still an unfair fight. When we resist the devil using God’s Word, our enemy doesn’t stand a chance! People free from Satan are people free to make God’s Word their priority. That’s just good, plain, thankful, stewardship modeled after our Savior himself!

A reading from the Book of Concord for the 1^st Sunday in Lent

The blasphemy of assigning Christ’s honor to our works cannot be tolerated.  These theologians are now entirely shameless if they dare to bring such an opinion into the Church.  One who knows why Christ has been given to us, and who knows that Christ is the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins, needs no further proof.  Isaiah says, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (53:6).  The adversaries, on the other hand, teach that God does not lay our offenses on Christ, but on our works.  Neither are we inclined to mention here the sort of works that they teach.  The adversaries condemn the clear truth, whose defense is necessary for the Church and increases Christ’s glory. Therefore, we easily look down on the terrors of the world, and we will bear with a strong spirit all suffering for Christ’s glory and the Church’s benefits.  Who would not joyfully die in the confession of these articles, that we receive the forgiveness of sins through faith freely for Christ’s sake, and that we do not merit the forgiveness of sins by our works?  The consciences of the pious will not have sure enough comfort against the terrors of sin and of death, and against the devil tempting with despair, if they do not know that their confidence lies in the forgiveness of sins freely for Christ’s sake.  This faith sustains and enlivens hearts in that most violent conflict with despair. – Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XX, Good Works (paragraphs 81-85)

200  A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

1  A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;

He helps us free from ev’ry need That has us now o’ertaken.

The old evil foe Now means deadly woe;

Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight;

On earth is not his equal.

2  With might of ours can naught be done; Soon were our loss effected.

But for us fights the valiant one Whom God himself elected.

You ask, “Who is this?” Jesus Christ it is,

The almighty Lord. And there’s no other God;

He holds the field forever.

3  Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,

We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us.

This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,

He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done!

One little word can fell him.

4  The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it;

He’s by our side upon the plain With his good gifts and Spirit.

And do what they will—Hate, steal, hurt, or kill—

Though all may be gone, Our victory is won;

The kingdom’s ours forever!

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. composite.