Enticed
TEXTS: JEREMIAH 20:7-19, MATTHEW 10:34-39
GUEST PREACHER REV. MIKE CLANG
AUGUST 4, 2024
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in
your site O Lord, our rock; our strength; and our redeemer . . . Amen “
The last time that I was with you all, we talked about the importance of being still.
Like the Psalm that we referenced in our morning prayer, “to be still and to know
that I am God”.
We talked about how important it is for us as Christians, to take that time each
day just to silence some of the “noise” in our lives; to take a rest from our phones
and social medial and to just REST in the presence of God.
I challenged each of you to commit to just 5 minutes per day to doing this and
hopefully it went well for everyone!
My wife Tracie and I went backpacking over the last two weekends, and I found it
a bit easier in the wilderness. Now, I don’t know if it was being surrounded by the
beauty of God’s creation or the fact that I was drop dead tired from carrying my
pack, but sitting quietly was much easier!
At home, I find that I am distracted by so many things. Our middle nephew has
been accepted into Nurse Anesthetist school down in Orlando Florida and after
much prayer and discernment, we have decided to move there as well to support
him. So as I sit trying to be still my mind darts back and forth to the 1000 things
that one has to do before moving this December.
The Buddhists call it the “monkey mind” cause like a monkey it just reaches out
for everything. For me it was get boxes; call a realtor; coordinate a moving
company; did I remember to turn off the coffee pot; now focus; how hot is it
going to be in Orlando; is the dog due for her rabies vaccine . . . and on and on!
My mind just wanted to think about everything else but sitting in prayerful
silence. But . . . slowly, things calmed down and it did get easier. Five minutes
started to go by faster (or at least it felt faster!).
So, I hope you will continue this practice, because it is a practice that does get
easier with time AND it’s just so important to have that time to listen to God and
just to be in that presence.
However, like we said last time, it’s not without its risks! And I’m not talking
about the risks of sitting cross-legged and not being able to get up!
No, once we quiet the noise and really start listening; God has this way of putting
things on our heart; things that God will be persuading or to use Jeremiah’s words
this morning, will be “enticing” us to do or say . . . and those things can be
challenging.
Now, that word “ENTICE” is not one that we use often.
The root of the Hebrew word that Jeremiah uses here means “to allure”. I think
of a fishing lure that tries to “lure” a fish. If you look up this verse in different
Bible translations you might see; seduced, deceived or persuaded.
A few years ago during the Super Bowl, State Farm did this commercial. It was
three parts public service and one-part tear-jerker. Some of you may have seen
it. It’s nice and it gets at this idea of being enticed or persuaded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm-ZMB3kzaw
It shows this younger man who is going about his daily life in a big city. He is
riding the train to work; dinner out with friends; walking the neighborhood;
playing some weekend sports. Typical day to day stuff in a large American city.
In each scene he will see a flyer or a news article. First, it’s about rescue dogs;
then about homeless veterans; then the increasing high school dropout rates.
Then each scene will come alive.
The dog in the flyer is sitting next to him on the train; the homeless vet is right
next to him on the computer; the high school dropout is looking over his
shoulder. And soon there are more dogs; more homeless vets; more dropouts.
The song “Following” by Joy Williams is playing and we hear the words, “I need a
miracle” and “I need you right now” and eventually our young man ends up
walking through the doors of an afterschool center to volunteer with young kids.
The ad says, “you can lift the weight of caring by doing”. It’s a touching
commercial with absolutely nothing to do about insurance! But it seems to get a
bit at this idea of being “enticed” or “persuaded”. The young man was persuaded
to act. He was enticed.
The dictionary defines ENTICE; “to lead on by exciting or giving us hope”.
Waking up HOPE! I love that! Because isn’t it hope that often leads us to faith in
God? Isn’t it the hope of a better future that gets us though some really tough
times?
This must have been what initially inspired Jeremiah because things were
definitely challenging in his time.
He would have had that HOPE that if he said these words and did these things,
that everything would turn out okay. The city that he loved; his beautiful
Jerusalem would not fall into the hands of the enemy but rather it would once
again proclaim God’s glory! That was his HOPE!
And as a result, God’s spirit filled Jeremiah in such a way that, it was impossible
for him not to share his message. It was that strong. He just had to tell
everyone!
But as we heard, he is not happy with God right now; because every time he
speaks these powerful WORDS that God has placed in his heart to say; he
encounters hostility and resistance from those around him.
“O’ Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and
you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks
me”.
He gets so frustrated he thinks “no more God; I quit”. But here is the thing, every
time he decides to STOP speaking, the words from God burn inside of him and he
gets no peace either. It’s that “fire in his bones” that won’t let go.
Just like in the commercial we saw; the young man was trying to walk away from
service to others. But God put the fire in his bones, and he could not walk away.
Have you all felt that before? Something inside of you; that feeling down deep
inside your gut that just won’t go away? Something that just needs to be said or
some act that must be done and you feel no peace inside until you do it?
Jeremiah is doubting and struggling and wrestling with what God wants him to do
with his life right now. God has put some difficult words in his heart that he
needs to keep saying; a prophetic message that needs to be shared. But he is
scared now to say it. He is tired of the hostility. He wants to just keep quiet for a
while.
My wife is a healthcare consultant and spends a lot of time in hospitals. As part of
her job, she often must speak to the Hospital leadership about different ways that
they can improve how care is being delivered to patients.
These are things they need to hear but can often be difficult to share because
they end up being those “sacred cows” that no one wants to talk about. One time
before a meeting I told her that she was a prophet and she kind of looked at me
funny. But it’s true.
We often think of a prophet as one who just predicts the future, like a fortune-
teller. But a real prophet is one who speaks to the myths and lies that we tell
ourselves. You know what I mean. Those stories that we tell ourselves when we
don’t really want to face the truth of what is happening in our life right now.
Jeremiah was poking at these lies and untrue stories that those in power were
telling everyone. He was calling out the injustices that he was seeing all around
him and as a result, he was upsetting those in power, and that’s where the
hostility came from.
Jesus did the same. He shook up the religious community of his day that wanted
to stay in power by hiding behind the old traditions. His message was “love God
AND your neighbor”. Then he said that our neighbors were all those who were
the outcast of society; those of other cultures; those different than us; those the
leaders had forgotten about or rejected.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to
bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.”
These words from Jesus seem so “anti-Jesus”, don’t they? The Prince of Peace
declaring that he did not come to bring peace. But this is what can happen when
we have been enticed! When we speak the truth that is burning in our heart.
There is a chance that not everyone will be happy with what we have to say.
I can remember telling Tracie that I was going to go to seminary. Mind you this
was after 21 years of marriage and a career in healthcare administration, so it was
a big change at this stage of life and in our relationship. She would tell you that
she was not the most supportive at first. But I was enticed.
Likewise, when we are driving around and she sees a stray dog that looks like it
has not eaten for days, and she tells me to pull over so she can give it some food
and I do so with a bit of moaning and groaning . . . my lack of support creates
some tension. But she is enticed.
Are you feeling enticed today? Are there things you are feeling deep in your gut
that you need to say but you have been afraid to do so?
It’s scary, especially when those who know and love us may not cheer us on at
first. But in the verses just preceding our reading in Matthew this morning, Jesus
reminded us that this same God who entices us also cares for the little sparrows
and even has the hairs on our head counted; so we will never be outside of God’s
love for us; so have no fear!
What is God persuading you to do or say?
Do not be afraid. Do what needs to be done.
John Mayer sums it up nicely in his song “Say”:
Say what needs to be said. Even if your hands are shaking and your faith is broken.
Do it with a heart wide open.
Thanks be to God!
Let us pray:
God may we be doers of word and not just hearers. As you continue to fill us with
your presence, may we with confidence say the words and do the actions that you
are placing on our hearts. Amen.