CMLC 2025-03-16 Sermon

You know, I want to talk just a little bit about

how this season, we're talking about during Lent,

the idea of what we may be sacrificing during

Lent. Now I'm kind of curious a little bit. Is

anybody sacrificing anything during the season

of Lent? Anybody letting anything go? Okay, a

few of you, a few of you. Alright, the rest of

you heathens, y 'all need to get on the ball,

okay? What? Oh, okay. No, no, no. The reason

why I wanted to talk about that is that to try

to explain a bit about what this season is meant

for. is what is really trying to get us to realize

the idea of what cravings are really about in

our life because if we're being honest cravings

in our life do not actually fill the real needs

that we may have let me explain a bit so like

for example let's say that you are having certain

cravings or desires for things and your body

is telling you that you want one thing but it

may be actually wanting something else. So for

example, let's say that it is Valentine's Day,

and you are really looking forward to that box

of chocolates that your sweetheart is going to

give you. And if not your sweetheart, then I

guess your spouse. Oh, but a bunch. Ah, bad jokes.

But let's say that you're realizing that you

really want chocolate, but in reality, you're

actually having a magnesium deficiency. So what

it might mean is that your body really wants

some green leafy vegetables. So at Valentine's

Day you need to tell your sweetheart that instead

of a box of chocolates you would like a box of

some green leafy vegetables. Does that sound

pretty good? I think we're on a great roll now.

Or let's say you're really craving sodas. You'd

really like a good Coke or a Dr. Pepper and those

are the only two sodas that exist in Texas so

that's what we're drinking. It may turn out you

actually have a calcium deficiency. So when you're

going to get your burger and fries instead of

getting a large coke, you should get a large

serving of kale. I'm sure that would be amazing.

When you want salty foods, you could still go

after celery, but what about coffee? How many

people have to start your day with coffee every

morning? Oh, okay. See, there you go. Lots more

hands this time. You might actually be having

a salt deficiency which you could actually satisfy

with apple cider vinegar. So you go over to the

office and make sure you ask Starbucks, I would

like a big grande apple cider vinegar. See if

they'll put foam on top of it for you. It'll

be great. You know, I personally struggle with

the sugary sweets. I could definitely fill it

with sweet potato, but if I have a sulfur deficiency,

it's actually asparagus that I need. And don't

even get me started on beer nights whenever we're

going out every second Friday of the month to

go to local brewery. It turns out that maybe

some of us guys actually should be just eating

a bunch of turnip greens instead. So we've got

at least one saying no over here. food is that

it's not even just that sometimes we're trying

to satisfy the physical cravings we have but

that oftentimes we're also trying to satisfy

our emotional cravings as well and you can oftentimes

tell the difference between emotional hunger

and physical hunger because if you really are

physically hungry the hunger is slowly going

to turn up a little bit at a time over the course

of the day but if it's emotional then it hits

you abruptly. and you're like all of a sudden

feeling this desire, this hunger for food but

there might be times where you're hungry and

you could be very happy and everything's good

but there are times whenever we might feel guilt

or shame and that can cause us to eat at that

moment or times whenever we feel that we've eaten

enough and we're ready to stop. But whenever

it's our emotions, it can oftentimes be harder

to stop eating at those times. But even the things

that we crave can betray what our emotions are.

Because sometimes we crave sugar when we are

depressed. Sometimes we crave salty foods when

we're feeling stress. We might want more meat

and crunchy foods because we're feeling angry.

or sometimes when you know that there's just

too much anxiety and instead of eating part of

that pint of ice cream, the whole pint is now

gone. And that's the thing about this is that

oftentimes our cravings are just trying to fill

things that might actually need something else

instead. It turns out that whenever we are looking

at fasting from something, I don't want to remind

you that we're not just saying that you're not

going to eat at all, but also times when you're

saying you're going to fast from something specific.

I'm not going to have this thing for a period

of time. It can actually be to try to help us

to refocus. There are four big reasons why we

might do that. One of them might be because we're

realizing we need to practice self -control.

We need a chance to be able to learn what it

means to say no. Because if we can't say no to

something that we clearly don't actually need,

what about the times whenever it's something

that we've struggled with for a long time? Or

maybe we need time to talk with God and to ask

God to give us discernment and to show us what

it is that he's trying to teach us, but also

maybe we're asking God to be more involved in

our lives. Or even times whenever we're meant

to confess our sin, maybe we're not willing to

admit the sins that we've struggled with the

most. And not just us as people, individuals,

but even our whole community. Because how many

things do we see in our world that we know are

not pleasing to God? And as we take time in prayer

and fasting, we're asking God to help us see

our part and how God be the one to move and to

change us. And that's something that we're trying

to look at here, is to try to understand a better

fulfillment of ourselves and our lives than the

cravings that we have. And that's what's on our

mind when we hear Paul saying to us today, their

God is their belly. When Paul is saying their

God is their belly and we've got this idea that's

on here is that it's a very very minor very small

part of what we end up seeing Paul talking about

because Paul is actually talking about earthly

things as a whole. It's the idea that it's not

just the things physically in our belly. We do

look oftentimes at gluttony but then also we

might take times thinking about drunkenness as

well. How often is it that we may say, I need

to have one drink this evening, just one. Now,

we also did that the night before, and the night

before. We're probably going to do it again tomorrow.

But instead of actually enjoying it, it's now

such a habit that now we have to have that in

order to feel calm, happy, and ready for the

end of the day. But more than even just the things

that are satisfying the belly or the taste buds

is that even more than that is satisfying the

other cravings as well. Because it's not just

the food or the drink. There are plenty of other

cravings as well. How many cravings are there

also in our mind? And how many cravings are there

also in our addictions? So how many things that...

Well, I don't really need to have any sort of

anonymous group to help me, but maybe I'm not

willing to admit how much this habit consumes

me all the time. But more than what's just physical,

what about what's also going on in our minds?

How often do we realize our response to things

that we don't even have any control over? How

often is it that we may see what other people

are doing and without even realizing it we've

already come to a judgment about it. We've already

come to some place of deciding these are the

bad people, these are the bad things and ideas.

Why? Because one of the biggest cravings that

we have is often times our desire for self -righteousness.

Why is that? Why is self -righteousness such

a craving? Because whenever we feel that we've

been really good at something and everybody is

not, how does that make us feel? Isn't there

kind of like a warm fuzzy feeling that we get

whenever we know, I'm not struggling with this

thing. Other people are, but I'm not. And without

even realizing it, we've already given in to

a mindset and perspective we didn't even realize

we had. But even beyond that, whether it allows

us to feel that we have achieved more than other

people as well. But I want to take it further

than that. Want to take it further than what

Paul is saying I want to also look at what we

end up hearing and seeing from Jesus as Jesus

Says to those Pharisees that I must go on my

way What is it that's happening and and to try

to help explain this a little bit I got to go

back to the food for just a second Okay, is that

so when I was I was in China and while I was

there there was a guy that worked with me His

name was Brian Sorry, Brian You're the example

today. But the thing with Brian is that he had

come from Boston or something like that, or Baston.

I don't know how you're supposed to say it. But

in coming over to China, he had made himself

a promise. That he was not going to eat a single

dumpling. I don't know. What in the world? How

do you eat anything in China if you don't have

dumplings? Because it's like, oh, you don't like

this type of dumpling. No. I don't want any dumpling.

Well, what about this type? You realize there

are hundreds of types of dumpling. They're all

very different. No, if it's called dumpling,

I won't eat it. What about a baozi? No, it's

a dumpling. What about a shou mai? No, it's a

dumpling. Oh my word. It's like all he could

eat was sandwiches and burgers and pizza. And

I'm like, you just spent however long in China

and you are missing out. Why? Because in his

mind, this was his perspective And that's what

made him comfortable. He was not going to go

outside of that box because it was going to make

him uncomfortable. And here's the thing, is how

often it is that we realize that the comforts

of our body are also a sense of our comfort of

what we're willing to see and view. Our point

of view is oftentimes the thing that gives us

our warm and fuzzy feeling. more than anything

else because look at the Pharisees that are coming

over there to speak to him now when we hear this

passage we might be thinking wow those Pharisees

I thought they were all so mean these Pharisees

are very very nice they're coming to warn Jesus

Jesus we don't want you to be you know arrested

by Herod or or put to death except is that really

what they were trying to do Because what they're

really trying to do is say, Jesus, don't go to

Jerusalem. We don't want you there. Why is that?

The Pharisees had been so important for so long.

Not just their place, not just their authority,

not just their power, but the way they viewed

the world. Is that their way of viewing the world

was about trying to show you have to live up

to God's laws, not just what he told you, but

also what we're telling you to do. But you know

what's funny about the Pharisees? The Pharisees

were really good at condemning everybody else

for their issues. But the funny thing about people

who know the law really well is they're also

really good at figuring out the loopholes to

get around it. And that was the fun part about

this. is that they liked the fact that they could

find every loophole so they could still satisfy

whatever they wanted. At no point in time did

they have to slow down long enough to ask what

was happening inside of them. Because that's

the thing is that Jesus knew though, Jesus knew

what it was that was going on. He knew He still

had to go. The thing that was so sad to Jesus

is that What does he point out? I'm casting out

demons. I'm curing the people who are sick. Notice

he didn't say I'm bringing good news to the poor

because, well, the Pharisees aren't really going

to be interested in good news for the poor. But

the thing with this is that instead of embracing

God Himself right there, is that instead, they

wanted to keep things exactly the way they saw

them. That's what broke my heart so much about

my friend Brian. It's not because I don't have

any stocks in a dumpling restaurant or anything

like that. I don't get anything out of it But

it made me so sad Because there were so many

delicious things to eat over there and he was

missing out on most of them And isn't that the

same thing about what we end up seeing with God

being here on this earth? Is that Jesus ends

up saying I could have taken you under my wing

What would have been the most amazing thing for

the Pharisees looking for the coming Messiah?

To realize he's there And they were missing out

Because they didn't want anything or anyone to

change the way that they saw the world the way

their world view truly was see this is a lot

of what we end up seeing today is that our world

today struggles with the law of God and the gospel

of God believe it or not the idea that God has

expectations that we're supposed to live up to

and that God is forgiving loving and merciful

there's always somebody who is going to have

trouble with one the other or both because how

often is it someone is going to find a fence

if you tell people in the world what you're doing

is wrong You should stop because it's a bad thing

and then what are we met with? How dare you say

that to me because you're hurting my self -esteem

Don't tell me that the thing I it doesn't matter

if it's a sin or it's wrong. Don't tell me that

Or even the other side What if we were to say

that we need to show? Mercy grace kindness to

the poor the foreigner those who are in need

and then we're met with you're destroying the

world and the very things that we hear from God

himself, but because our point of view doesn't

allow it, we want to shut it out. But more than

anything, people become louder and more violent

when they're not getting their way and other

people don't back down. Could you imagine how

many people would have never thought that the

Pharisees, the scribes, the chief priests would

all get together and would take this popular

rabbi and send him to his death. People are peaceful

until they are not. And that's the thing about

this. is that Jesus is going off to Jerusalem

he knows what happens to people who speak the

truth to the ones who hear it just like Jeremiah

because what is Jeremiah in our passage telling

us today is frankly God will curse us and that's

the thing about this Jeremiah was not saying

anything that was wrong The people had been worshipping

other gods. They had been doing practices that

were terrible. There were even kings who had

sacrificed their own children. There were those

who were so distraught that they turned their

back on God and were willing to kill each other

for survival, even in their own country. They

were those who were not willing to focus on God

alone. And what is Jeremiah saying? We're going

to suffer the consequences. Were the people around

him willing to hear from God? No. It'd be easier

if you just killed the guy saying it. How often

is it that we'd rather attack the person speaking

truth and being willing to admit what's wrong

instead of dealing with where we're at? How dare

you say anything bad? And that's the thing about

this so funny is that he had to have people protect

him It's speaking the word of God. Well, well

Micah Micah said this before so, you know, it's

okay It is okay for Jeremiah to say this and

then it points out later in the chapter Yeah,

except Uriah was killed for the same thing Is

to be almost killed for declaring what is just

real and what is happening around us because

We crave things physically We crave things mentally

We crave things emotionally, but do we crave

what we truly need spiritually? And that's the

place where we find ourselves in this season

of Lent. It's a season of Lent is meant to be

a time for us to acknowledge the things that

we give into and to confess the cravings that

have controlled our lives. It's to realize that

we our physical creatures. We're constantly looking

for what makes us feel good. But if we don't

acknowledge it and confess those things before

God, who's really going to determine our direction?

What is really going to determine our direction?

Because the thing that we discover is that we're

called to see when we pursue what we want and

we're ignoring what God wants to fulfill us with

See that's the thing about this We're not called

to become something terrible God isn't trying

to say I want you to refrain from things because

I'm trying to condemn you God is saying are you

willing to let things go so that I can bless

you? Are you willing? to let me be the one to

put you under my wing, to guard you, to comfort

you, to bring you hope and peace. Whenever we

don't feel hope, peace, love, and joy, and we

try to find them in the bottom of the Pringles

canister, where you can't quite get your hand

all the way to the bottom, but you're still going

to hurt your hand to try to get there, or we

are willing to... Scroll through what's going

to depress us and anger us Or more than that

scroll through something that watching it might

destroy our relationships Or even the times whenever

we know that what somebody is saying is true,

but we make sure that in our mind Even if we

don't do it with our mouth. We're going to make

sure we have the last word But what if it truly

means that fulfilling the true cravings that

we need is about coming back to Christ Jesus

and that's the challenge for us today are we

willing to ignore the things that might distract

us with our time our energy because I can promise

you how many times if you take a step back from

something you don't you know you don't need how

much more time money energy and everything else

you will have for the things you know that God

would want. So instead of fulfilling our belly,

can we make the time to help fill someone's belly

who needs it? Instead of trying to feel self

-righteous, what if we come back to God for His

righteousness? And what if instead of being threatened

with our worldview that always wants to feel

we're in the right, What if we're willing to

acknowledge that we're not? Because instead of

being right, we're forgiven. Because that's the

truth about this, is that forgiveness is ours.

So why not be willing to let go of all the things

that promise to make us feel good but never truly

do? And instead focus on the one who always brings

us life everlasting. and will never leave us

with an oily greasy thing on our fingers. With

that, thanks be to God.