Back to The Word

Lent as More Than an Exercise

Pastor Scott began this morning by placing us squarely in Lent, reminding us that this season is about self-denial, giving, and prayer, but not as empty tradition. He called us to see Lent as an invitation to honest faith that pierces through easy comfort. Lending from an old movie, he asked us to consider a vivid image:

"In the Matrix, Neo is given a choice, a blue pill to keep living comfortably in a lie, or a red pill that opens his eyes to reality, painful as it may be."

He noted, "A lot of our churches today are probably teaching how to be comfortable in this world, rather than the fact that we are called to be uncomfortable."

The Blue Pill: Comfort Over Truth

We saw this challenge up close. Scott described how our world constantly pushes the blue pill, whispering we'd be happier if we avoided anything hard, seeking comfort above all, and even seeing evil as just a problem to explain away. He shared a hard story, how the family of a stabbing victim was simply told to accept things as they were, ignoring the presence of evil or temptation. There is a deep spiritual conflict under so much of what we see, even when society refuses to name it.

He turned the conversation: Lent, then, is our moment to "red pill" ourselves, to look straight at what is real, not just what keeps us comfortable. That means going back to the Word as the place where we find unvarnished truth.

The Pattern of Testing: Israel, Jesus, and Us

Scott walked us through how Israel as God's son failed in the wilderness, but Jesus as the Son succeeded. He reminded us how the Gospel of Matthew opens this up, showing Jesus' genealogy and then his baptism, marking him as the Messiah. But immediately after that public declaration, Jesus is "led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil."

"When God faced with temptation, Jesus went back to the word for victory."

This was a direction, not an accident. Just as Israel went through the Red Sea and straight into the wilderness, Jesus too was brought to the edge, except he would succeed where Israel had not.

Pastor Scott admitted, "Today's church, we don't tell people that God will do these things, because we want people to believe that God wants them to be comfortable." But the Bible's witness is different. As he put it: "The red pill is, if you want to know the truth, God fathers his children the way that he sees fit."

The Three Temptations in the Wilderness

Scott led us through each temptation, holding closely to the text (Matthew 4:1-11):

First Temptation: Satisfy Yourself

The devil comes to Jesus, hungry and tired, and says: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Scott reflected, "In his humanness, Jesus has come to defeat the enemy. He's going to give himself on the cross for our sin. In this moment, he is obedient, not out of power, but out of dependence."

"Jesus says to him, listen, I'm not going to I'm not pleasing you. I'm I'm not pleasing me. I'm pleasing my father in heaven."

Scott shared his own story of being hangry, using humor to bring the story home: "If I'm hungry, I'm making decisions with an edge to me. Maybe Jesus was that way. I don't know. But I'm telling you, he's experienced what I've experienced."

He drew out the lesson: It's not about chasing comfort or serving ourselves. Sometimes, suffering and discomfort come not as punishment, but because God is at work doing something deeper.

Second Temptation: Manipulate God

The devil then challenges Jesus to throw himself off the temple, quoting scripture out of context. Scott reminded us how often people try to "fleece the Lord," hoping for signs and tests instead of trusting his character.

"Jesus said, 'Look, don't test the Lord.' Jesus quotes the law, the same law given to the Israelites so that they could know this God."

He made the connection: "If you're trying to manipulate God to give what you want, that's idolatry. Don't do those things."

He offered a story from his work with teenagers, drawing a parallel between God's commandments and parental boundaries, not as punishment, but as love: "What do you think God's doing with you and I? Is he trying to take something great from us or is he loving us because he knows what is good for us?"

Third Temptation: Shortcut to Glory

Finally, Jesus is offered all the kingdoms of the world if he'll bow and worship the devil. Scott was clear: "I've already mentioned it. He's a liar."

Here, Scott pushed into what it means for God to be the real authority:

"God uses that suffering. He uses all that pain. He uses all of these things that you and I are experiencing. He uses this discomfort not only to demonstrate your obedience to this lost world, but he's bringing you into maturity in your faith in Jesus Christ."

He shared a personal story of counseling a family walking through cancer, wrestling with the apparent unfairness and yet refusing to surrender hope: "There's something going on and God is using this. I don't know what it is, but at the very least he's allowing this to happen."

The Real Authority: Not Ourselves

Scott returned to the central challenge. The world, and even much of the church, is tempted to "manage our sin and try to get people to accept it." But Jesus shows us a different way. During Lent, and every day, Pastor Scott called us to:

Practice self-denial, giving, prayer, and seeking truth in the Word. Overcome temptation by God's Word, not by what we wish or what we want to hear. When suffering comes, do not redouble efforts to get your way but lean into obedience and God's greater authority.

"Red pill yourself. Don't take that blue pill. Red pill yourself and say, 'Lord, be it to me as you see fit because you are the authority.'"

Living It Out

This week, we are challenged to refuse shortcuts and easy answers. When we're faced with temptation or discomfort, go back to the Word and be honest before God. Practice some self-denial, give to someone in need, and spend extra time in prayer, not as religious duty, but as real hunger for God.

Discussion Questions

1. Where in your own life do you find yourself reaching for comfort instead of facing the painful truth God may want to show you?
2. When have you tried to "test" or manipulate God to get what you wanted? How did you see God respond to you in those moments?
3. What practical steps can you take this week to "red pill" yourself, choosing the hard truth over convenience or comfort?