Lent: A Downward Descent to Humility; Christ’s Temptation a Call to Humility!!!

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Preacher: Wayne van Heerden

Verses: Matthew 4:1-11

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Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen, the famous German First World War fighter pilot was better known as the Red Baron -because he flew a distinctive a red Fokker aircraft.

He shot down more enemy combat planes than anyone else on either side and his known kill tally was 80.

On 21st April 1918, he began chasing a Canadian plane that was trying to escape the battle over the Mor-lan-court Ridge, near the river Somme.

As the Red Baron pursued his prey behind Allied lines, he didn’t watch out.

He dived too low into the enemy lines and he also missed a Canadian pilot (Arthur) “Roy” Brown coming up on his tail to help his comrade.

Whether it was a shot from the ground - or a shot from Brown that killed Richthofen, we will never know.

But what we do know is that the end of the “Red Baron” came because he made the mistake of pursuing that Allied ‘plane “too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory” (as one report so succinctly put it)

And chasing temptation for too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory has caused the downfall of many good people.

And as with Richthofen – they are then caught unawares with the consequences.